Z*Net: 19-Jul-91 #9130
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/21/91-11:03:16 PM Z
From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Z*Net: 19-Jul-91 #9130
Date: Sun Jul 21 23:03:16 1991
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Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE
The Number One "Atari" Online Magazine by Choice
Issue #91-30 July 19, 1991
Ron Kovacs, Publisher/Editor
John Nagy, Editor
Terry Schreiber, Z*Net Canada
CONTENTS
THE EDITORS DESK.........................Ron Kovacs
Z*NET NEWSWIRE.....................................
PAGESTREAM 2.1 REVIEW - PART 2.........Vernon Smith
FOREM BBS UPDATE......................Press Release
DISK VIRUSES AND THE ATARI ST.......George Woodside
PDC UPDATE............................Press Release
PORTFOLIO USERS UPDATE....................AtariUser
Z*NET SOFTWARE SHELF.................Ron Berinstein
=======================================================================
THE EDITORS DESK
----------------
by Ron Kovacs
=======================================================================
FNET UPDATE
This week has been an active one in the Z*Net Conference. Earlier this
week a capture of "Elite" conferences were captured and uploaded. This
capture contained surprising information which surprised many in the
conference and the network. Some of the most popular BBS systems are
part of these "private" areas and more discussion is expected in the
weeks ahead.
In an effort to promote Anti-Piracy on BBS systems, we have started a
new FNET conference titled "Anti-Piracy Conference", which has been
assigned the following conference code: 40593. I encourage all FNET
systems to join this conference today. Discussions are starting now!
If you know of any BBS system that pirates files, please report them
and advertise them. The more calls the better! We have to put a dent
in pirating and you can help. Stay tuned to for future updates.
=======================================================================
Z*NET NEWSWIRE
--------------
=======================================================================
ATARIUSER UNAFFECTED BY TAX
The California sales tax on publications reported by Z*Net last week
will not affect operation of AtariUser magazine. Quite contrary to the
worst-case scenarios discussed here last week before a decision was made
by California officials, AtariUser will only have to pay sales tax on
their costs of printing the new monthly Atari magazine. With a
circulation nearing 40,000, this is a far more affordable scheme than
pre-paying retail taxes on each copy, suggested as one crippling
possibility in last weeks Z*Net story. Says Steve Lesh, owner of Quill
Publishing Co. and publisher of AtariUser, "The tax story was premature
and it scared a lot of our advertisers, distributors, and subscribers.
We didn't know what the real costs were going to be, and neither did the
tax people. AtariUser Magazine is not and was not threatened by the
tax. Now we know it will have almost no effect on us. In fact, we are
expecting that new equipment at our printer's office will reduce the
actual cost of printing, just about offsetting the increase in tax
expense. It will be business as usual for AtariUser. We're expanding
our market every month in America and overseas, and both our acceptance
and advertising base are growing steadily." Some small adjustments may
still be required for subscriptions, which are also taxable at 8.5% as a
sale since the new law became effective on July 15. The new sales taxes
apply to all publications in California, but the manner in which "free"
publications are assessed may be on a case-by-case basis.
TOM BYRON JOINS HOLOBYTE
Former STart magazine editor Tom Byron begins a new position next week
at SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE. Tom will be in public relations and promotion at
the successful software company, leaving a staff position at ANTIC
publishing where his duties were limited to writing for the PC Home
Journal since the suspension of the STart publication two months ago.
(There is no word yet of any progress on a hoped-for sale of STart.)
Still an Atari fan, Tom Byron hopes to have opportunities to promote
more Atari projects. Spectrum Holobyte is the maker of the already-
classic FALCON flight simulation game, but has a limited number of
titles available for the Atari computers.
50 MEG HARD DRIVE KITS SHIPPING
Atari Canada confirmed shipping of the fifty megabyte hard drive kits
for the Mega STE. The Mega STE 1 marketed in Canada for the past few
months has been upgraded and will only use Atari's own hard drive kits
to install an internal hard drive.
ATARI AT PACIFIC NATIONAL EXPO
Atari Canada and Minitronics Canada will join forces this summer at the
Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. This seventeen day fair hosts
a variety of interests and currently planned are demonstrations on the
Atari Computer, in conjunction with the Roland Desktop Music System as
well as Portfolio and Lynx displays. The fair is annual event attended
by over a million people each year.
APPLE COMPUTER REPORTED that its third fiscal quarter unit shipments of
Macintosh pcs grew by more than 60 percent, and revenues increased by 12
percent, compared to a year ago. However, Apple also announced that it
has taken a one time charge of $224.0 million, or $138.9 million after
taxes, for restructuring, cost reduction, and other activities. Apple
has reported a net loss for the quarter of $53.1 million.
LOTUS ANNOUNCED THE AVAILABILITY OF 1-2-3 DOS Release 3.1+. 1-2-3 for
DOS 3.1+ now includes a file-viewing feature for quick finding and
viewing the contents of spreadsheet files located on disk and
spreadsheet auditing capabilities. The product is available in English,
International English and Government Editions. In addition, 1-2-3 for
DOS 3.1+ offers the additional capabilities of 3D multi-page worksheets
for organizing, consolidating and analyzing spreadsheet information; an
advanced database with access to external data via DataLens; extended,
expanded and virtual memory support for building larger spreadsheets (up
to 64 megabytes); and the award-winning Solver technology introduced in
1-2-3/G for OS/2. The new version requires an IBM PC AT, PS/2, Compaq
or compatible with an 80286 or higher microprocessor, a hard disk, one
megabyte of available system RAM and DOS 3.0 or higher. For the use of
WYSIWYG, 1.5 megabytes of RAM is recommended. Solver requires 3
megabytes of RAM. Available now with a suggested retail price of $595.
The Network Server and Node Editions of the product will be available
within 30 days at suggested retail prices of $895 and $595. Dutch,
French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish versions of Release 3.1+
will also be available.
Z*NET PC NEWS-HEADLINES ISSUE #11
The following stories appear in the latest edition of Z*Net PC Issue
#11.
IBM AND APPLE TO DEVELOP NEW OPERATING SYSTEM, PLATFORM
"PINK" - IBM AND APPLE'S NEW OPERATING SYSTEM
BORLAND MERGES WITH ASHTON-TATE
IBM TO BUNDLE MULTIMEDIA WINDOWS WITH PS/2's
MICROSOFT TO DISTRIBUTE IBM'S OS/2 2.0
MAC LAPTOPS JUDGED MOST SATISFYING
IBM JOINS PC BENCHMARK STANDARDS GROUP
LOTUS 1-2-3 MIGRATES TO HP WORKSTATIONS
COMPAQ SURPASSES IBM, BECOMES NUMBER ONE IN U.K.
DRI UNDERCUTS MICROSOFT IN SOVIET DOS MARKET
NOVELL, DRI ANNOUNCE MERGER
SEAGATE CUTS 1200 EMPLOYEES
IBM BUYS METAPHOR
AMD 386 CHIP SALES UP
SUMO INTRODUCES NEW CD-ROM DRIVE
DESCRIBE ENTERS WINDOWS MARKET
FORMER DEC EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY
"DOC SAVAGE" SENTENCED IN SUNDEVIL HACKER CASE
MAC-IN-DOS FOR WINDOWS READS MAC DISKS
90 MEG BERNOULLI DRIVE DEBUTS
PC INSURANCE NOW AVAILABLE
MICROSOFT INVOLVED IN MOUSE PATENT DISPUTE
SUPERMAC HAS FASTEST 8-BIT MAC COLOR
ELECTRONIC MAIL PRIVACY "UPHELD"
TOSHIBA CONSIDERS ACE RISC SET
NEC RELEASES COLOR LAPTOP
COMMODORE 386SX NOTEBOOK
SLOTLESS SX UPGRADE FOR 286 USERS
MORE COMPANIES SUPPORT PEN WINDOWS
A CRAY IN EVERY HOME?
=======================================================================
PAGESTREAM 2.1 REVIEW - PART 2
------------------------------
by Vernon W. Smith
=======================================================================
Reprinted from ACE of Syracuse Newsletter
This review is uploaded to the BackStairs BBS sponsored by Atari
Computer Enthusiasts of Syracuse for the information of Atari ST users.
It may be distributed by and to anyone. Please credit the author, the
BBS and Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Syracuse, NY.
In "An Early Review of PageStream 2.1" uploaded recently, (Also
appearing in last week's edition of Z*Net) I described two days of
experience with its new and improved features. My conclusion was that
as the leading desktop publishing program for the Atari ST, it was well
worth purchasing as an upgrade or as a new program.
Since then, another few days, I've had a chance to experiment with a
layout which I hope to see published in the September/October issue of
the ACE of Syracuse Newsletter. What I want to do is to show comparison
pages produced on the Atari SLM 804 Laser Printer respectively with
PageStream 2.1 direct, PageStream 1.8 direct, and PageStream 1.8 with
UltraScript.
In setting this up, I ran into my first serious problem with PageStream
2.1.
I printed my opening page from 2.1 and it looked good. But the next
time I tried to print out the same page, the tops of the characters in
the headline at the top of the page were skewed about one-eighth inch to
the right.
What was worse was that everything I printed out after that from any ST
program was skewed about a half-inch down from the top of the page for a
depth of about an eighth of an inch. Even my test run programs for the
SLM 804 were skewed at that point.
I tried closing and opening the PageStream program, rebooting the Mega
ST4 computer, and changing to a different removable cartridge on my
Toadfile 44 Syquest Removable Hard Drive. The skew persisted.
Since it was affecting all programs, I assumed it must be a printer
problem. I experimented with moving various programs in and out of my
AUTO folder to no avail. Finally, I turned everything off and went to
bed.
The next day, the saved one-page PageStream 2.1 file printed the first
time perfectly. But, again, all subsequent use of the printer showed
the skew.
I went to PageStream 1.8 installed on another partition and prepared a
page for UltraScript output to disk. It saved ok but, when I tried to
print the file through UltraScript, instead of a busy bee cursor and
eventual printout, I got the message, "Using Margins...Starting Server"
and a kickback to the regular cursor, showing the program had aborted.
This time, I immediately turned off the system and the printer and tried
again. Everything worked fine, as it had before I started to use the
PageStream 2.1 program.
I am thus able to pin down the problem specifically to PageStream 2.1.
I can get one good page but I have to turn off the system and the
printer to get another.
That's the bad news. The good news is that when I called Soft-Logik
Publishing's Technical Support Line at 314/894-0431, I was able to get
through on the third ring and a patient support person named Sheryl
identified me as a legitimate PageStream 2.1 purchaser and took down the
information about my problem. She asked me to send in documentation
including a disk with the problem file.
Less than ten minutes later, she called me back to say she had talked
with a programmer and that this was a problem Soft-Logik is aware of for
which there is no fix yet. She said I would be sent a new printer
driver as soon as it becomes available. No further documentation of my
problem would be necessary.
I've stuck with Soft-Logik through many upgrades since the original
Publishing Partner and I feel sure they will correct this bug as quickly
as possible. In the meantime, it prevents me from using 2.1 to any
serious degree because normally I can't afford the time to turn the
printer and system off and on for every page I print.
In the meantime, I have taken the time to compare the three types of
printout mentioned above.
PageStream 2.1 comes with three Compugraphic type font families labeled
Garamond Antiqua, CS Triumvirate, and CS Times. Eight other type faces
are repeats from earlier PageStream fonts except that all have screen
representations which more closely approximate the printed character
shapes.
PageStream 1.8 uses a PageStream Helv font family which looks like
Helvetica and a PageStream Tyme family which looks like Times.
UltraScript's PostScript-emulation packages of fonts include Helvetica
and Times, which can be directly compared with Helv (PageStream 1.8) and
CS Triumvirate (PageStream 2.1), Tyme (1.8) and CS Times (2.1), from the
PageStream programs. I also am using UltraScript Palatino which has
some similarities in appearance to 2.1's Garamond.
Good news is that the PageStream 2.1 faces are noticeably better in
printout than the PageStream 1.8 faces. The letter forms are more
subtly shaped with greater contrast between thicks and thins. On the
printed page, 10 point Tyme text with 11 point fixed leading looks much
heavier and darker than 10 on 11 CS Times. However, if you have a dot
matrix printer, you may prefer Tyme over CS Times because it is easier
to get dropouts in small text sizes in characters like "b" and "o" which
have higher contrasting thin and thick sections. On the Atari Laser
Printer, with the toner density set properly, CS Times is much more
attractive.
Ten point Helv Bold (1.8) subheads show darker on the screen but appear
lighter on the printer. Ten point CS Triumvirate Bold Hubheads (2.1)
are sharper and darker as well as more open.
Larger sizes of Tyme and Helv look fine by themselves but when compared
side by side with CS Times and CS Triumvirate they are slightly heavier
and less flowing.
As far as I'm concerned, UltraScript is still champion in looks but not
by much. And UltraScript can be used with 2.1, according to the Manual.
What deters the use of UltraScript, given the availability of 2.1's
Compugraphic fonts, is the time needed for printout. I clocked a
printout of nearly identical pages in the three formats: 2.1 direct to
Atari SLM804 Laser Printer, 1.8 direct, and 1.8 with UltraScript.
PageStream 2.1 direct took about two minutes to roll off the first page.
PageStream 1.8 took 15 seconds longer. But UltraScript took more than
three minutes for the PageStream 1.8 print to disk and another five
minutes processing from disk to printer through the UltraScript program.
I've always been willing to endure the extra UltraScript time because of
the improvement in quality over PageStream 1.8 but I'm sure when 2.1 is
working properly I'll not want to bother when using comparable fonts.
I could go on about the graphic capabilities of PageStream 2.1 but they
are really just a continuing enlargement of format compatibilities.
Bitmap support includes IMG, IFF, TIFF, MACPAINT, GIF, DEGAS, PCX, NEO,
and TNY. Object drawing support includes GEM Metafile, DR2D, AEGIS, and
PRODRAW. PostScript support includes EPS, MACEPS, and IBMEPS.
If a particular format is important to you, you should try to look at a
copy of the PageStream 2.1 Users Manual before buying the program. The
PostScript and the GEM formats, in particular, have some limitations.
For example, text stored with some of these formats will not be
imported.
PageStream 2.1 (and 1.8 before it) has color capabilities which I have
not explored because I do not have a color printer and do not prepare
color separations for commercial processing.
The general improvement of PageStream 2.1 over PageStream 1.8 makes it a
worthwhile purchase new or as an upgrade (assuming the Atari Laser
Printer bug is solved promptly for those who are affected by it.)
PageStream 2.1 is currently available from Atari dealers and mail order
sources or direct from Soft-Logik Publishing Corporation, P.O. Box
290070, St. Louis, MO 63129, Phone: 1-800/829-8608. List price is
$299.95. VWS, 315/474-0450.
=======================================================================
FOREM BBS UPDATE
----------------
Press Release
=======================================================================
Effective immediately Full Moon BBS is now your source for the FoReM BBS
program by Matthew R. Singer. FoReM is not new, it has been in use all
over the free world since 1985. Available in single line versions for
the Atari ST (one meg RAM recommended) and the IBM PC (512 K required)
FoReM may be purchased directly from Full Moon for $74.95 plus $5.00 for
shipping and handling. All orders are shipped with a manual that
includes detailed instructions on installing and configuring FoReM.
When used in conjunction with the FNET mailer program by David Chiquelin
(a shareware program supported at Atari-Oh! BBS 713-480-9310) either
version of FoReM can be used to exchange messages with other BBS Systems
worldwide.
You can order FoReM ST or PC by sending a check for $79.95 ($74.95 for
the program plus $5.00 S&H) made payable to:
Stephen Rider
20 Cargill Ave
Worcester MA 01610
Orders are shipped UPS only, specify a street address as UPS cannot
deliver to a Post Office box number.
For ST orders specify single sided or double sided diskette. PC owners
please specify 360K or 1.2 meg 5.25" or 720K 3.5" disks. Depending on
the media you order we will also include some useful PD or shareware
utility programs that are widely used by FoReM boards.
This offer is made in conjunction with Matthew R. Singer, creator and
copyright holder of FoReM ST. Offer not valid in Massachusetts. (c)
1985-1990 Matthew R. Singer
=======================================================================
DISK VIRUSES AND THE ATARI ST
-----------------------------
excerpts from VKILLER documentation
by George Woodside
=======================================================================
[EDITORS NOTE: This excerpt is presented in order to help educate the
user community to the reality and dangers of computer viruses. George
Woodside has offered a series of programs useful in the detection and
elimination of viruses. The most current version of VKILLER is
available on all online services and many bulletin boards, and should be
downloaded and a part of every user's library. VKILLER offers two
different "Guard" options for continued protection, and even will
"repair" disks. It will also correct the differences between MS-DOS
formatted disks and ST disks that can otherwise "trash" your MS-DOS
disks. The documentation with VKILLER is very comprehensive - spanning
20 pages of information and program details. Presented here is a
portion of the documentation that will help the user understand the
problems and the cures. Z*NET encourages everyone to support George
Woodside in his efforts, and to USE VKILLER!]
Disk Basics
The boot sector of a normal ST disk is 512 bytes. Only a small portion
of this, about 30 bytes, are required to provide data to the ST. Those
initial data bytes contain the disk's formatting characteristics,
telling the ST's operating system how many tracks te disk has, how many
sides are used, how many sectors are on each track, and how much of the
disk is being used for the directory and the File Allocation Table. The
rest of the boot sector is not used unless the disk is "self booting".
In this case, normally found only on games, the boot sector is
"executable", and the normally unused portion of the boot sector
contains a small program. This program will be executed automatically
when the ST is powered on, or reset, and the disk with the executable
boot sector is in drive A. This is true even if your ST is configured
to automatically boot up from a hard disk. The boot sector of a disk in
drive A will still be checked to see if it is executable, and will be
executed if it is. Executable boot sectors, therefore, are the primary
method used by viruses to spread, and be run by unsuspecting ST owners.
If the boot sector is not executable, the space after the configuration
data is unused. While whatever is there is not normally important,
there is one virus which utilizes an obscure system characteristic to
hide in the boot sector, and not make the disk "executable". To be
safe, the unused portions of the boot sector of any non executable disk
should be set to zeroes. Some formatting programs do this, while others
do not. The ST desktop, for example, does not set the unused portion of
the boot sector to zero.
The boot sector also contains a serial number. That number is used by
the ST's operating system to determine when one disk has been removed,
and a different disk inserted. If a change is made between two disks
which have the same serial number, however, the ST does not believe that
there has been a disk change made. That usually results in the
destruction of the second disk, when the data written to it aligns with
the file structure of the removed disk. There are viruses which write
the same serial number to different disks, resulting in such
destruction. There is a similar problem using disks formatted by an MS-
DOS system. The serial number is not used by MS-DOS. Instead, MS-DOS
writes the version number in the space used for the serial number. This
results in all disks formatted on MS-DOS systems appearing to have the
same serial number, and becoming corrupted when they are used in an ST.
To warn of this possibility, VKILLER checks the serial number field. It
always displays the disk's serial number in the data window. If the
field contains printable characters, they are posted after the serial
number, in parenthesis. If you find the same serial number on more than
one disk, you can use VKILLER's Repair facility to renumber the disk,
without altering the disks contents in any other way.
The directory contains the names of any sub-directories (or "folders")
which are accessible from the main directory. Those sub-directories may
contain more subdirectories, and files. There may also be files in the
main directory. The directory size is specified when the disk is
formatted. The standard size for an ST directory is seven disk sectors,
large enough to hold 112 files or sub-directories. Few disks contain
that many files or folders in the main directory, so there is usually
some amount of unused space beyond the last entry in the directory.
There are viruses that will attempt to hide themselves in the end of the
directory. There is one that will place itself in the last two sectors
of the directory, whether that portion of the directory contained
entries or not. If that virus infects a disk which was using the last
two sectors of the directory, any file or directory which was there will
be lost.
All files, and sub-directories, rely upon the File Allocation Table to
be accessible. The File Allocation Table, or FAT, is a map of where
each file and sub-directory is recorded on the disk. The ST's operating
system relies upon the FAT to locate the proper portions of the disk in
order to read and write the sub-directories and files. The FAT,
therefore, is absolutely critical in using the disk. So critical, in
fact, that the ST's operating system normally writes two copies of the
FAT on the disk. That way, in case of an error in reading or writing
the first copy, the second copy may allow the data on the disk to be
recovered. The critical nature of the FAT also makes it a prime target
for virus attacks. Erasing the FAT usually results in the loss of all
files on a disk.
The size of the Directory and FATs may vary from disk to disk. The size
of the FAT must be large enough to record the layout of every portion of
the disk. The normal size of one copy of the FAT on an ST disk is five
sectors. This is more space than is necessary to record the disk's
layout. There are viruses that take advantage of this fact, and attempt
to hide themselves in the unused portion of the FATs.
This means that there are currently three places that viruses can hide
on a disk - in the unused portion of the boot sector, in the portion of
the reserved FAT space not needed for a particular disk, or beyond the
last entry in the directory. VKILLER checks disks for all these
possibilities. If it notes that there is something other than zeroes in
the unused portion of the boot sector, it displays a message reading
"Boot sector not zeroed". If the unused portions of the FAT or
directory are not zeroed, it displays a message reading "Extra sectors
not zeroed". These messages warn of the condition, but do not
necessarily mean that there is a problem.
One other value stored in the boot sector configuration data is checked.
There is a provision made for reserving additional disk sectors, for
some special use. These sectors are referred to as "Hidden", since they
are not accessible to any normal disk function. There is no current use
for hidden sectors on an ST disk, so the presence of them is a condition
which should cause concern. If VKILLER detects hidden sectors on a
disk, a warning message will appear in the disk data window.
General Hints
There are two real problems to keep in mind when dealing with viruses,
and disk boot sectors. The first is that not all executable boot
sectors are viruses. There are times when a boot sector is supposed to
be executable. Executing a KILL on such a boot sector will destroy
whatever code was in the boot sector, and may render the software on the
disk useless.
Generally speaking, if the proper use of the software on the disk
required you to reset your ST, or power it off and on to start the
program, then the boot sector was supposed to be executable, and you
should not execute a virus kill on it. Any program which can be
executed by clicking on it does not require an executable boot sector.
Consequently, disks used to store such programs should not contain
executable boot sectors.
The second problem is attempting to use VKILLER in a system which has
been infected by a virus, and the virus is executing (attempting to
spread) while VKILLER is attempting to clean it off disks. With all
known ST viruses as of this release, VKILLER will detect this situation.
It will provide instructions on the screen, informing you that there is
an active virus in the system at the time, the exact steps on how to get
rid of it, and how to start cleaning up your disks.
This version of VKILLER can recognize and eliminate over 30 different ST
viruses. This is possible only because people who have encountered
viruses that earlier versions of the program did not recognize sent me
copies of the new viruses. If you encounter executable boot sectors
spreading through your library, and this version of VKILLER can't
identify it, please contact me at any of the addresses below. Keep one
infected disk, and either send me the disk, or the file generated by
VKILLER's file function. Use the Kill function to clean up the rest of
the disks in your library.
As of this writing, I am investigating about 40 disks each month for new
viruses. If you mail me a disk, or a request for a disk copy of the
latest version, please include a stamped, self addressed return mailer.
Please be patient in expecting a response.
George R. Woodside
Voice: (818) 348-9174
Compuserve: 76537,1342
GEnie: G.WOODSIDE
USENET: woodside@ttidca.com or:
..!{philabs|csun|psivax}!ttidca!woodside
US MAIL: 5219 San Felicaino Drive, Woodland Hills, CA 91364
=======================================================================
PDC UPDATE
----------
Press Release
=======================================================================
PDC is an Official Compo Importer
In a move to provide the North American market with the best software,
PDC is currently importing two word processors from Compo, That's Write
and Write On. These are the best word processors around!
ST Applications sums it up, "Reasonably priced, high spec., multi-font,
easy to use WP with DTP-like features, a very good all-rounder. That's
Write is probably the most attractively priced, high spec., professional
word processor. There is no such thing as the definitive perfect word
processor, but scoring well on such a broad front, That's Write will
satisfy most people's purposes admirably."
That's Write: $179
Write ON: $ 75
These prices include full technical support.
If you have any questions at all, please send E-mail to PDC.SW
We'll reply immediately!
GEnie Special: Free 2nd Day Air shipping! Get your copy in 48 hours!
Call (206) 745-5980 for quickest processing.
Or (That's) Write to: PDC, 4320-196th SW, Suite B-140, Lynnwood, WA
98036
Currently we have a very limited amount of copies, so if you're
interested, please order right away and get free shipping.
To see what the hype's all about, check the file on GEnie, or order a
demo directly from PDC for just $1.
* ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT * ALERT
We need 2 beta testers for each program. We will supply you with the
programs at these prices: That's Write - $50, Write ON - $25.
You will need to sign a special agreement. To apply, send E-mail with
your system type (be very very specific and list all components) to:
PDC.SW
It is first come, first serve and we reserve the right to pick
applicants based on certain qualifications. This is a one time deal
folks.
=======================================================================
PORTFOLIO USERS UPDATE
----------------------
AtariUser Magazine Reprint
=======================================================================
The following column is reprinted from the July 1991 ATARIUSER magazine
by permission. It may not be reprinted in any other form or publication
without specific permission of Quill Publishing Co. Information and
subscriptions to AtariUser are available: 113 W. College Street, Covina,
CA 91723, phone 800-333-3567.
PORTFOLIO ALERT:
Hardware Hackers Only! Circuit Cellar INK Magazine, Issue 18, January
1991, has an article entitled "An Interface for Portable Battery-Backed
RAM". The article shows construction of an interface to read and write
information from a Mitsubishi's Credit Card Memory. This is the same
card that is used on the Portfolio.
TekNow!, a Phoenix-based company, has developed a text paging interface
that permits Portfolio users to send messages to any alpha-capable
pager. The complete system consists of the SAMpage software for the
Portfolio and AlphaBox or PageRouter, an intelligent alpha front end for
paging terminals. Contact TekNow!, 1500 South Priest, Suite 101, Tempe,
AZ 85281; (800) 899-7262.
The Portfolio Chronicles
Data Transfer: Threat or Menace?
The Atari Portfolio is an MS/DOS machine, based on the IBM PC. For
some, this is a blessing, for others a curse. If the machine you use to
communicate with the Portfolio is a PC, file transfer is almost simple.
If you use another machine, such as an Atari ST or a Macintosh, file
transfer can seem like a catch-22. Let's start with communications for
a PC.
The Portfolio has built-in software to communicate with the printer port
on a PC via the Smart Parallel Interface. The parallel interface comes
with a command-line driven program called FT to perform file exchanges.
The program is provided on 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 inch disk for a PC. The only
real tricky part is the cable to go between the Portfolio and the PC.
You need a "Male-to-Male DB25 all-lines straight through" cable. While
it can be found in local stores (I bought one at Egghead Software), it
would be easiest to obtain the cable from Atari (408) 443-8020. The
Parallel File-Transfer Cable (HPC-406) costs $19.95. This approach to
file transfer is reliable and easy, but not very fast.
TIP: If you don't like the FT program that Atari supplies, there is a
program on Compuserve in the APORTFOLIO library called FTMENU, which
provides a "point-and-click" menu front-end to the FT program for PC
computers.
Another approach to file transfer on a PC is Atari's PC Card Drive
(HPC-301) which costs $99.95. This hardware card is plugged into the
PC's expansion bus. At present there is no version for the PS/2 micro-
channel bus. A small box is attached to the card, with a slot to insert
a memory card. The software driver on the PC will now treat the memory
card as if it was a regular disk drive on the PC. It is referred to as
the next drive (typically D:) on your system. You can now use normal
MS/DOS command to copy file to and from the memory card. This is more
expensive, but is very fast.
"What we have here is a failure to communicate" - Warden in "Cool Hand
Luke"
File transfer to non-MS/DOS machine becomes a bit tougher. Typically,
you can connect two machines via their serial ports (by using a null
modem cable), and use serial communications programs on both sides to
exchange files. This seems simple enough until you realize that the
Portfolio does not have a serial communications program built into it.
Another problem is that the Portfolio has a non-standard serial port, so
regular communication programs for a PC, such as Procomm, will not work.
Finally, you will have to have the Serial Interface for the Portfolio.
On Compuserve, in the APORTFOLIO forum, there are two serial
communication programs, XTERM by Jim Strauss, and ACOM by Charles Cook.
But how do you get the a serial program onto the Portfolio via the
serial port without having a serial program already on the Portfolio?
Catch-22. Here are some solutions:
1. Get a friend to copy the program onto a memory card.
2. If you have no friends (who own a Portfolio), ask a local dealer.
3. Get the Parallel Port and access to a PC, and use FT to copy the
serial program.
4. Buy the DOS Utilities ROM card (HPC-701) for $89.95 from Atari. It
has the XTERM program on it.
TIP: Once you get the serial program on a RAM card, put a copy of it on
every memory card you have, as well as drive C:, just in case.
The serial cable will have to have a Female DB9 on the Portfolio side,
and the proper connection for your machine. For the Macintosh, you can
order a serial cable from two sources: Atari, the Portfolio-Mac File
Transfer Cable (HPC-407) for $19.95, or Able Cables (415) 457-4028 for
$20 postpaid. Atari also supplies a cable for the Atari-ST and other
machines (Female DB9 to Female DB25) for $19.95, the Serial Null-Modem
Cable (HPC-409).
TIP: When transferring files on the Macintosh, be sure to disable the
MacBinary option.
A complete file-transfer package for the Macintosh is available from
Computer Friends (503) 626-2291 for $189.00. This includes software on
ROM for the Portfolio, software on disk for the Mac, and the serial
cable. It does not include the serial port for the Portfolio.
TIP: Whenever using the serial or parallel port, you should always use
the AC adapter. These ports require about as much power as the
Portfolio and will quickly drain the batteries. Communications with the
rest of the world is typically done via a modem. To hook up a modem,
you will need the serial port, cable, modem and a serial communication
program. XTERM was the first program available, but ACOM is a better
package. ACOM has all the features of XTERM, which include XMODEM file
transfer protocol, but also provides remote execution of DOS commands,
and a scrollback buffer for reviewing text that has scrolled of the
screen.
-B.J. Gleason
BIO: B.J. Gleason is an instructor of Computer Science at The American
University in Washington D.C. and he's been programming for over a
decade now. He's the author of over two dozen utilities and games,
including PBASIC, the 'freeware' BASIC interpreter designed specifically
for the Portfolio. His Compuserve ID is 73337,2011
=======================================================================
Z*NET SOFTWARE SHELF
--------------------
by Ron Berinstein
=======================================================================
Ok, this is it! This is the week that will initiate the soon to be
famous, innovative section of the software review, now initiated as of
today: "The Software Schtik!" For our very first schtik we bring you to
the town of middle America wherein we find our hero, the computer user,
the head of the household, a tall, strong, no nonsense man. He makes
the decisions, he is in control, he is the HEAD of the family. Or, is
he? The way we at Software Schtik see it, if the man IS the HEAD of the
family, his WIFE is the NECK of the family. This because SHE moves his
head ANY DIRECTION she wants it to go! <smile>
Yup, on the serious side, many of us would like to think we are in
control. Many of us no doubt are! Right? Right! So, what did Atari
do? They released a new Control Panel. If you haven't downloaded it
yet, you might do well to take a look at CPX.ARC, 100000 bytes of the
newest version of Atari control panels. Why the release? XControl was
designed to make use of the latest operating systems 2.0 etc.. The tag
from the computer surgeon general that accompanies the program adds that
if you don't have a MegaSTE, TT, etc., you must use the "shutdown"
feature of XControl whenever changing resolutions. Personally, I prefer
a woman's, "control panel." :)
If you should happen to resolve that XControl isn't for you, don't
worry, be happy, and download GER_CPXS.LZH. What will you find? FIVE
NEW CPX's from Germany. The bad news: docs are in German, the good
news: reports are they are easy to understand without the docs! <smile>
Now that you have control at your fingertips <smile> how about taking on
a new challenge? How about, that which so many have been trying to
control for so long? The weather!
WEATHE.LZH might be your answer! It's an ST program and it is a
simple .TOS program for weather calculations! It was taken from a BASIC
program (whose source is included) that was originally written for a PC,
then translated to Mark Williams C. Even the C source code included.
The format is easy too. Just answer the quick questions about current
temperature and dew point etc., and voila, you will have the forecast
lying at your feet within minutes!
Back to the topic of controlling your ST...
DCSALVAG.ARC may just help you salvage one of your files that has
almost run to the limit because of a bad sector. It will at least help
you copy what still remains good in the file.
HD_SCAN.ARC is a hard drive maintinance .PRG .
STS19.ARC ST SWEEP - directory / file manager suitable for hard drives
or floppies - written in assembly language - menu driven / interactive
- version 1.9 -
DOSTESTR.ARC Disk Operational Speed Tester - DOS Tester v1.02 A simple
to use program that times certain disk operations. This program is
compatible with all versions of TOS, and includes a test file to cover
its use. Readouts are in seconds.
CLOCKSET.ARC The CodeHead ClockSetter is freeware. It allows you to
set the system time and date. It may also be installed in the AUTO
folder to read the keyboard clock and set the GEMDOS clock. Version 1.3
allows you to enter the time in 24-hour format and eliminates a problem
which caused the AUTO folder to lock up on some systems.
SHOWMEM4.ARC ShowMem runs as a program or a desk accessory and shows
you the system memory blocks, both used and free. This version (1.5)
correctly shows memory blocks in "fast RAM" and no longer has any
problems with TOS 1.4 or any other version of TOS including the TT's.
ShowMem4 is freeware from John Eidsvoog and CodeHead Software.
And for when your computer is OUT of CONTROL...
LEONARD6.ARC Leonard6 is a replacement for the system bomb handler.
Instead of seeing bombs after system errors, you'll see little heads.
This new version (1.2) has a special feature for BBS operators. You can
set Leonard6 so that it reboots the system upon system errors,
automatically reinitializing your BBS. Freeware from John Eidsvoog.
And TOs fix or not TOs fix...
FASTFIX.ARC is a tiny program for your AUTO folder. It does only two
things and works in all resolutions. 1. It turns off annoying
keyclick. 2. It sets the ALT/HELP screendump to 960 so that screens
print correctly.
TOS14FX2.LZH Two bugs in TOS 1.4 are fixed by this program, which can
be run from the auto folder (preferred) or from the desktop or a shell.
TOS14FX2 replaces TOS14FIX, which had a bug in the serial port
configuration patch that caused problems with the Modem Setup CPX which
comes with XControl.
Some new ways to write home...
FIFTIES.LZH is a new free font for Calamus.
KRAZY.LZH Another free Calamus font. It may look like dada.. but the
author says, "try it at 60 points and print it out and it definately has
a certain elegance to it!" It is sort of, "ugly."
MERLIN.LZH is also a Calamus font, but the author wants to enlist your
help in finding out why it sometimes crashes. OK! Beta tester Squad
Force get going! Download it, and find that bug!
And, while on the subject of fonts...
FONTLAWS.ARC is described as containing "extracts from the US copyright
laws as pertaining to typefaces and digitally rendered characters. You
may find it interesting reading. Very useful for the typeface designer
in understanding their position in the law with regard to original
works. Should raise some interesting points about intellecutal property
law."
FONTSWAP2 will allow you to simply point and click to switch from
Helvetica, or another font to Hobo, or another font. This is described
as working great with Ultrascript. It was tested with postscript files
created with Fleet Street Publisher and Pagestream. Monochrome
freeware.
Any New Yorkers?
NYNY.LZH is for you New Yorkers. It's a midi format 1 file. You
guessed it! You know the song!
And, while talking music..
S7RDMA.LZH is the new version of the AUTO DMA player program. It now
plays random samples when they are placed in a special directory.
POPCORN.LZH is a module for the Audio Soundtracker - Popcornia.
For those of you that have always wanted to learn, but haven't yet.
GFA_CLASS.ARC could be your first step in the quest to learn GFA BASIC.
Download it and GFA BASIC 2.0 and jump right in!
GFABASIC.ARC GFA BASIC 2.0 was released into PD. It comes with a
short command summary. It is intended that if you like it, you might
buy 3.5 or above. In the new and improved versions one will find more
commands and a better editor. But, this should give the new programmer
a good BASIC taste.
GCCDOCS.LZH This archive includes both an ASCIIized version of the GNU
C manuals for the Atari ST, and a "quick-start" doc written to help
beginners get acquainted with using GCC.
And for the seasoned programmers out there..
GNUFILES.LST describes some 57 recently uploaded GNU, new, files that
are available including GNU C compiler, and many tools for it. Most of
the files refered to are in generic C code and will require editing for
the ST.
CFLOW.TTP is a C Source code flow charting ... it gives the hiearchy of
the functions. This version includes page numbers and the ability to
show only the first level functions. This program is very useful to see
the basic layout of C source code that was written by another person.
TT_100.ARC This desk accessory allows testing of DIALOG, PANEL, MENU,
and ALERT trees while using the resource editor. NO loading of the RSC
file is required. Trees are tested by accessing them directly from
memory where they reside! This utility will ONLY function with the
Atari DRI RCS version 2.1 which is bundled with GFA-Basic.
LHA11321.LZH is a recent version of the Quester LHarc archiver. VERY
fast!
LZH200A.LZH is T. Quester's LHARC version 2.00a. This is the
optimized version of the new Quester, (all assembly), high speed LHARC
ttp file. The file description says this creates the smallest LZH file
to date. It is fully compatible with earlier versions. It also works
well with Charles F. Johnson's ArcShell v. 2.5.
STZIP09.LZH is Version .09 of a ZIP/UNZIP program for the ST. Uses a
GEM interface or can be called via a command line. Docs in French, but
an English 'readme' file and resource file. Seems to be very compatible
with ms-dos' PKZIP. Even extracts from self extracting EXE files.
ZIPSHELL.LZH is a small shell for use with STZIP.PRG which is not
included with this archive. Options include, Add, Extract, List, and
Verbose List. GFA Basic source code though, is included.
DOUBLE.LZH a graphics emulator for the STE only came first, then came
DOUBLER2.LZH. These will double the number of vertical lines on your
STE for all three resolutions. They use either interlacing or
scrolling; 320x400 w/16 colors, 640x480 w/4 colors, and 640x800 in
monochrome... The newer version uses only half the memory of the first
version!
MGIF35B.LZH MGIF v3.5B is a GIF viewer for 640x400 monochrome
monitors. It includes such options as Expand, Shrink and Zoom. You can
also save your GIF pictures into a new FLicker format, which MGIF will
load and display almost instantly. MGIF is a TTP prg., but has help.
1.4 megs & a 640x400 mono monitor req.
PICFRMTS.ARC has a text file that is an explaination of the ST picture
file formats (.NEO, .SPC, .IMG, .GEM and many, many more). This file
was posted on InterNet/UseNet and compiled by David Baggett.
COLORSET.LZH COLORSET is a simple little color-setter program. It was
written for only one purpose. It can be used in HotWire to change the
screen colors with one click. It can also be chained to a program, to
set the colors automatically before running that program.
HOT_EDIT.ARC Hot Editor 3.1 allows you to load a HotWire menu and edit
any of the parameters of your entries while viewing them all at the same
time. Version 3.1 can be installed as an application so that it may be
started by double-clicking on a HOT (or HBL file). A couple of small
bugs have also been fixed. Freeware from CodeHead Software, requires
HotWire.
LOADKEYS.PRG This LOADKEYS.PRG fixes a bug that existed in versions
supplied with some copies of CodeKeys 1.3. The previous one allowed the
loading of LNK files, but not KEY files. If your LOADKEYS.PRG is 732
bytes, you don't need this version. LOADKEYS.PRG is not archived.
Requires CodeKeys, the Macro Tool from CodeHead Software.
Here is an ST subject for you to address:
ADDRESS_.LZH contains a set of programs that will make record keeping
and mailing list maintainance easy. ADDRESS.PRG v .4, for maintaining a
mailing list. It runs in ST high, ST med. and has a GEM interface.
ADD_TRAN.PRG v .4 is for translating ADDRESS.PRG v nothing files to v.
D .3, v .4 files, quickly and easily. SPEEDIAL.PRG v .4 - .ACC or .PRG
adds the capability to dial a touch tone phone.
ST_ENVEL.LZH DEMO of ver.4.0 of ST_ENVELOPE Prg. this program will
print labels on most any label config. and will also print 3 sizes of
envelopes. ST_ENVELOPE will also print return address labels, normal
mailing labels from 1 to 4 labels across. It will print photo slide and
artist labels as well as rolodex/index cards. It has a very simple
database for addresses.
Two games for two!
FRUSTRAT.ARC Frustration! is a word search game for two people. Kind
of like "BOGGLE" with a few twists. Three levels of play make it great
for kids! Requires a mono monitor. Freeware.
PAIGOW.ARC Here is the ST version of Pai Gow poker as played in Las
Vegas! Challenge the computer or play a friend over the phone line
using your modem. Monochrome freeware.
Another new Dterm!
DTERM_1M.LZH Connect bells, a split-screen term. prg. for mono users
which uses the small system font to allow 2 full screens of text, the
2nd of which acts as a type ahead buffer. Xmodem, 1K-Xmodem (Ymodem),
Ymodem Batch, Ymodem-G and Zmodem (inc. AUTO-Zmodem) file xfers, cap.
buffer w/viewer, simple auto-dialer, support for desk acc's and can run
external programs.
DTERMDOC.LZH These docs were originally only available in the first
official release of Dterm v1.0 and aren't included in the update
archives. They explain the basic functions and commands of Dterm.
And from the deep end of left field, one of only three programs of it's
type...
OMNI_101.ARC This is a multi-user, multi-tasking Bulletin Board System
that has been in the making for over 10 months, and is probably going to
be inspected by many future sysops. This is OMNI Version 1.01, Public
Domain release.. I believe that this program is to become a commercial
release in the future. A multi-line BBS for the Atari! Complete
documentation, and full compatibility with ALL ST configurations!
The above files were compiled by Ron Berinstein co-sysop CodeHead
Quarters BBS (213) 461-2095 from files that were either directly
uploaded to CodeHead Quarters BBS, or downloaded from GEnie, Compuserve,
and Delphi online services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*NET Atari Online Magazine is a weekly publication covering the Atari
and related computer community. Material contained in this edition may
be reprinted without permission except where noted, unedited and
containing the issue number, name and author included at the top of each
article reprinted. Opinions presented are those of the individual
author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff of
Z*Net Online. This publication is not affiliated with Atari
Corporation. Z*Net, Z*Net Atari Online and Z*Net News Service are
copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries Incorporated, Post Office Box 59,
Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0059. Voice (908) 968-2024, BBS (908) 968-
8148 at 2400/9600 Baud 24 hours a day. We can be reached on Compuserve
at PPN 75300,1642 on GEnie at Z-Net and Delphi at ZNET. FNET NODE 593
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*NET Atari Online Magazine
Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----------------------------------------
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