ST Report: 8-Nov-91 #744
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 11/12/91-06:14:40 PM Z
From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 8-Nov-91 #744
Date: Tue Nov 12 18:14:40 1991
*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
November 08, 1991 No.7.44
==========================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida
32205 ~ 6672
R.F. Mariano
Publisher - Editor
-----------------------------------------
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STR Canada: FNET 018 - ///Turbo Board Support 1-416-274-1225
STR Europe: FNET 1031 - <<<INTERNET>>> 011-44-296-395-935
__________________________________________________________________
> 11/01/91: STReport #7.43 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
-------------------------
- The Editor's Desk - CPU REPORT - TOS 3.06
- TOS 2.06 - DELPHI KERR CO. - FSM GDOS Update
- ATARI Press Releases - Chicago Show News - STR Confidential
-* TOS UPGRADE INFO! *-
-* SEGA & ACCOLADE IN COURT *-
-* STALKER 3.0 OFFER! *-
==========================================================================
ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
The _Number One_ Online Magazine
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"UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Hot Tips, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
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STReport's support BBS, NODE 350, invites BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the Fido/F-Net Mail Network. Or, call Node 350 direct at
904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information relative
to the Atari ST computer arena through an excellent International ST Mail
Network. All registered F-NET - Crossnet SysOps are welcome to join the
STReport Crossnet Conference. The Crossnet Conference Code is #34813, and
the "Lead Node" is # 350. All systems are welcome and invited to actively
participate. Support Atari Computers; Join Today!
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to the Readers of;
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"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (November 8)
LIBRARY CHANGE
Now that CompuServe's Forum Libraries support "Across Library Searching",
we have closed down our exclusive "NEW UPLOADS" Library. All new files
will now be made available in whichever Library can best classify them.
Use the powerful BRO LIB:ALL command to browse through all of our Forum
Libraries. Files will be displayed in reverse chronological order -from
most recent to oldest. Download file NEWLIB.TXT from LIBRARY 1 of
ATARIARTS or ATARIPRO (now called "Forum Help/Info") for complete informa-
tion on other new and powerful Library commands.
LEXICOR ANIMATION CLASS
Starting this coming Saturday, November 9, the Lexicor Online Animation
Class will be beginning a three-part tutorial on the creation of the
T-1000 Polyalloy Terminator from the film TERMINATOR II. When completed,
the animation you can create will look just like a scene
from this fantastic film.
Don't miss this chance to discover what "Power without the Price" really
means! Join us Saturday at 10 PM EST here in the Atari Vendors Forum (GO
ATARIVEN)
NEW FROM CODEHEAD
Download file MPAINT.TXT from LIBRARY 16 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO
ATARIVEN) for information on MegaPaint Professional -- the brand new, com-
bination bit-map and vector graphics powerhouse from CodeHead GT!
NEW VERSION OF CAL!
Cal 6.0 lets you look at any month/year, and schedule events by date,
position, or every so many days. All new screens, more room to describe
each event, cyclic events, save/load/merge events, keyboard shortcuts,
auto conversion from previous versions, much more! Includes new Calshow to
show upcoming events at boot, full docs. Download file CAL.ARC from
LIBRARY 6 of the Atari Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO).
EDHAK DISCOUNT FOR ATARI FORUM MEMBERS
Download file EDHAKD.LZH from LIBRARY 2 of the Atari Productivity Forum
(GO ATARIPRO) for a full demo of EdHak version 2.25. This version can be
used with the soon-to-be-released QuickCIS version 1.70. Craig Harvey (the
author of EdHak) has also announced a special discount for CompuServe mem-
bers who which to order the full functioning version. Contact Craig at
User ID number 73047,600 for details.
ATARI ST MODEM-TO-MODEM GAMES
The CompuServe Modem-to-Modem Challenge Board (GO CHALLENGE) now supports
the following two modem games by Forum member David Becker. Both of these
games are available in LIBRARY 2 ("Games") of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS):
Download these games, find an opponent through the Challenge Board, and
even play them against your opponent through CompuServe at reduced connect
rates via the MTM Gaming Lobby (GO MTMLOBBY):
PAIGOW.ARC - Las vegas style PaiGow poker. Play against the computer or
over the phone line with a friend! Monochrome freeware.
BGAMMO.ARC - Online backgammon can be played over the phone lines with a
modem. Many options including the ability to play the computer make this a
fun and challenging monochrome game. Freeware.
ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM (GO APORTFOLIO)
BJ Gleason, Don Messerli, and David Stewart have accepted the challenge to
upload a new program to our Portfolio Forum Libraries EVERY DAY, beginning
November 1st, through the end of the year !!!! (And in return, they chal-
lenge the rest of the collected membership to match their output with an
equal number of uploads)
The programming marathon continues to provide some of the greatest
Portfolio programs anywhere. Check out the latest entries by going into
ANY library of the Atari Portfolio Forum and typing "BRO LIB:ALL".
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
"GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
***********************************************************************
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
=================
Issue #45
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
-- Sega Sues Accolade
Sega has filed suit against Accolade alleging that Accolade is marketing
software compatibles with Sega's 16-bit Sega Genesis without being a
licensed Sega third-party developer.
Sega claims Accolade is unfairly competing and "causing confusion in the
marketplace by having programmed many of its software products in such a
manner that end users are informed that such products have been either
produced by Sega or under a license from Sega."
Sega recently announced a deal with Atari Games Corp under which Tengen,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Atari, would duplicate Atari games to run
on the Sega home and portable systems as a third-party developer.
-- Accolade Vows to Fight Sega's Suit
Software publisher Accolade Inc. promises to fight game-maker Sega En-
terprises Ltd.'s allegations. Calling Sega's suit this week "frivolous,
without merit, and in some cases facetious," Accolade said in a state-
ment it will "vigorously defend its right to develop and market software
for the Sega Genesis video game system and intends to file counter-
claims against at least the Japanese corporation."
-- Virus Wrecks Disk Drives at Queen's University
A virus, a variant of the 1575 virus also known as the Green Caterpillar
virus, has wrecked three disk drives at Queen's University. The virus
forces repeated accesses to track 0 of the diskette until it wears out
the drive mechanics if not stopped in time.
-- Apple Goes To Moscow
The first official Apple dealer in Russia, ComputerLand/Moscow, has sold
$47,000 worth of Macs to a local video company. According to Computer-
Land/Moscow, the Macs will be used by "Russkaya Troyka" to make video-
clips.
-- Two New Chips from Motorola
Motorola has announced the 68LC040, a new, lower-cost version of the
68040 microprocessor. The 68LC040 is aimed at price-conscience personal
computers such as the Mac Classic and LC systems, and operating system--
dependent embedded control applications such as high-end network devices
like routers and concentrators, telecommunication switches and cellular
network systems.
The company claims that it optimized the 68LC040 by removing non-
essential features such as the floating-point processing unit. Without
the extra circuits the 25 megahertz chip executes 22 million instruc-
tions per second.
Also announced was a low-voltage version of the 68340 that has direct
memory access, which Motorola claims is suitable for powering handheld
and battery powered equipment such as computers, instruments, data-entry
and communications terminals, games, weapons guidance systems, CD-ROM,
and CD-I systems.
-- National Semiconducter Announces Voice Recognition Chips
National Semiconductor has announced a line of small and power efficient
single chip voice recognition products. These products will allow users
to give spoken commands to their toasters, for instance, or have a wrist
watch that can also double as a dictation machine.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
As a reader of STReport International Online Magazine, you are entitled to
take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. For only $29.95 ($20
off the standard membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscrip-
tion to DELPHI, a copy of the 500-page DELPHI: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE and over
$14 worth of free time.
NOTE: Special offers can be found in your favorite Atari magazines:
START CURRENT NOTES ST INFORMER
ATARI INTERFACE MAGAZINE
SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
======================
Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
DELPHI services via a local phone call
JOIN -- DELPHI
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1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps,
dial 576-2981).
2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI.
3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT.
For more information call:
DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005
or
at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S.
DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
--------------------
The 20/20 Advantage Plan IS FANTASTIC! And it features 20 hours online
for just $20 a month! The $20 is a monthly fee that covers your first 20
hours online via direct dial into one of DELPHI's two direct-access lines,
or via a special Tymnet 20/20 Access code. It also gets you additional
hours at just $1.20 per hour. And you get free access to several services
on DELPHI as part of the Advantage Perks.
Other telecom services may have additional charges. Canadian Tymnet users
have an additional telecom charge. Office Time access (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
weekdays) may have an additional charge. And of course, other restric-
tions may apply. But this is still an amazing deal!
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
As a reader of STReport International Online Magazine, you are entitled to
take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. DELPHI has waived the
sign-up fee! For a limited time, you can join the World's Premier Online
Service for FREE! Members can access DELPHI worldwide through hundreds of
local access lines.
For more information please contact:
DELPHI at 1-800-544-4005 and ask for Member Services.
DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> Delphi's Kerr Conf. STR FOCUS Cap't Midnight's Game Room
=============================
Transcript of formal CO with Drew Kerr,
Publisher of Capt. Midnight's Game Room
Tuesday, November 5th, 1991
.Gordie>
Tonight, Drew Kerr will discuss the notion that the ST is a game
machine. Drew is the creator of Capt. Midnight's Game Room, a new online
games magazine. With no further ado, Drew, the floor is yours!
.Drew>
And a nice floor, too. First, let me correct your intro -- the ST is
much, much more than a games machine... As a matter of fact, if we keep
track of who shows up tonight, I may make my point -- that it is rapidly
fading from this function!
I use my ST for DTP, WP, database, you name it. And it seems that
ironically, as the ST still carries the tag of "games machine," it is
losing that very base. This may be Atari's bid for survival, and
although it is admirable, we are probably losing game support faster
than other areas. The question is -- can we survive on the ST for all
the work and DTP stuff, and sacrifice the games support to a small
amount?
But, the h**l with all the deep talk, I still play the h**l out of my
ST!! I do want to make a couple of brief announcements....
First, if any of you have Populous and it doesn't work on your STE, I
understand EA is fixing that problem. You can send your game to them and
they'll replace it. This game is too valuable to not play.
Second, and here's the big one -- I am announcing Captain Midnight's
Railroad Tycoon Scenario Contest! Now that the fix is out and the game
is being played, I'd like to see some mean-lookin' railroads built.
The object: to build the most efficient railroad in any time period.
The deadline: December 31, 1991.
I am assembling some pretty hefty judges and there will be a grand
prize. The prize will be a grab bag of games and books and other
assorted goodies I am assembling. I am trying to get Russell Sipe,
author of the RRT book, to be a judge.
I have been up all night for the past week on this thing and I've got to
say, it's amazing. I am encouraging all of you, if you don't have this
one, buy it and join the contest. Official rules and info will be posted
very shortly.
JBEAU>
Are the "fixes" reliable on all ST(e)s and what is the current price...?
.Drew>
Yes, the fix, which is MAKE1MEG.TOS, works perfectly. It can be found
here in the ST databases. No price -- freeware.
JBEAU>
I meant for RRT...<g>
.Drew>
The game can be bought from anywhere like $30-$40. I'd advise mail
order. This game will give you more long lasting action and thought than
the average release.
KWAI>
Drew, I thought EA had dropped support for the ST.
.Drew>
EA dropped ST support, but they have a Populous fix. Call them for
information.
KWAI>
Oh, that figures. Thanks!
RMORROW>
Would the IBM'ers be calling the ST a 'game machine' because they're
either not familiar with it or jealous of it's ability to blow their
machines out of the water? Or what?
.Drew>
I think most IBM-ers have never seen an ST! It's just that the ST made
its reputation over the years as a games support system, especially
with the popularity of its video games. Also... Since the ST fell
behind in DTP and other functions, but games companies still continued
to support it, it retained a games image. That was the visible part.
.Terry>
Do you think that the "games support" is completely leaving Atari, or
just being redirected to the LYNX etc?
.Drew>
In the US, Atari doesn't give a second of thought to games support. They
want to be taken seriously. That's why support has dropped off the face
of the earth here. In the UK, they are very games serious and that's why
it's still such a big market there. Atari already has a foothold with
Lynx and they are playing it for all it's worth. But they never speak
with Sierra, Spectrum Holobyte, etc.
.Gordie>
Drew, any feeling on why the domestic software companies are so lagging
in bringing over games from overseas?
.Drew>
Almost all games we see these days are imports from the UK. US firms
have entirely dropped the ST because it's not worth their time
domestically. We usually get games released here right when they are
released in the UK, unless they don't work on American machines.
.Gordie>
Although the FOTI flap was due to a delay in releasing the NA version,
right?
.Drew>
That was their last domestic release. Everything from now on will be
imported. A very big screw-up on their part, if you read the new CMGR.
JBEAU>
With the recent announcement of IBM compatible machines coming out in
the Atari line of machines, do you think Atari is "giving in" to the
inevitable? Or do you think they will take these machines and use them
to stem the tide of Atari abandonment? ...specifically in the games
arena...
.Drew>
Well, I don't think it has anything to do with games, Jerry, but I think
it is to stay competitive in the US. Whether they can market this in the
US against other IBM machines remains to be seen. They need to make as
much $$$ as possible in their condition. If you can't beat'em, join'em!
JBEAU>
Don't you feel this might encourage ATARI SW developers to go ahead and
become IBM programmers
.Drew>
It takes a lot of money to switch platforms to develop. To become a
registered devloper requires a steep fee, especially for IBM.
JBEAU>
I read an article by Richard Brown of GEnie fame called "Atari, IBM, and
the Real World" and it makes a killer comparison argument between the
two machines...I'm scared this kind of passionate defense of Atari is
becoming a thing of the past...
.Drew>
Actually, Al Fasoldt, the tech editor of the Syracuse, NY, paper just
syndicated two columns on his ST and how great it is, despite the
dwindling numbers.
Let me throw out this question -- if there was any game you'd love to
see ported to the ST, what would it be??
JBEAU>
Space Quest 4 & 5, Ultima 6
.Sky>
Wing Commander!
KWAI>
Wing Commander?
JBEAU>
Mario brothers <g>
.Gordie>
The Might and Magic series. Maybe the Wizardry series.
JBEAU>
Yes!!!!! Wizardry, I knew I had others but couldn't remember...
KWAI>
I like Carmen Sandiego.
RMORROW>
Actually, I'd like to see Atari put some of their older arcade video
games on ST disks, or make the 2600 cart's fit on our cartridge port
somehow.
.Drew>
Unfortunately, we will never see Spellcasting, Earl Weaver Baseball, and
many others. But in the next issue of Captain Midnight, I will be asking
everyone what game they would like to see ported and then presenting it
to that company.
PENDZICH>
I just bought an IBM and have loaded 2 games that I have for each. One
is Lemmings, and I like the graphics on the ST best.
.Drew>
What's the other?
PENDZICH>
The other is Elvira and they are equivalent graphically.
So far no one has used the higher graphics (800x600 or 1024x768) VGA
that I have available. But I got to admit the GIF's I have are
incredible.
.Gordie>
I believe the latest version of Ultima is VGA only. Or one of those
fantasy rpg type games.
(At this point Drew was knocked off by line noise. The rest of us
chatted informally until he returned.)
.Gordie>
Welcome back, Drew!
JBEAU>
Where is Captain Midnight available and any chance of it becoming a
DELPHI regular publication? And add the latest SIERRA releases. I have
everything they've made available to the ST to date!
.Drew>
The latest issue of Captain Midnight is now in the ST Advantage
databases in the Recent Arrivals section. Sierra has Space Quest 4 all
ready to go, but no one knows what they are going to do with it.
JBEAU>
Selling it is my suggestion...<g>
.Drew>
Parts of Captain Midnight will be reprinted in Atariuser magazine, by
the way.
.Gordie>
While you were off line, Ron made an interesting point about VGA and
game playing.
.Ron <ym>
I'll resend it...
I'd just like to point out that a VGA screen really slows down the IBM
computer. At work we have people who use 20 MHz 386SX computers and play
games with them at lunch. The display is very sluggish. One of them
commented that the EGA version worked MUCH faster. These computers are
all fairly new (less than one year old) and have the best VGA boards and
Super VGA boards available out there. (Also, about half of the games
they play are pirated copies.)
.Drew>
We may have a great computer, but unfortunately, in the marketing race,
we are well, well, well behind! The US is a IBM and Mac country. We may
have a computer that moves quickly, but it doesn't matter. Most people
don't know from Atari. It's our little secrret.
.Gordie>
Okay, if there are no further questions for Drew, I'll let him make a
final comment.
.Drew>
Just that I appreciate all you're downloading. This place is real
friendly. I hope that you will all particpate in the RRT contest. I hope
to do something similar with SimCity afterwards. Thanks for dropping by.
.Gordie>
Thank you, Drew! This CO is officially over!
***********************************************************************
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
To sign up for GEnie service:
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 costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and weekend access to
more than 100 services including electronic mail, online encyclopedia,
shopping, news, entertainment, single-player games, and bulletin boards on
leisure and professional subjects. With many other services, including
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MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Any time during your first month of membership if
you are not completely satisfied, just ask for your $4.95 back.
GEnie Announcements (FREE)
1. NEW FCC COST INCREASE THREATENS COMPUTER SERVICES...........*FCC
2. NEW NEW NEW The 1992 Version GEnie Satin Jacket............*ORDER
3. If you love Soap Operas, check out the >free< RTC in........SHOWBIZ
4. Subscribe now to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS(tm) games...............TSR
5. November issue the Caribbean Travel Roundup is here.........TIS
6. Win MICROSOFT SOLUTION software at FREE RTC.................HOSB
7. RECHARGER Magazine RTC on the...............................PSRT
8. Computer Football League opens..............................SCORPIA
9. Looks like a MAC, runs like a Mainframe, on an IBM..........DBMS
10. LIVE from LEIPZIG...........................................GERMANY
11. Play the weekly Fantasy Football Pool and win $$............FF
12. Upload contest wins FREE time, Usenet news, and more in.....UNIX
13. Visit the GEnie Info Library today..........................*LIBRARY
14. FREE LANDS' END CATALOGS. Clothing for the whole family.....LANDSEND
15. REALLY put yourself in the quarterback's place, during......QB1
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
***********************************************************************
> The Flip Side STR Feature "... A different viewpoint..."
=========================
A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT
==================================
by Michael Lee
Have you been waiting for Jim Allen's Turbo030 (68030 accelerator)?
Here's some information straight from Jim Allen (Fast Tech) - from the
ST Roundtable on Genie...
In a general sense, we have placed special circuitry on the Turbo030
that allows our 32bit ram to REPLACE the 16bit ram on your mother-
board...for ALL purposes. So your Mega ST becomes a true 32bit
system.
The Turbo030 is not an appendage that bolts on to add some ram and a
new cpu chip, instead it's a complete system enhancement, so your
system acts as though Atari had gone back and purposely built a 32bit
ST.
The TT is not a 32bit ST, it's much more, with other major architec-
tural enhancements beyond being a 32bit computer.
The Turbo030 also has special circuitry built in that converts your
current video board into a 32bit board. With the Turbo030, you don't
need to buy a seperate 32bit video card to get your video up to
speed, the Turbo030 does the whole job. You don't get more resolu-
tion, or more colors, but we had assumed that if you wanted such
things you'd purchase the currently available options...Moniterm,
ISAC, Matrix, Omnichrome, etc. We instead committed ourselves to
speeding up all the other addons, giving you the maximum flexibility,
and protecting your already heavy investment in one of the currently
available video boards.
As for "ports", well, the 68030 socket itself leaves the whole world
of opportunities open to us in the future. Heaven only knows, there
are already 040 cards for the Mac that do nothing more than plug into
the 030 processor direct slot, there is no "technical" reason some-
thing like that can't be done someday for the T030., or any other
wild, fantastic, outrageous, even nutty possibility.
And all this is accomplished with a few pals, some buffers, and 8 ram
chips. So it does all this, and lives happilly with your video board,
without forcing you to get a new power supply...a viable alternative
to which does NOT exist ;- )
I won't discuss HOW this is done. When the patent is issued, I will
post the number, and you can go read about it. Needless to say, such
an amazing feet has never been done before, not on the Mac, no on the
Amiga, not on the PC. It's a real breakthrough!!!
BTW, we have also licensed the new QuickST with 32bit code, and it
does indeed run great. As an example, the NBM 1.1 benchmark "DRAW"
test has the "cahce- only" T030 getting a.....3.66 secs...using
QuickST. Way to go Darek!!! So we will be bundling QuickST with the
T030 board, and we will also be bundling QuickST 3.0 with the Turbo20
boards from now on.
Again, many thanks to Darek for allowing us to benefit from his ex-
cellent work in improving the STs video performance!!!
----------------
Discussion on CIS about the new GE service contract - From Jim Ness...
The GE service contract thing was announced at Glendale, in one of
the seminars. I think Bill Rehbock was the speaker. The rest of us
then read about it in the online mags.
Part of the deal is that the new TT motherboard is/was redesigned
with test points that meet GE's requirements. I have to think that
the service contract will not apply to older machines, since they
don't meet those same requirements. Just my guess.
Response from Bob Brodie (Atari) on CIS...
The proposed contract (yes, still not in effect- sigh) covers all of
our products that we currently sell, with the lone exception of any
8-bit products. So it will apply to STEs, Megas, TTs, Portfolios, and
Lynx.
The re-designing of the TT motherboard had nothing to do with the
contract. It's easy to mix it in, though, since Bill Rehbock
mentioned the re-layout of the TT motherboard in the same
presentation at Glendale.
----------------
About the Golden Image Master drive from STACE (Sysop) on the Gadgets by
small RoundTable on Genie...
It has been brought to my attention that Golden Image is shipping a
new version of the Master 3S drive...called the Master 3SN.
As reported earlier, there is also a Master 3SD (with track display)
that has proven NOT to be reliable with Spectre GCR. The 3SD was
contained in a plastic drive casing with a little red LED readout for
the track.
Well, the "N" in Master 3SN apparently stands for NO track display.
From what I've been told, the 3SN is also housed in the same plastic
casing as the 3SD. Coincidently, the Master 3SN has now been reported
as NOT working with Spectre GCR.
The only known-reliable (with Spectre GCR) Master 3S drive is just
that...the 3S. It is housed in a METAL casing and does not have any
track display.
Other than that, the Atari SF-314 external drives are also known to
be reliable with Spectre GCR.
----------------
About TIP OFF from E.Biaz - Cat. 9, Topic 6, Msg. 1 - from the ST
Roundtable on Genie...
The November issue of ST Action contained an for a new game called
Tip Off. It is a basketball simulation and from the screen shots
(even though they are from the Amiga) it looks to be quite a winner.
Here are some of the game's features: multi-directional scrolling
screen, five skill levels, facility to practice skills and tactics, 2
types offers ability to create own team, each player has individual
attributes, each has five player on each side. This looks to be a
super game. Should be out soon.
----------------
Comments about the supposed problems with TOS 1.62 that was reported in
last week's STReport - From Bob Brodie (Atari) on CIS...
Frankly, to the best of my knowledge [the problem that was reported
in the article] is not true. If you'd be so kind as to refer the
developer who is having problems with his 68010 uprgade, I'll be
happy to get him the assistance that he requires...right after I ask
him why he's doing a 68010 instead of an '030 or '040! <grin>
----------------
Discussion on CIS about upgrading to 68030 and 68040 - Jeff (Intersect
Software)...
An upgrade to a 68040 should be easier than from a 68000 to a 68030.
The powers that be are pretty sure that TOS 2.0 and up is compatable
with 68020/68030/68040 machines.
If I understand correctly from talking to the Motorola salesmen at
COMDEX the 68040 is just a faster 68030 with math coprocessor built
in. It's 50% faster than a 80486 at the same clock freq. The 80486 is
only 20-30% faster than a 68030 (overall).
The IBM world is touting 60 Mhz 486 machines which are 16 Mhz paged
memory machines with CACHE running at 32 Mhz and only the MPU running
at 60 Mhz. You don't get 60 Mhz performance out of it but because of
the cache in the MPU and the 32 Mhz cache it an impressive performer.
Response from Bob Brodie (Atari)...
Not to worry about TOS and any future Motorola processors. We speak
to them on a regular basis. TOS on the TT is currently at 3.06, and
I'm confident that the gang upstairs is hard at work with something
else, too. <grin>
Reply from Jeff (Intersect Software)...
Thanks Bob. It didn't seem possible, knowing Motorola's concern with
upward compatability and the new push at Atari for High end profes-
sional systems, that there would be any problem Implementing a 68040
on a Atari machine.
Everything I've heard for the last year or so is that there is a big
push internally to "catch up" (my paraphrase). By catch up I mean
offering State Of The Art machines again as you did in 85 with the
most powerful personal computer available (The ST). The TT goes a
long way to providing this.
----------------
Some more interesting chit-chat about the 68030 from E.DOMANGUE - Cat.
4, Topic 44, Msg. 176 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie...
I just received my copy of Communications of the ACM. They report on
the annual computer chess contest that they sponsor every year. This
year's first place was a tie, with Deep Thought/88 and Mephisto.
Deep Thought is a Sun 4 with a couple of special processors. But
Mephisto, although not a general purpose computer, it was built
specifically for chess playing, is based upon the Motorola 68030 CPU.
Yep, the same CPU that the SST (and TT) uses (if anybody reading this
didn't already know.) This machine beat others based on Sun's,
80386's, MIPS 6000, etc. - some pretty high class hardware.
Although this doesn't really say anything about the '030 being better
than other types of CPU (those programmers did a heck of job - 128K
of assembler?) it just sort of gives me the warm fuzzies knowing that
RSN (that's Real Soon Now) my ST will have the same CPU that won the
ACM Computer Chess Championship.
----------------
A few comments from Bob Brodie (Atari) - Cat. 14, Topic 3, Msg 126 -
from the ST Roundtable on Genie...
Actually we have used a company to place our products in TV shows for
quite some time now. Last year for example, they placed our computers
in episodes of Growing Pains, Working Girl, Matlock, Night Court, and
some made for TV movies, like Nasty Boys. (That's all off the top of
my head...there were other placements this year as well)
I'm not a big fan of the placements either, as a rule. Unless you
really *know* your looking at an Atari, all you see is a computer.
It's actually pretty good for the Portfolio, and the Lynx though!
Another example is that we've had a Stacy on the Arsenio Hall Show
for close to a year now, and there are still people that are just
noticing it! We even place a much larger ATARI label on the Stacy,
just so that the Atari name would be more prominent.
We'll continue to pursue these, though. They have possibilities of
opening up other opportunities for our company.
----------------
About installing a second 3.5" hard drive inside the case of your Mega-
file 44 - From Bill Rehbock (Atari) - Cat. 14, Topic 9, Msg. 121 - from
the ST Roundtable on Genie...
Tom, Rich, and anyone else interested in installing a second 3.5"
drive inside the case of your Megafile-44....................
1) This will void your warranty.
2) Some Megafile-44 cases have all of the necessary brackets to do
the installation easily, others do not, we don't carry the brackets,
but you can rig it yourself rather easily.
3) Atari, myself, etc. will not be responsible for any type of
inconveniences this may cause you.
So.....
1) After you have it all opened up, you'll see that the Syquest is
connected to J1 on the host adapter.
2) The whole thing is fairly easy: BOTH DRIVES GET SET TO DEVICE ZERO
(the Syqest already is, BTW), BOTH DRIVES SHOULD BE TERMINATED, the
host adapter does all of the work for you.
3) The switches on the bottom are the important part. Switches 3 & 2
select the starting address of the entire box, that is the device
number of the deveice connected to J1.
Switch 1 tells the host adapter that you have a second device in
the box. It should be turned OFF. (Think of the switch as upside-down
and backwards, when a switch is 'OFF', it is Logical-1, Switch
position 3 is the least significant digit of the address #, switch
position 2 is the most significant digit of the address #, and switch
positon 1 tells the host adapter that there are two devices.
ON
_______
| |X| |
|X| |X|
-1-2-3-
^ ^ ^+--- 1's
| +------ 2's
+-------- Flag that there are two devices.
With the switch setting that is shown, multiple devices are enabled,
the device that is connected to J1 (usually the Syquest) is DEVICE-1,
the device connected to J2 will be DEVICE-2.
The device connected to J2 is always device1's ID + 1.
If you configure the switches to OFF-ON-ON, the box will come up as
J1-ACSI#0, J2-ACSI#1.
(The terms address, device#, ACSI# are used interchangeably) I hope
this was clear... It's about as clear as I get at 3:15am <grin>
If you have any questions, feel free to leave me e-mail. (Leave an
evening phone number) -Bill Rehbock, Atari Corp.
----------------
Until next week.....
_______________________________________________
> COMDEX PRESS RELEASES STR InfoFile ATARI RELATED PRESS RELEASES
==================================
ATARI SYSTEM V
==============
Developer's Kit
---------------
The newest addition to Atari's palette of TT software products is the
Atari System V {ASV} Developer's Kit available in Alpha test form to key
developers interested in creating new or porting existing applications
onto the powerful TT/030 low-cost personal workstation.
The kit contains a rich set of developer's tools conforming to a wide
range of industry standards. The foundation is Atari's implementation of
UNIX System V Release 4.0 for the Motorola 68000 series processors. Built
on this strong foundation is the Atari's workstation graphical user
interface. The interface based on the X Window System is designed to
operate over a network or within a stand-alone machine, offering the
developer the ability to work with clients running on other machines or to
share clients with others on the network.
To provide the most intuitive interface available and to be consistent
with industry standards. Atari has adopted the OSF/Motif style, giving ASV
applications a sculptured 3-D presentation Manager look.
Designers of ASV applications can quickly create OSF/Motif conformant
application front ends using XFaceMaker 2. The designer can paint an
applications screen from a palette of OSF/Motif objects such as labels,
push buttons, scroll bars and message boxes. Using FACE, a built-in, C-
like programming language, the interface designer can easily mold the
behavior of the interface.
Included in the Developer's dKit is the Atari Style Guide an
enhancement to the Motif style. By following the standards set in this
guide, developers are assured of creating applications with interfaces
consistent with other ASV applications.
In addition to the rich set of development tools standard with System
V, the efficient GNU C and C++ compilers, plus the GNU debugger, are all
available in the ASV Developer's Kit. The C compiler is fully compatible
with the System VELF object format and with the ANSI C Issue 5
extensions.
Developers using the ASV kit are assured of maintaining compatibility,
portability and interoperability with other workstation vendors conforming
to open systems architecture and technical workstation industry standards.
Standards, such as, POSIX, X/OPEN XPG3, FIPS, NFS, X Window System and
Motif.
The TT030 ASV developer workstation requires a minimum of 8-Mbyte RAM,
a 213-Mb hard disk drive and a TTM195 monitor. Connectivity with
workstation networks is simple with the addition of a Atari VME/Ethernet
card.
ATARI SYSTEM V
==============
Developer's Kit
---------------
XFaceMaker 2
A FULL INTERFACE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT
XFaceMaker 2, the key to fast and easy interface design
XFacemaker 2 is an interactive tool for designing application
interfaces. By creating windows, dragging widgets to the windows and
setting resources in easy-to-use dialog panels, the developer can quickly
design the screens for an OSF/Motif compliant application.
As a prototyping tool, XFaceMaker 2 allows the designer to create
sample screens in a minimum amount of time. Modifications in the
resources panels provide quick visual feedback, without having to compile
any code.
As a programming tool, XFaceMaker 2 provides both speed and power for
the programmer. It provides a significant time savings in programming
applications, reducing costs to software houses and bringing products to
market quickly. Also, it provides the ability for programmers to test the
dynamic behavior of the interface while the application is being created.
The programmer can simulate the end user's actions by clicking on buttons,
displaying menus, or moving scroll bars.
XFaceMaker 2 Features
* OSF/Motif Toolkit
* X/Open XPG3 internationalization
* FACE:An interpreted language for specifying the interface's dynamic
behavior
* Fast prototyping tool
* Test mode that simulates end user actions
ATARI SYSTEM V
==============
Developer's Kit
---------------
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS
HARDWARE
TT/030
32 MHz MC68030 / MC68882
18-Mb RAM: 2-Mb ST RAM/16-Mb TT RAM
3-Button Mouse
200/340-Mb Hard Disk Drive
TTM195 19-in. Monochrome Monitor
SOFTWARE
ATARI System V Developer's Kit Packages
Included in the package:
AT&T System V Release 4.0
BSD and XENIX Convergence
Virtual File Systems {VFS}
Virtual Memory Management {supporting Memory Mapped Files}
User-Controlled Process Scheduler
Device Driver Interface {DDI}
Device Kernel Interface {DKI}
Internationalization
Extendible Linking Format {ELF}
Graphical User Interface
X Window System Release 11.4
OSF/Motif User Interface, Version 1.1.2
XFaceMaker
WISh2 Desktop Manager
Language Compilers and Debuggers
FSF GNU C compiler {version 1.30}
FSF GNU C++ compiler {version 1.39}
FSF GNU gdb debugger {version 1.39}
AT&T System V sdb debugger
Network File System {NFS}
Remote File Sharing {RFS}
TCP/IP {the DARPA protocols}
BSD Sockets
DOCUMENTATION
Developer's Kit Documentation
Atari Style Guide
Atari System V Developer's Guide
NSL WISh2 User's Guide
NSL Wx2 Users Guide
NSL X FaceMaker 2 Users Guide
Recommended off-the-shelf Documentation
AT&T UNIX System V Release 4, available from AT&T and Prentice Hall
OSF/Motif Version 1.1, Manual Series, available from Prentice Hall
X Window System, available from various sources
PROFESSIONAL SYSTEMS GROUP
SHOWS
NEW SUPERIOR PUBLISHING SOLUTIONS
AT
COMDEX
"Direct To Press" Products Achieve Higher Quality, Faster Throughput,
Extra Features
The Professional Systems Group, a division of Atari Computer
Corporation, will show its Direct To Press digital publishing solutions at
the Comdex trade show on October 21-25 in Las Vegas. At their booth, the
professional Systems Group will demonstrate the superiority of solutions
that utilize their new TT030 computer as a publishing platform.
Each of the pre-press solutions possesses clear advantages over the
existing competition. Those advantages are manifest in a richer feature
set, quicker speed of operation, and visibly higher output quality. As if
that weren't enough, the Direct To Press systems are priced compared to
other alternatives. Direct To Press systems provide output quality one
would expect from much more expensive, dedicated typography systems.
Direct To Press includes full-featured, high quality, and high
performance tools for every phase of pre-press work from document
processing and design to photo retouching and imagesetter film output.
Direct To Press is a solution provided by the Professional Systems
Group. This solution combines software, hardware, and support to
implement a superior publishing system. Design and typography output
workstations take advantage of the sophisticated graphics and pure
processing power of the Atari TT030TM, the company's high performance
computing platform. Available as custom-configurable systems, Direct To
Press is targeted at pre-press and printing service bureaus and in-house
design and production departments, as well as freelance designers, artists
and publishers. Systems based on the Direct To Press products and concept
are distributed through a network of value-added resellers and dealers.
Publishing System Hardware Platform
The Atari TT030 provides the ideal computing platform for the Direct
To Press publishing tools. It features a 32MHz Motorola TM 68030
microprocessor with on-chip cache and memory management as well as 68882
math coprocessor, 8 MB of RAM {expandables to 26 MB}, an 80 MB hard disk,
and a wide range of video and storage expansion options. Output for
proofing purposes is provided by the 300 dot per inch Atari SLM605TM laser
printer. The SLM605 features a small footprint, high quality output, and
fast 6 page per minute operation.
The TT030 performs even better in graphics-intensive applications than
the specifications would indicate. Several factors help explain this
phenomenon. First, the machine's architecture vastly reduces screen
redraw time by using a 64-bit wide video data path. Next, the TT030 uses
DMA {Direct To Memory Access} channels for disk, video printer, and sound
data transfer. And, up to 10 MB of video RAM can be used. These hardware
advantages are leveraged by an operating environment that minimizes
overhead without sacrificing ease of use or power.
"We designed the TT030 to be a great platform for sophisticated
graphics applications," said Greg Pratt, President of Atari Computer
Corporation. "But the performance and output quality that our strategic
software and hardware partners have achieved makes these systems a
compelling choice for publishing applications. When you consider that
most system selections are based on output quality, speed of operation,
ease of use, and affordability, we really have superior solutions across
the board. You can't afford not to look at the TT030 and the Direct To
Press system solutions."
______________________________________________________
> TOS UPGRADE INFO STR InfoFile TOS 2.06 & 3.06
=============================
UPGRADES OF TOS 2.06 & 3.06
===========================
Information on TOS upgrades
Pricing and procedures
will follow this announcement.
TOS 2.06 Upgrades - November 1, 1991
---> For MEGA STe, ST/STe*
* Atari ICON (Fuji) displayed at Boot.
* System memory check after a cold boot, pressing any key aborts test
to reduce attendant delay.
* A shrinking bar is displayed at boot, during hard disk intialization,
pressing any key aborts process and attendant delay.
* Pressing the Control key at boot bypasses autofolder preventing the
loading of .ACC, NEWDESK.INF and Deskicon.rsc files.
* Holding down the ALT key and typing a decimal number on the numeric
keypad inserts an ASCII code character into the keyboard buffer.
* Media Change detection on floppies works better, uses FAT checksums,
MS DOS 4.X serial numbers and many other features permitting superior
detection when a floppy has been changed.
* Less floppy spin-up delay in systems with a hard drive.
* Vacant drives detected sooner with quicker time-outs.
* Floppies with only one FAT are supported to allow greater
compatiblility with some DOS disk formatters.
* Serial Port functionality improved.
* Some programs that use Timer-A will work better (compatability
improvement).
* Multiple AES events when scrolling are reduced.
NOTE: TOS 2.06 for ST or MEGA ST requires hardware adaption,
Atari (Canada) will shortly announce the process for users
to upgrade. TOS 2.06 is available as an upgrade for STe
computers.
---> TOS 3.06 for the TT
* High Density floppy supported.
* Atari ICON (Fuji) displayed at Boot.
* Boots up in 640x480 resolution, press ALT key when Fuji displayed
for 320x200 resolution.
* System memory check after a cold boot, pressing any key aborts test
to reduce attendant delay.
* A shrinking bar is displayed at boot, during hard disk intialization,
pressing any key aborts process and attendant delay.
* VDI improved for BITBLT operations.
* Pressing the Control key at boot bypasses autofolder preventing the
loading of .ACC, NEWDESK.INF and Deskicon.rsc files.
* Holding down the ALT key and typing a decimal number on the numeric
keypad inserts an ASCII code character into the keyboard buffer.
* Media Change detection on floppies works better, uses FAT checksums,
MS DOS 4.X serial numbers and many other features permitting
superior detection when a floppy has been changed.
* Less floppy spin-up delay in systems with a hard drive.
* Vacant drives detected sooner with quicker time-outs.
* Floppies with only one FAT are supported to allow greater
compatiblility with some DOS disk formatters.
* Serial Port functionality improved.
* The 68882 is now reset at boot time.
* Some programs that use Timer-A will work better (compatability
improvement).
* Multiple AES events when scrolling are reduced.
Atari (Canada) Corp.
Rob McGowan
QNet3 NANet: Canada Remote Systems, Mississauga, Ont, Home of NANet
_______________________________________________
> STR Portfolio News & Information Keeping up to date...
================================
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM
=========================
On CompuServe
by Judith Hamner 72257,271
The Programming marathon is yielding results. If you haven't
started yet get something ready to upload to the forum by the end of the
year.
New Uploads:
PA00.TXT, PA04.TXT, PA05.TXT are three issues of Portable Addic-
tion uploaded by bj Gleason. Also, AU0891.TXT and AU0991.TXT are the
Portfolio Columns from the August and September 91 AtariUser.
PB49UP.ZIP is an upgrade of Pbasic by bj Gleason. This new version
includes new options for the menu and cmode functions. Also the print
command now works for different size text.
JEOPAR.BAS is a Pbasic program by bj Gleason to help keep track of
your score when you watch Jeopardy. Now you'll really know whether you can
beat the studio contestants.
DIAL2.ZIP is a phone dialer by David E. Stewart. This nifty little
program will let you dial a number directly or from the address book. It
can also be used as an editor hook to dial a number in your document.
EDIR.ZIP by Don Messerli lets you view directory listings from
within the Portfolio's editor. It supports wildcards and pathnames.
FEET.BAS was written by bj Gleason in response to a Wish List
entry. It will calculate with feet and inches so that you can easily add
and subtract mixed fractions. It will also calculate area and volume.
WC.ZIP is another editor hook by Don Messerli. This program works
from within the built-in editor to count the lines, words and characters
in the file you are editing. As a bonus it will also tell you how many
bytes the file will require on disk when saved.
LAUNCH.ZIP is a menu program which will scan your current direc-
tory for files with extensions: TXT, DOC, BAT, BAS, WKS, ADR, and DRY.
When you select the desired file, the correct program is launched
automatically.
CHESS.ARC is an actual PGC format screen dump of Atari's new CHESS
program for the Portfolio. Ordering information is included.
Dave Stewart has uploaded a new price list for Atari Products.
See PRICES.DOC for prices on Atari's new software releases.
Announcements:
Don Thomas announced that Chess and InstaSpell have joined Power
Basic in Atari's lineup of new software for the Portfolio. Also, Hyperlist
is is expected to be released soon.
_________________________________________________________
> STALKER/STENO STR InfoFile Stalker 3.0 & Steno 2.0 "A Powerhouse"
==========================
EXPLORING ST TELECOMMUNICATIONS
===============================
A few notes.....
After waiting for what seemed to be forever, the box finally arrived.
I just knew from all I read online, that I'd be installing this very
carefully. To my surprise, it installed quickly with minimal effort. It
re-configured itself quite well with the converter program too. The con-
verter took my "old" Stalker files and converted them to be compatible
with the newer version 3.0.
This is the third day I am using this communications package and I had
to call the folks at Gribnif and let them know I was delighted with the
system's performance. So much so that I'd removed both Interlink and
Flash from my main system. Interlink WAS my main telcom program and I
used Flash for any quickie text editing that was needed to be done. Steno
more than capably takes care of that need. Stalker, with all the primary
transfer protocols built-in, is very powerful and its still the ONLY fully
screen size compatible Term program available. My only wish is that it
had Quick CIS "B". I am told that this xfer protocol will be in the next
upgrade revision.
Ralph.....
==================================
== STalker 3 - Telecommunications ==
==================================
STalker 3 is a brand new and completely GEM window based telecom-
munications program for the Atari ST/TT, its many features include:
o Full GEM based operation o Runs 100% in the background
o Runs as an ACC or PRG o Emulates VT52, VT100, & PC-ANSI
o Built-in X/YModem and ZModem o GDOS support for different fonts
o Complete Scripting Language o Complete 220+ page documentation
Regular Suggested Retail Price: ................... $49.95
Special STReport Reader's Price: .................... ==> $39.95 <==
To order just call Gribnif's TOLL FREE order line: 1-800-284-4742 and
mention that you are an STReport Reader wanting the "Special Offer".
_______________________________________________
> CHICAGO SHOW NEWS STR SHOW NEWS "The Midwest Atari Event!"
===============================
----- Chicago ComputerFest by Atari Update -----
During the past week, we have added a number of exhibitors to our listing,
rather than just list the newcomers, here is an updated complete press
release. Please note that the 8-bit exhibitors are broken out for your
information.
----- EXHIBITORS (as of November 1st):
ABCO Computer Consultants Mainstreet America
Apple Annie Mars Merchandising
Application and Design Software MaxWell C.P.U.
ASTMUM MegaType
Atari Interface Magazine Michtron
Best Electronics Micro Creations
Borland International Migraph, Inc.
Branch Always Software Missionware
Clear Thinking M-S Designs
Codehead Software Motorola, Inc.
CompuSeller West Newell Industries
CSA Ltd. Oregon Research Associates
D.A. Brumleve Phil Comeau Software
Double Click Software Rising Star Computers
Electronic Spinster Graphics Rimik Enterprises
GEnie's PC and ST Aladdin RT's Roland Corporation
Gribnif Software Soft-Logik Publishing
Goldleaf Publishing Step Ahead Software
Guitar Plus Sudden, Inc.
Hybird Arts Toad Computers
JMG Software WizWorks!
Innovative Concepts Wuztek/OPI
----- 8-Bit EXHIBITORS:
Newell Industries Mars Merchandising
Palette Imaging ICD
Computer Software Services ReeveSoft
LJK DataQue
AGDA Atari Corp
JakeSoft
----- BANQUET:
Gala Chicago ComputerFest by Atari Banquet
7:00 PM, November 23rd, 1991
Ramada Hotel O'Hare - Plaza Dining Room
Capacity- approximately 300
Tentative Program:
Bob Brodie and Greg Pratt of Atari Corp present the Midwest Atari
Regional Council (MARC) Excellence Awards. Atari Lombard Lynx game
programmer Steve Ryno will speak about future game systems from Atari.
Dinner Choices:
Roast Sirloin of Beef, Marchand de Vin
Tender Slices of Midwestern Beef with a Rich Red Wine Sauce
Roast Loin of Pork Calvados
Roasted Pork Loin Topped with an Apple Cream Sauce
Chicken Kiev
A buttered breast of chicken stuffed with herb butter and cheese sauce.
Grilled Halibut Steak, Sauce Choron
A Center Cut Halibut Steak accompanied with a buttery herb sauce
infused with tomato.
Each of the above include Soup of the day, Gardner's basket salad, a
seasonal selection of vegetable and potatoes, and Chicago style
Cheesecake with your selection of Strawberry, Pineapple and Mandarin
toppings. Coffee and Tea included- cash bar will be available with choice
of Beer, Wine and Cocktails.
All of this $25.00 per person (tax and gratuity included).
Send your banquet ticket order NOW to:
Chicago ComputerFest by Atari
c/o LCACE
P.O. Box 8788
Waukegan, IL 60079-8788.
----- PAYMENTS:
Credit Card Payment is available for banquet and general admission
tickets! Call the show hotline at 708-566-0682 to order. Be sure to
leave:
Your Name as it appears on the credit card
Address where to send tickets
Your Credit Card Type (Visa or Master Card)
Card Number and Expiration Date
Your phone number (in case there are questions)
What tickets and the number you are ordering.
Your Choice of Entrees (banquet only).
We will add a $1 service charge for each credit card order, all banquet
orders must be received by November 8th; advance show tickets by November
15th. If paying by personal check or money order, please make checks
payable to "Lake County Area Computer Enthusiasts".
Each general admission ticket entitles the holder to a chance at the
TT030/8 Color system donated by Atari Corp. Many other valuable prizes
will be given away during the course of the show. You need not be present
to win the TT030!
__________________________________________________
> STReport's Editorial Page
=========================
From the Editor's Desk
----------------------
Being an avid sports fan... most any sports will do, I find myself
finally angered at Uncle Sam. I've watch a number of movie greats succumb
to AIDS along with the tragic depictions recently in Congress. My anger
stems from the recent announcement by Magic Johnson. Why? Why has the
government dragged its feet for so long? Aids and its sinister effects
were well documented before Reagan took the oath of office. Yet, till
this day, the government is STILL not in high gear attempting to find a
cure for this disaster. According to a report broadcast this afternoon
Dr. Salk, the doctor who provided the world with the Polio vaccine, is
working on a vaccine for the HIV virus.
The weather has turned snowy and cold over a large portion of the na-
tion thus encouraging many folks to spend more time indoors. What a great
opportunity to get re-acquainted with their ever-faithful Atari computers.
The TOS upgrades are about to hit the market, the newer designs for the
MSTE and TT are on the way. (1.44hd flop, etc..) The hardware, as always
is great and getting better all the time.
Thanks for the great support....
Ralph....
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff The regulars and this week's contributors!
----------------
Publisher - Editor
------------------
Ralph F. Mariano
PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
----------- -------------- ------------
Robert Retelle Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON
STReport Staff Editors:
-----------------------
Michael Arthur Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. Dana P. Jacobson
Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham
Contributing Correspondents:
----------------------------
Michael Lee Richard Covert Roger Stevens
Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Tim Holt
Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Ben Hamilton
Neil Bradley Eric Jerue Ron Deal
Robert Dean Ed Westhusing James Nolan
Joe Mirando Vernon W. Smith
IMPORTANT NOTICE
================
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve.................... 70007,4454
GEnie......................... ST.REPORT
Delphi........................ RMARIANO
BIX........................... RMARIANO
FIDONET....................... 112/35
FNET.......................... NODE 350
NEST.......................... 90:19/350.0
____________________________________________________________
> A "TIME OUT!"
=============
"Our Prayers and hopes for the future
are
with Ervin _Magic_ Johnson"
....The Staff of STR
__________________________________________________________
> FALL SPECIALS! STR InfoFile * NEW Prices MORE Products & SPECIALS! *
=========================== HOLIDAY SPECIALS!
** EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! **
ABCO COMPUTER CONSULTANTS
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
_________________________________________
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
*-ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-*
(you are NOT limited to two drives)
(all cables and connectors installed)
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADSCSI+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
Deluxe 2 bay Cabinet w/65w auto-switching PS
TIME PROVEN to be the most reliable!
Model Description Autopark Price
==================================================
SGN4951 51Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 479.00
SGN6277 65Mb 28ms 5.25" Y 519.00
SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 549.00
SGN2055 105mb 12ms 3.5" Y 629.00
SGN6277 120Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 789.00
SGN1296 170Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 1019.00
==================================================
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS
EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAIALABLE Call for Info!
PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS
EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAIALABLE Call for Info!
PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
CPU ACCELERATOR & MEMORY UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED
>> ABCO now offers 1040 & MEGA STe Computers <<
(when available)
Call for ABCO's Introductory prices!
ATARI COMPUTERS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
Odds are, we either have it or, can get it for you!
AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE!
"We service what we sell"
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCOFILE "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADSCSI PLUS H/A
- ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
--->> SPECIAL! NOW ONLY __$ 645.00__ <<---
**** SCSI UNITS -> ONLY $585.00 ****
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
Cart and Utility Software Included!
EXTRA CARTS: $ 74.50
DRIVE MECH ONLY: $ 349.95
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1019.00 **
Includes TWO cartridges!
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $ 819.00 85mb SQG96 $ 1019.00
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
*>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
Atari SLM 804, SLM 804PCV Laser Toner Kits
Memorex 2108, 5287
Oasys Laserpro 5287, 5308, Express 830, Express Series II
Silver Express, Gold Express
** $54.95 shipping Included **
Atari SLM 605 Laser Toner Kits
AT&T 593, CAF Laser, DSI Laser, DTP Systems, Epson EPL-6000
Facit P6060, Fontx Syslaser, Harris3M 2006, M-Tally MT905
Microtek Turbo PS, OAS Laserpro Executive, Packard Bell 9500
TEC LB 1305, Toshiba PageLaser 6
** $41.95 shipping included **
(TWO Toner Carts Incl.)
Panasonic Laser Toner Kits
Panasonic KX -P 4000 series, Panafax UF-750 Facimile
** $41.95 shipping included **
-- ALL TONER KITS * IN STOCK * --
* Toner Starter Kits-$62.95 *
* Replacement (804) Drums-$186.95 *
ABCO's Replacement Toner Advantages
===================================
A Few Pointers about the NEW and SUPERIOR replacement Toner Cartridges
for the SLM 804 and SLM 605 Laser printers.
Quality
-------
o Better density the OEM Toner under all testing conditions.
(AVG 1.40-1.50)
o Formulation completely compatible with the OEM initial toner and
supply toner. This replacement Toner may be added to the Laser
Printer along with OEM initial toner or supply toner.
o The NEW replacement initial toner will maintain a high level of
quality "much longer" using the replacement toner.
o Much smaller drop in density is realized when printing in the
continuous mode.
Test Pattern:
10 graphic pages
1000 text pages (3 alternating pages)
Time Schedule:
330 prints continuously
1 hour pause, 3-4 times a day
normally 1000 copies a day
maximum 1400 copies a day
OEM ABCO'S NEW STANDARD
--- -------------------
Density 1.30 - 1.40 1.40 - 1.50
Yield 92.1 g/1000 copies 95.3 g/1000 copies
Waste toner 20.3 g/1000 copies 14.3 g/1000 copies
Transfer Rate 78% 85%
>> MANY other ATARI related products STOCKED <<
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
9am - 8pm EDT
Tues thru Sat
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
GOOD NEWS!
==========
ABCO Computer Consultants now has a SUPER computer goodies catalog
available. Drop us a note and we will mail your copy to you! You'd be
surprised at the variety of products we offer at substantial savings.
Don't wait! Send for your catalog now and get the great Christmas
Discount Coupons. It'll make Santa feel great about the holidays!
ABCO COMPUTER CONSULTANTS
=========================
P.O. BOX 6672
Jacksonville, Florida, 32205-6672
904-783-3319
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport International Online Magazine
Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" November 01, 1991
16/32bit Magazine copyright 1987-91 No.7.43
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors/staff, PCReport, STReport, AMReport, MCReport. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint
must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's
name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
any way without prior written permission. The entire contents, at the
time of publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors,
contributors and/or staff are not responsible for the use/misuse of infor-
mation contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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