Atari Explorer Online: 1-May-92 #9201
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 05/02/92-02:05:04 AM Z
From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 1-May-92 #9201
Date: Sat May 2 02:05:04 1992
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* * * ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE * * *
* * * ------------------------------ * * *
* * * ------------------------------ * * *
* * * May 1, 1992 Issue #92-01 * * *
* * * ------------------------------ * * *
* * * * PREMIER EDITION * * * *
* * * The Official Atari Online Journal * * *
* * * * * *
* * * (c)1992, Atari Corporation * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Publisher: John Jainschigg Editor: Ron Kovacs
Contributing Editor: John Nagy Contributing Editor: Bob Brodie
Contributing Editor: Craig Anderton Contributing Editor: Mark Jansen
Columnist: Mike Mortilla Columnist: Ed Krimen
Contributor: Jon Clarke Columnist: Ron Berinstein
| | | CONTENTS
| | |
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
THE PUBLISHER'S WORKSTATION ............... John Jainschigg
THE EDITOR'S DESK ...............................Ron Kovacs
Z*NET NEWSWIRE .......................................Staff
Latest news, industry-wide.
AE ONLINE NEWSROOM ...................................Staff
News from the pages of Atari Explorer Magazine
1992 SHOW SCHEDULE ..............................Bob Brodie
Scheduling a User-Group or Dealer Show
HYPERLIST FOR PORTFOLIO RELEASED .......Atari Press Release
DEALER PROFILES ..............................Maria Bernard
Are music dealers leading a new Renaissance?
HOW TO PUT YOUR BARE SYQUEST ................ Erik Williams
Hands-on: Installing a Syquest in a Macintosh HD case.
BRUMLEVE ANNOUNCES MAJOR UPGRADES.....General Press Release
WHAT'S NEW ONLINE -- THE SOFTWARE SHELF .... Ron Berinstein
GAME HELP .......................................Ron Kovacs
SOFTWARE BONUS!.............................John Jainschigg
An audio phone-dialer accessory for the ST!
| | | THE PUBLISHER'S WORKSTATION
| | | by John Jainschigg
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Up until five minutes ago (Thursday, 4/30/91, 10:10.21 PM EST) this
column was called "The Publisher's Desk," and I was staring at that
rubric, trying desperately to think up something that would serve
as an introduction to the premier issue of Atari Explorer Online.
Like as or not, the thing that had me stymied was the fact that,
once again (and again, and again) I was trying to write yet another
(and another, and another) plain, old, Introductory Message. And
(surprise! surprise!) that's not the point of this exercise, at all.
The purpose of Atari Explorer Online is to get more info about Atari
to you, more quickly -- and in a more dynamic way -- than can be
managed by standard printed resources. As Editor/Publisher of the
printed edition of Atari Explorer Magazine, the Official Atari
Journal, I have to overcome relatively enormous obstacles in order
to get information out to the world at large. The awesome logistics
of large-scale print production, among other cosmic forces, conspire
to erect barriers of time and place between me and my readers.
Not so, here. The same equipment -- namely, my Atari TT030
workstation -- that serves as the "head end" of Atari Explorer's
Editorial/Production system, serves as the entire "means of production"
for an online magazine. The result is that, by means of AE Online,
we're going to be able to forge a closer kind of contact between
Atari Explorer and its readers, and get more useful information
off OUR Atari workstations, and onto YOURS.
Thanks for downloading our premier issue! Now, engage your brain
and tell us what you think! Comments and questions can be addressed
to me on GEnie (EXPLORER) or CompuServe (76004,1616). And a personal
reply is guaranteed.
| | | THE EDITOR'S DESK
| | | by Ron Kovacs
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Here we are, a new online magazine with a little of the old mixed with
the new. If you were a reader of Z*Net Atari Online Magazine, you will
see a new direction take place before your eyes. Some of the old
staff has made the move, and the Z*Net Newswire remains intact, though
some of the columns have changed their titles.
Since the announcement of this change last week, there have been mixed
reviews about the content and direction of the publication. I cannot
directly address any of these messages since we've just completed the
compilation of this edition, and the direction will be determined as
issues are released.
Feedback is encouraged as it has been in the past. Contact information
is included at the end of the issue. There are also areas established
on GEnie, CompuServe and FNET. An Atari Explorer Online Magazine
Conference was recently started in FNET to distribute and discuss AEO
contents.
Just a note on Z*Net Atari Issues. All past issues remain available on
the services and on the Z*Net BBS. An index and supplemental issue
will be released in a few weeks to wrap up all loose ends in the
publication.
Thanks for downloading our premiere edition, the next edition will be
available in two weeks: May 15, 1992.
Late note: Mike Mortilla and Ed Krimen will appear in the next edition
with their regular columns.
| | | Z*NET NEWSWIRE
| | | Latest Atari News and Industry Update
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
NINTENDO TRIAL GOES TO THE JURY
On Monday April 27, 1992, attornies representing Atari and Nintedo
presented closing arguments in the landmark Atari vs. Nintendo case,
which revolves around allegations that Nintendo attempted, through
unfair means, to monopolize the US video games market. Sources at
Atari expect a quick decision on the trial, now in its 3rd month.
ATARI GAMES' TENGEN EXCLUSIVE US DISTRIBUTOR
Tengen, subsidiary of Atari Games Corp., announced it will be the
exclusive U.S. distributor of Domark entertainment software titles for
play on the Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear video game systems. Titles
scheduled for U.S. introduction this summer include "Prince of Persia"
"Super Space Invaders," "James Bond 007" and "Mig 29." Atari Games is
a privately held company, is not affiliated with Atari Corp. of
Sunnyvale, Calif., and should be referred to as Atari Games.
MITSUBISHI UNVEILS COLOR MONITOR
Mitsubishi announced a new version of its Diamond Scan 16 with more
features but a lower suggested retail price. The Diamond Scan 16
features a larger screen size in a compact enclosure, on-screen color
calibration and greater autoscanning capability. Suggested retail
price for the monitor is $1,299, down $200 from the previous version.
MICROAGE ANNOUNCES FIRST WIRELESS EMAIL NETWORK
MicroAge Computer announced the first industry strategy to provide
24-hour wireless communication to "virtual offices" anywhere. The
wireless network will permit notebook computer users to receive
electronic mail anytime across North America and in other parts of the
world. AT&T EasyLink is the first public electronic mail vendor to
connect with SkyTel, and the Safari computer is the first fully
featured computer able to receive wireless messages from SkyTel.
SkyTel simulcasts to 75 percent of U.S. residents, and 95 percent of
those living in U.S. metropolitan areas. Its two satellites reach 125
earth stations supporting over 410 transmitters.
HIGH-TECHNOLOGY EXPORTS RELAXED
The US government lifted many of the restrictions on high-technology
exports to former Warsaw Pact countries. The Commerce Department said
in a statement that goods affected by the measure included computers,
semiconductors and aviation equipment. Permits for exports of 2 to 3
billion dollars annually were no longer needed, it added.
| | | AE Online NewsRoom
| | |
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Batman Returns!
On Tuesday, April 27th, sources inside Atari confirmed that final
release to production had been granted for the Atari version of the Lynx
videogame card Batman Returns, based on the upcoming blockbuster film
from Warner Bros., starring Michael Keaton, Michelle Feiffer, and Danny
DeVito. The game will be on dealer shelves starting June 20th,
simultaneous with the film's national release.
Batman Returns is one of the most complex and ambitious Lynx video
games to date. Released on 256K card, it follows the plot of the movie
closely, and features sound and graphics taken from designs made for the
film. Programmed by Eric Ginner and Jerome Strach, with animation by
Susan G. McBride (et al.), and music by Bob Vieira and LX Rudis, the game
was produced under the supervision of John Skruch, of Atari
Entertainment, Sunnyvale. Though details of the cartridge are still under
wraps, a full preview appears in Atari Explorer Magazine's May/June
issue, on newsstands next week.
Rehbock on MultiTOS: The Tech View
One of the highlight's of April's ACE '92 show in Toronto was the
first public demonstration of Atari's new MultiTOS -- a fully-
multitasking version of the ST/TT operating system. According to Director
of Application Software, Bill Rehbock, who demonstrated the system to
excited crowds, MultiTOS "is a high-performance, pre-emptive multitasking
kernel with adaptive process prioritization, in a system optimized to
favor the user-interface, and to comply as transparently as possible with
current applications." In a subsequent conversation, Rehbock elaborated
as follows: "First of all, MultiTOS is definitely not a task-switcher. It
allows multiple applications (referred to as "processes"), both TTP and
GEM, to execute concurrently, each taking a portion of CPU time, as under
Unix. That means you really can be downloading a file, sorting a
database, and typing on a word processor, all at the same time. And the
programs you use don't have to be especially "aware," either of MultiTOS
or of each other, for this to happen.
"Since most programs spend a relatively large portion of their time
awaiting AES event input, MultiTOS is designed to reclaim CPU time that
would otherwise be spent in this fashion. Thus, even without altering
process priorities, MultiTOS manages to increase overall throughput. More
sophisticated forms of adaptation further allow MultiTOS to adjust
process priorities to optimal levels. However, if a user finds that
MultiTOS' own decisions aren't working well for a certain combination of
applications, a utility allows him to graphically review how much CPU
time each process is being offered and how much it is using, and alter
priorities at will." The result is that, from the user's perspective,
MultiTOS seems to perform at a rate similar to single-tasking TOS.
MultiTOS allows as many processes to run concurrently, and as many
windows to be open, as memory permits. It can employ the 68030 Memory-
Management Unit's (MMU) hardware-based memory-protection capability to
prevent accidental memory trespass and restrict how much memory each
process occupies. Well-behaved applications can set their own boundaries,
using Malloc() and Mshrink() calls; while badly-behaved applications can
be restricted deliberately, by the user. Even in the absence of an MMU
(i.e., when MultiTOS is running on a 68000-based ST), features have been
incorporated to permit indentification and graceful shutdown of rogue
processes, avoiding system crashes in all but the most severe cases.
File- and record-locking is now automatic at the TOS level -- another
reason why current applications don't need to be rewritten to run under
MultiTOS. Output from TOS (i.e., non-GEM) applications is piped
automatically to the window-manager, and output is displayed in its own
window. A variety of Inter-Process Communication (IPC) facilities are
supported, including piping and forms of shared memory, as well as a
brace of options by which processes may "spawn" child-processes, and
control their operation.
Though a portion of MultiTOS will be built into ROM in future Atari
computers, the bulk of the operating system is RAM-loaded. According to
Jack Tramiel, Chairman of Atari Corp., MultiTOS will be made available in
some form for all ST systems (though hardware memory-protection will not
be available on systems lacking a 68030 with MMU), and will be
incorporated in future Atari products. A pre-release version of the OS
has already been sent to developers, along with a reworked Developer's
Kit and MiNT-kernel utilities package. Commercial release is expected in
Winter. (For further information, developers should contact Bill Rehbock,
Director of Application Software, Atari Corp., 1196 Borregas Ave.,
Sunnyvale, CA 94089, (408) 745-2082).
Cubasics Newsletter for Cubase
Creative Input, of San Pedro, CA, is celebrating the first
anniversary of Cubasics, the Official Bimonthly Newsletter for Cubase and
Cubeat users. Cubasics features interviews with Cubase-using musicians
(check out the interview with Genesis' Chester Thompson, reprinted in the
May/June issue of Atari Explorer Magazine), tutorials, new product
information, commentary, and bug reports, and can help keep serious
Cubase users up and running productively. US Subscriptions are $32/year
(six issues, $36/year Canadian, $42/year other foreign, including
postage). For further information, write to Creative Input, 4029 S.
Pacific Ave., Suite #4, San Pedro, CA 90731.
Yamaha Digital Recording System
Yamaha Corp. has announced the CBX-D5, an affordable hard-disk
digital recording system offering 2-track simultaneous recording and 4-
track playback (with future track expansion to be announced). The CBX-D5
contains an integral 100 MB hard disk, allowing the recording of
approximately 10 minutes of stereo digital sound. Recording time can be
increased by daisy-chaining additional SCSI-compatible hard disk drives.
Sampling frequencies of 44.1 and 48 KHz are supported, for true CD-
quality audio recording. An onboard Digital Signal Processor (DSP) stage
provides reverb and modulation effects, and a Digital Equalizer (DEQ)
offers multi-band parametric equalization for each channel, controllable
in realtime. The unit features 16-bit A/D and 18-bit D/A converters for
analog I/O, and can output AES/EBU and SPDIF, allowing pulse-code
modulated audio transfer to digital audio equipment. Yamaha's proprietary
"Y2" (MEL2) digital audio data-transfer standard is also supported.
The CBX-D5 is designed to be controlled by an Atari ST running
Steinberg's Cubase/Audio software (Apple Macintosh and Digital Performer
also supported). While recording, the CBX-D5 controls its built-in hard
disk, directly. However, when editing, the ST can access the CBX hard
disk via its own SCSI host adapter. Overall control of the CBX-D5 is via
MIDI, and the unit provides a MIDI THRU port for convenience.
Cubase/Audio provides simultaneous playback/control of sequenced data,
and control of CBX-D5 functions. A price for the CBX-D5 has yet to be
announced.
Cell Biology Animations for ST
A large library of color animations of the important processes of
cell and molecular biology has been released for distribution by Bio-
Animate Productions, of London, Ontario, Canada. Each animation is many
frames long and several involve striking 3D representations of
chromosomes, ribosomes, molecules, etc. Developed by university faculty,
the animations have already been adopted by a number of high schools,
universities, medical schools, veterinary schools, and agronomy colleges.
Appropriate both for group presentation and individual review, the
initial set of about 30 animations in the Bio-Animate series costs $299
CAN (single-user price; site- and school-board licenses also available).
(For further information, Bio-Animate Productions, 487 Piccadilly St.,
London, Ont., N5Y 3G6 Canada, (519) 433-7145).
Crazy Dots Adapters
Gribnif Software has announced immediate North American availability
of Crazy Dots 15, a video display adapter for Mega ST's, Mega STe's, and
TT's that drives a variety of VGA, multisync, and other high-end
displays. Crazy Dots 15 supports resolutions up to 1,664 x 1,200 pixels,
and can display up to 32,768 colors or grey levels at once. The most
comprehensive of its many modes offers this full color pallette, at a
resolution of 1,280 x 800.
Crazy Dots 15 is available in two models: a Megabus version that
connects to the Mega 2 and 4 ST's on-board bus connector; and a VME model
that plugs into the Mega STe/TT VME slot. Crazy Dots employs Tseng Labs'
ET-4000 graphics controller, and includes 1 MB of display memory.
Suggested retail price for Crazy Dots 15 is set at $999.95. Owners of
Crazy Dots 8 can upgrade for only $199.95. Meanwhile, Gribnif has dropped
the price of Crazy Dots 8, from $999.95 to $849.95. (Gribnif Software,
P.O. Box 350, Hadley, MA 01035, (413) 584-7887)
Cryptographer, from Fair Dinkum
Fair Dinkum Technologies has announced the release of The
Cryptographer, the latest addition to their line of word-puzzle and
educational software. The Cryptographer lets users encrypt and decode
secret messages. A variety of coding systems are built-in, and the
program lets you design custom encryption methods at will. Cryptographer
also offers an "intelligent assistant," that helps solve cryptograms.
Text files of virtually any length can be quickly encoded or decoded, and
finished cryptograms may be printed or saved to disk. A bonus program,
Crypto, Jr., that incorporates many of the features of The Cryptographer
but offers a simplified interface designed for kids, is included.
($29.95)
Fair Dinkum has also announced the release of upgrades to its popular
Word Search Creator (now in version 1.03), which now offers higher-
quality and Crossword Creator II (now in version 1.04). For a limited
time, Fair Dinkum is waiving the usual $5.00 upgrade fee. Registered
users need only send their original program disk, plus SASE, to Fair
Dinkum, in order to receive upgraded versions. (Fair Dinkum Technologies,
P.O. Box 2, Los Alamos, NM 87544, (505) 662-7236)
I-Ken PageStream 2 Guide
I-Ken Design, of St. Louis, publishers of Radical Type, the magazine
for Atari and Amiga DTP, have announced the release of a 20-page quick
reference guide for PageStream 2. The guide contains samples of popular
fonts, character set and command tables, and other hard-to-remember
details; and includes mini-tutorials on drawing tools, object effects,
and other topics. ($6.95)
The company has also announced Idea Forms One: a set of PageStream
2.1 templates for a wide variety of printed matter, including stationery,
manuals, periodicals, reports, certificates, calendars, and other special
formats. The collection comes on three disks, and includes a 24-page
manual. Idea Forms 2: Business Forms, is due out in the Fall. ($34.95, I-
Ken Design, 5452 Southfield Ctr. Drive, Box 220, St. Louis, MO 63123).
Dr. T's Audio/Video Production Kit
Dr. T's Music Software has announced availability of their new
Audio/Video production kit for the ST. The combined package includes the
Omega sequencer, Hitman cue-sheet production tools, and the Phantom SMPTE
synchonizer. Omega features direct support for the Fostex R8 MIDI
automated tape recorder. ($(tk), Dr. T's Music Software, 100 Crescent
Rd., Needham, MA 02194, (617) 455-1454).
MIST Atari Fest IV
On Saturday, July 25th, the Castleway Conference Center of
Indianapolis will host the Mid-Indiana ST (MIST) Atari Fest. Sponsoring
user groups for the event include Atari ST Computers in Indianapolis
(ASCII) and Mid-Indiana ST (MIST). Last year's show attracted over 30
vendors and 500 attendees, and visitors raved that it was one of the best
one-day shows in the nation.
Cost to vendors is just $50.00 per booth ($10.00 for user groups),
for the entire day, including electricity, a computer system, and a free
"business-card sized" ad in the MIST Atari Fest IV Program, as well as a
display placard for the booth, bearing your company name. Interested
vendors should contact Dan Ward, President, Atari ST Computers in
Indianapolis, 1752 Alimingo Drive., Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Rumours of Dancing
Sources close to Atari Explorer confirmed that Editor/Publisher John
Jainschigg and Managing Editor Peter Donoso were planning to appear,
along with a slew of very high-tech synth gear, guitars, and a couple of
very large amplifiers, at the Connecticut AtariFest, August 15th and
16th, in Hartford. "Yeah, man .. since the release of our album, 'Welcome
to the (Not Just a Game) Machine,' last year, we feel like we've lost
touch with the small club and user-group show audience," said Jainschigg.
"So we thought it would be a good idea to rediscover our roots, do a
small tour of Atari shows in the Bridgeport area, and like ... party
until everybody's ears bleed."
Mr. Donoso concurred: "People hear Atari music systems in the hands
of really competent, famous musicians, all the time." He said. "We think
it's important, however, for audiences to realize that Atari computers,
plus very large amplifiers, can even make essentially talent-free,
chopless blighters like ourselves sound good! It's remarkable what an
algorithmic composer, a decent sequencer, plus lots and lots of wattage
can do!"
Brian Gockley, organizer of the AtariFest, was quoted as saying: "All
I wanted was a little dancing. That's all. There's nothing to do, at
night, at these AtariFests. So I asked them, and now, all of a sudden,
they've got a truck, and an entourage, and I've got security problems,
and they're demanding backstage, full-service catering and a suite at the
hotel. I don't know what's going to happen. I ... I'm not responsible. No
further comment."
| | | 1992 SHOW SCHEDULE
| | | by Bob Brodie
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Since my coming to Atari, one of the details that I have tried to
handle has been the scheduling of shows. Ever since the very first
Atarifest was held, people have always wanted to bring Atari to their
town. With no one coordinating the show schedule, things had been
chaotic. Hopefully, I've brought a modicum of sanity to the schedule.
The rules are basically simple:
1) Please do not schedule a show within 30 days of another show,
unless you expect to host a regional event. That is, if you're not
expecting to draw developers from all over North America to attend
your show, just the people in your area, then we'll consider a date
closer than 30 days apart.
2) If you are interested in having a show, please contact me BEFORE
you announce the date. There might be other events that would
prohibit (or hinder) our presence at your event.
3) Shows in the same region of the country should be more than 90 days
apart. For example, let's say that a group in Chicago, and a group
in Milwaukee both are planning a show. Scheduling them within a
month of each other is poor planning. The cities are only a couple
of hours drive apart. There will not be the same sense of
excitement about a show that is coming on the heels of another
show. Both areas are capable of orchestrating a show, though. So
in order to maximize effectiveness, the shows need to be more than
3 months apart.
4) In the event of a conflict with a corporate trade show, if Atari is
attending the trade show, the trade show will have priority.
Usually, we know about the dates for the major shows way in
advance. Sometimes show organizers will throw us a curve though,
like last years Fall COMDEX.
5) Promotional dealer events and user group visits are different than
shows. If your group, or your dealer wants to schedule a
promotional appearance by Atari, we'll be happy to consider a date,
with respect to the rest of the show calendar. It doesn't make
sense to me to visit a group in the Los Angeles area close to the
same point in time that we're doing the Southern California Atari
Faire (The Glendale Show). Come to the show, instead!!
6) Atari reserves the right to make all judgement calls about which
user group/dealer shows Atari will, or will not participate in.
Atari reserves the right to determine to what extent Atari will
participate in any show, including financial assistance,
promotional assistance, or the loan of hardware for use during the
show. The points listed here are guidelines, they are flexible
according to the needs of Atari, or the situation surrounding an
event. Cooperating with these guidelines enhances the possibility
of having a successful event!
Here's what the schedule for the rest of 1992 looks like at this time:
May No user group events scheduled at this time.
June 14th- Milwaukee Area ST Users Group Show- Milwaukee, WI
July 18th- Blue Ridge Atarifest- Ashville, NC
25th- MIST Atarifest IV- Indianapolis, IN
August 15th-16th- Conn. Atarifest, Hartford, CT
21st-23rd- Dusseldorf Atari Show- Germany
20th-30th- GENCON- Milwaukee, WI
September 12th-13th- Southern Calif. Atari Faire, Glendale, CA
22nd-25th- Fall Seybold, San Francisco, CA
October 10th-11th- WAACE Atarifest, Reston, VA
November 16th-20th- Fall COMDEX, Las Vegas, NV
December 12th-13th- Northern Calif. Atari Expo, San Jose, CA
(PROPOSED)
As you can see, the schedule for the rest of this year is pretty full.
I have also gotten some feelers for an event in Houston for the fall,
as well as inquiries about a show in Chicago as well. I've even been
asked to attend a user group meeting in South Africa!! (Bet you didn't
know you could buy an Atari in South Africa, did you?) If I've somehow
missed your event, please fill me in! I can be reached as follows:
US Mail: Atari Corporation
1196 Borregas Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302
att: Bob Brodie
Director of Communications
Voice: 408-745-2052 FAX: 408-745-2088
GEnie: BOB-BRODIE
CompuServe: 70007,3240
Delphi: BOBBRO
FNET: Node #319
Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
| | | ATARI PRESS RELEASE:
| | | Hyperlist Database For Palmtop DOS PC
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: Don Mandell Don Thomas
Phone: (408) 745-2000 OR (408) 745-2000
Fax: (408) 745-2088 (408) 745-2088
SUNNYVALE, CA (March, 1992) -- Atari Computer Corporation has released
a new software application for the Portfolio handheld computer.
Hyperlist is a unique filing system which revolutionizes the way data
may be organized in the Portfolio. Often described as an "outliner" or
"database", Hyperlist provides the opportunity to create extensive
lists, then attach "child" lists to each item in the "parent" list. On
paper, the data flow resembles an organizational or flow chart.
"This new system on the Portfolio opens many doors of opportunity",
states Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Marketing Manager at Atari Computer Corp.
"The software is easy to use, powerful and flexible; all at the same
time."
Hyperlist has been in development for almost an entire year. A hand
picked team of BETA testers worked with early versions to assure that
a wide variety of uses could be applied by using the finished product.
Specific target markets include education, sales, medicine, law and
general purpose.
Students and educators enjoy Hyperlist for the ability to easily
establish timelines. Each entry at the top reveals expounded details
as it is selected. Class schedules and assignments can be arranged by
due date, instructor or course study. Research materials can be
collected in an impressively organized manner with references to
sources, authors, dates or topics.
Salespeople depend on Hyperlist to sort through parts by category,
region or client. Established price lists and component specifications
are instantly recalled by use of logical prompts created by entries on
each level of the list.
The Medical Community benefits by creating functional patient reference
logs or developing custom reference notes on medicines, dosages and
drug interactions. Attorneys find refuge in Hyperlist by recording
step by step case procedures logical notation. HomeMakers store
recipes, home businesses log business contacts, big businesses create
departmental reporting plans... Hyperlist seems to do it all.
Hyperlist is one of many optional applications developed specifically
for the Portfolio computer by Atari. The Portfolio computer is about
the size of a videocassette and weighs less than one pound. Often
regarded as the ultimate organizer due to five powerful built-in
programs, the Portfolio rivals the productivity of other palmtops or
notebooks for a fractional price (299.95 MSRP). Other optional
software titles for the Portfolio include Finance, Dos Utilities,
Chess, Instant Spell, PowerBASIC and more.
Over 700 files exist in the public domain for the Portfolio and are
accessible on CompuServe and GEnie on line services.
Hyperlist is value priced at only $49.95 manufacturer's suggested
retail price and is available from Portfolio resellers. Portfolio is
available from better computer dealers throughout the world. Most
dealers will be happy to order it if they are out of stock. For more
information on the Portfolio and its applications, contact Don Thomas,
Portfolio Marketing Manager, 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale,CA 94088.
(408) 745-2000.
Atari is a registered trademark; Portfolio and ST are trademarks of
Atari Computer Corporation.
Other trademarks are the property of their manufacturers
| | | DEALER PROFILES
| | | Atari Music Dealers: a New Renaissance
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
The Dealer Nearest You
As Atari continues to grow its business in important vertical markets
such as music and DTP, a new class of local Atari dealer is making a
bigger-than-ever impact on the marketplace.
Music stores -- like Goodman Music and Manny's, profiled here -- form
an increasingly-important subset of the present Atari dealer base. In
learning to adapt to the rapid pace of technological change that began
overtaking the music industry as much as a decade ago, music retailers
have developed aggressive and flexible systems for building a customer
base, making sales, and growing with customers over the long haul.
Nowadays, most large-scale retailers have blazed trails into the home
market, education, institutional sales, rentals, and consultation, in
addition to the core business of selling instruments to professionals.
In short: music stores have learned to specialize in innovation, and
to provide the kind of hands-on expertise required to sell new -- and
sometimes intimidating -- technology to a wide creative audience. That
makes them natural outlets for the kind of cost-effective and innovative
technology Atari offers. As Atari continues to raise its profile in the
music industry, many retailers are making Atari hardware and software an
increasingly prominent aspect of their business; selling Atari equipment
not only to their musical clientele, but to a growing mass audience,
eager to adopt Atari solutions for word processing, DTP, and other
applications.
We at Atari Music applaud our specialty dealers for helping us reach
out to the consumer. Readers, we urge you to seek out your local Atari
Music or other Atari dealer, and see what a "one stop Atari shop" can do
for you. They'll be grateful for your support.
James Grunke
Corporate Director, International Music Markets
Atari Corp.
| | | Goodman Music
| | |
| | | -------------------------------------------------------------
For Goodman, Investing in the Customer is Good Business
by Maria Bernard
Since opening his first store in Van Nuys, CA, in 1977, Joe Goodman
has made it a practice to adapt swiftly to changes in music technology.
Now, Goodman Music's six stores form a powerful chain specializing in
electronic keyboards, recording and audio equipment; an organization with
the muscle to sponsor large-scale trade shows and seminars, outfit
superstar road tours, and provide the systems integration and consulting
expertise required by SoCal's hot recording, video, and movie industries.
But the attitude that's doubled Goodman's business every two or three
years is one of home-grown respect for the customer, coupled with a real
delight in retailing.
"From the beginning, we've specialized in keyboards." Goodman says.
"We sold a few guitars, but very early on we switched our focus to
keyboards and electronics. As soon as electronic drum machines and
samplers and music applications for computers came out, we turned our
focus that way. At first, we made some attempts to adapt PCs for music
use; but they really weren't intended for that kind of thing. Our full
emergence into computers as both a strong music-store item and a full
consumer item came when we became Atari dealer, just two or three years
ago."
"Luckily, because we were already specialized in electronics, we
didn't have to go through radical staff changes to sell Ataris. People
who can sell complex digital recorders and keyboard workstations have the
simultaneous ability to sell music-related computers and software. But we
couldn't have predicted how fast the market would actually take off. Our
initial intent was just to sell computers to professional musicians, but
we quickly found out that computers and musical instruments are very
appealing to the hobbyist and non-professional."
"Effectively, we've become a full-service computer dealer --
obviously focusing on music, but serving a broad general market as well.
The nice thing about selling Atari systems is that the product line makes
it easy for customers to grow with us, and for us to grow with the
customer. It's great you have an entry-level product, such as the Atari
1040 STe, that someone can use as part of a $1,000 introductory home
studio system; and that this product is essentially the same component
that serves the needs of the biggest recording studios in the world: it's
all a continuum."
"Sure, we have a lot of famous customers: on any day you'll find
people like Stevie Wonder, Ray Manzanarek, Paula Abdul, and Janet Jackson
in our stores. And it's wonderful to see these people outfit a world tour
with Atari and other equipment we provide. But, honestly, it's just as
exciting to see a 16-year-old hobbyist go home with a bunch of boxes that
we've taught him how to put together, and that we'll continue to service
and support. We love to see our customers develop -- and a certain
percentage of them actually have gone on to start impressive careers."
Goodman's Professional Project Studio Show, held April 11th and 12th
at L.A.'s Beverly Garland Hotel, attracted almost 2,000 producers,
engineers, editors, and musicians. The show featured exhibits and hands-
on demonstrations of the latest multitrack and disk-based recording and
computer and digital music systems, from Atari and other manufacturers.
Many exhibitors at the show commented on the enthusiasm of the attendees,
and their strong product knowledge. Yet Goodman is still wary: "The
almost endless availability of new technologies has, in some ways,
created confusion for the end user. This show makes it possible for
everyone from hobbyists to top professions to view virtually all of their
options and make the right purchase decisions." And for Joe Goodman,
that's an investment worth making.
Goodman Music
4227 Lankershim
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(Five other locations)
(818) 760-4430
(818) 760-4636
| | | Manny's Music
| | |
| | | ------------------------------------------------------------
After all these Years ... Still Growing with Atari
Manny's Music is a landmark for Big Apple musicians. Their main
showroom, located in the midst of New York's famed 48th Street "strip,"
still dominates the block as it has for 65 years. But over the past three
years, a new department has begun to dominate the interior of Manny's,
itself -- a department focusing on advanced technology and
state-of-the-art music applications.
Run by Peter Levin, Manny's computer department does a brisk business
in Atari products, of which Manny's was, for a time, the only seller on
the "strip." Used to responding to the demands of eager Atari customers,
Levin's department maintains a full stock of hardware and major musical
applications, including the C-Lab and Steinberg/Jones products that
currently define the state of the art in Atari sequencing.
"Over the past three years, our business has more than tripled." Says
Levin. "We serve a wide range of customers, from your average MIDI guy
with a home studio to some of the biggest names on the New York scene. As
a result, we've had to become experts not only in the music end of Atari,
but in the more general sense, as well. I pride myself on the fact that
people can call or come into Manny's and actually get straight answers --
whether they need help choosing a sequencer, or partitioning the hard
drive on a Mega STe. We've doubled the staff devoted to music computing.
And our AudioTechniques facility, around the corner, offers
one-stop, fully-authorized service center for the Atari line."
"We've recently expanded and renovated our MIDI room, here in the
store; combining MIDI and computer equipment together so that we can
effectively demonstrate different system configurations. And we've
instituted a program of manufacturer demonstrations and seminars, here
and at AudioTechniques, that have really helped get the word out about
Atari, both about music and productivity applications. Recent seminars
have featured visitors from Atari itself, Steinberg, C-Lab, ISD, Step-
Ahead Software, and Goldleaf, among others."
"We're very enthusiastic about building Atari's business in the New
York area." Levin adds. "We've always advertised in cooperation with
Atari, and plan to do more in the future. And we've got some interesting
ideas for low-and-no-cost promotion that we'll shortly be putting into
effect. Sure, money's always an issue," Levin concludes. "But that's
Atari's strength: somebody on a relatively tight budget can get world-
class software and a fantastic computer from Atari, and get change back
on their dollar."
Manny's Music
156 West 48th St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 819-0576
(212) 391-9250
| | | HOW TO PUT YOUR BARE SYQUEST INTO A MAC HD CASE
| | | by Erik Williams, Copyright (c) 1992, Sunfox Productions,Ltd.
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
One of the nice things about the Atari TT030 computers is that nice
SCSI port that sits on the outside of the case right behind the casing
for the internal hard disk. SCSI stands for "Small Computer System
Interface" and is the TT030 owner's gateway to a host of SCSI
peripherals that can hang off that port.
One of the most common uses for SCSI is hard disks. In fact, most of
the hard disks in use today are SCSI hard disks, like the Quantum
LPS120, the Seagate 157N, and of course, the Syquest 555. However, for
any of the Atari computers other than the TT030, getting that SCSI hard
disk to talk to the Atari is not easy at all.
For these computers, these SCSI hard disks must learn to talk to the
Atari in the Atari's language, i.e. there is a need for a conversion
between SCSI and ACSI ("Atari Computer Systems Interface") or DMA. So
how does one get these SCSI drives to talk to an ACSI port? This is
done using a "host adaptor", ICD's host adaptor being probably the most
popular of all the manufacturers. You hook your hard disk to the host
adaptor, and then hook the host adaptor to the DMA port. Once the
connections are in place, viola! The Atari has a hard disk! Often, it
is not as simple as this because often one has to deal with the
terminator pack on the hard disk, the setting of ID jumpers if the
drive in question isn't the only drive in the system, and so forth.
Now if this seems real complicated, it can be! There are a lot of
"plug 'n play" hard disks available out there that just need you to
hook the plug to the ACSI (DMA) port on your Atari, do a little setting
up of the software to your tastes, and that is the last you need to
deal with the whole setup.
However, the TT030 owners have some options now that are unavailable to
owners of the STs, STes, and MegaSTEs, a built-in SCSI port. The first
option is to simply go out and buy a Macintosh-compatible hard disk,
available from any of the vendors in MacUser or MacWorld. Then all you
have to do is unpack the drive, attach the power cable and the SCSI
cable, turn it on, and format the drive to an Atari compatible format
(finding the software to do this might be a little fun, but Atari's HDX
5.0 is available on GEnie and probably from your local dealer as well).
The second choice is the one that this article is aimed to deal with,
namely those TT030 owners who have already had their homebrew ACSI hard
disk subsystems that want to convert their hard disks to pure SCSI.
There are several reasons to do this:
1) Hooking the hard disk directly to the SCSI port eliminates the
overhead of having to send the data through the host adaptor,
convert it over to ACSI, and then send it on to the computer. This
results in a noticeably faster transfer time.
2) If you have an Atari laser printer, getting the hard disks off DMA
and leaving the printer as the only DMA device lightens the DMA
load and can solve timing and loading problems that may have been
affecting your system. When I first got the TT030, I had nothing
but problems with the laser until I put it as the first DMA device
in the chain, even though its ID was higher than the hard disks...
something that is usually regarded as a no-no. Now the laser is
fat, dumb, and happy on DMA!
3) SCSI is polled first, then DMA...so bootup and ID arbitration is
much easier. This prevents ID conflicts with DMA devices (like the
laser printer) and establishes the hard disks as the first devices
in the chain (which is what you would want for a boot device).
Something that isn't mentioned in the TT030 documentation (but
should be!) is that the TT030 is itself a SCSI device (hence the
reason SCSI is polled first) with an ID of 7. This can often lead
to more reliable hard disk operations.
4) OK, the enclosures looked a whole lot better than my old two bay
enclosure! They are also smaller and much easier to manage than
the old, clunky enclosure.
5) In my case, the fans in the enclosures are also much quieter than
my old enclosure...I can actually talk on the phone when the
computer is running now!
So if you have decided that you want to convert that homebrew hard disk
subsystem to pure SCSI, here is how you go about it. I'll focus on the
Syquest 555, because that is what I have, but the basic ideas are also
usable if you are moving a fixed drive to a Mac enclosure to get the
pure SCSI benefits.
As with any project that mucks about with things electrical, I cannot
take responsibility for your hair standing on end if you happen to
shock yourself. Seriously, if you have any problems doing electrical
projects, get a qualified technician to do the upgrade for you (I know
what I am doing and I still received a jolt from one of my enclosures).
It won't cost much and you'll still be around to enjoy your SCSI
drives.
If you are brave enough to continue on, here we go!
Step 1 ==> Acquire the Mac enclosures!
This isn't as easy as it sounds, because it is the rare Macintosh
dealer that will sell you the enclosures alone. I found my two
enclosures from Mac's Place out in Redmond, Washington, and I can
highly recommend their service and their products. The best thing to
do is get a copy of MacUser or MacWorld and call around to see who has
the best price. I'll warn you right now, the prices for the enclosures
alone are darned stiff but you do get all of the mounting hardware, the
SCSI cable, the works. How stiff depends on what you want from the
enclosure.
I got a pair of black Syquest enclosures that were on sale at $89 a
piece (I converted both of my Syquests) mainly because no one had
bought them and no one in the Mac world seemed interested in the
enclosures. Both had a good sized power supply, all the cabling I
could need, and all the mounting hardware I could use.
The typical enclosure has a port on the back for the power cord and two
Centronics-style SCSI ports on the back to facilitate easy daisy-
chaining. Also, the average prices I got for the enclosures, cables,
mounting hardware, etc. was $125. Shop around for the best deal.
When ordering the enclosure, make absolutely sure the person on the
other end of the phone knows exactly what kind of enclosure you want.
There are Syquest specific enclosures and fixed-disk specific
enclosures. Make sure they send you the right enclosure for the job.
Step 2 ==> Now you have the case, mount the drive!
With a Syquest, you need an open-faced enclosure for obvious reasons.
My enclosures did not come with any documentation for mounting the
drive in the enclosure, but it is fairly obvious if you take the time
to figure out what is going on.
You might wish to make all of the connections to the drive before
mounting it in its final resting place as the space is very tight
inside the enclosure. The first thing I connected was the 50-pin
ribbon SCSI cable to the drive itself. Usually, the ribbon cabling is
notched and will only go in one way to prevent you screwing up the
drive.
The next thing that needs to be done is to set the drive's ID using the
jumper pack. If the Syquest is your only drive, the ID requires no
jumper and you can proceed to the hooking up the power connector. If
you do need to set the ID of your drive, then consult your
documentation for the correct positioning of the jumper. Make sure
that you do not put the jumper on the two pins closest to the SCSI
cabling, the ID pins start at the next position. Below is a simple
diagram:
Looking at the back of the drive, power connector to your left:
P T C B A
-------------------------------------------------
| | | | | | |
| . | . | . | . | . | . |
| | | | | | |
------------------------------------------------- FLAT
| | | | | | | SCSI
POWER | . | . | . | . | . | . | CABLE
| | | | | | |
-------------------------------------------------
The SCSI ID is set using the A, B, and C set of pins and connecting the
jumper pack vertically to both pins in the patterns recommended by your
drive's manual. Chances are that the ID will already be set if you are
just moving your drive from DMA to SCSI, but this is mainly for the
benefit of those who are building their own Mac Syquest from scratch.
Finally, connect up the power connector and mount the drive. There
should be four holes in the enclosure case that correspond to the four
screw holes on the bottom of the Syquest. If your enclosure came with
four spacers, attach those to the bottom of the drive, and then use the
little screws on the other side of the metal floor of the enclosure to
secure the Syquest in place. The idea is that these screws will be
flush or slightly set into the base flooring and it will not impede
sliding the whole assembly into the outer shell of the enclosure.
Before buttoning up the drive, make sure that the wiring from the power
supply is insulated against active power sources, that none of the
cables are crimped too badly, and put unused connectors in a safe place
(my enclosure has a pushbutton SCSI ID switch and a busy light that
were unused (though I would like to know how to connect up the push-
button switch...anyone who figures it out, please write it up!), the
cables of which were routed out of the way). As soon as everything
looks safely positioned, slide the drive/power supply assembly into the
outer enclosure and secure it using the remaining screws.
Connect the drive to the computer using a 25-pin to 50-pin SCSI cable.
This is a standard Macintosh hard disk cable, so finding one should be
easy (in fact, most enclosures come with this cable). You are almost
ready to go!
Step 3 ==> Getting the drive to work with SCSI!
I had an ICD host adaptor with the old DMA enclosure, so I had to get
the ICD software to realise that my boot drive is now on SCSI and not
on DMA. ICD owners, you will need to keep the ICD host adaptor
connected to the system and powered up in order to use the utilities
(otherwise, switch to Atari's HDX 5.0 which doesn't have this
limitation, but their utilities are not as powerful as the ICD
utilities). I am not sure what you have to do with Atari's or Supra's
utility packages, so refer to your documentation about how to do this
step.
If you have an ICD, you will need to write a new bootsector to the boot
drive to force the new drives to boot from SCSI. If you already have
an internal hard disk formatted under the ICD utilities, you can
probably skip this. My two drives are the only SCSI drives available
to me (my TT030 came without an internal hard disk to save some buck$).
If you do not have that bootsector, then just reinstall the booter
using the ICD HDUTIL. From that point on, the new SCSI drives will act
just like the familiar DMA drives that you have been using before the
upgrade.
Step 4 ==> Deciding what to do with the old ICD host!
Now that your drives are on SCSI, the ICD booter will work with the
SCSI drives in a normal fashion and you now have to decide whether or
not you are going to keep the ICD host adaptor connected or not.
The ICD booter will run without a host adaptor connected, but the
caching of the booter will be disabled and your performance will be the
same as the Atari or Supra drives. Also, the booter is the only
program in the ICD utilities package that will run without a host...
all of the others will generate a bus error if you try to run them
without the host adaptor connected.
I feel that ICD should offer the TT030 owners who have bought the host
adaptor a dongle or some way to be able to take the host out of the
system when the drives are converted to pure SCSI. I still have my old
enclosure that I have to power up the host just to use the utilities.
I think that most ICD owners wouldn't mind seeing a pass-through
cartridge as a protection measure rather than the ICD host itself. I
hope ICD considers allowing a pass-through cartridge dongle option for
the TT030 owners who do this type of upgrade (or go out and buy a Mac
hard disk). They could require proof of purchase of the TT030 and the
ICD host adaptor to qualify for this option and require that the host
adaptor not be sold as a condition of using the utilities. At the very
least, I wouldn't mind seeing an ICD enclosure for just the host
adaptor, sort of like the laser controller box. ICD, if you are
reading this, please consider these ideas!
You have to make your own choice in what to do with the old ICD host
adaptor that isn't needed after the upgrade. Personally, I like the
ICD utilities enough to justify having the hassle of powering up the
host each time I use the computer.
Now that you have pure SCSI hard disks, enjoy the new speed and
convenience of these drives. The difference in access speed was
definitely noticeable and the overall benefits made the upgrade well
worth my while. If you need any help with the upgrade or have some
questions that I did not cover in this article (though it is six pages,
I don't know how much I could have missed!), please contact me using
the network addresses at the bottom of the article. Don't be afraid to
ask questions...there is no such thing as a stupid question! Happy
accessing! :)
*** ** by Erik Williams
** *** SunFox Productions, Ltd. (c) Copyright, 1992.
*** ** Erik Williams @ FNET 304, FIDO 1/363:112
** *** SUNFOX @ GEnie
[Publisher's Note: if you're in the market for a fully SCSI-compatible
drive for your TT030, and don't have the time or wherewithal to "roll
your own," you may want to consider one of the broad line of TT030-
compatible peripherals produced by PLI, Inc. One of the world's largest
manufacturers of Macintosh SCSI peripherals, PLI is now supporting the
Atari with a full line of high-capacity, high-speed hard drives,
removable-media systems, DAT (Digital Audio Tape) backup and streaming
tape units, and even magneto-optical drives -- all ready to "plug and
play" with your TT030. Drives come with full manufacturer warranties,
extensive burn-in and testing, and complete support and repair services.
PLI Inc., 47421 Bayside parkway, Fremont, CA 94538. (800) 288-8754]
| | | BRUMLEVE ANNOUNCES MAJOR UPGRADES
| | | Press Release
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Kidpublisher Professional
-------------------------
A Desktop Publishing Program for Young Writers for ages 5-11
Kidpublisher Professional is a desktop publishing program for children.
Most children use the program to write and illustrate stories and
reports, but it can be used to print any kind of document requiring
both text and graphics (posters, personal letters, etc.). It includes
a WYSIWYG word processor and drawing screen. Printouts have a picture
on the top half of the page with 7 lines (32 columns) of text at the
bottom. Four font styles are built into the program, and a teacher or
parent may design an additional font using any DEGAS-compatible drawing
program.
The previous version (6.2) worked quite well, so this upgrade (6.4)
involves added features rather than bug fixes, though we have also
worked on memory conservation and other improvements which will be
invisible to the user. The new features include the following:
Kidpublisher Professional now contains a built-in coded font set. The
child types a message in a normal font and then can convert the text to
code by simply selecting the coded font set from the FONT dialog. A
decoder card is included in the package. The code used is self-
decoding: a child who receives a message written in the coded font set
can type that message into his own computer and then load the coded
font set to _read_ the deciphered message as well! Kids really enjoy
this feature.
Children who use both our Kidpainter and Kidpublisher Professional have
asked us time and time again to add the MIRROR option to Kidpublisher,
so we have. The drawing portion of the program will now automatically
create mirror-images (horizontal, vertical, or both) as the child
draws with the FREEHAND, LINE, BOX, and CIRCLE drawing tools.
Children can use Kidpublisher Professional to print a title page
without graphics. The title and author's and illustrator's names are
automatically centered, and the title itself is underlined. Teachers
have asked for a date on the title page, and we've added this facility.
The date is derived from the system clock and presented to the child
for editing as part of the TITLE option sequence of dialogs.
Using the included Installation Program, parents and teachers can
choose whether or not to allow each of these new features. If the
TITLE option is permitted, parents and teachers can choose whether the
date will be presented in European (5 March 1992) or US (March 5, 1992)
format.
The package contains a red disk, a 28-page parent/teacher manual, a
one-sheet children's manual, extra labels, and a decoder card.
These enhancements make Kidpublisher Professional more powerful and
more stimulating than ever before. Registered users may upgrade their
copies for just US$5 (plus $1 shipping). The list price for the new
version is US$40.
This upgrade will be ready to ship on or before March 15. An
announcement is on its way to registered users. We do accept
MasterCard and VISA; please include your expiration date. Personal
checks in US$ should include $3 for postage.
[Please note that version 6.4 is available in the English language
only. The current Dutch, Icelandic, and German versions are 6.3.]
Multiplay
---------
Math Exploration, Discovery and Practice for ages 5-11
Multiplay is designed to help children commit basic addition and
multiplication equations to memory and to offer opportunities for the
discovery of math patterns. Among the multitude of basic math drill
programs, Multiplay is unique in the freedom of choice extended to both
the child users and their parents or teachers, in its open-endedness,
and in the opportunity for creative thinking and expression.
The program consists of a Main Screen and three play screens: the
Pattern Screen, the Puzzle Screen, and the Make Puzzle Screen. Each
screen's primary component is a grid. The x and y axes form the
elements in an equation and the grid square at which they converge is
the solution to the problem, the "answer square". The parent or
teacher can choose whether the grid deals with the elements 0-9, 0-19,
or 0-29 (limited to 0-19 on a 520ST). There is also a choice of
whether the program will offer multiplication or addition or both.
On the Pattern Screen, the child clicks on a square and sees the full
equation, answer and all. The answers remain highlighted (until the
child turns them off), so the child can go clicking about the grid,
guessing at each answer before it is shown -- and using neighboring
answers as an aid to the guess. The patterns involved in the concepts
of multiplication and addition and the relationships between
neighboring and analogous equations can thus be discovered and
internalized. A TEST option facilitates the play of various games and
helps children keep track of their progress; the test option can also
be used to assist children in the discovery of patterns.
The Puzzle Screen offers a game for one or two players. Children can
play the built-in puzzles or the ones they have made themselves on the
Make Puzzle Screen. Players take turns clicking on squares and then
typing the answer to the problem displayed. The score is the sum of
the player's correct answers. Thus, children who choose to tackle 29
x 29 -- and do so successfully -- will have a much higher score than if
they had chosen easier problems. Each successful answer causes the
computer to fill in all the puzzle squares which have the same color as
the answer square. As the squares are filled with color, a picture is
revealed.
The Make Puzzle Screen allows the child to make and save his own
puzzles. Puzzle design is a challenging undertaking in and of itself.
An separate editor program allows parents and teachers (and older
children) to delete unwanted puzzles.
Multiplay, like all commercial kidprgs, is accompanied by an
installation program which allows the parent or teacher to configure
the child's disk to suit his/her needs and interests. The adult can
pick and choose the options which will be available to the child and
rerun the installation program to add options as the child's skills
increase. This grow-as-you-grow approach allows Multiplay to appeal to
children throughout a wide age range. In fact, Multiplay appeals to
beginners and math wizards alike!
The Multiplay package contains two green single-sided disks, a 28-page
manual, a one-sheet children's manual, and extra labels for your
child's copies. The recommended retail price is US$40.
The program will be available on or before March 15, 1992. We do
accept MasterCard and VISA; please include your expiration date.
Personal checks in US$ should include $3 for postage.
D.A. Brumleve
P.O. Box 4195
Urbana, IL 61801-8820 USA
VOICE: 217 337 1937 FAX: 217 367 9084
GEnie: D.A.BRUMLEVE CIS: 71451,1141 Delphi: DABRUMLEVE
| | | WHAT'S NEW ONLINE - THE SOFTWARE SHELF
| | | by Ron Berinstein
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
So, even though the headlines are always talking about the new (old)
problems that face the people who live now in what was Russia before
that name formally went out of business, I have always had only one
thought immediately come to mind whenever Russia was mentioned. For
some that first thought may well be Stalin, or Marx, for others the
cities of Moscow and/or St.Petersberg with the remarkable architecture
that forms the skyline. Being a James Bond fan, my first thought is
really none of the above, but rather I think of the classic, "From
Russia with Love." Little did I know then that in my future I was to
read of Atari PD/Shareware Software sent to us from Russia with love!
Yes, that's right, now you can still capture those file descriptions
written by uploaders that boast of yet "another fine program from the
UK," but, according to at least one uploader on Compuserve, you can now
boast that you've downloaded yet,"another great program from Russia!"
TRK40.LZH Driver program for a 40 track drive. Track_40: another
program from Russia. It is a driver for 40 track disk drive. Just run
it and follow prompts in plain English. Runs on TT (as if you were
using 40 track drive with TT) in TT rez and includes source code in
pure assembly (yep, Russians speak assembly).
RD_SPE.LZH ReadSpeed tells you your floppy drive speed. Read-Speed:
more s/w from Russia. This one is easy. You run it, it tells you how
fast your floppy drive is. In English. Politically correct
programming: works on TT in TT rez.
BOOTIN.LZH BootInst installs smart boot sector; helps booting..
BootInst: another great program from Russia. This one will install
smart boot sector on your floppies. When booting from such a floppy,
you are asked to enter time and date, some other options. And, you can
tell it to continue booting from *DRIVE B*. Works on TT in TT rez.
All prompts in English. Just run and see.
AFORMA.LZH A_Format: floppy disk formatter from Russia. A_Format:
floppy disk formatting utility from Russia. It has some interesting
options, and works on TT in TT rez. Sorry, no 1.44 disks yet.
So you ask, "how do the formatting programs designed our side of the
statue of liberty compare?"
STTOPC.ARC CCST-TO-PC is a small dos utility (IBM Computers or
clones) that will read a disk formatted on the old ST operating system.
(before 1.4) and transfer files from the ST disk to the IBM. You must
put the destination path as well as the file name for each item
transfered. It makes the switch from one machine to the other easy.
THIS IS A PRG. FOR IBM
MAC_READ.TXT Introducing MacRead, the new file converter. MacRead is
an ST/TT program that reads files from Mac HFS formatted disks and
copies them, extremely quickly, to ST disks, for use in ST software!
HFS is Apple's current disk format, much faster and more flexible than
the older MFS format. If you use Macs & STs, or Spectre GCR, the Mac
emulator, MacRead is for you..
WRTBT502.ARC WRITEBOOT 5.02 Writeboot will create an executable boot
sector on a floppy that can set the floppy drive step rate, set the
boot screen to ST med. resolution, bypass the harddisk autoboot, set a
T2x to high speed, wait for all hard disks to become ready, change the
MSTE/TT boot delay time, or clear a boot sector. Select HELP from the
main menu for more info.
Someone went thru a lot of trouble for this one. A Stripper Formatter?
Yes, that's right! Why be bored while waiting for your disks to
format? Use this little "utillity" and off comes the old info on the
disk while off come the lady's colthes on the screen.
STRPFM30.LZH This format utility is a bit different... That is, she
loves to be formatted on both sides, and she takes every bit off!
Strip Formatter is a format utility that is fairly simple in nature,
and "nature" is sort of it's main subject! Background music and
configurable format options. Rated R -P.S. it will need a bit of
memeory to operate, so if you get the error 008 alert box, loose some
of your regular resident activity.
One thinks of MANYGOGO.LZH as a sequel for this kind of activity. It
will put up to seven windows (if you activate it seven times and "lift"
ech image off of the original) of dancing nude Go Go Girls on your
screen. However it is not the only program that will open seven
windows for you.
7UP207.LZH Shareware text editor from Germany. Runs in TT medium, ST
rezzes. Allows seven windows open at once, math calculations,
rectangular text blocks, uses GDOS monospaced fonts. Lots more. TT
Compatible. However, ALL DOCUMENTATION, MENUES, AND DIALOGS ARE IN
GERMAN!
And on a sad note I must admit that although James Bond seems never to
make mistakes, it is ashame that I do. I can't even claim that it was
any monumental plot that would have crushed any of the leading crime
fighters of today, no, I can only claim that I was taken in by a simple
little plot devised either to gain upload time, or just to be devilish.
LZH201M.APP was uploaded a few days ago with the file description
"LHarc v2.01M by Thomas Quester. Self-extracting." No doubt the
uploader of this file had honestly d/l'd it from someplace else that
had also been fooled. And why not? Actually, for some time now I have
felt that Quester would have to petition the courts to extend our
language, and add new letters in order to accomodate his continuous
flow of new LZH201 versions! <smile> In actuality a super sluth
compared the file to version K and found that only the version letter
and the date was different! So, beware of M and stay with K! By the
way, on GEnie someone was nice enough to post a version of K compressed
with LH1 Lharc formula for folks that do not yet have LH5.
This brings to mind an explanation that might be long overdue.. I have
recently tried to include in the column all the names that the same
file has been posted under on the various boards/services. But, how
does one tell which is where? Well, though not always the case, the
eight character filenames (not counting the extention) are either on
CodeHead or GEnie, (sometimes they are on Delphi, but rarely) The
programs that have words as there names, i.e. CHANGE FREQUENCY PROGRAM
are always going to be found on Delphi, and the six character names
(plus extention) are almost always on Compuserve which limits the
characters in their filenames to six plus the extention.
It's not a K or an M, nor is it a maid or a butler, but it will pack
your files for you....
EXEPAC.LZH Three small GEM utilities to pack/unpack/rename executable
files. Packing of 50% + is achieved and the result is also an
executable file. Unpacking on-the-fly is very fast as the embedded run
-time unpacker is 100% Genst2 Assembler. The Unpack utility
reconstructs the original file. So far no bugs have been reported.
This release is a Shareware/Donation-ware!
STCP43.LZH Compress is a compression utility similar to Arc and LHarc
popular in the UNIX world. Compress only compresses individual files
though. Compress is based on a Lempel-Ziv algorithm similar to that of
LHarc. Compression rate is better than ARC and only slightly worse
than LHarc (LH1). This is invaluable for dealing with compressed files
(w/ a .Z ext.) from Unix.
And if you are one of those eager to learn more about Usenet but don't
know how, here is your chance. Obtaining information on the Unix sites
that will allow you access is as easy as downloading these files.
NIXPBL.LZH NIXPUB is a montly updated list of public access UNIX
sites across the Unites States. If you want an easy access to Usenet,
many of these systems provide it. Some require a fee, some are free.
This version contains telephone #, System name, location, baud rates,
hours, and some other information.
NTINFO.LZH This arc contains 3 articles about the world-wide
electronic message network known as Usenet. These these articles
should be helpful for those looking to find out more about what Usenet
is. To access Usenet, look for the NIXPUB long or short listings.
These list public access UNIX sites and bulletin boards with access to
Usenet and Internet email.
Well enough of this hard line serious approach! Let's lighten up and
take a look at some recent games people like to play! :)
NUKE102D.LZH StarNukers version 1.02D! The new version now includes
support for ST High resolution monochrome as well as ST Medium
resolution color. Also fixes a few minor bugs. TT Compatible in ST
resolutions.
JOUTE.LZH TWO YER OVER THE MODEM TANK GAME This shareware combat
game allow you to play only over MODEM. However this game supports a
one player mode just to see and understand the concept of the game.
You should see this game to believe it! Created and programmed by
Raymond Hill. TT Compatible. Joystick required.
CAMPAIGN.LZH Completely playable demo (one level) of Empire's action/
strategy WWII tank battle game. From ST Format May '92, and BAAUG's
library!
YAHTZEE By far, some feel it is the best PD Yahtzee game ever. A
definite keeper for family games. four players, good sound, GFA
compiled, good graphics..if you play this game more then once you'll
see its well worth the 'donation' requested by the programmers. Color
only!
ZEST KENO ZeST Keno allows you to play and analyze hundreds of Keno
games in a very short time. Test your favorite numbers, try out custom
number combinations. Text and graph options for the results!
Freeware! Monochrome only!
VOLFIED This is a demo of a Qix-type game for the ST. It is much like
Qix except that it is much harder to master. Good graphics and sound
make a fun game. NOTE: Besides the Volfied.prg, there are 3 other
files. These must be put in a folder called DATA in order for the demo
to function.
ROBIN HOOD GAME BY B. KOLBE This is a shareware role-playing game
called Robin Hood, written by Barry Kolbe. This game runs in ST Low-
Resolution and even includes a few sound effects. You must use all of
your skill and cunning to rescue the Maid Marion and save the kingdom.
"LEANDER" GAME DEMO This is the demo version of a new platform game
from the UK, called "Leander". Leander is a typical run-jump-duck-
climb-slash kind of game, played with the joystick.
CHANGEHZ.LZH CHANGE SCREEN FREQUENCY This little program allows you
to change from 50 to 60 Hz and back without rebooting or using the
control panel. This can be useful for running some of the imported
games on your USA Atari.
Dave Small's SST and the CodeHead TEC has inspired many upgrades in
order to insure compatibility.
MGWRITER.LZH MGWRIT.LZH Updated version of MagniWriter ST which is
designed to work with Dave Small's SST, and CodeHead's TEC. Large
print for low vision, handicapped individuals, but also can be used by
children. Works in all resolutions on ST, STE, TT.
STWEL47.LZH New version of ST Writer designed to work with Dave
Small's SST AND CodeHead's TEC on ST computers as well as on STe, TT.
1.44 Meg floppy disk formatting is supported. Fully configurable for
Tab, Background Black/White screen, default file specifier, format line
settings. Use Quester LZH format to unarc.
Some additional files that will assist word processors.
HP_2_1.ARC HP_2-->1.PRG is a flexible file printing utility that uses
the HP DeskJet 500 & LaserJet III landscape mode to print two 66 line
by 80 column 'pages' of text on a single sheet of paper. Options are
provided to allow selection of number of lines per 'page', left margin
setting, whether or not to include a header, and prior to print,
character translation.
CUSTOMIZABLE PRINTER ACCESSORY "PCAG", Printer Control Accessory
Generator, Shareware from SilkWare. Given a short text file (example
supplied), PCAG generates a desk accessory specifically for your
printer. Send any commands you want to the printer from the desktop
or any GEM application. This is the Unregistered version, fully
functional, but there are some commercial interruptions.
EDWIN.ARC EdWin is the new, Super-Mini freeware version of EdHak. It
is the beginnings of the new 'all-assembly' version and can only edit
one window of text with limited commands. Since it only uses 11k it's
great for quick notes or programs like SMPTE Track... Can be used as
an .ACC or .PRG
| | | GAME HELP
| | | by Ron Kovacs
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
Occasionally we will share a hint, fix, update or clue to shareware
or commercial game. This time out I will pass along the passwords to
access the different levels of the shareware game Mutant Camels. The
game is available on the online services for download.
Type these codes in just as they listed below. The higher the level,
the more difficult it is to play.
Level 2 - SIETCH TABR
Level 3 - OLLANTAYTAMBO
Level 4 - NEWCASTLE EMLYN
Level 5 - DROMEDARIA_ZOOPHILIA
Level 6 - THIS IS BASKINGSTOKE
Level 7 - OCCAM ii
Level 8 - SMOKE ME A KIPPER
| | | SOFTWARE BONUS!
| | |
| | | -------------------------------------------------------------
An Audio Tone-Dialer Accessory
by John Jainschigg
The first step in phone communication is ... dialing the phone.
Sensibly enough, therefore, your Hayes-standard direct-connect modem
contains a full-featured tone-pulse phone dialing subsystem. To initiate
a data call, all you have to do to is send the modem an appropriate
"command string," (e.g., "AT DT 555-1212") and let it do its stuff.
Dialing and connection are automatic.
An additional feature -- exploited by many "Rolodex"-type programs --
lets you use the modem's dialer to initiate voice calls on an attached
telephone. Normally, the modem's dial-connect algorithm can't be
interrupted. But by appending a semicolon (';') to the dial string (e.g.,
"AT DT 555-1212;"), you can tell the device to start dialing, then return
immediately for further commands. At this point, you can lift the
receiver of the phone, wait for dialing to finish, and bring the modem
offline with an "AT H".
Sounds simple, right? The only hassle is that you have to wait for
dialing to conclude before issuing that "hangup" command. But since the
duration of dialing can be predicted from the contents of the dial
string, popular phone-base programs implement this useful feature in
elegant and transparent fashion.
Not!
Actually, phone-base packages tend to do a pretty lousy job with
modem-based autodialing. Most handle the matter of that tricky "AT H" by
imposing a uniform delay that can be tweaked by lucky users until the
system works most of the time. Some programs (anybody remember
"DeskCart"?) don't even bother with user-configurable delays. Instead,
they make you manually send an "AT H," by clicking an on-screen button.
And of course, if you don't own a Hayes-compatible modem, you're out of
luck.
My question is: if you're autodialing voice calls, why use a modem
at all? Instead, let your Atari ST dial direct, by generating the
required tone-pairs with its GI sound circuitry! Each key on a 12-key
telephone keypad produces a pair of tones: the lower tone indicating row,
the higher, column. Play the proper tone-pair into the telephone
mouthpiece, and you've dialed the associated number.
The program in Listing 1 is a 12-number audio speed-dialer, set up
as a desk accessory. Only two functions are really significant: do_dial()
provides row and column tone-data for each character in a phone number
string; and tone() actually manages GI-chip tone production. The program
expects to find a data-file called DIAL.ASC on the root directory of your
boot disk. DIAL.ASC can contain up to twelve name/number pairs, each on a
line by itself, and separated by a comma (e.g., John Smith,555-
1212(Return)). The names will appear on the dialer's control panel
buttons, and can be dialed with a single mouse-click. Just remember to
turn up the volume on your monitor, and hold the mouthpiece of your
telephone close to the speaker.
How did I figure out what frequency-pairs to use, you may ask? I
just wrote a little program that let me play notes on the GI chip, picked
up my telephone receiver, and played around with it until I'd identified
the row and column fundamentals. The phone system, I'm happy to say, is
fairly tolerant: having a frequency a few 'cents' (hundredths of a
semitone) out of whack doesn't seem to bother it in the least.
[Source code and a compiled version of the desk accessory are appended to
this issue's Atari Explorer Online .LZH file.]
| | | ATARI EXPLORER MAGAZINE
| | | Subscription Information
| | | --------------------------------------------------------------
Founded in 1982 by Atari Corporation, Atari Explorer, the Official
Atari Journal, has long been the magazine Atari computer and game system
owners turn to for definitive customer service and product information.
Explorer's unique inside track on the Atari scene, coupled with our
devotion to jargon-free journalism, command the attention of a loyal
readership, eager to get the most out of their Atari investment.
Atari Explorer is by far the largest-circulation magazine presently
serving the fast-growing U.S. Atari market. Explorer is also the only
magazine that covers the entire range of Atari products: from the
powerful TT and ST computers, to the Portfolio Palmtop MS/DOS computer,
to the exciting Lynx Portable Entertainment System. So you'll always find
something new, relevant, and exciting in Explorer's pages!
If you enjoyed reading Atari Explorer Online, you're sure to
appreciate the fuller coverage offered by Atari Explorer Magazine.
Subscriptions to Atari Explorer cost $14.95 (US) per year (Canadian,
please add $5.00 (US) postage; other foreign, please add $10.00 (US)
postage; checks must be drawn in US funds on a US bank). To order, just
send your name, address, and payment to Atari Explorer Magazine, PO Box
6488, Duluth, MN 55806, or call (218) 723-9202. VISA/MC accepted.
| | | THE GENIE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE
| | | Free Sign-on Information
| | | ---------------------------------------------------------------
GEnie is an online service operated by General Electric. It's the
official online resource for Atari Computer Corporation! This is the
spot where you can directly contact virtually every developer in the
Atari Community!
Participate in live, online conferences, exchange electronic mail, and
get access to the very latest in PD and shareware programs. And of
course, some of the brightest stars in the World of Atari are on GEnie
as well, here's just a partial listing of the many developers and
personalities online:
() Dave Small of Gadgets by Small
() Jim Allen of FAST Technology
() Nathan Potechin of ISD Marketing (Calamus and Dyna CADD)
() John Nagy, Editor of AtariUser Magazine
() Rick Flashman and Dan Wilga of Gribnif Software
() The CodeHeads; Charles F. Johnson and John Eidsvoog
() D.A. Brumleve, publisher of quality educational software
() Nevin Shalit, author of RUMOR CITY in ST INFORMER Magazine,
publisher of TRACKER/ST, and IAAD President
() Deron Kazmaier of SoftLogik Publishing (PageStream)
() Ron Kovacs, Publisher of Z*Magazine and Z*Net PC Online Magazine
() Double Click Software's Mike Vederman
() Atari Explorer's publisher John Jainschigg
() Bill and Pattie Rayl of Atari Interface Magazine
() Tom Harker, Craig Thom, and Doug Wheeler of ICD, Inc.
() Chet Walters and Dr. Bob of WizWorks!
() Lauren Flanegan-Sellers of GoldLeaf Publishing (WordFlair II)
() Lee Seiler of Lexicor Software
and of course...Atari Computer Corporation!!
Atari Reps online include Bill Rehbock, Bob Brodie, John Townsend, Mike
Fulton, Ken Badertscher, Cary Gee, Mark Jansen, Dan McNamee, J. Patton,
and Allan Pratt.
There's a lot more to GEnie than just Atari, though!
To sign up, just follow these simple steps:
1. Set your communications software for half duplex (local echo) at
300, 1200, or 2400 baud.
2. Dial toll free: 1-800-638-8369 (or in Canada, 1-800-387-8330).
Upon connection, enter HHH
3. At the U# prompt, enter XTX99436,GENIE then press <return>.
4. Have a major credit card ready. In the U.S., you may also use your
checking account number.
For more information in the United States or Canada, call 1-800-638-
9636 or write: GEnie, c/o GE Information Services, P.O. Box 6403,
Rockville, MD 20850-1785.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To sign up for DELPHI service, call (with modem) (800) 695-4002. Upon
connection, hit <return> once or twice. At Password: type ZNET and
hit <return>.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To sign up for CompuServe service call (with phone) (800) 848-8199. Ask
for operator #198. You will be promptly sent a $15.00 free membership
kit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
Atari computer community. Unless otherwise noted, all material herein is
copyright (c) 1992, Atari Corporation. All rights reserved. Limited one-
time right to reprint selected material may be granted to registered
Atari user groups and other organizations, at the discretion of the
publisher. Please contact Jainschigg Communications, 29-05 Broadway,
Astoria, NY 11106 (718) 545-2900, for further details.
Z*Net, Z*Net News Service, are copyright (c)1992, Rovac Industries
Incorporated, Post Office Box 59, Middlesex, New Jersey, 08846-0059,
Voice: (908) 968-2024, BBS: (908) 968-8148, (510) 373-6792.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Atari Explorer Online Magazine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----------------------------------------
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