ST Report: 14-Jan-94 #1003
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 01/15/94-06:48:03 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 14-Jan-94 #1003
Date: Sat Jan 15 18:48:03 1994
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
January 14, 1994 No. 1003
======================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International Online Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano
Publisher-Editor
-----------------------------------------
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM-4 PM EST
STR Publishing Support BBS Network System
* THE BOUNTY BBS *
FIDO 1:112/35 ~ ITCNet 85:881/253 ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:21/350
904-786-4176 USR/HST 24hrs-7 days
2400 -38.4 bps V.32-42 bis 16.8 Dual Standard
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM-6 AM EST
-----------------------------------------
Fido 1:112/35 The Bounty STR Support Central 1-904-786-4176
FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734
FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
MNET - Toad Hall BBS.....................1-617-567-8642
______________________________________________________________________
> 01/14/94 STR 1003 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
"""""""""""""""""
- CPU INDUSTRY REPORT - CUSTOMER SUPPORT? - JAGUAR WINS BIG!
- NINTENDO SETTLES - FOXPRO 2.5 NEWS! - PENTIUM $$ CUT!
- Club KIDSOFT Review - CES REPORT! - EASY GO UPDATES
- MAH JONGG II - PEOPLE TALKING - The Old Fishin' Hole
-* IBM Awarded Most Patents in 1993! *-
-* Canadian Accused; $500,000 Fraud! *-
-* CIS LOWERS HOURLY CHARGES 40%!! *-
======================================================================
STReport International Online Magazine
The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
-* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
"Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
======================================================================
STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the Fido/PROWL/ITC/USENET/NEST/F-Net Mail Networks. You
may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and
excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to
computers, worldwide, through the use of excellent International
Networking Systems. SysOps, worldwide, are welcome to join the STReport
International Conferences. The Fido Node is 1:112/35, ITC Node is
85:881/253 Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All
computer platforms BBS systems are welcome and invited to participate.
======================================================================
CIS ~ AOL ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ PROWL ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET
USENET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ FNET ~ GENIE
======================================================================
COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
to the Readers of;
STREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
"The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198
You will receive your complimentary time
and
be online in no time at all!
"Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
While the entire Northern Hemisphere is in the grips of a fierce
cold ... no, Merciless FRIGID blast... the computing communities are
moving right along toward Spring Comdex. So soon? You bet. Chicago,
the code name for the new version of Windows, is coming along ever so
nicely. Speed and simplicity, along with "eye appeal" are the keynote
points being emphasized. Sooner or later all the "Charlie Atlases" of
the archaic "DOS" world will get in step with the future. Especially
when they see the speed of the new version. Both in normal operation and
in telecommunications throughput. Keep warm my northern friends. Spring
is on the way.
On another front, it seems there's a MAJOR software package in
release that really has no business being there. The key function and
most important sub-program within this package is broken. Read crashes
on cue. Yields the ever famous; "General Protection Fault" STReport has
known about this problem from the second day after the program was
released. Almost three months ago. Still, the package remains on sale
all over the world and a FIX has NOT been forthcoming. Since this is a
highly respected company whose track record is among the very best, a
number of information requests are in. STReport will keep you posted.
Rest assured, if the fix is not right around the corner, a warning of BAD
will be issued. BAD [B]roken [A]s [D]esigned. There is absolutely no
reason why the company's customers should be made unsuspecting beta-
testers. The BIG question looms on the horizon... Where were this
company's beta testers and who is/WAS in charge of the beta-testing?
Stay tuned.
In this issue, we have a unique article by Glenwood Drake, a well
known and highly respected computer enthusiast in the north Florida area.
His "adventure" into the world of customer support with a major software
house is quite interesting. STReport hopes that by publishing his
documented experiences, what happened to him does not happen to others.
Maybe Glenn will find the software house eager to satisfy him too. After
all, each and every satisfied customer is the true worth of any company.
Thanks for your support!
Ralph.....
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher -Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
"""""""""""""""
PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION
---------- ------------- ----------- -------------
R.D. Stevens R. Glover R. Noak D. P. Jacobson
STReport Staff Editors:
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Dana P. Jacobson Michael Arthur John Deegan
Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando
Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth
Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur
Melanie Bell John Donohue
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Tim Holt Norman Boucher Harry Steele
Clemens Chin Neil Bradley Eric Jerue
Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing
James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia
Glenwood Drake
IMPORTANT NOTICE
""""""""""""""""
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
Compuserve................... 70007,4454
America Online..................STReport
Delphi......................... RMARIANO
BIX............................ RMARIANO
FIDONET........................ 1:112/35
FNET........................... NODE 350
ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
GEnie......................... ST-REPORT
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""
IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I)
===========================
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #03
By: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
******* General Computer News *******
** Motorola's 4th Quarter Earnings Up **
Motorola Inc. reported its fourth quarter earnings rose 87.8% due to
record sales and continued export growth. Reports say that the company's
profits rose to $340 million (or $1.15 a share) in the three months
ended Dec. 31, up from $181 million (or 64 cents a share) for the same
period a year ago. Sales rose 35% to $4.99 billion from $3.71 billion in
the last quarter of 1992.
** NEC, Toshiba Develop DRAM **
A new low-voltage 16-megabit DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip
for portable PCs has been developed by NEC Corp. and Toshiba Corp.
Officials of the companies said the 3.3-volt chips have a 16-bit in-
put and output structure that makes them more efficient, prolonging PC
battery life.
A Fujitsu Ltd. spokesman Said that firm is developing a similar chip
and plans to begin production in the first half of the year.
** PC World and Newsweek Plan Joint Computing Reports **
PC World and Newsweek magazines have announced that they will jointly
publish four special computing reports in 1994. The special sections
will focus on developments in the small office, home office (SOHO) com-
puter market. They will be prepared by the editors of PC World. The four
sections will appear in issues of both PC World and Newsweek in April,
June, September and December.
"We estimate that by 1996, SOHO computer users will account for more
than $15.5 billion in U.S. PC purchases, over 55% of the anticipated to-
tal PC market in the country," says PC World Publisher Rich Marino. "It
is increasingly important for high-tech marketers to reach this growing
market."
** Compuserve Lowers Hourly Charges by 40% **
CompuServe announced this week it is lowering connect charges by 40%
for hourly-priced services, such as forums, travel services, financial
services, reference databases and entertainment offerings. Reports say
that the lowered charges, which are for those members subscribing under
CompuServe's Standard Pricing Plan, take effect Feb. 6.
The new rates are $4.80 per hour for 300, 1,200 and 2,400 baud rates
and $9.60 for 9,600 and 14,400 baud rates.
In addition to hourly-priced services, CompuServe members have access
to more than 50 basic services for a flat fee of $8.95 per month. Compu-
Serve offers access at modem speeds of 14,400 bits per second in many
major cities, the only major online service to do so, and at the same
cost as access at 9,600 bits per second.
** Compuserve to Provide Local Customer Support in Mexico **
CompuServe Inc. also announced this week that it will provide local
customer support and network access to CompuServe Information Service
members in Mexico beginning this spring.
CompuServe provides local-dial access through its own network nodes
from 17 major cities in Europe and has member support offices in
Bristol, England, Munich, Germany, and Paris. CompuServe also has
licensing or affiliate agreements in Japan, Australia, New Zealand,
Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Israel, Hungary, Chile, Venezuela and
Argentina.
** Nintendo Settles Copyright Suit **
A copyright infringement suit between Nintendo of America Inc. and
United Microelectronics Corp. has been settled out of court. Terms calls
for UMC to take steps to combat piracy of Nintendo video games, the
firms said.
The settlement ends litigation of a federal suit filed in 1991 by
Nintendo against UMC, of Hsinchu City, Taiwan, and its U.S. subsidiary,
Unicorn Microelectronics Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif., and several
individuals associated with the companies. In that action, Nintendo
alleged copyright and trademark infringement in the sale of counterfeit
Nintendo video games.
The case was dismissed "with prejudice," which prevents either side
from bringing another action in the matter.
** IBM Awarded Most Patents in 1993 **
IBM Corp. reports that it ranked first in the number of patents awar-
ded in 1993 by the U.S. government, marking the first time since 1985
that an American company has headed the list. IBM received 1,088
patents, followed by Toshiba Corp., Canon KK and Eastman Kodak Co.,
according to IFI/Plenum Data Corp. In 1992, the first four companies
were all Japanese.
The IBM patents were almost exclusively in the field of information
processing, with an increase in software-related inventions.
** World Workstation Market Soars **
The world workstation market will more than quadruple in revenues and
grow by more than 10 times in unit sales by the end of the century,
reports Frost & Sullivan/Market Intelligence, the Mountain View, Calif.-
based market research firm.
The company states that sales will swell from $10.6 billion in 1992
to $20 billion in 1995 and $48.7 billion in 1999 at a 24% compound
annual rate.
Enterprise workstations will pace the market's growth, increasing
from 32% of all worldwide workstation revenues in 1992 to 51% by 1999.
** Magazine Says Pentagon Proposes Limiting Internet Army Links **
A computer magazine says it has learned U.S. defense officials, fear-
ing the possibility of computer intruders, are moving to limit military
links to the international Internet network.
The magazine, Network World, reported a plan to add a protective
gateway or relay to the worldwide Defence Data Network (also called
Milnet) has caused an uproar among computerists in and out of the
Pentagon.
The publication says a notice from the defense department's network
planning group said the gateway's introduction was due early in 1994,
but that so far the plan has not been implemented and Internet users
still have direct links to the Milnet.
** Smart Device Shipments Soar **
New York-based market researcher, LINK Resources, reports that ship-
ments of all types of "smart" handheld devices -- including high-end
organizers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal communicators
and some handheld CD-ROM products -- grew from 600,000 units in 1992 to
779,000 units in 1993.
LINK Resources forecasts a 45.7%t compound annual growth rate over
the next five years for these devices, with over five million units
shipping to business and home users in the U.S. in 1998.
LINK forecasts that annual shipments will increase in value from $454
million to $3.3 billion during this period, while the installed base
grows to 9.5 million devices.
** Canadian Teen Accused of $500,000 Fraud **
An unidentified Toronto teenager has allegedly used a computer to
defraud cellular phone network of $500,000 worth of long distance calls.
Authorities are quoted as saying the teen changed the greetings in
the voice mailboxes so the new greetings could be used to approve calls
billed to the Rogers Cantel Inc. network.
"About $200,000 worth of calls were billed to a single phone number
over a 17-day period". "Cantel blames Bell Canada's new automated long-
distance billing service, and is fighting with the phone company over
who should pay for the losses."
An industry analyst estimated long-distance fraud costs North
American companies $2 billion a year, much of it by computer intruders.
** Who's a 'Butthead'? **
It all started when famed scientist Carl Sagan reportedly complained
to Apple Computer Inc. that he didn't appreciated his name being borrowed
as the internal code name for a new Apple computer.
Reports say that after receiving the complaint, Apple changed the
internal code name of the upcoming model from "Carl Sagan" to "Butt-Head
Astronomer."
Sagan supposedly asked the company to stop using his name after an
article about the new model appeared in MacWEEK magazine.
Reportedly, the Butt-Head Astronomer system -- well, "BHA" for short
-- is one of three Apple models to use the PowerPC microprocessor
developed by Apple, Motorola Inc. and IBM.
** Practical Peripherals Cuts Costs **
Practical Peripherals this week cut prices by up to $100 on eight of
its high-speed data and fax modems for PCs and Macintosh computers.
Practical says its PM14400FX PKT pocket modem, formerly priced at
$499, has been reduced to $399.
Meanwhile, the PM14400FXMT V.32bis desktop modem offering 14400bps
data and 14400bps fax capabilities, was reduced to $259 from $299.
Other PC modems affected by the price reduction are the PM14400FX,
reduced from $259 to $229; the PM9600FXMT, down from $249 to $219, and
the PM9600FX, from $229 to $199.
Three Macintosh modems in the price cut are the PM14400FX PKT/Mac,
from $529 to $429, the PM14400FXMT/Mac, down from $299 to $279, and the
PM9600FXMT/Mac, cut from $269 to $229.
Practical notes all the modems feature DTE (computer to modem) speeds
up to 57,600bps, both Class 1 and Class 2 fax support, V.42 error cont-
rol, V.42bis data compression, send/receive fax and are compatible with
the Hayes standard AT command set. Each comes with data and fax
communications software.
** Atari Jaguar Grabs Top Awards at CES **
Atari Corp. announced this week that the Atari Jaguar 64-bit inter-
active multimedia game system has been named the industry's "Best New
Game System" (VideoGames Magazine), "Best New Hardware System" (Game
Informer) and "1993 Technical Achievement of the Year" (DieHard GameFan).
The awards were presented last week at the Winter Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas. In addition, VideoGames Magazine selected a Jaguar
advertisement as "1993's Best Print Ad" and Electronic Games voted
Jaguar's newest software title, "Tempest 2000," the "Best Game of the
Show."
"We are excited the industry's premier publications have recognized
Jaguar," said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. "We developed Jaguar's
64-bit technology to raise the standard for game system performance,
making Jaguar the most powerful, affordable system on the market. It is
an honor to know that the leading trade magazines and their readers
recognize our efforts."
"We created the 'Best New Game System' award specifically for
Jaguar," said Chris Gore, editor of VideoGames Magazine. "Atari
developed a new game system with innovative hardware and software that
delivers a performance level currently not available in the market at a
price people can afford. It eclipses 3DO as the best bang for your
buck."
On Game Informer's decision to vote Jaguar "Best New Hardware
System," Editor Andy McNamara said, "With enough raw processing power to
take out the big boys, Atari has a winner on its hands. Of course, it
will need great software, but if games like the pack-in Cybermorph set
the standard, Atari is definitely on its way."
Atari Corp. manufactures and markets 64-bit interactive multimedia
entertainment systems, video games and personal computers for the home,
office and educational marketplaces. The Sunnyvale-based company
manufactures the Jaguar products in the United States.
** Atari Jaguar Poised to Pounce Nationally in 1994 **
Atari Corp. also announced this week that the company plans to roll
out Jaguar(TM) -- the world's first 64-bit interactive multimedia home
entertainment system -- in the first half of 1994. In addition, Jaguar
and its first four software titles, "Cybermorph," "Raiden, " "Evolution
Dino-Dudes" and "Crescent Galaxy," will continue to ship steadily to
stores in New York and San Francisco.
"We look forward to extending Jaguar's success in the New York and
San Francisco markets by implementing a nationwide rollout of the pro-
duct in 1994, " said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. "What is espec-
ially rewarding is customer response to Jaguar -- it's great to see how
people react to the system. We are committed to making Jaguar the
world's number one game platform and this is a powerful start."
"Sales of the Jaguar couldn't better. All of our units sold out in
one day and we've got a list of more than 100 people waiting for our
next shipment," said Gary Jockers, general manager, FAO Schwarz, San
Francisco. "The new titles we received are selling out as fast as the
systems. Our customers are clamoring to get these new games. Now that
we've got all of the current game titles available for Jaguar, the
demand is only increasing for more units."
Atari Jaguar is the world's first 64-bit interactive multimedia home
entertainment system and is the only video game system manufactured in
the United States. Atari expect to deliver its Jaguar CD-peripheral in
the second half of 1994 at a suggested retail price of $200.
******* General PC News *******
** IBM Cuts Pentium-Based PC's 10% **
Prices of all the IBM PCs built around Intel Corp.'s Pentium micro-
processor are being cut by more than 10%, according to officials with
IBM's wholly owned Ambra unit.
Analysts said the competing PowerPC chip -- developed by IBM, Apple
Computer Inc. and Motorola Inc. -- costs less than the Pentium because
it is easier to make.
Last month Intel said it will cut prices on its Pentium chip by 14%
to 18% this year to build market share as production speeds up.
Also, IBM is introducing two new high-performance options for its
Pentium-based systems: a Matrox MGA II+ video card and the Adstar 1GB
hard drive.
** Tandy to Open More Supercenters **
Tandy Corp. is set to open 24 Computer City SuperCenters and six new
Incredible Universe consumer electronics stores this year. Sources quote
Tandy as saying the stores will add 3,600 new jobs throughout the United
States.
** Packard Bell Moves Tech Support to Magna, Utah **
Packard Bell's technical support operations is moving from Los
Angeles to Magna, Utah. The company also considered sites in Tucson,
Arizona, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Portland, Oregon.
Utah state officials said the move will create about 600 jobs, with
the PC maker using 35,000 square feet of space.
******* General MAC News *******
** First MAC Nubus Hardware Announced **
Digital Communications Associates (DCA) says it will deliver token
ring and coaxial adapters for Macintosh NuBus machines.
DCA believes these are the first interface cards available for
Apple's seven-inch form factor NuBus computer systems.
The MacIRMAtrac NuBus Token Ring and MacIRMA NuBus Coax are network
adapters designed for the Centris 610, 660 av and the Quadra 610, 660 av
series of Macintosh computers. They also work on older NuBus machines.
The Token Ring card features its own memory for downloading microcode
and to provide higher performance levels. The Coax card features RAM-
based hardware which allows product upgrades through software updates.
Both DCA products will be available next month through DCA's standard
distribution network. The Token Ring adapter carries a suggested price
of $895. Retail price on the Coax adapter is $1,195.
Additional information is available from DCA at 800/348- 3221.
International customers may fax product or pricing requests to 404/442-
4364.
__________________________________________________________
> CLUB KIDSOFT STR Review
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Club Kidsoft Magazine and CD-rom
================================
by Frank Sereno
Club Kidsoft is a new magazine and disc combination which is a new means
to advertise and distribute educational software. Club Kidsoft is issued
quarterly with a retail price of $4.95, has a yearly subscription price
of $19.95 and is currently available to charter subscribers for $9.95.
Subscribers also get a $10.00 credit on their first purchase of software.
At the low charter price, this magazine is a remarkable bargain.
The magazine itself is oversized and printed on matte paper. The inks
used in the abundant color illustrations are extremely glossy and give
high visual appeal to reader. About 25 pages are dedicated to articles
and activities for children. The rest of the magazine is advertisements
of the software featured on the CD-rom. Each ad features a graphic of
the software box, some screen shots and a brief description of the
program along with information about pricing and the operating system
that the program uses.
The CD-rom can be used independently of the magazine. For the clone
version, Club Kidsoft requires a 386 or better cpu with at least 4 megs
of ram running Windows 3.1, a 256 color 640 by 480 display, a Windows
compatible sound card, a CD-rom drive and 5 megs of free hard drive space
for installation of the Club Kidsoft program. It is recommended to have
a 486 cpu and a double-speed CD-rom for more efficient operation. Even
under those conditions, the program seemed slow to me.
Installation is done by putting the disc in the CD-rom drive. From
within Windows Program Manager, choose the RUN option under the file
menu. Type d:\setup if CD-rom drive is designated as the D: drive.
Substitute the letter corresponding to your drive if it is different.
Once installation is completed, Club Kidsoft will place a new program
group on your desktop. Include in the group is a readme file with more
information about running the Club Kidsoft programs, a short illustrated
story about a go-cart written by a young lady using Kid Pix, and the main
Club Kidsoft program.
The main program has two options. You can go to the catalog or to the
activities. As sort of a bonus, three small activities are included on
the disc. The first is called Dots Galaxy and the player uses the mouse
to connect the dots on some uniquely shaped constellations. The second
activity is Creature Creator. The player mixes and matches body parts
from several different creatures to make new species. The last activity
is Picture Puzzle which asks the player to find objects hidden within
other objects in two different pictures. These activities are suitable
for younger children and will most likely be changed with each issue of
the magazine/disc.
The catalog section features 79 programs and some hardware add-ons. The
ads can be viewed in groups by the alphabet, recommended age for users or
by software category. After you chose the group, you will shown up to
six thumbnail pictures of the correlating products. Clicking on of those
pictures will give you the full advertisement. Each ad shows the
software box. Under that picture, icons are displayed to indicate
whether product supports mice, sound, Windows, etc. If a golden key icon
is displayed, then this software is "club coded" and may be purchased
from Club Kidsoft and downloaded directly from the CD-rom to the hard
drive by calling an 800 number and getting a special code to activate the
software. Also displayed is a toolbar across the bottom of the screen.
Always available as options are icons to display a synopsis of each
program and to list the hardware requirements in a text window to the
right of the main picture. Club coded software display an order form
icon. Some programs feature a demo icon indicating a demo is on the
CD-rom. A blue-ribbon icon displays a list of awards which the program
has received.
I have not purchased any software off my CD-rom yet. Since a couple of
programs look interesting, I will probably give the ordering system a
trial and report on it here at a later date. The process does seem to be
relatively easy as it is making a few mouse clicks and a toll-free
telephone call. Currently the only payment method permitted for
downloading from the CD-rom is a credit card. You may order software
packages by mail from Club Kidsoft and pay with check, cash or money
orders in addition to credit cards.
The catalog is very easy to use for previewing software but I was a bit
disappointed. Of 79 programs, only 15 had demos and one of those did not
work. Of the 15 demos, only 7 were playable, that is that the user was
allowed some interaction with the program. Of the 14 Club coded
programs, only 7 had demos. Of those 7, one demo was inoperable and only
3 were playable. I had hoped that more of the programs would have demos
and that any downloadable software would have a demo available. My
highest hope was that the majority of these demos would be playable so my
children and I could work with the demos a bit to find the software that
is best for them. Club Kidsoft has a money-back guarantee on all their
software but I would rather avoid the bother of asking for a refund and
waiting for a credit on my credit card when a playable demo guarantees
that I will find a program my children will like and use to the utmost.
Since this is the first issue, perhaps the software companies did not
have enough time to ready demos and such. I hope that the few
shortcomings in this fine product will be addressed in the near future.
I do recommend that any parent with children between 3 and 18 years of
age purchase this product to aid in the search for good educational
software.
________________________________________________
> CUSTOMER SUPPORT? STR FOCUS! One that fell through the cracks!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
IS THERE A SILVER LINING IN
THE DARK CLOUDS OF
CUSTOMER DISSTATISFACTION?
by Glenwood Drake
IS THE DOCTOR IN?
PC Tools
Technical Support Dept.
(503)690-7133
August 5, 1993
Dear Sir(s):
I just received your PC TOOLS for dos version 8.0a that is supposed
to be optimized to work with MS-Dos 6.0.
If I try to install this program with Microsoft MSCDEX.EXE TSR
loaded, it will simply lock up my machine without any explanation. After
removing the MSCDEX.EXE TSR, your program will install without problems.
However, as you well know, those of us that have CD ROM drives need
this program in order to utilize them. After installing PC TOOLS and
inserting the MSCDEX.EXE TSR back into my configuration, everything seems
normal. However, if I run your SI program and run a speed check on the
first drive in my system, I receive an error message. Shortly thereafter
my system will lock up and force me to re-boot. If this samespeed check
is run on the second hard drive in my system I do not receive this error.
This error message is listed as follows;
run-time error R6003 - integer divide by 0
Subsequently, if I remove Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE driver and run this
test again, there is no error message. This possibly could be just an
error in your code regarding this one specific section of your program.
However I am reluctant to leave the program installed on my disk as I am
uncertain of additional problems that could arise that would perhaps
create errors on my hard drives, since this error did appear while
running your hard drive speed checking program with SI.
I spoke with Kip in your technical support department as of the
above date and he instructed me to remove all my TSR's, with the
exception of MSCDEX.EXE and try the test on the drive again. I did so
and with the same results. There is no doubt in my mind that your code
is conflicting with Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE. Please be advised that the
MSCDEX.EXE is the version 2.22 dated 3/30/93 that was shipped with this
new version of MS-Dos. I have, by the way, installed an older version of
the TSR with the same results. In addition I went to the trouble of
switching the loading order of all my TSR's and still have the problem.
Since this version of PC TOOLS is supposed to be optimized while
working with MS-Dos 6.0, I would appreciate a prompt reply regarding a
fix for this problem.
"There is no doubt in my mind that your code is conflicting with
Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE."
Frustrated....You Send Another Letter.
August 10, 1993
Since I have not received a reply regarding my Fax to your technical
department dated August 5, 1993, in reference to PcTools Ver 8.0a for
DOS, I can only assume that you have not found a solution to the problem
I was experiencing. Refer to the Fax I submitted to your technical
department on Thursday August 5, 1993.
Please be advised that I worked for several days regarding this run-
time error and found a solution that will work around it. I have been
successful in installing Ver 8.0a without my system locking up, or the
necessity of removing any of my TSR's in my configuration, and in
particular Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE TSR. In addition I am able to do a
speed test on the first drive in my system without the system locking up.
This work around should not be necessary since it most certainly
could be fixed with a patch somewhere in your code. Since the majority
of PC users don't own a CD-ROM or use Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE, they should
not experience this problem.
However, since your company produces excellent disk optimizing
software, this problem should be addressed promptly. When someone
purchases disk optimizing software, only to have it lock up their system
during the installation process, forcing them to remove TSR's, and
subsequently produce errors while performing a hard disk speed check,
this naturally is cause for concern. What bothers me most of all is the
fact that I had to Beta Test a released version of your software, and
find a solution for a problem that should have been addressed by your
technical department.
I am certain that others with CD-ROM drives may be experiencing
these same problems. If anyone in your problem resolution department
would be interested in what I found, then please do not hesitate to call.
I can be reached at the number listed below.
Best regards,
Glenwood Drake
CENTRAL POINT SOFTWARE RESPONDS...
"What bothers me most of all is the fact that I had to Beta Test a
released version of your software, and find a solution for a problem
that should have been addressed by your technical department."
August 12, 1993
Dear Mr. Drake
Thank you for your FAX regarding PC Tools V8.0a. I Have passed
along a written report of the problem with MSCDEX.EXE and PC Tools V8.0a.
However I have no idea if and when we might try to fix this problem. As
you purchased the update direct from us, and are well within the 60-day
return window, please feel free to return the product if you
dissatisfied. Please include a copy of the invoice, and this letter,
with the return.
If you have any more questions or problems, please do not hesitate to
contact us either by FAX at (503) 690-7133 or by phone at (503) 690-
8080."
Sincerely,
Karen L. Miller
August 13, 1993
Central Point Software, Inc.
Attention: Karen L. Miller
Technical Support Dept.
(503)690-7133
Dear M's. Miller:
I have received your FAX dated 12 August 1993.
What gave you the impression I was dissatisfied with the product?
It is an excellent product but it is not bug free. Otherwise, why would
so much of my time and effort be spent with it? I am well aware of your
company's 60 day return policy, and believe me when I say it would have
been easier to simply return the product, than it is to deal with your
department. Which by the way, should be reclassified from The Technical
Support Department to Technical, BUT NO, Support Department! It was
never my intention to return PC Tools V8.0a. for DOS. I was simply
responding to a problem that should have been detected by your Beta
Testers prior to its release to the general public. Since it is apparent
you have no idea regarding when and if Central Point Software might try
to fix this problem. Perhaps it would be beneficial for me to try
another product. Let me remind you there are many other software
companies providing excellent disk optimization and utility programs. I
am quite capable of purchasing software from any other company. I may,
as a result of our exchange, do so forthwith.
In the mean time, I have no interest in whether the company you are
employed by and represent decides to address and correct this problem in
PC Tools V8.0a for DOS. I am well aware of the problem in the code and
have subsequently implemented a work around. It is therefore my
intention to continue to use PC Tools V8.0a for DOS in its "as is
condition" until such time as there is a fix provided. At this point in
time, due to our present exchange and the nature of my understanding of
your reply to me of "just return it", it appears the same to me as if you
are asking that I shut up and go away.
For example, when I found problems in the code in an interim release
version of Word Perfect 5.1 for Windows. Not only were they grateful for
my having provided this knowledge since they were unaware of this
problem, they showed their appreciation for my efforts by sending me a
copy of their latest version. Please understand I was not challenged to
return the product for a refund. I was instead offered the utmost
cooperation and support in resolving what was an obvious problem that
could be detrimental to sales.
Trusting you can understand my position and hopefully we will get
this matter resolved to both my satisfaction and to the benefit of
Central Point Software.
Glenwood L. Drake
NO PROMISE OF A FIX BY CENTRAL POINT SOFTWARE
"I couldn't provide you with a fix nor could I promise a fix in the
future,"
August 13, 1993
Dear Mr. Drake:
I received your follow-up fax on the problem with PC Tools V8.0a
and MSCDEX.EXE.
You made my job rather easy by completely troubleshooting the
problem, so there was no need for me to present troubleshooting
information in my fax. What other details could I have given you? A
brief reply was all that seemed necessary. I am sorry you misinterpreted
the intentions of my fax.
The Written report, which was passed to Product Development, does
have your name attached to it, so if a fix comes about, you will be
notified. I did not make this clear and should have.
My paragraph regarding the possibility of returning the product was
only given as an option, Not as Challenge. I couldn t provide you with
a fix nor could I promise a fix in the future, so it s only reasonable
that I let you know that you can return the product. We just want you to
know that if we can t fix the problem, you don t have to live with it, if
you don t want to. I think that s fair, don t you?
Once again , if you have any more questions or problems, please do
not hesitate to contact me either by FAX at (503) 690-7133 or by phone at
(503) 690-8080."
Sincerely,
Karen L. Miller
Technical Support
P.S. I just found a similar report with SI & MSCDEX. The report states
that the error only occurs when there s no CD in the drive. Thought this
Might be helpful info."
August 15, 1993
Dear M's. Miller:
Thanks for your prompt response to my FAX of August 13, 1993.
You are correct, I misinterpreted your FAX dated 12, August 1993. I
don't read between the lines very well, and your current FAX filled the
void. On occasion the end user will expect miracles from The Technical
Support Department. I am guilty of expecting more than you were able to
deliver on such short notice.
It would've been extremely painful for me to give up PC Tools.
However, I was prepared to do so. In my opinion it is the best and most
useful software I have installed on my system.
The P.S. was not necessary, I already knew about the CD in the
drive. That's how I could install your program, without removing
Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE, and subsequently use SI without experiencing a
run-time error on my first drive. Just make sure there is a readable CD
in the drive. It will not work with a musical CD installed. Had I been
asked, about my work around solution, I would have supplied that
information to you many days ago.
Please accept my apology, I was wrong when I vented my frustration
in your direction. However, make no mistake about it, we are growing
extremely weary of problem riddled software. I think Central Point
Software can understand that, don't you?
No further correspondence is necessary. I consider the matter closed.
Glenwood L. Drake
January 13, 1994
As of today... I have not received any response regarding a fix from
Central Point Software to Ver. 8.0a. I do not expect one since Ver. 9 of
PC Tools was released shortly after Ver. 8.0a hit the streets. However,
I did receive an upgrade notice so I could mail Central Point Software
another $49.00, if I wanted to upgrade my bug riddled Ver. 8.0a.
Isn t it amazing that software is being released to the general public
full of what we call "bugs". After all, why should Software Companies
worry about fixing buggy software? All they have to do is add a few new
features, remove some older features, change the version number, and ship
it out to the end user for a fee. By the way, for your information Ver.9
of Central Point Software has a few bugs. But that's "another story for
another day".
Glenwood L. Drake
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
:HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
_________________________________
Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
Wait for the U#= prompt.
Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/ The Macintosh RoundTable
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/ ________________________
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/____ Managed by SyndiComm
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group
*** STReport available in MAC RT ***
ASCII TEXT
for ALL GEnie users!
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
Randy Noak, Editor
Do you make New Year resolutions? Normally I don't. I realize that
I'll never keep any resolution I might make, so to avoid future
disappointment, I simply refrain from resolving anything. This year,
however, was different. I had decided that I was going to "computerize"
my personal finances. I'd been using Quicken for years to keep track of
my DTP businesses income and expenses, so I thought that using the same
program to track my checkbook would be a breeze. Am I clueless or what?
I made my decision in mid-December, and the first order of business
was to order Quicken checks for my laser printer. I faxed my check order
and waited. And waited. And waited. Oops! Forgot about the Holiday delay.
Well, I guess I could wait for the checks since I was also waiting for my
bank statement to arrive. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, on
January 10, I could wait no longer and wrote out my bills by hand and
mailed them. Yep. You guessed it. My statement arrived January 11. Sigh.
I entered the ending balance on my bank statement as the beginning
balance in Quicken and proceeded to reconcile my account. I entered all
the checks that I had written that weren't listed in my bank's statement
and quickly discovered a problem. I was out of money! What happened? I
thought I had a few bucks left. It turns out that I hadn't been
informed about several ATM transactions and had far less money than I
thought in the checking account. The checks I had used to pay my bills
were, literally, "in the mail" and my only hope was that my next paycheck
arrived before those checks did. I kept a feverish watch on my bank
balance until today when my paycheck was delivered. I entered my deposit
and all is OK now. I think. I'll find out for sure next month.
I had three more bills to pay, so I printed my checks, put them in
envelopes, and immediately took them back out of the envelopes because I
forgot to sign them! I signed them, put them back in the envelopes, added
my return address labels, and stamped and sealed the envelopes. Now all
I've got to do is mail them. So far, except for my screw-ups, this has
gone pretty well. Maybe I'll make another resolution next year. Nah!
Randy Noak - Editor
A whole bunch of useful and interesting info follows. First of all,
CompuServe has released a new version of Navigator, their popular off-
line navigation software. I use this to access CompuServe and it is well
worth the price. Highly recommended.
NAVIGATOR 3.2.1 RELEASED
========================
COMPUSERVE HAS RELEASED VERSION 3.2.1 OF NAVIGATOR.
ALL REGISTERED USERS SHOULD GO NAVIGATOR FOR INFORMATION
ON NEW FEATURES AND TO DOWNLOAD THIS NEW RELEASE, FREE!
Here's a neat little tip from J.EGAN (Jillie) via GEnie. My kids
have been playing with Kid Pix for quite a while. Now _I_ get to play!
To Make Kid Pix Icons:
Open Kid Pix and have the kids:
Pick a stamp or make a picture.
(I try to tell them to think about the space they have and skip little
details) Once you have what you want to copy do the following:
Go to the "truck" in the menu On the bottom of the picture memu pick the
"Magnet" When you have the "Magnet" working it will outline what will be
copied (try to keep as much of the picture in the frame).
Use your Kid Pix edit from menu and "copy" Then: In the Apple Menu Open
your scrapbook and paste (Save as many as you want that way and then
close Kid Pix) When you make your Icons do this: Use your mouse and
click once to hi-light the file you want to change the icon on. Go to
"file" and chose "get info" Point with your mouse and click once the
icon (a frame should enclose the icon) Go to the "apple menu" and open
the scrapbook pick the picture you want and "copy" close scrapbook, go
back to the icon, click once and then "Paste" The Icon should change.
(unless it's locked)
Cool! Thanks Jillie. Here's the press release for FoxPro 2.5,
Microsoft's relational database. It appears that Microsoft wants to
corner the Mac database market much the same as they've done in the
Windows market with Access, so they've set a special introductory price
for FoxPro.
____________________________________________________
> MAC WORLD INFO II STR InfoFile
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Microsoft Releases to Manufacturing the New FoxPro 2.5 Relational
Database Management System for Macintosh Microsoft FoxPro Brings Enhanced
Performance and Power; Offered at Special Introductory Price of $99
REDMOND, Wash. - Dec. 13, 1993 - Microsoft Corporation announced today
that the Microsoft* FoxPro* database management system version 2.5 for
Macintosh* has been released to manufacturing, with commercial
availability scheduled in January 1994. Designed to empower developers
and users alike, FoxPro provides unsurpassed speed, full cross-platform
capabilities and extensive support for Macintosh System 7 technologies.
Through June 1994, FoxPro for Macintosh will be available at a special
introductory price of $99. "Macintosh database users have been asking for
greatly improved performance, relational capabilities and a solution that
works seamlessly across multiple operating systems. We developed FoxPro
for Macintosh, a major upgrade from our current FoxBASE+ product,
precisely to meet these needs," said Roger Heinen, senior vice president,
database and development tools division at Microsoft. "We+ve used our
experience in designing leading applications for the Macintosh and
applied it to developing a world-class database." "FoxPro for Macintosh
is great news for Macintosh database developers and users," said David
Nagel, vice president of AppleSoft at Apple Computer, Inc. "The
product+s cross-platform capabilities should also make it appealing to
users of MS-DOS and Windows who are considering the Macintosh or who have
mixed operating environments."
Unsurpassed Performance Patent-pending Rushmore* query optimization
technology makes FoxPro the fastest database for Macintosh. In a suite
of performance benchmarks conducted by Micro Endeavors, Inc., a third-
party database consulting firm, FoxPro 2.5 easily outdistanced ACI 4th
Dimension* and Claris* FileMaker* Pro databases. These benchmarks showed
FoxPro to be 36 times faster on average than 4th Dimension and FileMaker
in single-table, single-user tests. In multiuser, multitable benchmarks,
FoxPro performed an average of seven times faster than 4th Dimension.
"I've been developing database applications on the Macintosh for five
years, and poor performance has been an issue all along," said Bob
Shatzer of Wisdom Technologies. "That drawback disappears with FoxPro.
The product really screams. As a result, I+m moving from 4th Dimension
to FoxPro. Not only is it faster, the tools are cleaner and more
intuitive." Full Cross-platform Compatibility The release of FoxPro for
Macintosh makes FoxPro unique in offering a full-featured, relational
database for the three leading operating systems in the world:
Macintosh, Windows* and MS-DOS*. In addition, FoxPro for SCO* UNIX* and
XENIX* is scheduled for availability in mid-1994.
FoxPro offers seamless cross-platform compatibility. Users of FoxPro on
different platforms can share data simultaneously; FoxPro for Macintosh-
based applications can run unchanged in FoxPro for Windows, FoxPro for
MS-DOS, and soon, SCO UNIX and XENIX. Likewise, applications based on
FoxPro for Windows and FoxPro for MS-DOS can be run without modification
in FoxPro for Macintosh. For developers, this capability means developing
an application once and being able to run it on four platforms.
For corporations, it means supporting only one DBMS standard. Support,
training and maintenance can be consolidated into one product for users
at all levels on multiple operating systems. Mobil Oil has developed a
cost collection system using FoxPro.
This system is being used by more than 1,200 users, 400 of whom have
Macintosh computers, and the rest of whom have PCs. "FoxPro was the clear
choice for this application. It allows us to support users of Macintosh,
Windows and MS-DOS very easily," said Mike Grayson of Software Solutions,
developers of the application.
"There's no longer any obstacle blocking integration of islands of
Macintosh with PCs in corporations * FoxPro bridges the gap." "We've been
dying for FoxPro for Macintosh to come out," said Alex Baker, systems
coordinator at Ernst and Young. "We+re a very big Mac shop, but we also
have a lot of PCs. Now it's going to be very easy for us to have the
same applications running on our Macs that we have in MS- DOS and
Windows." FoxPro Professional Edition Microsoft also announced FoxPro 2.5
for Macintosh, Professional Edition. A superset of FoxPro 2.5 for
Macintosh, the Professional Edition will allow developers to distribute
standalone applications royalty-free and write libraries in C or C++ that
are callable from FoxPro.
"We're making it convenient and economical for developers to get
everything they need in one package," said Lisa Brummel, FoxPro group
product manager at Microsoft. The Professional Edition is scheduled to be
upgraded to allow development of client-server applications through Open
Database Connectivity in the first quarter of 1994. FoxPro Tools FoxPro
provides a comprehensive set of tools for developers and power users.
Developers can rapidly create full-featured applications that take
advantage of the graphical user interface. The FoxPro Screen Builder,
for instance, supports more than 16 different screen objects, such as
buttons, picture controls, check boxes, popup lists and radio buttons,
providing nearly limitless options for creating detailed custom screens.
In concert with the FoxPro Report Writer, Menu Builder and Editor, these
tools make each step of application development as productive as
possible. "I make my living developing Macintosh database applications,"
said Fred Kusin, president of Bay Image Technologies. "Now FoxPro gives
our group the tools to create great Macintosh applications very quickly.
Our clients love how the applications look and how fast they run." New
Wizards for Accessible Power FoxPro also makes the power of relational
data management accessible to users, filling in the gap between flat
files and relational databases that are designed only for developers.
"We found many people were hitting the wall with flatfile databases like
FileMaker Pro," said Micosoft+s Brummel. "FoxPro offers much better
performance and greater capacity, and makes full relational capabilities
accessible to users." FoxPro employs Microsoft wizard technology to make
a number of database tasks extremely easy. With the help of wizards,
users can create screens, reports and graphs by just answering simple
questions.
Wizards then quickly do all the work behind the scenes, helping to save
time and lower the learning curve. In addition, the FoxPro Query by
Example tool provides the most sophisticated query tool on the Macintosh.
With point-and-click manipulation, users can create queries that group,
sort or perform calculations on database records or subsets of records.
Even powerful queries such as cross-tabs require only checking a box.
System 7 Features While FoxPro offers outstanding cross-platform
capabilities, it also takes full advantage of System 7 and other
Macintosh technologies. With support for AppleEvents, FoxPro can be
integrated with other Microsoft applications for Macintosh, such as
Microsoft Excel. FoxPro also supports the QuickTime* application, the
ability to call XCommands and XFunctions, TrueType* fonts, 32-bit
addressing, and the Balloon Help* application program. FoxPro also
supports object linking and embedding and imports both 4th Dimension and
FileMaker Pro data.
Pricing and Availability Microsoft FoxPro 2.5 for Macintosh is scheduled
to be available in January 1994. To promote the introduction of this new
product, Microsoft will offer a special introductory price of $99 for all
users in the United States. The U.S. suggested retail price of FoxPro is
$495. The introductory price will expire on June 30, 1994. FoxPro 2.5 for
Macintosh, Professional Edition is scheduled to be available in February.
The suggested retail price is $695. Licensees of both FoxBASE+ for
Macintosh and FoxBASE+ run time can upgrade to FoxPro Professional
Edition for $295 until April 30, 1994.
In addition, French and German versions of FoxPro 2.5 for Macintosh are
scheduled for availability in the second quarter of 1994. To run FoxPro
2.5 for Macintosh, users need a 68020 processor or higher, System 7 or
higher, and 4MB of RAM.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1994 AT 8:33
AM,EDT.
New Apple Media Authoring Solution Provides Complete Multimedia
Solution for Developers
Low-Cost Bundle Includes Software and Accessories to Create
CD-ROM Titles, Multimedia Presentations, Video Kiosks and Games
SAN FRANCISCO, California--January 3, 1994--As part of its charter to
make multimedia technologies more accessible to consumers and to
increase the number of multimedia titles, Apple Computer, Inc. today
introduced the Apple Media Authoring Solution , a complete low-cost
CD-ROM authoring solution for multimedia developers.
The Apple Media Authoring Solution consists of hardware and
software tools that enable developers to use animation, 3D modeling,
special video effects and object-oriented authoring to create
CD-ROM titles, multimedia presentations, video kiosks and games.
The system provides all the necessary tools to create CD-ROMs
compatible with the Macintosh as well as Windows- and DOS-based
computers.
The Apple Media Authoring Solution is designed for use with
the high-performance Apple Macintosh Quadra computers, including
the Quadra 800, Quadra 840AV and the Quadra 950. The System features
SuperMac's DigitalFilm video card and ThunderStorm software
acceleration card, AppleDesign Powered Speakers and multimedia
development software from Adobe, Apple, the Company of Science and Art
(CoSA) and Macromedia.
The competitively priced Apple Media Authoring Solution is
especially ideal for corporate content developers, training departments,
interactive kiosk developers, CD-ROM developers, electronic game
designers, public relations and advertising agencies, graphic
designers, animators and 3D modelers.
Specific components of the system include:
- SuperMac DigitalFilm--a NuBus video card that enables full-motion,
full-screen video and audio capture and editing
- SuperMac ThunderStorm--a NuBus card that accelerates multimedia
filters for adobe Premiere and Photoshop and CoSA After Effects
- Apple Media Tool--multimedia production software that enables
media element assembly without programming
- Adobe Premiere Deluxe CD-ROM Edition--digital video production and
editing software for non-linear, off-line editing and
production of QuickTime movies
- Adobe Photoshop Deluxe CD-ROM Edition--software for photo
manipulation, image editing and production
- CoSA After Effects--video special effects software with
production-house-quality
- Macromedia Director--authoring software for multimedia production
- Macromedia MacroModel--three-dimensional, spline-based modeling
software
- Macromedia Action!--multimedia presentation software
- Apple Desktop Presentation Solution--includes Macromedia Action,
Sound Edit Pro, and Clip Media
- Kodak Shoebox--an image database for Kodak Photo CD users
- AppleDesign Powered Speakers--high-quality stereo speakers
specifically designed for use with computers
Price/Availability
The Apple Media Authoring Solution is available immediately, and is
expected to sell for approximately $6,999.
Multimedia Meets Bookstores in Pilot Test
CUPERTINO, California--January 3, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc., The
Voyager Company and five electronic publishing companies today
announced the start of a new test program that will test bookstores
as a new sales channel for interactive software--including CD-ROM
titles--across the U.S. and Canada. The other publishers in the
program include Creative Multimedia Corporation, Discis Knowledge
Research, Macmillan New Media, Time Warner Interactive Group and
Putnam New Media.
Four major bookstore chains and four leading independent
booksellers in six cities are participating in the test, including:
New York, New York Barnes & Noble
Shakespeare & Company
Tower Books
Denver, Colorado The Tattered Cover
Los Angeles, California Brentanos
Encino, California SuperCrown Books
Toronto, Ontario, Canada Coles Bookstore
London, Ontario, Canada Wendell Holmes Bookstore
Each bookstore will receive a two-sided kiosk that features an
Apple Macintosh and CD-ROM titles on one side and an Apple PowerBook
and Expanded Books on the other. CD-ROMs look identical to audio
compact disks, but feature sound, text, audio and video for
computers. Expanded Books are unabridged books on floppy disk that
present text for easy reading on the computer. Each kiosk features
an easy-to-use interface that provides shoppers with 15 demo clips of
titles available for purchase.
CD-ROM titles featured on the kiosk include "A Hard Day's Night"
from The Voyager Company; "The Family Doctor, 3rd Edition" from the
Creative Multimedia Corporation; "HellCab" from Time Warner
Interactive Group; "World Tour Golf" from FeatherOut, Inc.; "Peter
Rabbit" from Discis Knowledge Research; "Macmillan Children's
Dictionary" from Macmillan New Media; and "Big Anthony's Mixed Up
Magic" from Putnam New Media.
Expanded Books titles include Voyagers' "The Pelican Brief" by John
Grisham; "The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas
Adams; and "Virtual Light" by William Gibson. Macmillan New Media's
Expanded Book titles include "All That Remains" by Patricia D.
Cornwell and "I Love Boston Guide" by Marilyn J. Appleberg.
Apple Computer, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets personal
computer, server and personal interactive electronic systems for use
in business, education, science and engineering, government, and the
home. A recognized pioneer and innovator in the personal computer
industry, Apple does business in more than 120 countries. Through
its advanced technology, the company seeks to provide individuals and
organizations with easy and affordable access to information and
computing power.
Founded in 1984, The Voyager Company is a multimedia publishing
company which uses new technologies to develop and publish works of
significant content. In the rapidly expanding new media industry,
Voyager is recognized as an innovative leader. Voyager maintains and
cultivates close relationships with leading authors, artists,
filmmakers and educators in order to ensure that the company will
continue to publish cutting-edge, award-winning products for both the
consumer and educational markets. The concept of publishing is
undergoing radical changes and Voyager is leading the revolution with
a broad range of CD-ROM titles, Expanded Books on floppy diskettes
and authoring software for multimedia production. Voyager is a
privately held company headquartered in New York with additional
offices in Paris and Tokyo.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1994 AT 8:34
AM,EDT.
New Low-Cost Apple Bundle Brings Professional Video Production and
Special Effects Capabilities to the Desktop
Apple Professional Video Production Solution Enables Users to Create
Industrial-Quality Video from a Macintosh
SAN FRANCISCO, California--January 3, 1994--Professional-quality
video production comes to the desktop with today's introduction of
the Apple Professional Video Production Solution , a complete low-
cost video solution. The Apple Professional Video Production
Solution enables users to capture, edit, manipulate and output
industrial-quality video from the desktop. Central to the bundle is
the Radius VideoVision Studio NuBus video card that provides full-
motion, full-screen and flicker-free video at 640 x 480 resolution,
at 30 frames per second. The bundle is ideal for independent video
producers, groups responsible for producing video presentations,
training departments, and multimedia designers and producers.
The Apple Professional Video Production Solution is designed for
the high-performance Apple Macintosh Quadra computers, including the
Quadra 800, Quadra 840AV and the Quadra 950.
Components of the Apple Professional Video Production Solution
include:
- Radius VideoVision Studio--a NuBus video card for video capture
and editing
- Storage Dimensions MacinStor SpeedArray--external 2 gigabyte disk
array
- digidesign Audiomedia II--a NuBus digital stereo sound card that
provides direct-to-disk ecording and playback
- AppleDesign Powered Speakers--high-quality stereo speakers
especially designed for use with computers
- Adobe Premiere Deluxe CD-ROM Edition--digital video production
and editing software that enables non-linear, off-line
editing and production of QuickTime movies
- VideoFusion--special effects software that combines video,
graphics and text in QuickTime movies
Price/Availability
The Apple Professional Video Production Solution is available
immediately. The ApplePrice is $10,749.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1994 AT 8:40
AM,EDT
Apple Boosts Workgroup Server 95 Flexibility by Enhancing Performance
and Storage Capacity Options For Workgroup Applications
New Enhancements Aim to Further Increase High Customer Satisfaction
Ratings
CUPERTINO, California--January 4, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc.
announced today enhancements and two new high-end configurations to
its most powerful and expandable server line for delivering workgroup
applications as well as file-and-print or database services to large
or data-intensive workgroups. The enhancements to the Apple
Workgroup Server 95 product line include both hardware and software,
giving users an average of 40 percent higher performance when using
Apple's latest file service solution AppleShare Pro 1.1. In
addition, a new storage subsystem has been added, increasing hard-
disk drive performance and allowing for internal storage of up to 10
gigabytes (GB) of server data.
The announcement follows a customer satisfaction survey, conducted
by the Newton, Massachusetts-based market research firm Business Research
Group (BRG), which gave the Apple Workgroup Server 95 high marks for
overall performance, ease-of-use and technical phone support. The survey
revealed that nine out of ten of the customers questioned reported being
very satisfied with the Apple Workgroup Server 95 and that they would
recommend the system to their colleagues.
All of the latest features of the Apple Workgroup Server 95 will
be demonstrated at the Apple Pavilion at the MacWorld Expo 94 trade
show, January 5-8, in San Francisco.
The Apple Workgroup Server 95 uses a Motorola 33-MHz 68040
processor and comes with a minimum of 16MB of parity RAM (expandable to
256MB), four SCSI channels (two SCSI DMA), four NuBus expansion slots,
and a choice of hard drive capacities. The system is also expandable up
to 20 SCSI drives with room for six internal SCSI drives. The Apple
Workgroup Server 95 comes in a variety of server configurations to
meet a range of customer needs. Apple also intends to make the new
server software available to current Apple Workgroup Server 95
customers.
Software Enhancements
The Apple Workgroup Server 95 uses a new version of A/UX (version
3.1). The latest version of Apple's multi-tasking, tunable version
of the UNIX operating system gives Apple Workgroup Server 95 users
improved performance. The new server version of A/UX has been
optimized specifically for workgroup applications such as file-and-
print or database services while maintaining the Macintosh ease of
use customers expect from A/UX. In addition, the A/UX server
operating system features asynchronous I/O and SCSI DMA driver
support as well as support for AppleTalk and TCP/IP networking
protocols. It is compatible with System 7.0.1, allowing users to run
System 7.0.1 server applications in parallel with UNIX applications
while taking advantage of easy-to-use installation, management and
backup functions.
AppleShare Pro (version 1.1) running on the Apple Workgroup
Server 95 has also been tuned to provide a file-and-print server
solution that boosts performance up to more than five times that
of AppleShare 3 running on a Quadra 950.
According to tests run by Pharos Technologies Inc., an independent
software development company, software enhancements to the Apple
Workgroup Server 95 have significantly improved the throughput
performance of the system. Pharos reports sequential reads have
improved an average of 12 percent, while sequential writes, a very
I/O-intensive function, have improved by approximately 70 percent
over the previous version of the Apple Workgroup Server 95. Enumerate
performance, including tasks such as browsing through files and
directories on the server, increased in speed by 123 percent over
benchmark performance of the previous version of the system.
Increased Storage Capacity
The latest version of the Apple Workgroup Server 95 has also been
designed with a new higher performing and higher capacity hard-disk
drive, providing 2GB of disk storage. With new disk-drive mounting
brackets built into the system, a total of five hard-disk drives can
be linked internally to provide users with up to 10GB of data
storage. This gives users greater flexibility and disk space for
managing large amounts of data. In addition, the new hard-disk drive
has an improved data access time of 12 milliseconds (Msec) and a seek
time of 9 Msec, compared with 16 Msec and 11 Msec, respectively, for
the existing 1GB hard-disk drives.
Third-Party Support
Apple continues to work with several third-party firms to provide
value-added solutions for the Apple Workgroup Server 95. For
instance, FWB Inc., a leading supplier of mass storage products for
Macintosh and the Apple Workgroup Server family, will provide an
internal disk array capable of both RAID 0 data striping for high
sustained throughput and RAID 1 disk mirroring for fault-tolerant
data needs. Other companies, such as Conley Corporation,
CORE International and MegaDrive, currently provide external RAID
solutions for the Apple Workgroup Server 95.
Exide Electronics intends to offer network power management
software and Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) with the Apple Workgroup
Server 95 during the first quarter of 1994. This solution provides a
graphical network monitoring interface, including management of power
resources across the network and controlled server shutdown to prevent
data loss during power failure.
Availability, Pricing and Configurations
Apple intends to offer the two new server products to all markets
that currently sell the Apple Workgroup Server 95 and will be
available through Apple authorized dealers and resellers, with the
exception of Performa mass market resellers. Customers can choose
from a number of service and support options offered through Apple
and its reseller partners, including Apple's free lifetime (7 day, 24
hour) technical phone support provided for its entire Apple Workgroup
Server product line.
The latest version of the Apple Workgroup Server 95 is expected to
begin shipping by the end of February 1994. The Apple Workgroup
Server 95 will be available in file-and-print and database
configurations (all hardware prices are ApplePrices, and prices and
configurations may vary outside the U.S.). AppleShare Pro 1.0 is
available immediately through Apple resellers and dealers for a
suggested retail price in the U.S. of $2,399.
Configurations Available in February
Current Apple Workgroup Server 95 customers who purchased their
system before December 1993 can upgrade their system software in
February for US$199. Call the Apple Network Information Line at
408-862-3385 for more details. Apple intends to have the following
configurations available by the end of February:
Apple Workgroup Server 95 $11,995
- 32MB of RAM, 2000MB hard disk, DDS-DC backup drive,
AppleShare Pro pre-installed on the hard disk,
256KB second-level cache, A/UX tuned for file-and-print
Apple Workgroup Server 95 $11,795
- 48MB of RAM, 250MB and 2000MB hard disk,
DDS-DC backup drive, 512KB second-level cache,
A/UX tuned for relational database
Current Configurations
For customers who purchased the Apple Workgroup Server 95 in
December 1993, January or February 1994, software upgrades are
planned to be available by the end of February 1994 at no charge.
Call the Apple Network Information Line at 408-862-3385 for more
details. The following Apple Workgroup Server configurations are
available immediately:
Apple Workgroup Server 95 $5,409
- 16MB of RAM, 230MB hard disk,
128KB second-level cache, Tuned for
file-and-print or relational database
Apple Workgroup Server 95 $10,349
- 32MB of RAM, 1000MB hard disk, DDS-DC
backup drive, AppleShare Pro pre-installed
on the hard disk, 512KB second-level cache,
A/UX tuned for file-and-print
Apple Workgroup Server 95 $10,159
- 48MB of RAM, 230MB and 1000MB hard disk,
DDS-DC backup drive, 512KB second-level cache,
A/UX tuned for relational database
Upgrade Kits for Quadra 900, 950
Owners of Macintosh Quadra 900 and 950s can upgrade their hardware
to an Apple Workgroup Server 95 via two upgrade kit options (prices are
U.S. ApplePrice and may vary outside the U.S.):
The Apple Workgroup Server 95 PDS Card Upgrade Kit $2,219
- Includes a Processor Direct Slot card with 128K
second-level memory cache on-board and the server
version of A/UX system software.
The Apple Workgroup Server 95 PDS Card Upgrade Kit
with DDS-DC and Retrospect Remote back-up software $3,909
- Includes a Processor Direct Slot card with 128K
second-level memory cache on-board and the server
version of A/UX system software and an internal
Digital Data Storage-Data Compression (DDS-DC)
4mm tape backup drive and the latest version Dantz
Retrospect Remote A/UX backup software.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1994 AT 8:38
AM,EDT
New Networking Offering Spearheads Apple's Aggressive Marketing Strategy
for Networking Cards, Cables and Connectors
Apple Introduces Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair Card
SAN FRANCISCO, California--January 4, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc.
today introduced a new line of low-cost, high-performance of
networking cards, cables and connectors. The Ethernet LC Twisted
Pair card is the first offering in this product line. The Ethernet
LC Twisted-Pair card offers Ethernet speeds that are significantly
faster than many of Apple's previous Ethernet offerings. It is the
first integrated Ethernet card that Apple plans to offer with an
ApplePrice below $100.
The Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair Card comes with an industry standard
RJ-45 port which allows you to connect directly to IEEE 802.3 10Base-T
compatible hub which allows for quick and easy installation and network
management. This card also ships with new and improved high performance
ethernet software which increases your network performance by
approximately 25 percent. Owners of older Apple Ethernet LC, Apple
Ethernet NB and Apple Ethernet NB Twisted-Pair cards will be able to
enhance their network performance by upgrading to version 1.4.2 of the
Network Software Installer.
Apple Ethernet products are compliant with the IEEE 802.3 standard
and can be used in any existing Ethernet environment including those
running AppleTalk , DECnet, MacIPX , OSI, SNA, or TCP/IP and are
compatible with existing network services and applications such as
file servers, print servers, electronic mail and databases.
System Requirements
The Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair card requires one available
Macintosh LC processor direct slot and an IEEE 10Base-T hub.
Availability and Pricing
The Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair card is planned to be available late
January in the United States through authorized Apple resellers,
distributors and integrators. In Apple's Pacific region, including
Canada and Latin America, the Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair card is
currently scheduled to be available in February, 1994. In Europe, it
is currently scheduled to be available in February 1994. Pricing
outside the United States may vary by country.
The Ethernet LC Twisted-Pair card has an ApplePrice of (US) $99;
ApplePrices fall within the general range of street prices offered by
Apple resellers.
Owners of older Ethernet Cards can upgrade their systems to
version 1.4.2 of the Network Software Installer, free of charge,
by down loading the software from AppleLink, Internet and
Developer CDs. Upgrades may also be obtained by faxing their name,
address and telephone number to the ABS Network Information Line at
(408) 974-7977.
APPLE COMPUTER, INC. AND CITIBANK MASTERCARD AND VISA ANNOUNCE CO-BRANDED
CARD
Rebate on Apple Products, Low APR, And First Year Fee Waiver
Characterize Apple Citibank MasterCard and Visa
NEW YORK, January 4, 1993--Apple Computer, Inc., a leading manufacturer
of personal computers, and Citibank MasterCard and Visa, the number one
bankcard issuer, today introduced the Apple Citibank MasterCard and
Visa the first credit card to offer consumers rebates on Apple products.
The new card offers customers the ability to earn substantial rebates
from Apple on the purchase of Apple hardware, software and peripherals,
including the new Apple Newton MessagePad .
Cardmembers can earn rebates of up to 5% on purchases, as much as $500
per year, up to a total of $1,500 over any three year period. Earned
rebates can be redeemed in any amount from $20 up to the program maximum
of $1,500. One of the unique features of the Apple Citibank card is that
cardmembers can use rebates for themselves or donate them to schools.
HOW THE APPLE CITBANK REBATE PROGRAM WORKS
Cardmembes will earn up to a five percent rebate on all net annual credit
card purchases (excluding cash advances, returns and credits, and fees)
up to a maximum of $500 during any 12 consecutive months and a total
rebate maximum of $1,500 over any three year period. Cardmembers will
earn a rebate of 2 1/2% on annual purchases up to $3,000 or less and will
earn 5% on all annual purchases of more than $3,000.
Rebates will accumulate and be reported monthly on cardmembers'
statements. Rebates from the Apple Citibank card can be used in addition
to any other sale or rebate program. College students and business
owners can receive further deductions through price programs already
available through Apple.
Cardmembers can redeem their rebates by returning rebate forms and the
appropriate sales receipts to Citibank. Cardmembers also have the option
of donating their Apple rebates to a participating educational
institution registered in the the Apple rebate program. School
administrators can pool these rebates to purchase Apple products
designated for classroom use. If schools are not registered and wish to
participate in the rebate program, they can call Apple at 1-800-SOS-APPL
to enroll.
RATES, FEES AND FEATURES
The Apple Citibank MasterCard and Visa has a low variable annual
percentage rate of the U.S. Prime Rate plus 9.4 percentage points, which
currently totals 15.4%. The annual percentage rate (APR) will be
adjusted quarterly based on the U.S. Prime Rate as reported in The Wall
Street Journal. The $20 annual fee will be waived for all new
cardmembers for their first year in the program.
The Apple Citibank card also comes with many no-cost benefits an features
that have made Citibank the number one issuer of MasterCard and Visa in
this country, including: the Photocard option, which allows cardmembers
to have their photographs digitally imprinted into the card; 24-hour
emergency card replacement; Fraud Early Warning; Lost Wallet Service; ATM
Locator Service; Billing Dispute Resolution and Citibank's 24-hour-a-day,
7-day-a-week customer service.
To apply for the card or to find out more about these programs, call
1-800-374-9999. Existing cardmembers interested in obtaining the Apple
Citibank card should call customer service at 1-800-950-5114.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE AT 8:30 AM, EDT ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY
5, 1994
Apple Adds Personal Diagnostics Product to Macintosh Utilities Line
Comprehensive and Easy-to-Use Diagnostic Software From the Makers of the
Macintosh
SAN FRANCISCO, California January 5, 1994 Continuing the expansion of
its line of utility products, Apple Computer, Inc. today announced Apple
Personal Diagnostics, a new software product that allows Apple Macintosh
computer customers to test their system hardware and software to keep
their Macintosh working trouble-free. Apple Personal Diagnostics is
designed to reduce system downtime, minimize support calls, offer
trouble-shooting tips, and help users identify the source of problems.
The new software combines hardware testing, system profiling, disk file
structure repair, benchmark testing, and system software checking in one
easy-to-use package giving users a wealth of information about their
computers with a click of the mouse.
Comprehensive Set of Diagnostic Tests
Apple Personal Diagnostics performs comprehensive diagnostic tests on
Macintosh hardware and system software, and provides a complete system
profile. The diagnostic tests include hardware tests of the Macintosh
logic board, RAM/VRAM, SCSI hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and
monitors. If a problem is encountered, the user is alerted to what is
wrong and how it can be fixed -- either on their own or by contacting a
service technician.
Apple Personal Diagnostics also provides a variety of software
checks. It can list all applications and system files, including
extensions, installed on the computer. It can also alert users if
duplicate System folders exist and diagnose and repair disk directory
problems. Apple Personal Diagnostics generates printed reports that
provide a complete record of all diagnostic test results.
Automated Diagnostics Continuously Monitor Performance
Apple Personal Diagnostics includes an optional Automated Diagnostics
feature that automatically tests the Macintosh system while it is not in
active use The Automated Diagnostics feature will alert the user of any
irregularities that may exist and suggest simple steps to correct
problems before they become more serious.
Compare System Performance Against Apple Benchmarks
Apple Personal Diagnostics also includes hardware performance tests that
compare individual systems with benchmarks established by Apple for
Macintosh computers. The benchmark test log allows users to measure the
effects of new system configurations on performance over time.
Easy-to-Understand Trouble-Shooting Tips
The Apple Personal Diagnostics User's Guide includes a wide variety of
in-depth trouble-shooting tips written in easy-to-understand language.
These tips allow users to maintain the high performance of their
Macintosh with less reliance on others to provide technical
support assistance.
Pricing and Availability
The suggested retail price of the Apple Personal Diagnostics is $129 in
the United States. Apple plans to make the product available through
software resellers and Apple authorized resellers in March 1994. Apple
also plans to introduce localized versions of Apple Personal Diagnostics
for sale in other countries later in 1994.
System Requirements
Apple Personal Diagnostics requires an Apple Macintosh Plus or more
recently produced Macintosh or a PowerBook computer with at least 2 MB of
RAM, Macintosh system software version 6.07 or later (Automated
Diagnostics option requires version 7.0 or later), a hard disk drive and
a floppy disk drive. Apple Personal Diagnostics includes a program disk
with the complete array of hardware and software tests and emergency
disks for making hard disk repairs. The product can be run from a
diskette or installed on a customer's hard drive for convenient use.
THIS RELEASE MOVED OVER PR NEWSWIRE ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1994 AT 8:35
AM, EDT
Apple Announces Macintosh Display Card 24AC for 24-bit Large Screen
Graphics Acceleration
SAN FRANCISCO, California--January 5, 1994--Apple Computer, Inc.,
today announced the Apple Macintosh Display Card 24AC, a new high
performance 24-bit graphics accelerator card. Priced at $1,579 (U.S.
ApplePrice), the Macintosh Display Card 24AC provides a complete,
integrated solution from Apple for acceleration of large-screen color
images, at a price that establishes a new benchmark for cards
performing at this speed. The card is designed to reduce the
performance bottlenecks often experienced by graphic designers,
publishing professionals and other "power users" who work with
complex large-screen color images.
The Macintosh Display Card 24AC provides 24-bit support for
displays with resolutions up to 1152x870, which is the standard
Macintosh resolution for two-page displays. This 24-bit color
support provides access to 16.7 million colors--often required
by graphic artists to provide photorealistic color for complex
graphics.
The Macintosh Display Card 24AC's highly integrated design
uses the standard Apple NuBus and is only 6.5 inches in length.
Because of its compact size, the card is compatible with the
smaller Macintosh industrial designs such as the Centris
or Quadra 610.
The Macintosh Display Card 24AC ranks among the fastest QuickDraw
acceleration cards on the market in terms of overall performance. It
excels in QuickDraw operations used by software applictions such as Adobe
Photoshop and Illustrator, Quark XPress, Aldus PageMaker and Freehand.
Users of products such as these may experience increases in QuickDraw
operations by up to 10 times over non-accelerated video cards.
This 6.5" NuBus card was developed under an agreement with Radius
Inc. Apple specified the card to deliver high performance
acceleration for current CPUs and displays, and to ensure
compatibility for future Apple systems, such as PowerPC
microprocessor-based systems. The card is quality-tested, packaged
and distributed by Apple and all technical support is provided by
Apple.
The Macintosh Display Card 24AC offers plug-and-play capabilities
with all Macintosh II, Centris, Quadra, and PowerBook DuoDock
systems. Many of these models require a graphics card to work with
two-page displays, so the Macintosh Display Card 24AC provides an
upgrade path for current systems users to take advantage of a larger
display. In addition, it is designed to be compatible with future
PowerPC technology-based systems and with QuickDraw GX. The card has
the ability to signal an Energy Star-compliant monitor into low-power
mode, making the card Energy Star compliant.
The Macintosh Display Card 24AC is available immediately through
Apple authorized resellers worldwide. For further information,
customers in the United States should call the Apple Referral Center
at (800) 538-9696. Customers outside the United States should
contact their local Apple representatives for information.
_________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
"""""""""""""
MAC Report's MailBag
""""""""""""""""""""
I've been saving up the mail for a couple of weeks. Now that the Holiday
buying frenzy is over, not much interesting has arrived. There are,
though, a few _very_ interesting items here. Read on.
Probably the neatest, niftiest, coolest item that arrived in my mailbox
is a flyer from DeLorme. DeLorme is a mapmaking company and they've
produced a Mac version of Street Atlas USA. This CD-ROM contains maps of
the entire USA. There are 24 zoom levels so that you can zoom down to
show one city block or zoom out to show the entire country! The maps are
very comprehensive, with even my out-of-the-way road mapped and ready to
be copied and pasted into my favorite applications. You can search by zip
code, street name, city, and latitude and longitude among other search
criteria. Real neat! Call DeLorme at 1-800-757-5332 Ext. 2007
The Mac Professional's Book Club will send you 5 books, Macintosh Secrets
(with disks), Desperately Seeking Solutions (with disk), Live Wired (Mac
Networking info with disk), MacWorld Guide to System 7, and The Mac is
Not a Typewriter for only $4.95. All you gotta do is join the Book Club
and order one more book within a year. If this sounds good to you, write
them at 3000 Cindel Drive, Delran, NJ 08075-9889.
If you want any CD-ROM software, the place to go is Educorp. THey have
hundreds of titles and good prices. Call 1-800-843-9497 and ask for a
catalog. It will be well-worth your time.
WHEW! That's it for this week. My fingers are worn out from all that
typing. As always, please feel free to send your comments or questions
to me at:
America OnLine: STReportRN
Compuserve: 70323,1031
GEnie: R.NOAK
**********************************************************************
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
=================
STReport International Online Magazine is available every
week for your reading pleasure on DELPHI. STReport's readers are invited
to join DELPHI and become a part of a friendly community of enthusiastic
computer users there.
SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
======================
Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
DELPHI services via a local phone call
JOIN --DELPHI
--------------
Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
then...
When connected, press RETURN once or twice
and...
At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.
DELPHI's Basic Plan offers access for only $6.00 per hour,
for any baud rate. The $5.95 monthly fee includes your first hour
online. For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at
1-800-544-4005 DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of
Cambridge, MA.
Try DELPHI for $1 an hour!
For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and
receive 5 hours of evening and weekend access during this month for only
$5. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end
of the calendar month with no further obligation. If you keep your
account active, you will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic
Plan, where you can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a
minimum $10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96.
But hurry, this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage
of this limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press
<RET> once or twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and
press <RET> again. Then, just answer the questions and within a day or
two, you'll officially be a member of DELPHI!
TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (1/12/94)
---------------------------
(1) CD ROM INFO (6) MYCLOCK V.1.07
(2) PREMIUM MAH JONGG II (7) US MAP
(3) WORLD CONQUEST V.0.7B (8) ATARI MAIL ORDER DEALER
(4) FD144.TXT (9) PFXPAK V3.0
(5) DIRECT-DRIVE (10) TOWERS
HONORARY TOP 10
The following on-line magazines are always top downloads, frequently
out-performing every other file in the databases.
STREPORT (Current issue: STREPORT #10.02)
ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE (Current issue: AEO - VOLUME 2, ISSUE 22)
Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database.
DELPHI-It's getting better all the time!
**********************************************************************
ATARI/JAG SECTION (III)
=======================
Dana Jacobson, Editor
> From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Thanks to everyone who has inquired as to how I'm progressing with
my bout with the flu. I wish that I had better news this week, believe
me!! I broke down and saw a doctor Monday. Hey, I work in a
clinic/hospital, so I may as well take advantage of it, right? Initial
diagnosis was the flu and bronchitis; then I had an x-ray. I was quite
surprised to learn that I'm suffering with pneumonia! Well, I guess if
you're going to get sick for the first time in over 5 years, you may as
well get _sick_!
I'm really not looking for sympathy; but I did want to let you
know that I do have a _good_ excuse for not keeping to my self-imposed
schedule. I was hoping to have Part 2 of our ongoing articles on the
online community's support staff, continuing with Compuserve, ready for
this week. I'm just not up to it, nor much of anything else for that
matter.
So, there won't be anything under the guise of an editorial this
week. The Winter CES has provided us with a number of observations and
information with regard to Atari's Jaguar. I've included a number of
them in this week's issue. We'll also learn what Joe Mirando has found
out what people are saying on Compuserve; and also how the online
fishin' has been this past week from our resident angler, John
Duckworth.
So, you keep reading while I go grab some orange juice and this
hour's batch of medication. I hope things will be better next week, or
sooner......sigh.
Until next time....
***********************************************************************
COMPUSERVE'S LOWER PRICING FOR CONNECT RATES
============================================
(13-Jan-94)
Starting 6-Feb, CompuServe members billed under the Standard Pricing
Plan will pay lower rates for access to extended (hourly priced)
services. The new rates for CompuServe's extended services will be
$4.80 per hour for access at 300, 1,200 and 2,400 bps, and $9.60 per
hour for access at 9,600 and 14,400 bps. This pricing change reflects
up to a 40 percent reduction from previous rates for extended-service
products. Communications network and product-specific surcharges
still apply.
Clearly put the NEW Rates are ...............
BAUD Old Hourly Fee New Hourly Fee
300 $6.00 $4.80
1200/2400 $8.00 $4.80
9600/14400 $16.00 $9.60
The monthly basic services rate of $8.95, which provides access to
more than 50 product areas, remains unchanged, as do rates for
CompuServe members billed under the Alternative ("pay-as-you-go")
Pricing Plan.
Through this pricing reduction, CompuServe is passing along cost
savings realized by the use of advanced technology and
"commodity"-priced hardware in its host computer systems.
For complete information about CompuServe's Standard and Alternative
Pricing Plans, to check your current billing option or to change from
one billing option to the other, GO CHOICES.
Winter CES Observations
by Ron Luks,
Okay folks.... Here's a brief summary of my WCES94 show experiences (as
they relate to the Jaguar/Video Gaming)....
Everyone in this forum has seen gaming fans and Atari employees touting
the new Jaguar Gaming System extensively. Because it has shipped to
very limited markets, most folks have not yet had their hands-on
experience. I didn't until I got to the CES booth.
$64,000 QUESTION-- IS THE JAGUAR AS GOOD AS EVERYONE HAS BEEN SAYING?
ANSWER-- NO. Definitely No. The Jaguar is NOT as good as people have
been saying.
Clarification -- The JAGUAR is *MUCH*, *MUCH* BETTER than everyone has
been saying. Yes, in spite of what you previously thought was
over-enthusiastic hype for the new Jaguar, the machine not only delivers
everything you've heard, it's far, far better than I ever hoped. I
would use the word "awesome" but that word has been used to death by
the MTV generation. Nevertheless, the Jaguar is simply everything you've
been told, and more....
The consumer electronics press corps are a very jaded bunch. We've seen
everything, played with everything, heard pie-in-the-sky promises from
everyone. Nothing impresses the CE press anymore.
Nothing, except perhaps the new Jaguar. The "buzz" in the press room was
significant and sustained. The "buzz" on the show floor was continuous.
The Jaguar is "hot."
I attended the 3DO press conference hosted by Trip Hawkins, the president
of 3DO. He went through an elaborate and impressive slide show and
presentation describing the progress of 3DO over the past year and its
plans for 1994.
Much or most of what Mr. Hawkins said about the industry and 3DO was both
impressive and accurate. The 3DO units are capable, expensive, powerful,
expensive, well designed and expandable and (did I mention?) expensive.
The singular and (in my opinion) most important aspect of Mr. Hawkins'
presentation is not what it said, but rather what it DID'NT say. He
(tried to) completely ignore the Jaguar from Atari Corp. Mr. Hawkins
stated that 3DO's competition was "Nintendo, Sega and Sony." He went on
(in great detail) to explain why these three companies would not succeed
against the 3DO effort. I won't comment about these companies because
my knowledge of their plans is limited.
However, at the first opportunity during the Q&A portion of the
presentation, I asked Mr. Hawkins why he didn't list the Jaguar as part
of 3DO's competition, especially considering that initial reports we've
received from locations that offer both the Jaguar and the 3DO units have
reported that the Jaguar is selling approximately 10-to-1 over the
competition?
Mr. Hawkins responded that according to his information, there were more
3DO units sold in 1993 than Jaguar units.
NOTE-- The Jaguar was available in basically 2 cities for a 4 week period
while the 3DO units were available for much longer (6 months?) on a
nationwide basis.
Mr. Hawkins (was he starting to perspire profusely? It looked that way
from the 3rd row, but maybe it was the hot lights......) went on to say
that the Jaguar was essentially not in the same league as the 3DO. He
called the Jaguar a "cartridge machine" while the 3DO uses the much more
advanced CD-ROM technology. I said that the Jaguar's CD-ROM unit was
about to ship but he seemed to "not hear" this comment. He went on to
say that "Atari tweaked the Jaguar for better response as a cart-based
system..." (not true says Atari), and that "Atari doesn't have the
necessary capital ..." to sustain the system, etc., etc., etc....
Essentially, he downplayed the significance of the Jaguar as much as he
could. He even suggested that the press go over to the Atari booth and
look at the Jag for themselves and they could easily see why 3DO was
the superior system.
After the press conference, I spoke with a few other members of the
press and it seemed that they also picked up on Mr. Hawkins' nervousness
with regard to the Jaguar and I would like to mention that that afternoon
was the busiest day for show traffic in the Atari booth. (Thanks, Trip).
Talking to Sam and Gary Tramiel, both looked extremely comfortable and
confident with the limited but spectacular success of the Jaguar at this
point in time. (Sam looks 10 years younger than last year and my wife
noted that he looks like "a very happy man with a real winner on his
plate...")
Talking to Bill Rehbock, J Patton and other Atari employees, the quiet
confidence and enthusiasm they expressed for the product said it all.
Talking to numerous show attendees in the Atari booth, there seemed to be
no question about the acceptance of the Jaguar as "the" state-of-the-art
game system.
In the past, I would have expected some amount of skepticism about ANY
new products capabilities but (except for Trip Hawkins) there seemed to
be no questions, complaints or doubts about the Jaguar.
In fact, the only question seemed to be "Could Atari actually deliver
(in quantity and quality) the unit they were displaying at the show?"
Believing that our members deserved to have this question asked, I
approached Sam Tramiel in the Jaguar booth and bluntly stated my
question.
Before Sam started to talk, there was a simple smile. It was the kind of
smile that said "we've worked our backsides off to get to this point
against all the odds that said we couldn't. Don't worry for a second
that we're going to take anything for granted....."
After that smile, any words were simply superfluous. Its the same
feeling you get when you are playing blackjack at any casino, and you and
the dealer both have a Jack showing. Then you see that your hole card
just happens to be an ace. Its not a question of whether or not you are
going to win. Its just a matter of how big you are going to win....
*******
Trip Hawkins, 3DO's CEO, Attacks (??) the Competition?!
Consumer Electronics Show
3DO On The Attack 01/07/94 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA,
U.S.A., 1994 JAN 7 (NB) -- Trip Hawkins, CEO of 3DO, went on the attack
against the competition in the crowded video game market during a press
conference at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show. Hawkins claimed that
over 10,000 3DO machines were sold last year, claimed he'll have 30,000
retail outlets and over 100 titles by the end of this year, and
pooh-poohed the competition.
He called the proposed Sega and Nintendo CD-based game machines "toys"
and their licensing schemes "fascistic." He called the Philips CD-I
system "out of gas." He claimed 3DO systems are 120 times faster than
PCs, and more likely to be used in living rooms anyway. The Atari
Jaguar, he claimed, is a cartridge-based toy, not even comparable to
3DO's machine. 3DO, of course, doesn't sell a machine. It licenses a
design for a machine. So far, only Matsushita, through its Panasonic
label, sells a 3DO machine in the US. Hawkins said AT&T will sell one,
however, in a few months, and will include a modem supporting its
VoiceSpan technology with it, so players can talk while their game
machines interact. He said Sanyo will launch a 3DO machine this summer,
and claimed a fourth, unnamed company will also be shipping a product by
year-end.
All told, Hawkins said, 3DO has sold 6 hardware licenses, over 500
software licenses, 184 in the last 90 days, and has shipped 174
development kits. While just 18 titles are out now, Hawkins said 219 are
in development,in a variety of categories. Hawkins also claimed he's not
discouraged at all by the slow ramp-up of sales. "More 3DO players were
sold last year than VCRs in their first year, and more 3DOs were sold in
the last 90 days than CD players were in their first 90 days on the
market." He scoffed at the idea that no hot titles are available, noting
that Lotus 1-2-3 came out 18 months after the IBM PC, and Sonic the
Hedgehog came three years after Sega's Genesis hit the market. Hawkins
also got into the question of rating systems.
The Software Publishers' Association and Sega are planning ratings
systems, the Motion Picture Association has been solicited to work on
one, and lawmakers are warning of dire consequences if an effective
system isn't found soon to keep violent and sexually explicit titles away
from youngsters. Hawkins, of course, claimed he has one, based on the
motion picture system. A green circle with an E will denote titles for
anyone, yellow stickers with the numbers 12 or 17 will denote games
parents should worry about, while a red stop sign with the letters AO
will denote an adults- only title. This, of course, is nearly identical
to the G, PG, R, and NC-18 system used by movies. "We'll support any
other rating system," Hawkins added, "but we're launching this right
away."
Despite widespread skepticism by analysts and the press, the recent
hammering of 3DO stock and negative comments by CNBC's Dan Dorfman about
the firm's prospects, Hawkins, sporting a hairdo like New York Knicks
coach Pat Riley, remained unflappable. "We went public at $15, went up,
then down, and we're at $23. Obviously we don't have fundamentals --
we're a concept stock. It's easy for competitors to spread
misinformation about us." "We captured the beach," Hawkins concluded,
"but it's going to be a long war."
Press Contact: Cindy McCaffrey, The 3DO Company, 415-261-3236)
Atari's Don Thomas, in a totally unofficial role, decided to pick apart
Hawkins' press conference, as we see below.
This one will be fun. Keep in mind that these are my personal opinions
and not those expressed by Atari Corporation.
<<Hawkins claimed that over 10,000 3DO machines were sold last year>>
I suspect "sold" means "delivered to retailers" or "licenced for
manufacture". I would prefer to hear that 10,000 units were in
households before I personally felt that number had much value.
<<He called the proposed Sega and Nintendo CD-based game machines
"toys">>
Of course they are toys. A Lamborghini Countach is a toy too. By
definition, the 3DO is a more expensive toy that Sega, Nintendo, Atari
(or anyone else, I guess, except maybe the Lamborghini Countach).
<<He called the Philips CD-I system "out of gas.">>
That's a real technically-defined statement coming from a CEO...
"out-of-gas"?
Seems to me odd that the best defense a CEO has of his product is to
refer to the competition with subjective name-calling.
<<The Atari Jaguar, he claimed, is a cartridge-based toy, not even
comparable to 3DO's machine>>
If the 3DO is so flexible, then why can it not use cartridges for those
who want to? Quite frankly, firearms use cartridges and, although that is
admittedly a far-fetched comparison, it makes my point clear... Just
because something accepts cartridges, that doesn't mean it must be
classified only as a toy.
<<All told, Hawkins said, 3DO has sold 6 hardware licenses...>>
Sony sold a lot of BETA technology licenses in the U.S. too.
<<... and has shipped 174 development kits>>
I'll make it 175 for them if the price is cheap enough. These kits are
the only way potential developers can determine feasibility.
<<Hawkins also claimed he's not discouraged at all by the slow ramp-up of
sales. "More 3DO players were sold last year than VCRs in their first
year...">>
The reason VCRs sold slow in their first year was one of the main reasons
3DO is selling so slow. VCRs sold for upward to $1,200 or more if memory
serves me right. If Hawkins doesn't "Trip", and follows his own example
to a rational conclusion, then he's admitting that 3DO systems won't have
a prayer until prices show the same dramatic decline that VCRs did before
people really started buying those up. (I wonder if Hawkins has
professional people review his speeches before he makes them. ((Just a
friendly dig <g>)))
<<...and more 3DOs were sold in the last 90 days than CD players were in
their first 90 days on the market>>
Yea, but did he sell more units than See 'n' Says did the first year?
<<He scoffed at the idea that no hot titles are available, noting that...
Sonic the Hedgehog came three years after Sega's Genesis hit the
market.>>
Wait a minute, didn't he already establish that Sega and Nintendo were
only "toys" and there is no comparison? I hope his technology is more
consistent than his speeches are.
<<Hawkins, of course, claimed he has one, based on the motion picture
system. A green circle with an E will denote titles for anyone...>>
Sounds like innovative stuff to me! (Hey where's my See 'n' Say anyway?
I thought "A" was for Anyone!)
<<It's easy for competitors to spread misinformation about us.>>
What is he talking about? He just spent a lot of time calling everyone
else "toys" with no substance to reinforce such a claim, then he says
it's easy for competitors to spread misinformation. What misinformation?
What are the competitors saying? Did they call the 3DO a "toy" too? Is
that the misinformation he's talking about?
<<"We captured the beach," Hawkins concluded, "but it's going to be a
long war.">>
Of course it's going to be a long war... you're on the wrong beach!
(Geeze... What a Trip!)
<<Press Contact: Cindy McCaffrey, The 3DO Company, 415-261-3236>>
Keep this number, there may be an opening there soon! <g>
IMPORTANT: These are personal comments and in no way represent the
comments of any other person or entity.
--Don Thomas
Representing me on this one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atari Wins Awards at Winter CES!!
Die Hard Game Fan Magazine presented Atari with two awards:
Cybermorph: "December Game of the Month"
Jaguar as the Best New Product of 1993
Video Game Magazine presented Atari with two awards:
Best New Product of 1993
Best Print Ad of 1993 for the Jaguar
Game Informer Magazine announced their 2nd Annual Game Informer
Magazine Awards. They have awarded the Atari Jaguar as the:
Best New Product of the Year
Electronic Games named the Atari Jaguar version of Tempest 2000 as
Best Game of CES.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
New games for the Jaguar in 1994 (This is not an official or complete
listing).
Return to Zork, by Activision.
The next generation of classic Zork adventures makes its triumphant
64-bit debut! The closest an interactive computer game has ever come to
cinematic quality production, Return to Zork fully showcases Jaguar's
powerful graphic capabilities by combining a mix of full-motion video
live action scenes, and photo realistic animation. This amazing 64-bit
adventure is filled with danger, intrigue and low cunning. It's loaded
with fascinating puzzles, and a revolutionary interface, an original cast
of real Hollywood actors, more than an hour of spoken dialogue and 200
CD-quality musical themes.
Doom, by Id Software
Doom is an ultra-fast virtual reality showcase that plunges you deep into
a brutal 3D world filled with enough graphic violence to earn this
monster its very own warning label. As a renegade space marine, you must
utilize state-of-the-art weaponry and technological artifacts to fend off
legions of gruesome fiends, and use your wits to solve hundreds of lethal
puzzles. Dramatic, high-speed animation and Jaguar's uncompromising
multimedia realism bring this fantastic and grisly adventure to life.
Tiny Toon Adventures, by Atari
Leap inside a real cartoon! Based on the popular Warner Brothers.
characters, this zany platform scroller is a true showcase of Jaguar's
rich animation capabilities. Bad boy Montana Max has a new toy: an Acme
TiToonium Converter. But the only place he can get TiToonium is on a
planet Aurica, and the removal of Titoonium is causing grave ecological
damage to the Toon-filled universe. Armed with an Acme Crazy Net, follow
Buster Bunny, Babs Bunny and Plucky Duck as they embark on a mission to
shut down the Acme TiToonium-Gold Converter--and save planet Aurica.
European Soccer Challenge, by Telegames
Goooaaaal! The Atari Lynx sports favorite comes to the Jaguar. This
proven soccer program delivers an expanded season and playoff format, 170
teams and complete team/individual stats. In addition, each player
possesses his own personality and performance capabilities. You even have
the option to make trades. For Sport fanatics, European Soccer Challenge
is a 64-bit kick!
Ultimate Brain Games, by Telegames
The popular Lynx mind bender comes to the 64-bit format. Test your moves
against the only system qualified to accommodate all the CPU horsepower
required for a real chess challenge. Work your way to master status on a
full-scale battlefield with classic chess--and checkers, and backgammon.
There's a challenge here for every skill level and member of the family.
Extended features--such as specific game set-up for the computer solution
and digitized graphics--make this product a must for your video game
library.
Hosenose and Booger, by ASG Technologies, Inc.
Here's one for the sick and twisted. Hosenose has a cold and as fate
would have it, he's managed to sneeze and suck his girlfriend Hotsnot
deep into his brain. In a unique gaming experience that fully showcases
Jaguar's monster graphic capabilities, you'll take a nose-dive into
Hosenose's sinuous nasal passages in search of the lovely yet cerebral
Hotsnot. Through every organ and orifice you'll meet a wild cast of
disgusting characters, including Mickki Mewkus, Logjam Sam, Vicki Virus,
and the Evil Dr. Bile. An off-beat animated adventure only the 64-bit
power of Jaguar can deliver.
Club Drive, by Atari
You've never experienced racing like this! Designed especially for the
Jaguar, Club Drive pulls you into a fully rendered 3D environment. There
are no rails here--just 70 square miles of San Francisco to race through
and explore. Go anywhere as you chase down your opponent in a fast-paced
game of tag through the craggy canyons and frontier towns of the Old
West. Crash and score as you test your wheels in a futuristic skateboard
park--for cars! Experience what it's like to be a toy car and race
through your neighbor's house, around coffee tables and under the
television. It's your chance to do things with a car Henry Ford would've
never dreamed of.
Commando, by Microids
Take an in-depth, first-person perspective into the trenches of 64-bit
warfare. As the Officer in Charge of a team of crack commandos, you'll
experience all the rigors of gritty jungle combat through the eyes of a
real soldier as you patrol, set ambushes, destroy key structures, rescue
personnel...and ultimately win one for your Commando team. Jaguar's
sophisticated animation and audio processors bring you front-line combat
so real, extended play may cause flashbacks!
Dungeon Depths, by Midnite Software, Inc.
Long ago in an ancient, uncivilized world, man built great castles to
close himself off from the grunts of the earth. And beneath these castles
he built miles of dungeons to imprison you and your repressed minions.
Get ready for a medieval multiple-player role- playing arcade adventure
as you battle "surface dwellers" in an effort to rise up from the
clutches of the aristocracy. With rich, vibrant graphics, this 3D
textured underworld epic makes full use of Jaguar's real-time rendering,
advanced 3D texturing and high-speed animation capabilities.
Ultra Vortex, by Beyond Games
Ultra Vortex is street fighting to the 64th power! History has seen the
rise and fall of many warriors. All fell to the power of the Vortex
Guardian, who has dominated mankind for thousands of years. It's 2045,
time again for the Testing. You and nine other able warriors have been
chosen from America's top underground gangs to fight for the right to
take on the Guardian. Drawing on the mesmerizing powers of the Vortex,
you must master deadly street fighting and martial arts skills--including
the lethal "Vortex Annihilator"...destroy a field of formidable champions
and ultimately crush the Guardian!
Battlewheels, by Beyond Games
Buckle up for 64 bits of metal-mashing arcade action. 2021 AD. Humankind
has turned to an increasingly dangerous spectator sports for its
entertainment. Welcome to Battlewheels! Drive solo or team up with as
many as eight of your buddies for a futuristic demolition derby to the
death. Custom equip your suicide vehicle from the ground up with machine
guns, missiles, flame-throwers...and compete for "kills," cash and glory
against a vicious band of road warriors-- through treacherous deserts and
ghost cities of a bygone era. Yeeehaw!
Evidence, by Microids
The magic of the movies meets the power of Jaguar. This 3D interactive
feature combines unbridled 64-bit technology with incredible motion
picture effects. As a young reporter wrongly charged with murder, you
must find a way to escape from prison and expose the party responsible
for putting you behind bars. Full-motion video and digital sound effects
are Evidence of a gaming experience only Jaguar can deliver.
Car Wars, by Midnite Software, Inc.
Earth, 2094. Advances in technology eliminated tires, refueling and, in
general, made the roads a safer place--at least within the city limits.
Outside the clean cityscapes--in the Arena, where bloodthirsty drivers
clash in massive road beasts to battle for what is yours, and what you
think should be yours--is where you do your driving. It's a futuristic
off-road carnage bonanza that takes full adventure of Jaguar's stock
graphic processors.
Alien vs. Predator, by Atari
Choose your weapon in a 64-bit combat challenge with the stars of these
feature film blockbusters. Alien's machete-like tail and nasty jaws are
perfect for ripping into any predator. Predator's sophisticated weaponry
and superior infra-red night vision make it easy to search out your
victims. The Marine Corporal's massive arsenal and sophisticated combat
computer skills make hunting mutants easy. Battle through miles of
texture-mapped corridors with stunning digitized character recreations.
Lightning-fast speed provides the ultimate in chase sequences.
Exceptional colors and light shading throw you in the middle of all the
limb-severing action.
Brutal Sports Football, by Telegames
Crush 'em, mutilate 'em, splatter 'em all over the field...It's anything
goes in Brutal Sports Football. No more rules-just pick up the ball and
run for your life as Jaguar's five high-performance processors throw you
on the gridiron with 16 of the most unforgiving mutant teams to ever
separate a cyborg from his generator pack. Compared to this, Pro Ball is
Powder Puff. Five methods of control, three play modes - an audio/visual
experience that will literally tear you apart.
Checkered Flag II, by Atari
Formula racing peaks in real-time 3D action so intense, so realistic,
your skin may actually peel back over your cheekbones. This is
eyeball-dryin' racing action only the blazing speed and power of Jaguar
can deliver. Customize your car and hit the road against a fierce field
of speed demons. Cars, buildings and roads are rendered in true
toe-curling 3D. 100 percent authentic effects - crashes are realistic in
both sound and imagery, with parts flying and tires screeching. Helmet
optional, but highly recommended!
Tempest 2000, by Atari
Updated with heart-stopping energy, this arcade classic sweeps into the
21st Century. Using vector graphics, rapid fire, a fully interactive
starfield and CD-quality stereo sound, the power of Jaguar teleports
Tempest 2000 into the 64th dimension. Manipulative abilities have been
modernized with new features that include spins and twists not seen in
the original, plus an exciting upgrade to the year 2000 that spotlights
Jaguar's 3D polygon rendering capabilities.
______________________________________
> The Old Fishing Hole STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THE OLD FISHIN' HOLE
====================
-A Guide to the Online PD/Shareware Waters.
by John R. Duckworth
Brrrrr...it seems that winter has finally hit full stride. This
is the best time for users to stay warm by huddling around their
computers and fish the online waters. After speaking with many
northern friends online, and seeing news photos, I am beginning to feel
a bit guilty. Down here in the sunny south the weather is simply
beautiful (even drove my car with the top off the other day) although
I am saddened by the fact that my sweaters still haven't been put to
use this winter season. But enough about the weather (please no hate
mail from my northern friends), I am here to review some new shareware
packages for Atari systems...so let's get on with it!
First up is "Easy Go" by Anthony Watson of Mountain Software.
"Easy Go" is similar to the program "GoGo ST" which is essentially a
file launcher. The idea behind the program is to make system life
simpler by arranging the most frequently used programs and
applications on an easy to navigate menu system instead of having to
search through directories each time a popular program is needed. "But
what about users who can assign programs to function keys or simply
place them on the desktop?", you may ask. Well Anthony feels, and
rightly so, that functions keys and desktop icons are limiting since
only a small number may be used compared to the 240 that can be
assigned to "Easy Go". I do find it a bit hard to believe that a user
has _that_ many programs that he/she runs often enough to create a
shortcut...but I have been proven wrong many times before.
"Easy Go" is presented to the user as a grid of buttons, four
across and ten down (math wizards have undoubtedly calculated this to
forty already), with a row of menu buttons underneath, all in a GEM
window. There are six different panels of forty buttons thus adding
up to the 240 as touted earlier in the review. An interesting
application could be to assign a different menu page to each family
member, thus effectively simplifying a novices computer session.
Programs may be assigned to buttons by clicking on them when
empty (right clicking when they are in use) and then filling out an
assignment description which includes the title you wish to appear on
the button, a key equivalent (for power users that dislike using the
mouse), the filename, the graphic resolution to use (only available
for TOS 1.04 through 2.06) and finally the processor speed (only for
those using Mega STE's). Setting up "Easy Go" is a snap.
"Easy Go" also has fairly powerful macro capabilities allowing
the user to create scripts which can run several programs with one
button and change resolutions accordingly, ask for user input, call
the file selector and act on selection, pass command line arguments
and more. Example applications could be to invoke an archiver to
decompress a selected file, or to compile C code with a compiler. The
possibilities should only be limited to the users creativity.
Overall "Easy Go" is a fine application with many possibilities
for a specific group of users. The one gripe I have with the program
is that it insists on changing the default desktop colors when the
program is invoked. Why can't we have our original desktop colors?
Couldn't 3-D buttons be used in place of the custom button routines?
If you can look past that small aesthetic anomaly and need a program
to simplify your computer sessions, then you may not need to look any
further than "Easy Go". The package is shareware, and a fully
functional registered version may be obtained from Mountain Soft for
$18.95 plus shipping/handling.
The second program to pass my desk this week is "Premium Mah
Jongg II" by Jens Schulz and Thomas Grube. This is a computer version
of the old Chinese strategy board game of Mah Jongg. The object of the
game is to clear the entire board of tiles by finding pairs of matching
tiles which are available to be removed from the board. (I won't go
into details since many of you have played before). The game is very
addicting, and there simply hasn't been a suitable version for all
Atari computers (and graphics cards) before this version.
The game may be played solitaire or tournament game disks may be
created for what Jens calls "The Happening". Many of the visual
defaults of the game may be changed such as the color of the
background and/or tiles, and the Hz rate. Another great feature of the
game is the ability to show all possible moves (although the game
won't count toward a high score). Extensive online help is always
available in case a user forgets which tiles match, or what keyboard
shortcuts are possible.
I highly recommend "Premium Mah Jongg II", and encourage all who
use it to send in the requested donation of $15.00. Jens Schulz has
been one of the most active Atari users in Germany and has sent many,
many disks full of programs to our shores, most of which were
uploaded for our enjoyment on Delphi (thanks Joe!).
That's all for this installment of "The Old Fishin' Hole". I hope
I've steered you toward a few useful (and perhaps addicting) packages.
As always, direct all comments, questions, or programs to:
JDUCKWORTH@delphi.com. Happy Fishing!
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Old Fishin Hole Tackle Box * |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Easy Go |
| GEnie: Atari RT- (# 31596) |
| |
| Premium Mah Jongg II |
| Delphi: Atari Advantage- READ PREMIUM |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
* The Tackle Box is meant to provide assistance in finding files
mentioned in the column. It should not be considered a COMPLETE
listing and is provided for convenience only. Delphi Atari Advantage
files should be found in the Recent Arrivals section of the database
until moved to their appropriate sections.
__________________________________________________________
> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by
Joe Mirando
Hello out there, all you folks in Computerland. Its time once again
to check out the stuff that's available here on CompuServe. It's not
just a bunch of techno-geeks spouting "computerese" either. It's
regular folks who have encountered problems... or solved them and want
to share the know-how with the rest of us. It's people talking about
their pets, what they like to do with their computers, why they prefer
their computer to others, and a whole slew of other things. So let's
take a look...
From the Atari Productivity Forum
=================================
Marty Hall tells us:
"I need a program to write aviation maintenance manuals. Those manuals
with all the little blocks for sign off and blocks with text in them
and with progressing chapter numbers and page numbers in neat little
blocks in the upper right coner along with a date and revsion number
like the F.A.A. like to see. I have used a Mac program ( be darned if I
can remember which one at the moment ) to write one manual and KNOW
that the Atari is as smart as any Mac that ever came down the road.
Any suggestions?"
Boris Molodyi gives Marty his opinion:
"I would recommend Calamus. It does have semi-automatic chapter
numbering, up to 7 or so levels, and can handle just about any type of
graphics you throw at it.
It can also set all dates inserted in the text to the date when you
reformat it.
You can contact DMC, who distribute Calamus in their section in Atari
Vendors (GO ATARIVEN) forum."
Laurent Mangane asks Charles Smeton of NewSTar Technology:
"Does STraight FAX support the speech mode of TIA TR29.2? From which
French dealer can I get STraight FAX ? If none, can you give me the
coordinates of System Solutions in UK ?"
Charles tells Laurent:
"STraight FAX! is not available in France as far as we know. System
Solutions in the UK has two locations as described below. STraight
FAX! 2 is a FAX only application at this time. The majority of FAX
Modems do not yet support voice mail features. The voice mail commands
have not been officially standardized as far as we know. The few FAX
Modems that are available with Voice Mail, such as the ZyXEL and Zoom
VFDX use what is being proposed as the standard. However, the same
thing occurred two years ago with Class 2 FAX standards, and as we now
know, the official Class 2 (Class 2.0) is very different from the Class
2 in use by today's FAX Modems.
We have a VFDX Voice Mail FAX Modem and are evaluating the market
potential for a Voice Mail application on the Atari platform at this
time.
SYSTEM SOLUTIONS (London Showroom) 17 19 Blackwater Street London SE22
8RS 081-693-3355
SYSTEM SOLUTIONS (Windsor Service Center) 47/48 Building 2 Windsor
Business Center Vansittart Road Windsor SL4 1SE
P.S.
System Solutions is also the UK distributor for STraight FAX! 2, so any
dealer in Europe could also order it from them."
On the subject of using CompuServe, David Honigsberg posts:
"I'm just getting involved with CompuServe and need to know if there's
an offline reader/navigator available here for the Atari ST. It would
make life a great deal easier if I could do some work at home from time
to time."
Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine, one of the most
knowledgeable people around, tells David:
"There is a program called Quick-CIS which will do what you want. The
author Jim Ness is online right here, in this forum."
Geof Blewden asks about transferring files between ST and PC:
"I have a PC but my children have an Atari ST. Does anyone know how I
can read/write to their disks, please?"
Albert Dayes tells Geof:
"You can format disks on your PC to 720K and use them to transport
files between the two systems. This assumes that your ST has a double
sided - 720K drive."
Sysop Brad Hill adds:
"No problem <grin>. If you format a disk on the PC (720k assuming
your ST drive is double-sided), the Atari will be able to read it and
write to it. The PC, however, will not read an Atari-formatted disk.
Of course, applications cannot be shared between the two operating
systems."
After being told that STWriter was a good word processor (it is) and
that it was available on CompuServe (it is), Steve Sathue posts:
"I haven't been able to find Stwriter 4.8 in the libraries as of yet.
I've used the Atari File Finder for the search to no avail - do you
know the exact name of the file for which I should search?"
Albert Dayes tells Steve:
"Its called STW48.LZH and its in library #5. Its a 32K download."
Mike Myers posts:
"To Whom it may concern, and anyone else interested or just curious:
First, I need a good book that will give me some very basic stuff. I
discovered yesterday that I was entirely wrong about how a desk
accessory worked, so I need a reference that will fill me in on the
basics. To explain: I got an Atari 1040ST used, and with no manual, or
other documentation. I'm pretty much isolated from anyone who could sit
down at my keyboard, and figure things out, and fill me in on items
like "A desk accessory is...". So, is there such a book? for Atari's?
There is no real call for Atari books in my area, so where can I get
it?
Now, I apparently goofed somewhere when asking about a Neodesk
program. When I put a disk into the computer, the first thing I get is
a display with 2 floppy disk and a trash Icon, with four headings on
the top. When I activate the Desk header, I get GEM & TOS in a rather
fancy dialog box. I can't remember what else is in there. My son, who
sold me the computer said he had permanently installed something when
he got it. Would that be something comparable to Neodesk? Second, what
is an accessory, and how do you install it. I've been trying to put
Cardfile and Stalker on disks with Wordwriter with ACC as the final
three letters. No luck. Somebody told me that you loaded them directly
into the Computer, so I tried that. When I change the last three
letters into .ACC, I get a file icon, and when I try to open it, I get
the normal screen print, cancel dialog box. What am I doing wrong?
Third, what is a utility, and how do you install it? I want to get a
date and time clock. I understand They can be put into the computer.
How can that be done? If I put one into the computer, will I be able to
update it, or will I have to leave the machine powered all the time? Is
leaving it powered, with the monitor shut down harmful? An observation
for software producers: there probably are a lot of potential customers
out there who will gladly buy your stuff if they can get simple enough
directions. A statement that ".... can be run as a program or a
accessory" is fine, and may mean you've done some rather neat
programing but if you don't tell me what an accessory is, and I don't
know, it's no good to me. I would pay extra for a manual that assumes I
know nothing. I won't be insulted. Really."
Jack Shalom tells Mike:
"Unfortunately, there's no real call for Atari books in anyone's area
these days and you're unlikely to find one! If it helps I can send you
photostats of important pages of the manual."
Myles Cohen, another CompuServe regular, tells Mike:
"Wow...you seem a bit perplexed...
Have you tried moving your mouse pointer to the first drop-down menu
on the left side of the very tippy-top of the screen...
Here is where your accessories will be listed...providing you loaded
them into your computer without mishap...and that they are not placed
into a folder but are naked and out in the open...
Once you see the name of the accessory you want in that menu...just
bring the arrow to it...and when it is highlighted (changes
color)...all you have to do is click your left mouse button once or
twice to select it...
A utility is a program or accessory that is useful as an aid to using
your computer...you install it just as you would any other program or
accessory...(yes I know...you're still confused...)
Just get a program or an accessory that counts machine "ticks" and
pretends that it is a clock...that's how quartz watches work...
One of the differences between a program and an accessory is that a
program usually takes over your computer so that you cannot do anything
else until you exit the program and get into another program...while an
accessory usually lets you do other things even though in midst of a
previous program ..while in a program you can "call" an accessory"
(from the top leftmost menu...remember...) and use it to accomplish
whatever...and then return to the original program where you left off
when you exit the accessory...
There are downsides to using accessories...you can only have up to six
at any one time...and they take up valuable memory space...even while
they are not being used...
Then why don't you look for the series of books by Ralph Turner about
the ATARI ST...a possible source for them would be to contact TOAD...a
mailorder source for Atari Products...at (800) 448 8623..."
Mike thanks Myles and checks to see if he's got it all straight:
"Thanks! To be sure I understand [about the Accessories]...: I take it
that Accessories are loaded onto a disc that contains a program, in a
file, not a folder, and they should load and be available when the
program is loaded. If I put, say stalker,on the same disk as my
wordwriter program, after wordwriter is loaded, stalker acc should be
too? I'll try it again, but is there something I'm missing? >A utility
is a program or accessory that is useful as an aid to using your
computer...you install it just as you would any other program or
accessory< Then,I just put it on a disk with a program on it, (with
what last three letters?) and it installs itself along with the
program? I haven't tried any of these ideas yet, but I will tommrow. I
have read two of Turner's books, and, while they were helpful, they
still assume a certain amount of prior knowledge. I don't remember
anything about the difference between programs,accessories, and
utilities."
Myles tells Mike:
"The word file can be used to describe a program...or it can be used to
describe an accessory...in other words programs and accessories are
files...and there are also text files...and data files...and graphics
files...and midi files...etc....
An Acessory always has the .ACC as the last three letters... A Program
has .PRG as its last three letters... (There are a very few talented
programs that let you take a program with a PRG ending and change .PRG
to a .ACC thereby allowing it to act as a program...or an accessory...I
believe that STALKER is one of these...)
I do hope you know what a folder is...if not...holler...
Feel free to ask as many "simple" and/or "stupid" questions as you
need to...
So many people have helped me in the past..."
Myles is one of those people who typify what is best about CompuServe...
and, indeed, what is best about the on-line community as a whole: The
willingness to help a newcomer with questions. Thanks Myles... and keep
those answers rolling!
Sysop Bob Retelle, another of those who help the less experienced (which
is just about all of us when compared to Bob), tells Mike:
"Another thing to try would be to give Atari Corp's Customer Service
department a call and see if they can send you an owner's manual for
your computer...
Be sure to specify the exact model you have, as the manuals will
describe different features for the different models.
I don't believe my original owner's manual went into much detail on the
kinds of things you've been asking about, but it's a good starting
point.
And actually, you've discovered probably the BEST place to find out all
those kinds of things anyway... right here on CompuServe..!
Atari's phone number is: (408) 745-2000"
Mike tells Bob:
"I tried to go directly to Atari for a users manual, but I got nowhere.
They feel it would give rise to more piracy if I could copy my friend's
disk, and then buy the manual. And I thank you. I tried the things you
all mentioned, and they actually worked."
Gee, I THOUGHT the idea about calling Atari made too much sense. Oh,
well, it was worth a try.
Robert Aries adds his own (and my favorite) way to make using an ST as
easy as possible:
"Neodesk is a replacement for the standard GEM "desktop" which appears
when you first turn the computer on. From what you say, you are
looking at the standard desktop.
The appearance of the desktop, along with any desk accessories, are
determined by files that are on the disk when you first turn the
computer on (the "boot" disk). Any files in the root directory (i.e.,
not inside a folder but immediately viewable when you first open a disk
directory) with the .ACC extention will be loaded in as accessories. A
_limited_ amount of programs will be able to run as both programs _or_
accessories but it isn't a given by a long shot.
When an accessory has been loaded in, you don't activate it by
double-clicking on the icon; rather, you should see its name displayed
when you drop down the "Desk" menu (either from the desktop, or from
inside another program that supports menu-ing). Simply putting the
mouse on the name and clicking runs the accessory.
The ONLY files that will run when double-clicking directly on the icon
are those with extentions of .PRG, .APP, .TOS, or .TTP. Most common
are .PRG, followed by .TOS. .TTP programs are usually small utilities,
and I don't believe I've ever seen an .APP file!
Also, on the boot disk there may be a folder with the name AUTO. If
so, then any program file inside the folder will be automatically run
when the computer is turned on. I suspect that this is how Neodesk is
installed. Hope this helps!"
From the Atari ST Arts Forum
============================
Mitchell Porras asks about viewing graphics on his ST:
"Hello, I'm wondering if someone can help me. I have an atari 1040st
and when I try to view downloaded grahpics all I see is a bunch of
characters all over the screen. I'm new and admit I don't know to much
about programs."
Mike Mortilla tells Mitchell:
"It sounds like you need to get a program to view the graphics.
GEMVIEW (I think) is a popular one and there are a few available here
and in the Ataripro forum.
If you haven't already done so, you'll also have to get a
"decompression" program. Most files have a .ZIP .LZH or .ARC extension
meaning that they are "compressed." You can also get the decompression
files here (or there...) as well."
Jonnie Santos tells Sysop Bob Retelle:
"A while back you gave me the great tip about how to view a 89a GIF
with a viewer that only recognized the 87a standard. I like to use
Prism Paint because it loads as one format and I can save as another
format - really nice!
But on some of these GIFs that are for example 640 x 280, 256 colors I
have to use low res (16 colors) and even then the bottom of the picture
doesn't appear on the screen. Even if I load into the clipboard and
then resize smaller so you can see the whole image there's a blank area
where the rest of the image should be.
Do you have any clues about how to view these on my STe so I can see
the whole image, please? I have viewed the same image on a Mac and the
GIF is fine - and incredibly photo-like."
Yat Siu of Lexicor Software tells Jonnie:
"There are several alternatives..one is to update to version 2 and
then you have a virtual screen that you can scroll aroud to view your
whole GIF...it also color dithers and/or grey shades it for you.
Then you can use Gem View if you are ONLY into viewing..it will open a
window which you can move around and scroll around to view the whole
GIF... SOL will also do a Virtual Resolution technique..I prefer the VR
way, as it tends to be faster and easier to use..rather than scrolling
around with a menu bar. It is a useful technique...but for painting it
is not so good I think...."
John Brenner asks Jonnie:
"Why don't you use GEM-view ? It also loads a format and gives you the
possibility to save as another. In addition, you can used different
dithering methods, rescale, grayscale, and many more tools to
manipulate the image."
Jonnie tells John why he doesn't use it:
"I think I have a version of GEMVIEW - at least if it's the shareware
product I'm thinking of. If so then it locks up when I try to scroll
left/right, up/down."
John tells Jonnie:
"Try to run again on a bare system. If the crash persists, get a new
version of Gem-View. It is at version 3.1 and since it's shareware,
it costs nothing to try it, and is more than reasonable when you
decide to keep it. The author will send you a personalized key so
anytime you get a new version you type in your code and it becomes you
own personalized version. There seems to be an update a month....:-)"
Sysop Bob (Retelle) explains why graphics on the ST might not have the
zing that they do on other platforms:
"The reason those GIFs don't look as good on your STe is that the Atari
hardware can only display a maximum of 16 colors at once, so the 256
color palette has to be reduced in some way to 16... unfortunately that
usually means the end result is pretty bad.
We have a GIF file viewer here in the software library called SPEED OF
LIGHT, which uses some tricks to display more colors than are usually
allowed, so the display is a lot better.. (it's a lot like the way
SPECTRUM 512 was able to fool the system into displaying 512 colors).
Sort of the same kind of thing happens with the resolution of the
pictures too.
The highest resolution you can display with 16 colors is only 320 x
200, so the viewing program either has to shrink the picture somehow,
which usually ends up making it look pretty bad, or it can try to load
as much of the picture as it can. Some simpler viewing programs only
load the part you can actually see on the ST screen, and just throw
away the rest. This sounds like what you've been running into.
Other viewers, like GEMview, will load the entire picture and let you
scroll the screen window around so you can see all of the picture, only
not all at once.
Give the Speed of Light viewer a try.. it may be more what you're
looking for."
Boris Molodyi posts:
"Hmm, I thought that Line-A does not work in true color modes... And
I'm not really sure if Falcon's VDI actually uses it, or it is
preserved only for compatibility..."
CodeHead Extraordinaire, Charles F. Johnson tells Boris:
"Actually, the truth is that Atari _did_ upgrade the Line A code to
work in _all_ Falcon video modes, including 16-bit ("true color"). I
know this for a fact, because many of Warp 9's screensaver modules use
Line A -- they have to, there's no other way to do what they do -- and
these modules work in all modes on the Falcon.
The only real problem with using Line A in 8-bit or 16-bit color modes
is that the Line A color indexes are limited to four bits, which means
you can't use colors beyond the first 16. Apart from this, all the
Line A calls I've tested work fine. In 16-bit color mode (I refuse to
call it "true color" -- it's not), there are some differences in the
way some of the calls work, but they do work.
In light of this fact, I think it's very important for anyone
manufacturing a video card to support Line A in its driver software."
From the Atari Vendors Forum
============================
Ira Adams talks a bit about his experience with GENEVA, the
Multi-Tasking Application Environment from Gribnif Software (you know,
the NeoDesk guys):
"I installed the Release 3 upgrade tonight. The same problem still
occurs with QuickCIS -- it executes OK, but selecting any choice from
the menu bar causes (1) the line forming the righthand edge of the
directory window from which QC was run instantly overwrites the QC
copyright notice box that is in the middle of the screen, and (2) the
computer locks up completely and has to be reset by the button on the
back.
It would be nice if this could be fixed, since QC is one of the
programs I use most on this computer."
Rick Flashman of Gribnif tells Ira:
"I will download QuickCIS and pass it on to Dan for testing. See if
he can figure out what is going on with it."
Ira thanks Rick and asks another question:
"Thanks for looking into QC/Geneva. Next question: can you help me get
my Warp9 Extendo-Sav screen saver to work again? It was working fine
with Geneva until I patched to Release 3 and now it won't come on
either with time or when I move the mouse to the "hot" corner of the
screen. I tried going through reloading the program in the Warp9
control panel, but without success. Is it because I'm using v3.75 of
Warp9?"
Rick tells Ira:
"Hmmm. Dan runs the Warp 9 Screen Saver *all* the time on the machine
he writes Geneva and NeoDesk 4 on. This makes darn sure that it works
no matter what he does (grin). I personally don't use it (Dan hogged
the only copy we have). I'll ask Dan on Monday if he has any ideas."
Ian Fleming tells Charles F. Johnson of CodeHead Technologies:
"I have just purchased Warp9 plus EOS from ST Club and am a happy
customer,it has really breathed life into my Mega4. Could you tell
me.When I load a .EXT file into EOS and save the configuration,should
this .EXT file then be used after a boot or turning the machine on from
cold or does it default to the basic screensaver? I notice that you
also advertise Calligrapher3 in the package I received,how does tis
compare with Calligrapher Pro that I have? There is no longer any UK
support for this excellent product with the demise of Working Title,I
would be interested to know if I can upgrade as a registered user...
I have tried ringing Working Title with no success.The ST Club report
that nobody is supprting Calligrapher at present."
Charles tells Ian:
"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Warp 9. To answer your question,
yes -- when you load a screensaver module and then save your
configuration with the Warp 9 Control Panel, that module will be loaded
the next time you boot your computer. Note that the Warp 9 CP saves a
different config file for each screen resolution, so you can have
different screensavers for each res.
Since you purchased it in England, I'm not sure exactly which version
of Calligrapher Pro you have, or what the differences are between that
and Calligrapher 3. I'll have to check on our upgrade policy about
this; usually, if you purchased the program in England, you'd upgrade
from the English distributor. But this is kind of an unusual case..."
Ian tells Charles:
"Thanks, I have got Warp 9 settled in well now,and have sorted out my
EOS problems. The only problem is that I cannot get it to run with the
Titan Reflex graphics card so far."
From the Palmtop Forum
======================
Neil Gaiman posts:
"I've been having all sorts of weirdnesses with my relatively new Port
recently -- low battery messages on new batteries, screens blanking or
blacking and so forth. I suspect this is because it's been left in the
car occasionally at temperatures below 0 degrees F.
Anyone with any experience of this?"
Atari's top Portfolio Guy (that's not his official title), Don Thomas,
tells Neil:
"I can't speak specifcally to your machine, but I can tell you that
although the Portfolio stands up pretty well to various temperatures,
it IS extremely sensitive to the batteries. If the batteries have been
in extreme cold for a while (in a refrigerator or in the machine in
cold weather), wait for them to warm up before the machine will fully
function again. Also extreme temperaturs can affect the LCD."
Pascal Plovyt asks:
"Can anybody help me on this? I'd like to copy the data on a Atari
Portfolio HPC-005 to an IBM compatible computer. What do I need ? What
kind of cable, or adaptor, and where can I find it?"
Again, Don Thomas comes to the rescue and tells Palcal:
"Check the FAQ (frequently asked questions) file in the libraries.
There are three key methods. One involves the Parallel Port. Another
makes use of a null-modem connection using the serial port and the
third, being the easiest, is the PC Card Drive."
Well folks, it seems that I've run out of room again. So let's just
knock off here and save the rest for next week. Be sure to tune in...
Same time, same station, and get ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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