CLEVATARI - January 1990
From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 03/01/94-04:36:57 PM Z
From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: CLEVATARI - January 1990
Date: Tue Mar 1 16:36:57 1994
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| The official newsletter of the |
|Cleveland Atari Computer Enthusiasts |
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|JANUARY 1990 ISSUE #99|
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EDITOR'S NOTES
by Randy Hahn (CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER Issue #99 Jan 1990)
Well, here I am all nervous and teetering on the brink of excitement,
all over my first issue as newsletter editor. This issue contains my first
published articles (the INTERLINK demo was a handout at the meeting) so I now
know what it is like to be an island! I am frantically trying to remember why
I haven't written articles before now, and I can't really think of any good
reasons. But I think now I can identify how it is on the other end
hoping to receive something to publish.
Your opinions, and viewpoints are important to the success of this
newsletter! Somehow, the alternative adopted by many clubs around the
country of joining forces in common publication just doesn't seem the same
as a newsletter written, edited and published by friends. I feel the
"Grass Roots" approach to a newsletter which shares the experiences,
impressions, and views of those around us especially those who we know is by
far the best way to learn and grow in this technological era. I sincerely
hope you all can share this experience by supporting the effort of newsletters
such as ours. Please consider writing something, short or long makes no
difference! What does make a difference is that it is from you!
One of the most interesting parts of a newsletter is the varying types of opinions. Don't let your voice go unheard!
The agenda tonight includes the introduction of the new officers, an
8-bit and ST demo and of course the big raffle drawing. First of all let me
welcome each of the officers and a sincere wish for the best in this New
Year. Already having worked with you has been a real pleasure. I had no
idea that there was so much to do monthly in order to keep this
club running. I now have a much greater appreciation for what goes
on behind the scenes.
Thank you, to those who contributed to this months' meeting
and to this newsletter for without them, this would be a newsletter of
just one (I'm not sure how interesting "my" newsletter would be without their help.)
Of course the highlight of the agenda tonight is the drawing for the
SUPER prizes. We would like to thank Soft-Logic for their support of users
groups namely tonight's first prize of Page Stream. We also need to thank
Practical Solution's for their Mouse Master, tonight's second prize. There
will be an opportunity to purchase tickets tonight prior to the drawing.
Please show your continued support by honoring your presence at the ticket
table.
Well, its that time again for you all to re-enroll as members. I think
you will be surprised at how ATARI will grow in the future and how the group
can and will grow with your support. I for one have a lot of confidence
especially having seen all of the software and hardware support lately
(the late implication wasn't meant). The STE (Enhanced) is reportedly
shipping in Europe and the only thing holding it up in the U.S. is the FCC
Approval. Software is showing strength. Avant Garde, once having a
strong hold in the emulator market is being strongly challenged by PC-Speed
an MS-DOS emulator from Germany and marketed by Michtron in the U.S.
We now have the only computer that has three IBM emulators and two
Mac-Emulators. That plus the many, many software titles sported only for
the ATARI computer is surely an indication that there is support
for ATARI. This is also the year of the REVOLUTION !, a grass roots
approach to support for ATARI. This should prove to be a very interesting
and rewarding new year indeed! I hope you will feel the same.
See you next month! Happy Computing!
C L E V A T A R I
N E W S L E T T E R
JANUARY 1990 ISSUE #99
CONTENTS
IT'S ON THERE
COMPUTER LEARNING
SPACE QUEST III - REVIEW
THE REVOLUTION (PART I)
BOBTERM
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CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER is published 12 times a year by the Cleveland Atari
Computer Enthusiasts (C.A.C.E.) P.O. Box (216)486-8914 93034, Cleveland,
Ohio 440101-5034. Vice-President. Any non-copyrighted articles in this
newsletter may be freely reprinted in any non-commercial publication,
provided that credit is given the author and CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER. The
opinions expressed herin are those of the individual authors and do not
necessarily reflect those of C.A.C.E. which is in no way affiliated with
Atari Corp. The name Atari and the associated computer products and logo
are registered trademarks of Atari Corp.
Subscriptions - Issues of the CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER are distributed to
registered members of C.A.C.E. and are included in the annual membership dues.
Membership Dues-
Single $15.00
Family $20.00
Student $ 8.00
Senior $ 8.00
Business* $40.00
*Business membership includes (3) full page ads per membership year.
Advertising - To advertise in the CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER please contact the
Advertisement Editor.
Single Issue Rates
Full Page $20.00
One-half Page $12.00
One-third $10.00
One-quarter $8.00
Business Card $5.00
-Article Submission-
Articles should be submitted on disk and program listings must be on a
working disk. Text files should be in ASCII format if possible but most
common word-processing formats will be accepted. The Senior Newsletter Editor
will make final dicisions as to the suitability of all submitted material
for publication. Additionally, articles published in this newsletter
may be reprinted by other newsletter provided that the author and this
newsletter are given full credit. Every effort has been made to present
accurate information, thus the newsletter and its editors assume no
responsibility for any mishap due to the acting on any suggestions presented
in this newsletter.
______________________________________
IT'S ON THERE
by George (George Neff, Sr., CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER Issue #99 Jan 1990)
Each month a file from the "TCP" BBS will be highlighted. These
programs can be yours free just for calling and registering to use the
bulletin board. The modem number is (216)-228-7335. The times listed are
for 1200 baud so if you are using 300 baud the time will be about four times
longer and if you are using 2400 baud they will be one-half as long to
download.
These programs might not have been checked yet so if you have any trouble
with the file let me know and I will try it. If I can not get it to work I
will get a hold of the one who up-loaded it and either find out what
is wrong or get a working copy loaded to replace it.
To conserve space on the board most files have been arced in one form
or another, if you have problems extracting them see some one at the
meeting and they should be able to help you or get someone who does know
how.
In the ST download-sig section [9] ST UTILITIES: Is a program called
NEODEMO.ARC that will take about 9 minutes to down-load. This is a DEMO
version of NEODESK by GRIBNIF software showing some of the features with some
others disabled. There are 863 blocks and will take 16 min. to download.
Happy New Year to all, and have fun telecomputing....
COMPUTER LEARNING
by Larry Kohse (CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER Issue #99 Jan 1990)
"Human History becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe." H. G. Wells
If we think of advances in technology over the past 2000 years, in the
domain of education little change is apparent. In the Roman empire, standard
textbooks were used throughout and students studied these and wrote lectures
as we do today. Certainly the manufacture of books etc. has changed, but
their use is the same. However, with the development of the computer, we
probably are on the threshold of a major change in the way we will teach and
learn. Currently there is research going on to try and replace the textbook
and class lecturer, for example with Steven Jobs' NeXT computer.
I would like to review briefly a brochure published by one of the
companies involved in computer education. The "Computer Curriculum
Corporation" (CCC) was founded in 1967 by Patrick Suppes who, according to
their blurb, was a pioneering researcher in computer-assisted instruction.
The CCC will set up a complete education program for schools from kindergarten
to grade 12. They also offer individual "projects" for dropouts, slow
learners, convicts and students with English as a second language. They also
have programs for remedial education which I think are interesting as they are
designed to help adults function in the modern world (balancing check books,
getting accurate change from a store, spelling and others). They call these
survival skills.
The CCC gives numerous examples about how well their programs work in
actual schools in cutting down on dropouts and improving achievement rankings
in various subject areas such as math and reading. One aspect that struck me
as reasonable was the course lengths, from 7 to 40 minutes per day. I have
always maintained that no one can concentrate on a subject for more than about
30 minutes unless it is on sex and/or violence. However, the complete course
such as Math Concepts and Skills from grades K to 8 has 245 hours available
over 9 years. I did not have any of their programs to run but from their
brochure they are all interactive with text and over 10,000 color images.
Voice synthesis is also available. There is a" management" that allows the
student to take any course with a coded sign on, teachers do not have to move
around software. Each student can be intensively monitored as to progress and
these reports used by teachers. They may as well get used to this type of
ongoing monitoring as it has already been introduced in the work place in
regards to word processing and telephones. A UNIX system is used, although
this is not directly mentioned in the brochure, it is in small print at the
bottom of a page. They also offer computer education courses as part of this
program.
Apparently quite a few schools use this system, around 2,500 with 10 of
these being in the Cleveland area. One of the computers this system is based
on is the Atari 1040 ST (the other is IBM). This exposure of the Atari 1040 ST
in schools should boost the overall use of this excellent computer.
Personally, I think computer education in schools and colleges will be
the major and technical advance in education, even though audio-visual learning
was hailed as a great leap forward that took a nose dive. What has made
textbooks so long lasting is cost, the ease of use, and maintenance.
Computers are now within reach of that goal with portables and the vast
memory storage systems. Computer learning, if made understandable to the
student, allows for that all important interaction necessary to hold the
mind's attention (with audio-visual all of us just fell asleep).
SPACE QUEST III - a Review
by Randy Hahn (CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER Issue #99 Jan 1990)
Space Quest III is an adventure game in full color graphics which is
one of the reasons that I bought it in the first place. Until now I have not
really enjoyed adventure games, because too much is left up to ones
imagination. "The descriptions given" and hints along the way usually lead
to early frustration and early retirement of the game. The graphics
to me are beautifully done and the animation really gets you into the
action of this adventure game.
Space Quest III is produced by SIERRA On-Line, Inc. and is only one
of the many titles they produce for Atari such as Police Quest, Gold Rush
and the Leisure Suit Larry series to name a few. It can be easily said
that they know what they are doing when it comes to adventure games. The
clues, even as subtle as they may be, are really there and if you try hard
enough, a solution to every problem along the way usually becomes apparent
after a while. Fortunately, there are quite a few true "adventurers" out
there who are usually available for hints when needed.
Space Quest III is the third (obviously) in a series of space
adventures involving the character "Roger Wilco" Sanitation Engineer
turned space age swashbuckler. You are thrown into a space adventure which
picks up where Space Quest II left off, namely, in an escape pod in which YOU
(Roger) escaped in just before blowing up Sludge Vohaul's asteroid fortress.
Apparently, shortly after escaping in the pod, you realized the oxygen
supply was nearly depleted and to make a last ditch effort, you climbed into
a hibernetic sleep chamber with the hope that someone would find you soon.
Then when your small pod has drifted for a seemingly "intermediate amount"
of time in endless space, the pod is picked up by a "robot run" garbage
scowl merely as a piece of trash in outer space. The jolt of the trash
heap as it meets the outer skin of the escape pod jolts the suspended
animation sequencer and you are brought back to your full senses only to find
yourself trapped deep inside the garbage scowl.
Your mission (if you should decide to accept it) is to rescue the Two
Guys from Andromeda (the authors believe it or not) from the despicable
pirates of Pestulon, from a seeming "FATE WORSE THAN DEATH". If you don't
like great graphics and if you don't like adventure games (and you don't
feel sorry for the two who wrote it by now), then this game purchase may not
be for you. I for one am glad that I am now a Space Quest addict and I am
seriously considering obtaining the other two episodes in the series.
I hope you enjoy the demo.
THE REVOLUTION (tm) - An Individual Approach to Joining the
Nation in a Campaign of Increasing Atari
Awareness. (Part I)
by Artisian Software
(Reprinted in CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER Issue #99 Jan 1990)
WHAT I CAN DO INDIVIDUALLY
This is the heart of the campaign. If ever you heard: "Every vote
counts!", it certainly does here. The first portion deals with a national
schedule of events. The second part of this section deals with general things
we could be doing. The calendar not only represents the specific things to
do, but what the rest of the nation will be doing simultaneously. It's
like all the atoms in a chair shifting to one side at one time; all of them
have to move to make the chair jump, but what an accomplishment when they
do! If you do not understand the projects mentioned or have comments, please
contact Artisian Software at : (209) 239-1552. It is important that you do
not take the actions recommended, until the scheduled date. Attempt to
prepare your letter writing projects over the prior weekend and have them in
the mail by Noon on the Tuesday of that week. The impact will only be felt if
Atari users across the country are seen following a movement in a synchronized pattern. Please look ahead and consider any group projects which can be
prepared in advance. User's Groups may wish to help pre-print form letters
to pass out at meetings. If you go on vacation or are away from home, we
encourage you to take and follow this calendar while you are on the road.
That's how important every individual is! If nothing else, please make an
attempt to catch up if you miss any weeks. DO NOT PRE-MAIL ANY LETTERS
BEFORE THE DESIGNATED WEEK...THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Some of you will understand the "marketing" value of these projects more
than others. Please explain your understanding and encourage others to
participate. You may wish to help others write effective letters or become
their "REVOLUTION" team captain by coordinating events and communicating with
Artisian Software about your progress.
Do not become discouraged. We can tell you right away that many projects
will seemingly not have any immediate measurable results. This program is
carefully designed to maximize exposure of the Atari computer and you are
guaranteed to accomplish this. There may be reasons to reinforce some
activities. For instance, if some of the targets for letter writing receive
this HANDBOOK, they will know in advance what to expect. Therefore, you may
be notified through your favorite Atari publication of follow-up activity or
slight changes to the scheduled dates. The designations of "NATIONAL WEEK"
herein are not official government declared holidays. They are referencing
our national efforts for that particular week.
Week 1-- Prior to and including January 6, 1990
LET'S GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!
Write a letter, once a week to the following three individuals:
SAM TRAMIEL, President
Atari Corporation.
1196 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086
PRODUCER, 20 / 20, ABC TV
1330 Avenue Of The Americas
New York, New York 10019
The Editor's desk of your local newspaper. Tell Sam Tramiel that you have
joined "The REVOLUTION"; and are prepared to wage the war in favor of better
consumer exposure of the Atari computer lines. Ask for his recognition and
support. This will leave no doubt in Atari's mind that the campaign
has substance and they better be building a few more computers next year
for the U.S.
Tell 20 / 20 and your local paper, in your own words, that you have joined
"The REVOLUTION" ; a consumer interest movement organized to build public
awareness about the best available computer values. Tell them the organization
has chosen Atari as a well rounded computer which is easily adapted for
education, business, music and leisure. As an active member, tell them
you request their coverage of the campaign. This activity will be a major
step to alert the media that they need to be aware that something is going
on.
Week 2 --Jan 7 thru Jan 13, 1990
NATIONAL ATARI PUBLICATION RECOGNITION WEEK
During this week, choose one or more Atari oriented publications. There are
many. Artisian Software can provide you with addresses or phone numbers of
your favorite publication if you wish. When subscribing, include "My
subscription is in the spirit of "The REVOLUTION!" on your order.
Also during this week, choose a topic concerning "The REVOLUTION" and write
a minimum of two paragraphs about your opinions of it. Send it to the editor
of your chosen publication.
Week 3 --Jan 14 thru Jan 20, 1990
NATIONAL RUBBER STAMP WEEK
Rubber Stamp Week? Yep...that's what the man said! Every office supply store
offers them and they are not expensive. Write:
Join The
REVOLUTION
Use an Atari Computer !
on a piece of paper and take it to your office supply store or local printer.
In less than a week, you will have a powerful tool to stamp on every envelope
you mail out and your message can reach dozens of people with each letter.
Mail sorters and carriers, the recipients and their families or co-workers
will see the growing movement advertised on every envelope you mail. You will
need to get a stamp pad; please use red. Go stamp happy and stamp everything
you can.
It may cost a little more for the convenience, but you may order this stamp
from Artisian Software for $22. California, add 6% sales tax. Send your
order to: Artisian Software, P.O. Box 849, Manteca, California 95336.
Week 4 -- Jan 21 thru Jan 27, 1990 NATIONAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT WEEK
There are two things to do during this week. First, review your library of
computer software and see if there is any you own that you may have
"inadvertently" received and did not pay for. Choose a title you use from
time to time, or admire because of its' quality. Send a check for the
publisher, anonymously if need be, and thank them for their Atari software
support. Shareware qualifies.
Secondly, find a non-Atari software publisher in magazines or by asking around.
Write a letter addressed to the President of that firm and ask them why they do
not support the Atari computer and if they will please consider it. Ask them
for a reply. Be polite.
Week 5 -- Jan 28 thru Feb 3, 1990
NATIONAL "GO TO A BARR" WEEK
Let's band together for a special episode of ROSEANNE... the most popular
sitcom now being broadcast.
In this episode, the family wins a home computer (an Atari) with a "REVOLUTION"
strike force around every corner to help them set it up.
Write to: ROSEANNE BARR
c/o ABC TV
2040 Ave OF The Stars
Los Angeles, California 90067
Tell her your nifty plot idea (as stated above) and ask for a special episode
to be produced. Tell her every Atari fanatic in America will watch. Who
knows, if they do it, maybe we can get Atari Corporation to sponsor it.
Week 6 -- Feb 4 thru Feb 10, 1990
NATIONAL GOODWILL WEEK
In honor of Valentine's Day on February 14, call your local
Hospital and ask for the name of a child who may benefit from a little
recognition and attention. Design a large outline of a heart on a paint
program. Print it out and write: " On behalf of 'The REVOLUTION'; a national
Atari computer user interest group, I wish for you a speedy recovery. We
admire your strength!" Sign and send it to the address the Hospital gives you.
You may make the "card" as fancy as you wish, but artistic skills are
not required. Parents, have your children pass out Atari generated
Valentine's to classmates.
THE CONTENTS OF "THE REVOLUTION HANDBOOK ARE COPYRIGHT 1989 BY ARTISIAN
SOFTWARE. THE CONTENTS OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE IS CONTAINED IN "THE REVOLUTION
HANDBOOK(TM)" ARE REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF ARTISIAN SOFTWARE.
"THE REVOLUTION(TM)" IS A TRADEMARK OF ARTISIAN SOFTWARE. TO UTILIZE THE
POWER OF THE NAME FOR PROFIT (PRINTING ON T-SHIRTS, COFFEE MUGS, ETC.) ,
CONTACT ARTISIAN SOFTWARE.
OTHER TRADENAMES AND TRADEMARKS REFERRED TO IN THE BOOK BELONG TO
THEIR RESPECTIVE BUSINESS ENTITIES.
BOBTERM: Telecommunicating with the
Eight Bit
by Ken Vargo
(CLEVATARI NEWSLETTER)
(Issue #99 Jan 1990)
Happy New Year one and all.
I hope this year finally becomes the
turn around year for the sacred FUJI
icon as the past years were supposed
to. I am here this year to keep the
faith of the glorious eight-bit
system alive and bring new wonders
upon us. In the past, little has been
passed along in the form of information
for the eight-bit and I hope to rectify
that situation this month with a new
form of communication. Those of you
that have been EXPRESS'ed 850 or so
can now seek a new type of term.
BOBTERM is a new feature packed
telecommunications shareware program
from Robert Puff. I don't know when it
was first released but the current
version (ver 1.1) was release June
1989. This program supports the regular
850 Interface and PR: Connection. It
also handles direct connect modems such as the MPP, XM301, and SX212. The
program does not use BASIC and has the
handler built in (if you are using a
direct connect modem the appropriate
handler must be renamed so it can be
loaded.) By renaming the program
AUTORUN.SYS the program can be made to
autoboot and run. The disk also
contains about 45K of documentation of
the workings of BOBTERM.
If you are familiar with EXPRESS,
BOBTERM is a breeze to use. After the
program loads you are presented with
your Command Menu that allows you to
alter any of the system parameters
(baud rate, duplex and translation.)
There is a complete section on Dialing
Commands, DOS functions and Screen
Control Commands.
In the Modem Parameters you have
your normal full/half duplex; Atari,
ASCII, vidtex translations; and tone or
pulse dialing. You also have your
choice of baud rates but with a maximum
of 19200 bits per second if your modem
and interface can handle this (with a
null modem cable and a 850 Interface
9600 is the maximum allowed.) Not bad
for an eight-bit!
Under the Dialing Menu one can
load in ones' dialing menu with up to
24 names per list which includes name,
number, three macros, baud rate,
translation, duplex, and wait to
connect time. One can also input their
long distance code if you use a
service that uses one.
The System Commands provide access
to DOS functions, buffer control and
send/receive functions. The
send/receive functions allow you to
select your transfer protocols which
include: std Xmodem, Xmodem CRC, CIS
fast Xmodem, 1K Xmodem (sometimes
called Ymodem), Ymodem batch, Fmodem
(?), and ASCII send. It also allows
automatic ASCII/ATASCII translation.
This is a full feature terminal
program for the eight-bit and I have
just touched on some of the highlights.
I know I won't use all the features
available because I don't use the modem
as heavily as others but if you are
looking for a program that is extremely
powerful and easy to use I would
recommend dumping EXPRESS and going by
way of BOBTERM. Remember that BOBTERM
is SHAREWARE and if you would like to
continue to see quality software such
as this produce please send a donation
to the author for his or her efforts.
Peace be with you.
The Rev. (Reverend Atebit and the
Church of the Sixty-Five-O-Two)
_ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ - _ -
This newsletter was contributed by
Randy Hahn and was edited for the Atari
SIG by Len Stys.
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