ST Report: 28-Sep-90 #639
From: Len Stys (aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 10/07/90-01:41:41 PM Z
From: aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys)
Subject: ST Report: 28-Sep-90 #639
Date: Sun Oct 7 13:41:41 1990
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September 28, 1990 No.6.39
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> 09/28/90: STReport? #6.39 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
-------------------------
- The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - Stock Report
- DC Desktop - START CALLS! - Neodesk 3
- NE ATARIFEST - 128K CHIP SALES - STR CONFIDENTIAL
* EXCLUSIVE!! INTERVIEWS-> DAVE SMALL -=- DENNIS HAYES! *
* WAACE - THE SUPER EAST COAST SHOW - READY! *
* ATARI TO BE AT WAACE IN FORCE! *
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> The Editor's Podium
WAACE is next weekend and at the show, GEnie is going to unleash a
surprise upon the entire telecommunicating community. Also, it is repor-
ted that GEnie has invested over $10,000 in the display they are providing
at the WAACE show. This show promises to set all kinds of neat records.
Atari's support of the WAACE show has been top drawer all the way! This
means the folks on the East Coast will get to see all the new stuff from
our favorite computer company. Not to mention the fantastic new products
from the superb corps. of third party developer support the computer line
enjoys.
STReport highly recommends attending this show, there will be TT
computers there and all kinds of neat goodies for use with your ST com-
puters. The best part is having the opportunity to meet and greet all the
wonderful folks we 'type' to all year long. Don't miss this show it has
all the earmarks of a big success.
Ralph.......
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> COUNTERFEIT CHIPS STR FOCUS INTERVIEWS WITH DAVE SMALL & DENNIS HAYES
===========================
CLEARING THE AIR - SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Category 26, Topic 9
Message 184 Wed Sep 26, 1990
DAVESMALL at 20:45 EDT
HackerCon doesn't really have transcripts. It was at a campground in the
mountains west of Silicon Valley. Saw Bill at #2, Andy at #2 and #3 (86 &
87).
They were the sort of people you'd like to work with, y'know?
Just got word of who's been spreading the "Gadgets is Doomed" rumours.
According to three different folks, it's Denny Hayes. Thing is, I have
absolutely no idea why.
Some speculations come to mind; in the meantime, I've already talked to
Mr. LegalMan about a letter for Dear Denny, telling him to quit lying.
Sure a pain to have to clean up after someone like that.
-- thanks, Dave / Gadgets
------------
Upon re-examination of the paragraphs in question.......
The two paragraphs noted below are indeed accurate in their
representations and still, I do not find the _NAME_ of *ANY* person,
persons, company or corporation noted as having done anything right or
wrong in these comments. As far as the comment:
Singletary writes:
"Interestingly another fellow ST'er called me telling of difficulties
in ordering a GCR just this past week. After calling all over the
country he finally found ONE in Illinois. Since Dennis was raided
in July, I can't help but wonder if, since Dennis seemed to be THE
MAJOR SUPPLIER of MAC ROMS, this doesn't have something to do with it.
If so, Apple may have effectively put a choke hold on the emulation
business in general."
In pointing out the GCR as the product being sought, there may have
been an element of confusion introduced. On this point STReport
clarifies, for the record; according to all the information available to
STReport, the GCR is in no way involved in the Dennis Hayes matter other
than simply being one of the Apple MacIntosh Emulators (GCR, AMAC etc.)
that * COULD POSSIBLY * use the type of chips Dennis Hayes has admitted
counterfeiting. Although, during the summer months there had been an
effect upon the distribution of the GCR by a PAL failure and recall of
product, (quickly correcting the PAL problem), it should be noted that
there is no apparent relationship between that slowdown and the arrest of
Dennis Hayes or the cessation of production/availability of counterfeit
Apple 128k Roms.
In the editor's commentary in last week's article, re-printed here:
"In most situations such as this the reports about an arrest would
normally appear at the time of the arrest, not 2 months later. In
fact, to find that the 'defendant' has already plead guilty would seem
to indicate that a "deal" had been cut. A deal could be comprised of
many things, ie., admissions, additional testimony, implication of
others, full co-operation in the prosecution of other "related"
cases.. etc.. As a result, one can safely assume that the "shock
waves" from this particular bust will be felt for some time to come.
Additionally, the word is that Apple may be considering a sweeping
civil matter involving those individuals who were engaged in the
quantity distribution of the chips and software."
STReport finds no problems whatsoever with these two paragraphs. In
fact, a very reasonable explanation has been offered as to why the strange
timing of the Dennis Hayes matter. There are absolutely no suggestive,
hinted or otherwise alluded to, indications toward any entity in a deroga-
tory manner. As far as Apple's intention's, (Apple * MAY *), again;
STReport detailed a possibility, _ not _ a "cut in granite proclamation."
As far as CENSORSHIP is concerned, STReport fully agrees with Mr.
Small. STReport felt it * appropriate * to provide the FULL REPORT
supplied by our reporter detailing completely * ALL * his conversations
with Dennis Hayes.
As for the CRIME itself, it cannot be played down, 5000 counterfeit
Apple ROM sets translates into $500,000 (half million dollars). This is
but one of the FACTS provided by the original press release provided
verbatim in our issue last week.
In no way shape or form were _any_ individuals, companies or corpor-
ations directly implicated in this or any part of the release. Dennis
Hayes is the ONLY person named in the account of this particularly offen-
sive case.
Later Monday evening STReport received a call from Dave Small, the fol-
lowing is a condensed representation of that conversation.
**** EXCLUSIVE STREPORT INTERVIEW ****
DAVID SMALL
Interview by R.F. Mariano
In almost every news story and for that matter every story, there are
three sides, side (a), side (b) and the non-partial side. In this matter,
Streport will make every attempt to show the full and totally non-partial
picture as it has unfolded to date. Above, we re-printed last week's
article and below we present further information. The magnitude of this
case is such that full clarification is warranted and every attempt will
be made to bring out only the real facts as they are obtained from the
principals involved in this matter.
Dave Small has been called a genius, a guru, the King of the Emulator
designers and perhaps a few other well deserved, praise filled, titles.
When he called Monday night in response to my request for an interview in
a very informal format, I concluded he was a man willing to clear the air
of confusion and set the record straight. The following, although not
very long, conveys what STReport feels are the necessary clarifications.
We begin with;
What is your impression of this whole mess?
"Shocking astonishment.. Surprise, In fact, I was totally unaware that
an operation of this type was technically possible. I never suspected
this at all"
Was Dennis Hayes a Beta-tester for you at any level?
"No, He was never a beta-tester for me or my company.
What effect, if any, do you feel this latest development will have on the
emulation market?
"There are plenty of 128k roms available. There is no reason to
expect this matter to adversely effect the market at all. For ex-
ample, the numbers of surplus 128k rev (a) roms is large, (they had a
scsi boot bug), since our device ignores the mac scsi driver, the bug
does not effect us in any way. Subsequently they (Apple) came out
with the 128k rev (b) roms, these fixed the scsi bug. But it introdu-
ced the blind read slow down. No big deal, our device still operates
fine with this revision. Rev (c) fixed everything. However, if one
considers the number of chips left over after the revision swap outs,
that's alot of loose, unused chips floating around."
Have you or do you handle any ROM Chip sales.
"We do not handle any sales of ROM chips at all."
Can you possibly estimate how many machines Apple ships per month?
"The last time I checked it was in the neighborhood of 70,000 per
month."
Would is be safe to say then that considering the number of machines
shipped per month plus the number of revisions translates into plenty of
non-counterfeit 128k rom being available?
"There is no doubt that the numbers are quite high, 128k roms will be
around for quite some time to come. I hadn't mentioned the upgrade
kits that were so plentiful for some time in the past, in fact, there
were so many of them that many were dumped on jobbers and split up
with the 800k floppy drive going in one direction and the 128k roms
going in another."
Dave, in closing this interview, have you any thoughts you wish to convey
to the readers?
"This situation is truly temporary and will most certainly blow over
as most all controversies do. There are plenty of legitimate sources
for the 128k roms and therefore there is no problem in the foreseeable
future. Things at GBS are on a 'business as usual' basis and we have
a bunch of GCRs to ship at this time."
Editor:
For the record, never was the thought entertained, not even for a
split second, that anybody at GBS knew anything concerning the Dennis
Hayes matter. In fact the news of his arrest came as a complete and
stunning shock to us as well.
===***===
**** EXCLUSIVE STREPORT INTERVIEW ****
II
DENNIS HAYES
After all the various comments about who said what and what was or was
not true and who should've done this or that have been heard. We decided
to interview Dennis Hayes himself. Tuesday morning 09/25/90, STReport
contacted Mr. Dennis Hayes and the following interview was obtained ex-
clusively by STReport. We also have the original news article for refere-
nce and have requested information from the Ass't US Attorney's Office as
well.
To begin;
As a refresher, let's take a moment to review the documented history,
during July, 1990 Dennis Hayes was served with a search warrant by Agents
from the IRS and the FBI who searched Hayes' home at 12145 Bear Valley
Court for the purpose of gathering evidence relative to an ongoing
investigation pertaining to charges he was counterfeiting Apple 128k Roms.
Subsequently, Mr. Hayes plead guilty to the charges. This was made public
on Sept. 10, 1990 through information released by U.S. Attorney D. Michael
Crites. Also, according to Hayes, as part of the guilty plea, he (Hayes)
agreed to testify and/or fully co-operate with the authorities in the
investigation and prosecution of future cases related to this matter.
In a telephone interview during the morning of Tuesday, 10 Sept. 1990,
STReport asked:
Are you the Dennis "Denny" Hayes referred to in the article that appeared
in the Cincinatti Post on Sept. 10 about the counterfeit Apple Roms?
"Yes, I am."
Mr. Hayes, what in your own words, happened beginning with the events in
July?
"Agents from the FBI and the IRS arrived at my home with court papers
allowing them to search the house. Through the course of the search,
they removed all my computer equipment, the photocopier, a fax machine
and all my business records, electronic and hard copy. Also, they
seized my 1987 IROC Z and my Piper Comanche airplane, cash and
travelers checks. They also saw fit to take my Gun Collection, which
included a number of handguns and 4 glass showcase encased, nickel
plated, Federally licensed (200.00 each gun, License Fee), UZI sub-
machine guns._ Ultimately after many consultations with my attorneys,
I entered a plea of guilty to the charges listed in the press
release."
Mr. Hayes, were there any special arrangements agreed upon and/or other
charges pending that were dropped in consideration for your guilty plea?
"Yes I agreed to assist the authorities in any proceedings that may
result from my case and for this they dropped a number of other
pending charges."
Mr. Hayes, When you say "assist" does that also possibly include testify
as a witness for the government in the prosecution of others who are
investigated and charged as a result of your case?
"Yes, that is a part of the agreement."
Mr. Hayes, I would like to read to you an accounting of the events that
took place involving your case that appeared in STReport 6.38 9/21/90. I
would like your comments on the validity and accuracy of the article.
Would that be ok? Mr. Hayes acknowledged it would be ok. After reading
the article to Mr. Hayes we asked if the information was accurate.
"It's really very accurate except that I was never a Beta-Tester for
anyone, my close friend Bruce was a beta-tester, maybe your reporter
got the two of us confused. Also, I was never listed in the Spectre
Manual as a source of Rom chips. That list was actually a separate
slip of paper that was inserted into the Spectre package. It listed me
along with a number of other sources of ROM chips. It also listed
sources for PD Spectre and Mac disks."
How many entries would you say there was in the database that was seized
by the authorities?
"Every person or business I ever delivered Roms to was in that data-
base. They have all those records, every last one of them."
Do you feel that 128k ROM availability will tighten as a result of the
action against you?
"I know it will, Apple dealers were also buying from me!" Now what
does that tell you?"
While on the subject of dealers how many Atari ST dealers were you selling
to? Please, no names, just approximate numbers.
"Let's see, I would say almost all of 'em bought from me at one time
or another."
Mr. Hayes, at this time I would like to thank you for your co-operation
and candid replies. In closing, do you know if the pending expansion of
the investigation has begun and if Apple is directly involved?
"I have been told that certain agents familiar with the case have
been sent to other areas to initiate proceedings. As far as Apple is
concerned, it was related to me that Apple had told the agents in-
volved in this case that they had never authorized the sale or use of
their rom chips in anything but Apple products that would normally use
the chips."
At this point I would once again, like to thank you for your full
co-operation.
Editor:
Great pains have been taken to NOT NAME a single person or entity. A
number times during the interview names were mentioned and details were
given. Since being under investigation is not the same thing as being
charged, arrested, tried and found guilty, STReport has gone to great
lengths to make certain that NAMES have NOT been used.
FOLLOW-UP - LEGITIMATE CHIP AVAILABILITY
On thursday, 27, Sept. 1990, STReport used the list supplied giving
the sources of 128k Apple roms and called the firms listed therein.
The first call went to Pre-Owned electronics (1-800-274-5343) where
STReport spoke to a Mr. Charles Kouyoumijian, who responded to our
questions concerning Mr. Dennis Hayes and counterfeit Apple rom chips. I
asked if they had been aware of Dennis Hayes. Charles' response was an
emphatic "YES! They had sent two of their people to a show in Washington
a while back and found that Hayes was there undercutting their prices
selling Apple Roms to such an extent that they left the show after only
one day."
I then asked him how they obtained their rom chips that they offer for
sale. He responded that; "They are a major service hub for approximately
4000 Apple dealers and that they also buy up large quantities of old
inventory and the inventory of those dealers who go out of business."
When asked about the future of the used rom chip sales end of the business
he stated he, "had no idea as they where out of stock at this time."
I then called Shreve Systems (1-318-635-1121), in Louisiana. I spoke
to Shanon Stanley who cheerfully provided me with answers to my questions,
when I asked him if he had heard of Dennis Hayes, he said; "No, he had
not." I then asked about the availability of Apple 128k rom chips. He
responded with a positive; "We have 85 sets in stock at this time and we
are expecting another 100 sets shortly." I then asked how do you obtain
your rom chips? He stated; "We buy used and surplus Mac units and we
perform upgrades on the units. Others we strip down and part out. If
anyone is interested, we can supply the serial numbers of the units the
chips are out of."
I then called IB Computers in Portland, Oregon (1-503-297-8425). Jim
Berry, operations manager answered my questions. I asked him if he was
aware of Dennis Hayes and what had occurred, he said; "No he did not know
who Hayes was." I then read the press release to him and he recalled that
a customer had been the day before and mentioned it" At this point I
asked Jim how he felt about the future of the 'used' 128k rom chip market
and how many he had in stock. "We have 3 or 4 sets in stock at this time
but a fellow from Canada ordered a set, so we are down to 2 or 3 sets. He
said. "As for the future of the used chip market, I feel that temporarily
there could be a real problem but in the long run, there will be more than
enough chips available." He added. I then asked him about his sources of
used Apple 128k Rom chips. Jim told us; "We purchase our used Apple 128k
Roms from a number of sources including, Mac Products in Texas, Pre-Owned,
and Pacific Software in California."
- END -
**********************************************************************
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Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
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> CPU REPORT?
==========
Issue # 85
by Michael Arthur
Remember When....
In 1987, Lotus stopped its policy of copy-protecting its 1-2-3
spreadsheet program, and how it was the last major DOS software company to
copy-protect its business applications software?
UseNet Beat?
-----------
bdt!unisoft!hoptoad!pacbell!pacbell.com!decwrl!sun-barr!newstop!sun!imag-
en!atar
!apratt
From: apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: TT RAM
Message-ID: <2304@atari.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 90 00:21:46 GMT
References: <3107@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 56
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod ) writes:
-Is the TT's memory mapped by the MMU so that it appears
-contiguous?
No. There is no address translation going on in the MMU. If there
were, every program that wrote an address into a chip (video, DMA,
etc.) would have to be able to do the logical-to-physical translation.
This is impractical, and would result in nearly 100% incompatibility
with existing programs. The MMU is used, however, so don't mess with
it. It's used to get around a bug in the 68030's design; I may explain
in more detail later.
-I need this info for my hard disk driver which has to
-decide if some transfer is to be made into fast or slow RAM.
Right you are. That's what the _FRB cookie is for. But you are
looking at the problem in the wrong terms: rather than deciding what
kind of RAM the transfer is destined for, your program should decide
only what it has to: in this case, decide if it's being made to/from a
place that the ACSI DMA chip can access. This prevents you from
hard-coding the location or size of different pieces of RAM. This
saves you from having to re-release your driver when somebody
complained that he couldn't access VME RAM with it, because you didn't
think of that.
The ACSI DMA chip can access memory only in the low 24 bits of the
address space, so that's your answer: you check the high byte of the
transfer address. If it's zero, you can use ACSI directly. If it's
not, you must use the FRB. You never examine any part of the address
other than the high byte, and you only test that against zero.
Minimizing the information you require in this way leads to maximum
portability and future compatibility.
As an aside to SCSI driver writers, you have less to worry about. As
mentioned above, the definition of accessibility on the ACSI bus is
"the high byte must be zero." The definition of accessibility on the
SCSI bus is "the bus must be 32 bits wide." This means that A24/D16
VME memory is not accessible to SCSI, and you should use the buffer
pointed to by the _FRB cookie.
Finally, to defeat nit-pickers before they strike, I *know* that the
ACSI DMA chip can't really talk to everything in the 24-bit ST address
space: it can't see ROM, for example. But it *can* access any real RAM
in that space, and if you're trying to DMA to something else (like the
palette) you deserve what you get.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2, Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, West Germany (Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------
============================================
Opinions expressed above do not necessarily-- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else. ...ames!atari!apratt
============================================
bdt!unisoft!hoptoad!pacbell!pacbell.com!ucsd!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-s-
tate.e
u!samsung!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!am.dsir.govt.nz!dsiramd!marcamd!me-
rcury!
cbbs!dgd
From: STT@kcbbs.gen.nz (Jon Clarke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: CDAR-504 not only seen but used
Message-ID: <1990Sep20.144012.20093@kcbbs.gen.nz>
Date: 20 Sep 90 14:40:12 GMT
Sender: dgd@kcbbs.gen.nz (David Dix)
Organization: STaTus BBS. The Atari BBS in Auckland, New Zealand.
Lines: 66
-]Aaron writes....
-]They have been available here (NZ) for a bit longer than I can
-]The unit presently come with developers documentation and example code
-]and progs aimed at developers. Atari offer _no_ disks for the unit at
-]all (although is does play music CD's ok :-), so you must rely on
-]third party sources (the doc's say it supports the Hi-Sierra system).
-]The buyers I have spoken to have been either developers or BBS's. The
-]Atari BBS with one I have rung had a disk with lots of PD software and
-]PD 'C' code for the ST on-line for downloading.
Jon Clarke replies:
Hi Aarron and all the others out there looking for the Atari CDar504 ,
CD_ROM player. *- WE HAVE NEW ROMS ON-LINE. -*
I am happy to report we have been running one on our BBS {STaTus BBS}
here in Auckland for over 9 months now. It is a cdar504 not the 500 you
mentioned Aaron. It runs all three of the cd_rom formats however we only
use the 'High Serria' and the "ISO 9660' format.
Many people have produced roms that will run with the cdar504. To name
a few we use on a daily basis on the BBS...
[1] Current Notes {American Magazine [and a good one]} Atari ST only
[2] D&C Enterprises Atari ST only
[3] Graphics Lab All computers MAC,IBM,Atari ST
[4] The Golden Immortal Atari ST only
There are other ST specific roms comming on the market like...
[1] Independant Association of Atari Developers {All ST related}
[2] Z*Net PD rom {I understand it may be 2 disks {1.1 gigs}}
[3] MirrorSoft {UK based games company}
[4] There are several roms available from Australia {sorry forget
their names}
I know of only one other user in the country who uses his cdar504 out-
side the dealer network and he is now in Auckland as well. This chap
used to run his cdar504 on his BBS as well when he had Tinkerbell going
Wellington. However there is something like 15 odd in use in NZ out side
the dealer network.
I rang Atari-NZ this to order another one for the BBS and was shocked to
see they had all been sold, and they are awaiting the next shipment.
I know there are a few in Canada, Steve Gold uses one up there and we
spent a little time with him and Bob Brody several months ago helping
Steve get Metados sorted out on his system. One thing to remember here
is that Metados is (C)opyrighted to Atari and is not PD!
If you are into serious DTP or a BBS I would suggest you get a CDAR504
as soon as you can!
Jon Clarke
+---------------+-----------------+---------------------------------+
| o( ) STaTus | The Atari BBS | Snail mail to : Jon Clarke, |
| / /\ BBS. | in Auckland,NZ +------------+ RD#2 Drury, |
+---------------+-----------------+ Running:: | Auckland, |
|Mail : STT@kcbbs.gen.nz | MBBS Ver 3 | New Zealand. |
| : J.Clarke6 - GEnie +------------+--------------------+
| : 72000,3555 - CIS | Node 1&2 :+64-9-606067 / 608485 |
+---------------------------------+---------------------------------+
> CPU STATUS REPORT?
=================
- Tokyo, Japan NEC CLOSE TO DESIGNING 1-GIGABIT DRAM CHIP
------------
NEC has announced that it has developed a CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided
Design and Manufacturing) system for developing integrated circuits. NEC
is testing this system by launching an effort to design economically
feasible 256-megabit and 1-gigabit DRAM chips. If this project succeeds,
NEC could be offering 1 Gigabyte SIMM modules (for 1024 Megabytes of RAM)
several years before others in the semiconductor industry....
NEC officials say that its new CAD/CAM system (which runs on an NEC
supercomputer) has discovered that current chip manufacturing methods use
too much silicon in the non-conducting film used to separate a chip's
circuit layers. NEC also believes that its chip manufacturing software
will prove that 256-megabit (if not 1-gigabit DRAM chips) can be produced
with current manufacturing technologies. In comparison, other
semiconductor vendors (like Toshiba) are building new factories to produce
16-megabit DRAM chips currently under development....
- Scotts Valley, CA BORLAND INTRODUCES QUATTRO PRO 2.0 SPREADSHEET
-----------------
Borland Inc. is now selling Version 2.0 of its Quattro Pro
spreadsheet program. This upgrade features support for 3-D Graphs, slide
shows (with the ability to print to color 35-mm slides), and "live links"
to Borland's Paradox database program. In addition, it has a "Solve For"
option, for performing tasks like determining how much to spend on
something to maximize profits. Quattro Pro 2.0 also can import files from
several other spreadsheet programs (like Microsoft Excel), and can run on
an IBM XT with 512K of RAM.
Quattro Pro 2.0 costs $495.00, but Quattro Pro 1.0 owners can
upgrade to Version 2.0 for $79.95. Also, owners of other DOS spreadsheet
programs (like Lotus 1-2-3) will be able to buy Quattro Pro 2.0 for $100.
Over 500,000 copies of Quattro Pro have been sold since it started
shipping in October 1989. Dataquest, a major market research firm, has
estimated that Quattro Pro seized over 25 percent of MS-DOS spreadsheet
sales for the First Quarter of 1990. Curiously, Lotus Corp. is suing
Borland over Quattro Pro, saying that its user interface violates Lotus'
copyrights on the 1-2-3 user interface....
- Washington, DC BRAZIL OPENS UP COMPUTER MARKET TO FOREIGN COMPANIES
--------------
Brazil has recently announced that it will be removing restrictions
on computer imports by the end of 1992. In order to foster its own
computer industry, Brazil kept foreign computer companies (like Apple and
IBM) from selling large amounts of microcomputers there in the 1980s. Now
that Brazil has the world's sixth largest computer market, it will be
opening up its market to outside competition.
Brazil's microcomputer industry is worth over $5 billion a year,with
a significant market for Apple II and IBM compatibles. While there are
over 300 domestic computer companies in Brazil, only 30 international
computer companies currently do business there. Brazil will now reduce
restrictions on joint business ventures, as well as its $1 billion limit
on imported computer products.
However, few computer companies may be investing in the Brazilian
market. Sales in Brazil's computer market have fallen by 20 percent in
1990, due to efforts to reduce the country's huge inflation rate. Also,
it seems that Brazil recently tried to buy several Cray X/MP
supercomputers, but was stopped by the US Government. Apparently, it was
feared that Brazil would use those supercomputers in a nuclear weapons
development project....
- Washington, DC CONGRESS TO APPROVE BILL BANNING SOFTWARE RENTALS
--------------
The Senate and the House Judiciary Committee have passed bills that
will allow software publishers to prevent computer stores and businesses
from renting out their software. Rep. Mike Synar of Oklahoma (a democrat)
has sponsored the House's Bill, and Congress is expected to pass his bill
(or the Senate's proposal) before October.
Mike Synar's bill is aimed at preventing video rental stores from
renting microcomputer software, since software pirates who don't own
modems can easily obtain commercial software through them. Interestingly
enough, the bill does NOT prevent video rental stores from renting out
Nintendo Game Cartridges, since Nintendo games can't be copied by software
pirates. It seems that Nintendo earns revenue from cartridge sales, since
they manufacture ALL Nintendo game cartridges....
_________________________________________________________________
> NEODESK 3 !STR InfoFile? "As good as if not Better than TOS 2.0!"
=======================
NEODESK 3 THE REAL ALTERNATIVE!
===============================
OVERVIEW
--------
NeoDesk 3 is a complete replacement for the built-in desktop that
comes with the Atari. It is the easiest and most affordable way to rea-
lize your Atari's true potential.
NeoDesk 3 adds many new features and enhancements over the original
desktop, while keeping full compatibility with your current and future
software.
Not only will your computer be more powerful, it will also be much
easier to use. It doesn't get any simpler. NeoDesk 3 is the ultimate
upgrade for your Atari ST.
INSTALLATION
------------
NeoDesk 3 can easily be installed so that it comes up whenever you
boot the computer.
OUTSTANDING FEATURES
--------------------
NeoDesk has "JILLIONS" of new features and enhancements available,
this is only a few of the more outstanding features we found to be
superb..:
o FILE CLIPBOARD
Store files and folders temporarily in memory while changing floppy
disks, paths, or reorganizing your hard disk. You can think of it
sort of an automatically expanding and shrinking ramdisk. The File
Clipboard grows and shrinks according to the files you place within
it.
o DESKTOP NOTES
Write important notes, numbers, or doodle right on the desktop itself!
Simply double-click on the desktop itself and a cursor will appear.
[Esc] clears the line.
o DESKTOP ICONS
Place commonly used programs, files, and folders directly on the
desktop. You can then select the icon and use "Install Desktop
Icon..." to rename the icon and assign a unique key to it. Selecting
that key will select and open the icon.
o CUSTOM ICONS
Assign different icons (each with its OWN COLOR) to any file or fol-
der. This makes it much easier to locate and manage them. Many icons
are included, with more available. And of course, you may create your
own Icons or use the Icons from earlier versions.
o ICON EDITOR
This multiple window Icon Editor lets you edit and modify custom icons
for any file or folder. Includes a complete set of drawing tools.
Select "Edit Icons..." to call it. Double-click on any icon to edit
it, on the desktop to edit it. This editor is far superior to any
Icon editor I have used, including the older version from Gribnif.
o SPLIT-WINDOWS
Easily split a window so that it will display two different parts of
the same directory. Very useful when copying or manipulating files.
To do this, drag the "Split Window Bar" under the window information
line to any window position.
o "SELECT ALL" ABILITY
A new window button (left of the bottom horizontal bar) lets you
select all the files in a single directory, even if they don't fit in
the window. You can even keep files selected while you scroll the
window to a new location by holding down the [Shift] key.
o INDEPENDENT WINDOWS
Each window can be set to display text or icons, independently of each
other. Each window can even have its own sorting and text options.
The new button at the lower left corner of the window toggles a window
between text or icons.
o SMART FILE COPYING
No more useless disk swaps. In a very efficient and fast manner, as
many files and folders that will fit into all the available memory are
read in at once. Especially nice for hard drives, this feature is a
real benefit for all hard drive users.
o SMART DISK COPYING
NeoDesk 3 can intelligently detect the type of format used on the
original disk and format the destination disk the exact same way. You
can even copy identical hard disk partitions.
o FULL MACRO IMPLEMENTATION
Automate any series of desktop operations like opening windows,
copying or deleting files, executing programs, etc. Then assign them
to any key on the keyboard. Select the menu entry once to start
recording and a second time to end recording. Does not record inside
of running programs or in dialog boxes.
o ACTIVE ICONS
Drag any group of files to any program icon and that program will be
automatically executed with all the selected files as parameters.
o SEARCH FILES
Easily search your system for that missing file. When found it will
open a window to it, scroll to the file, and select it.
o FILE TEMPLATES
Up to six file templates are supported. For example, you could have a
single window display all files ending in both ".TXT" and ".DOC"
endings.
o DISK FORMATTING
You can specify 9 or 10 sector format, number of tracks, and even use
the newer "Twister" option.
o REORDER MODE
You can easily reorder any directory on your system. Select it once
to enter the reorder mode, a second time to exit it.
o ENHANCED FILE "SHOW"
Neodesk 3 is able to display Degas, Degas Elite, and NeoChrome pic-
tures. Right mouse button goes forward a page, left mouse button back
a page.
o ENHANCED INSTALL APPLICATION
You can select the type of application you are using, if NeoDesk
should unload for it or not, and more.
o SUPERB DIABLO MANAGEMENT
The Diablo Emulator purrs like as kitten with Neodesk 3, just drag
a file or a number of files to the LASER PRINTER ICON and they will be
printed. Has a 'form feed' in the drop down menu if needed.
COMMENTS
--------
NeoDesk 3 has many other features many of which were barely touched
upon here. Features like a NEW ENHANCED Control Panel with its own
screen saver and corner clock, Printer Queue, Print Directory function,
and much more. NeoDesk 3 comes with a superb, well written 140 page
illustrated instruction manual, two disks, several extra utilities (one
can even replace the system fonts!), and a recoverable trashcan for
NeoDesk. The FORMAT AND FILE COPY functions in Neodesk 3 are so unique
they even remove the boredom of these mundane everyday tasks by providing
information relative to the task and it is constantly updated. This is a
very nice touch. The Gribnifs have really outdone themselves on this one!
This version is equal to if not better than TOS 2.0.
How to Order
------------
To order your own personal copy of NeoDesk 3 for $69.95, Please
call the TOLL FREE ORDER LINE: 1-800-284-4742.
You will receive ** FREE ** 2nd Day Air shipping.
If you have any questions at all, or comments about the NEW NEODESK
3.01, you may reach us at:
Voice: (413) 584-7887 Fax: (413) 584=2565
Gribnif Software
P.O. Box 350
Hadley, MA 01035
U.S.A.
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF GRIBNIF
Hello,
Let me try to clarify some of the confusion and explain how the
upgrade process is working. Then everybody can sleep better at night,
knowing that their NeoDesk 3 upgrade is coming soon.
First of all, Dan is not directly involved in the upgrade/shipping
process. He works full time programming (even though NeoDesk 3 is
finished, there is other stuff he is working on). He also does not work
at the same location where the upgrades are handled from. Because of
this, he is not always up to date on what is happening with the upgrades.
Last time we sent out a newsletter (for NeoDesk 2.05) we sent it
"after" we were ready to ship the product. There were no big delays, but
lots of people complained that they felt that "registered" users should be
notified FIRST before anybody else.
Soooo, this time we mailed the newsletter EARLY. They went out bulk
mail the second week of August. The product itself would not be ready
until September. We figured on two to three weeks for delivery and for
the users to start returning them. We then printed in the bottom of the
newsletter that users should wait "4-6 weeks" to receive the upgrade.
That means that the upgrades should have begun arriving this week and for
the next several weeks. We were even hoping to be able to beat that
initial estimate.
Well, the truth of the matter is that several factors have occurred
which were not calculated into the original timetable:
1. We received many upgrades sooner than expected (some people used
Federal Express to get the upgrades in!!). Last time we did
upgrades we got "x" number of upgrades per week, easy stuff. This
time we got most of the upgrade within a one week period!
2. While the printer delivered the manuals in time, he forgot to print
the disk labels. These were just delivered last week. I hate to
use such a silly excuse, but it is necessary to have labels on the
disks we send out.
3. The combination of the Glendale show, and going out to three user
group meetings has taken almost a full week out of the schedule.
These were scheduled far in advance and therefore could not be
cancelled.
4. Our hard disk (used for handling the upgrades) decided to die
(second time this happened). We have set up a temporary hard disk
just for upgrades, but that still took a couple of days away from
getting real work done.
5. Our Stacy died, which was being used to handle the database. Atari
ran out of replacement Stacy's, so we tracked down somebody with
enough technical experience to fix it. It is supposed to arrive
today via UPS. (Thank's Mario!)
What does this mean? It means the upgrades are being delayed by about
a week. The upgrades are NOW starting to ship about one week after the
initial promised "4 weeks". We were hoping to get them all out within a
two week period (therefore the "4-6 weeks" line), but since there are so
many more of them we think it is going to take 3 weeks or so (an extra
week).
I was surprised the other day on the phone when a customer seemed to
think that somehow all the upgrades would ship at once. Let me try to
explain the process required to upgrade a SINGLE copy of NeoDesk 2.0 to
version 3:
1. Open the envelope and see what it is. This way we can separate it
from regular mail (like bills waiting to be paid, technical support
mail, free subscriptions to Popular Mechanics, etc.).
2. Make sure nothing is missing in the upgrade. You would be
surprised how many people forget to include things like the "origi-
nal disk", "order form", or "money". Many people also add incor
rectly (Example: $20.00 + $2.00 = $15.00), they need a note in the
mail asking for the missing funds.
3. If any of the above are missing, place the upgrade in a special
"problem" pile and send the user a post card informing him of what
he/she forgot to include.
4. Orders paid by check are pulled out and deposited at this time.
The volume has been such that the time between cashing and shipping
has been about 2 weeks. This is the longest that we have ever
gone. This is done so we can find those that will bounce. Those
that bounce are obviously delayed until payment is received. Those
paid by credit card need a credit card slip filled out (by hand).
5. Run the disk through the special upgrade program we have. This
reads in the necessary information from that disk.
6. Place a new disk in the drive. The special upgrade program now
formats it and writes the new version of NeoDesk 3 on the disk.
Stick a disk label on it.
7. Print serial number stickers for this copy. Place those stickers
in the correct locations (disk, manual, etc.)
8. Find the user in the database, update his record. Enter the credit
card number into the bank's computer system.
9. Print out a mailing label with his address.
10. Enter the INVOICE system. Write up and print an invoice.
11. Place it all in a mailer, put correct postage, stamp it, finally
place it in the "to be mailed stack".
This is why it takes time to get an upgrade out. They are handled in
"first in/first out" basis.
We manufactured a small group of copies for the Glendale show, since
it would not have been a good idea to spend $3,000 getting to a show in
California and then not have any product to sell. The product is still
not shipping to distributors.
I hope that this letter (sorry about the length) explains any con-
fusion about delays. I must admit, I now have my second thoughts about
shipping a newsletter before the upgrades are ready to ship. We are
getting these out as fast as possible. As many of you have noticed, I
have stopped using GEnie (since I am spending all my free time helping
get these upgrades out). Please bear with us, and you will all be set.
It was noted to me that I should probably take all of this as a
compliment, since people are "biting at the bit" this much. We really
are happy that people are so exited about the new version. So are we!
Sincerely,
Rick Flashman, President
Gribnif Software
__________________________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call? Letters to the Editor
=============
Electronic Mail
Sent : Sep 22, 1990 at 12:11 AM
To : RALPH MARIANO
From : DAVE DONER
Subj : STR
Dear Ralph,
Thanks for the quality online publication, I enjoy it immensely, and
consider it to be the best source of news and information regarding Atari
and the ST line.
I acted upon two of the articles in this weeks issue: TWEAKING THE
SM124... and the double sided drive swap, and found small problems in each
case. The double sided drive mentioned is identified as an NEC Model
FD1073A. The correct model # is FD1037A. The supplier mentioned, Timeline,
is sold out of those drives. They gave no indication of buying more.
In the article by Sunfox about tweaking the SM124, he misses an impor-
tant part of the adjustment. The vertical size and centering information
is exactly correct, however there should be more to the horizontal ad-
justment than what is given. If you find the HORIZ. CENTERING pot, then
look toward the front of the monitor about half an inch and toward the
closer side about half an inch and you will see what looks like a white
plastic spool with copper wire wrapped around it. In the core of the
spool is a small allen wrench socket. This control is the H. SIZE ad-
justment. If you put a metal tool in the socket to adjust it, the hor-
izontal screen size will shrink a great deal. Adjust this clockwise sev-
eral turns and then remove the tool. You can get the width of the screen
quite close to the edge. Then use the HORIZ. CENTERING pot to center the
picture and to minimize the edge distortion of the picture. I for one, am
*VERY* glad I took the challenge and cracked the case of my monitor. It
is truly amazing what a difference it makes to have a full screen. Thanks
to Sunfox for opening my eyes.
Thanks again to you Ralph for the quality publication. I appreciate
your efforts a great deal.
David Doner
Thanks Dave, Its letters such as yours that give us the much needed
encouragement to carry on and provide STReport week after week and in-
dependent of outside influences.
Ralph.......
______________________________________________
> Stock Market STReport? Watching the Sheckles.. "Sheckle"
=====================
THE TICKERTAPE
==============
by Michael Arthur
On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the price of Atari stock stayed the
same. On Thursday, the price of Atari stock went down by 1/8 of a point.
On Friday, it stayed the same, finishing up the week at $3.125 a share.
The price of Atari's stock had gone down 1/8 of a point since September
14, 1990.
Apple Stock was down 2 1/2 points from Friday, September 14, 1990.
Commodore Stock was down 3/4 of a point from 9/14/90.
IBM Stock was up 2 3/8 points from 9/14/90.
Stock Report for Week of 9/17/90 to 9/21/90
__________________________________________________________________________
STock| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Reprt|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|
-----|-----------|-------------|-------------|------------|--------------|
Atari|3 1/8 ----|3 1/8 ----|3 1/8 ----| 3 - 1/8| 3 ---- |
| | | | 11,000 Sls | 39,600 Sls |
-----|-----------+-------------+-------------+------------+--------------|
CBM |5 1/4 -1/4|5 1/4 ----| 5 - 1/4|4 7/8 - 1/8|4 3/4 - 1/8|
| | | | | 45,600 Sls |
-----|-----------+-------------+-------------+------------+--------------|
Apple|33 3/4 |33 3/8 - 3/8|32 1/2 - 7/8|31 5/8 -7/8|31 1/2 - 1/8|
| -1/4| | |901,200 Sls |1,373,800 Sls |
-----|-----------+-------------+-------------+------------+--------------|
IBM |105 1/8 |107 1/4 |108 3/8 |107 7/8 -1/2|106 3/4 -1 1/8|
| +3/4| +2 1/8| +1 1/8| |2,211,500 Sls |
-----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'
'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day.
'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.
'----' means that the stock's price did not change for the day.
___________________________________________________________
> START CALLING! STR InfoFile? STart Magazine calls for programmers!
===========================
:CALLING ALL PROGRAMMERS:
START Wants You!
START Magazine is always on the lookout for new and innovative software
for our monthly disk and we welcome your submissions.
Due to the requests we get from our readers, however, we are more likely
to accept the following:
o -- utilities (small programs that make using the ST even easier)
o -- broad-based applications (full-featured databases, word processors,
telecommunications programs, etc.)
o -- games (preferably not shoot-em-ups)
o -- MIDI programs
o -- graphics software
o -- scientific applications
o -- programming tutorials (particularly for BASIC and C)
We would also like to see word processing/desktop publishing macros,
and add-ons and enhancements for existing programs. We aren't interested
in extremely specialized applications, or things like label makers, disk
catalogers and simple database programs.
A special note to game programmers: the majority of our submissions are
games, so a unique and intriguing premise will definitely help your chan-
ces!
Be Professional
Your submission should pay special attention to error-checking and user
proofing. Thousands of ST owners, from beginners to experts, each with a
different system configuration, run the programs we publish. We want to
see interfaces that are clear and easy to use. Above all, program submis-
sions to START must do the following:
1. restore the user's Desktop color palette at the end of the program
(these are the colors the user has chosen, not the default colors);
2. check to see if there is enough memory available. If not, the program
must display a warning message (e.g., NOT ENOUGH MEMORY!) and exit to
the Desktop;
3. give all memory allocated to the program back to GEM when the program
ends. This includes resource files and GDOS fonts;
4. check the screen resolution if the program is not resolution indepen-
dent. If the resolution is wrong, the program must give an appropr-
iate error message (e.g., THIS PROGRAM RUNS IN LOW-REZ ONLY!) and make
a clean exit to the Desktop;
5. make sure there is enough room on a disk before writing to it;
6. never assume that the program is running from a certain drive. Prog-
rams should look in the current directory (the directory from which
the program was run) for their support files, and put an error message
on the screen if they can't be found;
7. use alert boxes for error messages so the average person has time to
read them;
8. if the program uses sound, make sure the sound chip is turned off when
the program ends;
9. include a copyright notice. Put your name on it, so that it is
protected! If it is bought by START, we will need to change it to
reflect the new owner of the copyright;
10. include documentation that explains the exact minimum hardware
requirements needed for the program to function, such as screen
resolution, amount of memory, printer type, disk space, joystick, etc.
The following are suggestions on how to tailor your program to make life
easier for the end-user:
o -- keep the number of support files as small as possible. Give them
appropriate names, so that they're easily identified.
o -- make the program run in as many resolutions as possible.
o -- test the program for compatibility with TOS 1.0 (original STs), 1.2
(Megas), 1.4 and 1.6 (STEs). Notify START of any problems, or if you
cannot test the program with other TOS versions.
o -- if possible, test the program with the various popular memory-resi
dent programs, such as item selectors, alternate Desktops, etc. This
is especially important if your program is an accessory or an AUTO-
folder program! Again, notify START of any problems.
o -- beta-test the program! Have your friends and relatives try it.
Challenge them to find as many bugs as possible. Remember that if
our readers find problems with your program, START will ask you for
technical support.
o -- don't assume people will read the documentation. Give on-screen
help, explanations, or instructions, or make it so obvious that
someone can figure it out while handcuffed in a dark room with Def
Leppard shrieking at maximum volume.
How To Send It
Each program submission must include the following:
o -- a cover letter that states the name of the program, what it does and
how to run it. Include your address, work and home phone numbers;
o -- a hard copy of the article (double-spaced);
o -- a disk that includes the program, all accompanying files, source code
and an ASCII version of the article.
o -- a self addressed, stamped envelope if you wish your materials
returned.
Once again, START welcomes all program submissions! We look at each
and every item that we receive. We do get a lot of submissions, however,
so please wait four to six weeks before inquiring about your program's
status. Payment for the program will be established upon acceptance.
We look forward to seeing your work. Please send your program to:
START Program Submissions 544 Second St. San Francisco, CA 94107
Features, Reviews, Tutorials, Etc.
START isn't just looking for great programs, we're also in the market
for articles geared toward increasing our readers' productivity: reviews
of individual products, comparisons of products within categories (floppy
disk drives, add-on interfaces), miniature "textbooks" on applications and
hardware, and buying guides. Occasionally we'll publish standard jour-
nalistic articles, tailored to our audience, such as profiles of top Atari
Corp. executives or the pros and cons of writing commercial software for
the ST.
Your query letter should include an explanation of why you, and not
one of our more established authors, should cover a particular subject or
write a particular review. It should also include information on how you
can be reached. Please send all queries to the above address. For author
and review guidelines, send an SASE to:
START Author Guidelines 544 Second St. San Francisco, CA 94107
(Note: START Magazine cannot be held responsible
for any unsolicited material.)
_______________________________________________________________
> NEW ENGLAND ATARIFEST '90 STR SHOW NEWS?
=======================================
//////NEW ENGLAND ATARIFEST '90\\\\\\
STATUS REPORT
Confirmed to exhibit as of 25-Sep-1990:
////////////////////MANUFACTURERS, DEVELOPERS, ETC.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
o Atari Corporation (U.S.) o Gribnif Software
Sunnyvale, CA Northampton, MA
Bob Brodie Rick Flashman, Dan Wilga &
Tricia Metcalf
o Beta-Cad
North Attleboro, MA o Bill Jensen
Dick Barlik Jamaica Plain, MA
o Codehead Software o Chor-Ming Lung
Los Angeles, CA Boston, MA
John Eidsvoog
o Dr. T's Music Software o Taylor Ridge Books
Boston, MA Manchester, CT
Al Hospers Clayton Walnum
o Fast Technology o TidBit Software Engineering
North Andover, MA Maynard, MA
Jim Allen Jeff Lomicka
/////////////////////////////////DEALERS\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
o Bit Bucket Computer Store o Granite Computers
West Newton, MA Nashua, NH
o Computer Bug o Micro National
Hadley, MA Danvers, MA
o Computer Zone o Syntronics Computer Center
North Attleboro, MA Boston, MA
o ERM Electronic Liquidators
Melrose, MA
///////////////////////////////USER GROUPS\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
o Atari UG of Greater Hartford o Rhode Island ACE
Hartford, CT Providence, RI
o BCS/Atari o South Shore Atari Group
Boston, MA Hyde Park, MA
o Nashoba Valley Atari Users' Soc. o S.T.A.R.R.
Acton-Boxboro, MA New Haven, CT
o N. Attleboro Atari Computer Club o Valley Atari ST
North Attleboro, MA Methuen, MA
/////////////////////////SEMINARS (TITLES TENTATIVE)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
0915 "GEnie STAR*SERVICES"
Darlah Pine, GEnie Atari RoundTables
1000 "COLOR DTP WITH PAGESTREAM", "TRACKER/ST"
Nevin Shalit, Step Ahead Software
1100 "CALAMUS AND OUTLINE ART"
Nathan Potechin, ISD Marketing, Inc.
1300 "NEODESK 3: THE ULTIMATE DESKTOP"
Rick Flashman, Gribnif Software
1400 "WHATEVER COMES TO MIND"
Jim Allen, Fast Technology
1500 "ATARI SPEAKS"
Bob Brodie, Atari Computer (U.S.)
/////////////////////////////ACCOMODATIONS\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Susse Chalet Boston $43.70/night single
900 Morrissey Boulevard $47.70/night double
Dorchester, MA Phone (617) 287-9200
///////////////////////////SHOW INFORMATION\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Location: UMass/Boston Hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Harbor Campus
Dorchester, MA Admission: $5.00
Date: October 27, 1990 Free Parking
/////////////////////////////FOR MORE INFO\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
o GEnie: Email D.JACOBSON2 o DELPHI: Email DPJ or NORMAN238
ST RT Cat 11 Top 20 ATARI/SSAG sig, DELPHI/Boston
o BCS/Atari BBS (24h, 3/12/24/96) o N.E. AtariFest '90 info-line
(617) 396-4607 (617) 527-4952 (recording)
o Write:
New England AtariFest '90
c/o Boston Computer Society
One Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02108
Tables are still available ($150 single, $275 double, $35 UG single).
Address inquiries to any of the sources listed above. Make checks
payable to Boston Computer Society, and send to the address above.
_______________________________________________________________
> HAGTERM ELITE STR InfoFile? A new many featured term program..
==========================
==================================
PRESS RELEASE Sept. 1990
==================================
ATARI CORNER PUBLISHING is happy to announce a substantial discount on
HAGTERM Elite for Atari User Groups! Please read below for more
information.
But first, an upgrade to HagTerm Elite is now available:
~~~~~~~~~~
-UPGRADES-
~~~~~~~~~~
HagTerm Elite v4.38 is now available for distribution.
All registered users with HagTerm Elite v4.2 or earlier should have been
notified of the new upgrade.
However, less than 40% of HagTerm Elite users have registered their produ-
ct! PLEASE, it is very important to send in your registration form. If
you haven't sent it in yet, do it NOW!
All registered users regularly receive upgrade notices when a major upg-
rade is available. Un-registered users are not notified of new versions,
and no upgrades will be given to them. Upgrades are only $3 plus the
original disk (or $4 without), and they are usually worth getting!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-USER GROUP DISCOUNT-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a show of support for Atari User Groups across the country, HagTerm
Elite will now be provided to User Groups at a 40% discount!
That's right, user groups may now purchase HagTerm Elite for only $18 per
copy instead of the $30 retail price!
To qualify for this discount, a minimum of five copies must be ordered at
one time directly by the user group. Also, all copies will be sent to
only one address (preferably, to an officer in the User Group.)
To order, please write a letter to the below address. Include the fol-
lowing information in the letter:
1) The name of the user group.
2) Small description of the User Group (such as the computers
are supported, the SIG's provided, etc.)
3) The address of the User Group's general meeting.
4) The mailing address (no PO Boxes, please).
A recent copy of the group's newsletter (if one exists) must be included
with the letter.
There is a $4 S&H charge (per five copies.)
Individual personal checks and Money Orders (please make them payable to
Hagop Janoyan) from the user group members are accepted.
Send them to: Atari Corner Publishing
515 Wing Street
Glendale, CA 91205
For more information, please call (818) 242-5692.
_____________________________________________________
> DC DESKTOP STR InfoFile? DESKTOP REPLACEMENT
=======================
Feature for feature, DC Desktop is the best buy available!
In case you aren't aware of what DC Desktop already has to offer, here is
a brief synopsis:
+ Place program icons directly on the GEM desktop - even documents!
+ NOW desktop folder icons; open a folder directly, no more searching
+ Execute program icons by double clicking or by pressing a 'hot key'
+ Chain program execution - when one exits, another runs
+ Extended parameter passing
+ Unique file, drive and folder icons
+ Color icons
+ Exclusive CABINET virtual disk drive - store files from anywhere in
your system in one location - A desktop in a window!
+ Keystroke equivalents for the desktop menus
+ Call up desk accessories with a key press
+ Load or save up to 11 different desktops with a keypress!
+ Load or save up to 11 different CABINETs with a keypress!
+ Exclusive SHOW replacement modules - replace the system SHOW file
routine with several modules that:
- View text, 1st Word or Word Writer files (complete mouse control!)
- View Degas, Degas compressed, NEO, ART, Tiny, Spectrum (normal,
compressed and smooshed), image and Macintosh MacPaint pictures
view any picture in any resolution!
- Verbose list or extract ARC files
- More modules on the way!
+ Replace the desktop with a picture or pattern, even randomizes either
one!
+ A _completely_ recoverable TRASH to safe-guard your files
+ A printer spooler which spools normal printing, screen dumps, and even
works like a printer queue which you can copy files to or delete files
from.
+ Close to 100 never-before-seen icons
+ An icon editor which allows you to import icons from different files;
the icon editor is more like a paint program with a host of special
tools.
+ Call up the file selector with a key press
+ Completely modular - save valuable system memory!
+ All modules can run as stand-alone programs with a simple key press -
no need to use memory to access all features!
+ A command line interface
+ A terminal program
+ A folder sorter
+ Special hooks to work best with Quick ST 2.2
+ 100% pure assembly language - FAST, FAST, FAST!
+ Completely _open_ architecture with examples and technical information
so you can hook into the DC Desktop, create your own SHOW modules, or
create special RAM resident programs - all information included in the
package + Even more!
+ One _completely_ LOW price of $39.95
DC Desktop offers features of dozens of current ST software, all which
sell for more than DC Desktop alone!
=========================================================================
The Double Click Software DC Desktop has been upgraded to version 1.2
Owners of version 1.0 may upgrade to version 1.2 for $15.00
This cost covers the new manual $7.50 and the new disk and programs $7.50
If you do not wish to purchase the new manual, you may buy only the disk.
We strongly recommend you purchase the new 88 page manual.
To upgrade, send in your original disk plus the required amount _and_
$3.00 for shipping and handling.
If you do not wish to return your original disk, or have lost your orig-
inal disk, include an extra $5.00 with your order.
You must be registered with us to order the upgrade. If you have not sent
in your registration card, you can do so with the upgrade order.
If you are a resident of TEXAS, include 8.25% sales tax.
Update prices at a glance:
--------------------------
New disk alone $ 7.50
New disk and lost disk fee $12.50
New disk and new manual $15.00
New disk, new manual and lost disk fee $20.00
Shipping and handling $ 3.00
TEXAS residents add 8.25% on total
The New DC Desktop v1.2 features include:
-----------------------------------------
+ Folders on the desktop: open folder directly, copy/move directly to
desktop folder icon
+ Color icons for all icons
+ Unique icons for all folders possible
+ Position drive letters anywhere within the icon
+ Random bootup picture
+ Random bootup pattern
+ Added features in DC Icon Editor
+ DC Terminal program now included
+ Folder sort program included
+ Brand new "point and click" 88 page manual. Very easy to follow, all
instructions explained in a simple step-by-step fashion.
+ Diablo emulator compatible
+ All bugs have been squashed
+ more
If you have questions, or you wish to place an order by phone, please
call us today at:
(713)977-6520
We accept VISA and MASTERCARD orders.
We can also be reached online
On GEnie:
DOUBLE-CLICK
On CompuServe (GO ATARIV, vendor area 13 (very shortly))
75300,577
On Usenet:
uace0@menudo.uh.edu
On our BBS:
(713)944-0108
_________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL? "BLOCKBUSTER ATARI NEWS FIRST!"
=====================
- New York City, N.Y. COMPUTER SHOPPERS ENDS ST COVERAGE
-------------------
The Editor of Computer Shopper notified a a number of folks today that
the November Issue of Computer Shopper would be last issue that carried
coverage of Atari Computers. As some folks have noted, CS may be widely
read, but it is because of the advertisements not the coverage of various
computer platforms. STReport feels that to NOT cover the Atari computer
lines is their (Computer Shopper's) loss.. not Atari's or its userbase.
Soon, Computer Shopper may narrow its coverage even further, perhaps to
only the messy dos world.
- Plainview, NY ** WARNING ** NEW DESKTOP(S) SLIP OUT
-------------
Through one of the ever-present cracks in the armor, slipped a disk
version of TOS 2.0, (TT TOS) or rather a portion of it. According to
reports this is not the entire TOS or OS for that matter. It is only a
portion of and it needs the code already in the chips to work properly.
From the reports we have, its alleged to work well with TOS 1.4.... Also,
there is a "3.01" version that's all German (not translated yet) also
rumored to have made its way into the USA. Be very careful, do not run
these "jewels" from your hard drive. Who knows what they will do? Who
knows if they are even trustworthy? If you value your system.... think
twice. STReport tried to reach Atari today for comment, and has yet to
receive a call back. Therefore, until the whole story is known, its best
to be careful and not fool with this unknown entity.
__________________________________________________________
> Hard Disks STR InfoFile? Affordable Mass Storage....
=======================
NEW LOW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
===============================
ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
Est. 1985
_________________________________________
Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT
BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST
FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT
_________________________________________
HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
_____________________________________
All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
-ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-
(you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
(all cables and connectors installed)
* ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
* ICD ADVANTAGE+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
* SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
Conventional Shoe Box
Model Description Autopark Price
==================================================
SGN4951 51Mb 28ms 3.5" Y 519.00
SGN6177 62Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 619.00
SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 649.00
SGN6277 120Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 889.00
SGN1296 168Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 1069.00
SGN4077 230Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 1669.00
==================================================
WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE OF 3.5 LOW PROFILE HARD DRIVES
for
USE IN MEGA ST COMPUTERS AND RELATED CONFIGURATIONS.
20mb #AI020SC 379.95 30mb #AIO3OSC 419.95
50mb #AI050SC 449.95 65mb #AI065SC 499.95
85mb #AI085SC $559.95
MEGA ST Internal Hard Drives
CONNOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MECHANISMS
>>> ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS <<<
(500 - 600k per sec @ 23 -33ms)
CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS
FROM 30mb 28MS @ $419.00!
Ask about our "REBATE SPECIALS"
--==*==--
SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INCLUDED
============================================
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555)>> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
- SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADVANTAGE PLUS H/A
- ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
(1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
--->> SPECIAL NOW ONLY __$769.00__ <<---
*** SPECIAL SYQUEST OFFER!! ***
ORDER YOUR CUSTOM SYQUEST UNIT NOW AND GET A SECOND COMPLETE UNIT!
***** for $50.00 LESS! *****
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1339.00 **
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
50mb SQG51 $1079.00 30mb SQG38 $1039.00
65mb SQG09 $1119.00 85mb SQG96 $1129.00
LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
*** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
LARGER units are available - (special order only)
NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED!
- Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
Keyboard Custom Cables Call for Info
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
9am - 8pm EDT
Tues thru Sat
________________________________________________________
> A "Quotable Quote"?
=================
"METHINKS.. HE DOTH PROTESTETH TOO MUCH!!!"
Charlie Shakinghorse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STReport? "Your Independent News Source" September 28, 1990
16/32bit Magazine copyright = 1990 No.6.39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors, staff, STReport? CPU/STR? or ST Report?. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint
must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's
name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
any way without prior written permission. The contents, at the time of
publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors,
contributors and/or staff are not responsible for either the use/misuse
of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
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