ST Report: 27-Nov-92 #847
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 11/28/92-09:39:44 AM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 27-Nov-92 #847
Date: Sat Nov 28 09:39:44 1992
*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
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November 27, 1992 No.8.47
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> 11/27/92 STR 847 "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
""""""""""""""""
- The Editor's Desk - WHATIS 6.4 OUT! - PGST (UK) PATCH
- PEOPLE ARE TALKING - NVN ANNOUNCED! - SPORTSTER & DS
- CRYSTAL BALL RETURNS! - ATARI IS DEAD? - TWENTY QUESTIONS
- FONTVERTER REVIEW - FONT # REFERENCE - STR Confidential
-* EXCLUSIVE! -> INSIDE COMDEX'92 *-
-* DOUBLE CLICK SHUTS DOWN! *-
-* ATARI WINS ONE! *-
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WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (November 27)
GTHOR - ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST OTHELLO PROGRAMS
Download file GTHOR.LZH from LIBRARY 2 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO
ATARIARTS) for GTHOR 2.0, an Othello program that is considered one of the
four top Othello programs in the world. If you think you're good at
Othello, try this program!
STALKER STUFFR BACKTALK UTILITY
Download file STKSTU.ZIP from LIBRARY 2 of the Atari Productivity Forum
(GO ATARIPRO) for "STalker Stuffr", a utility for use with STalker3 desk
accessory. Use with CLI or Hotwire to automate Stalker tasks. Run a
BackTALK script without opening the Stalker window. Create HotWire LGR
entries for STalker DA sessions.
MIDI MUSIC MAKER
Version 2.21 of Midi Music Maker is now available in LIBRARY 5 of the
Atari Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) as file MMM221.LZH. This program plays 16
different types of music including SMF. It also will create SMF format 0
or 1 from any of the types played. New features include ability to play
Dr. Ts (Atari or Amiga) and Sound Blaster CMF files, full screen file
display, user definable keys, selectable drum tracks when transposing and
several other new features and fixes.
VERSION 6.4 of WHATIS
Version 6.4 of WHATIS is now available for download from LIBRARY 6 of the
Atari Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO) as file WHATIS.ARC. This version
identifies over 125 file types - ARCs, LHarcs, PRGs, pics, ACCs,
animations, etc... no more "what kind of file is this?" problems! Runs as
a PRG or ACC or a TTP-like program on any ST/TT in any rez. Short docs
included in the ARC. All the features of previous versions, plus adds
PageStream 2.2 docs and LaserJet II soft fonts to the list.
PAGESTREAM PATCH
A patch to convert PageStream 2.1 (UK) to PageStream 2.2 (UK) is
available for download as file UKPATC.ARC from LIBRARY 11 of the Atari
Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN). This is equivalent to the US version of the
patch which creates PageStream 2.2 (US). The UK version of PageStream has
the word 'color' spelled as 'colour' in the Global menu.
SIMPLY LOADING XTERM2 ONTO PORTFOLIO!
Download XLOAD.ZIP from LIBRARY 2 of the Atari Portfolio Forum (GO
APORTFOLIO) for a small program and batch file to simplify first time
loading of xterm2 onto your Portfolio through the serial port. The batch
file is run from your PC and copies xload.com across to your Portfolio.
Xload.com is then run from your Portfolio to copy xterm2 across. The batch
file contains further instructions and the program has a number of error
trapping routines. NB. The zip file does not contain xterm2 itself - this
can be downloaded separately from library 2.
ULTIMATE ADDRESS BOOK!
The ultimate Address Book for the PC! Reads and edits Portfolio compatible
Address Book files. Advanced features! Commercial Quality! Written and
uploaded by Artisan Software. Even dials the modem for you... just like
the Portfolio dials over the speaker! Requires DOS-PC. Save feature
disabled until registered.
Download file ADR_BK.ZIP from LIBRARY 6 of the Atari Portfolio Forum (GO
APORTFOLIO).
THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
"GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
Here we are a week or so after Comdex and what do we find going on?
People are still discussing the pros and cons of Atari's performance at
Comdex. Odd... don't you think? When all one need do is use one's eyes.
After all, seeing is believing. There is strange word, (believe) right in
the middle of the word is a (lie)! More smoke and mirrors? Maybe. Back
to the topic. Atari's performance and Comdex is indicative of the times.
They've managed to disappoint the users and dealers every year since 1987
in regards to big Christmas Sales seasons. Yet we see no-one trying to
make excuses for this obvious marketing blunder. Then why, in retrospect,
do we find really decent people in the Atari platform try like crazy to
"explain away" the rather sedate 'action' at Atari's booth this year?
Granted there may have been a few thousand flyers and brochures handed
out, but in the busiest of years this was never looked upon as a solid
'rule of thumb' when gauging booth attendance. Why all of a sudden do we
see all sorts of reaching going on to justify the quiet booth. Biggest
question of all, why are there people ever so busy trying to tell the
userbase that what was seen was _not_ really what they saw? Sound
ridiculous? Sure it does but that's exactly what is going on!
Of course, there will always be the buck passing... since 1987, its
never been Atari's fault or the fault of the decision makers at Atari for
the dregs they've placed themselves in... This year we are being told it
was the Interface Group's fault (they organize and manage Comdex). In
particular, the dismal performance at the Atari booth is being blamed on
the manner in which the Sands expo center was managed. Right... why is
it through the years, its _never_ been acknowledged it could've been the
fault of poor management decisions etc.. Take a few of the glaring
incidents in the past for example.. The Federated Fiasco, Federated's
fault - The ATW failure, "not our design" etc.. - Upgraded Portfolio
design, not our design etc.. - Notebook, Pen and Stacy... all accounting
for huge sums of money gone south. Yet none of these things or incidents
have ever been attributed to or even hinted at being the responsibility of
Atari or its management or lack of it. Nope, in the broadest of terms
everybody and his brother has been blamed but never once was the real
responsibility ever fixed where it really belongs.
Now we are told that "Jack is back". To that I say I've been told
that a number of times in the past and still.... no real improvement. A
typical strong example of strange executive reaction was the statement
made by Sam Tramiel about the Forbes Article. A laugh? A joke? It was
sad to see that article hit, even for me. Atari has always had a dynamite
machine design but alas, its management team well.. that's another story.
Now that Comdex is behind us, let's see how long it takes for the damage
control smoothies to get started in trying to convince all of us that what
we saw really wasn't what we saw at all.
Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine
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STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
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Publisher - Editor
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Ralph F. Mariano
PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
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Roger D. Stevens Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON
STReport Staff Editors:
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Lloyd E. Pulley Sr. Dana P. Jacobson Michael Arthur
Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner
John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Joseph Mirando
Steve Spivey Doyle C. Helms
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Michael Lee Richard Covert John Deegan
Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Tim Holt
Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Harry Steele
Ben Hamilton Neil Bradley Eric Jerue
Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing
James Nolan Vernon W. Smith Bruno Puglia
Clemens Chin
IMPORTANT NOTICE
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Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
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STR'S "BELIEVE IT? OR.. WHAT?"
<>###############################<>
"There is no comparison! The Atari Falcon
is far superior to the PC platform."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"As I said before, all marketing announcements will be made at
Duesseldorf. I will not comment on future models of the Falcon.
WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT A MACHINE.....
WHICH WILL BE SHIPPING NEXT WEEK."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
"I've just returned from Asia, where I saw the first Atari Falcon
production coming off the lines. Let's hope this new offering will
make it in North America. I know that the specs are great."
Sam Tramiel, 08/92
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> ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
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PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
=====================
On CompuServe
-------------
compiled by Joe Mirando
Well folks, Thanksgiving has been here and gone, the Christmas shopping
season has now officially begun, and the echoes of COMDEX are slowly
fading away. While Atari's Falcon030 will be relegated to the "if only
they were available now" department during the upcoming Christmas season,
the questions, answers, and discussions regarding the ST/TT series of
computers continue at a steady pace. Reading these messages can be fun,
informative, and interesting. Sometimes you even get a "blast from the
past"... a message that reminds you of a problem, question, of triumph
you've had and long since forgotten about. This doesn't always happen,
but sometimes... Well, you know.
From The Atari Productivity Forum
=================================
Oscar Steele of Purple Mountain Computing (PMC) posts:
"The $399 price on the Freedom Floptical Drives has been extended to
December 15, 1992. Also, we have exciting things in store for
Gemulator, look for announcements soon. Finally, we're moving our
warehouse and we're having some incredible sales. A lot of stuff has
sold, but a lot more is available:
Cables 'n' Things...
Function-Aid, function key template holder (fits next to Function Key
spot on your ST) includes 5 double sided cards to write down the
functions for different programs. - $3
Baseless Joystick - uses liquid inside so that it doesn't need a base.
Move it in the air by moving it towards the direction you want to go!
- $3
3 Floppy Drive cables - $4 each
3 TV Hookup things - screw to TV antenna - $1 each
2 Computer hookup to TV Hookup thing - $1 each
Video Cable for TT computer - $14 TT modem cable - $9 25 pin male
centronics to 25 pin male centronics cable - $4 RS-232 cable - $6
Power Cords - $3 each (plug in almost universally to all computer
components)
Gravis Mousestick - Awesome, joystick or a mouse, has LCD screen for
displaying controls and information. A steal at $39.
1040 ST keyboard covers, simulated leather - $3 each
External drive cover, simulated leather - $2"
Well, remember that bit of nostalgia I was talking about? The
Function_Aid was produced by a friend of mine. I had one of the first
ones made. I haven't used it in a long time, but reading that made me
stop and think: "Hey! I paid fifteen dollars for that darned thing!"
Hey, I didn't say that it was profound or anything, just that it brought
back memories.
Speaking of memories, Richard Gunter asks about John Townsend's TOS
version doc:
"A few weeks ago, someone (John Townsend?) uploaded a document file
which summarized the TOS versions released for Atari ST line. I let
it go by when it appeared, and now can't find it. Can you help?"
Bill Aycock, Sysop extraordinare, points Richard in the right direction:
"John Townsend's text file is included in the TOSPAT.LZH file in LIB
6, if you don't mind downloading a little extra stuff... the LZH
contains the text file plus the latest version of the patches
mentioned in his note (plus a couple others that have been reported to
work better than the official Atari patches)."
While most of these "patches" are actually enhancements and not patches at
all, a few of them are necessary to keep certain TOS versions from making
your life harder. Check them out when you can.
While some of us are concerned with software, others are currently
involved in weighing the virtues of certain types of hardware. Shawn
Laughlin tells us:
"I'm thinking about purchasing a printer for my computer and need a
little advice on them. My last printer was an Okidata model ( or
whatever) and I don't want anything that even resembles it. It took
about an hour to print a 30 page document and it wore out the head.
Do most printers work with all types of computers? My brother has an
IBM clone and purchased a Hewlett Packard Desk Jet 500 for about
$400. I like the printer but don't know if it will work with my 520
ST.
Any advice on printers (and where I can purchase them ) in the $400
price range would be appreciated. I want either an ink jet or laser
printer capable of printing large documents(in length) without burning
up <g>. Also exactly what I will need as far as hardware and software
interface."
One of the leading luminaries in the Atari Forums, Albert Dayes of Atari
Explorer Magazine, tells Shawn:
"Provided you have the right cable and correct printer drive you
should be able to hook up any printer to your computer. The DeskJet
is a popular and quite a few people use them on their Atari STs. Also
it appears that most major applications have drivers for the printer
as well. Probably gives you the best price/performance of most
printers out there."
Richard Gunter advises Shawn:
"Most of the current line of printers that work on the PC clones will
also work on an Atari, I believe with the same cable you'd use on an
old AT-class PC. The trick is to make sure you have printer drivers
for the software and printer combination you choose. That's critical.
HP makes a well-regarded line of inkjet and laser printers, and the
prices have come down a lot in recent years. In a local store, I saw
the HP 500C color inkjet advertised for $400 less than a week ago.
Their Laserjet line has several models, with the "P" (for personal)
models costing rather less than the bigger ones. Dunno if they'd be
down in your price range, though.
I have the impression that the inkjets are also kinda slow compared to
the lasers, but you shouldn't burn up the animal in either case. It's
possible an inkjet would be fast enough for you, but I'll defer to
those who have them. Beware of "raw" pages/minute figures, though;
the software will usually have a dramatic effect on the effective
throughput.
I have an Atari SLM804 that's given excellent service for about six
years now (out of production), and have heard good reports on the
SLM605. Neither is compatible with other platforms, though, and may
still be a bit pricey in view of the falling prices around the
marketplace.
Good luck, and don't forget the printer drivers!"
Bill Gibson proves that the "Global Village" is here already. Being able
to communicate with someone so far away in so short a time is something
that could only be dreamed of only a decade ago. So was the idea of
linking STs with PCs and Macs. Well I guess if you've got to try to kill
two birds with one stone, you had might as well try to link your ST to
those poor PCs and Macs. Bill posts:
"Hello from Scotland. We have a rather complex computer setup here. An
atari ST, a generic 386 PC, and a MAC Classic. Can anyone suggest how
they could be networked/ ideally they would be able to share resources
such the modem, plotter and printers? bye for now :-)"
Again that informational dynamo, Albert Dayes from Atari Explorer Magazine
helps out:
"If you download the Znet in the Atari Arts forum they had some
interesting networking information in it. Products for hooking up to
Novell networks and some other things. The 11/21/1992 issue of Znet.
Sharing printers and a plotter can be done with printer sharing boxes
that you can probably get just about anywhere. The manual switch
boxes is what I am thinking about. You could probably do the same
thing for the modem too since it just a serial connection."
While we're on the subject of the "Global Village", let's take a look at
Lance Lenehan's problem with an Atari Megafile 30 hard drive. Lance
posts:
"Hi, I hope someone might be able to help me. I have an Atari 1040STe
and a Megafile 30 hard disk drive. I am having problems getting the
1040 to recognize the hard disk. I boot with the hard disk utility
disk, which runs the AHDI.PRG utility, but I get no drive C: icon
appearing on the desktop. I have managed to get aversion 5.0 HD
utilities, and the AHDI.PRG program reports that Unit 0 Identification
is unavailable. If I use the HDX program to format the hard disk, it
seems to go fine up till the point where it checks for bad sectors. It
then reports every sector on the disk as bad, and at the end reports
that the disk was formatted with an earlier version of HDX. I have
followed the instructions regarding waiting for the hard disk to power
up before turning on the computer. I was running the disk successfully
prior to my current problems. I have a vague suspicions that I deleted
the Hard Disk Icon for Drive C: at one stage, using the Options,
Install Disk Drive ... menu and selecting remove button. I was
intending to remove the drive B: icon, but was a bit careless."
Jeff at Intersect Software tells Lance:
"It sounds as if you have a problem with the Drive. The MegaFile 30
uses a 30 Meg Segate RLL drive. Most of the problems I've encountered
have been with the drive it'self. Seagates (the 5 1/4 drives) drives
suffer from problems that result in the platter not spinning up to
speed.
Listen very carefully to the drive, do you hear the initialize sounds?
If not then you can remove the case and lift up the drive, carefully
spin the platter (there is a flywheel on the bottom), try it again, it
will probably work. Leave the screws off the case, you will probably
need to jump start the drive again in the near future."
Lance tells Tony:
"I think I agree with you about the drive having problems. I have
tried just about every utility I can get my hands on, and have had no
success. Looks like I'll be taking the drive to Atari for service.
Thanks for replying. Do you think its worth persevering with the
megafile, or maybe purchasing another brand of drive. I am a PC
programmer, ie IBM clones, and have allot of experience with the
hardware/software scene as far as IBM compatibles go. As for the
Atari, well I use that for recording in my home midi studio with
Cubase Software. So i'm not as familiar with all the options available
on the Atari as with the PC's. I live in Sydney, Australia. There dont
appear to be many Atari specialists out here. I purchased my machine
and drive from a large department store."
Okay folks, here's the interesting part. Tony Barker of Moving Pixels
jumps in and says:
"I live in Sydney and I'm an Atari specialist, I didn't realise you
were so close. Give me a call on 555 7312 and I'll see what I can do
to help you out. If all else fails, I can fix you up with a new hard
disk."
Hmmm... Lance, who is from Sidney Australia, dials up CompuServe in
Columbus Ohio in the the good ol' U.S. of A. and finds that someone there
can help him and also happens to live in Sidney. Sidney to Ohio to
Sidney... hey was this info delivered by the postal service? ;-)
From the Atari ST Arts Forum
============================
Did Noah really have a ZOO in his ARC? Did he build that ARC with a ZIP
in his step? Who cares? Is a ZOO better than an ARC? Well that's a
tough question. ARC has been the top method of compression for the ST
series of computers for some time now, although LZH in the LH5 format is
also a favorite. Now along comes this new method; ZIP. It archives some
types of files smaller than LZH or ARC, some end up larger. The current
version of ZIP for the ST (2.00) provides a nice user interface which
eliminates the need for "shell" programs to insulate you from all of the
"command line nonsense". To make matters worse, there is yet another
option on the not-to distant horizon: ZOO. What do people think of these
new methods? Do you remember those Tropicana Twister commercials? Bob
Retelle, another top-notch Sysop, tells Bob Ledbetter:
"One thing I often do when I find a program that's been compressed
with some obscure compression method is to re-compress it with ARC
before uploading it here, just to make it easier for everyone to get
it..
You might think about trying that if the sysop on the BBS decides the
uncompressed version are taking up too much space or download time..
almost everyone should have an unARC utility, and be familiar with its
use..
(The one recent exception was the 56001 DSP assembler I uploaded into
the AtariPro Forum.. it was ZOOed, and I would have re-ARCed it except
that it has multiply sub-folders in it, and ZOO handles that nicely..
once you figure out how to do it..)"
John Amsler jumps into the conversation and posts:
"Even though it's not as "efficient" as LZH, I've found over the six
years that I've had my 1040ST and MegaSTe, from TOS 1.02 (?) to 2.06,
that ARC creates far, far fewer problems than anything else. There
seems to be a much greater degree of cross-platform compatibility with
ARC (Macintosh, Amiga, Atari, IBM, and whatever else)."
Sysop Bob Retelle tells John:
"You're absolutely right...!
While some of those more "esoteric" compression methods might be able
to squeeze a few more bytes out of an archive, I've always found good
old ARC to be the easiest to use, and a lot less confusing for new
users... (There's some new compression for the PC from the
Netherlands that's supposed to be even better than ZIP.. but totally
incompatible with anything, of course.. I just hope it doesn't start
catching on with isolated BBSs.. what a mess..!)"
John Amsler replies:
"<"...what a mess..!>
Mess: that's an underSTatement! It's too bad there can't be juST one
compression STandard. Sometimes I think there's a conspiracy to
deliberately keep the four main platforms (IBM, Apple, Commodore,
Atari) segregated. If anything, I would think the manufacturers
would actually benefit from having cross-platform compatibility."
From the Atari Vendors Forum
============================
Bob Ledbetter asks:
"Is there any way to import files from SuperBase Personal 2 into CardFile
4?"
Never at a loss for information, Albert Dayes tells Bob:
"If you export files from SuperBase to ascii and then there should be
a converter program that works with fixed length files (ascii) to
import into CardFile."
Of course, great minds think alike. Bob Ledbetter posts:
"Between the time I asked the question and read your answer I have
been thinking along those lines. However, I haven't had the chance to
give it a go yet. I'll try it today."
One of the most interesting items available for the ST is the SpectreGCR;
a Mac emulator... or should I say THE Mac emulator (?), from Gadgets by
Small. Richard Gordon asks:
"What's the story on a new version that will support system 7.1, will
there be an "STTalk", and what about CDROM support (hinted at ages
ago)?"
Mark at Gadgets by Small answers:
"The largest roadblock Dave has faced regarding the release of Spectre
3.1 is implementing System 7.1 support. It has been a bear but he is
sounding more and more enthusiastic about finally getting up and
running. However, my understanding is that the first Spectre 3.1
release will not likely support System 7. As I understand it, the
probable "fixes" in the first release of Spectre 3.1 are:
TT SCSI support
TT memory support (more than 8 megs)
Bug fix for >4 meg machines with a
68000 accelerator (ie, AdSpeed)
Support for System 7 will probably have to wait for Spectre 3.2? 3.3?
I know of no plans for a "STTALK" type of board (I assume you mean a
"MegaTalk" type of board that will fit ANY ST.) I do not know the
status of any CD-ROM support."
Richard tells Mark:
"I don't want to harp on this - but a long time ago Dave indicated in
a newsletter, manual, or article (I don't remember which) that ST
user's would not be left out in the cold. I guess we have been. The
Atari system's are undersupported by the ATARI and vendors. I do think
that Dave has done a great job. The programing feat alone deserves our
appreciation. I do appreciate the Mac interface on my ST and it does
work well. I would like sysem 7 support, but I know our ROM's our
outdated. At one time Dave was considering 256 support, but if he
doesn't we will be stuck w/ the 128K roms. Anyway, I would like
system 7.1 support and I would like a way to hook up a MAC CD rom,
to my ST. I am a big supporter of Dave's work - I have put my money
into it - MagicSac and Spectre/GCR, I wish him well and hope that he
does not forget the ST users out there that bought his product."
Mark at Gadgets replies:
"I will pass your comments and concerns along to Dave. Thank you for
taking the time to provide your thoughts."
Dick Paddock jumps in and says:
"Now that someone has confirmed that the 1.44MB upgrade to my MSTe is
causing my difficulty in reading GCR diskettes (I'm glad it's not just
ME!), is there a solution? Spectre 3.1, perhaps?"
Mark tells Dick:
"There is already a workaround for the high density drive
incompatibility problem. Before you boot into Mac mode, put a 800K
SPECTRE format disk in the floppy drive. (Yes, even if you are booting
into Mac mode from a hard drive). This can be any SPECTRE format disk
(800K) that does NOT contain any System files. Once in Mac mode,
mount the floppy (press F1) and then eject it. You should then be
able to read Mac format disks (800K ones). Spectre does not yet
support 1.4 meg floppies and I don't know the status of that at this
time."
Meanwhile, back at CodeHead central, Domingo Alvear tells Charles F.
Johnson:
"I am glad to have Warp 9! It is a great program. (Especially since
it is supported unlike Turbo ST!) I also like E-O-S, but are there
other modules available yet? Or have people just not read the docs?
<grin> I would pay for a disk full of E-O-S modules..."
Charles, being the kind of guy who likes feedback, tells Domingo:
"Thanks for the compliments on Warp 9! I know of at least one
programmer who's working on a shareware package of screensaver
modules. Also, I believe that Michael Crisafulli has released a
version of his 'Soft-Sci' screensaver that works as a Warp 9 module;
I'll see if I can get a copy and upload it here."
Well, friends and neighbors, this is the end of a very long Thanksgiving
day for me. I hope your Thanksgivings were good ones and that you have as
much to be thankful for as I have. Tune in again next week and listen to
what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
***********************************************************************
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=================
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DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
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> INSIDE COMDEX'92! STR Spotlight ** EXCLUSIVE EYEWITNESS REPORT! **
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
COMDEX/Fall'92
==============
by John J. Amsler
I've been coming to COMDEX since I moved to Las Vegas in 1987.
As the memories of COMDEXes past, e.g.,
1987 - the torrential rains, (when Atari was prominently
situated in the main Convention Center)
1988 - the "Gold Room," Mick Fleetwood, and Falcon (the
F-16 flight simulation!)
grow somewhat misty (if not altogether incorrect!), this year's
COMDEX was certainly the most eagerly anticipated.
This frenzy of anticipation, of course, was due to the much-
vaunted pre-COMDEX publicity that was generated by the unveiling
of the Falcon earlier in Europe and just recently at the Boston
Computer Society. It was interesting enough to read about it, to
hear about it, to even see it in magazines (Atari ST User,
Sep 92, page 9), but nothing could be as desirable as to see one
"live," "up close," in person. I'm not a parent, but I imagine
that it's somewhat similar to having been a soldier in Korea or
Vietnam who received many pictures of his baby born while he was
away -- nothing could compare to going home and seeing,
especially holding, the child. I can't imagine any Atarian not
wanting to "cuddle" Atari's "newborn" computer!
Thursday, 19 November
Once again, I found myself coming to COMDEX late in the week.
Every year since 1987 I've been telling myself that I would come
no later than Wednesday (the supposed "peak" of the week's
activity) and every year there's been SOMETHING that's prevented
me from doing so. Drats!
Having won two free passes from McGraw-Hill on CompuServe
(THANKS, M-H!!), I invited a Raytheon contractor who's never been
to a COMDEX to accompany me. We arrived at the registration tent
at about 1230 and I only had a few hours to spare before I have
to get back to Nellis Air Force Base.
I had logged onto the Las Vegas D.U.S.T. ("Dedicated Users of
the ST," the local ST users' group) BBS ("Wildlife, (702)-645-
7570)) the day before as well as onto CIS and saw messages saying
that Motorola had a Falcon in ITS area. GRRRREAT!! I told my
friend, "We'll take a quick look around the main hall of the
convention center, find the Motorola area, drool over the Falcon,
and then go to the Sands Convention Center and go straight to the
Atari area."
I didn't look at the exhibit map in the daily COMDEX
newspaper, expecting the Motorola area to be easy to find even
if we just randomly wandered around. That was a mistake; it took
us quite a bit of time to find the MOTOROLA sign, but finally I
saw it.
As I approached the Motorola area, I noticed the partitioned
area for "Digital Signal Processing" (or whatever it was the sign
said exactly). From a relatively long distance I could make out
the Falcon, sitting there looking like a 1040ST with too much
melanin (a pigment responsible for dark skin color).
As I approached I noticed it was playing the sound/graphics
demo of the "Simply The Best" video by Tina Turner that, as it
was told, wowed everybody at the Boston Computer Society show
last month. I had to strain against the constant background
cacophony to hear the sound coming out of the speakers that
Falcon was hooked up to, but what I did hear was beautiful:
sharp, crisp, undistorted (to my tone-deaf ears <g>) sound, from
the "chopchopchop" of the helicopters shown to the melodies of
Tina Turner's band and the harmonies of her singing. (Maybe
"harmonies" is an inappropriate word, given her Rod-Stewart-like
trademark scratchy voice.)
I was pretty much transfixed as I listened to the demo cycle
through a couple times. I thought to myself, "Whatever the
Motorola engineers did to devise this DSP ["Digital Signal
Processor" -- the "sound brain" inside) chip and whatever Sam
Tramiel's engineers did to merge it with the Falcon's internal
hardware and firmware (?), they certainly did it RIGHT!"
Hats off to Motorola and Atari!
While I was staring at the Falcon, basically motionless while
I was trying to fathom the wonder and beauty of this "baby," my
friend tapped me on the left arm with a copy of the Fall 1992
issue of "68K Connection: 68000 Family News and Information," a
Motorola bulletin. I looked at the index and saw the entry
"Atari's Falcon030." I immediately turned to page 3 and read the
following article:
68030 Powers Atari's New Multimedia Computer
A multimedia computer recently introduced by Atari
Corporation is powered by Motorola's 68030 microprocessor. The
new computer, called Falcon030, is the industry's first personal
integrated media system. The Atari Falcon030 is a full-scale
computer specifically designed for personal integrated media
functions including video, audio, animation, telecommunications,
and graphics. Users of the Atari Falcon030 can create home
videos complete with text and music, can record lead vocals on a
favorite musical recording, and can execute many more exciting
applications.
The Atari Falcon030 also incorporates Motorola's 56001
digital signal processor (DSP) to process and manipulate compact-
disc-quality digital audio and voice signals, which, combined
with the 68030's processing power and Atari's integrated
software, makes the Atari Falcon 030 a complete personal
integrated media system.
"The Atari Falcon030, with the help of Motorola's 68030 and
56001 DSP, is bringing production-level quality graphics,
professional-level recording and audio manipulation capabilities
to the consumer," said Sam Tramiel, president and CEO of Atari.
Motorola 68030 integrates advanced features into a full 32-
bit microprocessor design, optimized for low-cost, memory-based
applications. Its burst fill functionality provides an efficient
bus and memory interface, enabling the 68030 to substantially
increase overall system throughput. This capability is
especially well-suited for multimedia personal integrated media
products, such as the Atari Falcon030, that require large amounts
of information to be continuously transmitted from external
memory to the processor's dual internal caches. The efficient
memory interface results in cost and time savings, allowing the
Atari Falcon030 to achieve excellent price/performance ratios.
As I read it, certain words and phrases jumped out and caught
my mind's eye ("virtual boldface" <g>):
industry's first
full-scale computer
specifically designed
exciting applications
compact-disc-quality
production-quality graphics
professional-level recording and audio manipulation
advanced features
optimized for low-cost
efficient bus
efficient memory interface
cost and time savings
excellent price/performance ratios
I thought to myself, "Wow!" This is like being in a time
warp going back to 1984. 'Industry's first' -- where did I hear
THAT said about Atari before?! It sounds like the Falcon is
picking up where the ST left off, i.e., breaking new ground,
boldly going where makers of electronic tin cans presumptuously
calling them 'computers' fear to tread!"
My friend then handed me Atari's own Falcon brochure, also
available in the Motorola area. The cover was a VERY colorful
picture of a Falcon, shown from a top-down, front-oblique angle,
with its uniquely-colored nameplate:
{Fuji symbol} ATARI FALCON 030
|
v
A - blue
T - light green
A - orange
R - red
I - white
The Falcon was sitting on what appeared to be an artist's
"canvas" covered with bright red, blue, and yellow paint
spillings. Above the Falcon was Atari's SC1435 monitor, showing
a scene from some space-oriented game, similar to the old "Star
Raiders" genre. The view showed a spacecraft's instrument
control panel, above which was the "windshield," through which
could be seen a red hexagonal "mother ship" with green "spokes"
emanating from the inside of each vertex and joining at the
center. Whoever designed the cover for this brochure created a
very appealing, eye-catching display. Good job!
Opening up the brochure to pages 2 and 3 showed in the
lower left corner (page 3) a Falcon inside some audio/video
laboratory, hooked up to a "harmonizer" (as well as some other
sophisticated electronic equipment) with some sort of audio-
analysis software display on the screen. On the right side of
the brochure (page 3) a Falcon was shown standing on its right
side, with the back to the reader, with the various ports
indicated by text. The upper body of a woman dancer was shown in
the upper left corner (page 2), twirling around in a pink gown
against a backdrop of a brilliant pink light. She seemed to be
looking at the centerfold, which was a front-view of a Falcon
with a BEAUTIFUL multi (and I mean MULTI!)-colored ray-traced
picture on the monitor, with:
- a white Fuji symbol with a tilted black-and-blue halo around
it's "head," mirrored against the marble-like speckled surface on
which it rested
- a large semi-transparent sphere, against which you could see
part of the Fuji symbol reflected
- a mainly-red tetrahedron
- two mainly-blue tetrahedrons, joined at their bases
- a mainly-green dodecahedron (?)
Each of the objects would separately have been a great graphic on
the old 520/1040 STs, Mega STs, STes, or Mega STes. The picture
of the monitor did a GREAT job of implying the graphics
capabilities of the Falcon (yet anyone who knew anything about
the Falcon knew that one picture could only scratch the
surface as far as graphics are concerned!).
The back (page 4) of the brochure showed a Falcon screen shot
with an open GEM window displaying the compact disk icons used
with the Falcon, a multi-colored two-dimensional CAD-like graphic
of a falcon, and a long list of the Falcon's technical
specifications.
Again, as I read Atari's brochure, certain words and phrases
jumped out:
Atari's world includes a vision
advanced technology
cost-effective production
Personal Integrated Media System
vibrant colors
crystal-clear sound
easily and affordably
better-than-CD-quality
animation studio
multimedia production center
unflagging helpmate
blazingly fast
computers other companies sell for thousands more
state-of-the-art audio quality
power without the price
high-quality genlock
titling and special effects a breeze
high-speed graphics
the Atari Falcon030 already includes what you need
MS-DOS file compatibility
386-PC emulation
exciting new types of peripherals
Atari made the first computer to offer a built-in
MIDI interface, which for all other computers requires
an extra card or external box
the ultimate sound track
concert hall ambience
Professional-quality speech
Atari Falcon030 handles 8 discrete tracks at a time,
without add-on boards or issues of compatibility
Atari Falcon030 provides the same--if not superior--
functionality to digital recording systems costing literally
thousands of dollars more.
astounding vibrancy
New vistas open up for the electronic artist.
Programs become more intuitive
sophisticated use of color
never seen this kind of richness before
a virtual rainbow of color
stunning PIMS
Atari Falcon030's groundbreaking capabilities
the promise of a true PIMS for the home
adding surround-sound to your VCR
interactive education
running a home security system
We don't charge more than we need to just because we can
get away with it.
Our audience is not pinstripe clones or "blind lemmings"
powerful, efficient, cost-effective tools
the musical edge that the ST series has always had
incredible color and speed
a platform that's ready for your most challenging creative tasks
color and sound blend seamlessly
a system that can truly be any kind of personal, creative
tool you want
There are two minor complaints I have with the brochure:
1) "standard MS-DOS file compatibility"
That may have been Atari's original INTENTION, but in
reality it's not so. In the Air Force, there were
several IBM and clone systems that would not read an
Atari TOS-formatted disk (TOS 1.02, TOS 1.04, and
TOS 2.06). Some of the public domain IBM disk-compatible
formatters for the ST would work on some Air Force
systems, others would not. The problem seemed to be
that while TOS created 711 disk sectors for a double-sided,
double-density 3.5" disk, MS-DOS needs 713.
2) "Super VGA graphics"
Sorry, Atari, but 640 x 480 is VGA, not Super VGA
(which, by the way, is 1024 x 768). You're not fooling
anybody, least of all the IBM graphics and multimedia
people who we all hope will migrate from the klutzy,
overpriced IBM clones, Macintoshes, and Amigas with
their klutzy, horribly overpriced software to the Falcon.
More on my feelings on this topic at the end of
this review.
Other than those two complaints--and I stress they are only MINOR
complaints--the person or people who put this brochure together
did a FANTASTIC job! I only hope that a lot of IBM and Apple
and Amiga aficionados read it ... as well as Jerry Pournelle,
Stewart Chaiffet (sp?) of "Computer Chronicles" fame, the editor
of Computer Musician magazine, the editor of Compute! magazine,
etc.
Sitting right next to the Falcon was an Apple Macintosh
"Powerbook 170," running a 25 MHz 68030 (they DO exiST! <g>).
The 68030 wasn't lonely in there; it was accompanied by a 68882
(math co-processor). The demo that was running was some
medieval-age game. I was, I'll admit, very impressed by the
sounds coming out of such a small laptop computer: the metallic
sounds (of clashing swords and so forth) were unbelievably crisp.
Considering that it, like the Falcon, was in the "Digital Signal
Processing" section of Motorola, I "ASSume" that it, too, had a
56001 inside. In any case, it was running SOFTWARE (gasp!).
While I was impressed by it, I, like any loyal Atarian, wanted to
pick it up and heave it into the nearest wastebasket because it
was implicitly stealing some of the Falcon's thunder. Somehow I
was able to restrain myself. (Sorry, Atari! <g>)
On the other side of Motorola's Digital Signal Processing
area was an Amiga 4000, running a no-audio stream of advertising
graphics profiling the history of the machine, from the Amiga
1000 to the current and long-awaited 4000. The 4000 was running
a 25 MHz 68040 and had a 120 Mb IDE hard drive inside and claimed
============
to have the ability to display 256,000 colors on-screen out of a
palette of 16.8 billion. Nonetheless, the graphics were, in my
underqualified opinion, atrocious! Heck, if they were trying to
DISSUADE people from buying the Amiga, this was a good way to do
it! I kept thinking to myself, "How did THIS platform ever get
the reputation as 'the ultimate GRAPHICS machine' ?????"
Friday, 20 November
My original intention was to arrive at the Sands Convention
Center at around 0730 so I could get a good parking space (In Las
Vegas during COMDEX? Ha! Surely, Amsler, you jest!) However, I
had to take care of both some personal and Air Force business and
didn't arrive at the Sands Convention Center until around 1200
after a long walk down "The Strip" through chilly winds.
I went to the second floor and started walking around,
expecting to see a prominent ATARI sign almost as soon as I
entered the hall. No such luck. I walked around for quite some
time, taking a look at what other hardware and software companies
were offering. I was greatly dismayed and even a little fearful
at what I saw. (More on this at the end of this review.)
Finally, I saw the heartwarming Fuji symbol. As I approached
the Atari area (which was the second-largest at the Sands, next
to Onward Technology/Shanghai Ascentex Electronic), it was
apparent that Atari had accented its bread-and-butter: music.
In a prominent corner, near a high-traffic area, were two
Falcons. There were two musicians (one of which I THINK was
Jimmy Hotz), one on a keyboard and the other on a guitar. They
were each plugged into a Falcon and were playing live music and
Hotz, if that was him, was singing. They attracted a reasonably
large crowd, about 25 people, who listened to them and their
Falcons with rapt attention and visible approval showing on their
faces. I got closer myself and enjoyed the show as well. I was
thinking to myself, as I watched the other onlookers, "Pay close
attention, you IBM and Apple knuckleheads, and read what the sign
says: A T A R I !" The fact that Atari was located adjacent to
the AdLib multimedia area probably was a good think inasmuch as
many of the viewers of the Atari exhibits probably just meandered
over from AdLib.
After they finished their musical demonstrations, I started
meandering around the various Atari exhibits. The sections were
variously listed as:
APPLICATIONS
ENTERTAINMENT
GRAPHICS
PORTFOLIO
PRODUCTIVITY
SOUND & AUDIO
SPEECH PRODUCTS
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Walking around, some interesting things. Lotsa Bytes Hard
Disk Systems had a TT030 hooked up to a PLI Infinity 3.5" drive
and a PLI Infinity 40 Turbo removable 44 Mb hard drive. On the
screen was STraight FAX!, USA Version 1.06, from Joppa Software
Development. I didn't "tinker" with any of this
hardware/software, so I can't say how well it actually worked.
Next to this display was Micro Creations' G.I.M.E. (which
stands for "Graphics Interface Modem Environment") terminal
running the Phantom Background Transfer Protocol. It looked
neat, but again I didn't actually use it.
Another set-up was Singular Solutions's A/D64x Audio
Interface ($1295 MSRP), hooked up to a Falcon's DSP port and a
Sony 207ESD CD player. This company has been making an A/D64x
for the NeXT computer for two years. According to the company's
brochure, their newest variant
"extends the sound processing capabilities of the Atari
Falcon030 to provide a high quality and extremely cost
effective platform for professional digital audio recording
... ideal for all phases of music production and editing.
Resulting recordings exhibit a level of fidelity which cannot
be improved upon by systems selling for many times the
price."
The brochure went on to claim that
"The Falcon030 sets new price-performance standards for a
computer with extensive multi-media capabilities. Designed
from ground up for sound, music, and video applications, the
Falcon030 is the ideal computer upon which to build a state-
of-the-art digital audio workstation. Atari has again {Note
the key word: "again" - JJA} redefined affordable, high
performance computing with the Falcon030."
The president of Singular Solutions, Steve Klein, said
The Atari Falcon030, in its basic configuration, is an
incredible machine for digital audio work. The inclusion of
the Motorola 56001 DSP definitely puts Atari in prime
position to capture a major share of the rapidly expanding
digital audio market. The addition of our A/D64x and D2D
EDIT results in a truly professional quality system at a
price that just can't be beat."
Many people over the past few years have criticized Atari for
not being aggressive in trying to set up cooperative arrangements
with third-party hardware and software developers and fumbling
the few that it did manage to set up. To those doomsayers,
consider the words of Paul Wiffen, the Director of Marketing for
D2D Systems (which makes (1) D2D-EDIT ($299 MSRP), stereo direct-
to-disk recording/editing software, (2) 4T/FX ($599 MSRP), multi-
track recording software, (3) 4I/4O ($599 MSRP), an audio
hardware "expander" and (4) SPDIO ($299 MSRP), a digital
interface for D2D-EDIT which allows the Falcon to sample input at
44.1 and 48 KHz, ideal for CD production):
"Our previous experience in hard disk recording has always
required us to produce our own hardware. With the
cooperative effort, we are able to concentrate on what we do
best, which is software, and let Atari and Singular Solutions
concentrate on the hardware. I believe that the results
speak for themselves."
This is EXACTLY the kind of advertising the Falcon needs,
addressing the two key advantages it provides to music industry
professionals as well as semi-pros:
1) LOW-COST hardware/software combinations
2) HIGH, PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL QUALITY of music output
Their addresses are:
Singular Solutions D2D Systems
Information Technologies ST John's Innovation
959 East Colorado Blvd Center
Pasadena, CA 91106 Cowley Road
England CB4 4WS
(818)-792-9567 voice
(818)-792-0903 fax Distributed By:
Digital I/O
2554 Lincoln Blvd #122
Marina Del Rey, CA 90291
(310)-398-3993
A new company (let me qualify that: "new" in the sense that
I had never heard of them before) called Digital Optical Analog,
Inc., had "Black Mail" on display. "Black Mail" is a voice mail
system for the Atari Falcon (and, significantly, the Macintosh
and NeXT computers). It's nothing more than a tiny black box,
only about 5" by 3" by 1", but one that is packed with power!
Their address is:
Digital Optical Analog, Inc.
P.O. Box 58413
Houston, TX 77258
(713)-488-2134
INFO@DOA.COM
COMPO Software was in attendance. Their brochure called the
Falcon a "super computer" and discussed the word processor
"That's Write 2" (which is like calling a Ferrari F-40 a "car").
It allows multiple fonts in one document (!), multiple columns,
automatic generation of tables of contents and indices, and
automatic paragraph numbering. There's also a version of "That's
Write" that supports PostScript.
Word Processing, database management, and spreadsheet have
traditionally been the "triumvirate" as far as bedrock personal
computer applications are concerned. No matter how good the
hardware is, a computer almost will be guaranteed to fail in the
marketplace if it doesn't have good software to make it "sing."
Thanks, COMPO, for supporting the Falcon so quickly! (Perhaps
before I die I'll switch from First Word Plus 3.20 to something
else. Perhaps.)
COMPO's brochure also showed, among other things, MUSiCOM, a
sound manipulation software package. According to COMPO,
"Now special effects previously only possible in a
professional music studio can now be achieved with the Falcon
030."
One of these special effects is the harmonizer, which permits one
voice to be manipulated to sound like a harmony, i.e., two or
more voices singing simultaneously. MUSiCOM has a 10-channel
equalizer (!) and seems to be a thoroughly well-designed piece of
software (which maintains the earlier precedent set by the sundry
companies which wrote for the original ST line). According to
the diagram shown, it can sample 8 bit mono or 8 or 16 bit stereo
at the following KHz rates: 8.2, 9.8, 12.3, 16.5, 28.8, 24.6,
33.9, and 49.2. Their address is:
COMPO Software Corp.
104 Esplanade Avenue Suite 121
Pacifica, CA 94044
(415)-355-0862 voice
(415)-355-0869 fax
A brochure that was available provided information about
Goldleaf's "DA's Vektor" ($199 MSRP), a three-dimensional
graphics package that, if the brochure does it justice, is truly
amazing. It's produced by the same programming team that's
responsible for the "Didot" line of products. DA's Vektor can
project any vector graphic onto three-dimensional surfaces and
also has a "key frame" animation utility. According to the
brochure
"The color auto-tracing module lets you load color images,
pick colors from them, and then automatically create freely-
scalable color vector graphic objects. You can even uses
[sic] images as a fill pattern for vector objects."
Goldleaf's address is
Goldleaf Publishing, Inc.
700 Larkspur Landing Circle
Larkspur, CA 94939
(415)-257-3515
HiSoft had a very nice brochure on HiSoft BASIC Version 2,
its 68000/68020/68030 compiler (Note: compiler!) which it claims
typically works on 3500 source lines per minute and contain DMA
sound in its ST/STe/TT operating system libraries. Perhaps the
most useful feature--at least to an old FORTRAN/BASIC/PASCAL
programmer like me--is the ability to redimension and extend
dynamic arrays WITHOUT losing values. When I was first learning
BASIC in 1980, line numbers were the rule of the day, GOTOs were
not unheard of, and there were severe restrictions on many
aspects of the language. HiSoft's BASIC 2 has no limits on
variable sizes (!), structured concepts such as:
SELECT ... CASE
WHILE ... WEND
DO loops
value and variable parameters
local variables
recursive subprograms and functions
According to the brochure you can disable reserved words for
"increased language compatibility" (!!) and also
"a profiler is included which analyses the program and
indicates where speed improvements may be made."
Heck, I don't know why they continue to call it "BASIC" these
days!
HiSoft had a second brochure entitled "The Falcon Flies." It
was VERY impressive, showing on the front page a tiny glimpse of
the Falcon's color-handling capability under TruePaint, the first
art package that takes advantage of it. TruePaint works in all
resolutions INCLUDING 768 x 480 true color and supports
animation, FSM/Speedo GDOS, and IFF/TIFF/JPEG file formats. The
brochure also profiled Wordflair 2, Diamond Edge (a GREAT product
which I bought in September and HIGHLY recommend!), XBoot,
Superbase Professional, and HiSoft's Devpac Version 3. HiSoft's
address is:
HiSoft
The Old School
Greenfield
Bedford MK45 5DE UK
+44 (0) 525 718181 voice
+44 (0) 525 713716 fax
(They say "We are still working on new projects for existing
Atari machines and for the new Falcon030." THANKS, HiSoft!)
If there was one exhibit which caught most people by surprise
and, once caught, impressed them the most, it probably was
Kodak's Photo CD running on. I can't remember if it was running
on a Falcon or a TT, but it was running! The people who were
observing it were practically slobbering down the front of their
shirts, their jaws hanging slack in amazement. The Friday before
COMDEX Atari and Kodak signed an agreement for the development of
Photo CD for the Atari computer line. What this does is allow
you to take a roll of 35 mm film to a photoprocessor and have the
images transferred to a CD (in addition to the normal prints) ...
which can then be displayed by a Falcon/CD combination or shown
on a TV via a CD player. According to Kodak's brochure
"Virtually all the visual information in each original
photograph is captured in an 18 megabyte file, which is
compressed to about 4.5 megabytes for storage on the disk.
Each picture is stored in one file at 5 different resolutions
(128 x 192, 256 x 384, 512 x 768, 1024 x 1536, and 2048 x
3072), so you can use the resolution that best fits your
need."
For further information write or call
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650
1-800-242-2424 ext 53
There was a fantastic set-up involving a TT being used as a
real-time controller to drive a sewing machine creating caps with
"ATARI" stitched on the front. Neat! Hopefully, next year they
will have this available to "proletarian" Atarians (for a fee,
of course) rather than just to developers and the media.
Last, but not least, Atari had a fantastic set-up in the
other high-traffic corner of its area, with a Falcon running the
same Moving Pixels Tina Turner "Simply The Best" video that was
also running over in the Motorola area in the main hall.
However, this Falcon was hooked up to a Mitsubishi XC-3715C, a
giant among monitors. It was visible from a long distance away
and was orders of magnitude easier to hear than that in the
Motorola area. It was a great way to show off the Falcon and
attracted the attention of many people.
CONCLUSION/OBSERVATION/OPINION
OK, COMDEX is over. The non-Boston Computer Society crowd
has now been shown the Falcon three times zones away. Now what?
Where does Atari, its developers, and its user community go from
here?
My military personnel records have me listed as a "Numerical
Methods in Electronic Data Processing" officer. My undergraduate
degree is in math, not marketing, not advertising, not business
management. I'm neither a musician nor a computer graphics/video
expert, so what I'm going to say may be completely wrong but I'll
say it anyway.
There is absolutely nothing that I've seen on the IBM or its
clowns, er, clones, the Amiga, or the Macintosh that can compare
to TOS 2.06 running with Warp 9. Nothing. The Atari ST line and
TOS have always been the absolute easiest hardware/software
combination to use, putting the least burden on the user and
making him/her the most productive in the least amount of time.
Whether it's word processing, database management, spreadsheets,
graphics, or music, the Atari provides the quickest, easiest,
least expensive way to get a task done. The most "bang for the
buck" can be found under the Fuji symbol, not under a blizzard of
blue bombast or under a half-eaten fruit. Obviously, the Falcon
continues to build on the strength of its predecessors.
As discussed earlier, the Falcon's strong point is its sound
processing capabilities. The remarks by Motorola and Singular
Solutions and other third-party companies attest to this. It's
no accident that such luminaries as Mick Fleetwood, B.B. King,
the Pointer Sisters, and Dire Straits turned to the ST line for
their professional applications. Atari should now seriously
consider a high-profile advertising campaign using some "big
names" in the professional music and entertainment industries to
tout the Falcon. At least to a certain extent, people buy "Air
Jordan" basketball shoes because you-know-who endorses them; in a
similar vein I think it's self-evident that professional and
semi-professional musicians will, at least to a certain extent,
buy Atari if they read in a music industry magazine or hear Mick
Fleetwood or someone else say, "The Falcon's the best there is."
This should be especially true if they are presented with a
direct, no-holds-barred price/performance comparison between the
Falcon, the IBM, the Macintosh, and the "multimedia" Amiga 4000
... because there really is no comparison. The Falcon wins hands
down.
In the Feb/Mar 92 issue of Compute!, writer Lisa Sarasohn
interviewed Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog Synthesizer:
LS: What's the impact of PCs on electronic music and
composition? Are we going to become a nation of
songwriters?
RM: We already are. Computer software is the fastest-
growing segment of the musical instrument business now.
You go into a rock shop--they used to have nothing but
guitars and drums, and now there's likely to be a whole
big section on music software.
LS: What effect will multimedia have on electronic music?
RM: [It's] possible now to integrate [high-resolution
computer graphics with music]--to have both of them
under the control of one program.
One thing you can already do with today's MIDI
sequencing packages is to synchronize any music you make
with something that's on film or video. And if you can
carry that one step further and put the visual part of
it under the same program control as the sound part,
then it opens up a whole new world of how you can make a
work of art.
LS: What changes in the computer industry are most exciting
to you?
RM: Most of the excitement is in the software. The hardware
platform--IBM, Amiga, Macintosh--is getting to be more
and more a generic thing. The best thing that you can
say about any of them is that they work well--they don't
break. But the real character, the real resource, is in
the software.
LS: Will electronic music affect society in any new way?
RM: [What] word processors have done is return the
publication of newspapers and magazines to the grass
roots. I think the same thing is happening with music.
The Music Business--with a capital M and a capital B--is
getting more and more up into the stratosphere with the
amount of money it takes to start a group ... and the
amount of overhead that's involved. And what comes out
of Columbia Records or Elektra or any of these companies
is more and more common denominator and more and more
safe. But now we have thousands of creative artists,
and they're making CDs--making high-quality music for
peanuts and selling it over these ... small networks of
customers they have.
Hmmm ... now, let's see ... taking all that into
consideration, even if you disagree with what Moog said, what
would be the computer best suited for this paradigm shift in
music? After 16 Nov 92, I think the answer is obvious.
Considering the axiomatic nature of computers in education
("Students will buy the same computers they were exposed to in
school ..."), Atari should probably seriously consider giving
Falcons to Julliard and the rest of the top echelon music schools
in the country (as well as to the editors of the various
computer/music related magazines for review). Music is where
Atari has scored (no pun intended) its biggest victories and can
score even bigger ones now that the Falcon is flexing its wings.
Two weeks before COMDEX, we had our local (Las Vegas) ST
users' group meeting. After the meeting adjourned, several of us
were standing around talking. One member launched into a tirade
about the Falcon's 68030; he was highly irked about the fact that
it "only" ran at 16 MHz. (Another member tried to get him to
understand that it was a *68030* with a *32-bit data bus* that he
was grousing about "only" running at 16 MHz.) After seeing the
Falcon in action, I defy anyone to criticize Atari's choice of a
"mere" 16 MHz processor -- it handled everything that was shoved
down it's throat without one single hiccup. Witness the border
around the central images on the Tina Turner demo: quite a feat
for a processor "only" running at 16 MHz, eh?
Video, however, is what almost made me cry. Maybe there were
legitimate economic reasons for configuring the Falcon as it
currently stands, but Atari has got to realize--and the sooner
the better--that:
640 x 480 IS NOT GOING TO CUT IT
When I was roaming around the main convention hall as well as the
Sands before finding Atari, I cringed at the sight of so MANY
other companies demonstrating their hardware or software for
multimedia/video applications. Granted, compared to the Falcon
they cost an arm and a leg (and in most cases the other arm and
leg!) and have poorer sound quality, they nevertheless were
showing video images at 1280 x 1024 in some cases. It was
beautiful to behold such detail and crystal-clear image quality
on a computer monitor. Atari has got to make the Falcon at
minimum--AT MINIMUM!--1024 x 768 (preferably 1280 x 1024) ...
even if it means raising the price a little or reducing its
profit margins. Regardless of the Falcon's unsurpassed sound
quality, I fear that many people were repulsed by the
"blockiness" of the 640 x 480 images of the Tina Turner video.
640 x 480 may be good enough for an Etch-A-Sketch, but Atari is
shooting itself in the foot if it sticks with that resolution.
Another aspect that will likely prove to be critical to the
Falcon's success will be cooperation with other computer
companies, even the "enemies." Consider the following extract
from the article "The Future of the PC" by Brenton R. Schlender
from the 26 Aug 91 issue of FORTUNE magazine:
Apple could foresee that its lone-wolf strategy, though
lucrative, would condemn it to the fringe of the
industry. Sculley for years had prodded his engineers
and board of directors to consider jumping into the
fast-growing market for PC clones. But only this year,
after Apple discovered that even drastic price cuts
weren't enough to raise the Mac's market share much
beyond its present level, did the company change course.
Says Sculley: "We want to be major player in the
computer industry, not a niche player. The only way to
do that is to work with another major player. We talked
to every company imaginable in the world. The more we
looked, the more it became clear that IBM was the only
choice."
...
Says Stewart Alsop, editor of the trade magazine
INFOWORLD: "It's a great combination. Apple knows the
importance of making a computer that is not just
practical but also pleasurable to use. IBM has never
understood that."
Why would a potential buyer who otherwise is impressed with
the Falcon's features and even more impressed with its price,
decide NOT to buy it? Typically, they would probably whine, "But
I use an MS-DOS computer at work and I need compatibility with
that so I can do work at home ..." As soon as someone releases a
486-DX 33/50 emulator board for the Falcon, Atari needs to jump
on that fact and advertise the Falcon as being able to run
EVERYTHING that currently runs on MS-DOS. A good commercial
would have the Falcon showing off its sound/video capabilities
and then running WordPerfect (gasp!) or Lotus (ugh!) or Harvard
Graphics (yuk!) with the voice in the background saying something
like, "For the price of half an IBM, you can have a full IBM
AND a Falcon in one box ..." (Again, I'm not an advertising or
marketing expert, but how else to convince the legions of people
who have been brainwashed into believing that a "PC" means IBM to
buy anything else?)
Perhaps there's no inclination for IBM to work with a "gnat"
like Atari as they've done with Apple. Certainly Atari has no
great love for crawling into bed with a multi-billion dollar
company that makes pieces of crap (maybe that's where the term
"PC" originated?) In that case, perhaps Atari should approach
NeXT or Sun for a joint-development project. SOMETHING has got
to be done or else Atari will find itself dominant in the music
industry ... and on the fringe of everything else, a bit player
in a drama in which they deservedly should be the lead.
A long-time Atarian in Las Vegas, a former professional
musician who's now a programmer for Computer Sciences
Corporation, bemoaned the fact that last year Atari had the ST
Book at COMDEX and now none are available. He wanted to buy one
and was left high and dry. He criticized the all-too-typical
lack of follow-up by Atari: introducing a product and then
dropping it like a hot potato. (An Atari representative told me
that it was because the Germans didn't like the ST Book.)
Hopefully that was the last time Atari does that; we should keep
our fingers crossed that they've learned their lesson and will
stick with the Falcon and grab their rightful share of the
marketplace. To hell with the Germans and what they think! Who
appointed them to decide what would or would not be marketable,
anyway?
The person in the above paragraph also complained about the
lack of sophistication of the people working the Atari area. He
went to the "front desk" and asked if Soft-Logik was there and
the girl didn't even know who they were(!) This certainly did
not create a favorable impression; hopefully at next year's
COMDEX Atari will make sure that the people who are working the
exhibit area are sufficiently knowledgeable about the computer
and its software developers. I also heard the complaint that
people weren't sure whether they were allowed to go up to the
(unattended) Falcons that were on display and use them or were
expected to just stand back and observe them. Perhaps next year
there should be little signs placed saying "Please Do Not Touch"
or something else to clear up this confusion.
That same person had great praise for the Falcon's SCSI
ports. His advice to Atari? Stick with the industry standards!
He noted that this year's innovation (i.e., the use of Atari
computers) was much better than last year, even if the
interaction with exhibitors was worse. (He said it was difficult
to talk to people this year, "... everybody was off in their own
little world ...")
Maybe I'm imagining things (it's been known to happen before!
<g>), but it seems to me that in COMDEXes past, there were many,
many more vendors present. Where was Migraph? Gribnif? Double
Click? The Codeheads??? All the rest? (I know where Tom
Hudson is! <g>) Where were the European companies? If that's
NOT a misperception on my part, and there were in fact far fewer
vendors at COMDEX 92, then I hope the reason is that they were
huddled at home, hacking away on their developer Falcons. I
hope.
Who is Atari going to market the Falcon to, outside of the
music industry? Small advertising and marketing companies who
can't afford sophisticated minicomputers or high-cost graphics
workstations? TV and video producers who need an easy way to
produce commercials on videotape? I don't know. This isn't my
area of expertise. Certainly they would benefit from an
inexpensive platform like the Falcon that would nevertheless
provide them with PROFESSIONAL-level quality. Hopefully, Atari's
marketing and advertising executives already have this planned
out for next year. One thing is inarguable: the Falcon provides
a no-excuses vehicle with which Atari can "save itself" from the
brink of financial disaster. If they do go belly-up in a few
years--knock on wood--it won't be the Falcon's fault.
Traditionally Atarians have been more passionate in their
love for their computer, going back to the days of the Atari 400
and 800, than Apple or Commodore users could ever hope to be.
And for good reason: Atari computer have always been less
costly, more useful, and a greater joy to own and use. The ST
line continued in that vein, and the Falcon gives new meaning to
the hackneyed phrase "Power Without the Price."
At the Boston Computer Society meeting in October, a NeXT
developer is alleged to have asked Sam Tramiel for a Falcon,
saying, "Atari will be able to sell more Falcons in a month than
NeXT sells in a year!" With the full support of the Atari
Corporation's management, software developers, the music
industry, and Atari's biggest asset (even if it doesn't appear on
the balance sheet): its loyal user base, it appears that Atari
is poised to return to the same prominence it had when it
unleashed the ST on an unsuspecting computer industry eight
years ago!
I fully expect the Falcon to fly high (and, I hope, deposit
many droppings on certain other computer makers <g>)!
Go Atari!!
___________________________________________________________________
> TWENTY QUESTIONS! STR Feature Some more ?s for Sam Tramiel..
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
LET'S PLAY 20 QUESTIONS!
========================
by Tim Holt
Okay, I admit it, I can't afford those services like GEnie and
Compuserve, so I have to wait for information to get down the pike to me.
Therefore, when I read something about Atari, it is at least 10 days old.
So when I heard one of these services was taking questions to ask the
bosses of Atari, like Sam Tramiel, I was unable to attend. As I write
this, the conference has already taken place, and I am sure it was pretty
informative.
Don't they all look something like this?
[Fred@Boluxi] Thanks for being here...
[Terrybob] Sam, I want to know...
[BobBrodie@Atari]: One question at a time please..grin
[Pattie@Aim]Sam, about marketing...
[Bill@Atari]: All marketing questions will be answered in Europe
[Sam@Atari]: Falcon good...
[Sysop Billy]: Thank you all for being here today. Thank you Sam,
Bill, Bob, Ringo, Paul and George, also thanks to Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John.
[Sam@Atari]: I hope this helped answer those nagging questions
Since this is my impressions of these types of activities, I have decided
to make a list of my top 20 questions for the head pooh-bahs of Atari, so
the next time one of these things happens, maybe one of you could ask them
for me.
Question 20: Sam, which one of the Trammiels are you? Are you the
dad, the son, the cousin?? I get you guys all confused.
Question 19: Have you ever heard of something called advertising?
Question 18: Do you know of any user groups left that have more
than 25 members?
Question 17: Exactly what does TOS mean?
Question 16: Was I stupid to buy a Mega STE/4?
Question 15: Does your company understand the concept of Christmas
shopping?
Question 14: Is "Sunnyvale" a terrible name for a city with your company
in it?
Question 13: Should I get rid of my Federated credit card?
Question 12: Is it just me, or did Bob Brodie go through a major change
in personality when you guys changed his job title?
Question 11: What ever happened to that cool old German guy that used to
work for you?
Question 10: Why does my broker laugh when I ask "How is Atari doing this
week?"
Question 9: Do you guys know what those things are called that are
played during breaks in televison programs?
Question 8: Really, should I sell my Atari now, before I won't be able
to get diddly for it?
Question 7: The government says any animal that has difficulty existing
in the wild should be protected. Would you consider the
Falcon an endangered species?
Question 6: Have you ever seen a page in a magazine that contains pretty
pictures that is not part of the story? Do you know what
these types of pages are called?
Question 5: Why should I buy an Atari when I can buy a Gemulator?
Question 4: Since your company is always losing money, how can you
afford to pay yourselves? Do you need help financially? I
am sure we can all send you a dollar or so...
Question 3: The school district in my city just bought 2000 Amiga 3000's
for use in their schools. Have you sold 2000 of anything?
Question 2: Do you guys understand the idea that there actually has to
be stores that have your product in them, ON THE SHELVES, in
order for the the item to sell?
Question 1: Do any women work for Atari? Maybe that is what you need, a
smart Hillary Clinton-type. I see lots of Bobs, Sams,
Bills and such. Why aren't there any Marys, Sallys, or
Oprahs? You could use a woman or two around there.
Could someone please ask these questions some day?
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Real Time Conference Special Events Calendar
Nov. 27 - A Friday Night Special RTC with Bob Brodie. Join the
(FRI.) Director of Communications for a closer look at COMDEX
and news about the Falcon 030.
Dec 15 - Join guest Zenobot for a night of game discussion. Zarth
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All Real Time Conferences begin at 10:00 p.m. EDT
New Darlah's Treat:
-------------------
MIDIBATL.LZH (ST/STE Color only) Great ST/STE 8 way scrolling arcade
game, allows 2 machines to be networked through MIDI. STE specific
features, full screen scrolling and digital audio and both versions run at
the full frame rate. Must have, 2 player option is great. SHAREWARE from
Moving Pixels. Darlah's Treat, MIDIBATL.LZH, is available at page 475;9
and is a *Basic Service
Last Week's Top Downloaded Programs/Utilities:
26556 GVIEW201.LZH X B.SCHULZE1 921117 378368 321 28
Desc: View ANY picture, any rez
26579 RAYOID.LZH X O.OKTAL 921118 77568 201 8
Desc: Incredible Asteroid like game ST/TT!
26537 BIGCOOKY.LZH X M.SLAGELL 921115 2560 122 2
Desc: breathing room for cramped systems
26632 GROCERY.LZH X R.HOEKSTRA1 921122 30976 107 21
Desc: Grocery/Shopping list creator
26597 PIXEL_GB.LZH X REALM 921120 30592 100 10
Desc: Demo of advanced Screen Grabber ACC!
26584 MMM221.LZH (LH5) X DAVE-HENRY 921119 94464 99 29
Desc: Midi Music Maker 2.21, music player
26544 LTMF_119.LZH X B.SCHULZE1 921115 55808 94 2
Desc: Newest version of "flying dialogs"
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> Comeau Online Conference STR Feature GEnie's ST RT Comeau Conference
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Wednesday Night Real Time Conference
November 25, 1992
Host - Brian H. Harvey
Guest Speaker - Phil Comeau, Wintertree Software Inc
On behalf of the Atari ST Roundtable, I welcome all of you to this
WINTERTREE Real Time Conference featuring Phil Comeau. Phil will be
talking about all of his products, in particular SPELLING SENTRY,
GRAMSLAM, and GRAMMAR EXPERT.
Phil may not be well known to you but his products probably are:
GRAMSLAM GRAMMAR EXPERT
SPELLING SENTRY BEATEGGER
MIDIX32 MIDIMAGNET
These are only a few of his programs.
Welcome Phil, I think you have some prepared remarks, so Phil you can go
ahead first with your opening remarks.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Welcome, all. I'd be pleased to answer any questions
you might have on any of our products, the future, etc.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Phil, what is new at WINTERTREE SOFTWARE INC (WSI)?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> We've just sent out a newsletter to our registered
customers. This was the biggest mailing we've done to date, and I can tell
you it was a lot of work! Anyone who registered for one or more of our
products before October 31 should receive it in the next few days. We've
also just completed version 1.10 of Spelling Sentry.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> What is the difference between GramSlam and Grammar
Expert?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Grammar Expert is a reference or tutor for the rules of
English grammar, punctuation, and effective writing. You use Grammar
Expert while you're writing to answer questions about the writing
process. For example, you might be unsure about whether to use "who" or
"whom" in a sentence, or whether to write "the crowd was" or "the crowd
were." Grammar Expert answers questions like these. It isn't a grammar
checker, though. GramSlam, on the other hand, is a grammar checker. You
use GramSlam when your writing is complete. It tells you about common
grammar and writing-style problems it finds in your document.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Thanks Phil. OK, your turn for a question Lyre.
<LYRE> What is Spelling Sentry? That is a new title that I've never heard
of before.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Spelling Sentry is a spell-checking desk accessory. It
works in real time, catching spelling errors while you type. It also
expands abbreviations in real time. It can also check files and the GEM
clipboard.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, Lou it's your turn for a question.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Phil, great product! Nice to see such a successful piece of
work on your first try. Please tell me how SS works with Calamus SL?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Thanks Lou. Spelling Sentry works fine with Calamus SL,
although a couple of users have reported some glitches with Calamus SL's
built-in text editor. Ideally, you would use Spelling Sentry outside the
editor. By the way: Spelling Sentry is our *third* major product <grin>.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> OK, how do you use it outside the editor? Do you have to
export an ASCII file to check?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> No, as I understand Calamus SL, you can type directly
onto the page you're editing. That's how you would use Spelling Sentry
with it. Maybe a real Calamus SL user could shed some light.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Do you have another Lou?
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Does that mean that Spelling Sentry reads the text in the
text frame? I don't understand how that can be done.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> No, it watches the keystrokes while you type. Say you're
typing a headline into frame...Spelling Sentry watches while you type it
and tells you if you make a spelling mistake.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> AHHHHH! That makes sense. A live spellchecker... not a
post-checker! Right? How many words in the dictionary? Can you edit and
expand?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> The dictionary has about 104,000 right now. There is
also an editable user dictionary with an unlimited size.
<[Lou] ST.LOU> Thanks Phil and Good LUCK!
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> By the way: you can use it as a post-checker too, but
that works best with ASCII files or simple word processor documents.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, your turn for a question Anna.
<[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> Hi Phil...Can you have more than one
abbreviation list and load them as needed in SS? Also, can you tell us
the price? Thanks!
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Anna, you can have as many abbreviation files as you
like. Only one is loaded at a time. The price is $59.95 (US).
[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> Are you limited to the number of abbreviations
per file?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Yes. Currently, you're limited to 128 per file. If that
turns out to be practical problem for many users, we'll make it unlimited
(i.e., limited by memory) in a future version.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> By the way Spelling Sentry works great with
Abbreviator ST! OK, your turn for a question Lyre!
<LYRE> Phil, I am an unregistered user of Gram Slam. What is the current
version number? Also, what is the upgrade policy? (I have version 3 & all
docs - just checked.)
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> The current version is 3.32. You should be receiving a
newsletter from us that will explain the upgrade policy...ooops, you said
you were unregistered. In that case, our standard policy is $5.00 + $3.00
S/H for upgrades.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Go John.
<[The King] JOHN.KING.T> Phil: Does Spelling Sentry work with type ahead
buffers in Aladdin or STalker?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> It sure does. I use it with both programs all the time.
<[The King] JOHN.KING.T> I must go and buy it First Thing on Friday.
Thanks.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Phil, how memory intensive is Spelling Sentry? What is
the minimum memory setup?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Spelling Sentry is designed to adapt to the memory you
have available. You control how much memory is allocated to it. The more
you assign, the faster it runs, because it can keep more of the dictionary
in memory where it can be searched quickly. The base accessory needs about
98K. Another 20K is needed for various internal purposes. A minimum of 35K
is needed for the dictionary and its index, bringing the minimum total to
153K. With this allocation, Spelling Sentry is going to be hitting the
disk pretty heavily -- especially noticeable if you use it with a floppy.
If you allocate 340K, Spelling Sentry will be able to keep the entire
dictionary in memory, so it will run at top speed. I have Spelling Sentry
set up to use 100K on my machine.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, your turn for a question John too.
<[John too] J.G.H.> Spelling Sentry works with all term programs to date?
And how is the speed (not that I am a 100 wpm typer)?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> It works with GEM programs and DAs. Term programs that
are TOS or TTP won't work with Spelling Sentry. As far as speed goes, I
find it's barely noticeable. People who see it demo'd at shows comment on
its speed. But again, speed is dependent on memory configuration.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, your turn for another question Lyre. Keep them
coming people!
<LYRE> Their were a few other products listed on the RTC Announcement.
These were Tree Saver, Beategger (besides the Midi ones that is). Could
you tell me more about these programs?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Sure. TreeSaver is a printing program that saves paper
by using the space available on each page efficiently. It uses your
printer's small fonts to print 2 full 80-column pages on each side of each
sheet of paper. Beat Egger is an entry-level drum machine program.
<LYRE> OK, going back to Grammar Expert, what is the price of the program?
And Tree Saver? (Both of which I could use!) <LYRE>
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Grammar Expert is $59.95. TreeSaver is $24.95.
<LYRE> Thanks Phil! I'm done.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Thanks, Lyre. How does Spelling Sentry compare to
THUNDER and similar products on the IBM/Mac?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Well, I'm not sure how it compares with spelling
checkers on other platforms. Let's say I'd be surprised if they had
features Spelling Sentry lacks.
THUNDER was a great program in its time, but I think Spelling Sentry is
superior to THUNDER in just about every way. Spelling Sentry has a larger
dictionary, yet it's faster and doesn't bog down your system. It also has
an abbreviation feature -- worth the price of Spelling Sentry alone --
which THUNDER doesn't have. But probably the most significant thing
Spelling Sentry has over THUNDER is that Spelling Sentry is still
supported. Spelling Sentry works with Atari's new computers, new TOS
versions, and new monitors. That's important for people who are
considering upgrading their computers.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> So Spelling Sentry is a lot faster with the more
memory you allot, right? What about version 1.10? Will there be any speed
increase?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> No, version 1.10 won't be faster that 1.10. We worked on
responding to user comments for this new version. But we are working on a
way of making the dictionary both smaller and faster. That will probably
appear in an interim release...maybe 1.11 or 1.12.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> As a owner of Spelling Sentry, I would like to know
what is changed in the new version of Spelling Sentry?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Here's an overview of the new features:
- Clicking on Spelling Sentry's entry in the Desk menu now makes
Spelling Sentry's window active. If you use Spelling Sentry with a program
that hogs the entire screen, or you just like to keep your open windows as
large as possible, you can now easily bring Spelling Sentry's window to
the front.
- We've added several features to make the correct-word dialog easier
to use. First, you can now replace the misspelled word with an alternate
by double- clicking on the alternative word. Second, the Replace button is
now the default. Once you've selected an alternative word, you can just
tap the Return key to replace it. Third, double-clicking on the "Add to
user dictionary" button now closes the correct-word dialog.
- Some new features make abbreviations more powerful. You can now
turn off case sensitivity, so Spelling Sentry will recognize "WSI" and
"wsi" as the same abbreviation. You can also tell Spelling Sentry to
capitalize the first letter of an expansion if the first letter of an
abbreviation is capitalized -- Spelling Sentry would expand "btw" as "by
the way" and "Btw" as "By the way". You can now easily make an
abbreviation possessive by adding 's to the end. For example, Spelling
Sentry would expand "WS's" as "Wintertree Software's." And finally, you
can now print your abbreviation file from Spelling Sentry.
The good news for Spelling Sentry owners is that this upgrade is free!
We'll be uploading a patch to version 1.00 on GEnie. Anyone who doesn't
have access to a modem can send their disk in to us and we'll do the
upgrade for a $3.00 S/H charge.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Do you know when the patch will be ready?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> We expect to upload a patch to GEnie this weekend.
We'll probably do the patch in "SuperZap" format.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Thank Phil. You are next for a question Lyre.
<LYRE> Phil, I've been considering getting an SST or Turbo board, will
these affect your programs adversely? (I assume that they will of course
speed them up.)
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Should be no problem. We tried Spelling Sentry on Jim
Allen's board at the WAACE show in October.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Do you have another, Lyre?
<LYRE> This is a shot in the dark, but what about the Falcon? Do they
currently work with it or will that be in a future upgrade?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> That I honestly don't know. As soon as I get a chance, I
plan to test. But like I said earlier...we are still supporting our
products. If there's an incompatibility problem, we'll fix it!
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, your turn for a question Anna.
<[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> Is SS compatible with MultiDesk Deluxe?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Yes, I use it with MultiDesk Deluxe personally, and I
know many users do as well. You have to make Spelling Sentry a resident DA
for it to work properly.
<[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> Will have to ad it to my Xmas list!
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> It works great with MDD, for me!
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> I'll get one ready for Santa to pick up <grin>.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Phil, how about doing the door prize for these anxious
people?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Okay. The first person to state the price of TreeSaver
wins!
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> We will be in frenzy mode, NOW!!!!
<[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> 24.95
<[Kevin] K.KOZORIZ> 2495
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Well, that was real close..However, Anna was just a
second quicker. Sorry, Kevin. You almost made it.
<[Anna @ AtaAd] A.MASON4> Thanks Phil....I never win anything!
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Kevin, you have a question?
<[Kevin] K.KOZORIZ> What is the latest version of GramSlam? I have version
3.00 and I am wondering what has changed in the new version.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Kevin, GramSlam is now at 3.32. A lot has changed since
3.00!
<[Kevin] K.KOZORIZ> Any general specifics :) Speed, etc. How do I upgrade?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Here's a quote from the newsletter:
Better document statistics; new overall-style score; progress
thermometer shows what portion of your document has been checked;
faster booting; faster checking; better tests for British vs.
American spelling; better handling of word-processor documents
<[Kevin] K.KOZORIZ>How do I get the newsletter?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST>To upgrade, send your original disk and $8.00. To get the
newsletter, just register!
<[Kevin] K.KOZORIZ> Thanks, that's all.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Go again Lyre [grin].
<LYRE> Phil, in a number of the RT's I frequent, unique words are
utilized. How will Spelling Sentry make me aware that these words are not
a part of it's dictionary?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> When Spelling Sentry encounters a word that's not in its
dictionary (i.e., is probably misspelled), it signals you by sounding a
tone and flashing the screen. The signal is configurable, by the way. You
can add these unusual words to Spelling Sentry's dictionary so it will
know them next time.
<LYRE> Configurable? I can have either the beep or the flash?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> You can have the beep, flash, or both. The pitch of the
tone is configurable too.
<Lyre> OK, maybe one more - if you don't mind? Is their a limit to the
number of user entries in the dictionary?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> The only limit is memory, and memory is configurable. I
have 200-300 in mine with no problem.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Since there isn't a rush for more questions, I will
ask the last few!! Phil, you have been programming on the Atari for
awhile. What is your vision of the future of Atari ST(E)/ Falcon? Also,
what is the future of WINTERTREE and the ATARI? In particular, what is
coming up for WSI in '93?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> I think the future *is* the Falcon. I saw the demo at
WAACE and came away very impressed. This is a world-class machine with an
excellent price. But it takes more than technical superiority to make a
machine successful -- it takes good marketing. Everyone is hoping Atari
doesn't drop the ball on this one.
We have upgrades planned for GramSlam and Grammar Expert. I don't like to
talk about new features until they're written and tested, but I think we
have a workable design for a change to GramSlam that would allow users to
edit their documents. People have been asking for this feature since
GramSlam was released 2 1/2 years ago. For various reasons, document
editing within GramSlam is extremely complex. But like I said, so far,
this exists only on paper!
I've been doing all sorts of research to come up with new grammar
information for both GramSlam and Grammar Expert. The big problem is
finding time to pound all this stuff into the keyboard.
Like many Atari developers, we are also trying to break into the Microsoft
Windows market. We have a version of GramSlam for MS-DOS called WStyle;
I'm working on porting that to Windows now. One day Grammar Expert and
Spelling Sentry will follow. This doesn't mean we're giving up the Atari
market, btw.
People have asked us about developing a thesaurus accessory for the ST.
We've been looking into various synonym lists available for licencing. If
we find one that's suitable, a thesaurus DA might be a reality one day.
Maybe "Synonym Sentry" would be a good name!
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> We're drawing to a close for the formal portion of
the WINTERTREE RTC. Before I put the room into Frenzy Mode, do you have
any closing words, Phil?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Just thanks to everyone who attended, thanks to our
customers, and especially Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> I wish to thank you Phil Comeau for making it here
tonight. I also wish to thank all the attendees for their questions and
patience. In frenzy mode ...now!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Formal RTC
**************************************************************************
<LYRE> Phil, you probably answered this, but what is the price of Spelling
Sentry?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Lyre: Spelling Sentry lists for $59.95.
<M.HILL13> I just got my Wintertree news. The order form says $4.00
shipping. And the newsletter says $3 for upgrading Sentry. Which is it?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> M.HILL13: We made an error, so we'll accept the lower
price.
<M.HILL13> Phil, $3 or $4 is fine with me. I just wanted to check to be
sure.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Brian, I have a question for you: why do you use the
abbreviation feature in Spelling Sentry with Abbreviator ST?
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> OK, this wasn't clear in the RTC. I use it so I can
have large Abbreviations
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Ahhhh.
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> without chaining. Also, only the new Spelling Sentry
have the capital feature. But Phil, you know if it was a choice your
product would have to be used!
<[John] J.EIDSVOOG1> Phil, is there a hot-key for turning background
checking on/off?
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> John...yes. The default is Alt/B. It's configurable.
Brian: No sweat. I wish Spelling Sentry had longer abbrevs too.
<[Phil] ST-GUEST> Brian...what happens if they both try to expand the same
abbrev?
<[Brian] B.HARVEY7> Phil, I do get the alarm when Abbreviator is expanded
and the one time they both had the same abbreviation one overwrote the
other.
Be sure to stop by Friday 27 November for our next RTC with Bob Brodie
for a closer look at COMDEX. Your host will be Lou Rocha See you then.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
* GramSlam Grammar and Writing Style Checker
* Grammar Expert -- an on-line reference and tutor for the rules of
English grammar, punctuation, and effective writing
* Spelling Sentry -- an on-line, real-time spelling checker
MIDI-related tools --
* MidiMagnet -- captures MIDI events from other programs and saves
them in standard-MIDI file format
* MIDIX32 -- Plays and converts standard MIDI files using the
built-in sound chip
* BeatEgger -- An entry-level drum machine
And finally
* TreeSaver -- A printing program for ASCII files that saves paper
by efficiently using the space available on each page
==========================================================================
(C) 1992 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables. May be
reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on GEnie
are *official* information services of Atari Corporation. To sign up for
GEnie service; Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local
Echo) Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369 Upon connection, type HHH (RETURN)
Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
=========================================================================
> FONT NUMBERS STR InfoFile Helpful Reference Numbers
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
FONT NUMBER REFERENCE
=====================
by Bernie LaGrave
[B.LAGRAVE1 on GEnie]
Over the past several months several people have been converting font
from Calamus to PageStream format. I would like to thank both the original
creators of these fine fonts and the people who "Fontverted" them. After
some "touching-up" these fonts have proved to be very useable.
One of the potential problems with fonts that are put into Public
Domain is the fact that many are not registered with SoftLogik. Although
the numbers that were arbitrarly assigned to these converted fonts do not
(to my knowledge) conflict with any current fonts, as SL assigns more
numbers, it is only a matter of time before conflicts happen.
Therefore, I have taken the liberty to ask for font numbers for the
PD fonts listed below. Getting a registration number is very easy... just
call SoftLogik at (314)894-0431 and ask for one to be assigned. Usually it
will be assigned "on the spot". You can also call SL's BBS (314)894-0057
and leave E-mail for Cheryl (Tech Support), user #11.
Font Name PD No. Reg No.
--------------------------------- ----- -----
Advertising PD 7111 7045
Barnum PD 8888 7055
BurlOblique PD 2223 7065
Calligraphy2 PD 3066 3005
Celtic PD 9600 7075
Chancery PD 7777 7085
Chicago PD ???? 7095
Dingbats PD 4444 7105
Flash PD 9876 3015
Harlow PD 1111 7115
Olympia PD 1074 1005
Souvenier Medium PD 5075 5035
Souvenier Medium Ital. PD 5076 5045
Western PD 7035 4005
Some of the above are available in the SoftLogik RT; the rest are
available in the Atari RT (goto Page 475/476). If you wish to avoid font
conflicts, change the font numbers in your files. It's a simple process.
You do need access to an Atari, however. Use the PD PageStream Font
Editor, which is available on GEnie and "fine BBS' around the world". Load
in the font you wish to renumber. Go to the drop-down "Set" menu. Select
the correct file type. Click on the the font number entry. Begin typing.
The old number will disappear and will be replaced with the new number.
Click "OK" in the bottom left box. Be sure to "Save" your file. Also, be
sure to renumber all three file types (bit-mapped .12H, metrics .FM and
outline .DMF) and four files if you have created postscript (.PSF). You
have to do this using the old font conversion utility which is also
available in this RT.
That's all there is to it. If you have questions, you can leave them
in the SoftLogik RT message area, Category 1, Topic 3 (Fonts).
____________________________________________________________________
> ATARI IS DEAD? STR FOCUS! One user lets it all hang out!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""
ATARI IS DEAD?
==============
by Tim Holt
Atari is dead. To the surprise of very few, the Atari computer
company, as a viable alternative to the Macintosh and IBM/MS-Dos died in
it's sleep last night. A few relatives were at the company's side the
night it passed away, but many former friends were no where to be seen,
when the venerable old man passed. Authorities say the cause of death
appears to be "natural causes", but close friends have repeated stories of
depression, dementia, and general failing of health in the last few years
of life. Atari is preceded in death by it's brother the Osborne, the
Commodore Amiga, the Timex Sinclair, and a host of other "first of their
kind" computers that captured the attention of the computing public for a
short period of time, but were unable to generate interest outside a few
die hard users. Funeral services are pending, as no one has stepped
forward to claim the company as their own. 1972-1992. Rest in peace.
Those are hard words to write for me. I have lived, breathed, and worked
on Atari computers for most of my "computer life", but I think that it is
time we as a computer group finally make the hard choice and proclaim the
computer dead. We must now get on with our computer lives. We can always
have a place in our hearts and memories for our "first love", but times
change, the world changes, and, as Darwin pointed out, those that cannot
adapt will eventually die. Atari is dead. For those that still doubt,
what can I offer as evidence? Here is the evidence that rigor has set-in
on the body:
A Who writes programs for your computer? Does Microsoft write for
Atari? Does WordPerfect? How many major applications on the
Macintosh or MS DOS line actually make it to the Atari? Very few.
Granted, the people that have stuck with the Atari line are VERY
faithful, and the products they produce are very good, but having
WordPerfect in your corner is like having Evander Holifield fight
instead of Leon Spinks. It's nice to have lot's of Leon's, and they
are all very nice, but we have needed a real contender for a long
time, and we simply do not have one. No one writes for us.
WordPerfect said it best: "It doesn't sell, so why bother with it?"
No one of real power in the computer world takes us seriously. Sure,
you can import this text and that spreadsheet, to the Atari, but why
did we always have to do that? Because the programs that were written
always were made to catch up to the rest of the computer world. Atari
started fast, but lost the race. The computer is dead.
B The Atari is still, after seven years, not taken seriously in the
computing world and the business world. When you buy a computer, you
aren't just buying a bunch of hardware and software. You are buying a
way of doing something. Buy a PC and learn how to use 1-2-3, and you
now have a marketable job skill that many companies in the world will
value. Learn to use an ATARI spreadsheet, no matter how powerful and
user friendly, and you have no skill that is accepted in the market.
You are no longer as experienced as those with Mac and PC experience,
no matter how long you work on an Atari. There is no MS WORD, no
Pagemaker, no 1-2-3, no Excel for the Atari. There is no Grolier's
Encyclopedia, there is no Carmen San Diego, no MS Works. Walk into B.
Dalton Bookseller and see hundreds of Mac and MS Dos titles. You will
not find ONE Atari title. NOT ONE. Look for Atari in Computer
Shopper, BYTE, or any other general computing magazine. Atari is no
where to be found. B. Dalton and other computer publishers know that
the Atari is dead.
C Adapt or Die. Atari failed to adapt to it's niche role as a home
computer. Instead, through bumbling and fumbling, the computer went
through a series of personality changes, from home computer, to
business computer, to DTP computer, to Midi computer, and back to home
computer, and now "multi-media" computer. Like a lost dog that never
could find it's way home, Atari wandered aimlessly for years. Now, it
has been picked up by the dog catcher, and gassed at the pound. Who
let the dog out in the first place? Who cares. Hind sight is 20-20.
The dog is dead. Atari is dead.
D Failure to keep it's name in the public eye. There is not one user
out there, with the possible exception of a Bob Brodie, that will say
that Atari has done a good job promoting it's product. NOT ONE! How
many YEARS have we been screaming for advertising? How many YEARS
have we been pleading for this company to promote?? How many YEARS
have we been saying "Well, next year will be the year of Atari?" When
I first read that statement in STReport, it was 1987. FIVE years ago!
No ad campaign, no public relations worth a plug nickel (Oh, I forgot
the PORTFOLIO was in a movie...oooooooh), and what little print ads
there are have been placed in Atari magazines. Atari could be selling
alien technology out of Star Trek, but no one would pay attention,
because no one knows Atari exists. Well, frankly, I have had enough.
I don't care if tomorrow is the start of the "Year of Atari". It has
become a bad joke. There will be no "Year of Atari" because the Atari
is dead.
E How does the computer performs on the stock market? Atari stock has
hovered right near 1 5/8 per share for the better part of three years.
It actually went up around 3 dollars a share about the time Atari
introduced the TT, but when investors saw that the TT was actually
just an ST with muscles, back it slipped. Investors long ago have
realized that the company and hence the computer was dead, it is time
we do so as well. Why haven't investors started buying Atari, now
that the new "generation" has been introduced? Because investors go
by track record. Atari has the track record of a company that is
dead. The stock of Atari's, when fully graphed out over a period of
three years, looks very much like the straight line that a heart makes
when it has stopped functioning. "Flat line" is what they call it in
the medical field. It is time to take the patient off the artificial
respirator. Even the best doctors know when the patient has died.
Atari has died.
Now I realize that this article will make a few of you angry or even
mad. And it should. ATARI IS DEAD. But please don't kill the messenger.
Can you really look at your computer, and say "This format will be alive
and healthy in 5 years." No, you cannot. Not if you are being honest.
Now, can you look at the MS DOS format and say "This format will be alive
and healthy in five years?" Yes you can. Same for Mac. Perhaps not as
robust as they are now, but they will be around. Atari will not, because
Atari is dead.
We will still use the darn things, and since we are so loyal (or just
stupid?), we will use them until the circuits have been fried, and the
monitors are out of focus. But we should not expect anything exciting to
come our way. An occasional program, and an upgrade, but nothing worthy
of note. Sure, the Falcon will cause a ruckus for a few months, but it
will fade, just like the STACY faded, just like the TT faded, just like
MEGA faded, just like the MEGA STE faded. They all faded because ATARI is
dead.
Only Atari users will buy new Atari products. And our numbers grow
smaller and smaller each year. (Try to find a user group with more than
25 members. There are not that many around anymore. Five years ago,
there were bunches.) Atari Interface Magazine, a magazine MADE UP OF
USERGROUPS, is on the hurting, because the number of subscribers, and
advertisers has dwindled to almost nothing. That does not happen to a
computer group where the computers in use are a viable entity. Our
numbers continuously dwindle because ATARI IS ALL BUT DEAD.
Sorry to see you go old friend. But I won't cry. I have been
expecting it for too long, and actually suspected it years ago. I guess I
have just been going through denial. But now I see that you are dead. It
is time to bury the corpse. Rest in peace old friend. Rest in peace.
__________________________________________________________________
> ATARI WINS ONE! STR FOCUS! ATARI WINS (C) BATTLE FOR BREAKOUT!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
ATARI CORP. WINS KEY LEGAL VICTORY IN COPYRIGHT CASE
====================================================
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
23 Nov 92 LAW
[Reprinted without permission, under the "reasonable use"
interpretation of the 1976 Copyright Act. - John J. Amsler]
by Paul M. Barrett, Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
WASHINGTON -- Atari Corp. won a critical legal victory in its
long-running battle to obtain a copyright for its Breakout video
game.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit reversed a trial judge's ruling against Atari and said
the Copyright Office had lacked a "rational basis" for refusing
to issue a copyright for the game to Atari, which is based in
Sunnyvale, Calif. The ruling was based on a liberal
interpretation of the federal copyright law that could benefit
other makers of video games and audio-visual products generally.
Applying a 1991 Supreme Court decision intended to clarify
copyright standards, the appellate court said that an original
work need only reflect a modest degree of creativity to qualify
for legal protection. "The requisite level of creativity is
extremely low; even a slight amount will suffice," the high court
said in the 1991 decision. The owner of a copyright may prohibit
others from imitating his work or may charge royalties for such
use.
Breakout is a relatively early and rudimentary video game in
which the players move paddles on a screen to hit a ball against
a wall. In its most recent refusal to register the game, the
Copyright Office described its elements as "simple geometric
shapes and coloring" which "per se are not copyrightable."
The Appeals Court said that this rejection trivialized the
selection and arrangements of the elements. The court stressed
that the ball is in fact square, the paddles shrink as the game
progresses and that various sounds accompnay the ball's bounces.
"It is not the [Copyright Office's] task to shape the
protection threshold or ratchet it up beyond the minimal creative
spark required by the Copyright Act and the Constitution," the
court said. Noting that all video games aren't necessarily
worthy of protection against imitation, the court sent the Atari
matter back to the Copyright Office for further clarification.
_________________________________________________________________
> FONTVERTER! STR Review In-depth review of FONTVERTER
""""""""""""""""""""""
FONTVERTER!
===========
Reviewed by Doyle Helms
Software Editor @ STReport
In today's DTP world there are many formats of pictures/clip art for
inclusion into your work. The Atari ST/e/TT is capable of using most if
not all of them into the two major DTP applications, Calamus and
PageSTream. If by chance you encounter a clip art file that is not
importable into your DTP program, then there is more than likely a program
that will convert the format to allow it to be in a compatible format.
The same could not always be said of the fonts for these two
outstanding software packages. If you used Calamus then you used a
Calamus format font period. Conversion from another font format to Calamus
format was not always possible and when it was so, it was quite difficult.
With PageSTream 1.8 and up to the present version of 2.2, PGS allowed the
use of not only its native (DMF,FM) font format but also the user is
capable of using Postscript Type 1 fonts straight out the box. The
Postscript fonts are of high quality outline fonts that are as good as any
of the native CFN(Calamus) and PGS fonts. One drawback to using the Type
1 fonts is that a majority of them do not have a screen bit mapped font
included. This screen bitmap font file allows for higher quality on
screen rendition of the font. The page/screen redraws are MUCH faster
while in PGS if you have the bitmap font(ABF). The same can be said about
PageSTream and its native font format. The user is not required to have
the screen bitmap font file when using either Type 1 or PageSTream.
Calamus does not use or really need screen fonts.
Lets look at some of the benefits of converting fonts from
one format to another.
I have found for the most part that total file size of a Type 1 font
is greater than its PageSTream counterpart. I do not know of a
application for the ST/TT that will allow for the editing of a Postscript
Type 1 font. So if you encounter a Type 1 font that the kerning is not
quite right or some other cosmetic appearance is not quite to your liking
you a stuck with it. If you can convert the Type 1 font over to
PageSTream then you are allowed easy manipulation of the font and its
detail. The same can be said of a Calamus font vice the Type 1. If you
are lucky enough to have both Calamus and PageSTream, then you can have
identical fonts in both formats! What? Doesn't that increase disk space
needed to hold these "duplicate" fonts? Yes I'm afraid it does. IF
SoftLogik and DMC could compromise on a font format then the user would
benefit greatly. If Calamus could use Type 1 fonts then the user could
convert all of his/her fonts to Type 1 for both programs. No duplicity.
I realize I'm getting a little long winded in this but I promise it will
lead up to a point shortly.
The POINT.
The point of the matter is that there is a program package available
NOW that will allow the easy conversion from Type 1 to PageSTream or to
Calamus. From Calamus to PageSTream or PageSTream to Calamus. This font
conversion package of which I speak is produced by MEGATYPE Software.
This conversion application is not ALL-IN-ONE, but it comes in several
smaller programs, each handling a different aspect of the conversion
process.
Quickie Run Through...
Let's convert a Type 1 font over to Calamus and also to PageSTream.
First of all the user will execute the Type 1 Converter program. This
brings up a Fileselector asking for the Type 1 PFB file name. Once that
is entered, the program then checks the font for it being either a IBM
compatible type or Mac Type 1. If it is determined to be a Mac format
then the user must exit Type 1 Converter and process the font file through
the MAC to IBM program. Now back to the Type 1 Converter, if the file
checks out OK then the file is saved to an ECF format file. The user is
given the option of viewing the font as it is converted. If you choose
YES on the view conversion dialog you will see each character as it will
appear. The viewing option is great IF you have confidence in the font
integrity. Some fonts seem to be screwy with some character displays. I
have found this problem with only 5% of the fonts I have converted. If
you do choose the option of not to view the font conversion, the process
is much faster. After the file is saved, the user is queried as to
whether to convert another Type 1 font. I convert 5-10 fonts on average in
this manner before moving on to the next step.
The next step involves running a program that will read the AFM Type
1 file (if the Type 1 font has one, not all do) to gather information
concerning the kerning pairs and character widths. This program then
includes the font data into the ECF file and is now ready for conversion.
the user now executes the Fontverter program. From within Fontverter the
user can convert from ECF to DMF/FM(PageSTream) or to CFN(Calamus). The
user can also convert from Calamus to PageSTream and vice versa.
Fontverter allows for "Batch" file conversions. the user can "tag" a
file in the file window or select "TAG" from the choices and tag all in
mass. The user selects the file(s) to convert and selects the conversion
button. The process begins. The file is displayed as it is converted and
then saved upon completion in the format the user chose. The "SHOW"
conversion is also an option here, personally I like to watch for any
garbage characters. Lastly, the user is prompted for the style to save
the file in such as Italic, Bold and etc. Upon selection of this option
the file in saved and almost ready for use. The reason I say "almost", is
that the PageSTream font really needs the screen bitmap font. Remember it
is not required, but highly recommended. This last conversion process
involves exiting Fontverter and executing a DMF to ??H program. The ??H
file is the screen bitmap font. This file is normally rendered in 12,18
and 24 heights. These numbers represent the on screen POINT size. Upon
executing the DMF->??H program the user is presented with a dialog box
asking for either Batch or Single conversion. After selection of batch or
single the user is again queried as to the point size of 12, 18 or user
entered amount. I personally use 12,18 and 24 sizes. Once size is
selected the program then processes the file(s) and produces the
appropriate file to the user defined path.
That about covers the Type 1 to PageSTream conversion. The Type 1 to
Calamus is similar to the PGS conversion up to the ECF file creation.
After the ECF file is created, the user simply selects ECF in the "From"
menu and CFN in the "To" menu in Fonverter. The file is read in and a CFN
Calamus format font file is produced ready for use. If the user has some
PageSTream fonts they wish to have in Calamus format, then Fonverter is
used to convert them very quickly with only a couple of mouse clicks.
IMO--
I My Opinion the fonverter package is well executed and for the most
part relatively free of any major obstacles. The one "bug" I found is in
batch processing of the DMF->??H files. If I convert these files
singularly there is no problem. If I choose BATCH, the program seems to
execute fine but the rendered ??H files are not representational of the
original file. I would also like to see ALL the feature of the various
programs implemented into ONE program. I would like to be able to convert
from the Atari formats to the Type 1 format also.
Closing Arguments--
I will recommend this program package to anyone needing to convert
font files from one program format to another. Barring the BATCH process
problem, the programs included here are solid and they render fonts
indistinguishable from the original. Included in this package is a
program that will allow conversion of fonts to GDOS format. I have not
had the "pleasure" of trying out this program but I will present a look
over at a later date if anyone is interested. Be sure to check out the
ISD font examples on GEnie (M475;3) and also the MANY Calamus and Type 1
fonts available in the ST-RT on GEnie. SoftLogik also has a RT on GEnie
that will assist anyone with PageSTream fonts. Contact DFTURNOCK on GEnie
concerning the FontVerter package.
FontVerter 2.10
MegaType Software
P.O. Box 645
Southbend, IN. 46624
(219) 288-7468
DFTURNOCK (GEnie)
____________________________________________________________
> STReport CONFIDENTIAL "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
"""""""""""""""""""""
- Sunnyvale, CA THE MIGHTY CRYSTAL BALL IS BACK!
-------------
Seems the Crystal Ball is glowing white hot again... and in the middle
of the rumor box in the ball are the words COMB LIQUIDATORS. Seems there
was a rumored surplus of Portfolios so.... well we all know what Comb
does best...
- Houston Tx DOUBLE CLICK TO CALL IT A DAY!
----------
From GEnie's ST RT
Category 30, Topic 9
Message 29 Thu Nov 26, 1992
L.MCCLURE at 16:51 EST
So, how many folks out there have received their November 1992 issue of
"Atari Advantage"? If you have, and you have not taken note of what is on
the left side of page 9, do so NOW.
Here's a summary for those who don't subscribe: According to the sidebar,
DC is shutting down. That's the bad news. The good news is that the
programs will be released for free distribution. (Hey, I'll finally be
able to get upgrade my DC Desktop)! <grin>
I just wonder if the source code will be included. (That would seem to be
asking a bit much, though).
BTW, Storm *will* be brought out by Advantage Software, on schedule. (This
is noted both in the sidebar article, and more subtly in the ad for Storm
on page 25).
I would say this is a nice thing Mike is doing...after all, he could have
either sold all the programs to another company, or simply folded tent
and disappeared. Releasing the programs for free is a nice touch,
especially for those of us who do not own all of them yet! <grin>
Category 30, Topic 9
Message 30 Fri Nov 27, 1992
K.GERDES [TraceTech] at 12:38 EST
L.MCCLURE,
Looking out for myself, I just want to make a minor clarification to your
post in regards to "the (DC) programs will be released for free
distribution", and hopefully head off any misinterpretation.
Data Diet v1 was originally distributed by Double Click but the DD
distribution rights were transferred to me/Trace Technologies recently.
All programs in the Data Diet package (including Squish) will _NOT_ be
part of DC's plans.....whatever they may turn out to be.
- Keith [TraceTech]
For the record, STReport was well aware of the foregoing information
well over three weeks ago. But... in accommodating Mr. Vederman's request
that we wait for a formal release announcing the developments and plans,
we withheld releasing the story until now as we see its already been done
elsewhere. Unfortunately, its sad to see such things happening but then
it too, is a sign of the times.
- Houston, TX NEW KID ON THE BLOCK!
-----------
National Videotext Network (NVN) has recently added an Atari ST Forum
to it's growing lists of available services. The Atari ST Forum is going
through its final "construction" phases and will be available to NVN
members by mid-December 1992.
U.S. Videotel, founded in 1986, is an electronic information and
interactive services provider. The U.S. Videotel Network launched in March
of 1989, and provided electronic information services to the Texas market.
In the fall of 1991, the National Videotex Network Corp. (NVN) and
U.S. Videotel Inc. (USV) announced the formation of an alliance, as a
result of the purchase by USV's parent company of the majority of NVN
stock. This venture allowed the nationwide launch of the National Videotex
Network, which provides on-line data and information exchange services.
The national launch for NVN began on May 1, 1992.
The future of NVN will be one which continues to remain sensitive and
responsive to market needs. Additional services and advances in electronic
information will continue to be added, to provide unique and interesting
services on an on-going basis.
NVN service offerings can be broken into three categories: Basic,
Premium, and Premium Plus.
Basic Services
--------------
Most of the Basic services are available 24 hours a day with no
connect time charges beyond the basic membership fee. However, a select
group have functions for which transaction fees are charged. Basic
services are accessible through a flat rate charge of $5.95 per month.
Premium Services
----------------
For Premium services, Members pay connect charges for the amount of
time spent in a particular service. Premium services are accessible Monday
through Friday for a connect time charge of $9.00/hour from 8 am to 6 pm,
and $6.00/hour from 6 pm to 8 am; and on Saturday and Sunday for a connect
time charge of $6.00 all day (6 pm Friday til 8 am Monday), central time
zone.
Premium Plus Services
---------------------
Premium Plus services are subject to the same type of connect time
charge as Premium services. However, a surcharge is also added to the
connect time for these services.
You can join NVN one of two ways. By voice phone 1-800-336-9096
(Client Services) or via modem phone 1-800-336-9092. You will be issued
an Account # (usually within 24 hours) and will be allowed to access
National Videotex Network.
The NVN Atari ST Forum will provide a meeting place for members with
common interests to exchange ideas, ask questions and share information.
The Atari ST Forum is designed to accomodate person-to-person message
interchange, uploading/downloading of data files, "live" talks with guest
experts, and much more. The Atari ST Forum is waiting for you!
- Boca Raton, FL CIS ATARI FORA ANNOUNCES NEW MIDI SYSOP!
--------------
Today, 11/27/92, Ron Luks, contract holder for the Atari Areas on CIS,
made the following announcement: I'm pleased to announce that the job of
MIDI/Music sysop has been filled by Brad Hill. Brad will begin his duties
immediately following this holiday weekend. Until he starts using his new
Sysop ID, you may reach him at 75720,540. Please help the rest of the
staff in welcoming Brad to our team.
Ron Luks
Manager, CIS Atari Forums
- El Paso, TX ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ATARI DEALERS SHIFTING PLATFORMS
-----------
Rumor has it that Jenkins' Computer Store in El Paso Texas, one of the
nation's ORIGINAL Atari computer dealer/service center is rumored to have
decided to NOT be picking up the Falcon line of computers, and will be
involved in closing out their remaining inventory of Atari hardware and
software before the end of 1992. Jenkins' reasons are, of course, money.
With 95% of their sales now devoted to MS DOS clones, they apparently see
no reason to continue stocking computers that in their words "simply don't
sell". The failure on Atari's part to supply Falcons for the Christmas
Sales Holiday was reportedly cited as the "last straw".
- New York City, NY SPORTSER & DUAL STANDARD 16.8
-----------------
According to our informed sources, your SPORTSTER can become a "USR
Courier 16800 HST Dual Standard" modem! The Dual's functions are disabled
during the Sportster's normal use. By changing two instructions in the
modems register, it will switch over to the "dual standard mode" until you
remove power from your modem. Simply include the following instructions
in your init string or enter it manually in terminal mode:
ATGW03c6,22 - ATGW05cd,2f
______________________________________________________________
> STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
"""""""""""""
STReport's MailBag
""""""""""""""""""
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
-----------------------------------
From GEnie's ST RT
Category 1, Topic 20
Message 17 Tue Nov 24, 1992
DOUG.W [ICD RT] at 08:22 EST
[from Jeff Williams]
Frank Bell, J.BRENNER1, Wayne Watson, Tom McComb, Oscar Steele, Anna
Mason, John Morales: Thank you. Be sure that I'll be back ... maybe
sooner than you think. <smile>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Jim Ness: Thanks for the great lead! South Beloit is just a mile or two
away from where I live. It would be nice to find something so close to
home.
I called Stan Owens and dropped off my resume at his office. We'll see if
anything comes of it.
Thanks again! I really appreciate it.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
John Trautschold: Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy that I was able
to help smooth out your early days on GEnie and that a local boy (Chicago
area) has ended up being a popular Atari developer. I can say I knew you
before you were rich and famous. <smile>
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Darlah: "You were one of the best." Thank you. But to put that into the
proper perspective, I consider all the Atari ST Roundtable sysops to be
"The Best." So I am proud to have been in such august company.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
John King Tarpinian: I am very fond of the RTCs due largely to all the
folks like you and so many other folks that I've come to know so well
through them. It's been great for me. Good luck and best success with
future shows and user group events.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Brain Harvey: Thanks. I feel much more comfortable about taking a leave
knowing you and the other sysops are doing such a great job here. Keep up
the good work.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Jason Saffer: Thanks for the suggestion of the 12-step programs. Every
time I look through a book store, I check out the psychology, self help,
and recovery books and I find the 12-step program is being applied to many
areas. I used to attend some ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) meetings
and I still have some of those books that detail their 12-step program. I
haven't looked at them for some time, but with your suggestion I'll dig
them up and give them another look. Thank you.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Joe Meehan: Thanks. I appreciate the thought. I used to work for a
large corporation that had similar hiring/promotion policies so I
understand. In general, I feel it's a good policy for any business to
encourage promotion from within the company whenever possible. It's good
for the business and good for the employees.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
Jonesy: Please give my best to the Michelle and all the other great
folks at MilAtari. I'm sure I'll be up Milwaukee-way one of these days
to say "hi" and to see what you guys are up to.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
ALL:
In the time since I started this topic, I've had a couple interesting and
promising interviews. One in particular is very exciting and I hope to
hear from that employer within a few days, hopefully with good news. And
even if it doesn't end up being the news I would like to hear, there will
be other employers who are dying to find someone like me. It's just a
matter of keeping my momentum going, researching the local job market (I'm
getting good at this ... I spend a good deal of time in the library each
week), following the papers and other sources for opportunity, working the
phone, keeping my spirits up, and work, work, work.
I genuinely feel better now than I have in quite some time, I'm relieved
to say. I'll be visiting my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew
during the Christmas holiday, unless I find a job first <smile>. In
either event, it will make for a happy holiday season.
My thanks to Doug Wheeler who has been supplying me with all your kind and
thoughtful messages in this topic and the GEmail that many of you have
sent. Be assured that I am receiving your messages and I will reply ...
even if it may take several days before I get back to you (I've been busy
... honest!)
Happy Thanksgiving! See you around!
- Jeff Williams
------------
About the Falcon....
Category 14, Topic 20
Message 179 Sat Nov 21, 1992
M.POCHE [Mick] at 21:36 EST
I agree with Graham @ Quay. Sure, the Falcon could be better, like
everything else in the world, but compared to the ST/STE, the Falcon is a
_major_ leap forward. Having seen a Falcon, and a mere glimpse of what it
can do, I'm totally impressed.
The techo-babble and spec numbers are all interesting and everything, but
really don't mean squat as long as the computer does what you want it to
do, the way you want to do it. That is exactly why I intend on buying one
as soon as they are available. I've seen the graphics that the Falcon is
capable of producing, and I was blown away!
It seems to me that the people who have actually seen/used a Falcon are
the ones who are impressed, while the people who have been doing all of
the belly-aching haven't yet been lucky enough to see how well those poor
specs are put to use.
Just my thoughts, not flaming against anyone.
- Mick
------------
Category 14, Topic 20
Message 180 Sat Nov 21, 1992
J.TRAUTSCHOL [jtrautschold] at 22:59 EST
Exactly! That's where ST, or Sixteen-Thirty Two, came from - it's an
external 16-bit/internal 32-bit system. The TT is a Thirty Two-Thirty Two
because it supports a true 32 bit system both externally and internally.
------------
Category 14, Topic 20
Message 181 Sat Nov 21, 1992
C.KLIMUSHYN [-Chuck-] at 23:22 EST
Ben, My reply to your post is over in "atari vs. other systems" Cat.18
topic #22.
Mick, No flame taken. My gripe is with the dis-information that Atari
chose not to correct. It scares me that things are the same-old,
same-old, despite time and money running out for Atari.
Best Regards, -Chuck-
------------
Category 14, Topic 20
Message 182 Sun Nov 22, 1992
M.POCHE [Mick] at 05:06 EST
Chuck -
True. While I may think that the Falcon is a great computer, Atari Corp.
itself needs some serious work. I am one of the optimists most of the
time, but just how optimistic can one be when things are promised and not
delivered on a regular basis? Fool me once, shame on Atari. Fool me twice,
shame on me.
Atari has gone bungee jumping, and the Falcon is their cord. It will
either snap them back from the bottom, or bust right in the middle while
we all watch them go SPLAT!
The ground is coming up fast......
- Mick
------------
Category 14, Topic 20
Message 23 Tue Nov 24, 1992
J.RICHTER [J.RICHTER] at 01:28 EST
ThunderBIRD,
I'm back... and YOUR RIGHT!!! I was at Comdex and for (2)days I touched..
I felt... I saw and HEARD the Falcon... GREAT sound, and compared to other
systems (some with CHEAP 24bit cards) only AVERAGE video, color and
resolutions were easily bettered on any number of surrounding systems
(Although the Falcon outdid everything there with the in-a-window movie
thing)!
Most new PC's are based on the 486 running at 11mips (Twice that of the
Falcon030) and some FAST video 16/24 bit cards. These NEW "Low End"
systems are all 32bit systems ... say it slowly.. Thirty-Two bit MEMORY
operations with Local Bus video...
Quotes from Atari Falcon030 Specifications:
System Architecture:
Thats "SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE" not 68030 architecture!!!
Quote:
"BUS: 32-bit data, 32-bit address."
Now wait-a-minute John Townsend: "It's a 16bit data bus, once and for all"
Don't get me wrong, its a nice system with sound that can't be matched!
but here are the real kickers in my opinion:
1. Mushy 1040 keyboard! WHY oh WHY on a NEW system?? that one REALLY
hurts.. sheesh my friends couldn't stop gigling!!
2. The LOOK of Yesterdays HOME systems.. why oh why?? why put a
quad-cam 93' Pontiac engine in a 69' Bonneville???
3. $1400 for a (one piece 4meg, without monitor) home system?? with only
16bit expansion capabilities???
4. Muti-TOS GOOD but still not quite finished (looks to be a few
months away to me).
5. After watching the "mini-plug" in action i.e. slip..pop.. fall
out..this machine deserves the RCA option (I agree with the BIRD)
6. After watching the "AT emulation" at work.. hmmmmm Black and white
Windows 3.1 only!! Not gonna do it, needs more work!
NOTE: In the beginning we we ALL very excited about the Falcon.. Wow for
once a true 32bit Atari with Awsome "True Color" video and DSP
capabilities!! I was very enthused and PROUD that Atari took the risk and
went ALL-THE-WAY!!!
Whats needed:
1. At least 640X480X16bits with a real VGA/SVGA monitor. I'm sorry
320X480 with Multi-Sync can't cut it in todays market!
2. At least replace the 1040 keyboard with the "Mega" units!! even if
they Have To use the 1040 case!
3. A Real 32bit data/"Expansion Bus"
4. If Atari GOES with this unit.. lower the price and issue ONLY the
4meg unit with/HD for under $1000.. and release the REAL 040
system!.. by Summer 93' lesser versions of the 040 will be Apples
"MID LEVEL" systems anyway.
This is NOT meant to be negative! The Falcon can do some GREAT things! but
the little guy must execute all functions of the computer game BETTER than
the big guy... Just to succeed!!
Drake:
No the DSP does NOT compress and decompress on-the-fly .. you need the
codec optional chip set for that!
Soul Manager:
Please... Most of these features including the Kodak CD thing will be
available on other systems.. and at the SAME price break, and usually with
MUCH larger total software bases.. with Expansion Slots and in higher
video resolutions and in some cases MORE colors!!
I want my REAL 32bit ATARI system!! the one Advocated and Mis-quoted by
folks I thought I could trust.. (at this stage of the game!) I am sorry..
stop trying to tell me less is OK.. I don't need almost as fast.. I
thought the falcon030 was going to be a "Barn Burner" You know "Power
without the Price"
... The 486SX High-Rez cheapies will make mince-meat outa this system
before summer.. You can quote me on this one!! It's like introducing a
16MHZ 386SX system in 1993!! gimmy-a-BREAK! and.. by-the-way... It really
sounds like most folks in this area HAVE NOT seen the Dazzling NEW
graphics available on some of the NEW 486SX systems! .... Gee.. Sigh... I
hate DOS
And PLEASE... don't tell me speed does'nt count.. just watch the NEW Atari
Word Processer (With Gorgious Fonts I might add) as it scrolls slowly down
your page!! The ST WAS the Fastest thing out there when we bought it! and
we were DARN proud of it.. for just that reason.. Man, it would BLOW the
doors of any 8088!! or 8086!!! If you can get TWICE the speed and overall
performance out something 1/2 the cost, isn't this what it's all about!! I
LOVE MY MEGA4 Keyboard.. sheesh gimi at least as good!!
------------
Category 4, Topic 11
Message 160 Thu Nov 26, 1992
L.LOZO1 at 18:17 EST
Local Bus is not a industry standard there are i think 3 vendors may more
by now if you have a local bus motherboard, you "cannot" just put any
locan bus video/io card in it, and it all works. In Australia Less than 1%
Pc's in use have local bus. Its a pitty that SCSI was not implemented a
bit further Now you can Buy Hard disks, Laser printers, Scanners, Network
adapters, Ram/Disk packs, Floppy drives all based on SCSI. I think it
would have been great if they made Video Cards on Scsi with built in
graphics co-pro What about DSP on SCSI? If this all happened System
connectivity and products interchange would be far higher? The idea of a
true Backplane/Motherboard as really been lost i remember when i was into
the first S100 bus computers (good ol' Days) You had a motherboard with
connectors and Power supply, nothing else. You also had the CPU on its own
card, Ram on another You could also have a choice of processors. Intel
8080, 8080A, Z80 Z80A, Z8000, Motorola 6800, 6802, Signetics 2650. Since
IBM took the idea of a s100 type machine but put the processor on the
motherboard, industry formed a conspiracy in the idea of the dissposable
computer. The industry as a whole do not want us to upgrade our boxes,
they make less money. They want us to throw them away. and expect us to
buy new ones from them!!! Commodore and the biggest Culprit ATARI purely
and simply make their bucks from that policy. Look at the falcon, wheres
the expansion slot? And even if they put one in it, the next model atari
machine would have a different slot any way! How many ST users have
converted to the ibm platform? Forget about software availability for the
PC but the PC has a much wider and cheaper upgradability. ATARI still has
a lot to learn. Look at Apple you guys from Atari Inc. They have Nubus
that still lives on in machines. Atari users over the years have
contributed more $$$ to atari than just about any pc user as given to its
vendor. And the Atari users knows this. Atari wonder why sales are falling
dramatically?? Wake up Atari its 1992 System expandibility and Upgrade
are the go.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> A "Quotable Quote" ...Doomsayers?? Muckrakers?
"""""""""""""""""
"THE PUBLIC IS THE ONLY CRITIC WHOSE OPINION
IS WORTH ANYTHING AT ALL.."
Mark Twain
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> ABCO SPECIALS! STR InfoFile * 1992 HOLIDAY Prices! MORE Products! *
""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ------------------------------------
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NOTICE: ABCO will BEAT OR MATCH * ANY *
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=========================
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==================================================
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MAC PRODUCTS - AMIGA PRODUCTS - PC PRODUCTS
Call for ABCO's * HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICING! *
ABCO COMPUTER SYSTEMS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
*****
If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
Odds are, we either have it or, can get it for you!
* GUARANTEED * AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE! *
"WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL"
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCOFILE "44" & "88" *
* REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES *
--->> LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! NOW ONLY 44MB $ 359.00 <<---
88MB $ 489.00
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE! >UPS!<
(Cont. USA)
COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
Cart and Utility Software Included!
44mb CARTS: $ 69.50
88mb CARTS: $ 109.50
44mb MECH ONLY: $ 319.95
88mb MECH ONLY: $ 419.95
****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
* TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
SPECIALLY PRICED ** $695.95.00 **
Includes: * TWO * cartridges!
* SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
** 50mb SQG51S $559.00 105mb SQG105S $759.00 **
Or, YOUR choice of Hard Disk Mechanism!
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)
* IBM/MSDOS - AMIGA - ATARI - APPLE/MACINTOSH *
ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
*** --> COMPLETE IBM CLONE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE! <-- ***
CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR SPECS!
CALL FOR PRICING & AVAILABILITY
386/486 33Mhz - 50Mhz - 66Mhz
*>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
Atari SLM 804, SLM 804PCV Laser Toner Kits
Memorex 2108, 5287
Oasys Laserpro 5287, 5308, Express 830, Express Series II
Silver Express, Gold Express
** $41.95 shipping Included **
Atari SLM 605 Laser Toner Kits
AT&T 593, CAF Laser, DSI Laser, DTP Systems, Epson EPL-6000
Facit P6060, Fontx Syslaser, Harris3M 2006, M-Tally MT905
Microtek Turbo PS, OAS Laserpro Executive, Packard Bell 9500
TEC LB 1305, Toshiba PageLaser 6
** $41.95 shipping included **
(TWO Toner Carts Incl.)
Panasonic Laser Toner Kits
Panasonic KX -P 400 series, Panafax UF-750 Facsimile
** $41.95 shipping included **
-- ALL TONER KITS * IN STOCK * --
* Toner Starter Kits-$62.95 *
* Replacement (804) Drums-$187.95 *
ABCO is PROUD to announce the acquisition of
the exclusive U.S.A. distribution rights for
** Bitblit Software's ///Turbo Board BBS. **
This fine Atari ST BBS system software and
user support is available through ABCO to all
Turbo customers in the USA. Call for current
pricing.
ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
Now Available
BUSINESSES, - LEASE TO OWN WITH AT&T -
-* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
(A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE! >UPS!<
(Prepaid Orders - Cont. USA)
QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
_________________________________________
DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
please, call for details
COD, Personal and Company Checks accepted.
ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
CALL: 1-904-783-3319
Customer Orders & Service
9am - 8pm EDT
TUES thru SAT
ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!
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STReport International Online Magazine
-* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
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STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" November 27, 1992
Since 1987 copyright (c) 1987-92 All Rights Reserved No.8.47
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Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
the editors/staff of STReport International Online Magazine. Permission
to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints
must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue
number and the author's name . STReport and/or portions therein may not
be edited in any way without prior written permission. STReport, at the
time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STReport, its staff
and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible for the use or
misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
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