Z*Net: 09-Feb-91 #9105
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 02/19/91-07:43:17 PM Z
From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Z*Net: 09-Feb-91 #9105
Date: Tue Feb 19 19:43:17 1991
==(((((((((( == Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE
=========(( === -----------------------------------------
=======(( ===== February 9, 1991 Issue #91-05
=====(( ======= -----------------------------------------
==(((((((((( == Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc.
PUBLISHED BY ROVAC INDUSTRIES INC.
Editor: Ron Kovacs Senior Editor: John Nagy
Assistant Editor: Terry Schreiber, Z*Net Canada
Contributing Editor: Jon Clarke, Z*Net New Zealand
Contributing Editor: Mike Schuetz, Z*Net Germany
Contributing Editor: Dr. Paul Keith, Z*Net USA
Correspondent: Song Kim, Z*Net Japan
CONTENTS - SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE
EDITORS DESK....................................Ron Kovacs
Z*NET NEWSWIRE............................................
MORE ON VIDI AND WHERE TO GET IT.................John Nagy
GREG PRATT IN CONFERENCE.............................GEnie
BILL REHBOCK IN CONFERENCE......................CompuServe
ATARI IN BUSINESS...............................Frank Lowe
APE NEWSLETTER...............................Press Release
SEURAT VERSION 2.10..........................Press Release
Z*NET ONLINE CONFERENCE...................................
JRI BOARD PROBLEMS...................................GEnie
TRACKER ST UPDATE............................Press Release
COMPUSERVE GAINS PORTFOLIO SUPPORT...........Press Release
ATARI ONLINE UPDATE - AROUND THE NETS...........Jon Clarke
JERRY POURNELLE AND THE TT...........................GEnie
ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK......................Press Release
EDITORS DESK
============
by Ron Kovacs
The transistion is beginning to take place and your comments are
appreciated. If there is something you would like us to follow or
report on, please let us know. This is also a special double issue
of Z*Net Online, enjoy!
I am pleased to announce that we have finally received word from Japan
and Song Kim. Song will now be (hopefully) reporting on Atari
happenings there. He has notified us that there will be a short delay
in his first report, but is pleased to join the staff. Song commented,
"Atari is alive and well in Japan and I am sure we can expand the
communications and reporting and pleased that Z*Net has asked me to
join. Z*Net is available here and is looked upon as the real source
for Atari News."
ATARI STE DEMO CONTEST UPDATE
We have been asked to assist those interested in getting their demo
contributions to Atari. If you cannot access the pay services like
CompuServe and GEnie, Z*Net will assist by uploading your files for you.
All you have to do is use FNET and the Z*Net BBS as your devices and
will forward ALL contributions to Bob Brodie. Incase you are not aware
of this contest, here are the details.
Atari is looking for demonstration programs as possible "show off"
abilities of their hardware. Atari wants demos that feature DMA sound,
digitized speech, and advanced color graphics that will make people want
to purchase the STe, MEGASTe and TT series of computers. Your demos
might include advantages of teh STe/TT color palette, show off of
abilities with Cyber Series products, Deluxe Paint and others. Demos
along the lines of Cool STe and Tony Barker's demo. Self running demos
that a shopper is a store might interact with.
Please note that all submissions to this contest will become the
property of Atari Corporation with all rights reserved. Judging will be
done by Atari staff members in Sunnyvale California and all decisions
will be final. One winner and two runner-ups will be selected from the
files uploaded. Entries may also be mailed direct to Atari and
postmarked not later then MARCH 26, 1991 and received in house by Atari
by APRIL 5, 1991 to qualify. Remember that Z*Net will assist anyone
with getting your entry to Atari.
Here is the prize list:
FIRST PRIZE: 32Mhz, TT030/8-50
1ST RUNNER UP: 16Mhz, MegaSTe/4-50
2ND RUNNER UP: Lynx and 2 Extra Games
Atari Corporation
Atari Demo Contest
Attn: Bill Rehbock
1196 Borregas Avenue
Sunnyvale, California 94086
Z*NET NEWSWIRE
==============
START MAGAZINE GOES BI-MONTHLY
Editor Tom Byron of START Magazine said this week that his magazine
would begin a bi-monthly publishing schedule beginning immediately.
Thus, the yet-to-be-released FEBRUARY issue will be the first to bear a
two-month title, becoming FEBRUARY/MARCH. Tom says the reasons are
corporate-wide and not directly related to START's profitability.
Computer industry advertising is down dramatically overall, and cuts are
being made in several of START's parent company's lines. AMIGA PLUS was
discontinued altogether. However, Tom says that he expects that START
will return to a monthly schedule at some later date if the industry
picks up again. A sister publication to START specializing in PC
computers shows signs of being a large financial success, and if so,
START may be returned to monthly status soon. Tom Byron adds that
subscribers will get the number of issues they paid for, and that he
hopes that each issue will be larger and feature more in-depth articles.
ATARI AT ALBERTA TEACHERS FEDERATION
Atari Canada will be out in force this year at the Alberta Teachers
Federation this year scheduled for March 14th,15th, and 16th. Murray
Brown, reported to Z-Net that he has very high expectations for the
educational market during the next year. Murray formally the B.C. Atari
Rep was promoted recently to Western Sales Manager of Atari Canada.
PUGET SOUND ATARI NEWS - Press Release
With rising costs and dwindling memberships most clubs are unable to
publish or maintain their own newsletter. Puget Sound Atari News is a
monthly publication by a group of more than fourteen users groups. It
is this joint effort that again makes the newsletter cost efficient and
newsworthy. PSAN is looking for more clubs to join in this venture to
keep the news flowing and the costs down. Interested parties should
contact: Jim Chapman (206) 566-1703, P.O. Box 110576, Tacoma Wash.,
98411-0576
NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF COMPUTER SHOPPER
Ziff-Davis announced this week the appointment of John Dickinson as
editor-in-chief of Computer Shopper magazine. Dickinson was most
recently editor of Ziff's PC/Computing. Computer Shopper is published
monthly with a circulation of 325,000. Dickinson replaces Bob
Lindstrom, editor of Computer Shopper since 1989. Lindstrom is
returning to the west coast and will continue to write frequently for
Ziff-Davis publications.
NINTENDO AND SONY JOIN FORCES
Nintendo announced this week that it will work with Sony to develop a
compact-disc player for Nintendo's "Super Famicom" video-game software.
The development of a CD Player will help Nintendo introduce a new
generation of video-game computers after "Super Famicom," which was
introduced last November in Japan.
NEW YORKER ARRESTED
A New York City Queens youth was arrested this week on charges of
cracking a New York Telephone Co. computer, thereby allowing him to make
unlimited free phone calls on a "900" number. The 18 year old youth
allegedly used a stolen telephone company credit card to get access to
the computer system and was charged with computer tampering, computer
trespass, and theft of services.
SIMPSONS ANIMATOR ONLINE AT GENIE
On February 11th, starting at 9 pm Eastern Time, our very own Sondra Roy
(S.ROY4) will be doing a live chat -- a Real Time Conference -- here on
ShowBiz. To get to the RTC area, come to page 185, then choose option
2; it's best to show up a minute or so early. Sondra is both an
animator on THE SIMPSONS and a character layout artist; she's well
informed about the workings of the show, and will be glad to answer any
questions about it. (Other than How Do I Get A Job There?)
MORE ON VIDI-CHROME - and WHERE TO GET IT
=========================================
by John Nagy, Contributing Editor
Interest has been high this week in the new color digitizing software
for the VIDI-ST unit. Our pictures, in Spectrum format, have been a big
download item on the networks. A week of experience with the system has
done a lot to improve the pictures. (Read the review in last week's
Z*NET for more information.)
First and most important, I need to admit that the "squat" pictures were
my own fault, not that of the software as I indicated in my review last
week. There is an internal adjustment on the back of the VIDI-ST box
that adjusts width for proper aspect ratio... and I either forgot it was
there or never knew it. Anyway, after a careful reading of the 44 page
manual for VIDI-CHROME, I found a reference to the adjustment. Minutes
later, I had round rounds and square squares... like they should be.
Sorry.
Next, I found that small readjustments in contrast and brightness make
large changes in the quality of pictures. While most pictures are good,
some extra care can make them outstanding. I have uploaded more samples
for your inspection.
Other Z*NET staff members have been busily comparing the ease of use and
quality of color reproduction of VIDI-CHROME against COMPUTER EYES/
DIGISPEC and other software. They report that VIDI-CHROME wins hands
down on repeatability and color accuracy... as well as being much
faster. We will have more on that comparison in a later issue.
I called Pacific Software, distributors for the VIDI products, to see
what the plans might be to start importing the VIDI-RGB device. It's an
electronic color splitter that replaces the use of the color filters
over the lens, and should make even better pictures. Mark at Pacific
tells me that they may have the first VIDI-RGB units within the next 3
weeks... I'll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, we are being asked WHERE CAN I GET VIDI? Most dealers can
order software through Pacific, but if you can't find one convenient to
your area, try THE COMPUTER NETWORK. Z*NET has arranged a good price
for our readers on both the VIDI-ST hardware and the VIDI-CHROME
software. VIDI-ST retails at $199, and The Computer Network will sell
it to you for $155, shipping INCLUDED (domestic USA). VIDI-CHROME,
which requires Vidi-ST, is a $39.95 retail but only $35 (again, shipping
included to US addresses) from The Computer Network. Visa, Mastercard,
and American Express accepted, call (818) 500-3900 during West Coast
business hours and speak to Mark Krynsky. Canadian and foreign orders
available, call for pricing. The Computer Network is at 1605 West
Glenoaks in Glendale, California, 91201. Mark assures me that he can do
5-7 day delivery. Be sure to tell him Z*NET sent you!
GREG PRATT IN CONFERENCE
========================
Ctsy GEnie ST RT
This is an edited version of the captured conference by Terry Schreiber.
Sysop JEFF.W: Welcome everyone! Thank you for coming back! We have
with us this evening, Greg Pratt, General Manager of Atari Computer
Corporation. Last week's conference was complicated by a number of
problems so Mr. Pratt has been kind enough to visit us tonight to set
some things right. Hopefully, we will have much better luck system-wise
than last week. Mr. Pratt, Do you have any opening remarks before we
start taking questions?
Greg Pratt: Good evening everyone. I am happy to be with you here
tonight, and hope that we will have better luck this time in sharing our
thoughts with one another. I'd like to start out by telling you a
little about myself. I have been an associate of Jack Tramiel's for the
past twelve years. During that time frame, we went through the most
explosive portion of the home computer growth with the Commodore 64. I
was President of the US operations for Commodore during that time frame.
After Jack left Commodore, I came with him, and was part of a new start
up company called Tramiel Technology. This was the beginning of the
company that ultimately purchased Atari. I am one of the six people in
the management team that came in when Jack purchased Atari. Since that
time, I have held a number of positions with the company, the latest one
being the Chief Financial Officer for Atari Corp. I'd also like to fill
you in on some of the current happening here at the US subsidiary. We
will use our Strategic Partner Program, where we will be working with
approximately 100 key dealers located throughout the US. These dealers
will be especially qualified to provide high end customers with the type
of support that they require. As part of the Strategic Partner Program,
we will be working with key developers in each of their areas of
application. We will be using distributors as a secondary method of
distributing our products. The Lynx, the Portfolio, and the STEs are
all in distribution now. The only products that will be held back from
distribution will be the TT. We feel this will enable us to have a
greater penetration throughout the US market. We have lowered our
suggested retail prices on our machines. The new prices are as follows:
1040 STE $599.95
Mega STE $1699.95 (2mb), $1849.95 (4mb) - both w/50mb HD
TT030/2-50 $2399.95
TT030/4-50 $2799.95
TT030/8-80 $3799.95
Megafile 30 $599.95
Megafile 44 $899.95 w/cart.
Megafile 60 $799.95
SLM605 Laser $1295.95
L.SMITH70: By this time, most of us are aware of the existence of the
Lynx II. Two questions: 1) Is it in fact smaller? 2) If so, How in
relation to GB?
Greg Pratt: The basic unit is smaller, but the screen size remains the
same and has all of the functionality of the original unit. Versus the
GameBoy, the unit is approximately twice the thickness of Gameboy.
W.VARGAS2: My question is: is ATARI really aware of the state of its
market and the condition of the third-party companies that support the
ATARI computer. For example: START magazine is going bi-monthly,
Practical Solutions, Michtron and many others are gone. Companies that
we all thought were here to stay...now are history. That should mean
something.
Greg Pratt: Atari is very aware of the condition of third party
companies. We are initiating a Strategic Partner program whereby we
will work very closely with important developers to help with current
conditions... Our understanding is that Michtron has been sold, not gone
out of business, and that Start is re-evaluating its decision to go
bimonthly and that we are actively soliciting bundle proposals from
developers, so that we are no longer just working with them to build
customer bases, we have become a customer ourselves.
Mark STACE: The possible introduction of a Mega STE with only 1 meg and
no HD confirmed by Sam last week. Couple questions. #1: Retail price?
#2: Will this unit require extra hardware (other than the HD itself) to
add a HD to it? IE, host adapter..etc?
Greg Pratt: The retail pricing is not final, and we haven't made a
decision about adding the HD host adapter. Any thoughts on that?
UNICORNPUB: I'd like to ask what form the advertising for Atari's
computer line will take.
Greg Pratt: Advertising will take the form of mainly print media,
specializing in computer magazines, however with some general, broad-
based coverage. We would anticipate being in Magazines like INC.,
Forbes, Money, Home Office, Newsweek, Omni, etc...
STEVE C.MORTIMER: How are you planning to target the Mega STE
considering it is $200 more than a similar but less powerful Mac
Classic. Also, do "stable supply lines" mean that shortages of product
will be substantially reduced?
Greg Pratt: First of all, the Mega STE is a 16MHz machine, not an 8MHz
like the Mac Classic. It also has color capability and is more easily
expanded. Our machine with no HD will be extremely competitive to the
Mac Classic, according to the feedback from the Pacific Rim show in
Vancouver. Stable supply lines means shortages of product will be
substantially reduced in 1991.
STEVE C.MORTIMER: Still just being a Mac means a lot and it has much
more software than the Atari. Anyway, will the Mega STE be the main
thrust in the general market advertising to go against IBM and Apples?
Greg Pratt: In my opinion, a Mac Classic without a HD is not a usable
machine, while a Mega STE without a HD is very usable. Apple has a
problem, in that their developers are not making software geared for the
68000 anymore. They are now writing mainly for the 68030 machines.
Mike-Z*Net Germany: I have two questions : 1.) Can you give some
specifics about the Unix system announced last week by Sam? 2.) It was
said that Atari would announce two new biggies at CeBIT in five weeks.
Will the 2nd one be the new Portfolio ?
Greg Pratt: 1) The Unix is based on System V.4 using the Motif standard.
We have no final information right now on price and availability,
further comment will be made at CeBIT. 2) No comment... Sorry.
LRYMAL: Greg, any push into the schools?
Greg Pratt: We are currently in the process of recruiting an educational
marketing specialist. We continue to work very closely with Computer
Curriculum Corporation, a major Integrated Learning System marketeer.
LRYMAL: That is great! Apple succeeded largely by investing in the
future of America, its students. Can't we begin the same? MIDI music
labs, DTPing, etc.
Greg Pratt: In 1991, we will focus on specific market segments where we
have an advantage. We will aggressively prospect in new markets when
the new machines in quantity.
ST.REPORT: In light of the terrific success of the Lynx and Portfolio,
are similar promotional plans in the works for the computer lines? How
soon for full distribution of the new computers & related goodies in the
USA? The market disparately NEEDS a strong shot in the arm now.
Greg Pratt: I'd refer back to my opening comments. We are overhauling
the distribution network. We believe that within the next 30-60 days,
we will have a very effective network of very highly motivated dealers.
Our Strategic Partner program is in effect our implementation of the
"shot in the arm" so desperately needed in the USA.
NEVIN-S: Thank you for coming tonight, Greg. I have two questions. The
first is, does Atari have any plans to go mass market with the 1040?
Commodore has been very successful getting the Amiga 500 into Software,
Etc and other chains which creates a nice userbase which developers can
survive on.
Greg Pratt: Yes, the 1040STE is our mass-market machine. We are
targeting that machine to go into mass market retailers now. I agree
the additional software base is important, and we have not overlooked
that segment.
NEVIN-S: My second question concerns public relations. Ever since Neil
Harris left Atari, the ST has become the "invisible computer" as far as
the US press is concerned. Jerry Pournelle of Byte magazine said on
GEnie that since Neil left, he had not heard a peep from Atari. Does
Atari have any plans to hire someone to be the point man for the press
or do you feel this is not necessary.
Greg Pratt: Jerry Pournelle received a TT030-8/50 from us about three
weeks ago. If there are other key people you are aware of who should
receive a machine, please advise us of them. Contact Bill Rehbock
about that. As far as the "point man for the press" goes, we have Sam
Tramiel :->
Sheldon S.WINICK: Bob mentioned in a message this week on GEnie that
there are now 4 classifications of dealers. Can you explain what those
different classifications are?
Greg Pratt: In order to simplify matters, we are in the process of
reducing the types of dealers to one. This will eliminate all of the
confusion, paperwork, and hassle associated with prior plans. As
mentioned in my opening statements, we intend to have a number of
dealers with whom we will work directly. The remainder of the business
will be put through distribution.
Sheldon S.WINICK: Perhaps in this light then, you should expound a
little on the "Strategic Partner" program that you mentioned earlier.
Is this the current program of only one dealer category? And does that
mean the concept of the Business Computer Center is a dead issue?
Greg Pratt: The dealer program will the subject of a separate
conference, where in we will discuss the various market segments. Your
dealership is the kind of dealer that will qualify as a Strategic
Partner. For us, you are in a strategic location, catering to the CAD
and MIDI marketplace.
J.ALLEN27: I have 3 questions: Will the UNIX be available for 030'd STs
in general or TT only? What mass market outlets are being looked at,
type, etc.? There is a rumor about the addition of an "ATspeed" like
appendage to the 1040STE, can you comment at all?
Greg Pratt: To be honest, I don't know about Unix on other machines than
the TT. We are having discussions with consumer electronic stores,
regional department stores, and computer superstores. Re: ATspeed
rumor, do you think it's a good idea?
M.HILL13: When the TT gets class B certification will Atari start
shipping a large quantity of them to the US or will Europe be the market
to be pushed? And in the Electronic Engineering times there is an
article that Atari's TT will be marketed towards CAD/CAM. Is this your
major focus for the TT Line?
Greg Pratt: We will start shipping large quanities in the US immediately
upon FCC Class B approval. The CAD/CAM market is an important market
for the TT, as we are positioning it as a low-cost graphics workstation.
Sheldon S.WINICK: With essentially the entire line of Atari products
going into general distribution, how do you propose maintaining minimum
standards for Atari dealerships or do you now feel that any retailer or
mail-order discounter should be able to market Atari computer systems?
BOB-BRODIE> The TT product line will not be available through
distribution, and as you know, the TT is our crown jewel. On the other
hand,the 1040STE is a mass market machine and we want to have it sold
everywhere. The real concern, then, is how to manage the mid-range MEGA
STE product. We will make sure that our Strategic Partners receive
priority shipments, priority allocations, market development funds, to
enhance their profit opportunity. We will be very selective in
appointing distributors. We also are installing a system which will
enable us to track serial numbers which will allow us to identify the
path a machine took to the user.
James J.VOGH: What types of VME products do you know of that work with
the Mega STE and TT (TOS and UNIX)
Greg Pratt: The Green Springs computer products INDUSTRY-PAK 3U cards
(octal serial port, ram expansion, A/D - D/A converters) all work quite
nicely, however, they are a bit pricey. There are over 3000 VME cards
on the market. Contact B.REHBOCK via EMAIL for more specifics on which
ones work in the TT.
D.A.BRUMLEVE: Atari UK has enjoyed some success with power-packs
featuring the 520ST and 520STe bundled with various commercial software
offerings. Are there any plans to bring the 520STe to the US market?
Are there plans to continue to sell the 520ST? It seems to me that
these machines would be more appropriately mass-marketed than the
1040STe. Well, I see your point, but...
Greg Pratt: We are currently discussing bringing over certain packages
from the UK. With the recent price reduction on the 1040STE we feel it
is a very affordable machine for the masses. The utility of a 520STE in
the US market is suspect. The differential in price due to RAM is
minimal, therefore, we prefer to give more.
M.WEILERT2: Gregg, with the unification of Europe in '92, how do you see
Atari's dominance in Germany and positive track record on the continent
fueling Atari USA's growth in a business platform?
Greg Pratt: While we will be the recipients of some positive press due
to our German success, a major re-education program must be initiated in
the US in order to create the proper environment for Atari to be
accepted as a business machine. We feel that the next generation of
Atari machines will once again establish us as a platform offering
incredible capabilities at reasonable prices. These machines will be so
powerful, so fast, with such great graphics that we will grab the
attention of the computing world. These products will be available in
1992.
BILL REHBOCK IN CONFERENCE
==========================
Ctsy CompuServe Atari Forums, Ron Luks
Pattie: Welcome to the CIS Thursday Night CO! Tonight we have Bill
Rehbock, Atari's developer coordinator, with us. Bill joined the Atari
staff a few months ago, and is an avid Atarian in his own right!
Welcome Bill Rehbock, and thank you for joining us. Before we take
questions, please tell us a bit about yourself and any opening remarks
you may have.
Bill@Atari: Thank you Pattie. My title is actually Director of
Technical Services. I have been with Atari since September of 1990. I
have been an Atari user since the 400 & 800 days... When I worked
security at McCormick place in Chicago at CES when they were unveilied.
I have been a registered ST developer since July of 1985 when I
purchased my dev kit with 520 ST for ~$4000 :-)
Jim Ness: Hi, Bill. I have seen a lot of Bob B...and even some John T.
here lately... Can I dare to hope that this could mean that non GEnie
services will be getting a larger share of time from you folks? Or don't
you know? ga
Bill@Atari: After I get fully settled in here in CA (I'm going back to
Chicago next week to help my wife finish up with getting things ready to
make the 'big move') I intend to keep up a little more here. Keep in
mind that my primary responsibiltites are to get the Software tap open
again so we have something to do with the machines we've spent our
pennies on.
Ron Luks: Bill: Speaking about the PORTFOLIO for a minute....There are
a large number of machines in the users hands now....but they are all
based upon a non-industry standard memory card.....Has ATARI made any
decision whether to keep supporting.... the current format card or
somehow switch over to the new industry standard? (and will this affect
any software now under development)
Bill@Atari: It _is_ possible to do a JEIDA-BEE CARD adapter so that one
can use the JEIDA cards with the Portfolio. Atari was involved on the
PCMCIA committee that came up with the JEIDA standard, and obviously we
are looking at supporting the standard we were instrumental in creating.
HOWEVER, there is nothing stopping a clever third party enterpreneur
from beating us to the punch and building an adapter. :-)
John Barnes: Bill, could you please elaborate on the role of "Technical
Services and the personal experiences that brought you to your current
position?
Bill@Atari: The positition is actually a new one for Atari, my
predacessors all worked for Atari Corporate... and my role is much, much
more closely situated to the sales side of things...
John Barnes: Are there plans for further enhancement of developer
support?
Bill@Atari: Yes, we have instituted a two-tier developer program...that
will enable _anybody_ to purchase the software developer documentation
with periodic updates. for $125.00. The Tier-1 developers _do_ have to
have a commercial product on the market, or must submit a plan that
describes what they are working on.
Bob Retelle: Bill, we get a lot of questions here on CIS from people who
would like to become registered developers.. the "top tier", I guess it
would be under the new program... usually we just refer them to Gail
Johnson to get the details, but could you briefly elaborate a little on
what qualifications are necessary, and what the benefits to the
developer are?
Bill@Atari: The main reason for instituting the two-tier plan was simply
that the commercial developers whose living depended on Atari needed _a
lot_ more support than they've ever received... In the past, most devs
couldn't get answers very often... Because I've been a beta-tester for
so many products and an Atari user so long, I can't help take advantage
of the position to get all the things I need fixed fixed and to get the
software I need (and you need :-) written.
However, I'm a flexible guy and realize that there are some cases of
devs that don't produce commercial products, but still are invaluable to
other developers...programming tools, etc) and they can be Tier-1 also.
Ron Hunt: Bill> I was wondering if there were any other advantages for
tier 2 developers besides the updates, access to developer areas, breaks
on hardware etc.
Bill@Atari: We intend to set up a Tier-2 dev area. Do you think that
the Tier-2 'hobbiest' developers shouldn't support their local dealers?
In the past, one of the complaints of developers was that the old
program simply gave people a way to spend $250 to get $500 off on a
piece of hardware. That must stop now.
The documentation is pretty expensive to reproduce and Alan Pratt's
debugger is a very nice piece of software. The kit by itself is
_definitely_ worth $125. It also comes with the Resource construction
set, Alcyon C compiler, etc.
Ron Hunt: then "regular" developer areas won't be open to Tier 2 people?
Bill@Atari: I need a place to communicate (with a high degree of
confidentiality) with the commercial developers whose mortgage is at the
mercy of the next turn Atari takes.
Most querys a Tier-2 developer would have should be able to be answered
E-mail, don't you think. (This is one of the most difficult issues I
wrestled with during construction of the plan :-)
Anthony Arnoldi: Well Bill, me and a friend were discussing Atari and
how these new systems are being released by Atari. This would mean that
alot of new software would have to be written over for the new systems.
Will this effect the regular users of the ST of companies abandoning the
ST. Because with the new hardware features in the new systems new
software is needed. Will the ST lose support or will it continue for us
regular users?
Bill@Atari: No, by no stretch of the imagination. Easy Draw worked
perfectly and took advantage of everything the new video of the TT had
to offer because it was written correctly. The system software is
written (and is being written) with backward compatibility in mind. One
of the main things that I have to do is to keep developers on track so
that when they want to do 'enhancements' that at one time was considered
breaking the rules, they do it in a way that will make life more
pleasureable for all of us :-)
Bill Rayl: First, Bill, thanks for coming to visit us... For the past
couple of years, most developers have found it increasingly difficult to
keep going. What plans, if any, does Atari have to turn things around
for them? Is it going to get better or still get worse?
Bill@Atari: I think the best thing that Atari can do is get product back
out in the market. It's one of the reasons that I am _very_ closely
tied into pricing decisions, etc. I truly believe that things are
headed in the right direction. The 1040STE is now available to dealers
through distributors...
The "It takes $20,000 to be an Atari dealer" crap is gone...and the new
pricing is right.
On the developer side... I need APPLICATIONS. Nothing against anyone,
but we've got more darn utilities than Peter Norton would ever know what
to do with ...:-)
If the effort was spent in developing application software, the world
would be a better place.
Bill Rayl: As a followup, are there still plans to release a SoftSource
CD ROM disk to dealers (and possibly user groups) filled with developer
demos? If so, any specific dates?
Bill@Atari: SoftSource is Dan MacNamee's puppy, and he works for
corporate, SoftSource is definitely alive and well. We are waiting for
the entries to come in from Austrailia... and the rework of the CDAR504
to be finished. Chinon discontinued the mechanism that we were using in
the 504, but we WILL have a replacement very soon.
Until then....there is no reason why developers can't take advantage of
MetaDOS (the device driver for things like CDROM players, CDROM Juke
Boxes, etc.) and do software for anybodies CDROM drive. SoftSource
should be live withing 30 days by the way.
John Barnes: Bill, I applaud your sentiment about APPLICATIONS. I would
personally like to see a port of something like Kaleidagraph and a good
LaserJet emulation for the Atari Laser printer. Is there any prospect
that Atari could seed such things?
Bill@Atari: I've got some good Presentaion Graphics in the pipeline
(Atari will not be selling or marketing it, a well known developer
will:-) and UltraScript is going back in full swing. TT-compatible, one
version for everything, etc... FSM (FontScalingModule) GDOS is really,
really great, and will solve a lot of problems for everyone.
Ron Hunt: Bill> just a short followup to what I asked before.....first
of all. I think the two tier developer system is very positive. Also,
I didn't mean to suggest that tier 2 people receive all the perks of the
top line guys, however, in light of the current Atari software market
thought that perhaps some "extras" might entice developers on other
systems to give the Atari a try.
Bill@Atari: Extras such as?
Ron Hunt: small......tiny (grin) price breaks on hardware.
Bill@Atari: What developers from other platforms are we talking about?
Ron Hunt: I was speaking in general.
Bill@Atari: Microsoft has been _GIVEN_ lots of hardware and it's gotten
us nowhere :-) Seriously, the thing that will entice COMMERCIAL
developers to write for the Atari is sales figures, the 1040STE going
back into wide distribution is ALREADY making that a reality...
We can't afford to damage dealer sales any longer with the developer
program. The amount of equipment purchased is sooooo out of line with
what is being written, it's ridiculous. Any other q's?
Anthony Arnoldi: Bill, I was wondering what's going on about the STE
demo contest right now?
Bill@Atari: I'm glad you asked that question. We have received many
responses from here and on GEnie. Some have been quite good, and I can
hardly wait to see what the demos that are coming look like. It seemed
like a neat thing to do, I mean GIVING AWAY the most sought after
computer of the decade :-)
The dealers are very hungry for demo software and I saw the contest as
a good way for Atari to give the STE & TT some attention, and an excuse
for getting the STE DMA sound & scrolling documentation released to the
public so that software can be written for the machine. :-) (in the
past, as you know it has been difficult:-)
It should be in the Software Library here on CIS, btw. The information
from upstairs (SW Engineering) is flowing rapidly and Leonard and the
rest of the guys have neat stuff in store for all of us.
In closing... Keeping the computers in stock is a very high priority
now, the dealer program for the first time in 4 years makes sense, dnd
if I'm crazy enough to relocate from Chicago to Sunnyvale (I _really_
like pizza :-) you should all hang in there just a little longer to see
how Atari performs. There are no promises this time, just action :-)
The TT runs rings around a 386 with Windows-3, Microsoft is starting to
get the 'emporer has no clothes' press it deserves, and Macintosh dealer
margins are falling. We could suprise a few people very soon. Thank
you very much.
JUST SAY NO TO DOS, ATARI IN BUSINESS
===================================== A CHOICE BETWEEN IBM, MAC & ATARI
by Frank R.H. Lowe
Yes, we had a choice. It was not an easy decision to make because all
three contesting systems gave us the same end result.
We are a Canadian distributor of Commercial 2-way radio products that we
market through a dealer network and directly to the Federal and
Provincial Governments.
Our 2-way radio supplier is an American organisation called Icom and
they have been producing their price catalog using a Mac computer and
DTP. They would normally send us a copy of the file and we would farm
it out to a local Mac Entrepreneur who, in turn, would change all
pricing to our standard mark-up in Canadian dollars as well as minor
changes to certain products. For reasons unbeknown to us Icom have
decided to move from the Mac Platform to the IBM machine and the
corresponding DTP program.
This gave us three choices.
1. Utilize our IBM 286 accounting computer (which would greatly
interfere with all our invoicing procedures) as a DTP system, add
windows and buy an incredibly expensive DTP Program then train an
operator.
2. Convert the file to Mac and continue with our local person.
3. Buy an Atari ST system with Calamus and do it myself.
WE WENT ATARI ST
We purchased a 1040 ST upgraded to 2.5 Megs; a 20 Meg SH205 Atari Hard
Drive, Printer, Modem and Interlink, Calamus 1.09N, Word Writer ST and a
few odds and ends for fun.
I did forget to mention that I am an avid ST user and love playing with
Calamus in my spare time at home. I convinced all concerned that we
would be more comfortable with Atari and Calamus simply because there
would be no learning curve as I would do the job myself.
On a cold and wet Monday morning I made my first mark on page one of the
1991 Price catalog. I designed the layout for each and every product
(all were different, unfortunately, resulting in a great deal of design
work). By Thursday I had completed the whole catalog except the actual
prices that will be available for Jan 1, 1991 and should take no more
than one days work to enter. I actually spent less than 16 hours on the
job and grew to love and hate Calamus. The love grew with understanding
and the hate faded as I learned the finer points of the program.
THE JAM ON THE BREAD
I can now add a new price page in a matter of minutes. Special offers
and the introduction of a new product can be achieved "In-House"
instantly.
We also have a second business that distributes Marine and Avionics
equipment; guess who will be doing the price catalog for them?. You may
ask, where will I find the time to do all this extra work that I have
created for myself. Well, our winter months are normally quiet thereby
allowing me time to take care of a project or two.
Apart from DTP we will be training staff to use Word Writer St and
Interlink. One for Form letters and the other for our daily
communications with our Federal bidding system in Ottawa (which I used
to have to do at home).
When IBM was introduced into our organisation no one was interested, but
ten minutes after the ST was fired up I had to fight to maintain any
semblance of order around my desk. Even Margaret, our dyed in the wool
computer hater admits that the ST is a different kind of machine and
that the funny little 'rat thing' (mouse) sure moves around quickly and
the buzzing bee looks quite attractive.
In one hour on a Friday morning I produced a new expense account form
and a new order control form. Looks like the system is paying for
itself already.
ATARI IS ALIVE AND WELL IN OUR BUSINESS HOW ABOUT YOURS??
FRANK R.H. LOWE (604) 271-0361
4291 Fortune Ave.
Richmond B.C.
Canada V7E 5P6
APE NEWSLETTER
============== Press Release
The Lynx is very hot and getting hotter thanks to new games and the
forthcoming release of the low cost Lynx. But where can you turn to
keep up to date on the Lynx? Certainly not any of the major video game
magazines. Since the majority of their readers own the NES, Gameboy ,or
Genesis, that's what they concentrate on. They may have a review or a
news tidbit on the Lynx, usually a page and sometimes not even that
much.
You want more than a page! And that's what the APE (Atari Portable
Entertainment) Newsletter provides. Pages full of the latest Lynx news
and information, hidden secrets in Lynx games (many provided by those
aces at Star-Linx BBS), and in depth tips for the latest Lynx releases.
APE is currently published 4 times a year (maybe bi-monthly soon,
depending on how things go) by me, Clinton Smith, an avid Lynx
enthusiast.
Would you like to check out an absolutely free copy! If you're up on
the GENIE service, you can leave me a message (my E-mail address is
C.SMITH89) or drop a line in the APE Newsletter topic (ST Roundtable
BBS, Category 36, Topic 17). Give me your mailing address and I'll send
you out an issue along with subscription info. Or you can send your
mailing address to me at:
APE NEWSLETTER
2104 NORTH KOSTNER
CHICAGO, IL 60639
If you're already convinced and want to subscribe, send your check or
money order for $6 to the previously mentioned address. Be sure to
include your mailing address (I can't send it to you if I don't know
where you are). Along with the 4 subscription issues, you will also be
getting 1 issue free (just as if you had requested a free issue).
Please make checks and money orders payable to Clinton Smith (my bank
gives me funny looks when I try to deposit ones made out to APE).
Don't be a banana! Subscribe to APE (ok, ok, I'll work on it)
SEURAT VERSION 2.10
=================== Press Release
The Best Bargain in Atari ST Graphics Programs just keeps on getting
better! SEURAT Version 2.10 adds more Image Power to what was already
a great deal!!
* Create and Edit Degas, MacPaint and GEM IMG files (any size!) Largest
workspace onto IMG's of ANY program! (reqs. mono mon.) Now, you can
use the full resources of SEURAT to create and edit images for your
Desktop Publishing, using powerful raster tools and working in a
familiar Paint Program environment! Enjoy the best of both worlds!
* EIGHT Picture or .IMG Buffers on a 1-Meg ST! Instead of having to work
on only a single .IMG file in a single image window, with SEURAT you
can edit and exchange between up to eight .IMG files at the same time!
* FASTEST Multi-Ratio Zoom (2X to 8X) there is for the ST! SEURAT
V2.0's zoom is 121 times faster than Vers. 1.0 and TWICE as fast as
Degas!
* SEURAT PRINTS TOO! With built-in drivers for Epson-comp. 9-pin and HP
DeskJet (and LaserJet & all HP-compatibles). DeskJet driver outputs at
75/150/300 dots-per-inch in BOTH Portrait and Landscape orientation,
and it's positionable on the page to the dot! But that's not all.
* NEW! GDOS OUTPUT with the PRINTIMG.PRG (it's included with SEURAT)!
Unlike other GDOS outprint programs, PRINTIMG.PRG offers virtually the
same capabilities (for a single image) as desktop publishing programs
like PAGESTREAM and CALAMUS. File images can be scaled to ANY size,
from full-page printing down to "thumbnail-sketch" size. Images can
be re-proportioned, stretched or squished to fit any rectangular
shape. The printed image can be placed anywhere on the page you want
it, and PRINTIMG.PRG will generate either portrait or landscape
oriented output on any printer for which a GDOS driver exists, whether
the printer has a landscape mode or not! (GDOS program not supplied
with SEURAT.)
* Besides loading/saving Compressed & Uncompressed Degas, MacPaint, and
GEM .IMG files; IFF (Degas) and GFA blocks; fill, brush, dither, and
palette files, SEURAT will load lo-rez COLOR pictures directly into
the MONO program and convert them to GEM .IMG files!
* PRINT CONVERSIONS! Convert low- and medium- resolution color pictures
(.P?1 and .P?2 files) into .IMG files with stretched-histogram dithers
for superbly detailed printing of color images! SEURAT re-scales color
pix to correct for monitor aspect ratio, automatically reproducing the
true proportion of color images. No more squashed conversions!
* TEXT Options: System, Degas and GDOS fonts on-line (does NOT require
GDOS.PRG). You can Scale, Style, Color and Rotate Text!
* Automatic Smooth-Curve SPLINE DRAWING Tool lets your ST draw for you,
and flexible, repositionable controlled BEZIER CURVES produce a
virtually infinite variety of natural-looking curved lines. Quick and
easy-to-use, they really speed up your drawing!
* SlowMouse! Variable-Speed mouse makes Free-hand Drawing Easier!
* ANTI-ALIAS (and it's goof-proof)! Powerful Palette Editor with video-
like color controls! Modify whole palettes with a single mouse stroke!
* SO MANY FEATURES! 11 block shapers & twisters to modify image blocks
(now full-screen, too); 92 color & mono fill patterns; 42 brushes
including user-defined and multi-colored; 4 graphic write modes & 21
block & mask write modes; circle, ellipse & filled disc in free,
repeat & concentric modes; round- & square-cornered rectangles &
solids; rays; airbrush; clear-circle & clear-box; vertical, horizontal
& free lines; polylines & polygons in line-edge or spline-curve; area
& seed fill; user-set clipping ("invisible windows"); color remap;
mirror; screen shift, flip, invert & rotate; fill editor; brush
editor; line editor; gobs of great disk functions like Format and a
Super File Directory; and a hundred or so other features & tools that
there's no room to mention here... Whew!
* INDISPENSIBLE for GEM .IMG graphics for your Desktop Publishing! More
graphic tools and operations for creating and editing .IMG files than
ANY OTHER PROGRAM (no matter how much it costs)!
* DON'T BE MISLED by SEURAT's low price! VERSION 2.10 is a POWER TOOL,
with fast compact code, that out-performs the "big-name" programs!
You can still buy SEURAT VERSION 2.10 at its pre-mass-distribution price
of ONLY $35.00! Two-disk set, with 38,000-word User's Manual on-disk:
COLOR AND MONO Programs! You Get BOTH! Plus 195 utility and application
files (fonts, fills, etc.)! (Requires 1-Meg ST with doublesided drive)
MasterCard/VISA accepted. THE ONLY WAY to get a copy of SEURAT is send
your check, money order, or credit card info to:
SKWare One / P. O. Box 277 / Bunker Hill, Illinois 62014 USA
SHIPPING: SKWare One pays postage on all USA AND CANADIAN orders. For
overseas orders (not on North American continent), include an additional
$3.00 for surface mail or an additional $4.00 for air mail delivery.
(All prices are in US dollars.)
DeskJet DOC Printer Disk Also Available: You can print out a self-
collating two-sided copy of the 38,000-word User's Manual on the
Hewlett-Packard DeskJet in draft mode with this print package. (You just
print the LEFT.DOC, put the stack of paper back in without re-arranging
it, then print the RIGHT.DOC, and end up with a collated copy of the
User's Manual printed on front and back sides, with staggered margins,
ready for binding. If you want a copy of this print package, just ask
for the "DeskJet DOC Printer Disk" and include an additional $3.00
($4.00 overseas air mail).
UPGRADE POLICY: All Upgrades Are Free For Six Months From Date of
Purchase! (We don't try to hit you up for another $5.00 every six
weeks or so...)
UPGRADE HOTLINE: Okay, all you SEURAT users know the Vers. 2.06 up-grade
promised for December, 1990, didn't arrive. (Shame on you for all those
negative thoughts! You were sure this upgrade policy was too good to be
true, weren't you?) The upgrade to Version 2.10 HAS BEEN SHIPPED to all
SEURAT owners, whether they were previously upgraded or not. Any SEURAT
owner who has not received his/her upgrade disk by February 15, 1991
(this includes all SEURAT owners in Canada, Germany, Sweden, Australia,
the United Kingdom, and Costa Rica), or any owner who has changed his/
her address since purchasing SEURAT or the last upgrade mailing, should
update their current address with SKWare One / P. O. Box 277 / Bunker
Hill, Illinois 62014 USA.
Z*NET ONLINE CONFERENCE
=======================
Captured from the Z*Net Online BBS
* BYTE MAGAZINE - READER RESPONSE
* MIDI NEWS
* ATARI CANADA UPDATE
Conf : General - Local Conference
Msg# : 189 Lines: Extended Read: 13
Sent : Feb 3, 1991 at 2:47 AM
To : RON KOVACS
From : MIKE MEZAROS
Subj : AUA Article in New Z*Net
Ron,
Regarding the AUA article in the new Z*Net issue, I think that the
author has made a serious mistake while querying his CD-ROM.
I'm not sure which CD-ROM search engine he's using, AND I admit that I
am not familiar with many, but I think it is painfully obvious that he
is mistaken...
Why? Because Byte is correct. Byte covers Atari *at least* every other
month. As the form letter stated, Atari isn't covered with big, splashy
cover stories, or anything like that. But essentially, they were
correct.
I read Byte every month. Jerry Pournelle's Computing at Chaos Manor
column is one of my favorite columns. Mr. Pournelle owns and writes
about IBM, Mac, and Atari machines. In the past year, Mr. Pournelle has
covered the state of Atari in the Soviet Union (where he visited during
the summer, I believe), the Spectre-GCR, several Atari ST shareware
products, and a few other things that do not immediately come to mind.
He consistently mentions his Atari ST and the products he uses with it.
Sure, there aren't any full-page photos or cover shots. But Byte WAS
correct: They DO cover Atari, at least to some limited extent. And the
word Atari has appeared in the magazine numerous times in 1990.
Also, the author should have realized that something was wrong when he
saw that IBM came up in his search only "several" times. IBM should
have appeared HUNDREDS of times, considering that the words "IBM
Compatible" appear in almost every article! And they certainly appear
in the dozens of reviews of actual IBM products (such as the PS/2 Model
70-486, Models 90 and 95XP, the newest IBM laserprinter, etc.) that have
appeared in the pages of Byte during 1990. IBM references should have
been overwhelming.
I'm not saying his cause is wrong (trying to get Byte to cover the ST
more aggresively), but his comments about Byte -- and his disclaiming of
Byte's comments in their reply -- are unfounded.
Thanks, ///Mike
P.S.: Just in case anyone reading this wants some proof, here's a
typical example...
"Finally, there's a game, Perestroika, for the Atari ST." A description
follows. Page 73, Byte August 1990. Jerry Pournelle's Column
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
Conf : Z*Net Online Conference
Msg# : 1793 Lines: 8 Read: 7
Sent : Feb 5, 1991 at 4:47 PM
To : All
From : DAVID PISCHKE at LEFTOVER HIPPIES 1:250:744
Subj : Major MIDI developers to drop Atari support!
Hey everyone out there ... I have the latest rumour ... this is
unconfirmed but comes from a reliable source! Apparently, in the next
few weeks a couple of major MIDI developers are going to announce that
they will no longer support the ST and will discontinue all development
of their ST lines of products! Just pay attention and take NOTE and it
won't take a MASTER to TRACK down the truth!
Gaius @ Fnet 523 -- Toronto!
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
Conf : Z*Net Online Conference
Msg# : 1786 Lines: Extended Read: 9
Sent : Feb 4, 1991 at 6:00 PM
To : ALL
From : SHERVIN SHAHREBANI at LEFTOVER HIPPIES 1:250:744
Subj : Atari Canada on the Move!
I called Atari Canada today, again! This time I asked all the right
questions. I spoke with Mark Cambell and asked him why the layoffs.
He said the layoffs were in the Accounting Department and that will be
handled by Atari U.S. from now on. This streamlines operations (for
some reason or the other). I asked him when they will advertise for the
STE/TT and he said that the TT is a more specialized machine and will
not be as heavily advertised as the STE line. He said that as they
recieve more shipments they will gradually begin advertising. He also
mentioned that a company in Markham is now responsible for translating
all the shnazzy software from Germany and France and introducing it into
the North American market. Atari Canada also has a consultant from
Germany here to help them with their marketing (Atari Germany that is).
He mentioned some of the VME cards coming out for the TT/Mega STE from
Germany and also said that Atari is planning to introduce 8 or so new
machines in the next 2 years! One will be a stripped down version of
the TT with optional hard disk and 2 megs, 16 Mhz 68030. They will be
introducing 68040 and RISC based computers. I was quite surprised at
all this. He took my address down and I will soon be recieving info on
the TT and Mega STE. I also told him about the letter I wrote to Greg
Pratt two months ago and I got no reply. He suggested I mail the letter
again and he said he would make sure it got to him. I think if anyone
else here has any concerns, this is the time to address them. All this
made me realize that Atari is not going down by a long shot. They are
just reorganizing. They may not be doing as well as some other computer
companies but they are taking almost all the right steps. They are
going to be introducing new computers and software from Europe. This
should not be taken lightly.
JRI BOARD HAS POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
===============================
Ctsy GEnie ST RT
February 5, 1990
TO: Potential Buyers of the JRI ST4096C 4096-color Board
After reading all the glowing comments about the JRI ST4096C 4096-color
board in Category 4, Topic 6 of the BBS, I felt compelled to give the
following account of my experiences with this device. I hope this will
help people to make an informed decision on whether to upgrade their ST
or buy a new STe or TT.
In March of 1990, I bought a "pre-owned" ST4096C for $50. After several
hours of work (because my shifter chip was soldered in!), I had the
board installed and working in my Mega ST4. The JRI demonstration
program (DEMO4.PRG) worked fine, and showed a nice vertically scrolling
rainbow display. The 4096-color versions of NeoChrome (NEO4K05.PRG) and
the control panel (CONGO.ACC) supplied with the ST4096C also worked
well. But, the main reason I bought this product was to give my ST a
true 16-grayscale capability for use with digitized images.
When I began to convert 8-grayscale images to 16, I noticed that small
(~1-pixel) artifacts appeared between adjacent gray levels. Further
investigation showed that these defects only appeared between horizontal
grayscale transitions (within one scan line.) The vertical transitions
(between scan lines) were smooth. To study this effect, I drew several
concentric ellipses using adjacent colors from a 16-grayscale palette.
This image produced several unsightly "islands" and other artifacts when
viewed with my Mega4/ST4096C combo, but it displayed perfectly on a
dealer's STe. (GEnie users can see this effect by downloading file
number 18148, "JRI_TEST.LZH").
When I first discovered the ST4096C display problem, I thought there
must be something wrong with my computer or my installation. I tried 4
different shifter chips and also put the unit in my club's 1040, but the
problem remained. Therefore, I concluded that the fault must lie in the
ST4096C itself.
On June 5, 1990, I sent a letter to John Russell Innovations (JRI) which
described the problems mentioned above. About a week later, John
Russell called me (at his own expense) to discuss the matter. He said
that my unit was not defective, because all of his boards displayed
similar behavior. He said that he would have had to include much more
expensive hardware in the ST4096C to prevent this. He also said that he
had a software patch to correct the problem, but he had decided not to
release it because of conflicts with the monochrome display.
I thanked Mr. Russell for supporting a second-hand owner of one of his
products (not every developer would do as much) and I offered to pay him
for the software patch and take my chances with the monochrome display.
However, I never got a reply to this offer.
CONCLUSION: Until and unless the software patch is actually released
(and proven to work), I believe that the ST4096C is to the STe that it
gives you an idea of what to expect, but it isn't as good as the real
thing. Of course, I only have "first-hand" knowledge (so to speak) of
3 of these 4 items (can you guess which?). If you are willing to accept
some display glitches, the JRI board may be worth the money. However,
if your shifter is soldered, I hardly think it's worth the trouble.
Sincerely,
Ray Perry (GEnie address R.PERRY6)
Director - Atari Special Interest Group
McDonnell Douglas Recreational Computer Club
St. Louis, Missouri
ANNOUNCING TRACKER/ST 2.5!
========================== Press Release
Step Ahead Software is pleased to announce TRACKER/ST v2.5, the latest
update to our popular mailing list/mail merge/person tracking software.
Version 2.5 of Tracker/ST incorporates many of the suggestions we've
received from our registered owners. Here is a summary of some of the
more important improvements we've made to our program:
* Tracker/ST now supports WordFlair II! - The biggest change to Tracker/
ST is that our program now fully supports WordFlair II, the exciting
new document processor from Goldleaf Publishing. Now you can use
Tracker/ST to print mailing labels and keep track of people for
business or home needs, and then export your names from Tracker for
use with WordFlair II's powerful merging capabilities (which allow you
to incorporate various fonts, images, and dynamic graphic and
calculated regions). The combination of Tracker/ST and WordFlair II
just can't be beat! Of course, Tracker still has its own powerful
mail merge system for those times when you don't need the features of
WordFlair II. WordFlair II owners: look for a SPECIAL OFFER coupon
for Tracker/ST in your WordFlair II package.
* Tracker/ST now supports the Atari TT in all resolutions! - We've just
finished new screens for the Atari TT's new higher resolution color
screens (640 x 480 in 16 colors). The new screens are beautiful!
Tracker/ST runs perfectly on the TT and at a much faster clip.
* Tracker/ST's convenient Quick Letter has been improved! - By order of
Bill Rehbock at Atari, it is now possible to add a template while in
Tracker's Quick Letter area, and not just from the Power Station.
Also, the Quick Letter now makes use of the offsets you've selected
for a mail merge. This makes using Quick Letters with printed
letterhead even faster than it was in the past.
* Tracker/ST now incorporates the Country field in mail merges and Quick
Letters! - Bowing to the will of our international users, Tracker/ST's
automatic Merge and Quick Letter functions now include the Country
field.
* CodeKey files included free of charge! - We've worked overtime to
create a bunch of nifty CodeKey files which make Tracker/ST even
faster to use. Now, by purchasing CodeKeys from CodeHead Software and
using our TRACKER.KEY files, you can string together a series of
Tracker actions so they'll run with a single keypress! No, we don't
get a commission on CodeKey sales, but we do think it's a nifty
program and one which makes Tracker/ST even more wonderful to use.
CodeKey files are included for every single resolution (Monochrome,
ST Medium Res color, Moniterm and TT Hi Res, and TT Medium Res), and
separate files are included for floppy and hard drive users.
In addition to these changes numerous tweaking has been done to our code
to make Tracker/ST sleeker and more solid than ever before. The update
is completely finished and we will begin shipping v2.5 on Wednesday,
February 13th, 1991. Best of all, Tracker/ST's suggested retail price
remains only $79.95.
UPGRADE POLICY:
After 2 free upgrades, we will now begin charging a very small
processing fee for new versions of Tracker/ST. Registered users may
upgrade by sending a check for $7.50 along with their name, address and
daytime phone number (phone number required), along with their Tracker/
ST serial number, to:
Step Ahead Software
Tracker/ST Upgrade
496-A Hudson Street, Suite F39
New York City, NY 10014
If you wish to upgrade and have not sent in your registration card,
include your card with your upgrade order.
Those who have purchased Tracker/ST in the past 30 days will be upgraded
free of charge. Please enclose a dated sales receipt, filled in
registration card, and your phone number with your free upgrade request.
Tracker/ST is the leading mailing list/mail merge/person tracking
software for the Atari ST and TT series of computers. Ideal for home
and business use, the program features an unlimited number names in its
mailing lists, unlimited notes for each person in those lists (notes are
not limited to a few words), label printing to all dot matrix, daisy
wheel and laser printers, a built in mail merge system, a unique "almost
form letter" Quick Letter function and much much more. For a demo disk
or for answers to any questions about Tracker/ST please contact us at
212-627-5830.
Nevin Shalit
President, Step Ahead Software, Inc.
February 7th, 1991
COMPUSERVE GAINS ATARI PORTFOLIO SUPPORT
======================================== Press Release
In recognition of the wide ranging support for the ATARI PORTFOLIO
computer system, ATARI Corporation has designated the PORTFOLIO FORUM on
the CompuServe Information Service as an OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE for
PORTFOLIO owners.
The forum staff, managed by head sysop Ron Luks, provides online support
via an interactive message board, conferencing facility, and extensive
data libraries with over 200 public domain and shareware programs and
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Corporation can be contacted onine tghrought the forum facilities and
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Topics covered in the forum include, COMMUNICATIONS, DATABASE
APPLICATIONS, TEXT PROCESSING, ENTERTAINMENT, PROGRAMMING, and much
more. The data libraries include programs for TELECOMMUNICATIONS,
updates to the ROM-based operating system, UTILITIES, programming
examples and tutorials, and a wide variety of games including chess and
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software press releases and online representatives of most of the
popular PORTFOLIO developers are available to answer questions on their
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As a special to Portfolio users and potential buyers, CompuServe is
providing a free Introductory Membership to the CompuServe Information
Service to investigate the PORTFOLIO forum. To obtain a free CompuServe
Introductory Membership with an initial $15.00 usage credit, call (800)
848-8199 and ask for Representative 198.
The OFFICIAL 8-BIT/ST/MEGA/TT support area remains at The GENIE
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representatives and find direct support with Atari Developers.
ATARI ONLINE UPDATE
=================== Around the Nets...
Compiled by Jon Clarke, Contributing Editor
* Please note these message are posted as is and spelling is _not_
corrected.
FORMATTING IBM/ST FLOPPY DISKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: tony@tacky.cs.olemiss.edu (Tony Reynolds)
Organization: University of Mississippi, Dept. of Computer Science
Okay, as long as the PC has a 1.44MB disk (haven't tried with 720K), and
the disk has had an IBM boot sector written to it, you can read/write
twister formatted disks! You can add a line like:
drivparm=/d:1 /n:10 /t:82
This makes a new device at boot time, drive x: (x is one letter greater
than the last drive that was installed), assumes your 1.44 is drive B:
to start with, and sets the new drive up as 10 sec/track and 82 tracks/
disk. When Mess-Dos comes up, it will say something like:
INSTALLED NEW DEVICE FOR DRIVE D:
(I just tried it with MS-DOS 3.3 and it said "Unrecognized command in
CONFIG.SYS," but I know it works with DOS 4.01)
Then you can type "dir d:" and the computer will say
"Put disk for drive D: in drive B:"
You slip it the disk, and bingo, r/w twister disks, no problems.
Note that I make no guarantees that this'll work; I had no problems, and
used it AT MY OWN RISK. Please consult your Mess-Doss manual for
information on DRIVPARM. I have not tried it with the disks produced by
FORMAT11, as my system cannot reliably r/w these disks. Sorry.
Also note that there is NO E in DRIVPARM! It stung me three times!
PORTFOLIO TRANSFERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: wolfram@cip-s06.informatik.rwth-aachen.de (Wolfram Roesler)
larserio@IFI.UIO.NO (LarsErikOsterud) writes:
>Does any one have a program to tranfer files to/from Portfolio using
the parallell port on an Atari ST ??? If NOT - Does any one have
enough info on the Portfolio paralell transfer protocol and on the St
centronics interface to make such a program?
There is a program for parallel communication available in Germany, but
I don't know the name or where to obtain it. Sorry, but keep looking.
There is however a program for serial communication using xmodem. It is
very small (about 2K) but useful program. It can transfer text (thus
turning the portfolio into a serial terminal) and binary files. All you
need is a terminal program on the ST (Uniterm works) and a serial cable.
The program comes from Holland and is part of a book called "Das
Portfolio Praxisbuch" which is available in Germany.
DO YOU KNOW ALL THE GEM DESKTOP KEY STROKES?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: wright@hpcc01.HP.COM (Jeff Wright)
Here is a summary of information I got from a question a few months ago
(sorry to take awhile; didn't get the feeling anybody was too
interested). Basically the question was "what key sequences does GEM
respond to?":
"Classic" GEM keys:
alt-help screen dump
esc re-read disk for active window
mouse left + shift select additional files
TOS 1.4 GEM keys:
mouse left + ctrl move instead of copy
ctrl-alt-del warm reboot
ctrl-alt-shift-del cold reboot
dbl-click+shift on back window run program with cwd == top window
(no tos1.4: cwd == back window)
click+shift toggle selection
Show file keys:
space page forward
return line forward
q exit show
THE ATARI CD-ROM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen)
- I think I soon will need a CD-ROM.
- So please everybody having knowledge and/or experience about
- CD-ROMs + ST, please answer.
- What drives available? Where? Prices? Compatibility?
I've seen the Atari CD-ROM. It's strange seeing the Atari logo on such
an exotic device.
Computer Rock in San Francisco advertises them in ST Informer, but they
haven't had them or have been able to get them for months and months.
I overheard the tech saying to a customer on the phone that Atari is
redesigning it or something. (How's that for a big fat rumor? :^) I'm
sure you can get them over in Europe better than we can here, but then
you probably knew that already.
I guess you don't need to know about prices (around $600) and
compatibility (I think High Sierra and ISO-something-something -- the
major ones) since they're difficult to get.
MEGASTE REVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: gaudreau@juggler.East.Sun.COM (Joe Gaudreau - Sun BOS Software)
Since there has been a lot of interest lately in the Mega/Ste line, I
figure it's time to add my two cents worth. Being a developer, I really
wanted one of these machines, so I went for it and the machine arrived
on the 22nd of January. A day to remember fondly :-)
Gregory Carter has recently given a good overview of the hardware and
hopefully, he'll tear his machine apart and let us know more about it.
Since software is my main bent, I'll describe the new desktop features
of TOS 2.05.
General details of the machine include a "wedding cake" box (it's not a
pizza-box). The case is the standard Atari grey which matches the SF314
floppy drive and the new SC1435 stereo color monitor. The CPU box is
really quite attractive and I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.
In all ways that I'm familiar with, the Mega/Ste looks just like a TT.
The only details that may differ are: Color of letters on the keyboard
is dark Navy blue (TT is reported to have green keys) and the mouse ball
is grey (TT has white?).
Other details: The keyboard is excellent. It is somewhat like the new
keyboards found on Sun Microsystem's Sparcs. Pretty nifty since I use a
Sparcstation daily. The CPU box has a nice fan which isn't too loud and
hopefully will keep things cool. The top of the case is WELL ventilated
as is the HD section. I should point out that the smaller part of the
CPU box contains the HD, which is supposed to be a Seagate 157N, 48.6
MBs. No known specs on ms. Atari has recently upgraded the HDX
software to version 402. While the Mega/Ste HD is shipped formatted,
partitioned and ready to go, mine didn't come with the HDX utilities
(you still need to install the HD), so I had a few days wait to get them
from Atari. The tech support crew were very helpful in this regard.
The VME port is vacant on my machine although the slot cover has been
used to add the serial 2 connector. Something would have to be done if
ever a card is added... The serial 2 and the LAN port are one and the
same, even though there are two different connectors, I'm told that they
cannot be used simultaneously. Hmmmm.
Right now, the desktop. Looking from left to right, the pull-downs are
as follows: Desk, File, View, Options. There is also the new control
panel under Desk and the help key menu.
Desk -
Desktop Info...
...various .acc as usual
Control-Panel
File -
Open [O]
Show Information... [S]
Search... [L] Searches thru all selected devices for filename,
wild cards work.
---
Delete Item [!]
---
Create Folder [F]
Close Directory [B]
Close Top Window [C]
Bottom to Top [W]
Select All Items [E]
Set File Mask [X]
---
Format Floppy Disk
View -
Show as Icons [9] *
Show as Text [0] *
---
Sort by Name
Sort by Date
Sort by Size
Sort by Type
No Sort
---
Size to Fit
---
Set Color & Style
Options -
Install Icon Select your choice of icon for device, file, etc.
Install Application... Install an application to desktop (&/or func key)
path names, auto boot, tos/ttp/gem/prg, args, doc
type, default dir, parameter (full or local file
name), etc.
Install Devices
Remove Desktop Icon [R] Includes anything you can drag onto desk top. It
is quite cute to have emacs on the desktop, drag
a file on the icon (which looks like a pencil &
paper - thanx to TOS 2.05) and edit it. Emacs
knows to install application default dir.
---
Set Preferences... Confirmation for delete, copy, overwrite, and
of course, low, medium, and high.
Read .INF File... Allows for multiple .INFs for different rezs,
work styles, and projects, etc...
Desktop Configuration [M] Global settings for default dir and parameter
(these are overriden by install application),
Function key assignments (view or edit from
install application, or whatever you like),
Define single keystrokes for anything that is
on menus... Change, clear, etc., show free
mem.
---
Save Desktop [V]
Print Screen
---
Blitter
* ==> Keys that I assigned (ie not default).
The [HELP] key gives you two boxes of text:
[ALT]+Open Folder - Open new folder into a new window
[CTRL][?] - Replace top window with drive ?
[ALT][?] - Open drive ? into a new window
arrows - Scroll window contents
[ESC] - Update top window
[HELP] - Show help menu
[UNDO] - Stop any file operation
[CTRL][ALT][RSHIFT][DEL] - Cold boot
[CTRL][ALT][RSHIFT] - Warm boot
[CTRL]+Drag Files - Move files
[CTRL][ALT]+Drag Files - Move and rename files
[ALT]+Drag Files - Copy and rename files
[ALT][HELP] - Screen dump to printer
[ALT][1..6] - Change resolution [No the Mega/STe doesn't have 6 rezzes
normal 3, extra 3 for TT :-(]
[CR] - Deselect all items
[>] - Print top window contents
The Control-Panel is pretty slick. It has the following features:
o Shows time and Date
o Options/About
o Options/Setup - 12/24 hour time display, # cpx slots, cpx dir
o Color Setup - RGB sliders define what color you have for this rez on
the desktop (2/4/16 for high/medium/low).
o Configure CPXs - Text/Icon color, RAM resident or not.
o General Setup - Status TOS version 2.05, TOS date 12/05/1990, free
ram// Set response rate, Set repeat rate, Set mouse click speed,
blitter on or off, CPU speed (8, 16, 16 w/cache).
o Mouse accelerator & screen saver/black-out (with modem activity
setting).
o Modem stuff - the usual.
o Sound - L/R balance, bass, treble, volume
o Window Colors - 16 color windows in low - anything about window can be
set, only 4 colors in medium, but it looks cool, change the color and
pattern for almost everything. No more icky Atari green. There might
be a way to set individual colors for each icon on the screen but I
haven't figured out how (yet). Anybody?
Disk operations seem a lot faster than what I was used to with TOS 1.4.
The disk copy operation (I tried it once, okay? :-) reads the whole disk
into memory before writing it out. File copies are read file by file
but the whole file is read.
With this "new" TOS/desktop, I have to wonder why I'd want to run a
replacement desktop (that's not to say that they aren't handy for some).
TOS now functions in a way that is useful, which is a treat to say the
least. F10 has Gulam-*07 hooked into it for any shell things I want to
do, F9 is hooked into Emacs 3.10s (which is also pretty cute) and also
tied in as a desktop icon. I suppose I'll put Turbo-C onto F8. With
the new key mappings and such, you don't have to touch the mouse if you
don't want to. Being used to Emacs, using keyboard accelerators is
quite natural and desired. Nice move by the Atari programming crew.
Now only if I could run Star Raiders... Oh yes, as far as problems with
TOS incompatibility, I have run across a few programs that don't play
nice, but overall I'm not worried by it.
HOW DO ATARI GAMES RANK?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: erc@radon.berkeley.edu (Eric Ng)
For information on the list format and on submitting your ratings, see
the end of this posting and the article entitled "ABOUT THE VIDEO GAMES
RATINGS REPORT" in the newsgroup rec.games.video.
ATARI GAME RATINGS REPORT
ATARI LYNX
New Distribution Votes Rank Title
..00111120 41 7.0 Blue Lightning
0.01113100 54 6.3 California Games
..00001221 44 8.0 Chip's Challenge
.00112110. 36 5.7 Electrocop
0.0002121. 37 6.4 Gates Of Zendocon
0.0123200. 39 5.7 Gauntlet III
......0134 30 9.1 Klax
..1..1.6.. 6 6.8 Ms. Pac-Man
..1.4.13.. 9 6.0 Paperboy
......2422 5 8.4 Rampage
....0.0520 12 8.1 Roadblasters
..1.2212.1 9 6.4 Robosquash
......55.. 2 7.5 Rygar
...0013110 27 7.1 Slime World
....002121 17 8.0 Xenophobe
......1152 8 8.9 Zarlor Mercenary
ATARI ST
New Distribution Votes Rank Title
.........* 1 10.0 A Day At The Races
.3.....3.3 3 6.7 Airball
..22.5.... 4 4.8 Arctic Fox
....3.33.. 3 6.7 Arkanoid
....*..... 1 5.0 Artura
........*. 1 9.0 Baal
....5..5.. 2 6.5 Barbarian
.......*.. 1 8.0 Bard's Tale I
.....*.... 2 6.0 Batman
* .......*.. 1 8.0 Block-Out
........*. 1 9.0 Blockbuster
.....5...5 2 8.0 Blood Money
.......*.. 1 8.0 Bloodwych
*......... 1 1.0 Breakers
........*. 1 9.0 Cadaver
.......135 6 9.3 Chaos Strikes Back
.....*.... 1 6.0 Demon's Winter
......*... 1 7.0 Dogs Of War
.......135 13 9.4 Dungeon Master
.....*.... 4 6.0 Empire Strikes Back, The
.....1142. 7 7.9 Falcon
......4.6. 5 8.2 Flight Simulator
* .......*.. 1 8.0 Full Metal Planet
.........* 1 10.0 Gold Of The Aztecs
..2..422.. 5 6.0 Goldrunner
........55 2 9.5 Gunship
......*... 1 7.0 Heroes Of The Lance
.....*.... 1 6.0 Jinxter
...1..313. 6 7.3 Joust
.....55... 2 6.5 Leisure Suit Larry I
.....5.5.. 2 7.0 Leisure Suit Larry II
.......*.. 1 8.0 Lombard Rally
.....5.5.. 2 7.0 Mean 18
........*. 1 9.0 Microleague Baseball
......3..6 3 9.0 Midimaze
.....55... 2 6.5 Mission Impossible II
..*....... 1 3.0 Moebius
.*........ 1 2.0 Nine Princes In Amber
.......*.. 1 8.0 Obliterator
..22.2.2.. 4 5.2 Pawn, The
........*. 1 9.0 Phantasie III
.......521 7 8.6 Populous
........*. 1 9.0 Pro Tennis Tour
........*. 1 9.0 Questron II
.....244.. 5 7.2 R-Type
....424... 5 6.0 Return Of The Jedi, The
.....*.... 1 6.0 Rings Of Zilfin
.11..131.. 6 5.5 Roadwar 2000
......*... 1 7.0 Rocket Ranger
....2242.. 5 6.6 Rogue
...5..5... 2 5.5 Rolling Thunder
....*..... 1 5.0 Shadow Of The Beast
.....2242. 5 7.6 Shanghai
.....2222. 4 7.5 Silent Service
......2.52 4 8.8 Simcity
..*....... 1 3.0 Sorcerer Lord
.....63... 3 6.3 Space Harrier II
.......*.. 2 8.0 Space Quest III
* .......*.. 1 8.0 Speedball II
.....55... 2 6.5 Star Wars
...1.51.1. 7 6.3 Starglider
.......*.. 1 8.0 Starglider II
.....5.5.. 2 7.0 Sundog
.......*.. 1 8.0 T.V. Sports Football
.*........ 1 2.0 Terrorpods
...*...... 1 4.0 Tetris
.....513.. 6 6.8 Time Bandit
.........* 1 10.0 Ultima IV
.....55... 2 6.5 Wargame Construction Set
.......*.. 2 8.0 Wayne Gretzky Hockey
...3...3.3 3 7.3 Xenon
.......55. 2 8.5 Xenon 2
.5..11.1.. 6 4.2 Xevious
In this list, games have been rated on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the
best and 1 being the worst. For each game, the total number of votes,
the average rating, and the vote distribution are shown. New games are
indicated by a "*" before their entry. If a "(C)" appears after the
title it means that the game is a CD-ROM or disc system title. If a
"(J)" appears after the title it means that the game is currently only
available in Japan.
The general guideline for ratings is:
8-10 worth buying at full price
6-7 worth buying at a discount, or if you're particularly interested
in this kind of game
3-5 only worth renting
2 only worth playing for free, and only for a few minutes
1 worthless
The vote distribution uses a single character to represent the
percentage of votes for each ranking. The following character codes can
appear:
"." no votes cast "3" 30-39% of the votes "7" 70-79% of the votes
"0" 1-9% of the votes "4" 40-49% of the votes "8" 80-89% of the votes
"1" 10-19% of the votes "5" 50-59% of the votes "9" 90-99% of the votes
"2" 20-29% of the votes "6" 60-69% of the votes "*" 100% of the votes
Please consult the article entitled "ABOUT THE VIDEO GAME RATINGS
REPORT" in the newsgroup rec.games.video for more details, including
information on how to vote.
Questions, comments, problems, and errors should be directed to the list
maintainer at either of the below addresses:
video-request@irss.njit.edu
..!uunet!irss.njit.edu!video-request
JERRY POURNELLE AND THE TT
==========================
Ctsy GEnie JERRY RT
Category 4, Topic 15 Message 1 Tue Feb 05, 1991 JERRYP
There will be a short writeup of the Atari TT030 in the May BYTE. My
first impressions of this machine are very favorable. It's fast and
smooth. What I don't have is a lot of Atari software. Somehow nearly
my entire collection has vanished: business software and games alike.
Alas, even Sundog and Dungeon Master seem to have found their way into
the Chaos. (Please do not infer that I consider the Atari tt030
primarily a games machine. It isn't, and I don't.)
Anyway, I will be colleting Atari software for the next few months; let
me know if you've got something you think I should look at.
ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK
======================= Press Release
A Valuable New Resource for ST/MEGA Enthusiasts
Spring of 1991 will bring a new source of purchasing power to ST users
in the form of the ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK brought to ST/MEGA users by
Computer Publications, Unltd. and the ST Connection.
The ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK will include valuable coupons with dollar
discounts and special offers on a variety of ST software and hardware
from respected companies and dealers across North America.
Over 8000 copies of the coupon book will be distributed (primarily to
Atari ST User Groups) beginning in May. Copies will also be made
available to other ST enthusiasts as quantities allow. (More information
on how you can make sure that you receive a copy of this valuable
booklet will be provided as required...)
ST/MEGA PRODUCT DEALERS:
The cost of including a coupon in the ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK is quite
reasonable. Promotional packets were mailed out to Atari-related
companies and dealers in January. If you did not receive a packet,
please contact us for more information. We think that the ATARI USERS
COUPON BOOK will be a "shot-in-the-arm" for what many feel is a very
lethargic marketplace. Contact us soon. Coupon deadline is March 1,
1991!!!
ST USER GROUPS:
Atari user groups will be the main recipients of the coupon book. Forms
were recently mailed out to user groups and also appear in the February
issue of the ST Connection. To ensure that your group receives copies
of the ATARI USERS COUPON BOOK, please supply the required information
as soon as possible.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
COMPUTER PUBLICATIONS, UNLTD. (CPU)
P.O. Box 2224, Arvada, CO 80001
Phone: 303/423-6805
GEnie: S.SWANSON1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*NET International Atari Online Magazine is a weekly publication
covering the Atari and related computer community. Material contained
in this edition may be reprinted without permission except where
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included at the top of each article reprinted. Opinions presented
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the opinions of the staff of Z*Net Online. This publication is
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on GEnie at address: Z-Net. FNET NODE 593
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*Net International Atari Online Magazine
Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----------------------------------------
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