Z*Net: 10-May-91 #9119

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 05/18/91-11:52:43 AM Z


From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Z*Net: 10-May-91 #9119
Date: Sat May 18 11:52:43 1991



        ==(((((((((( ==   Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE
        =========(( ===   -----------------------------------------
        =======(( =====   MAY 10, 1991                 Issue #91-19
        =====(( =======   -----------------------------------------
        ==(((((((((( ==      (c)1989-1990-1991, Z*Net Publishing

                           Z*Net International
                           -------------------
                      Z*Net New Zealand - Jon Clarke
                      Z*Net Canada - Terry Schreiber
                       Z*Net Germany - Mike Shuetz
                          Z*Net USA - Ron Kovacs
                         Z*Net PC - Mike Mezaros
                         Z*Magazine - Stan Lowell
                        Z*Net Monthly - John Nagy

                            STAFF - Z*Net USA
                            -----------------
           Ron Kovacs - Editor              John Nagy - Editor
           Ron Berinstein                   Mike Brown
           Steve Kostelnik                  Dave Kerr
           Keith Macnutt                    Mike Mezaros
           Geoff LaCasse                    Dr. Paul Keith
           Terry Schreiber                  Jon Clarke



                                 CONTENTS

         EDITORS DESK..................................Ron Kovacs
         Z*NET NEWSWIRE..........................................
         WINDSOR/DETROIT ATARIFEST REPORT..............Mike Brown
         QUICKST 3.0................................Press Release
         AUA YEAR IN REVIEW..........................DC Signorini
         MAST ATARI SWAPFEST........................Press Release
         GOLDLEAF PUBLISHING UPDATE.................Press Release
         PD REVIEW..................................Keith Macnutt
         STIPPLE....................................Press Release




 =======================================================================
                               EDITORS DESK
                               ------------
                              by Ron  Kovacs
 =======================================================================


 A welcome to Mike Brown, Steve Kostelnik and Dave Kerr to the Z*Net
 staff.  These guys are preparing articles as we speak and you should
 start seeing something soon.

 AtariUser Magazine is currently printing the next edition and your
 comments have been passed along to the editor, John Nagy.  He has asked
 me to tell everyone that you can get a subscription to AtariUser for
 only $15.00 US, $22 US Canada.  Call 1-800-333-3567 and sign-up today
 for AtariUser Magazine.  Since the problem exists that NOT everyone is
 getting a copy, the best way is to subscribe.

 Thanks to the birthday greetings in our FNET conference.  They are
 appreciated!  Until next week........



 =======================================================================
                              Z*NET NEWSWIRE
                              --------------
 =======================================================================



 ATARI CANADA ANNOUNCES TRADE-UP
 Atari Canadas General Manager Geoff Earle announced a new trade up
 program.  This program allows an end user to trade in their existing
 800/600/400/XL/XE eight bit CPU towards a new 520STFM.  Total cost to
 the user $250.00 plus GST and Taxes if applicable.  Users wishing to
 trade up should send a cheque or money order along with their CPU to:
 Atari Canada, 90 Gough Road, Markham Ontario, Canada  Attention: trade-
 up plan.


 ATARI ON THE MOVE
 Atari Canada is making positive advances into the educational
 marketplace.  Over five shows are scheduled during the past thirty days
 and next sixty add to that the two user group shows, Windsor and
 Vancouver plus three more MIDI shows scheduled this month can add up to
 quite a experience.  Atari is making their presence known in the music
 and educational markets.  New bundles from Atari will be offered next
 quarter combining hardware again with software.  Atari has done this
 before, sometimes having good results and sometimes lead balloons.  Last
 year Atari released an educational bundle which sold extremely well and
 will be attempting to duplicate those results.  Atari Canada will be
 bundling Dorothy Brumleve's Kids programs.  These programs are an
 instant hit with pre-schoolers and parents alike and should do well in
 the younger educational sales market.


 ATARI CANADA GETS PACKETIZER
 Atari Canada announced the purchase of a packetizer to allow better
 networking service with Datapac.  Earlier this year Atari set up a
 bulletin board system to keep dealers aware of special pricing and
 service updates.  Problems arouse when they tried to integrate this
 system with Datapac for nation-wide coverage.  The Packetizer is a large
 interface which translates and buffers files from a mainframe to a PC.
 This will solve all our file transfer problems stated Geoff Earle
 (General Manager Atari Canada) now people will be able to upload and
 download files and updates.  Without the packetizer dealers were limited
 to straight ASCII captures.


 NEW MACINTOSH
 Apple introduced two new Macintosh LC personal computers.  These
 configurations, designed for business users, offer increased memory,
 storage and display capabilities.


 MICROSOFT UPDATE
 Microsoft announced Monday a special offer for current 3Com customers
 to upgrade from 3Com 3+Open Mail and 3+Mail to Microsoft Mail for PC
 Networks version 2.1.  In another announcement, Microsoft announced that
 Brazilian Officers of Justice carried out a surprise raid at the Sao
 Paulo offices of Westinghouse Brazil on Tuesday, April 23, 1991.  The
 Officers acted on a complaint jointly filed by Microsoft and Autodesk
 Inc. of Sausalito, Calif.  The Officers, accompanied by two court
 appointed technology experts, examined all computers at the Westinghouse
 premises and discovered numerous unauthorized copies of MD-DOS and
 Autodesk's AutoCAD program.  All unauthorized copies discovered were
 loaded onto computer hard drives.


 FREELANCE GRAPHICS FOR DOS
 Lotus is now shipping Freelance Graphics for DOS, an upgrade of its
 award-winning presentation graphics program.  Freelance Graphics for DOS
 delivers a range of functionality typically associated with Windows,
 OS/2 and Macintosh presentation graphics programs, while running in
 640K.


 AUTOCAD SUPPORT FOR WINDOWS
 Customers with DOS versions of AutoCAD Release 11 will have the ability
 to run the world's most popular computer-aided design program under the
 Windows operating environment thanks to a new AutoCAD Windows extension
 kit now under development, Autodesk.  At the Autodesk Expo in
 Washington, the company demonstrated a complementary Windows extension
 of AutoCAD that will give its current and future Release 11 DOS
 customers the option to run AutoCAD on DOS, under Windows, or in both
 environments interchangeably.  The AutoCAD Windows extension, which will
 include several diskettes and an installation guide, is scheduled to
 ship during the first half of 1992.


 HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL IMAGE SCANNER
 Polaroid has announced a high-speed, high-resolution digital image
 scanner for incorporating original color or black-and-white photographic
 images into computer-generated documents and graphics.  The Polaroid
 Digital Scanner CS-500 and software give desktop computer users the
 ability to inexpensively and conveniently scan, digitize, manipulate and
 store reflective images up to 4-by-6 inches including Polaroid instant
 prints.  When it becomes available in the third quarter of 1991, the
 scanner and software, using industry-standard interfaces, will be
 compatible with Apple MacIntosh II computer systems.


 DOS SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS' KIT
 Silicon Graphics has announced the availability of the IRISVISION DOS
 Software Developers' Kit for Intel(R)-based personal computers.  This
 new kit provides an interface for application developers to easily
 create interactive, 3D graphics on their personal computers.


 NEW PERFECT KISS
 Keep It Simple Software announced the release of Perfect KISS, a utility
 that makes WordPerfect simpler to use.  50 percent of all revenues from
 sales of Perfect KISS will be contributed to Save the Children and other
 non-profit organizations that help children.  What makes Perfect KISS
 unique from other menus for WordPerfect is that it fits right into the
 flow of WordPerfect.  Perfect KISS works with versions 4.2, 5.0 and 5.1
 of WordPerfect. It is now available for $69 plus $5 shipping and
 handling from Keep It Simple Software, Inc., 26 Finchwood Drive,
 Trumbull, Conn. 06611, 203-375-0914.  A hard disk and DOS 2.0 or greater
 is required.


 HAYES LOWERS 9600 BAUD MODEM PRICES
 Hayes has lowered its prices on two of its top of the line modems, the
 Hayes Ultra 96 (to $999 from $1199) and the Hayes V-Series Smartmodem
 9600 (to $799 from $999), with similar price cuts taking effect on their
 line of Mac-compatible modems.  The Ultra 96 supports the V.32 modem
 standard and features V.42/V.42bis error correction and data compression
 for enhanced transmission rates.  The aging V-Series Smartmodem 9600
 communicates using a proprietary method, similar to but incompatible
 with the method used by U.S. Robotic's HST modems.  Unless connected
 with a modem of the same type, the V-Series Smartmodem 9600 will drop
 down to 2400 bps.


 $695 GENLOCK CONVERTS VGA TO NTSC, S-VHS
 Visionetics' new VGALink is an inexpensive multimedia board which
 converts VGA video to standard NTSC (American television), or Super VHS
 format, for only $695.  The VGALink also accepts video input, and
 features a genlock device for synchronizing internal and external video.
 The board is capable of overlaying VGA and incoming video, making it a
 possible competitor to NewTech's $1500 Video Toaster system for the
 Amiga computer with the proper software.  Visionetics claims that the
 only other board for the PC that is as capable as the VGALink is the
 Magni, which is priced almost three times higher than the VGALink at
 $1695.


 PROGRAMMERS TAKE ON FEDS FOR OVERTIME PAY
 The National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses is angry over
 the U.S. Department of Labor's regulations concerning overtime pay for
 computer programmers.  Current regulations state that computer
 programmers making over $27.63 per hour are exempted from a federal
 requirement that would otherwise give them a guaranteed 150% rate of
 overtime pay.  The NACCB claims that the original intent of the law has
 been skewed due to confusion; the Labor Department claims that skilled
 workers making upwards of $30 an hour don't need federal protection.


 AMD SHIPS FIRST 25MHZ 386SX
 In another swing at market leader Intel, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
 has begun shipping a 25Mhz 386SX chip in sample quantities.  Intel's
 fastest 386SX is currently rated at 20Mhz.  The Am386SX-25 follows on
 the heels of the Am386DX-40, which rated at 40Mhz is the fastest 386DX
 yet released. All of AMD's new 386SX and 386DX chips use considerably
 less power than Intel's versions, making them more suitable for
 high-speed laptops and notebook computers.  The Am386SX-25 uses
 approximately 40% less power than Intel's current i386SX-20 and will be
 priced competitively.


 STOLEN CHIP ALERT
 On March 2nd, thieves stole 3000 computer chips from one of a major
 computer manufacturer's California locations.  These chips are Intel 386
 and 486 CPUs, and were valued at over $1.1 million.  Beware of anyone
 attempting to sell you any quantity of these particular chips,
 especially if it is at surprisingly reduced price.  Authorities believe
 the thieves will attempt to resell these chips within the US or Canada,
 probably in the midwest or east coast.  These chips can be traced, and
 anyone buying them may find themselves in trouble -- deals too good to
 be true usually are.  If you suspect that someone is attempting to sell
 you these chips, you are requested to contact your local FBI office
 (check the phone book for the number), and refer the agent in charge to
 casefile #87B-SC-15826.


 BBS FILE ALERT
 There is a file being circulated on BBS's called PKZ120.ZIP or PKZ120.
 EXE or similar, and that claims to be version 1.20 of PKZIP but in fact
 is a hacked version of PKZIP 1.10.  As of the date of this writing, the
 latest version of PKZIP is version 1.10.  Furthermore, due to this
 intentional act of vandalism, PKWARE will not release any versions of
 PKZIP in the future with the version 1.20.  If you see the files
 PKZ120.ZIP or PKZ120.EXE on any BBS or on-line system, please ask the
 SysOp of that system to remove the files IMMEDIATELY, and please contact
 PKWARE to report where the files were seen.  PKWARE is offering a reward
 of lifetime free upgrades for PKZIP to anyone who can provide
 information leading to the identification and prosecution of the person
 or persons responsible for creating this bogus version 1.20 of the
 software.  They have only served to confuse and hurt the user community,
 and the perpetrators of this crime are at minimum in violation of
 Federal Copyright Law.  If you have any information about the source of
 PKZ120.EXE or PKZ120.ZIP, please report it to PKWARE immediately,
 either: by Voice at 414-352-3670, by BBS at 414-352-7176, by FAX at
 414-352-3815, or by mail:  PKWARE Inc., 7545 N. Port Washington Rd.,
 Glendale, WI 53217





 =======================================================================
              WINDSOR/DETROIT INTERNATIONAL ATARIFEST REPORT
              ----------------------------------------------
          Oh! Canada: An Attendee's view.. by Mike Brown (LCACE)
 =======================================================================


 Being a Michiganian here in exile in Illinois; I have fond memories of
 the years when I was growing up, and my first international adventures
 were spent in Canada.  I remember Canada for wonderful Beer, friendly
 people, Beer, higher road speed limits, Beer, and gas by the litre.  I
 realize that there is much more to Canada, but these are the things that
 I usually had to deal with on my "day trips" of the past.

 Actually going to Canada and renting a hotel room, dealing with currency
 conversion, and so forth was a new experience.  After about the first
 half-day, it was like second nature.  No biggie, eh?

 The purpose of our visit to the Windsor show was (selfishly) to promote
 the upcoming Chicago Computerfest by Atari; and doing that left me
 little time for the normal "show" stuff.

 Although the official attendance figures were not in as of this writing,
 the attendance "looked" to be a bit low.  I'd estimate that probably
 400-500 people per day made the show.  Also, unlike other shows that
 I've been to in the past, the seminars seemed to be a bit under
 attended.  I'd like to stress that this is only MY impression, and I
 hope that the actual numbers are better than they looked.

 Atari Canada and the show organizers did an excellent job of promotion,
 day-of-show coordination, and the like.  All of the elements for a very
 good show were there, why there was not double or triple the attendance
 is beyond me - it certainly was not due to lack of effort on the part of
 the parties involved.

 The most fun thing to do at any AtariFest, in my opinion, is visiting
 with  the usergroup representatives in attendance.  Nine area Atari user
 groups had booths where group information, PD libraries, and the like
 were on display.  The groups included: Atari ST/Mega Users of Montreal,
 Genesee Atari Group, London Users of STs, MAGIC, Mid-Ohio Atari Users
 Group, Spectrum Atari Group of Erie (PA), WACO (Huntington PA),
 Washtenaw Atari Users' Group, and the host group, Windsor Atari Users'
 Group.

 If you roamed around a bit, it was easy to find representatives of at
 least a half-dozen other US and Canadian Atari User Groups.  This
 "gathering of the faithful" was alone worth the price of admission.

 I'm sure that a full product-oriented report will be in this issue, so I
 will not rehash that subject.  I will say that I was absolutely blown
 away by Gadgets by Small's SST 68030.  Poor Dave fell victim to the
 baggage handler's union and had the three prototype SSTs that were with
 him all but smashed in transit.  Dave - can you say "Carry on Baggage"?
 I knew you could.  A heroic effort by all concerned got one of the SST's
 in working condition.  Continuous crowds gathered around the Gadgets
 booth to see "the fastest ST on the planet".  Most people just stared in
 disbelief, while traces of drool found on the floor of the general area
 made walking by the Gadgets booth a bit of a hazard.

 Bob Brodie and Geoff Earle (Atari Canada) put on a very entertaining
 "Ask Atari" session, it was most interesting to hear answers from both
 the "corporate" and the "affiliate" perspectives.  Geoff is a great guy
 to talk to and if there is any decency in the world, should have a very
 stellar future with Atari.

 As a counterpoint to the enjoyment of the show itself, the return
 passage over the Ambassador Bridge, and "back in the USA" was not an
 enjoyable one at all.  For starters - the light shower of earlier in the
 day had turned into some serious RAIN, making the driving a bit dicey.
 The irritation of the weather was nothing compared to having to deal
 with our wonderfully efficient United States Customs Service.

 I had been told some incomplete information before we left on the trip
 concerning the amount of merchandise that could be brought back by
 individuals without being subject to customs duty.  Needless to say I
 was shocked when I was told to "pull over" into the inspection area with
 my tiny pile of purchases at the show, and a few souvenirs.  I got
 socked with a 10% duty by US Customs on what I was "importing".

 A little investigation (once safely back in the USA) found an
 information guide published by the Canadian Ministry of Industry, Trade
 and Commerce.  Concerning duty on Canadian goods when returning to the
 USA, the guide states - "US residents returning from Canada may take
 back, once every 30 days, merchandise for personal or household use to
 the value of $100 free of US duty and tax, provided they have remained
 in Canada 48 hours.  Residents of the US visiting Canada for less than
 48 hours may take back $10 worth of goods free of US duty and tax.  If
 any article brought back is subject to duty or tax, or if the total
 value of all articles exceeds $10, no article may be exempt from duty or
 tax.  Members of a family household are not permitted to combine the
 value of their purchases under this exemption."

 In spite of blowing my budget, and the hassles, I'd go back to Windsor
 tomorrow if they announced a show.  The WAUG/WAUG crew is to be
 congratulated for the professional job that was done - I heard few
 negative comments about ANY aspect of the show - as a matter of fact,
 the little things (like the free lunches for developers) seemed to make
 a BIG difference.  I hope that Atari Canada will support this show so
 that it will become a permanent fixture on the North American show
 circuit.

 Windsor Show Comments
 =======================================================================
                              Reprinted from the Z*Net Online Conference



 Conf : Z*Net Online Conference
 Msg# : 3220  Lines: Extended  Read: 3
 Sent : May 8, 1991  at 4:07 PM
 Recv : May 9, 1991
 To   : Ron Kovacs
 From : Stash at {{{{ Realm of Chaos }}}}
 Subj : Dave Small

 Thought I would share this story that probably made the whole trip worth
 while for Dave..  While at the booth a kid about 8/9 years old got out
 of his wheel chair and walked up to Dave (looks like he had some kind of
 muscle/ nerve dissorder) and Introduced himself..

 Then he told Dave that he used Spectre all the time and that it was the
 BEST pice of work he had ever sceen "DAVE, you are a genious!!  I have
 been looking forward to this for such a long time.."  By now there was
 dead silence by everyone at the booth.. "Dave you should re-write TOS..
 You know I get more throughput in spectre than in atari mode?? (dave)
 "Well modem drivers and rs232 operating systems are hard to write.."
 (Kid) "but Dave it is nothing you can't do.. I also think it's very nice
 that you hire handycapped people also, One day I want to learn how to
 solder.."

 By now I think everyones eye's were getting wet.. "Dave, Can I get an
 upgrade to my spectre disk?"  Dave took his personal copy out of the
 drive and handed it to him "Here, take mine," He then walked (or
 floated) back to his wheel chair, stopped and then came back to ask for
 an autograph..

 It's the kind of thing that I am sure Dave will never forget.. "thanks
 Dave for the disk, I'm just one of youre small fans.. OOooo sorry No pun
 intended."  He went back his he chair and left with his disk.. The thing
 that was neat about this little guy is that he was very intelligent.
 Who knows, he may one day optimize spectre himself.. there was a little
 more to the story but, I'll let Dave tell it as only he can.. I know
 I'll never forget it..


 Conf : Z*Net Online Conference
 Msg# : 3219  Lines: Extended  Read: 3
 Sent : May 8, 1991  at 3:54 PM
 Recv : May 9, 1991
 To   : Ron Kovacs
 From : Stash at {{{{ Realm of Chaos }}}}
 Subj : Winsor show..


 I'll try to be brief..

 1) RiMik Enterprises announced A TRUE multitasking gem for the ST..  He
    claims to have been using it for the past 2 years.. Product is called
    Multigem.  It looks like you can put up to 6 ACC type files into the
    ACC slots, each one opens a window with the program running in it..
    To be shipping in 3 wks.. for info (619 630 1217 )

 2) The show was attended by about 1000 people for both day's.  Vendors
    were not real happy but did well..  It was nice for the people who
    went.. You never had to wait more then 5 min to talk to ANY of the
    vendors..  Even Dave Small. (who I helped work his booth)

 3) Mega talk boards went into production, but, the run was bad..  A
    little more of a delay here.. The SST boards were running.. Beta
    testing to be in a couple of weeks..  No Idea of shipping.. Dave has
    a color board he is working on which will piggy back the SST board..
    it's wire wrapped right now.. looks like it might go 24 bit color..
    He did not talk to much about this..

 4) The mega STe-1 is a reality in Canada.  I bought the last of 8 savtec
    sold that day.. TT's were also selling well.. mega STe-1 has the same
    case as the mega 4.. no hard drive or co-processor. (though the
    socket is there) tos 2.05, GREAT keyboard.. Atari announced that they
    will sell a hard drive upgrade kit for the mega STe-1.. they are also
    working on a floppy controller replacement for 1.44 meg floppies..




 =======================================================================
                               QUICK ST 3.0
                               ------------
                              Press Release
 =======================================================================


       "It's as easy as A-B-C... Accelerate, Benchmark, Customize"

 Branch Always Software
 14150 N.E. 20th Street Unit 302
 Bellevue, WA  98007
 Phone: (206)-885-5893
 BIX: darekm
 CIS: 73657,2714
 Delphi: darekm
 GEnie: brasoft

 Quick ST 3.0 is the newest addition to the Quick ST family of software
 accelerators for the Atari ST and TT computers.  For a more detailed
 description of the product and benchmark results for various ST and TT
 configurations, write for our free newsletter (please include a SASE).

 All 520/1040ST, Mega ST, STE, Mega STE, and TT/030 computers are
 supported.  1 megabyte of RAM and a hard disk are recommended (but not
 required) for use with some of the customizing features.

 Quick ST 3.0 contains various utilities to speed up and customize your
 ST or TT.  Included are:

 -  Quick ST software accelerator version 3.0
 -  Quick Index benchmarking utility
 -  MegaBlit graphics editor
 -  Desktop Customizer font, icon, and pattern editor
 -  sample fonts, icons, fill patterns, and graphics

 These are some of the new or enhanced features of Quick ST 3.0:

 -  Speed: Faster screen redraws than before.  Speeds up desktop fonts
    (including the 16x32 TT font), GDOS fonts, GEM graphics, Line A
    graphics, and screen scrolling.

 -  Improved hardware compatibility: Fully compatible with the new Mega
    STE and TT/030 computers, as well as 68020, 68030, and 16MHz 68000
    accelerator boards.

 -  Speeds up all screen resolutions: All standard ST and TT screen
    resolutions, as well as non-standard screen sizes such as 1024x768
    and 1280x960.  Quick ST 3.0 is the only software accelerator that
    speeds up TT screen resolutions.

 -  Requires a single QUICKST3.PRG file: ST, Mega ST/STE, and TT versions
    are provided, each one optimized to give you the maximum speed for
    your particular machine.  No additional renaming or copying of files
    is required when changing monitors.

 -  Installs from the desktop as well as the AUTO folder: If you boot
    your computer without Quick ST 3.0, just run QUICKST3.PRG from the
    desktop directly instead of having to reboot the machine.

 -  Quick Index 3.0 now includes benchmark references for the Mega STE
    and TT computers: Compare the speed of your computer to the speed of
    other ST, STE, and TT computers.  Compares CPU, disk, text,
    scrolling, and graphics performance.

 -  Customized screen resolutions: Requires TOS 1.4 or higher.  Allows
    you to set the desktop's resolution to any arbitrary size.  1280x960
    or 800x600 or even 1024x1024.  View either part of the virtual screen
    (and scroll around it using the mouse) or display the entire large
    screen shrunk down.  This is ideal for such things as emulating TT
    screen resolutions on an ST or for use with desktop publishing
    applications.

 -  Desktop pictures: Loads DEGAS, Neochrome, Prism Paint, or Windows 3.0
    graphics files as the background for the desktop in all screen
    resolutions.  Supports PI1, PI2, PI3, PC1, PC2, PC3, NEO, PNT, and
    BMP files.  Pictures that are too small or too large for the current
    screen resolution can be tiled, cropped, or re-positioned.

 -  Customizing: Supports the editing and replacement of the desktop
    fonts, icons, and fill patterns.

 -  Memory requirements: Memory usage varies between the ST, STE, and TT
    versions, as well as with the number of customizing features in use.
    Typically about 40K of RAM is required plus 32K to 150K per desktop
    picture installed.  Quick ST 3.0 still uses less RAM than competing
    products.

 -  Free updates: We know what a pain it can be keeping up with the
    latest versions of a product, and Quick ST is no exception.  So when
    you buy or update to Quick ST 3.0, your next update is free!

 Suggested retail price for Quick ST 3.0 is $34.95 U.S.  It can be
 ordered at an introductory price of $29.95 U.S. before June 30, 1991 by
 sending payment in U.S. funds to Branch Always Software at the address
 at the top of this file.  Sorry, no credit card orders are being taken
 for this introductory offer.  Quick ST 3.0 will begin shipping in June
 and will be available for purchase at the Pacific Northwest Atari
 Festival.

 If you are currently a registered Quick ST user, you have already
 received our newsletter telling you about Quick ST 3.0.  The update fee
 is $15 U.S. and must be included with the update form from your
 newsletter.  The original Quick ST disk is not required, and the update
 includes a new disk and manual and one free update after that.

 If you are currently a user of Turbo ST or NVDI, you may purchase Quick
 ST 3.0 at a special price of only $20.  Send a check or money order and
 proof of purchase of either product (which can be a manual page, or a
 photocopy of the disk) to Branch Always Software at the above address.

 Please note that Quick ST 2.2 is NOT being discontinued at this time.
 If Quick ST 3.0 sounds like what you need but you don't have a hard
 disk or a lot of RAM, or simply don't need the whole assortment of
 customizing features, then Quick ST 2.2 is for you.  The price of Quick
 ST 2.2 is only $24.95 and most Atari dealers sell for less.

 All trade names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their
 respective manufacturers.




 =======================================================================
                            AUA YEAR IN REVIEW
                            ------------------
                             by DC Signorini
 =======================================================================


 One year ago this month, the AUA was officially in full operation.  We
 had established a new headquarters in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and at
 the time had a membership base of only 300 members.  Since that time, we
 have come a very long way and am very happy to say that the AUA and the
 concept of a world wide organization is a success.

 Through all of this, we have not forgotten those who helped us get to
 where we are today.  While I can not go through the entire list of those
 people who backed us, they know who they are and without them, the AUA
 would be no further along today than the once conceived World Wide Atari
 Network.  (That organization never made it off of the ground because too
 many people were too skeptical about its purpose.)  We greatly
 appreciate the support, and we will one day give back what was given us.
 We were not without the skeptics either.  Many are still trying to cast
 illusions on the AUA, mostly because they fear that the AUA survived and
 is larger than had ever been thought.  We hope that over the course of
 this year, we will be able to convince these people that the AUA is
 alive and well, and is a service oriented organization here for the
 user.

 So, over the past first year of operations, exactly what has the AUA
 done?   It is best presented in outline form:

 o  Currently stands as an organization with over 1500 members in 22
 countries world wide making AUA the largest organization of ST users in
 the world.

 o  Operates a 24 hour BBS system free to its members where they can call
 for support or questions.

 o  24 hour voice message taking system which allows our users who have
 problems or questions reach us and get a quick response.

 o  Publishes the largest circulating disk magazine in the United States
 6 times a year.  The NewsBriefs Disk Magazine currently has 4 volunteer
 staff writers who contribute their time and thought for all of our
 members to enjoy.

 o  Active in Anti-Piracy issues and distributes information on how one
 can combat piracy in his or her area.

 o  Maintains a massive database of information including BBS lists,
 Usergroup lists, user mailing lists, and an up to date vendor listing.

 o  Operates the User Group Affiliation Program, or UGAP, which is an
 affiliation program for user groups to get involved in the AUA.  We
 currently have 14 affiliated groups in UGAP.

 o  Maintains a Category on GEnie and is available on that service for
 questions or comments and support.  We also have access to Compuserve,
 Fnet, and Fido.

 o  Moderates an AUA Conference on Fnet where over 30 BBS's across the
 country are active.

 o  Publishes a monthly online magazine, The NewsBriefs Online Magazine,
 which contains information about the organization and general Atari
 news.  NewsBriefs Online is distributed on GEnie, Compuserve, Fnet,
 Usenet, Fido, and on private BBS systems all over the world and is read
 by over 20,000 ST users each month.

 o  Currently offers advertising for vendors in our disk magazine as
 reduced rates.  We also offer free of charge advertising in AUA mailings
 when flyers are provided to us.

 o  Currently welcome any organization sponsoring an Atari show to
 provide us with press releases or flyers which we will distribute with
 or in our publications as well as promote on our BBS and AUA Conference.

 o  Operate the ST-Exchange (STX) PD/Shareware Library.  This library,
 housing now nearly 500 disks and 10,000 files, is free to use by our
 members.

 o  Have special group discounts on several third party services such as
 the ST Connection publication (Computer Publications, Unltd.), selected
 software vendors, and a few dealers across the country.

 o  Sponsors the "User's Mark of Excellence" award that is a plaque given
 to the authors of the best products for the Atari ST platform by
 category.  Our members vote for what they feel are the best, and we in
 turn show the developers our appreciation for their hard work.

 o  Sponsored the very successful "BYTE LETTER" which was a letter
 writing campaign directed to the editors of BYTE magazine for not
 mentioning the Atari ST as a powerful DTP computer in an October 1990
 review.  Early estimates showed that nearly 5000 letters were sent to
 the magazine and the Editor, Fred Langa, personally replied to many of
 them.  No other letter writing campaign has been as successful in the
 history of the Atari ST platform.

 I may have missed a few things, and this list grows almost monthly.  We
 are very active in almost every aspect of the ST arena and are striving
 to be a quality support organization.  But our job is not easy!  At
 times, the workload is overwhelming and we are calling for writers for
 the NewsBriefs Publications.  So, if you have some thoughts to get off
 of your keyboard, then by all means, drop us a line and write for us!

 Now, I must stress that basic membership in the AUA is free.  As a
 member, you receive all of the above benefits, minus the disk magazine
 subscription.  In order for our letter writing campaigns to be a
 success, we need membership by the masses.  Our goal is 5000 members by
 the end of next year.  We should hit 2000 easily by this Christmas, and
 the 5000 plateau would be an achievement for any userbase  (except for
 the Boston Computer Society, which has a rumored 22,000 members).  Take
 a moment of your time and a .29 cent stamp and join the AUA!  You have
 absolutely everything to gain!

 In the mean time, we invite you to inquire about the AUA by writing to
 us, or if you would rather contact us directly, we may be reached at
 412-745-8930 or on our 24 hour BBS at 412-746-8699. If that is not
 enough, then try looking us up on GEnie at DC.SIGNORINI or in the AUA
 Category on the ST Roundtable  (category 20).  We are looking forward
 to hearing from you!

 Again, we wish to thank everyone who helped make the first year of the
 AUA a great one!  Please continue to show your support for the Atari ST,
 and those who support the platform!




 =======================================================================
                           MAST ATARI SWAPFEST
                           -------------------
                              Press Release
 =======================================================================


 The Milwaukee Area ST User Group (M.A.S.T.) will be sponsoring an Atari
 Swapfest on June 2nd, 1991 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM at:

 Bowlero
 Red Carpet Lanes
 11737 W. Burleigh St.
 Milwaukee, WI

 We wish to thank the following developers and vendors for committing to
 attend the show:

     Apple Annie                        Branch Always Software
     Compu-Seller West                  Dennis Palumbo Fonts
     G.K. Enterprises                   ICD
     Innovative Concepts                Kolputer Systems
     Komtech                            Micro Magic
     MissionWare Software               M-S Designs
     Paper Express                      SKware One
     Taylor Ridge Books                 Timeworks
     Toad Computers

 Other User Groups that will be attending;

     LCACE                              MAAUG
     GCACE                              RACC

 M.A.S.T. also will have two tables set-up for selling used equipment
 both for our members and on a commission basis.  There will be the new
 TT and Mega STe computers at the show.  I have been assured that both
 machines will also be for sale.  We also will have the new Atari Coupon
 Books And Catalogs from E. Arthur Brown available to the attendees.

 We hope that you will be able to join us in Milwaukee for this show.  We
 will be updating this notice as we have more information.  Ticket cost
 is two dollars in advance, three dollars at the door.  If you are a
 developer or a vendor and would like to display, please leave E-mail to
 Bob Carpenter (GEnie ID: R.CARPENTE18), or David Mumper (GEnie ID:
 D.MUMPER) on Genie, Richard Laudenbach (Delphi ID: Rlaudenbach) on
 Delphi, Jim Hand on Compuserve or to Teri Krofta on Usenet ,"the Net",
 at baaa02@mixcon.com. for more information.  If you need advance
 tickets, please send two dollars (check or money order please) and a
 self-addressed envelope to: M.A.S.T.  P.O. Box 25679 Milwaukee, WI
 53225.  For more information, please leave E-mail to one of the people
 listed above.

 If you need additional information, need directions, have some
 questions, or just want the latest info, check us out on GEnie Category
 11 (User Groups and Shows), Topic 16 in the Atari ST Roundtable.  Those
 of you with ST Aladdin, don't forget to update your topic lists!

 Bruce Welsch
 President M.A.S.T.




 =======================================================================
                        GOLDLEAF PUBLISHING UPDATE
                        --------------------------
                              Press Release
 =======================================================================


 Goldleaf Publishing, Inc.
 700 Larkspur Landing Circle
 Suite 199
 Larkspur, CA 94939  415-257-3515


 Goldleaf Publishing, Inc. is a major publisher of high end software for
 Atari computers.  Our offerings fall into three categories -- Document
 Processing, Digital Pre-Press, and Programming Tools & Utilities.  Many
 of these titles were developed in Europe, where they have been proven in
 a very demanding and mature marketplace.  We believe these products make
 the Atari "solution" highly competitive with Macintosh and IBM
 compatibles in terms of performance, ease of use, and overall value.  We
 invite you to contact us for more information.

 ATARI SOFTWARE LIBRARY DESCRIPTIONS AND PRICING

 I.  Document Processing

 Wordflair (TM)
 Developed by Goldleaf Publishing and introduced in December 1989,
 Wordflair is an integrated document processor that provides the critical
 functions of a word processor, page layout program, spreadsheet, and
 database in a single easy to use program.  Wordflair combines text
 (multiple fonts and point sizes), graphics, calculations, and data all
 on an electronic page.  Wordflair lets you quickly and easily create
 letters, data sheets, invitations, newsletters, etc. without switching
 between programs.  Perfect "all around" software for the Atari
 enthusiast.  Requires at least one megabyte of RAM and two disk drives.
 SRP:  $99.95

 Wordflair II (TM)
 Wordflair II is as superset of the original product that adds many vital
 features for the porofessional user.  In includes the Proximity/Merriam
 Webster spell checker (116,000 words with up to five user dictionaries),
 thesaurus, and hyphenation.  Tab or comma delimited data can be imported
 to and exported from databases such as Tracker ST and used to produce
 highly sophisticated mail merges.  Full support of FSM GDOS opens up a
 world of high quality typefaces (Garamond, Palatino, Lucida, etc.) that
 can be scaled on the fly from 4 to 99 points.  This is the perfect
 product for small businesses or organizations needing to create truly
 impressive looking documents like order forms, "smart" invoices that
 calculate themselves, data sheets, and the like but can't afford the
 time needed to switch between several programs to get the job done.
 Requires at least one megabyte of RAM and two disk drives.
 SRP:  $149.95

 Sherlook (TM)
 Sherlook is an entry level Optical Character Recognition (OCR) program
 that offers fast and accurate conversion of printed pages into computer
 usable text files.  Working with a scanner, Sherlook can convert printed
 text into a text file that can be edited with Wordflair or your favorite
 word processor.  Sure beats typing!  Sherlook requires at least one
 megabyte of RAM.  SRP:  $199.95

 Sherlook Professional (TM)
 Sherlook Professional adds the ability to recognize multiple font and
 point sizes as well as multiple columns on a page.  It has a unique
 "training" feature that allows you to "teach" the program to recognize
 characters.  With direct scanner support, Sherlook Professional can
 process up to 12,000 characters per minute.  Requires at least two
 megabytes of RAM.  SRP:  $899.95

 II.  Digital Pre-Press

 Retouche (TM)
 Developed by 3D Computerbild in Germany, Retouche is a powerful black
 and white image processing program that allows the creative manipulation
 of scanned images for use in desktop publishing.  Sophisticated
 dithering features allow you to create "gray scale" images even on a
 monochrome system.  Requires at least one megabyte of RAM, a hard disk,
 and a monochrome monitor.  SRP: $299.95

 Retouche Professional (TM)
 Retouche Professional is a "digital lithography" system for producing
 halftone images of impeccable quality.  It features sophisticated
 brightness and contrast control, a gallery of filters for performing
 artistic effects, and a "jobs" feature that organizes scanned images,
 masks, type and line art, for the easy assembly of spectacular photo
 montages.  Its library of over 120 hand optimized halftone screens
 matches the appropriate screen angle and dot pattern for the output
 device and desired printing press.  For use with the TT/030 Publishing
 Workstation or the Image Speeder(TM) Publishing System only. SRP:$999.95

 Retouche Professional CD (TM)  (Color Design)
 Retouche Professional CD encompasses Retouche Professional's full
 feature set and adds true color retouching capabilities.  Working in
 either 8 bit or 24 bit mode, a skilled operator can produce separated
 film of continuous tone images with absolutely astounding speed and
 quality.  For use with the TT/030 Publishing Workstation or the Image
 Speeder (TM) Publishing System only.  SRP:  $1999.95

 Didot Line Art (TM)
 This program is aimed at the graphic artist wanting to create line art,
 logos, labels, and such in a friendly environment.  A variety of tools
 already familiar to the artist makes it possible to manipulate type
 outlines, bezier curves, and scanned images with ease.  Prints
 Postscript (TM) to disk or outputs to any popular printer or image
 setter.  Requires at least one megabyte of RAM and a monochrome monitor.
 SRP:  $399.95

 III.  Programming Tools and Utilities

 Devpac ST 3.0 (TM)
 Widely regarded as the most powerful assembly language development
 system for Atari computers, Devpac ST incorporates an integrated editor/
 assembler/debugger, a stand-alone assembler/debugger, and a fast linker.
 Version 3.0 includes a brand-new multi-window editor and re-designed
 interface with many more assembly optimizations, Hisoft Basic 2 and
 Lattice C linkable code, and faster, more flexible assembly.  Another
 major step forward for assembler programmers, novice and expert alike,
 Devpac ST 3.0 includes assorted libraries, example files, and an
 extensive ring-bound manual.  SRP:  $119.95

 Devpac TT (TM)
 The professional 68000/68882 assembly language platform designed for the
 Atari TT and all of its features.  Capable of compiling at 200,000 lines
 per minute, Devpac TT supports DRI, GST, and Lattice linkable code as
 well as Atari executable format and S-records.  SRP:  $249.95

 Harlekin (TM)
 All the programs you're ever likely to need in one desk accessory!
 Harlekin comprises a very fast word processor, an extremely powerful
 scrapbook, a disk editor, a terminal program, a calendar, a RAMdisk, a
 printer spooler, and much, much more.  Harlekin requires at least one
 megabyte of RAM.  SRP:  $99.95

 Hisoft Basic 2 (TM)
 A complete, integrated BASIC system incorporating a multi-window
 interactive editor.  Press a key to compile at over 3000 lines per
 minute.  Version 2 includes a tremendous increase in speed of program
 development and extra flexibility, an extensive, well-documented GEM
 library, support for the 68030 and 68882 TT chips, and is linkable with
 Devpac ST 3.0 and Lattice C code.  The package includes an editor,
 compiler, linker, resource editor, GEM toolbox, and a code profiler.
 SRP:  $149.95

 Hisoft C Interpreter (TM)
 Designed for the beginning C programmer, this development tool features
 an integrated editing and debugging environment that lets you develop,
 debug, and test programs quickly and easily.  Hisoft C Interpreter
 greatly enhances and simplifies the transformation from Basic to C.  A
 myriad of useful utilities complete the package.  SRP:  $99.95

 Highspeed Pascal (TM)
 Designed to be compatible with the hugely successful Turbo Pascal 5.0
 (TM) for MS-DOS machines, Highspeed Pascal is packed full of features
 that make it simple for everyone to learn and use.  Compilation speed is
 over 20,000 lines per minute.  TT compatible.  SRP:  $179.95

 Knife ST (TM)
 The ultimate disk recovery and editor system for both hard and floppy
 disks.  Host to a complex array of features, Knife ST offers incredible
 power over many facets of data storage.  Useful for any power user.
 SRP:  $59.95

 Lattice C (TM)
 The fastest and most complete C compiler for the ST!  Includes editor,
 linker, assembler, disassembler, librarian, resource construction set,
 1200 pages of documentation in three volumes and the most complete set
 of C libraries ever released on the ST.  SRP:  $269.95

 Lattice C TT (TM)
 The TT version of the Lattice C compiler contains many changes designed
 to take greater advantage of the TT, 68030, and 68881.  Full support has
 been added for all the new OS calls and, additionally, extra functions
 are available for even easier porting of programs from other
 environments.  Includes full 68030/68882 libraries in addition to the
 680x0 family versions, high performance floating point code (in excess
 of one million Whetstones per second), new C++ features, complete UNIX
 make utility, and even faster code - performance in excess of 7000
 Dhrystones.  SRP:  $449.95

 ProFlight (TM)
 A supremely accurate flight simulation of the Panavia Tornado military
 aircraft.  Using exact flight equations Hisoft has produced by far the
 most advanced product of its kind.  Runs in either color or monochrome
 and is hard disk installable.  SRP:  $69.95

 Tempus (TM)
 An extremely fast and flexible editor, useful for anything from text
 files to source code.  Features include many popular word processing
 options as well as those catering to programmers.  SRP:  $79.95

 Special introductory pricing is in effect.  For discounts or more
 information on any of these products, please contact your local Atari
 dealer or Goldleaf Publishing at 415-257-3515.

 All trademarks are those of their respective owners.  Copyright 1991
 Goldleaf Publishing, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.




 =======================================================================
                                PD REVIEW
                           --------------------
                             by Keith MacNutt
 =======================================================================


 2-BIT F-KEYS
 2-BIT Software, INC.
 Suite 144
 5824 Bee Ridge Road
 Sarasota, FL  34233

 F-Keys is a program which allows you to assign text strings to your
 function keys.  This is very handy if you are using a text editor or a
 Word Processor where you are entering multiple entries of the same
 information.  While in a program, F-Keys does not interfere with the
 normal function keys since to activate the program you must push the
 Alternate key at the same time as the F key.  Not only do you get F1 to
 F10, but by pushing the Shift key you also get f1 to f10, making for 20
 programmable keys in all.  As an example, if you want to use f1, you
 will need to push Alternate-shift-F1 to get that combination.  F-Keys
 will work in all three resolutions and can be run as a program or an
 accessory by changing the last three letters to either PRG or ACC.  To
 run as a program from the desktop, simply double click on the program,
 and to run as an Acc, place the renamed program in the root directory on
 the boot drive and re-boot the computer.

 Once installed and the program is run, you will see a screen that
 requests that you press a function key.  To enter a text string for that
 key, simply press the function key (F1-F10 or left-shift-F1-F10) and
 enter the text string, remembering to press Return to assign that string
 to the Function key.  To save this information press the UNDO key and
 you will be asked if you wish to save this setup.  If you say yes, this
 information will be written to a file called 2BSFKEYS.DAT, and any
 previous file of that name will be renamed 2BSFKEYS.BAK.

 To use these keys within a program, press the ALT key and the desired
 function key at the same time, and whatever has been programmed into
 that key will now appear after the cursor.


 DC BOOT IT V1.0
 Double Click Software
 by Keith Gerdes and Michael B. Vederman
 PO BOX 741206
 Houston,  TX  77274

 DC BOOT IT allows you to run a 'BOOT DISK' from the desktop.  Now this
 may not seem like a big deal, but for those users that purchased an
 accelerator board or have one of the new MEGA STE's that run faster then
 8 Mhz, this program "IS A BIG DEAL".  One of the first things these
 people will find is that either the game or application won't run or
 that it is too fast to play properly.  This program will allow you to
 set the accelerator frequency of the processor from the desktop or
 utility program that came with your machine or upgrade board, and also
 50 or 60 hertz mode before booting the floppy disk.

 To use the program, double click on the program DCBOOTIT.PRG, and a menu
 will appear with a choice of using floppy A or B, 50 or 60 Hertz mode
 and the resolution you will be using.  The documentation doesn't state
 whether you must be in the proper resolution before running the program,
 but it wouldn't hurt to try this if it fails on the first attempt.
 Basically what DC BOOT IT does is to try and fool the system into
 thinking that the system is un-initialized and that the computer has
 been RESET or COLD BOOTED.  Now this will not work in all cases, but
 this should work in the majority of them.


                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                QUOTE THIS
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Silence is Golden because of an over abundance of idle chatter.




 =======================================================================
                                 STIPPLE
                                 -------
                              Press Release
 =======================================================================


       The Atari ST/STE/TT Image File Viewer from Zocra Technologies
           *"noun: dotted painting, giving gradation of shade."

 PROGRAM OVERVIEW

 STipple is a program for viewing, translating and saving graphic images
 on the Atari ST, STE and TT series computers. STipple supports a wide
 variety of graphic image file formats ranging from computer dependant
 formats such as NEO, Degas and MacPaint to hardware independent formats
 such as GIF and CP8.

 STipple allows your ST to show graphics created on a PC, an Amiga, or
 whatever, even if the original image has more colours or pixels than the
 ST can display.  Likewise STipple will load and display any ST graphic
 in any resolution.  It also allows you to convert your Atari ST images
 into GIF and MacPaint formats for exchange with other systems.

 STipple has a rich translation feature which will translate between a
 number of graphic file formats without first converting them to an ST
 resolution.  This file-to-file translation allows conversion without a
 loss of image quality.  Conversions include GIF, Spectrum 512, and AIM.

 STipple is GEM-based and operates in all three ST resolutions, and five
 of the six TT resolutions.  When an image is loaded it can be scaled and
 then rendered with a variety of painting and dithering options.  Images
 can be scaled prior to dithering for maximum picture quality.  Once
 loaded and rendered, images are displayed in scrollable windows.

 The on-screen images (rasters) can be clipped and scaled and their
 colours can be edited.  The resulting image can be saved in a variety of
 Atari and non-Atari formats.

 HOT FEATURES

 o Easy to Use!  Simply select "Load Image" and select the file.
 o Colour Dither!  Images can be rendered in colour either by painting or
   dithering.  The colour dither is slower but produces fantastic images
   in 16 colour mode.
 o Two Gray Dithers!  Images can be rendered in grayscale using two
   dithering routines.
 o Edge Enhancement!  Blurry images can be "sharpened" prior to any gray
   dither by selecting "edge enhancement".
 o Arbitrary Scaling!  Images can be scaled by arbitrary percentages,
   from 5% to 500%.  Individual horizontal and vertical scaling provided.
 o Pre Dither Scaling!  Scale image before dithering for maximum image
   quality.
 o Colour Editor!  Edit image colours with a moveable menu!
 o Full Screen Mode!  Simply press "Escape" and the image fills the
   screen.  Use keypad to scroll.
 o Full Screen File Save Preview!  Full screen mode shows clipping when
   saving NEO or Degas screens.
 o Resolution/Size Converter!  A monochrome image can be converted to a 4
   or 16 colour image reduced in size.  Likewise a 4 colour image can be
   reduced to a smaller 16 colour image.
 o STE Support!  Fully supports STE's 4096 colour palette.
 o TT Support!  Supports TT Medium and TT High. (TT Low not supported
   yet.)  Additional image save options for larger screens. (.PI5 & .PI7)
 o Overscan and large screen monitor support!  Full Support for non-
   standard resolutions.
 o Includes BONUS UTILITY PROGRAM FixMac!  Remove Mac Headers from Mac
   GIF files.  Place Mac Headers on headerless MacPaint files.

 PROGRAM DETAILS

 The following graphic file types can be viewed and translated: NEO,
 Degas, Degas compressed, GIF, PCX, IFF, LBM, MacPaint, Mac
 Startupscreen, CP8, FastLoad (.FL), AIM (.IM).

 Images can be saved in the following formats: NEO, Degas, GIF, MacPaint,
 Mac Startupscreen, FastLoad.

 Graphic files can be directly converted to the following file types:
 GIF, CP8[3], Spectrum 512 (SPU), AIM, CP8[1].

 STipple is written in C and assembler using Borland International's
 Turbo C and Turbo Assembler.

 DEMONSTRATION

 For a demonstration of some of the features found in STipple try ViewGIF
 1.2, STipple's shareware predecessor.  STipple is more powerful, faster
 and easier to use than ViewGIF.



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                Z*Net International Atari Online Magazine
                Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc.
 =======================================================================


-----------------------------------------
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