Atari Explorer Online: 129-Aug-92 #9212

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/31/92-07:50:20 PM Z


From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 129-Aug-92 #9212
Date: Mon Aug 31 19:50:20 1992



                      ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE MAGAZINE
                      ------------------------------
            Published and Copyright (c)1992, Atari Corporation
                      1972-1992 - 20 Years Of Service
                           1196 Borregas Avenue
                       Sunnyvale, California 94088
 
                                AEO STAFF
 
    ~ Editor In-Chief......................................Ron Kovacs
    ~ Contributing Editor...................................Ed Krimen
    ~ Contributing Editor..............................Ron Berinstein
    ~ Contributing Writer...................................Bob Smith
    ~ Contributing Writer.................................Stan Lowell
 
                       GUEST COMMENTATORS - WRITERS
 
    ~ Commentary.........................................Gordie Meyer
    ~ Atari Explorer Column...........................John Jainschigg
    ~ Atari Explorer Column..........................Maura Fitzgerald
 
 
                         EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
 
    ~ President, Atari Corporation........................Sam Tramiel
    ~ VP Software Development.........................Leonard Tramiel
    ~ Developer Relations Manager........................Bill Rehbock
    ~ Director, Marketing Services.........................Don Thomas
    ~ Director of Communications...........................Bob Brodie
    ~ Corporate Director, International Music Markets....James Grunke
    ~ Atari Explorer Magazine............................Mike Lindsey
  
                               Z*NET STAFF
 
            ~ Ron Kovacs         ~ John Nagy         ~ Jon Clarke
            ~ Stan Lowell        ~ Bob Smith         ~ Lisa Ruff
            ~ Mike Davis         ~ Ed Krimen         ~ Bill Whiteman
            ~ Dr. Paul Keith     ~ Ron Berinstein
 
 ***********************************************************************
 Volume 1           Number 12          Issue #12         August 29, 1992
 ***********************************************************************
 
 
                     | | |  TABLE OF CONTENTS  | | |
 
        ||| Z*Net Newswire........................................
            Latest Atari News and Industry Update
 
        ||| Dusseldorf Report............................John Nagy
            Story Courtesy of AtariUser Magazine
 
        ||| Network Flow Control.........................Ed Krimen
            Formerly Perusing GEnie, Line Noise.. NOW....
 
        ||| Falcon Specifications.................................
            Facts, and prices!
 
        ||| Z*Net Global News Gateway...................Jon Clarke
            Request for discussion on New Newsgroup
 
        ||| Atari Classics...........................Press Release
            New 8-Bit Magazine offering
   
        ||| Lynx Game Reviews.....................Maura Fitzgerald
            Reviews from Atari Explorer Magazine
 
        ||| Gemulator Update.........................Press Release
            Software to be released 9-11-92!
 
        ||| Computers, Luck and Other Things.............Bob Smith
            30 rules you may have forgotten!
 
        ||| GEnie ST Roundtable News..................John Hartman
            What's happening on GEnie!
 
        ||| Guest Commentary..........................Gordie Meyer
            Delphi SysOp, comments.....
 
        ||| Hyperlink Review......................................
            From Atari Explorer Magazine
 
        ||| Edhak Reviewed.........................John Jainschigg
            Review from Atari Explorer Magazine
 
        ||| The Editors Desk............................Ron Kovacs
            Short commentary and update....
 
 
 
 | | |  Z*NET NEWSWIRE
 | | |  Atari News and Industry Update
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 GLENDALE ATARIFEST UPDATE
 The show will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, 1992 at the
 Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1041 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA.  Hours
 are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday and 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday.
 General Admission is $6.00 per person with a two day pass costing only
 $10.00.  If you plan on attending and you live outside of Southern
 California you may get FREE admission by sending a self-address-stamped
 #10 envelope to H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203
 and get a one day pass for two.  SASE must be received by 9/4/92 to
 insure delivery.
 
 For those of you who will be needing lodging we have made arrangements
 with the Burbank Hilton.  Regular rates are $119.00 per night but if you
 mention ATARI you will get a room for $65.00 per night, single or double
 occupancy.  Executive suites are also available for a per night charge
 of $95.00.  Reservations may be made by calling the Hilton at 800-643-
 7400 (in California), 800-468-3576(inside the USA) or at 818-843-6000
 (outside the USA).  The guaranteed reservation cut-off date is August
 20th.  If you are quoted another rate ask for Roy Butler, Sales Manger.
 
 This year The Glendale Show will be holding Desk Top Publishing Classes.
 There will be a $25.00(US) fee for these hands-on classes.  DMC (ISD)
 will be holding Beginners and Advanced classes for owners and
 prospective owners of Calamus SL.  Classes will be held on Saturday and
 Sunday.  Classroom size is limited.  Make your reservations by sending
 a check for $25.00(US) payable to H.A.C.S.K., 249 Brand Bl. #321,
 Glendale, CA  91203.  Be sure to state the preference of day and class
 level.  A confirmation will be sent, ten days prior to the show, by
 return mail stating which class you will be enrolled in.  Enrollment in
 the classroom will also entitle you to admission to the rest of the show
 for the day of your class.  Registration must be postmarked by 9/1/92.
 
 Look for our full-page advertisements in upcoming issues of AtariUser
 and Atari Explorer magazines.  If you have any questions send mail to
 H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203 or leave GEmail to
 John.King.T or call John King Tarpinian at 818-246-7276.  List of the
 exhibitors and demonstrators for the THE GLENDALE SHOW
 
 ATARI CORPORATION     THE COMPUTER NETWORK      COMPUTER SAFARI
 OREGON RESEARCH ASSOCIATES             FAIR DINKUM TECHNOLOGIES
 CLEAR THINKING        D.A. BRUMLEVE             SUDDEN INC.
 MICRO CREATIONS       BRANCH ALWAYS             MID-CITIES COMP-SOFT
 FREEZE DRIED SOFTWARE McDONALD & ASSOCIATES     WINTERTREE SOFTWARE
 BEST ELECTRONICS      JMG                       COMPO
 ICD                   S.D.S.                    CODEHEAD
 FAST TECHNOLOGIES     LEXICOR                   MIGRAPH
 DRAGONWARE            GENIE                     ISD/DMC
 BECKEMEYER            BIO ILLUSTRATIONS         GRIBNIF
 ST INFORMER MAGAZINE  ATARI EXPLORER MAGAZINE   Z*NET
 ATARIUSER MAGAZINE    ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE
 
 Plus demonstrations by:
 BAREFOOT SOFTWARE     STEINBERG/JONES           DIGITAL F/X
 GOLDLEAF              SOFT-LOGIK
 
 USER GROUP BOOTHS:
 A.C.A.O.C.            SOUTH BAY A.C.E.          NOCCC-ST SIG
 R.A.M.                L.O.C.H. ACE
 H.A.C.K.S. (host club, no booth)
 
 
 GCR OWNERS REJOICE - MacSEE from Reeve Soft
 Will every GCR user who has had problems moving files between their ST
 and Mac-emulation partitions, please raise your hand.  Just as I
 thought, there are lots of us.  We move between the ST world and the Mac
 world and struggle to transport files easily and quickly between the
 two.  Transverter is "okay", but it only works with MFS formatted disks
 and partitions ... and as you well know, EVERYTHING is in HFS format!
 But now you have an alternative!
 
 I was just given a pre-release copy of a new program for the Atari ST
 and TT systems.  The program is called "MacSEE" and is created by Reeve
 Soft.  Simply put, the program allows you to move files between your ST
 and a Macintosh (or GCR/Mac-emulated partitions) with complete ease and
 efficiency.  MacSEE lets you --
 
 * Read Macintosh (HFS & MFS) volumes with your Atari ST or TT
 * Write to Macintosh volumes with your Atari ST or TT
 * Read and write 800K Spectre-format disks & 1.44-megabyte disks
 
 PLUS, MacSEE supports --
 
 * MacBinary and translated modes
 * Spectre format hard disk partitions
 * Macintosh format hard disk partitions
 
 And MacSEE can be used on a wide range of removable devices, including
 SyQuest hard disks.
 
 After using the program for a few hours, I found it to do everything it
 promised ... and flawlessly!  It's completely GEM-drive, so all you do
 is "click" through the choices, select the file you want moved from a
 standard item selector window, and BOOM -- Done!  No fuss, no strain, no
 pain ... just simple efficiency.  And in comparison to Transverter,
 MacSEE is a speed demon!  Hard drive partition to partition copying took
 no time at all.  Partition to floppy was just as fast a copying a
 standard ST file.
 
 Distribution and technical support for MacSEE is being handled by:
 
 Compu-Seller West
 220 1/2 West Main Street
 St. Charles, Il 60174  (708) 513-5220
 
 To order your copy of MacSEE, or for more information, call CompuSeller
 West at 708-513-5220 and ask for Don Bahr.  Tell him "Monochrome Steve"
 sent you!
 
 
 CHICAGO COMPUTERFEST '93 CANCELLED
 Chicago ComputerFest by Atari 1993, a continuation of the successful
 cooperative venture between the Lake County (Illinois) Atari Computer
 Enthusiasts and Atari Corporation, planned for May 15 and 16th 1993 at
 the Ramada Hotel O'Hare has been cancelled.  Director of Communications,
 Bob Brodie, stated that he expected to only make show appearances for
 the remainder of 1992, for which Atari has already purchased non-
 refundable discount airline tickets for him.  LCACE enjoyed the
 partnership with Atari to bring major Atari-oriented developers and
 vendors to the Midwest, and is disappointed that Atari is apparently
 unable to commit support of this event.  LCACE is uncertain if they will
 organize a local-oriented show such as the two shows prior to the 1991
 ComputerFest.
 
 
 KAO UNVEILS NEW BRANDED DISKETTE PACKAGING
 Kao has unveiled its new branded diskette packaging which is intended to
 enhance the company's strong and growing position in the branded
 diskette market.  Kao's new tiered packaging approach clearly
 differentiates diskette capacity for the user.  The double-density
 diskettes, in silver packaging, are designed for users requiring a
 standard-density product; the high-density diskettes, in gold, have
 twice the storage capacity of the standard-density diskettes.  The new
 packaging features a "100 Percent Certified" seal, highlighting that
 each diskette is individually tested for error-free performance.  Each
 diskette package also features a "Made in the USA" or "Made in Canada"
 logo emphasizing that the diskettes were produced locally.
 
 
 OS/2 2.0 SURPASSES ONE MILLION
 IBM announced that its new software product, OS/2 Version 2.0, has
 vaulted past the one million shipment mark.  Historically popular with
 corporate users, early indications are that OS/2 is also gaining
 widespread acceptance in the end-user community as a result of its
 power, reliability and ease-of-use.  To commemorate their on-going
 support and commitment to OS/2, Caterpillar was presented with the one
 millionth copy at the Windows & OS/2 Show at Boston's World Trade
 Center, August 18-21.  Between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31, 1992, users who call
 the 1-800-3-IBM-OS2 phone number can purchase OS/2 for the following
 prices: Windows upgrade $79; DOS upgrade $99 and first time buyers $149.
 OS/2 is an advanced 32-bit operating system that supports DOS, Windows
 and OS/2 applications in a single package.
 
 
 ADOBE SHIPS 22 NEW TYPEFACE PACKAGES
 Adobe announced the availability of 22 new typeface software packages
 from the Adobe Type Library, including new packages from leading type
 foundries such as Linotype, Monotype and Berthold.  All packages can be
 purchased from Adobe Authorized Dealers or through Font & Function,
 Adobe's type catalog.  Customers interested in the Adobe Type Library
 should contact Adobe at 800-83-FONTS.
 
 
 NEW EPSON ACTIONPRINTER
 Epson has announced the ActionPrinter 2250, a 9-pin version of its
 ActionPrinter 3250.  A unique feature is a covered printhead that keeps
 noise in while keeping dust, food or sticky fingers out.  Operating at
 a quiet 50 decibels minimizes disruption to meetings and phone calls.
 At a suggested retail price of $199, it provides the sharpest possible
 near-letter-quality output at draft speeds of up to 240 characters per
 second.  Users have a choice between Roman and Sans Serif fonts with
 graphics resolution of 240 x 144 dots per inch. Epson's industry-
 standard control language for 9-pin printing, ESC/P, ensures widespread
 compatibility with popular software.  Information about the product,
 including reseller locations, can be obtained by calling 1-800-922-8911.
 
 
 NEW HP PLOTTER
 Hewlett-Packard has announced the HP DesignJet 600 plotter, a high-
 resolution monochrome inkjet plotter for fast output.  The new plotter,
 which uses commonly available media offers better print quality, broader
 connectivity and greater functionality at a lower price than its
 predecessor.  The HP DesignJet 600 plotter, which replaces the HP
 DesignJet plotter, is available in two models -- E size (36-in. wide)
 for $9,995 and D size (24-in. wide) for $8,495 (U.S. list).
 
 
 
 | | |  DUSSELDORF REPORT
 | | |  Story by John Nagy, Courtesy AtariUser Magazine
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 NOTE:  This article may NOT be reprinted without written permission
 of Quill Publishing.  Copyright (c)1992, AtariUser Magazine, John Nagy
 
 
 Atari's Newest Machine is introduced in German Atari Fair
 
 The floor of the world's largest annual Atari fair had "Falcons all over
 the floor of the show, in almost every booth," according to Nathan
 Potechin of DMC Publishing, Inc., who gave AtariUser eyewitness accounts
 during the show.  Other estimates said that about 20 Falcons were
 roosting throughout the sprawling conference center.  Many show-goers
 thought they were looking at regular 1040's since the Falcons on display
 were not black as originally thought.
 
 The Dusseldorf, Germany locale for Atari Messe was again inundated with
 Atari--the huge trade show spans roughly four football fields of floor
 space.  Nathan reported that the show this year (August 21-23) is
 similar in size and attendance to last year's event, which brought
 30,000 of the faithful to visit 180 vendors.
 
 The announcement of the Falcon 030 was the first order of business at
 Dusseldorf.  The crowds knew what they were coming to see after months
 of nearly-accurate profiles of the coming machine were offered by most
 of the Atari media, and the excitement was high as they saw it
 firsthand.
 
 However, numerous reports have been made by developers and attendees
 that indicate that the Falcon is not quite ready to fly.  While many
 existing software products are said to run flawlessly and swiftly,
 reports of spectacular crashes when running software already loaded on
 the demo units hard drives blemished the premier.
 
 In any case, many vendors at AtariMesse had new applications that
 exposed the power and features that are new on the Falcon 030.  DMC
 Publishing (Calamus) again had the largest booth on the floor, spanning
 4,000 square feet with about 40 people working in it alone.  Other large
 booths included TMS, Matrix, 3K, and Maxxon.  Many new products were
 shown, and AtariUser will report on them in detail in our next issue.
 
 Prices and Plans
 
 The "base" Falcon 030 will retail for $799 in the USA in a one-megabyte
 configuration.  The next option up the scale will be a four-megabyte RAM
 Falcon with 65 megabyte hard drive at $1,399.  Availability in the US is
 slated for "October" in limited quantities.  The FCC type acceptance for
 domestic sales is not yet in hand, but is predicted to be a sure thing
 this time, due to extensive tests done in-house at Atari.
 
 Marketing plans for the new machine in the USA were also revealed in
 Germany.  Sam Tramiel told dealers and developers at Atari Messe that
 the US launch will be via regional marketing build-ups.  Individual
 regions of the USA will be targeted, one at a time, with major "dog and
 pony shows" to both woo and educate computer dealers.  Significant co-op
 advertising money will be offered to dealers who join in the roll-out.
 Once enough regions are served by a new operating dealer network, Atari
 will launch a national advertising campaign.
 
 Industry observers suggest that this plan will make the most of Atari's
 cash and production resources.  By serving a small but growing dealer
 network with product, on-board Falcon dealers can be more assured of
 delivery of product during the build-out stages of the plan.  Dealers
 will help and be helped in promotional costs, enabling Atari to make a
 bigger splash in smaller ponds with less of their own money, and
 allowing Atari's resources to go towards increasing production of Falcon
 computers.  As production and sales increase, so will revenues with
 which to attack new regions.  Meanwhile, Falcon specific software will
 mature and present a solid base for the later national marketing
 efforts, to come in 1993.
 
 The Word on the Bird
 
 Atari's CEO Sam Tramiel made conference appearances on the GEnie and
 Delphi telecommunication networks the week before AtariMesse, giving the
 fans worldwide a chance to "talk" to him "live."  Communicating via
 modem to the conferences, the audience could ask questions directly of
 Sam and the Atari technical team, and get answers in real time.  The
 result was the best look we've had to date at the intention and
 potential of Atari and the new Falcon.
 
 The corporate view of the Falcon 030 is that it exceeds all of the
 multimedia expectations of the computer buying public, while being an
 exceptional value as a home computer system.  Sam took fire on the
 conferences over the 1040 style case, which is seen by some as a curse.
 Sam reiterated the Atari position that the Falcon 030 is the consumer/
 introductory unit of a new series of computers, and alluded to a 68040
 to come, but would say no more.
 
 Conversely, Sam Tramiel said of sales and advertising of the current
 line of Atari computers: "We felt that the present ST/STE family was not
 strong enough to market in the US.  We have been waiting for this new
 product, and we do plan to support it and market it in the US.  It will
 be a hard battle, but we will put a good effort behind it."  He added
 that the STe and especially the TT lines will continue to be produced
 and supported.
 
 More:

 ||| MultiTOS is a combination of rom and disk based software.  Most well
     written applications seem to work fine.  MultiTOS will be available
     as an upgrade for the TT030 and future 68030 and above machines.
 
 ||| Bundled software will be packaged with the Atari Falcon030 will
     include games written especially for the Atari Falcon030, including
     LandMines and a BreakOut kind of game.  There will also be a Rolodex
     type of application called Cal/Apt, a calculator application called
     ProCalc, and a Talking Clock desk accessory.
 
 ||| New STe compatible analog joysticks will have 15 buttons, with three
     fire buttons and a 12 key keypad.
 
 ||| A true expansion bus via a direct processor slot with all of the
     necessary data and control lines to allow plugging in optional third
     party coprocessor boards.  This will allow more complete PC and Mac
     emulators, for example.
 
 ||| According to Sam, there are some 30 new developers that are
     producing software for the Atari Falcon.  Several of the developers
     are also NeXT developers.
 
 ||| Contrary to a few scare rumors, the MIDI and cartridge ports are
     still standard.  However, there is no external floppy connector for
     a second disk drive, and no ACSI/DMA port for Atari brand hard
     drives and laser printers.  Sam explains that Atari opted for the
     industry standard and faster SCSI II.  Third party companies have
     developed converter boxes to allow the SLM printers to connect to
     the Atari Falcon 030.
 
 Memory Matters
 
 The Falcon 030 can have 1, 4 or 14 megabytes of RAM.  The memory is
 addressed continuously, and any application or MultiTOS can see all the
 memory at once.  Memory upgrades will be through a "Atari Falcon" ram
 board.  There are no memory controllers on the board like on the TT, and
 Atari's pricing on the RAM will be "very competitive."  The RAM in the
 Falcon is 32-bit wide, and the limited total RAM configurations allow
 faster memory access than other multiples.
 
 Why 14 instead of 16 or more megabytes?  In order to maintain a high
 degree of compatibility with ST software, a 16 meg window was maintained
 despite the ability of the 68030 chip to "see" far more memory.  The top
 two meg of the 16 meg a 68000 is capable of addressing are mapped as I/O
 device handling areas, so they are not used by the Falcon either.  The
 result is a lot of RAM that is used just like ST memory instead of the
 switching scheme used in the TT.
 
 Sightings

 The Atari Falcon030 will work with any VGA, or Atari ST Color Monitor...
 SC1224 or SC1435.  The 16 bit True Color (non-palette) mode will work in
 640 x 480 interlaced on a TV or ST style monitor.  A special cable will
 let you use an older ST monitor.  True Color will also work in 320 x 480
 on VGA monitors.  The BLiTTER Chip has been sped up to 16 MHz to handle
 the extra bandwidth and does double duty for fast hard drive access.
 
 The Falcon 030 is easily "Genlockable" for multimedia and TV use; a
 cheap third-party external device is required to strip the sync from the
 external signal.
 
 
 

 



 | | |  NETWORK FLOW CONTROL
 | | |  Compiled by Ed Krimen
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 Some messages may have been edited for correct spelling, grammar, and
 irrelevant material.
 
 
 WHAT?!  NO FLOPPY PORT ON THE FALCON?
 -------------------------------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari Falcon 030 Computer" topic (20)

 Message 35        Mon Aug 17, 1992
 K.CAVAGHAN2 [OakSprings]     at 00:38 EDT
 
 I am very excited about the Falcon and it's potential.  I only have 1
 question (of course).
 
 I'm hoping I am wrong but is the Falcon limited to just the internal
 floppy?  I hope I read the spec's wrong but if so, may I ask why?
 
 Thanks,
 Kent
 ----------
 Message 39        Mon Aug 17, 1992
 OUTRIDER [Terry]             at 11:04 EDT
 
 Kent, There is no external floppy port, but from what I understand you
 can hook up a high density floppy drive to the SCSI II port.
 
 - Terry -
 ----------
 Message 40        Mon Aug 17, 1992
 J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 12:14 EDT
 
 If you need an external floppy you can buy a SCSI unit. I think the
 strategy behind having only one floppy is that EVERY Falcon comes with a
 hard drive interface built in, and you can get a small Hdrive for the
 price of a second floppy, so that is what people would do, rather than
 investing in two floppies.  With the early STs that wasn't the case,
 remember that it was many months before the SH204 was out in quantity,
 and back then a hard drive wasn't thought of as cheap enough to be
 affordable to anyone...20Meg IDE's are affordable to anyone who can
 afford the computer in the firstplace ;-)
 ===================================


 MORE NOTES ON THE FALCON FROM JIM ALLEN
 ---------------------------------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari Falcon 030 Computer" topic (20)

 Message 17        Fri Aug 14, 1992
 J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 22:54 EDT
 
 The internal expansion bus is very general, it can be used for anything
 ...386sx, acceleration, video, etc, etc.
 
 I look forward to making an accelerator for this unit, it is the best
 baseline we've ever had to start with!! Should be easy to make it quite
 peppy.
 
 The memory daughterboard is ALSO a good place for video expansions, the
 sky really is the limit on the neat things you can do down the road with
 this machine....of course it's gonna be a while before there are
 1,000,000+ units out there.
 
 The only continued limitation on PC emulators will be the fact that
 although there is 640x480 mode it isn't done with the weird bank
 switching stuff the PC VGA cards are, making it tough to emulate VGA
 color, so much PC software goes right to the hardware on the VGA cards.
 But it may be possible to build a video/memory daughterboard that could
 really act like a VGA card to a PC emulator.  We'll have to see.
 
 The Falcon has a SCSI II port, just like the Mac, but there is no more
 Atari ACSI port.  3rd party's are going to come out with a SCSI
 interface box for the SLM printers, to replace the original controller
 box....which is kinda neat, because from there all you need is a driver
 to be able to use the SLM on a fast Mac or PC with SCSI....hmmm.
 
 Of course a fairly inexpensive accelerator will be able to bring the
 Falcon up to the equivalent of a 486-100 ;-) With some hires mono video
 tossed in and a 19" Mac mono monitor would give you a KILLER DTP/
 Graphics machine for about $2,500 in the Falcon.  Add a BIG Hdisk and
 the Unix software and for $3,000 you've got a kickbutt lowend Unix
 workstation....just get NeXT Step ported to it...pleeeease ;-)
 ===================================


 FLOPTICAL DRIVES AVAILABLE FOR ST AND FALCON
 --------------------------------------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari Falcon 030 Computer" topic (20)
 
 Message 150       Mon Aug 24, 1992
 MAG.SOFTWARE                 at 01:39 EDT
 
 For those interested in an external floppy drive for the Falcon, New
 Dimensions Computer Center sells a 20MB Floptical drive with 1 20MB disk
 for $459.  With 'shoebox' case, 60 watt power supply and SCSI cable for
 $589.  With 'shoebox' case, 60 watt power supply, ICD AdSCSI Host
 Adaptor, DMA cable and software for $659.
 
 This Floptical drive will read, write and format 720K and 1.44MB floppy
 disks as well as the 20MB disks. Floppies run TWICE as fast as a
 'regular' floppy drive.
 
 Extra 20MB disks are ONLY $24.95.
 
 Contact:  New Dimensions Computer Center
           9026 W. National Ave
           West Allis, WI 53227
           (414)327-3311
 ===================================


 C++ FOR THE ST
 --------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari Falcon 030 Computer" topic (20)

 Message 71        Thu Aug 20, 1992
 CBARRON                      at 01:38 EDT
 
 >Is anyone planning on implementing C++ on the atari platform?
 
 It is near completion. Comeau Computing (I think that is the name the
 vendor of Comeau C++ for unix anyway.) has an almost completed port of
 their software to the atari platform.  It is AT&T 3.0 with templates,
 etc. compliant and very portable accross platforms.  Reviewers in the
 unix segment of computers think very highly of this product.
 ----------
 Message 72        Thu Aug 20, 1992 
 CHERRY.FONTS [Todd]          at 02:04 EDT
 
 A fellow developer friend uses GNU C++ for all his commercial Atari
 software projects.  It exists and is free (available here on GEnie I
 believe,) and is quite capable.

 ..Todd Cherry Fonts Member IAAD
 ===================================


 MAKING THE RIGHT THINGS HAPPEN
 ------------------------------
 -=> In the "Flaming - Debating - Discussions - Rumors" category (18)
 -=> from "The Soapbox: Editorials about Atari" topic (2)

 Message 173       Fri Aug 21, 1992
 LEXICOR [Lee]                at 00:29 EDT
 
 I know it's hard to understand, and I am probably the last person to say
 so: "But" you should understand that there are a lot of honest, hard-
 working, devoted people working at ATARI doing their level best to make
 the "Right" things happen.
 
 I have met and had dinner with Sam T, Bill Rehbock, and others, and I
 believe that these two and all those who they work with are doing
 everything possible.  You have to really be in this business before you
 can begin to understand how complex and how hard it is to get everything
 to happen when you want it to.  Yes, I know I rant and rave sometimes,
 both here and elsewhere, but do understand I hope that what "I want" for
 LEXICOR and what ATARI "needs" is not always the same thing.  They can
 no more drop everything and do for me than they can drop everything and
 just start pandering to the US market.
 
 I am not making excuses for ATARI; and I am not saying that "my view" of
 the ATARI market is any better than theirs is.  What I am saying is that
 it is really quite pointless to challange Sam T. or, as I often do,
 challenge Bill Rehbock when I am frustrated.  These men have many
 restrictions on what they can and cannot do.  I would be willing to bet
 that no matter what choice they make on any given issue, business
 situation or who gets what and when, there will always be someone who
 will be unhappy.
 
 It is really quite unfair to expect any large company to be sensitive to
 each and every need of each patron.  Even at LEXICOR we often have
 chronic problems.  I could show you a file of small problems and nearly
 a thousand letters sent to me by customers who just wanted a little
 attention -- you know, just four or five questions.  There is no way I
 can ever answer all these letters as much as I would like to.  I have
 two telephone lines, one direct.  I publish this one so that our
 customers can call and try to get problems solved directly.  But even
 so, this does not always help.  There is little I can do about some
 problems, albeit I have complete authority to do whatever I want!  But I
 can't do anything to make disk deliveries speed up, or make UPS find a
 lost shipment.  In many cases, I can only ask for help from this vendor
 or that vendor.  In many cases, I have to shell out cash before I can
 order.  Think what it is like to pay for all the "Bazillion" bits and
 pieces to build a computer, and how amazing that they even work at all!
 
 I hope these comments will be of some interest!
 Lee
 ===================================


 POSSIBLE 68040 UPGRADE FOR FALCON
 ---------------------------------
 -=> In the "Hardware" category (4)
 -=> from the "Turbo16-30 from Fast Technology" topic (11)

 Message 109       Sun Aug 16, 1992
 J.RICE5 [Joe Rice]           at 03:59 EDT
 
 Jim, I saw that Sam Tramiel indicated that the Falcon couldn't be
 upgraded to a 68040.  I assume you know something he doesn't, right?
 
 Joe
 ----------
 Message 110       Sun Aug 16, 1992
 J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 12:48 EDT
 
 Yep, the design of the Falcon doesn't have any built in "gotcha's" that
 make using an 040 impossible... which IS the case with the ST(E) design.
 Also, the OS has been "fleshed out" in many ways by Atari, so that
 MultiTOS knows what to do with each of the possible processors it might
 end up running on.  I've done a study of what's required and it will be
 possible to put a board in, although it may be in the $1,100 range.
 I've also scoped out the Tiny030 for the Falcon, and will provide swap-
 grades for Tiny030 owners in the future when they want to move to a
 Falcon.  I'll probably yank out a design I have for a Mac monitor
 compatible high-res monochrome and slap that onto the Falcon Tiny030.
 Since the RAM system is 32bit on the Falcon -- not burst mode but 32bits
 wide -- the cache for it will be 32bit and I've got a really neat design
 done.  It should be a serious screamer... 40 or 50Mhz 030, cache, and
 1152x870 19" mono video circuit.
 ----------
 Message 111       Sun Aug 16, 1992
 AD-VANTAGE                   at 12:58 EDT
 
 Joe, I would read Sam Tramiel's statement to mean *ATARI* will not be
 offering a 68040 upgrade for the Falcon.  With the processor direct
 connections, just about anything is possible in the way of Falcon
 upgrades with the help of 2nd party developers such as Fast Technology.
 
 -- Ron
 ===================================


 SO WHAT'S IT LIKE?
 ------------------
 -=> In the "Flaming - Debating - Discussions - Rumors" category (18)
 -=> from the "Atari systems vs. Other systems" topic (22)

 Message 118       Fri Aug 14, 1992
 D.D.MARTIN [Swampy]          at 18:34 EDT
 
 Well, folks, I've had my PC for a little over 2 weeks and am here to
 tell you that I'm not overly impressed.  Understand that it is a truly
 dedicated system.  I run it only to do research for my business.  What
 it does for me in this regard is worth the expense.
 
 The system I have is a 386-DX, 4 megs RAM, 3.5 and 5.25 high density
 floppies, 80 MEG h/d and a CD ROM player (the research data base is on
 CD disc), and super VGA monitor.
 
 My _first_ impression of this rig was geeezus, it's so BIG!!  The CPU
 case turned out to be too big to put on my desk top so I moved it down
 under the desk.  Besides, it's _ugly_.
 
 My sister (a programmer and systems anylist) put the system together for
 me and set everything up so that when I turn it on it goes straight to
 the research program.  I don't think I could have gotten all the
 config.sys and autoexec.bat files done by myself.  I don't _want_ to
 learn computing I just want to _use_ a computer!
 
 I never will forget setting up my first ST.  It was so easy!  Plug and
 play!  I had the system up and running and was logged on to GEnie using
 FLASH within a half hour of getting home with my new computer.  It took
 my sister 2 hours to get the PC set up and she _knows_ what she's doing!
 Pitty the poor soul who knows very little about computers that buys a PC
 at SAMS and faces the overwhelming task of getting it running.
 
 Hugs...Swampy
 ----------
 Message 176       Sat Aug 22, 1992
 C.HERBORTH [-Chris-]         at 16:26 EDT
 
 BTW, a friend of mine just got a TT.  We're planning to kill him so we
 can take it...  We've also been playing with the LC II at the Future
 Shop and yes, it's slow as molasses.  Yuck.  Reminds me of when I had a
 C=64 and it took a half hour to load a game.  The one guy who's a
 hardware guru said "_THIS_ is an 030?!?!?"
 
 Then there's my '486 at work.  We've paid about $2000 for the software
 on it (only one pirate application!  wow!  NCR's pretty good about that)
 and are there any useful _tools_ on it?  Nope.  If I need to convert a
 picture from one format to another (since Word can't deal with most TIFF
 images we have, and PCX is a Bad Thing) I either have to bring it home
 for my ST to churn away on, or hack something together on the unix
 server.  Have you ever tried programming with MicroSloth C?!?  There's
 about 200 command switches you _need_ just to compile a simple hello.c
 program (ie, a program that prints "Hello!" and does nothing else)...
 
 Not to mention the fact that most software doesn't work properly on it,
 since I don't have a VGA monitor.  We dropped > $3000 to put a 19"
 monochrome on it.  Oh, so fast on that 8Mhz bus.
 
 I'm _very_ eagerly awaiting a Mega-style Falcon 030.  If they don't fly
 in North America, I'll have to move on from my ST...  Probably to an SST
 or TinyTurbo 030.  DOS is the choice of the stupid generation (ie,
 people who don't know anything about computers and buy it for work; and
 business people who still think IBM is the safest business machines,
 despite the fact that they grab the cheapest klone they can find) and
 Macs are so over-priced that it's not funny.  Mind you, if I won a
 lottery, I'd probably consider a Quadra 950... then I'd buy a NeXT.
 
 Didja ever notice how much PC owners/users talk about "compatibility"?
 How they pay an extra $100 or whatever to have that archaic 5.25" drive
 installed "just in case"?  DESPITE THE FACT that they never pass data
 files around?!?  And even when they do, they're doomed, since they don't
 have the same application, or the same _version_ of the application.
 
 -Chris-
 ===================================


 CAN YOU EVER HAVE TOO MUCH FALCON INFO?
 ---------------------------------------
 -=> In the "Flaming - Debating - Discussions - Rumors" category (18)
 -=> from the "Atari 'Falcon' Project' topic (20)

 Message 229       Sat Aug 15, 1992
 J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 03:12 EDT
 
 The Falcon is a really really spiffy offspring of the STE and shares the
 same basic memory map.  The top 1 Meg is used for IO devices, the next
 to top 1 Meg is used for Tos ROMs.  That leaves 14 Megabytes out of the
 16 Megabytes total address space.  You can now use the full 14 Megs of
 address space as RAM, the RAM controller even does the work for you!!
 
 Yes, the 030 chip allows more than a 16 Megabyte address space, but NOT
 when you are trying to be as compatible as possible to the STE.  Far too
 many ST applications, especially games, are not and never will be "32-
 bit clean".  So Atari made the new machine so it didn't _require_ 32bit
 clean software, it will run the older non-32bit clean software...like
 Tempus the editor as an example, and Calamus 1.09N as another example.
 It's really a very nice compromise, and if you _need_ more the 14Megs it
 can be arranged, by slapping a memory expansion board in the CPU
 expansion slot, rigged up to act the way TT ram does now in the TT...and
 on the Turbo030 accelerator ;-) So you could add, hmmm, 8 16Megabyte
 SIMMs, or something equally rediculous. ;-)
 
 On the video, yes, by implementing the "interlaced" mode you can get
 most resolutions on the SC1224, making the transition for ST users much
 less costly to begin with.  Neat.
 
 NTSC has 525 periods of information between vertical sync pulses, so
 there is the ability to put 525 lines worth of info on the screen.
 Oops, that's 525 lines between even vertical sync pulses.  Each period
 of information is unique, so that's about as close to having 525 lines
 of resolution you're going to get on a TV. But because TV is
 "overscanned" on the tube, you actually only see about 480 of those
 lines, the rest are "off screen". If you could scrunch the vertical size
 down enough you could see them all.
 
 Overscanning is used so they don't have to be as precise in
 manufacturing the TVs about lining up the display on the tube, the whole
 tube face gets zapped, otherwise you'd have to precisely adjust the
 position of the display so it was located neatly on the screen.
 
 The Falcon will be "acceleratable" easily, 40 or 50 Mhz would be the
 target for an 030, if you're going to the trouble of speeding up, why
 stop at 33? ;-)
 
 Atari has been very sensible from the start on upgradability with the
 Falcon.  If they can't meet the $35/Meg RAM price, I'm sure a 3rd party
 will.  Since the 4 Megabyte size board would require 8 1Megx4 chips, a
 small PC board, and an inexpensive connector, it should be salable for
 around $159 retail, or $40/Meg and still make a profit for the developer
 and dealer.
 
 The internal IDE needs to be a 2.5" drive to fit, and I'm sure they'll
 leave the space there, ready to have a drive slapped in, no tricks, no
 hurdles, no crippling.
 
 There's been a real, fundamental, change in Atari's view toward 3rd
 party enhancements and user upgradability, and the Falcon will show it.
 
 The IDE and SCSI II ports are DMA'd ports. The Blitter chip is used as a
 generic DMA controller, not only drawing lines on the screen like
 lightning, but also reading/writing to disk.  Something the Mac's lack
 and could REALLY use. ;-)
 
 The Falcon only knows about 14 Megs of RAM, CPU, blitter, DMA, etc.  It
 is out of the box a 24bit machine...ie, only the first 24 bits of the
 68030 address bus are connected to anything.  This is REQUIRED in order
 to be thoroughly compatible with the ST software that is not "32-bit
 clean".
 
 Yes, a 3rd-party can add "TT RAM" since the OS continues to have all the
 appropriate support built in.  I'd assume that will happen, as I said,
 this is a VERY EXPANDABLE machine; there are very few limitations.
 However, adding "TT RAM" type boards will change the system into a 32bit
 device and it will have then have some of the incompatibilities that the
 TT has.  I'd suggest someone doing such a board include a "defeat" to
 allow return to 24bit-ness.
 ----------
 Message 55        Sat Aug 22, 1992
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 09:41 EDT
 
 Towns: Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions, minus the
 questions about advanced models and marketing strategies...
 
 Fire 1: Does the Falcon 030 come with MultiTOS. I mean, is it done and
         ready and shipping in Falcons, or will it be an 'upgrade'?
 
 Fire 2: Has GEM been tweaked up with nice multi-colored (aka more than
         2) Icons and Gadgets? Maybe even 3-D like buttons, etc?
 
 Fire 3: In a 14 meg unit, where the 68030 doesn't "see" the last 2 megs,
         did you guys at least give the hardware access to it?  Like,
         could it be used by the sound stuff, or the blitter?  Is there
         possibly a way of "bank switching" a la 130XE, which lets me use
         the RAM for anything?  (I mean my whole computer only has 2 megs
         now, so it seems like a waste to not have access to it) I don't
         suppose that the Falcon RAM card only has 14 megs populated?
         Opinion around here says that it has the full 16 on it.
 
 Fire 4: What is the difference about VGA monitors which won't let the
         Falcon do 16 bit color in 640x480 mode, yet it will work with a
         TV?  I was always under the impression that TV was poor quality
         and that monitors were much better.  Is it because of the
         interlacing?
 
 Fire 5: Will I be able to take advantage of the new resolutions on my
         SC1224?  If so, will they suffer because the monitor is
         outdated?
 
 Fire 6: Does the BLiTTER and other hardware video features work in ALL
         resolutions?  The BLiTTER seems to be set up for the 4 plane, 2
         plane, and 1 plane modes of the ST.  Have to new modes been
         designed to fit the Blitter, or the other way around?  How about
         horizontal and vertical scrolling?  Overscan?
 
 Fire 7: How much does it cost to become a Falcon Developer?  What would
         one get from Atari if one were to register?
 
 Fire 8: Will MultiTOS really be able to run concurrently such existing
         programs like Pagestream, DynaCADD, Aladdin, etc?  Or, will only
         special versions run with it?  Also, is there a "I'm a bad
         program and I only run when I have the whole system" mode, which
         will allow poorly written programs to run?
 
 Fire 9: What portions of MultiTOS are on disk? Does this mean that
         perhaps periodic upgrades to the disk portions of MultiTOS will
         be available on the Official Online Service of Atari Corp?  Why
         put it on disk in the first place?  It's not a RAM hog like
         windoze, is it?
 
 Fire 10: Can you tell us about any potential uses for the DSP, other
         than the sound processing capabilities?
 
 Thanks for taking the time to read and consider these questions, which
 have been nagging at us all for so long.  It seems like every answer
 spawns 10 more questions, but any information is truly appreciated.
 thanks.
 ----------
 Message 56        Sat Aug 22, 1992
 J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 11:12 EDT
 
 TBird, the 16Meg board will only allow 14Megs to be accessed.  The ROMS
 have 1Meg of the memory map, and IO devices have another 1Meg.  The
 Blitter needs to access the ROMS and the IO devices.  SO nothing that
 could use the access will be able to, that's life.  Why is it so hard to
 understand?
 
 If you take a Mac Plus or Classic, stuff a 68030 board in, and stuff 16
 Megs on RAM on it, you will still only get access to 14Megs of it...for
 exactly the same reason.
 
 A 16Meg upgrade should be around $399 from 3rd parties, based on the
 price of 4Meg Drams these days.
 ----------
 Message 60        Sat Aug 22, 1992
 FIFTHCRUSADE                 at 16:52 EDT
 
 Thunderbird,  I can answer some of these.
 
 #5 You'll be able to use your old monitor with an adapter, and it will
    work with any resolution with 200 horizontal lines.  The number of
    colors doesn't matter.  You'll want a new monitor for the higher
    resolutions.
 
 #9 Why put it on disk anyway?  That's where a large complex operating
    system belongs.  The main reason to have TOS in ROM is so you can use
    the system without a hard drive.  You can't realistically run more
    than one application at a time unless you have a hard drive anyway,
    so Multi-TOS should be on the hard drive for upgrade purposes, and to
    save ROM space.
 
 #10 Lots of DSP uses.  I hear rumblings of "realtime-raytracing".

 Ben White
 5th Crusade Software
 ----------
 Message 62        Sat Aug 22, 1992
 TOWNS [John@Atari]           at 17:25 EDT
 
 1. To my knowledge, MultiTOS is NOT currently shipping with the
    Falcon030 machines in Germany.  I don't know when that will happen,
    but we still have some work to do on MultiTOS.
 
 2. The Falcon030 version of TOS (known as TOS 4.0) has numerous new
    features. They include support for DMA sound playback and record, DSP
    support, 3D objects (the windows from the desktop are 3D), sub-menus
    and popups built into the OS, and up to 256 color icons.
 
 3. Currently, the extra 2 megabytes is not available for use in
    Falcon030.  They do have the full 16 megabytes on the board.
 
 4. True Color, 640x480 on a VGA monitor is too much bandwidth for the
    video hardware to handle.  TV modes look okay, but I think the best
    route is an Atari color monitor (the same as the current Atari Color
    monitor).
 
 5. Yes. And no.. the new modes look fine on a SC1224.
 
 6. There is a re-designed BLiTTER in the video chip that runs at 16Mhz
    instead of 8Mhz and is used in all modes.  Overscan is built-in and
    Hardware scrolling works the same as the STE.
 
 7. The developer information has not changed.  You should talk with Gail
    Bacani at Atari.
 
 8. If you have a bad program, you should pressure the author of the
    program to fix it.  However, if you run that program as the only
    program in the system, it will probably work.  Besides, since current
    versions of MultiTOS are soft-loaded, you can disable MultiTOS when
    you boot up your system for those annoying programs.  And yes,
    MultiTOS does run existing applications concurrently.  There are some
    programs that don't work, but the major applications are running now
    or may require a small update.
 
 9. MiNT and the new AES are on disk.  The VDI and the lower level OS
    functions are used out of ROM. MultiTOS does use some RAM, how much I
    am not sure about.  As for availability of MultiTOS, I have no idea
    when that will happen and how it will happen.
 
 10. Well, it can be used for decompress of JPEG pictures.  We are
    already doing that here at Atari.  How about a modem?  There are DSP
    modems out there that are just an adapter that plugs into the DSP
    port and processes the analog signals from the modem.
 
 If there is anything else.. or you would like me to expand on something,
 please feel free to jump in and ask.
 
 -- John Townsend, Atari Corp.
 
 Resolutions available on the Atari Falcon030 (c) 1992 Atari Corp.
 Written by John Townsend
 =========================================================================
 This document may be re-printed again and again as long as the Atari
 copyright remains intact.
 =========================================================================
 
 A couple of notes: Unlike previous machines, there are just too many
 resolutions to give each resolution a name.  Therefore, I will do my
 best to describe what the resolution is and which monitor it is on.
 
 - NOTE: TV and a Color Monitor are the same.. by Color Monitor, I am
   talking about the standard SC1224.  By VGA, I mean a standard VGA
   Monitor.

 40 column modes ( "column" means the number of x pixels divided by 8)
 ---------------
    4 color, normal, TV:         320x200,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, normal, TV:         320x200,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, normal, TV:         320x200,  256 colors, 8 planes
 True color, normal, TV:         320x200,  true color
 
    4 color, interlace, TV:      320x400,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, interlace, TV:      320x400,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, interlace, TV:      320x400,  256 colors, 8 planes 
 True color, interlace, TV:      320x400,  true color
 
    4 color, normal, VGA:        320x480,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, normal, VGA:        320x480,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, normal, VGA:        320x480,  256 colors, 8 planes 
 True color, normal, VGA:        320x480,  true color

    4 color, line-doubling, VGA: 320x240,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, line-doubling, VGA: 320x240,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, line-doubling, VGA: 320x240,  256 colors, 8 planes 
 True color, line-doubling, VGA: 320x240,  true color

 80 column modes
 ---------------
    2 color, normal, TV:         640x200,    2 colors, 1 plane
    4 color, normal, TV:         640x200,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, normal, TV:         640x200,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, normal, TV:         640x200,  256 colors, 8 planes 
 True color, normal, TV:         640x200,  true color

    4 color, interlace, TV:      640x400,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, interlace, TV:      640x400,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, interlace, TV:      640x400,  256 colors, 8 planes 
 True color, interlace, TV:      640x400,  true color

    2 color, normal, VGA:        640x480,    2 colors, 1 plane
    4 color, normal, VGA:        640x480,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, normal, VGA:        640x480,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, normal, VGA:        640x480,  256 colors, 8 planes

    4 color, line-doubling, VGA: 640x240,    4 colors, 2 planes
   16 color, line-doubling, VGA: 640x240,   16 colors, 4 planes
  256 color, line-doubling, VGA: 640x240,  256 colors, 8 planes

 and lastly.. there are compability modes for ST Low, ST Medium, and ST
 High on both VGA monitors and SC1224 monitors. (On a color monitor, ST
 High is achieved by using the interlace mode).
 
 Also, the ST Monochrome monitor (the SM124) will work with Falcon030 as
 well.  However, it only supports one resolution: ST High Resolution.
 
 All modes on a TV can be overscanned. This means multiplying the X and Y
 resolution by 1.2.  For example, modes with 320 pixels of horizontal
 resolution (X res) will become 384 pixels across, and modes with 640
 pixels will become 768 across.  Overscanning is done in the X and Y
 resolution.  You can't do them independently.  Special Note: On a VGA
 monitor, overscan is "faked".. since the video hardware doesn't have the
 capability to do overscan on a VGA monitor, we made it so that if a
 overscan mode is set on a VGA monitor, you still see the normal size
 screen, but the screen is a window onto the bigger overscanned image.
 Make sense?  We did this for compatibility.  This way if a game that has
 an overscanned starup picture can use the same pic on both the VGA
 monitor and the TV monitor.  Pretty cool, eh? <grin>
 
 BTW.. Overscan can NOT be set from the desktop.  The AES and Desktop
 will work just fine with it, but because you can't see the parts of the
 screen, we thought that that option shouldn't be available from the
 desktop.  We don't want to confuse people.  However, Overscan can be set
 using a new XBIOS call (Vsetmode()).. so it is still available.
 
 I hope I haven't made any mistakes.  I triple-checked this document in
 search of errors and I couldn't find any.  If you do find some, send me
 Email on GEnie (to TOWNS) or CIS (70007,1135) and let me know.
 
 -- John Townsend, Atari Corp.
 
 PS. Anyone who would like to reprint this message, please do so!  The
 smaller the number of times I have to type that message, the more my
 fingers with thank you! ;-)
 
 After looking at this one more time.. one point to clear up: By saying
 SC1224 Color Monitor, I mean any Color Monitor that Atari have
 manufactured for the ST/Mega/STE/MegaSTE computers.  Clear as mud? ;-)
 ===================================
 
 
 FALCON VERSUS TT
 ----------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari Falcon 030 Computer" topic (20)

 Message 153       Mon Aug 24, 1992
 J.MEEHAN3 [>> Joe M << ]     at 05:59 EDT
 
 Jason, What are your needs in a computer?  The TT and the Falcon are two
 different manchines.  Your needs should determine which you want.
 
 In general, I would say if you are into DTP or CAD, you will want the
 TT.  If you run more towards MIDI and general use, the Falcon may be a
 better machine for you.  It also might be interesting to see what add on
 hardware may be made available for the Falcon.  From the talk I hear it
 may out speed the TT with a little help.
 
 >> Joe Meehan <<
 ----------
 Message 154       Mon Aug 24, 1992
 S.WINICK                     at 07:46 EDT
 
 Jason, I really don't understand why so many folks are trying to compare
 the Falcon with the TT030 and are holding off purchasing a TT to wait to
 see the Falcon.  I suspect it's because so far all most of you have been
 only able to see are written specs rather than the machines themselves.
 
 But the TT030 and the Falcon are so totally different machines, it's
 really not a logical comparison.  It's kinda like going car shopping and
 trying to decide whether or not to buy a currently available mini-van
 that'll handle all your growing families current and anticipated future
 needs, or waiting to see what next years 2-seater convertables will look
 like.
 
 If you have a current need for the raw power the TT030 offers, the
 Falcon is simply not a viable alternative as it is simply NOT YET
 AVAILABLE in this country.  If you need a large screen monitor for CAD
 or DTP work, the TT030 is ready NOW to meet you needs.  If you need high
 resolution color graphics, VME boards for the TT030 are available NOW.
 If you need maximum processing speed for these type of demanding
 applications, the TT030 is already running along at a blazingly fast
 32MHz, offers the ability to use extra fast TT-RAM, and the math
 coprocessor chip is standard equipment.  If you need to run multiple
 peripherals such as scanners, plotters, modems, etc., the TT030 already
 has multiple serial and modem ports.
 
 Basically, the TT030 is part of currently available system 'solutions'
 for high-end professional applications.  And its professional-style
 keyboard is no small item for anyone who needs to do a lot of typing.
 
 On the other hand, if your current computer is meeting all your current
 needs and you are in no rush to upgrade your home or personal computer
 needed primarily for a variety of personal applications, then waiting
 for the Falcon may be right for you.  If you're a home user who wants
 maximum compatibility with computer games, the Falcon, provided of
 course that Atari can eventually deliver it with an FCC Class B
 certification, would be a better choice (the TT030 is a Class A Business
 machine).
 
 Of course, if you're currently using a 520/1040 series system and simply
 need a little more horsepower, built-in hard drive, and better keyboard,
 the MegaSTe may also be a good choice.
 
 As with any 'new' computer model, remember that it always takes a little
 time before the software can catch up to the hardware's potential.  The
 potential the Falcon offers for direct to disk recording and true-color
 graphics are impressive.  But until the software is developed to take
 advantage of those capabilities, you will have to wait to achieve that
 potential.
 
 Basically, determine your computer needs, and if at all possible,
 consult with a quality dealership who can make logical recommendations.
 I'm sure that once you make a list of your own needs and desires, the
 choice will become readily apparent.  I'm sure that once Atari can
 provide their dealerships with at least a Falcon demo model, most people
 will have little trouble deciding which Atari model will be best for
 their individual needs.
 
 Now, if you still really feel the need to try to compare the Falcon to
 other models, why not try the new Apple machines or the Amiga? ;-]
 
 Sheldon (Computer STudio - Asheville, NC)
 ===================================
 
 
 



 | | |  FALCON SPECIFICATIONS
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 Atari Falcon Specifications
 
 ///  CPU:  Motorola 68030 running at 16 Mhz
      - 32-bit Bus
      - Optional 68881 or 68882 FPU
      - RAM: 1,4, or 14 megs
      - Standard Atari Cartridge Port
      - Motorola 56001 DSP chip
 
 ///  EXPANSION BUS:  Internal direct processor slot for 386SX PC
      emulation, or other coprocessor
 
 ///  GRAPHICS:
      - Super VGA graphics: 640x480 with 256 colors
      - True color 16 bit mode allowing a display of up to 65,536 colors
      - Accepts external video sync signal, allow high quality genlocking
      - Overlay mode for easy video titling and special effects
      - Overscan on TV's and ST Color monitors
      - 262,144 possible colors
      - Hardware-assisted horizontal fine scrolling
      - BLiTTER graphics co-processor
 
 ///  SOUND FEATURES:
      - Eight 16 bit audio DMA record and playback channels
      - Stereo 16 bit digital DMA input
      - Stereo 16 bit DMA audio output
      - SDMA sound/DMA Coprocessor
 
 ///  STANDARD PORTS:
      - SCSI II port with DMA
      - High speed LocalTalk  compatible  LAN
      - Connector for analog RGB color (ST or VGA) or composite video
      - RS232C serial port
      - Bidirectional parallel port
      - MIDI IN/MIDI OUT
      - Stereo microphone input, miniature stereo plug
      - Stereo audio out, miniature stereo plug
      - Two joystick connectors
      - Two enhanced digital/analog controller/light pen connectors
 
 ///  DATA STORAGE:
      - 1.44 Mbyte floppy disk drive
      - Optional internal IDE Hard Disk
 
 ///  SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
      - Pre-emptive Multitasking with adaptive prioritzation (MultiTOS)
      - Inter process communication
      - NewDesk desktop and eXtensible control panel
      - Multiple window user interface; number of windows limited only by
        memory or software in use.
 
 ///  PRICING:
      - 1 Meg RAM base configuration: $799 US
      - 4 Meg RAM with 65 Meg internal hard drive: $1,399 US
 
 ///  AVAILABILITY:
      - Shipping to begin in October, 1992, with limited US distribution
        pending FCC type acceptance.
 
 




 
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 - Z*NET FNET
 
 Topics would include those current discussed in the Z*NET FNET echo,
 GEnie, Delphi, Compuserve, Bix, Fido and comp.sys.atari.st which cover
 Z*NET Topics
 
 - Letters to the Editor
 - Current issue feedback
 - Columnist's reply
 - Letters to the Z*NET Global Crew
 - Atari Explorer On-line
 - Z*NET PC
 - Z*NET FNET echo's
 - Z*NET Fido echo's (zone 3)
 - Z*NET Pacific
 - Z*NET Europe
 - Z*NET USA
 - Z*NET Canada
 
 Topics will also include an open forum to discuss topics of interest
 with the Director of Communications at Atari Inc, USA and will be open
 to all Atari based computers ie 8bit Series, ST Series, PC Series etc.
 Feedback will be gatewayed back to fido net and FNET thus allowing a
 great interaction of users across three networks.
 
 Discussion of this proposal should be posted to news.groups.  As per the
 Guidelines, discussion that occurs there is the only discussion that
 counts.  If your site does not carry news.groups, and you are interested
 in this discussion, get your administrator to carry the group.
 
                                                        _
  - Jon Clarke                                        o( )
    jonc@status.gen.nz                               /  /\
    The Z*NET Global News Gateway in Auckland, New Zealand
 


 | | |  ATARI CLASSICS
 | | |  Press Release
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 A New Magazine for the 8-Bit Enthusiast!!!
 
 Greetings Fellow Atari 8-Bit Users!
 
 My name is Ben Poehland, and I'm pleased to announce that I shall be
 serving as Managing Editor of Atari Classics (AC), a new magazine
 exclusively devoted to the Atari 8bit user.  If you are among the
 thousands who have bemoaned the recent loss of nationally distributed
 magazines that once supported your beloved 8-bit, I'm here to add a long
 -overdue ray of hope to your 8bit future!
 
 The philosophical orientation of AC- incorporated in its Manifest is to
 be a magazine "of, by , and for the Atari 8bit user".  Unlike previous
 8bit periodicals, the content of AC will directly reflect the expressed
 desires of the user community, especially as recorded during the Mail-In
 Campaign conducted January 15- May 2, 1992.  The magazine will be
 staffed by members of the user community, and its content will be drawn
 entirely from the user community.
 
 Unicorn Publications, already well-known for its outstanding Atari
 Interface Magazine (which covers both the ST and 8bit markets), has
 agreed to provide publishing services for AC.  AC and AIM will be
 essentially independent publications, and the addition of AC to
 Unicorn's stable of products will not affect AIM's present subscribers.
 One of the many unique arrangements concerning AC is that its actual
 day-to-day operation will be largely in the hands of the user community
 rather than the publisher.  Whatever "flavor" we decide to give it will
 be entirely our own.
 
 Atari Classics represents a unique experiment in the history of the Home
 Computer Revolution that began in the mid '70s.  With Atari Corp.'s
 announcement of discontined support for all 8bit products in January
 1992, an entire class of machines with a global installed user base
 numbering in the hundreds of thousands was abandoned along with the
 community of users who still use them.  But for the first time, a
 rejected user community has marshalled its resources and declared its
 right to exist independent of Corporate America.
 
 We respond to Atari's challenge in a way that would make our forefathers
 proud: by rolling up our shirtsleeves and doing the job ourselves!
 
 This will be YOUR magazine.  AC will succeed- or fail- on the number of
 subscription orders it receives.  Although seed money to print the
 Premier Issue has been provided, the magazine will need 500 paid
 subscriptions to succeed.  A limited production run of 800 issues is
 scheduled for October or November 1992.  Most of these will be
 distributed- FREE OF CHARGE- to the roughly 600 people who sent in
 commitment cards during the Mail Campaign.
 
 That's right: if you sent in your card, YOU WILL GET TO READ THE FIRST
 ISSUE FOR FREE BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BUY.
 
 (When was the last time you saw a deal like that??)
 
 Of course, there were some folks who got missed in the Mail Campaign.
 So we ordered up those few extra copies which will also be distributed
 for free.  First come, first serve, please don't block the stampede!
 You can write to:
 
 Atari Classics
 179 Sproul Rd./Rt. 352
 Frazer, PA  19355   USA
 ATTN: B. Poehland, Managing Editor
 
 to have your name added to the list for a free copy of the Premier
 Issue.  (No guarantees, and be sure to include your postal mailing
 address!)  If you sent in your Campaign card it will NOT be necessary to
 request your free trial issue, as your name is ALREADY among the LUCKY
 600!
 
 The basic subscription fee is $25/year in the USA, with higher fees for
 Canadian and other non-US subscriptions.  Full details on subscriptions
 will appear in the Premier Issue and in future announcements.  Beginning
 in 1993 the magazine will be distributed bimonthly (6 issues/year).
 
 A software disk bearing programs published in AC plus selected offerings
 from the Public Domain, will be availble separately for $9/year in the
 USA.  The disk will be distributed independently but will be timed to
 appear with every other issue of the magazine (3 disks/year).  Full
 details on disk subscriptions will also appear in the Premier Issue and
 in future announcements.
 
 The content of Atari Classics will initially lean toward user
 applications, hardware tutorials and modifications, programming, and
 software reviews.  We plan to agressively recruit paid commercial
 advertising from scarce 8bit vendors, and to publish periodic lists of
 current 8bit supply sources.
 
 Best of all, PAID subscribers will be able to place FREE ads in AC to
 buy, sell or trade their personal 8bit treasures!  (But of course, yah
 gotta SUBSCRIBE first!)
 
 And, we'll have a whole bunch of other stuff, contributed by some of the
 most talented writers and hackers in the Atari 8-bit world, authors
 whose names you've seen gracing the pages of ANTIC, ANALOG, Current
 Notes, and Atari Interface Magazine.  (You'll notice not very many
 details there - we wanna pique your imagination!)
 
 As of this announcement (August 5, 1992) only a few of the Staff
 positions at AC have been filled.  We are starting completely from
 scratch, but anticipate most of the administrative machinery for
 operating the magazine will be in place by the end of August and
 production begun on our Premier Issue.  (We'll need a month to get used
 to working with each other in an environment of near-total chaos!)
 
 And when you see that first issue appear in your mailbox this autumn,
 IT WILL BE YOUR TURN TO DECIDE THE FUTURE OF YOUR MACHINE!!
 
 Please post/copy/distribute this announcement freely, and stay tuned for
 future announcements !!!
 

 
 | | |  LYNX GAME REVIEWS
 | | |  By Maura Fitzgerald
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 

 BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
 Manufactured by Atari Corporation
 Price: $39.99
 
 
 Whoa, dude!  Excellent game.  Bill and Ted's most favored bodacious
 babes, Joanna and Elizabeth, have been kidnapped by the Grim Reaper and
 secreted in the fiery pits of Hell (all to keep you from completing your
 musical masterpiece).  So it's up to you and your time travelling
 telephone booth to tour foreign lands and distant eras in search of
 clues to rescue these most abused and long suffering maids.
 
 Fortunately, the wily women in question have marked the winding way to
 Hell with musical notes and phone book pages, bearing crucial
 information.  Your phone booth, caught in the whirling vortex of the
 winds of time, safely deposits you in the sands of Ancient Egypt.  Then,
 it's on your laid back way, past guards, quicksand, giant scarab beetles
 and other bogus impediments, collecting musical notes, gold nuggets,
 color coded keys, and other objects; all of which can help you in your
 most heroic quest.
 
 Bill & Ted is not a fast)paced adventure, but requires perseverence and
 puzzling.  Fortunately, the game is designed so that progress can be
 cumulative.  In fact, you can take a break at any point in the game,
 just by writing down a password.  Later, you can re-enter the password,
 and the game will pick up exactly where you left off.
 
 Play alone, or via ComLynx.  When playing with a partner, Bill and Ted
 are both in action, and must cooperate.  Either way, this is one most
 non-heinous game, with a funky Egyptian style soundtrack and great
 visual effects.  And that Grim Reaper: Man!  What an ugly dude!
 M.T.F.
 
 
 FIDELITY ULTIMATE CHESS CHALLENGE
 Manufactured by Telegames, P.O. Box 901 Lancaster, TX 75146
 
 
 Stumped, stymied, struggling yet determined, I battle the overwhelming
 odds of woman against machine.  This isn't just a game, it's the
 Ultimate Chess Challenge, brought to you by Fidelity Electronics, via
 Telegames.  Fidelity are computer chess pioneers and developers of the
 only United States Chess Federation Master rated (2,325) program.  And
 as far as I can tell, the Fidelity Chess Engine has lost little or
 nothing in its translation to the Lynx format.
 
 Battling the machine will certainly improve your game, if not salve your
 ego.  Those who play chess only occasionally will wish to leave the
 machine at its lowest playing strength for a good long while, until they
 get the hang of playing against a mechanized opponent.  For serious
 players, Fidelity Chess offers eight levels of time limited analysis,
 eight levels of depth limited analysis, and an "unlimited" mode (to be
 honest, we haven't dared try it, though we assume the machine will
 decide on a move some time before the heat death of the universe).
 
 Faithful to the aesthetics of this age old game as it enters the
 computer era, Fidelity's chessmen are classically shaped silver and
 gold.  Viewed in orthagonal perspective against a red and white
 checkered board, this makes for a pleasing and easily deciphered
 display.  For more abstract strategizing, a bird's eye view is also
 available.  Additional play options permit moves to be withdrawn, hints
 granted, and game statistics to be viewed.  The game (or rather, the
 virtual chessboard) can also be used by two human players, and will
 automatically rotate 180 degrees after each move, facilitating
 visualization from two player perspectives.
 M.T.F.
 
 
 TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL
 Manufactured by Atari Corporation
 Price: $39.99
 
 Forget kinder and gentler.  This is a leaner, meaner, more dangerous,
 robotic version of the game we all know and love.  You know, the one
 with helmets and cheerleaders, touchdowns, tackling, and homecoming
 queens?  It's 2072, and it might as well be the Roman Coliseum, because
 the crowd is hungry for blood.  Fortunately, these are robots playing
 instead of people, because football has taken on a new and nasty twist.
 The ball has been replaced by an atomic Cyberball which gets closer to
 exploding with every play unless your team manages to defuse it!
 
 Choose your coach from among four snarling specimens (One of them,
 female!).  Then select your team: Crush or Thunder, Machine, or
 Lightning.  You control the key player, in silver.  He's the one that
 catches the ball and makes his way up the field against all odds.
 Comlynx up to four players and your team)mate will pick a second player
 to control. As you line up for each play, statistics will appear on the
 screen, informing you of yardage gained, and of how many yards you need
 to gain in order to defuse the Cyberball.
 
 Whether you're on defense or offense, you call the play.  On offense,
 Run, Option, and Pass strategies are available; on defense, Short,
 Medium and Long.  And you can choose which player to control.  Play is
 intense and exciting.  There's not much margin  for error when the ball
 is approaching critical.  Scoring is along old-fashioned 20th century
 lines, but points are rewarded with dollars.  And the more money you
 earn, the better players you can afford.  So buy yourself a more
 powerful cyberbot at the next timeout, or bide your time until you can
 afford an even stronger and faster one. Hike!
 M.T.F.
 
 
 AWESOME GOLF
 Manufactured by Atari Corporation
 Price: $34.99
 
 Sand traps along the fairway, or ponds on the edge of the green.  These
 are the natural (if manicured) hazards that confront you in this
 realistic golf simulation.  Three enormously challenging international
 golf courses are at your disposal.  So shoe up and practice a few holes
 by yourself, or Comlynx several players for a tour of 9 or 18 holes.
 
 Start by choosing what country you want to play in, the U.S., U.K. or
 Japan.  Then proceed to the clubhouse to set up your game options.  Let
 the Lynx know what type of player you are -- male or female, blond or
 brunette -- and what your handicap is.  Will you play on a mildly breezy
 day or a windy day?  And with how many players?  Finally, you're ready
 to tee off!
 
 Zoom in and out to study the layout of each hole on a realistic map,
 then select your club from among the full set offered.  Now that you're
 finally up at bat (so to speak), you'll find that the programmers have
 come up with a remarkable device to make hitting (or missing) the ball
 as realistic as possible.  In the course of any long stroke, you must
 hit button A three times, in quick succession: once to start (placing
 your club by the ball); twice for power (the backswing); and a third
 time, to indicate direction.  Strength and direction are indicated by a
 moving Power Bar to the right of your screen, and it takes some practice
 to improve your form!  Putting is a little simpler, but still realistic,
 with on screen indicators helping your aim, and showing you the lie of
 the green.
 
 Course details are realistically depicted, and water hazards, rough,
 bunkers, and other obstacles function pretty much like their real world
 equivalents.  Score cards can be accessed at any time during the game --
 but you won't really need them.  Chipper, your announcer, will let you
 know exactly how you're doing with commentary ranging from high praise
 to derisive laughter.  And even if you turn his voice off there are fun
 icons that appear to encourage you along the way, such as Bogies.
 M.T.F.
 
 
 QIX
 Manufactured by Atari Corporation
 Price: $39.95
 
 
 Imagine a nice harmless Etch-a-Sketch.  You're turning the knobs to
 create enclosed areas, large and small.  And every time you complete
 one, it magically fills up with a colorful pattern and becomes your
 territory.  At the same time, there's a deceptively pretty, spinning
 helix roaming randomly around the screen; trying to crash into you and
 fragment you into a gazillion splinters.  Oh, and don't forget: you're
 also being chased by Sparx, that travel along the edges of the playfield
 and up the lines you're drawing, mercilessly hunting you down.  And
 should you stop for a moment to let danger pass you by, the lines of the
 box you're drawing ("stix" in Qix parlance) will ignite and become a
 deadly fuse, very difficult to outrun.
 
 Qix is one of those incredibly fun, incredibly exasperating games that
 will have you hooked in no time -- a classic blend of action and
 strategy.  Long a favorite of ours on the Atari 8 bit, it's great to see
 the game released now for the Lynx.  The graphics of the original game
 translate beautifully to the small screen, and have even been enhanced.
 It's very gratifying to see the playing area fill up with your very own
 colorfully patterned boxes (even if the plaid patterns do boggle the
 eyes a bit and make playing more challenging.  And the sound effects are
 as fun as they are telling.
 
 As you progress through increasingly difficult levels, you must
 "capture" a larger and larger percentage of the playfield.  Additional
 and more excitable Qix's will plague you.  And for added challenge (and
 double points), you can voluntarily slow your own progress across the
 screen, by pressing the fire button.
 M.T.F.
 
 
 S.T.U.N. RUNNER
 Manufactured by Atari Corporation
 Price: $39.99
 
 
 It's the ultimate sport of the future, but you're not just playing to
 retain your title as S.T.U.N. Runner.  As you steer through harrowing
 courses at heart stopping speeds, you must also fend off ruthless
 challengers and indestructible droids who feel no piddling constraints
 to play it fair.
 
 Your vehicle is a cross between a DeLorean and a frictionless bobsled,
 capable of speeds over 900 miles per hour.  Fully capable of steering
 along the sides of a tunnel, it's also outfitted with lasers to shoot
 down your enemies.  Gain time and pick up firepower along the way by
 driving over stars and shockwaves.  Defensively, you're outfitted with
 six protective shields which are lost be hitting walls, rails, and, of
 course, your enemies.  Bang-ups will also slow you down.  But completing
 a level successfully will earn you an extra shield.
 
 Strategy and timing are crucial.  You only have a limited time to get
 through each course to the next level.  But you can't simply accelerate.
 Speed is controlled automatically, dependent on such variables as
 terrain, how nimbly you're handling your S.T.U.N. craft, and most
 importantly, on the number of power boost pads you drive over.  Boosts
 can max your speed, win you points, and earn you temporary
 invincibility.  And on the downside, you can't even complete some of the
 levels fast enough to win, unless you pick up speed from boosters along
 the way.  Additional "challenge" levels provide even more action!
 
 The graphics of this game are very satisfyingly futuristic; and gameplay
 is enhanced by great sound effects and by such details as a reassuring
 computer generated female voice, delivering instructions.  I love the
 way the S.T.U.N. craft glides up and around the walls of the tunnels,
 and the appropriately metallic echo of the laser blasts in the tunnel
 environment.  All in all, a beautifully executed rollercoaster of a
 game!
 M.T.F.
 
 

 | | |  GEMULATOR UPDATE
 | | |  Press Release and Annoucement
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 DOS compatible computer runs Atari ST software!
 
 GEMULATOR A REALITY
 
 Yes, it's true!  Gemulator allows users to run Atari ST software on 386/
 486 DOS compatible computers.  And it's ready to be shipped on September
 12, 1992.  Gemulator, which is produced by Branch Always Software, is
 now distributed world-wide exclusively by PMC (Purple Mountain
 Computers).  The retail price has been reduced from $499.95 to $299.95.
 How were we able to do this?  The Gemulator software is being offered as
 shareware, with a nominal shareware fee.
 
 For the $299.95 users receive the Gemulator hardware board, TOS 2.06
 ROMs pre-installed, and the shareware Gemulator software.
 
 GEMULATOR FEATURES
 
 Gemulator offers the following:
 
 ||| ability to install up to four versions of TOS 1.0 to 2.06 at once
     (great for developers testing software compatibility)
 ||| access to the STE 4096 color palette
 ||| use of all three ST screen resolutions (on one VGA monitor)
 ||| total compatibility, runs most major software such as:
     ~ Calamus               ~ PageStream
     ~ Degas                 ~ Sierra graphic adventures
     ~ Flash                 ~ Sim City
     ~ GDOS/G+Plus           ~ Tempus 2
     ~ HotWire               ~ Warp 9
     ~ LDW Power             ~ Word Writer
 ||| printing from any ST program (including Calamus or PageStream)
 ||| access to all ST disks (including TOS 1.0 and Twisted disks)
 ||| access to hard drives
 ||| in fact, you'll be able to share your PC's disk drives, hard drives,
     printer, monitor... there's no need for having duplicate equipment
     if you don't need it
 ||| Windows compatible
 ||| easy installation, all you need is a screwdriver
 
 All of Gemulator's incredible features will be demoed by Gemulator
 creator Darek Mihocka at the Glendale Atarifest (September 12th and
 13th).
 
 GEMULATOR TESTED
 
 Gemulator has been thoroughly tested on a variety of equipment including
 386 machines, laptops (portable ST's are now a reality, even though
 Atari has stopped production of the ST portable Stacy), large screen
 monitors, 486 33 and 50 MHz machines, and with hundreds of software
 titles.  The minimum requirement is a 386 DOS compatible with 4
 megabytes.  On 486 machines Gemulator will emulate an ST at full speed
 (equal to the speed of a standard stock 1040 ST) or faster (our test
 computer -- a 486 33 MHz with VRAM II Ergo video card ran approximately
 30% quicker than a standard 1040).  On 386 machines Gemulator will
 emulate an ST slower than full speed; however, Warp 9 may be used to
 significantly boost performance.  We are in the process of acquiring a
 66 MHz machine for testing, but we anticipate at minimum a speed quicker
 than the Mega STe.
 
 OUR GOAL
 
 Is there a reason why we're doing this?  Aside from profit, which
 because of our price reduction is a moot point, we do have a primary
 reason for offering Gemulator: to expand the Atari market.  When Darek
 first came to us, we saw this as a perfect opportunity.  We don't have
 to wait for Atari do their thing (advertise, expand, etc.)  Now you, the
 user, have that power.  By giving DOS clone users the opportunity to run
 ST software (and invest money into ST manufacturers), the ST market will
 expand.  Money is the most powerful tool (money talks) and it'll be
 telling ST developers that the market is growing, they'll make more
 software, and then things will finally take off for ST users.  So help
 us achieve our goal to expand the market, buy a Gemulator board, and get
 others to buy one too.
 
 SPECIAL OFFER
 
 If you send in your order with payment (MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO PMC)
 postmarked by September 14, 1992, you'll receive a special price of
 $199.95.  You can also FAX your order with Visa/MasterCard number and
 expiration date.  Either way, add $15 for Insured UPS 2nd Day Air
 shipping/handling (if you reside outside of the USA, call for shipping
 price).  This price is a special offered to the hundreds of people that
 have already pre-ordered and has been made in dedication to their
 tremendous support.  This special discount will also be available to
 users at the Glendale Atari show.  After September 14, 1992, Gemulator
 will be available directly from PMC and at finer computer dealers near
 you for $299.95.  Demonstration videos are available for $10, and
 information brochures are free.
 
 For further information contact:
 Purple Mountain Computers, Inc.
 15600 NE 8th St. Ste. A3-412
 Bellevue, WA  98008  206.747.1519: voice/fax
 PMC.INC  : GEnie
 72567,302: CompuServe
 
 Comments From Darek Mihocka
 
 I've done a lot of optimization work on the software.  The executable
 file is now well under 3 meg in size, so it takes up less disk space and
 memory.  The speed is also improved.  I'll be uploading the software to
 GEnie on 9/11/92, so you can just download it and use it with the
 Gemulator boards you already have.  If you need one or two more boards
 drop by at the Glendale or WAACE shows to talk to me and I'll give you
 some.
 
 The shareware price will be about $50-$70, and those users will then
 receive updates.  I've already got a version of Gemulator that emulates
 4 meg and 8 meg STs, as well as a 486 version which runs faster than the
 regular 386/486 version.
 
 So, here's hoping it sells well. I had moderate success with shareware
 before (Quick ST and ST Xformer) so I'm going to give it one more try.
 The feedback I received from users at the recent Atari shows I demoed
 Gemulator at was that $199 was a price they liked, but $499 wasn't.  So
 by breaking it up into two products (the $199 board and ROMs, and a $50
 shareware program) the average user can make his PC into an ST for $199
 or $249 with all the bells and whistles.
 
 
 
 | | |  COMPUTERS, LUCK AND OTHER THINGS
 | | |  By Bob Smith
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 In the years that I have become addicted to those all consuming and at
 the same time wonderful Atari computers, little changes have taken
 place.  These changes include a: growing stoop shouldered, b: turning
 very pale, c: adramatic increase of my clumsiness, etc.  With that, I
 set out to find out why.  I quickly came to the conclusion that there
 were outside forces at work and while most of the changes in my life
 were attributable to a: poor seating at the computer console, b: no
 sunlight, the third reason completely escaped my extensive detection.
 My clumsiness was a very real symptom and I just had to find out why.
 
 One day, I was talking to several computer engineer friends of mine and
 the discussion was concerning this mutual affliction that we all seem to
 have.  It amazed me that clumsiness was so wide spread amoung the
 computer fraternity and there seemed to be no explanation.  From those
 discussions, I started to feel that outside influences were at work here
 and perhaps they were governed by a separate set of rules and laws.  I
 decided to proceed along that direction and see if I could uncover these
 "laws" or at the very minimum find a cause to my problem.
 
 At this point, let me relate a typical instance.... I could be in the
 middle of using my favorite Atari word processor and be merrily tooling
 along, writing this very lengthy paper and be well into it and suddenly
 everything goes blank.  Normally, you would chalk this up to a onetime
 occurrence and let it go at that.  Now in my situation, this has
 happened on several occasions.  Another instance might be when I have
 had floppies to move from one side of the table to the other.  Normally,
 I wait to move several at a time, but I have waited until the pile was
 fairly large and sure enough, as soon as I had picked up those 3 1/2
 plastic jacketed floppies, away they went in all directions.
 
 There had to be a connection between these and other unnatural
 happenings.  What could it be?  About the time that I was considering
 this, a friend Of mine, who is a locally recognized Sysop, happened to
 mention that he had suffered from a "Murphy's Law".  Suddenly in my
 mind, the lights went on, trumpets sounded and an angelic look swept
 over my face.  I politely said thank you to him and proceeded to hurry
 home.  The answer was in front of me all of the time and I didn't see
 it.
 
 I proceeded to get into some very heavy research to the exclusion of
 almost everything else,not counting my computers of course, but many
 other things.  Anyway, this research did not resolve the problems, but
 did provide me with the 'Laws' as to why these occurrences were
 happening.  I will share these 'Laws' with you so that you too won't
 stay awake nights wondering why these things are happening.
 
 The all important 'Laws' are laid out in no particular order and you
 will have to real all of them to find your specific 'Law'.
 
 1-  No good deed goes unpunished.
 2-  Leakproof seals - will.
 3-  Self starters will not.
 4-  Interchangable parts - won't.
 5-  There is always one more bug.
 6-  Nature is a Mother.
 7-  If you're feeling good, don't worry, you'll get over it.
 8-  All warranties expire upon payment of the invoice.
 9-  Where you stand on an issue depends on where you sit.
 10- If you try and please everybody, nobody will like it.
 11- A short cut is the longest distance between two points.
 12- You will always find something in the last place you look.
 13- Anything that can go wrong will. (Most famous one)
 14- Every solution breeds new problems.
 15- It is impossible to make anything foolproof, because fools are so
     ingenious.
 16- An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.
 17- You will remember that you forgot to take out the trash when the 
     garbage truck is two doors away.
 18- When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate.
 19- Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
 20- Murphy was an optimist.
 21- A bird in hand is safer than one overhead.
 22- To know yourself is the ultimate form of aggression.
 23- Anthing you try to fix will take longer and cost more than you
     thought.
 24- If you fool around with a thing for very long you will screw it up.
 25- A $500 computer will protect a .10 fuse by blowing first.
 26- If it jams - force it.  If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.
 27- Any tool dropped while repairing a car will roll underneath to the 
     exact center.
 28- The repairman will never have seen a computer quite like yours
     before.
 29- When a broken computer is demonstated for the repairman, it will
     work perfectly.
 30- If everything seems to be going well, you obviously don't know what
     is going on.
 
 My research has produced more 'Laws' but the previous list should give
 you a fairly good place to start your own research.  Now if I can only
 figure out a way to stop spilling my coffee on the keyboard.
 
 
 
 | | |  GENIE ST ROUNDTABLE NEWS
 | | |  Compiled by John Hartman
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 = DARLAH'S TREAT OF THE MONTH =
 
 Last week for this month's "Darlah's Treat of the Month" on page 475,
 Option #9.  This month's file is MONOCHROME ONLY.
 
 This demo version of INVISION Elite contains many new features not
 included in the first demo.  Also included are sample pictures, ordering
 information, and the INVISION Elite RTC transcript.  INVISION Elite.
 The ultimate black and white imagining package.  New from Power Thought
 Software.  For more info and support, see Category 7, Topic 6 ("Invision
 Elite") in the Bulletin Board.
 
 File: INVDEMO3.LZH is 366720 bytes.

 Remember.......this file is FREE........yes........FREE.

 -*Last month's TREAT was accessed 863 times.  A hit indeed!!*-

 = REALTIME CONFERENCE = Scheduled Wednesday RTC Guests =
 
 Have an idea for an Realtime Conference? Wish to promote a product, show
 or service?  Atari Roundtable Realtime Conference provides an excellent
 platform for announcements and discussions.  Contact RTC$, Jeff Williams
 [JEFF.W] for requirements and information on holding formal RTCs.  Jeff
 also captures and edits the formal conferences and uploads them into the
 Atari RT's Library.
 
 = Monday Realtime Conference =
 
 Stop in for Monday's Desktop Publishing Realtime Conferences.  Hosted by
 Lou Rocha with regular guests dealing with all aspects of DTP and
 associated topics.  All conferences begin at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
 
 = Atari ST Help Desk =
 
 Atari ST Roundtable holds a Sunday Help Desk to answer your questions on
 GEnie, Atari ST Roundtable and the line of Atari computers.  Stop in and
 ask questions or just visit the Atari RT staff and users.  The Help Desk
 starts at 7:00 pm EST Sunday on page 475;2.  For Realtime Conference
 inquires and comments contact: RTC$
 
 = LIBRARY =

 Last Week's Top Downloaded Programs/Utilities:
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 25390 MPLAY_13.LZH             X A.DOLORICO   920822   27776    149  29
 25389 PAULA20.LZH              X OUTRIDER     920822   61056    130  29
 25388 ZOO214.LZH               X W.PIKE       920822   81408    112  40
 25394 SPC-3375.LZH             X J.PIERCE5    920822   13696    103   2
 25287 HZ_FLIP.LZH              X GRMEYER      920815    2432     74   2
 25355 GOGOST50.LZH             X M.CAWTHON1   920817   51712     69   2
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 Last Week's New Demos:
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 25376 GIGADEMO.ASC             X D.PETERS18   920820    1280     17  10
 25374 SHADOW.LZH               X S.KIPKER     920820  303232     30  10
 25284 F_DEMO.LZH               X C.THORPE5    920815  447744     60  10
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 | | |  COMMENTARY
 | | |  By Gordie Meyer
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 This text file is written by Gordie Meyer.  Gordie is a sysop on the ST
 Advantage area of Delphi, known to Delphi members as BIBLINSKI.  This
 file was made available from the databases of the Atari ST Advantage SIG
 on Delphi.  The only change that has been made to the file is the
 addition of this text to identify Gordie Meyer as the author, and to
 include DELPHI sign up information at the end.
 
 
 The following is an opinion.  Specifically, my opinion.  It doesn't
 necessarily reflect the views of the management of this SIG, nor the
 management of this service.  But, it is a result of much consideration
 on my part, and I have not arrived at it frivolously.
 
 I've been an observer of the Atari community for about a decade now.  In
 all those years, I have heard much discussion about how Atari has failed
 to properly support its users.  It seems to arrive in waves, with blame
 being cast on everyone from an allegedly unscrupulous local dealer to
 the highest levels of Atari management.  Yet, in all those years, I can
 remember only a very few instances where all that discussion has led to
 any positive change.  But, I remember many instances of hard feelings
 and escalated conflict, that did little to make the life of the average
 Atari owner any better.
 
 As in most 'Atari vs. the User' situations, I find myself a little
 confused.  While we all have a right to have an opinion about how any
 company does business, the reality of it is that a company does business
 in the way it sees fit to do so.
 
 I seem to always find myself translating things into terms that I'm more
 comfortable with, and once again, I'm going to do just that.  I operate
 a restaurant, and deal with customers on a face-to-face basis almost
 every hour I work.  And, while I'm aware that the customer is the focus
 for my business, without whom I wouldn't have a job, I am also aware
 that there are some people who I don't really care to have as customers.
 I have no responsibility to cater to every whim of every person who
 walks through my door.  I have a product to sell, one I'm proud of.
 But, if it isn't what a person wants, I can live with the knowledge that
 there is someone out there who doesn't like what I sell.  It doesn't
 make sense for me to alter my product, just to please one person, who
 may or may not return.  While the customer is the focus, profits are the
 motivation.
 
 I've had customers come up and tell me I should do this or do that to
 improve my business.  While I appreciate their suggestions, and listen
 to them, I am the only one who can decide whether my busine ss needs
 improvement or not.  Most people outside the restaurant business have
 little concept of the costs involved in operating a restaurant, and so,
 aren't always in a position to intelligently make suggestions about how
 things should be done.  Often, what they think would be an improvement
 would prove to be a major expense, with little return.  Anything I add
 must be weighed pro against con.  And if it fits with the concept, and
 it would physically fit somewhere, and would provide enough income to
 pay its way, and wouldn't detract from the existing products, then
 maybe, if I can afford it and the promotion it would need to be
 introduced, I'll add something.  But, as a small business owner, I can't
 afford to take risks with either my proven products or my finances.  Any
 changes must be looked at long and hard before being made.
 
 I would assume similar decisions are made at Atari, with the same
 careful consideration.  That little feature that some user thinks would
 be a wonderful addition to the STe might only add $5 to the production
 cost of a machine.  A pittance!  But, when you're building 50,000 or
 500,000 machines, that little $5 starts to add up to real money.  And
 unless it can increase the usefulness of the machine to the majority of
 the users, can it really be justified?  Bells and whistles are nice, but
 add little real value to a machine.  And, with Atari's small size, value
 is more important than geegaws.
 
 That concept of value has a major impact on upcoming Atari products.
 The Falcon is intended as a mass market, low end machine.  It has
 improved graphics and sound, which are important to finding a place in
 the multi-media market that seems to be on the horizon.  To sell a
 product in that market, certain concessions to economy must be made.
 One complaint about the announced configuration of the Falcon is that it
 will reside in the old 1040 case, wit h its built-in keyboard.  That's
 the kind of concession that keeps the Falcon's price within the range it
 needs to be, to sell as a mass market, low end machine.  Designing and
 producing a new case is expensive.  Dave Small estimated that the molds
 for the 1040 case must have run in excess of $100,000, based on his
 experience with the case for the Spectre GCR.  That might not be a lot
 of money to IBM or Apple, but it represents a major sum to Atari.  One
 that couldn't be justified for the Falcon.
 
 Atari isn't a large company.  And in the current economy, it has had to
 get leaner than it might have wanted to.  Some services have suffered,
 but Atari is still in business, making computers that provide a great
 deal of power at an affordable price, while still being friendly to use.
 Maybe some of us have forgotten why we bought our Atari's in the first
 place.  Our computers are some of the finest tools available, without
 being expensive.  Just as they were intended to be.
 
 Nobody at Atari ever promised me that I'd be buying the only computer
 I'd ever need.  They didn't say I'd be able to easily upgrade my
 computer with every new generation of technology.  They didn't lead me
 to believe that my computer was the fastest, or the most powerful, or
 even the best.  They simply sold me a machine that would perform the
 things I needed a computer for, and perform them well, without making me
 take out a second mortgage on my house to afford.  And it has done just
 that.
 
 As our computing experience grows, so do our computing needs.  While I
 was perfectly happy with my old desktop publishing program when I
 started, I outgrew its capabilities.  So I got a new program, which has
 served me well.  Now, I find I need more speed from my machine, and will
 most likely be getting something to accelerate it.  But, that's a result
 of my growing needs and expectations, not the fault of the computer.
 Many of us started with some old beater car, and found down the road
 that we needed , or wanted, something a little nicer, a little faster,
 and unfortunately, a little more expensive.  The same thing happens with
 our computers.  I didn't fault Buick when my '67 LeSabre just didn't cut
 it any more, and I don't fault Atari that my 1040STe isn't as fast as
 I'd like it to be.  I bought my machine for the set of needs I had at
 the time.  Now, those needs have changed.  There isn't any blame to lay
 at anyone's feet, only reality setting in.
 
 Reality reared its ugly head to the Director of Communications at Atari
 Computer Corp. recently, as well.   It is easy to get caught up in one
 aspect of the Atari community, especially when it's as engaging and
 active as telecomputing is.  But, as important as being online seems to
 be, in reality it is only a small part of the overall Atari experience.
 According to a survey done by STart magazine back in 1990, less than 43%
 of their subscribers used one of the national online services.  Less
 than 27% listed telecommunications as one of the first 3 most frequent
 uses for their computers.  That's hardly a major concern.  But, Bob
 Brodie has been taken to task for not spending even more time online.
 What's the point here?  Is it fair to expect a corporate Director of
 Communications to devote a disproportionate amount of his limited time
 on something that represents a minor concern for most Atari owners?  I
 don't think so.  And evidently neither does the management at Atari.
 
 Some online representation should be available, but it needs to be done
 with the proper perspective.  For the most part, the online regulars are
 a bit more experienced, more knowledgable, and have higher expectations
 of their systems.  Perhaps online support should be provided by more
 technically oriented Atari staffers regularly, with occasional visits by
 the Director of Communications.  Whether Atari has any tech people who
 have the time to provide such support is another matter.  Given the
 restructuring of the company, uncommitted time must be limited, and is
 probably spent carefully.  Perhaps online support will be seen as a
 valid expenditure of that time.
 
 There will certainly be those who will view what I've written here as an
 attempt to excuse Atari's less-than-sparkling performance of late.  That
 is not the intent, however.  Too often, we find ourselves caught up
 looking at trees without being aware of the forest.  Taking a few steps 
 back, and trying to get a larger view of the whole situation sometimes
 brings better understanding of the smaller events that occur.  Finding a
 more effective means of reaching a greater number of users should be
 seen as a positive step in bettering overall customer relations, instead
 of a slap at the relatively small number who are currently being
 reached.  After all, shouldn't as many users as possible have access to
 Atari personnel, as directly as possible?
 
 Don't get me wrong.  I have questions about what Atari did in the past.
 The purposeful non-conformity of many Atari system components seems to
 have been counterproductive to my eyes.  Why wasn't a standard graphics
 bus adopted?  There is a huge number of existing graphics boards
 available, with a range of resolutions and palettes that we can only
 dream of having without spending much more than our computers cost.  Why
 develop an entire font standard of their own?  PostScript compatibility
 would have made life much easier, and provided a whole range of existing
 products to draw from.  Why not design the motherboard to utilize as
 fast a CPU as might be available, without crippling it with slower
 support chips?  In all these cases, the user has been limited in his or
 her choices about what kind of machine they want to have.  Perhaps the
 sophistication of the user was underestimated, and it was assumed that
 such choices wouldn't be desired.  But, a base model could have been
 developed, with the built-in ability for upgrade by owners who so
 desired, without detracting from the salability of the product.  Some
 effort to do just that was made in the STe, so maybe that closed-end
 concept that plagued the early mass market STs has changed.
 
 But, all of those are things I have come up with after gaining a certain
 level of expertise.  They weren't part of my original decision at all.
 So, while I wonder why things weren't done differently, I don't blame
 Atari for not doing them that way.  Hopefully, they will consider that
 many of their users grow more sophisticated with time, finding they have
 a need or desire to improve their computers after putting them through
 their paces for a while.  And build a machine that can grow with their
 users.  But, that's something for the future.  The Falcon hasn't been
 released, so whether the evolution of the Atari computer has continued
 or taken a step back is yet to be seen.  We can only hope the tentative
 steps of the STe haven't turned into stumbles.
 
 ****
 
 To get your own DELPHI account and join in on the many activities
 sponsored by the ST Advantage and the Atari Advantage on DELPHI, use
 your modem to dial up DELPHI at 1-800-365-4636.  Press <RET> once or
 twice to get a connection, then at Password:, type in IP26 then press
 <RET> again.  Basic sign-up is free!
 
 
 
 | | |  HYPERLINK VERSION 1.52
 | | |  Hypermedia Application Development System
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 Hyperlink v. 1.52
 System: Atari ST/STe/TT
 Manufacturer: JMG Software International, Inc. 
 892 Upper James Street 
 Hamilton, Ontario Canada L9C 3A5  (416) 575-3201    Price: $199.00
 
 
 The concept of hypermedia has been around since the mid-1970s.  Emerging
 first as hypertext ("database documents" containing trigger words or
 phrases that when selected, reveal additional information), it wasn't
 long before the developing power of personal computers prompted
 visionaries to extend the concept to include graphics, sound, and other
 media.
 
 Easy to use hypermedia development systems, such as HyperCard, have
 become popular on several current platforms enabling normal users to
 create highly interactive custom programs for personal and commercial
 use.
 
 Now JMG's Hyperlink brings hypermedia development to the Atari ST.  When
 you first install and run Hyperlink, it brings you to its main work
 screen.  A menu stretches across the top of the screen, and a box to the
 left holds icons that represent loaded Hyperlink applications.  Sample
 applications, such as a Baseball Card Tracker, Telephone Message Pad,
 and Address book, are included with the package.
 
 Using a Hyperlink application is quite simple.  Load the application,
 using one of the menu selections.  The application's icon will appear in
 the box on the left side of the screen.  There after, clicking on this
 icon will make the application active, putting its input form on the
 display.  Multiple applications can be loaded at once, and their forms
 displayed simultaneously, much as with desk accessories.
 
 Hyperlink applications work by calling ("linking") program modules
 supplied with the system: a text editor, database, graphics display, and
 other modules are presently supported, and additional modules are
 promised soon for handling sound and even speech!  The linking mechanism
 is extremely flexible: links can be established that tie together input
 forms, buttons, and other "objects" with one another, with underlying
 module "engines," and even between Hyperlink applications, coordinating
 their activities.  For example, the sample Telephone Message Pad and
 Address Book applications are linked in such a way that clicking on the
 name of a caller on the Message Pad will activate the Address Book to
 find a matching record, revealing the caller's phone number and address.
 
 Modules can access external graphics, text, andother files, meaning that
 standard graphics, DTP, and other software can be used to develop
 materials for presentation by Hyperlink apps.  The Baseball Card Index,
 for example, offers a "Stats" button that loads the editor module to
 display an external text file containing statistical information about
 each player.  A similar "Camera" button employs the graphics module to
 display scanned player images.  Hyperlink even permits words in external
 text files to be linked with modules and objects, so that these "hot
 spots" can elicit responses from the system, a la hypertext.
 
 Rolling your Own
 
 Hyperlink applications are composed using the Builder module, which
 works somewhat like a GEM Resource Construction Set.  The Builder screen
 contains a blank work area" and a set of icons representing the
 different objects that can be incorporated in an application's input
 form.  The palette of object types includes Text, Database Field,
 Button, Box, and Icon, and more complex meta objects, such as sets of
 "radio buttons," can be built from these.
 
 Like an RCS, Hyperlink's Builder lets you design a Hyperlink input form
 by dragging objects into its work area.  Once objects have been placed,
 they can be moved around or sized with the mouse.  Each object may then
 be named, and parameters set to control its appearance and reaction to
 mouse moves and clicks.  Finally, its links to Hyperlink modules and
 external files are specified.  Once all objects have been defined,
 further parameters are set to define characteristics of the
 application's display window, and to refine further object and file
 linkages.
 
 Bumpy Ride Ahead
 
 Hyperlink shows enormous promise, though version 1.52 still has a few
 rough spots.  For example, though you can define a hypertext link in an
 external text form inside the Editor module, editing that link requires
 leaving the Editor, loading the Text Link module, and modifying an entry
 in its database.  When designing an application that employs a custom
 database, Hyperlink will not let you modify the format of that database
 after definition (though modification is possible using dBman IV, whose
 file format is compatible with Hyperlink's).  Nor does Hyperlink offer
 any kind of report builder (though again, you can use dBman's).  There
 is a print command in the pop up menu for applications, but it is
 apparently not yet functional.
 
 Worst of all, though, is the complete inadequacy of the manual.  Not
 only is it poorly)organized, but fails to adequately cover many of the
 most difficult aspects of Hyperlink, leaving you to experiment and study
 the sample applications.  The manual lacks a reference section, and even
 the walk-through of a sample application doesn't work -- the examples
 don't match the screen shots.  This is true of some of the explanations
 as well.
 
 George Geczy is hard at work, and even as this was being written,
 version 1.6 was being rushed to completion.  Speech and Sound are to be
 added almost immediately, and some of the more difficult to use items in
 the Builder module are being cleaned up.  A scripting language is due to
 be added as well,(version 2.0) allowing programmers to specify
 symbolically how each object in a form should respond, instead of being
 "limited" to just creating links.  Version 2.0 will also feature a
 completely rewritten manual.
 

 
 | | |  EDHAK
 | | |  By John Jainschigg
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 Like most long time ST users, I have an "ACC" folder on the root
 directory of my hard disk that contains the "acc" umulated fruits of
 many years of DA collecting.  Why do ST and TT users find Desk
 Accessories so fascinating?  Because the best DA's are remarkable
 displays of programming, combining a high degree of GEM compliance with
 all around good engineering.  And because DA's can be wonderful tools
 for increasing productivity.
 
 EdHak, now in version 2.25 from Clear Thinking Software, is a winner on
 both counts: beautifully designed and easy to use, this accessory text
 editor will find a favored spot on the root directory of your boot disk
 in no time.
 
 Installation
 
 "No time" is just about what it takes to get up and running with EdHak.
 Just copy EDHAK225.ACC from the distribution disk to the root directory
 of your boot disk, and reboot to install the program in your Desk menu.
 (If you prefer, you can run EdHak as a regular GEM application, by
 changing the extension to .PRG.)  EdHak defaults to a 10K buffer (user)
 alterable, and because it occupies only about 77K of RAM when installed,
 should run transparently on all but minimal configuration STs.  If
 you're suffering a real memory crunch, however, don't despair! Clear
 Thinking has thoughtfully included a stripped)down "freeware" version of
 EdHak (called DIARY20S.ACC) that occupies only 38K!
 
 Clicking on the EdHak entry causes the half screen window to appear.
 The window can be increased to full*screen size by clicking on the
 "fuller" button at the upper rightcorner.  In Text mode, EdHak functions
 as a swift, stripped down text editor for ASCII files.  Unlike many
 conventional text*editors, however, EdHak offers adjustable margins and
 tabbing; word wrap; fluid, mouse based cut and paste; full search and
 replace (for text 2 and 3 decimal or hexadecimal byte patterns);
 automatic date insertion; macros; and other convenience features all
 accessed from a nifty little menu built into its window's move bar, or
 via Function and other key combinations.
 
 The EdHak text editor is ideal for programming, but doesn't fall short
 as an all around utility for correspondence and general writing.  Full
 printing features make it ideal for quick jobs such as envelope
 addressing.  And its ability to output text on command to the serial
 port makes it an ideal "helper" for use in combination with GEM based
 telecommunications programs.
 
 Hacking Features
 
 But text editing isn't the only trick EdHak knows how to do!  In Hacking
 mode, EdHak can display the contents of RAM directly, either in response
 to a search command (for text string or byte\sequence) or to entry of a
 start address.  The contents of RAM are displayed as characters in
 EdHak's window (one byte per character), and can be edited freely and
 written back to RAM in any location.  As an additional aid, the hex
 equivalent for the character presently under the cursor is displayed in
 EdHak's menu bar.
 
 But that's not all.  EdHack also lets you load, edit, and rewrite disk
 sectors directly, again, either in response to a search, or starting
 from a specific sector number.  Though the feature is potentially
 destructive if used carelessly (Full Hacking is disabled in the
 program's default configuration), I was able to put it to good use,
 immediately, eliminating a viral advertisement placed in my boot sector
 by FastCopy Pro ("I am your personal Boot Sector Guardian," indeed!)
 
 EdHak's documentation isn't disappointing, either.  Its little manual,
 though a bit "home made" looking, explains each of the program's many
 features clearly and completely; and even includes a bound in keyboard
 command summary.  All in all, and particularly at the low price of
 $18.95, I think EdHak is a great buy!
 
 System: Any Atari ST, STe, or TT, mono or color
 Price: $18.95
 Manufacturer: Clear Thinking, P.O. Box 715, Ann Arbor, MI 48105



 
 | | |  THE EDITORS DESK
 | | |  By Ron Kovacs
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 We have returned from a brief summer vacation, and during our hiatis,
 the Dusseldorf Atari Messe Show has taken place, Sam Tramiel appeared
 on GEnie and Delphi with Falcon information, and we have "improved"
 Atari Explorer Online Magazine.
 
 Also, a few personal changes have taken place that I am not comfortable
 going into details about, but have played a part with the "forced
 vacation" of this publication and the other Z*Net offerings.  Without
 going into great detail, I have seperated from my wife and processing
 a divorce.  It has been a difficult time and the reason for the sparse
 support and release schedule.  I want to thank a few people for their
 support over the last six weeks:  John Nagy, Bob Brodie, Bob Smith, and
 Stan Lowell.
 
 Almost two months have passed and things are on the positive side of 
 the cycle.  Anyone who has gone through this type of problem knows the
 effect it plays on your emotional state.  It also adjusts your 
 priorities dramatically.  However, life does go on and things are 
 looking brighter.  The reason I am sharing this with you is because 
 there are a few who have known, probably more than I would want to know,
 and people do talk.  The best way to squelch a rumor is to address it.
 So, everyone knows, and hopefully this will be a dead issue.
 
 Thanks for reading!  We have returned to weekly release.  All future
 releases will be available after 9pm each Saturday.
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To  sign up for GEnie service call (with modem)  (800) 638-8369.   Upon
 connection type HHH and hit <return>.  Wait for the U#= prompt and type
 XTX99436,GEnie and hit <return>.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To sign up for CompuServe service call (with phone) (800) 848-8199. Ask
 for operator #198.  You will be promptly sent a $15.00 free  membership
 kit.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 You can subscribe to the bi-monthly hard copy  Atari  Explorer Magazine
 for $14.95 for 6 issues, $39.95 for  18 issues.   Canadian  subscribers
 should add $5.00 per 6 issues,foreign subscribers should add $10.00 per 
 6 issues.  Checks must be drawn in US funds on a US bank.  Send  orders
 to Atari Explorer, Post Office Box 6488, Duluth,  MN  55806.  VISA  and
 MasterCard orders, call (218) 723-9202.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Reprints from the GEnie  ST  Roundtable  are  Copyright (c)1992,  Atari
 Corporation and the GEnie ST RT.  Reprints from CompuServe's AtariArts,
 AtariPro,  AtariVen,  or Aportfolio Forums are  Copyright (c)1992, CIS.
 Reprints from AtariUser Magazine are Copyright(c)1992, Quill Publishing
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 This edition of AEO was put together on an Atari TT030 using WordWriter
 and WordPerfect.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Atari Explorer Online Magazine is  a weekly  publication  covering  the
 Atari computer  community.  Material published in  this edition may NOT
 be reprinted without written permission, unless otherwise noted  in the
 article.  Opinions   presented  herein  are  those  of  the  individual
 authors  and  do  not  necessarily reflect those  of  the staff.  Atari
 Explorer Online Magazine is Copyright (c)1992,  Atari Corporation.  The
 Z*Net Newswire is an independent column and organization not affiliated
 with Atari Corp. and is Copyright (c)1992,Z*Net News Service/Ron Kovacs
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Z*Net  News  Service - Post Office Box 59, Middlesex, New Jersey  08846-
 0059.  BBS - (908) 968-8148.  Voice - (908) 968-2024.   Fnet  Node  593,
 AtariNet Node 51:1/13.0.  You can contact Atari direct via  Fnet Nodes -
 706 or 319 or via AtariNet 51:1/10.0.  Z*Net South Pacific - Fnet - 693.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                      Atari Explorer Online Magazine
                   "The Official Atari Online Journal"
               Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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