ST Report: 20-Jul-90 #629

From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/28/90-03:23:45 PM Z


From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: ST Report: 20-Jul-90  #629
Date: Sat Jul 28 15:23:45 1990


 
                  *---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                         """""""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
                   _____________________________________
                                   from
                            STR Publishing Inc.
                            """"""""""""""""""


  July 20, 1990                                                   No.6.29
  =======================================================================

                         STReport Online Magazine?
                          Post Office Box   6672
                          Jacksonville,  Florida
                               32205 ~ 6672
  
                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 _________________________________________
                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EDT
                  BBS:  904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST/14.4
                    FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________
  
                  **  F-NET NODE 350 ** 500mb Online  **
                    STR'S owned & operated support BBS 
              carries ALL issues of STReport Online Magazine
                                    and
               An International list of private BBS systems
        carrying STReport Online Magazine for their users enjoyment
    __________________________________________________________________ 

 > 07/20/90: STReport? #6.29  The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! 
   ------------------------- 
     - Editor's Podium        - CPU REPORT        - CPU MACNEWS
     - UScript & NEODESK      - WAACE Updates     - WP UPDATE INFO!
     - STe DMA WOES FIXED     - SM124 BLUES!      - STR CONFIDENTIAL
      * ATARI 24-BIT COLOR FROM LEXICOR * GFA US TO BEGIN SHIPPING! *
           * NEW PORTFOLIO O.S. * REVOLVING DOOR ALIVE & WELL! *

 ==========================================================================
                         ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE?
                  "Only UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
                              -* FEATURING *-
        Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
 ==========================================================================
 STReport's support  BBS, NODE  # 350 invites systems using Forem ST BBS to
 participate in  Forem BBS's  F-Net mail  network.   Or, Please  call # 350
 direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging ideas about
 the Atari ST computers through an excellent International ST Mail Network.
 ==========================================================================
       AVAILABLE ON:      COMP-U-SERVE  ~  DELPHI  ~  GENIE  ~  BIX
 ==========================================================================

 > The Editor's Podium?

     Its summertime and that's the outdoor  time of  the year  all over the
 country.    People  become  more  athletic  minded  and active during this
 refreshing time of year.   In  fact,  the  activity  levels  at  Atari are
 seemingly at  an all  time high.   Elie Kenan is now in Sunnyvale becoming
 fully acclimated with the 'system'.  STReport and its entire  staff wishes
 him  all  the  success  possible  and  we forward, publicly, our pledge to
 continue to support Atari's userbase to the best of our abilities.
  
     From when I was a youngster, I always remembered my mom saying  a "new
 broom always  sweeps clean".  At this time, STR hopes the broom clears the
 slate and the entire userbase can look forward  to a  clean slate  both at
 Atari and in the userbase.  STReport has every intention of supporting the
 new Director and will strive to provide any  assistance needed.   STReport
 hopes to  see the renewed enthusiasm among the users grow right along with
 the many  anticipated  Atari  successes  and  triumphs  under  the capable
 guidance of E. Kenan.
  
     Many  thanks  to  our  loyal  readers and special thanks for fantastic
 quantities of support mail received in E-mail and from the  Postman in the
 last few weeks, its certainly what makes it all worthwhile.

                                               Ralph........





  ***********************************************************************




 > CPU REPORT?
   ==========


   Issue # 76
   ----------


 by Michael Arthur


 Remember When....

     In  December  1980,  a  company called Infocom introduced a text-based
 fantasy/adventure game called Zork (which was  ported from  a similar game
 running on  an M.I.T.  mainframe), which  became one  of the first popular
 microcomputer games?


 CPU Systems Roundup? XXXIV
 ==========================


          COMMODORE, FLICKERFIXERS, AND AMIGA 3000 GRAPHICS MODES
          -------------------------------------------------------


 Here is a posting from Peter Cherna of Commodore Corp., which provides
 details on the graphics capabilities of the Amiga 3000:


                  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 A3000 Graphics Modes
 (Peter Cherna)

 Following a specific request I received, and some general confusion, I
 thought I should present a discussion of the complete set of modes
 supported by ECS and AmigaOS 2.0.

 Mode Name           Size      Color Monitor Type    De-Interlacer   Notes

 Lores               320x200   (A)   NTSC            Scan-doubles    (1)
 Lores-Interlaced    320x400   (A)   NTSC            De-interlaces   (1)
 Hires               640x200   (B)   NTSC            Scan-doubles    (1)
 Hires-Interlaced    640x400   (B)   NTSC            De-interlaces   (1)

 Lores               320x256   (A)   PAL             Scan-doubles    (2)
 Lores-Interlaced    320x512   (A)   PAL             De-interlaces   (2)
 Hires               640x256   (B)   PAL             Scan-doubles    (2)
 Hires-Interlaced    640x512   (B)   PAL             De-interlaces   (2)

 SuperHires          1280x200  (C)   NTSC            disable it (*)  (3,7)
 SuperHires-'lace    1280x400  (C)   NTSC            disable it (*)  (3,7)
 SuperHires          1280x256  (C)   PAL             disable it (*)  (3,7)
 SuperHires-'lace    1280x512  (C)   PAL             disable it (*)  (3,7)

 Productivity        640x480   (C)   VGA             pass-through    (4,7)
 Productivity-'lace  640x960   (C)   VGA             pass-through    (4,7)

 A2024-10Hz          1008x800  (D)   A2024 (NTSC)    N/A             (5)
 A2024-15Hz          1008x800  (D)   A2024 (NTSC)    N/A             (5)
 A2024-10Hz          1008x1024 (D)   A2024 (PAL)     N/A             (6)
 A2024-15Hz          1008x1024 (D)   A2024 (PAL)     N/A             (6)


 Size:
 The nominal sizes of each mode are given.  The regular NTSC  and PAL modes
 can  be  overscanned.    TheSuperHires  NTSC  and  PAL  modes  can also be
 overscanned, though less that proportionately to  the regular  NTSC or PAL
 modes.    The  two  productivity  modes can also be overscanned. The A2024
 modes may not be overscanned.


 Colors Notes:
 (A): 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64(EHB), or HAM, from a palette of 4096.
 (B): 2, 4, 8 or 16 from a palette of 4096.
 (C): 2 or 4 from a palette of 64.
 (D): 2 or 4 shades of gray.


 Signal Type:
 NTSC:   Requires NTSC-type monitor, including 1080, 1084, television.
         Some PAL-type monitors also can handle NTSC.
         Most (?) multiscanning monitors can support NTSC rates.
 PAL:    Requires PAL-type monitor, including PAL 1080, 1084, television.
         Some NTSC-type monitors also can handle PAL.
         Most (?) multiscanning monitors can support PAL rates.
 VGA:    Requires VGA-class or multiscanning monitor.

 A2024 (NTSC):   Requires NTSC version of A2024 monitor.
 A2024 (PAL):    Requires PAL version of A2024 monitor.

 De-Interlacer:
 The de-interlacer is a circuit on the A3000 motherboard that  works with a
 VGA-class or multiscanning monitor.

 When enabled,  the de-interlacer  provides a  VGA-compatible output on its
 15-pin connector, from what would be  NTSC or  PAL or  VGA modes  from the
 23-pin  video  connector.    To  use  this,  you  require  a  VGA-class or
 multiscanning monitor.

 De-interlacing means that instead of pushing out two fields in alternation
 at 60  (NTSC) or  50 (PAL)  fields per  second (30  or 25 full screens per
 second), the de-interlacer buffers one field  and pushes  it out  with the
 other, so  that both fields come out together, for 60 or 50 non-flickering
 full screens per second.

 Scan-doubling means that a single  (non-interlaced)  field  is  pushed out
 twice as fast, and is replicated on adjacent lines.  The result is a solid
 display of color, with no visible scan-lines.

 (*) The SuperHires modes require that you disable your de-interlacer.   If
 you do,  then the output from the 15-pin connector will become NTSC or PAL
 rate, and will not  be scan-doubled  or de-interlaced.   If  you leave the
 de-interlacer on,  you will  get a  de-interlaced or scan-doubled display,
 though you will  only  see  every  second  pixel  horizontally,  since the
 display-enhancer is  sampling for 640 (plus overscan) pixels per line, and
 not the 1280 pixels that are being generated.

 Pass-through means that the de-interlacer detects  these modes  and passes
 them through directly to the 15-pin VGA connector.

 N/A  is  because  the  A2024  plugs  in to the 23-pin video connector, and
 doesn't come near the de-interlacer and its 15-pin connector.

 Notes:
 (1) Requires NTSC Amiga or any Amiga with Super Agnus.
 (2) Requires PAL Amiga or any Amiga with Super Agnus.
 (3) Requires Super Agnus and Super Denise, and AmigaOS 2.0.
 (4) Requires Super Agnus and Super Denise, and AmigaOS 2.0.
 (5) Requires NTSC A2024 (with JumpStart or with AmigaOS 2.0)
 (6) Requires PAL A2024 (with JumpStart or with AmigaOS 2.0)
 (7) These modes take up twice the bandwidth of a comparable Hires mode,
     so Super-Hires Interlaced 4 colors is comparable in bandwidth to
     Hires-Interlaced 16 colors.  As well, there is only one sprite
     available.


 Other modes:

 For completeness, I should note that there are  also some  smaller members
 of  the  Productivity  family  that  output  VGA-class  signals,  and have
 resolutions of 320 x 480, 320 x 960 (interlaced), 160 x 480, and 160 x 960
 (interlaced).    These  modes  were  basically  "free"  given that we have
 Productivity mode, but they aren't particularly useful.


 --
      Peter Cherna, Software Engineer, Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

                  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=




 CPU MacNews?
 ===========



        APPLE BUYS "CLASSIC" NAME, INTRODUCES PERSONAL LASERWRITERS
        -----------------------------------------------------------

     Apple  Computer  has  recently  introduced  a   new  version   of  its
 Laserwriter printers,  designed as a low-cost entry into the laser printer
 market.  Called the Personal LaserWriter,  it  can  print  four  pages per
 minute and has a print life of 150,000 pages.  This is half as powerful as
 Apple's more expensive Laserwriter II line,  which is  capable of printing
 8 pages  per minute,  with a  print life of 300,000 pages.  All members of
 Apple's Laserwriter line have a 300 dpi resolution....

     Apple has introduced two versions of  its new  printer:   The Personal
 Laserwriter SC,  which uses Quickdraw for printing and cannot be networked
 using  AppleTalk.    However,   the  Personal   Laserwriter  NT   is  both
 Postscript-compatible (using Adobe Postscript), and can be connected to an
 AppleTalk Network.  Cost:  $2000.00 for a  Personal Laserwriter  SC with 1
 Meg of RAM, and $3300.00 for a Laserwriter NT with 2 Megs of RAM....

     Apple has  also reportedly  paid Modular  Computer Systems one million
 dollars for the rights to use the name, "Classic" in its computers.   This
 has caused several to speculate that the name, "Macintosh Classic" will be
 used  on  Apple's  upcoming  low-cost  Macintosh.    To  be  introduced in
 September, Apple's  "low-cost Mac" is expected to replace the Mac Plus and
 SE at the low-end of Apple's Macintosh line.

     Rumors about the "Macintosh Classic" abound.   Some  say that  it will
 cost $1500.00, use an 8 MHZ 68000, have 1 Meg of RAM,a 1.4 Meg Superdrive,
 and 1 Expansion slot.  However, others speculate that it will use a 16 MHZ
 68020, feature 3 Mac II NuBus Expansion slots, and have 2 Megs of RAM, for
 $2500 - 3000.00.






          _______________________________________________________





 > LEXICOR 24 BIT COLOR! STR Spotlight?        24-bit color & ATARI STs.
   ===================================






              ATARI 24-BIT COLOR FROM LEXICOR SOFTWARE CORP.
              ==============================================



     With the announced availability of true  color for  the existing ATARI
 ST and  SC1224 ATARI  color monitor  in the  form of  a 24-bit color board
 from LEXICOR SOFTWARE later this  summer,  a  whole  new  world  is  now a
 reality  for  the  ATARI  user.  This  new  world will in many respects be
 mystifying to the average computer user  in  general  and  the  limited 16
 color ATARI user in particular.

     The following article dealing with color perception is the  first in a
 series of articles intended to inform  and  educate  the    ATARI  user in
 24-bit color theory and its use on the ATARI computer.
      

                             NEW COLOR THEORY
                   ...FOR USE WITH THE ATARI ST COMPUTER


 by Lee M. Seiler (c) 1990

     With the  creation of  24-bit color for the ATARI SC1224 color monitor
 by  LEXICOR  SOFTWARE,  comes  the  problem  and  consequences   of  color
 perception  and   manipulation  for  the  computer  graphics  artist,  and
 animator.

     Currently,  when  it  comes  to  selecting  and  working   with  color
 effectively, even  simple desktop paint programs aren't much easier to use
 than those  found on  the sophisticated  systems, The  user typically will
 choose colors  from a  fixed palette  arranged in  a grid such as found it
 Spectrum. Colors are usually  grouped  into  hues  (that  is,  the various
 colors,  such  as  red  and  yellow  based  on  wavelengths  of  the color
 spectrum), often in a rainbow-like progression. Each hue  is then arranged
 in order from lighter to darker shades.

     But there  is usually  little consistency. In one area of the palette,
 vast differences will exist between one color and  its immediate neighbor;
 in  another,  the  differences  between  adjacent  colors  will  be nearly
 imperceptible. No clear relationship exist between  colors placed together
 in vertical or horizontal rows. And the overall effect is haphazard to the
 eye.

     In more sophisticated color  system available  on the  ATARI computer,
 such  as  Cyberpaint,  users  can  create their own palettes by specifying
 percentages of primary colors (RGB) or by clicking on a  slid-bar across a
 primary color  range, These  percentages are preset in incremental amounts
 equal to one seventh the total allowable for a given RGB color.

     Yet even though limited  to 512  variations with  this interface, most
 users find  it difficult  to navigate  through color selection.  The color
 that appears in the selection box when you click on a color,  for example,
 is often  unpredictable, making  the process one of trial-and-error.  It's
 often hard to know what you have to do to move from  the color  you see to
 the color  you want.  An attempt  to make  an incremental change too often
 results in a major swing in an unwanted direction.

     The reasons for this visual  disorientation  is  because  most current
 color  palettes  are  based  on  a  faulty understanding of how humans see
 color and the fact  that computers  deal with  color in  a way  that makes
 sense to  the computer,  but not  the human  eye.   Up until  now with the
 ATARI 16 color  limitation  this  reality  has  not  had  serious creative
 consequences. This is now how ever a substantial and real problem when you
 consider having  to order  16 million  colors instead  of 512.   The ATARI
 color display,  of course, generates color by illuminating combinations of
 phosphors in common additive primaries: red, green and blue (RGB).  Colors
 are "mixed"  by varying  the intensity of the electron beams eliciting the
 phosphor. The number of possible colors is a  direct result  of the number
 of bits  available per  pixel. in a 24-bit system such as is now available
 for the ATARI, 8-bit  control of  each of  the three  primaries, making it
 possible to  direct the electron gun at 256 different levels of intensity.
 The combinations, or colors, are usually  stored in  the form  of a lookup
 table,  which  is  accessed  by  the  screen  driver. This lookup table of
 unifnormally sized increments has little relation  to color  as the  human
 eye perceives it.  It is after all just a mathematical table based only on
 the sequentially  changing  of the  numbers  that represent  256  possible
 combinations for each pixel displayed.

     In the first place,  perceptual  differences  between  colors  are not
 constant as  one moves  from one  part of  the color  spectrum to another.
 Under constant illumination, for example colors  at high  (lighter) values
 we see  more yellow  than blue, and conversely, at low (darker) values, we
 can see more blues  than yellow.   Because  the increments  in the current
 lookup tables  are constant,  however, it  may take  a movement of a dozen
 units in the high-value blues to  produce  a  color  that  we  perceive as
 different by  one pallet space.  In high-value yellows, on the other hand.
 a movement of only a single unit in the lookup table may be perceived as a
 very  abrupt  color  shift.  This  same  paradox exist with respect to the
 amount of chroma, that is, how saturated a color appears (a purer red, for
 example, as opposed to a red that has other wavelengths mixed in and, thus
 appears greyer), varies each  hue at  different value  (lightness) levels.
 This means  that color  locations in the lookup table, while linear from a
 numerical point of view,  are non-linear  in terms  of visual progression.
 There is  no clear, straight path across the dimensions of color, from one
 hue to the next from a darker to  lighter(lower values  to higher values),
 and from grayer to brighter (less saturated to more saturated).

     Currently the  limitations of the ATARI system architecture is in both
 numbers of colors 512 but also is restricted in color  dimensions, the RGB
 cannot be  manipulated independently.   In the ATARI RGB-based system, for
 example, a change in value (lightness)  automatically affects  a change in
 chroma (brightness).   To get brighter, more saturated red, you would need
 to adjust the percentages of red , green, and blue  in a  way that  is not
 visually obvious. You can't simply increase the percentages of red because
 that would increase lightness as well.

     Up until now these realities have not been a serious  problem, however
 these  complex  relationships  between  color  components  and the lack of
 visual uniformity and predictability  be come  a significant  problem with
 the new 24-bit ATARI color environment.

     The  obvious   and  intuitive  solution  with  respect  to  the  color
 perception problem is to develop a color spectrum based on  the perceptual
 way in which the eye sees color. The goal then becomes; to provide a means
 of numerically specifying additive  color (RGB)  mixtures not  tied to any
 specific set  of primaries.  The resulting lookup table would then provide
 the computer with a more natural and user friendly color environment.

     To do this a set of x,y,z"primaries," which  are actually mathematical
 abstractions is  used to  plot the  entire range  of the visible spectrum.
 Light-dark, red-green,  and yellow-blue  are plotted  along the horizontal
 "u" axis,  with positive  values denoting red and negative values denoting
 green.  Yellow-blue  values  are  plotted  along  the  vertical  "v" axis.
 Light-dark  values  are  plotted  along  the  "l"  axis,  which is located
 perpendicularly to the u,v plane. While this approach is not  perfect, one
 quite similar  to this  has been  adopted by both KODAK and Tektronix as a
 basis for desktop color systems.

     One effective way to create or compose a way to move through a path of
 orderly, progressive  steps of  "natural color  is to create a color tree,
 which is arranged by hue. Within each hue  "leaf", colors  are arranged in
 a  grid,  with  discernible  progression  of chroma (saturation) along the
 horizontal x axis and discernible progressions of value  (lightness) along
 the vertical  y axis.   Unlike the mathematically symmetrical grids of the
 typical lookup  table,  the  resulting  color  space  (tree)  more closely
 captures the  geometric irregularities  of the  human visual perception of
 color.  Each "leaf" is different in size (the lookup table) because within
 different hues, the number of discernible colors varies with the degree of
 value  and  chroma.  The  significant  points  of this approach is that it
 provides a straight-line progression  of steps  in equal  increments along
 both  the  chroma  and  value  dimensions.  This characteristic provides a
 foundation for computer application in the new 24-bit ATARI environment.

     The approach based on the forgoing  then becomes  that the  user picks
 colors from a pallet that " looks right" instead of being offered a choice
 that is numerically right. Visual color is what it looks like, not what it
 is made of. What is now offered by the computer is a display that gives us
 scales of ingredient  differences.  What  we  need  are  scales  of visual
 differences.

     This  visual  difference  is  just  what  the  new LEXICOR AGE does by
 providing  for  a  uniform  straight-line  progressions  along  all  color
 dimensions,  providing  for  a  logical  visual display closely attuned to
 actual human color experience. For each hue chosen (the hue  axis need not
 be  aligned  to  any  specific  set  of  "primaries"),  a  range of chroma
 positions is allocated at each value,  based on  the proportion  of chroma
 discernible at that value relative to the total extent of chroma available
 for the  hue.  For  example,  similar  to  the  adjustments  made  for the
 high-value  yellow  hues.    You  create yellow by combining red and green
 phosphors in a transmissive,  additive  process.  That  process inherently
 multiplies  the  luminance  level.  You  can reduce that yellow reflective
 process, by using the  same luminance  value. The  computer has  to "know"
 that and then, automatically reduce onscreen luminance for you in order to
 locate a  corresponding color.  that color  won't measure the same, but it
 will look the same. in this  way the  user need  not have  any basic color
 knowledge to build useful color pallets that look right. The whole idea is
 to provide a user  interface that  will lead  to intuitive  logical visual
 display that enable non-experts to make color adjustments easily.

     PRISM AGE  provides visual "housekeeping tools" that organize color in
 a way that makes it easy to understand  color elements  and relationships,
 (for example, if the user wanted a green that's brighter, but not lighter,
 or a red that's grayer, but not darker) it will now be possible to do this
 with out  knowing the  math or science behind making the change. PRISM AGE
 is also  designed  to  support  exploration  of  color  relationships, for
 browsing,  playing   and  understanding  how  color  works  at  the  human
 visualization level.
  




         ________________________________________________________





 > WORD PERFECT UPDATE! STR InfoFile?          Atari Maintenance Update
   =================================



 compiled by Dan Stidham


 WordPerfect Atari Maintenance Update Information
 ------------------------------------------------

 At or near the time of this writing, a maintenance update of   WordPerfect
 4.1 for  the Atari  ST is  scheduled for  a July 1990  release. The update
 includes several  feature  enhancements  and    support  for  large screen
 monitors.

 Enhancements
 ------------

 Using a  set of  common rules, the Auto-Hyphenation feature  automatically
 hyphenates words. Auto-Hyphenation can be  turned  on    or  off,  and the
 psoition of the hyphen can later be changed by  inserting a hard hyphen.

 The look  feature in  List Files will now show the document in a  standard
 GEM window, allowing the use of scroll bars to move up  and down,  as well
 as right  and left.  In addition, you can directly  import or export files
 between WordPerfect 4.2 for the IBM PC and  WordPerfect 4.1 for  the Atari
 ST.

 The maintenance update also provides support for several new  printers. An
 additional print disk is  sold seperately  and provides   improved support
 for PostScript  printing. The  Post Script  printer  drivers offer several
 point sizes for each  font.  Available  fonts    include  Helvetica, Times
 Roman,  Avant  Garde,  Bookman,  Hevetica  Narrow, New Century Schoolbook,
 Palatino, Zapf Chancery, and  Courier.

 Ordering Info
 -------------

 Registered WordPerfect users may obtain  the  maintenance  update  for   a
 $12.50 shipping and handling fee by calling (800) 222-9409, or  by writing
 to:

                          WordPerfect Corporation
                          Atari Products Division
                               P.O. Box 731
                          Orem, Utah  84059-0731

 The additional PostScript print disk is  available for  $10 by   itself or
 for  an  additional  $2.50  if  ordered  with  the  maintenance    update.
 registered users can receive technical support by calling   (800) 321-3271
 or (800) 226-8660.

 (I would  give WP a few days on ordering the update as I called  this past
 Thursday, July 19, and they were just a few days away  from shipping)





      _______________________________________________________________



 > TOS 1.6 STR InfoFile?           TOS 1.6 and your hard disk....
   ====================





 From: apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
 Subject: Re: TOS 1.6 & Re: Hold that computer...
 Message-ID: <2236@atari.UUCP>
 Date: 12 Jul 90 23:52:06 GMT
 References:                   <1990Jul6.190229.19792@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
 <10766@chaph.usc.edu>
 Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
 Lines: 39

 In article <1990Jul6.190229.19792@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>,
 AAron@image.soe.clarkson.edu (AAron nAAs) writes:

 >By the way, TOS 1.6 waits about 6 seconds for the harddrive to get up to
 >speed before continuing to boot.

 Actually, I  think he  meant 60 seconds.  The actual number is 90 seconds.
 If the manual that came with the computer  didn't contain  a comment about
 this, it should have.  The comment would read something like this:

     "When you  turn on  your computer,  the Floppy  Disk Access light will
 come on, then go out, then come on again.  After this there is a 90 second
 delay, to  allow your hard disk to become ready.  If the hard disk becomes
 ready in less than 90 seconds, or if you have no hard disk, you  can press
 any key to terminate the delay and continue the startup sequence."

     Believe me,  people, I  tried to  come up with a solution which didn't
 involve a simple delay.  It turns  out  that  hard  disks  vary  widely in
 their spin-up  time, and  also in  their responses to commands between the
 time they are powered up and the time they are ready.

     Hitting a key too  early will  not stop  the delay  because the system
 hasn't initialized  the keyboard yet.  Wait for the floppy access light to
 come on, then go out,  then  come  on  again:  that's  when  everything is
 initialized, and you can hit a key to stop the delay.

 The 90-second delay addresses the need for machines you can turn on
 with one power switch, and most notably for unattended machines which
 might come up all at once after a power outage.  The logic goes like
 this:

 (A) 90 seconds is more than enough for all hard disks we're aware of.
 (B) If you're there, you can hit a key when your HD is ready.
 (C) If your system comes up unattended, an extra 90 seconds won't hurt.

 ============================================
 Opinions expressed  above do  not necessarily  -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
 reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else.      ...ames!atari!apratt






 Conf : General Discussions
 Msg# : 407  Lines: Extended  Read: 2
 Sent : Jul 17, 1990  at 4:28 PM
 To   : ALL
 From : LE SYSOP at C.C.B.B.S. - Bridgeton, N.J.
 Subj : It gets better


     Well, I left for the far reaches of Wilkes Barre  Pa on  Sunday night.
 My wife and I stopped in the Poconos to stay overnight (might as well make
 a party out of it right?).  We were only one exit away from W.B. on Monday
 morning so we proceeded to find our way to Computer Garden with STe packed
 in trunk and hard drive packed in back seat of car.  When we got there, we
 of course  were met  by very  friendly and competent personnel.  They took
 the time to do a thorough  test on  my STe  and eventually  after about an
 hour of  warm up, it started to do the write fails.  We then switched over
 to an ICD FAST kit hard  drive and  it also  had the  write fails  with my
 STe.

     Soooo, to  make a  long story  a little  shorter, they gave us the STe
 that had been running  on the  hard drive  in the  store for  the past two
 weeks after  putting my  4-1 mb  simm modules into it and testing that out
 for an hour or so.  They called me back after I  got home  Monday night to
 see that  everything was  ok and  to tell me that the 'brother' to the STe
 that I originally had (it came in the  same shipment  as my  original) had
 also checked  out bad  after warming  up a bit!  Good thing I took the one
 that I did!!  They were considering giving me THAT one, but thought better
 of it since it hadn't been tested like the one that I have now was.
  
     I waited  until this  morning to  get things  arranged so that I could
 give this new STe a testing and to transfer the files from the old 42 meg.
 SH-204  to  the  new  48  meg.  157N.  Everything went swimmingly and I am
 typing away on the STe keyboard with all  4 mb  of memory  at my disposal!
 Gee, all  that and  super sound  and graphics too!!  And as I say about my
 original ST, as reliable as a stone axe!
  
     Hats off to the folks  at  Computer  Garden!!  They  took  care  of my
 problem and  devoted a  few hours  to helping  me! They  will of course be
 keeping a closer eye  on the  STe's before  they go  out the  door. I hope
 Atari will  get this  problem fixed  soon, so others won't have to concern
 themselves with it..




 Category 14,  Topic 40
 Message 161       Sat Jul 14, 1990
 P.MCCULLOUGH                 at 00:23 EDT
  
     Okay... I have a  reputation for  being psychotically  "Pro-Atari" but
 this STe  seems to  be a product that's definitely in need of MAJOR fixes.
 Yes, the Low- res boot problem was no big deal.  Yes,  its great  that the
 STe  finally  washed  ashore!    But  even my Pro-Atari side winces at the
 thought that some STes can't write to ANY hard drive configuration without
 doing major  damage to  files on said drive.  This is NOT a minor problem.
 In fact it sounds like  a joke until you realize that its true.  How could
 this   fact have  been missed?   This  is not a situation that'll "just go
 away". It shows COMPLETE irresposibility on the part  of someone  at Atari
 Corp.

     Its almost  as bad as the PC-Ditto II debacle... I say almost because,
 evidently, the majority of STes (Mostly outside the US) seem to work fine.
 Those users  who have  defective STe  (Yes, if  they can't write to a hard
 drive, they ARE defective!)  computers  should  bounce  them  back  to the
 dealer for  replacement at  once.   Or, if  your dealer seems unwilling to
 take them back (and don't blame the dealer, after all, he's caught  in the
 middle, right?)  send them back to Atari.  Do it now, before you drift out
 of warranty. We can blink at boot resolutions... but not the ability to do
 something as  simple as writing to a hard drive... I am very thankful that
 I chose to wait before purchasing an STe, and my  heart goes  out to those
 that plunged in...  the above is NOT a flame, just my opinion.

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

 Category 14,  Topic 40
 Message 162       Fri Jul 13, 1990
 S.WHITNEY [Steve W.]         at 22:52 PDT
  
 The neat  thing is  that Atari's willing to take them back!  That's a step
 in the right direction.

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

 Category 14,  Topic 40
 Message 163       Sat Jul 14, 1990
 C.WALTERS1 [Chet]            at 03:08 EDT
  
     No probs on the return of STe's in warranty.  However, what of the guy
 who unwittinlgy  buys an  STe virgin  and uses it with floppies only for a
 good six month to a year then decides  to upgrade  to an  HD?   There have
 still been  no good answers to that question!  Will he bite the big one on
 "repairs?"  Yes, there is a fix for it, but will that  be public?   Dunno,
 wait and  see.   STaceys are moving  and the TT is close.  Atari is moving
 on up!  Glad to see it.

                                        ______Chet at \/\/iz\/\/orks :^{)

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

 Category 14,  Topic 40
 Message 164       Sat Jul 14, 1990
 K.LEYDEN                     at 00:34 PDT
  
     According to my dealer,  who called  Atari Service  today (or  is that
 yesterday?)  Atari  says  that  they  have heard a little about hard drive
 problems but haven't found  the cause,  so no  problem exists! Interesting
 logic, eh? I have a SupraDrive 30, pre- clock vintage, which ran for 2 1/2
 years on my 1040STf with _NO_ problems. EVER...  Then I  got the  STe bug.
 The first  thing I lost was both Spectre partitions, never backed up. Then
 I copied a disk to drive D: which had about 4 Megs  free. Halfway through,
 I  got  a  Disk  Full  message.  Checked  with  Turbo  Toolkit-  found 177
 unattached clusters and other assorted problems. After taking the drive to
 my Ste  dealers, it totally crashed - couldn't even format it. So I bought
 an ICD host and a Seagate 1096N drive. Couldn't format the drive  with the
 STe. Tokk it to the dealer and formatted it and partitioned it on his 1040
 Stf. Brought it home, took my Stf apart again and reseated some  chips (it
 died the  day I  brought home  the Ste).  It runs  beautifully with my new
 drive.

     The Ste, however, can't  even read  the hard  drive correctly.  When I
 booted it  after running  on the STf, I only got the LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE
 DESKTOP!!! Also got MANY bombs (I'd never seen 11 before)! According to my
 dealer, Atari won't take back the computer, because it's failng on someone
 elses drive. What the heck good is the 90 day warranty? My dealer is going
 to let me hook up to an Atari drive next week, so maybe I can finally sent
 the STf back.

     To the people griping because Atari doesn't ship in a timely manner, I
 say COUNT  YOUR BLESSINGS.  It really  hurts to  be a loyal Atari user, to
 make the decision to upgrade to an Atari ST instead of a  PCompatible with
 molto superior VGA graphics, and then get screwed!

 GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 Your move, Atari ...

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

 Editor Note:
     It has  been rumored that Sam was made aware of the situation with the
 TOS 1.6 vs 1.62 situation and  other problems  "thought" to  be present in
 the current batch of STe units.  It was also rumored that he was "advised"
 that the problem were "insignificant" and therefore, "would present little
 or no problems".  The advisors strike again.  <sigh>





       ____________________________________________________________





 > Stock Market ~ STR Stock Report?     Summer Doldrums & Computer Stocks
   ===============================


                                                     THE TICKERTAPE
                                                     ==============

 by Michael Arthur

 Concept by Glenn Gorman


     The price  of Atari  stock went down 1/4 of a point on Monday, and was
 down 1/4 of a point on Tuesday.   On Wednesday,  the price  of Atari stock
 went up  1/4 of  a point,  and stayed  the same  for the rest of the week.
 Finishing up the week at 5 3/4 points,  the price  of Atari  Stock is down
 1/4 of a point from the last report.


          Apple Stock went up 2 points from Friday, July 6, 1990.
        Commodore Stock stayed at the same price it was on 7/06/90.
                  IBM Stock was up 3 points from 7/06/90.


                 Stock Report for Week of 7/09/90 to 7/13/90

 _________________________________________________________________________
 STock|   Monday   |    Tuesday    |  Wednesday  | Thursday  |   Friday   |
 Reprt|Last    Chg.|Last       Chg.|Last     Chg.|Last   Chg.|Last    Chg.|
 -----|------------|---------------|-------------|-----------|------------|
 Atari|5 3/4   -1/4|5 1/2     - 1/4|5 3/4   + 1/4|5 3/4  ----|5 3/4   ----|
      |            |               |             |           | 62,700 Sls |
 -----|------------+---------------+-------------+-----------+------------|
  CBM |7 3/4   ----|7 5/8     - 1/8|7 3/4   + 1/8|7 7/8  +1/8|7 3/4   -1/8|
      |            |               |             |           | 46,500 Sls |
 -----|------------+---------------+-------------+-----------+------------|
 Apple|46 5/8      |   47     + 3/8|  47     ----|47 3/8 +3/8|46 3/4  +5/8|
      |      +1 7/8|               |             |           |# 2,062,300 |
 -----|------------+---------------+-------------+-----------+------------|
  IBM |  119    + 1|117 3/4  -1 1/4|119 1/2      | 120   +1/2|  121    + 1|
      |            |               |       +1 1/2|           |# 2,155,400 |
 -----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'

   '#' and 'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day.
        'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.
        '----'  means that the stock's price did not change for the day.




          ______________________________________________________




 > ONLINE TODAY  CPU/STR OnLine?           The wires are hummin'!
   ============================


                          :CIS IN DETAIL UPDATE:


 by Oscar Steele


     Please note;  that during  the testing of the rates of transmission, I
 experienced noisy lines throughout the  day.    This  impaired  the actual
 transmission rates,  which after restesting turned out to average 218 cps.
 Rates were as high as 224 cps, but  slowed down  noticeably when  a larger
 number of people were online.  You may calculate the previous week's rates
 accordingly.

     Also of note, using  the latest  version of  Quick CIS  1.52a, the cps
 rates on  CIS seem  to be  quicker.  I had a number of transfers that were
 233 cps.

     The bottom line is  that the  transfers will  vary on  an individual's
 location, phone line, modem, etc.  The rates were not intended to be taken
 as exact amounts.  

     Some users have inquired as to what transmission protocol's were used.
 On CIS  it was  the Quick  B protocol, while on GEnie it was Zmodem.  Both
 are quicker than Y or X modem.





            ___________________________________________________





 > SM124 BLUES! STR Spotlight?         When ..."Service is NOT Service!"
   ==========================


 Folks, the following is not a flame, it is meant as a documented excursion
 cutting through the 'red tape' that perhaps, others may follow.  And thus,
 avoid the typical bottlenecks so often experienced today.


 From : MATT ALLARD
 Subj : SM124 Monitors

     Imagine sitting at your computer doing  a little  word processing when
 suddenly the  monitor goes  blank.  Startled, you look at your computer to
 see if it's lost power.  Nope it's  still on,  but wait,  the little green
 LED at  the bottom of the monitor isn't on.  This is exactly what happened
 to my SM124 monitor.  At this point you have  several options.   First you
 can take  it to  your dealer  and send  it in on atari's exchange program.
 This is probably  the  best  idea  if  you  aren't  a  trained technician.
 Secondly you  can take it to a T.V. repair shop and hope that it isn't the
 CRT or the flyback transformer, if it's not  one of  these two  the repair
 facility should  be able  to fix the problem.  And lastly if your just too
 darned stubborn to pay someone else  to  do  it,  you  can  tear  into the
 monitor with all the zeal of a crusader off to the holy land.  I've been a
 technician for the last seven  years  and  managed  to  trouble  shoot the
 problem down  to a  bad flyback  transformer in several hours, without any
 schematics.  From here on the  repair should  be pretty  standard.  Little
 did I know, this was ONLY THE BEGINNING of a nightmare....

     I knew  which part  was bad,  all I should have to do now is order one
 from my local parts house, right?  WRONG!  The local parts houses said the
 Astronics part number I gave them for the flyback transformer didn't cross
 reference.  Next I called my AUTHORIZED ATARI  SERVICE CENTER  to find out
 additional info  for the  transformer.   Guess what?   YUP! The AUTHORIZED
 ATARI SERVICE CENTER doesn't service monitors.  I was told to bring  it in
 and they  would send it to Atari who would send back a working monitor for
 a nominal exchange fee.  Wait a second here... I know what's wrong.  Can't
 I just  buy the  part.  Nope!  Atari won't even sell the part, you have to
 go this route if you want the monitor fixed.  

     Well, I've never liked to be forced into doing something so I called a
 local  part   store  and   got  the   support  number  for  Goldstar,  the
 manufacturers of my particular monitor.  Goldstar in turn, referred  me to
 The Astronics Company, I suspect a subsidiary of Goldstar, who makes their
 monitors.  Astronics took the  part  number  off  the  flyback transformer
 (KF2807G) but  couldn't find  it in  their records.  Astronics recommended
 that I call Goldstar back and find out  the model  number for  the monitor
 since  the  MT-9  chassis  number  on  the monitor didn't cross-reference.
 Again, I called Goldstar and was told to call Atari  for the  model number
 since they had no idea what the model number was.  

     Reaching into my desk drawer I pulled out my trusty phone book of hard
 to get Atari numbers  and called  ATARI TECHNICAL  SUPPORT.   Strange that
 they should  have this name because not once in the many times I've called
 them have they managed to support  me,  but  I  digress.    The  person in
 technical support  said they  COULDN'T RELEASE THAT INFORMATION and that I
 should call my dealer, who in turn should call dealer support and find out
 what could  be done.   Well  I already knew what the dealer would say.  In
 effect Atari was telling me the only way I could obtain a  working monitor
 was to  participate in  their expensive  exchange program and wait several
 weeks for a replacement monitor.   I would  think that  Atari would freely
 give  out  this  information  to  their  authorized service reps, but they
 won't.  This policy  not only  hurts the  user but  keeps the  dealer from
 making a  few extra  dollars.   Its no  wonder that  we see  less and less
 dealerships in our areas with this kind of user/dealer support.

     Well not everyone was blind to my plight.  I called Goldstar again and
 talked to a very helpful lady named Beverly.  Beverly took the information
 on the monitor from me and told me should would pass the information on to
 her boss  Mr. Kim,  who she said was the general manager of Astronics.  At
 last I had hit pay dirt!  Astronics called me back several hours later and
 said they  couldn't find  any cross-reference  to the part number but if I
 called Goldstar (another division this time) they should  be able  to help
 me.   I promptly  called and  was shifted to several different departments
 before I talked to the person  who is  in charge  of the  Goldstar line of
 monitors.   Collette was  most helpful  and told  me that the MT-9 chassis
 cross-referenced to Goldstar model number 1220W.   Armed  with this trusty
 information I  called Astronics  again and  passed the info to them.  They
 fed the information into their trusty computers and this time came up with
 a valid  part number for the flyback transformer (KF2825G) and said they'd
 ship it to me the next working day for $21.50.  At last I  had my  part on
 the way.  I called my dealer and passed on the info and was thanked for my
 time and effort.

     During this whole time, several things  stood  out.    Every  number I
 called with  the exception  of Atari's  was an  800 number.  The support I
 received from Goldstar was fantastic and without it, I'd still  be sitting
 here without  a working  monitor.   Atari didn't  give a  hoot for me as a
 user.  I love my ST and wouldn't trade it for an IBM, BUT  if this  was an
 IBM would  I have  had to  go through  all this?  I really don't think so.
 It's time that Atari  recognized that  users like  myself that  have owned
 every Atari computer from the first 16K 800 to the ST are what made them a
 business and kept them that way.  We deserve much better consideration and
 support.   We DO  NOT deserve  to buy  a computer and be left in the dark,
 waiting several weeks for a replacement.  We  DO NOT  deserve the  lack of
 consideration  exhibited  over  and  over  again  with TOS versions, drive
 upgrades, and just about any other time Atari decides to  change something
 and  charge  the  users  astronomical fees to fix/upgrade their computers.
 The current TOS 1.6 resolution situation in the  STe is  a perfect example
 of this.  

     Take a  moment and  write a  letter to Atari telling them what kind of
 service and support you expect.  Don't call them that  doesn't seem  to do
 any good.   Write  them and  tell them  how you feel about their policies.
 Tell them that the Atari is the  computer  of  your  choice  and  you will
 continue to  buy their  products, but  only if  their lack  of concern for
 their users ceases.  Atari cannot ignore us  forever.   We are  the people
 that keep them in business.  Take a minute and do it today.  Please...





          _______________________________________________________




 > ULTRASCRIPT & CLI STR FOCUS?             UltraScript & NeoDesk CLI
   ===========================




        INTERFACING ULTRASCRIPT WITH A COMMAND LINE AND NEODESK CLI
                                    or
                  HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF ULTRASCRIPT



 by Daniel Stidham


     Many users  of Imagen's  PostScript interpreter,  UltraScript, are not
 aware of some of the power  it  affords  through  use  of  a  command line
 interface.  Most users print through the limited GEM interface(which could
 use a major update) because of this and if they do know  about the Command
 Line abilities, they don't want to invoke a command line to interface (too
 cumbersome, defeating many  well intentioned purposes).  But if you do any
 type of  production work  (or even  if you  don't) you may do well to give
 UltraScript's command line interface another look,  especially if  used in
 conjunction  with  NeoDesk  and  the  NeoDesk CLI (by Gribnif software) or
 HotWire!(CodeHead Software) and its versatile command line capabilities.

     Necessity being the Mother  of Invention,  I have  come to exclusively
 use  the  batch  mode  of  US.  Having  a  resume business, I found myself
 constantly switching between PageStream(PgS)  and US.   Compose  the page,
 save, print  to disk, exit, boot-up US, enter name(s) in queue, singularly
 is the only way in the GEM  version),  enter  number  of  copies,  and hit
 Control-P to  print.  Well!  And this was just to proof!  Invariably I had
 something to fix-up and I had to do the whole process over again.

     Something had to be done to increase my productivity so I got  out the
 ol'  manual  and  dug  around  like  Indiana Jones.  I found my answer and
 without further adieu let me give you US users out there some  useful info
 that you  may not  be aware  of.  I will then include a batch file listing
 that I use with  NeoDesk and  its CLI,  that incorporates  the UltraScript
 command line  and its  parameters to fully automate my PostScript printing
 efforts.  First here is the command line needed to enter into a batch or a
 command line for a TTP file(neoDesk and HotWire! both offer these):

 Command Syntax: uscript [-bsm][-n(copies)][-E][filename...]

 uscript--calls UltraScript
 b--invokes US in batch mode
 s--runs US silently, status and error messages not shown
 m--for manual paper feed
 n--global copy count
 E--places US directly into executive mode(shouldn't have to use 
 this)
 filename--pathname that may include wildcards including ?,* 


 OK, here  is the  CLI I  wrote, commented  and with  a few extra features.
 Look it over and you may even see some way to enhance  it or  customize it
 to your own needs.  By the way, this batch file will allow you to enter up
 to  five  filenames  in   a  queue   with  _different_   copies  for  each
 file--something   you can't  do within  UltraScript or on a single command
 line.   I have  found this  to be  very useful.   If  you hit  cancel on a
 command line it will intelligently remember the files already in the queue
 and print peacefully without  confusion.   If you  hit cancel  at the very
 beginning, before  any input,  it will  peacefully exit. This version will
 print the file number you are choosing for the queue  in the  selector box
 to help  you keep things in order. It also remembers that last number that
 you put in for Number of Copies and  defaults to  that on  the next prompt
 for the next file.  Lets get to it:

 ;******************************************************************
 ;this is a very simple batch file that uses
 ;Neodesk and the Neodesk CLI along with
 ;UltraScripts powerful command line to automate
 ;the printing of a PS file from the desktop. No more 
 ;loading US and then choosing a file and no. of copies, and
 ;then Hitting control-P to print. THIS REVISION OF THE FIRST
 ;UPLOAD ALLOWS YOU TO CHOOSE UP TO 4 FILENAMES TO PRINT AND
 ;SET COPIES FOR EACH INDIVIDUALLY. ULTRASCRIPT'S COMMAND LINE ONLY 
 ;ALLOWS A GLOBAL VALUE THAT WOULD APPLY TO ALL FILES IN THE QUEUE, 
 ;THIS BATCH FILE WORKS AROUND THAT. AT ANYTIME YOU CAN CANCEL AND 
 ;THE BATCH REMEMBERS THE FILES YOU CHOSE AND WILL PRINT THEM.
 ;******************************************************************
 TOP;
 unset *
 FOR NUM IN 1..5
  if $tos_ver < 1.4
     null %alert "[1][Choose a PS file:][OK!]"
  endif

 ;First you must enter the full pathname of the folder where your 
 ;PS files reside i.e. C:\USCRIPT\*.PS. Enter this in place of the
 ;word pspath below(don't remove quotes!) 

  select "pspath" "" "Choose PS$NUM file to print:"
 ;Remember wildcards ARE allowed in the selection line.
  
  if $item != 'FALSE' && %FNAME $item != ""
     window 100 100 45 20
     font 2
 ;enter the correct path where Uscript.prg resides in
 ;place of prgpath-i.e. C:\uscript\ 

   cd prgpath

 ;you will default to 1 copy, if you want a different
 ;default, feel free to change the number. i.e. set tot 5
   If $NUM == 1
    set tot 1
   else
    set tot $last
   endif
   echo "Enter number of copies:"
   getstr tot2 $tot
   SET FILE$NUM $ITEM
   SET CNT$NUM  $TOT2
   SET LAST $TOT2
  else
   IF $NUM - 1 == 0
    exit
   ELSE
     GOTO PRINTING
   ENDIF
  endif
 ENDFOR

 ;by pressing cancel in the item selector you will peacefully
 ;exit the program. Also done by hitting OK with nothing in the 
 ;selection line.

 PRINTING;
   SET NUM $NUM - 1
   IF $NUM == 1
    uscript -bn$CNT1 $FILE1
    goto lastcall
   ELSEIF $NUM == 2
    uscript -bn$CNT1 $FILE1
    uscript -bn$CNT2 $file2
    goto lastcall
   ELSEIF $NUM == 3
    uscript -bn$CNT1 $FILE1
    uscript -bn$CNT2 $file2
    uscript -bn$CNT3 $file3
    goto lastcall
   ELSEIF $NUM == 4
    uscript -bn$CNT1 $FILE1
    uscript -bn$CNT2 $file2
    uscript -bn$CNT3 $file3
    uscript -bn$CNT4 $file4
    goto lastcall
   ELSEIF $NUM == 5
    uscript -bn$CNT1 $FILE1
    uscript -bn$CNT2 $file2
    uscript -bn$CNT3 $file3
    uscript -bn$CNT4 $file4
    uscript -bn$CNT5 $file5
    goto lastcall
   ENDIF

 lastcall;
   set choice  %alert "[2][Would  you like  to print|any more PS files?|Huh
 Vern?? Huh?|][YES|Bya!]" 
   if $choice == 1
       goto top
   else
       exit
   endif

 ;I call this EasyWare cause it was so easy (after reading the 
 ;Neodesk CLI manual, of course). Feel free to distribute freely.
 ;But please leave intact--Daniel Stidham.
 ;Neodesk and Neodesk CLI are trademarks of the copyrighted programs
 ;of the same name, published by Gribnif Software.(I hope I got my 
 ;ducks all lined up...)
 ;THE END


     I hope that you can find this as useful as  I have.   Further  info on
 the UltraScript command line can be found in Appendix C of the UltraScript
 manual, pages 25-27.

 'Til next time!





           _____________________________________________________




 > The Flip Side STR Feature?   A different interpretation of the 'view'.
   =========================




                                             A LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE


 By Michael Lee


 One of the things that impresses me the most about my ST,  is it's versa-
 tility and how it gives me the best of all worlds.   Between my ST,  Dave 
 Small's GCR, and the many IBM emulators (I prefer the SuperCharger but PC 
 Speed  and PC Ditto are also nice) there is very little software that  my 
 ST can't run.

 If I'm doing some DTPing and I cannot find a particular piece of software 
 that will do what I need (something that doesn't happen very often), it's 
 easy to jump into my Mac mode,  pop in a real Mac disk, do what I need to 
 do, transfer the information back to my ST, and go on about my business.

 I have a friend that's doing a full-time Desk Top Publishing business out 
 of his house,  he uses his "old" 1040ST (2.5 megs), Page Stream, TouchUp, 
 UltraScript, and an SLM-804.  One of his customers is the local Paralegal 
 Association and his job is to produce a monthly newsletter for them.  The 
 newsletter goes out to 500-600 lawyers and paralegals every month and  is 
 a minimum of 20 full letter-sized pages.  The first time he did one, they 
 couldn't believe they could get that kind of quality from an 'Atari' (and 
 you know how picky lawyers can be).  He receives the articles on Mac  and 
 PC disks, in different formats. It is easy for him to go into Mac, or PC, 
 mode  and convert the articles to pure ASCII,  then import them  straight 
 into PageStream.  When they wanted their logo included, he simply scanned 
 it from an old issue, saved it in .IMG format, cleaned it up, transferred 
 it  to the Mac mode and ran it through StreamLine (to clean it  further), 
 then  transferred  it back to the ST and ported it  straight  into  Page-
 Stream.   Presto!!   About 10-20 minutes work and he had their logo ready 
 for the next issue.

 Another friend of mine has to work on a XT all day long and sometimes has 
 to bring his work home with him.  When that happens, he just boots up his 
 Super  Charger and away he goes.   His SuperCharger has  been  compatible 
 with every program that he has tried to run on it, and it runs it as fast 
 as the XT's that he uses at work (Note: there are programs that won't run 
 on the SuperCharger, but they seem to be the rare exceptions).

 I know what's going through some of your minds.   "Why", you ask, "should 
 I buy a ST to begin with?  Why not just buy a XT/AT clone or a Mac?". The 
 best way I can answer that is,  if most of us had wanted clones or Mac's, 
 that's what we would have bought in the first place.  I know that I enjoy 
 my GEM interface and wouldn't trade it for anything (as I said earlier, I 
 use both the GCR and SuperCharger,  so I'm familiar with the Mac and  MS-
 Dos  interfaces).  I find my wife and son both using my  ST,  where  they 
 wouldn't touch a clone.  Plus, for the price of a decently equipped XT/AT 
 clone  or a Mac,  we can have compatibility with BOTH of them  and  still 
 have the freedom and ease of use of the ST.

 Another reason for owning an ST is the price of the software.  Go to your 
 neighborhood  Mac or clone store and price software.   Try to find  some-
 thing  that is as powerful and full-featured as PageStream or Calamus  at 
 anywhere  near their price.   I have had to buy some Mac and PC  software 
 (StreamLine for example) and they cost more than I paid for Page   Stream!

 The same  goes for databases,  spreadsheets,  word-processors, games, etc.

 In general,  you'll find that they're much cheaper on the ST than on  the 
 Mac's or clones.

 It  seems  that the current fad is to dump your ST and  buy  a   PC/clone.

 I've been at friends homes who have done this and found that in the  vast 
 majority  of the cases,  they do no more on their clones than  they  were 
 doing on their ST's or that I'm doing on my ST.
  
 Until next week....




         _________________________________________________________





 > SUPERCHARGER NEWS! STR InfoFile?          Supercharger News and Info.
   ===============================



     The new  version of  SuperCharger Utility software will be shipping in
 about a six weeks.  We have not  set a  price for  the upgrade  yet, but I
 will be  uploading a  copy to Genie.  The new version will come with a new
 manual. More on this later.

 Gem for IBM?

     I have been running Digital Research's GEM (ver  1.1) for  IBM here at
 Talon. It  is almost  the same  GEM interface  we use  on Atari  ST'S.  It
 follows the same rules and looks almost same as Atari's GEM interface.  If
 you don't  want mess around with MS-DOS commands and would love to use the
 same Atari style desk  top  on  SuperCharger  (or  any  of  the  other IBM
 emulators), than THIS IS A  MUST HAVE.  I have the IBM version of GEM boot
 up automatically, all I have to do to run an  IBM program  is double click
 the icon.   It  works just  like your  own Atari's  GEM.   This version is
 memory resident so when  I leave  an application  (program) GEM  is almost
 instantly there. 

     Digital Research  does not make this version of GEM any longer, so you
 will probably have to ask around to buy an older copy.

 Locks up sometimes 

     You  might  try  re-seating   your  ram   chips  inside  SuperCharger.
 Sometimes they  can bounce  loose from the long trip from Germany.  And if
 you have a spare DMA cable you might try using it instead  of  the on your
 currently using with SuperCharger.     

 FCC Class B, when?, DOS, Lotus, WP, QBasic

     A class  B version  of Supercharger is being worked on by Beta Systems
 in Germany. We were selling some  kits  to  get  around  the  FCC  class B
 requirement but  have now  stopped selling  them.   The class B version of
 SuperCharger should be available before the end of the year.

     Lotus 2.2, Microsoft Quick Basic  4.5  and  WP  5.1  all  run  (CGA or
 Hercules) fine  on SuperCharger.   You  can use PC Dos 3.3 , MS-Dos 3.2 or
 4.01. I have not tested any other version of DOS.  If anyone  else has run
 another version of DOS maybe you could
 help here.

 Windows 3.0

     Remember to configure windows 3.0 with a Mouse Systems mouse.  Also be
 sure to pick the right graphics card either  CGA or  Hercules monochrome. 

 More Technical Support

     Mike Odegard  will be  helping to answer some of you on-line questions
 here on GEnie. Please give  Mike  a  little  time  to  adjust  to  the new
 surroundings, thanks.

 ASAP!

     The  new  version  of  software  and  manual are being translated from
 German to English.  As soon as it is forwarded to from  our London office,
 I will let you know.

     Procom + does work on SuperCharger!  I have uploaded a working copy to
 GEnie.  This copy of Procom + Test drive works great. 

     If you would  like  to  make  your  version  of  Procom  work  use the
     following instructions:

      1. Run the SETUP program provided with your version of Procom.
      2. Go to the Section called "Port Assignments".
      3. Give Comm port 1 the Same address as Comm port 2.
         The addresses  are in  HEX.  Just make the numbers for Comm 1 look
         like the numbers for comm 2 and save the new settings.
      4. Procom should boot up fine now.


                         Thanks for your continued user support!
                                   >Richard R Betson
                                   >Talon Technology Inc.





         ________________________________________________________




 > WAACE NEWS! STR SHOW NEWS?       The Premier East Coast Show....
   =========================

  

     The WAACE AtariFest 90  is on  a roll  and looking  good!   We have 19
 vendors signed  on for  the sales  area and 4 additional vendor/developers
 will be particiapating in the Seminars.  In keeping with the international
 flavor of  shows past, we will again be international with representatives
 from Canada and the United Kingdom.

     Banquet update..... Charles F.  Johnson of  CodeHead Software  will be
 the featured banquet speaker.  Charles has titled his presentation, "Atari
 through the Looking Glass", a sure  hit.    Tickets  are  only  $23.50 per
 person.

     Great  News....      It  seems  that  I and others at WAACE have had a
 misunderstanding with our hotel  contract. The  contract requires  that we
 pay a  deposit of  1/2 of  our hotel  rental charges  to the hotel 60 days
 prior to the event.  We thought that the fees would be based on  the total
 number  of    rooms  reserved  at  that  time.   Upon reading the contract
 carefully I could not find any reference to this.  Upon calling  the hotel
 I discovered  that our  deposit would  be $1500.00.   The  room count that
 determines the cost of our hotel rental  will  not  be  taken  60  days in
 advance, but  will be the actual room count on the 5th and 6th of October!
 This is a major relief to  those of  us at  WAACE since  currently only 25
 rooms are reserved for Fri. and 35 for Sat.  

     Security.   We have  accepted a  bid from  a local security outfit and
 have a security force  on station  from 6:00  pm Friday  thru closing Sun.
 Guards are off duty police and will be armed and have power of arrest. 

     Hotel reservations.   The hotel also confirmed that the room rates are
 good thru 17 Sept.  Rates are  $59.00 single/double,  $66.00 triple/ quad,
 Suites $150.  Suites are  two rooms  and include  a jacuzzi  (Check it out
 Darlah!!).

 Booth Space.  A total of 32 of 60 booths have been rented.   If you   want
 a booth and haven't told us yet, you need to let us know soon.  Contact
 J.D.Barnes..... 

 Well thats the current news folks.  See you at the Fest.  

                                             Russ Brown WAACE Chairman


                           BANQUET INFORMATION


     The 1990  WAACE AtariFest  Banquet will be held at the Sheraton Reston
 Hotel at 8:00 pm,  Saturday,  6  October  1990.    The  dinner  will  be a
 non-smoking event  this year.   Ample  smoking areas will be provided near
 the dinner area for smoking breaks.  The  Banquet will  be proceeded  by a
 social hour  held in  the hotel.  Dinner will  be served  at 8:00 pm.  The
 dinner will be followed  by the  Current Notes  Author of  the Year Awards
 presentation and  then the  featured banquet  speaker.  This years banquet
 speaker will come to us from Codehead Software.

     The banquet will be  a sit  down dinner  this year  and a  ticket will
 cost $23.50. Please make checks payable to WAACE. 

 The menu is as follows:

               Sliced Top Sirloin Merlot OR Chicken Europa
               Salad with house dressing
               Vegetable (to be determined)
               Starch (to be determined)
               Beverage (choice of ice tea or coffee) 
  
     The Chicken Europa consists of chicken breast served in a mushroom and
 brandy sauce.  Please specify with  your  ticket  request  your  choice of
 entree, beef or chicken.
  
     Please  send  all  ticket  requests  to the WAACE Banquet Coordinator,
 Johnna Ogden. Johnna's address is,

                               Johnna Ogden
                         WAACE Banquet Coordinator
                           213 North Lincoln Ave
                            Sterling, VA 22170.

     Tickets requests are being accepted now.  Tickets  will be  mailed out
 starting in August. If you have any questions please call Johnna at (703),
 450-3992.





         ________________________________________________________





 > STReport CONFIDENTIAL?          "BLOCKBUSTER ATARI NEWS FIRST!"
   =====================





 - Sunnyvale, CA.                       THE REVOLVING DOOR IS ALIVE & WELL!
   -------------

     Ken Jacobsen and Charles  Cherry are  the latest  of Atari's  folks to
 take the 'trip'.  Oddly enough, both have 'resigned' and both have gone to
 consulting in the private sector.  Private Sector?  Hmmm, our roving snoop
 has  uncovered  certain  alleged  facts about unhappy and even frustrating
 non-results experienced by Mr. Cherry.  Seems he  tried and  tried to keep
 his word  and deliver  on his promises only to continually find things not
 going as planned.  Also, Mr. Jacobsen apparently  was not  quite ready for
 wearing armour  plate between  his shoulder  blades.   Cherry and Jacobsen
 will be missed,  they  were  sincerly  concerned  about  doing  the "right
 thing."   Why does the door always seem to miss those who most need to go?
 Rumor also has it  that there  will be  another "well  known" in  the door
 within 60  days.   Also, the NEW "game" at Atari is a goofy form of office
 roulette, seems a certain egotistically inclined individual simply  had to
 have the 'bigger' office.  DUH!  ....60 days. 





 - Rockville, MD                    "ATARI NZ" DENIES RELEASING TT030 INFO!
   -------------
  
 DATELINE: 07/17/90, SOURCE: GEnie OL Services, BY: A.DAVIDSON3 @ 21:37 PDT
     This is a reply to B.REHBOCK  (11 July)  and others:  'Atari NZ'  is a
 privately-owned distributor, Software Supplies (NZ)  Ltd.  We haven't made
 any public announcements about the TT, in spite of what you might  read on
 GEnie.   We also  haven't received  any TT's yet,  but are eagerly looking
 forward to the day.  
                              Alex Davidson, 
                         Software Supplies (NZ) Ltd 
               New Zealand distributors for Atari computers. 





 - Oregon City, OR.                  FROM THE ASHES OF CMI COMES - DIGIFEX!
   ---------------

     ...from CS... Though the future of CMI has been tenuous  over the past
 several months,  I'm happy  to report  that they've risen from their ashes
 and  back in business.  There's been  some management  changes, although a
 new company,  called DIGIFEX  is providing support for owners of products,
 and plans to have the full line available again soon.  Contact  DIGIFEX in
 Oregon City, Oregon at (503) 656-8818 for more information.




 - Chicago, IL.                           NEW GFA PRODUCTS ARE ON THEIR WAY
   ------------

     GFA Products  are due  to begin  shipping (again) in the U.S. sometime
 during the week of July 23rd.  

   Retail prices will be:

   GFA Interpreter/Compiler Bundle...................$139.95
   GFA Basic 3.x Programmer's Guide & Disk............$39.95
   GFA GEM Utility Package............................$59.95
       (Advanced GEM VDI/AES programming.
        includes application skeletons,
        code fragments, procedures, etc.)
   GFA Mission Control................................$59.95
       (Similar to HotWire.  Has advanced parameter
        passing (to and from executed applications).
   GFA G-Shell........................................$39.95
       (Picks up where MENUX left off)

     As you might have  noticed, the  idea of  selling the  interpreter and
 compiler separately  has been dropped.  The manuals are all translated and
 written by GFA UK.  



 - Sunnyvale, CA.                               PORTFOLIO SALES ARE WHERE??
   --------------

     Our everfaithful snoop tells us that  there is  a bug  free version of
 the operating  system for  the Portfolio  fully completed and ready to go.
 But it seems that there are 35-50,000 units on hand in the  USA that would
 require updating  and, of  course, that  would involve some costs.  So, it
 has been 'decreed' that the new operating system not be distributed in the
 USA.  






     _________________________________________________________________




 > CHERRY FONTS! STR InfoFile?   News from Cherry Fonts and ordering Info.
   ==========================



  
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 1990

  Cherry Fonts
  Unit #4 - 2250 Tyner Street,
  Port Coquitlam, B.C.
  Canada  V3C 2Z1

  Phone: (604)944-2923 GEnie: T.Johnson4
                                                 Date: July 19, 1990
                                                 Contact: Todd Johnson
                                                 Proprietor

     Cherry Fonts  announced a  July release  of five  new Cherry FontPaks.
 Each FontPak contains four to six high quality fonts for  use with Calamus
 Desktop  Publishing  software.    They  have  been  packaged  so  that all
 currently available fonts  within  an  individual  family  have  been kept
 together.  All families consist of at least two styles and some have three
 or four.  Each of the fully scalable outlines can  be used  within Calamus
 to  produce  type  at  any  size  from extremely fine print up to colossal
 characters larger than a page in height.

 Every font has been  hand drawn  using extremely  high resolution typeface
 rendering software  and has  been subjected to rigorous testing for weight
 balance  and  character  spacing.    They  have  been  optimized  for  the
 resolution offered  by professional  imagesetting equipment and therefore,
 print respectably at all resolutions.

     Todd Johnson, owner of  Cherry Fonts  explains, "Numerous professional
 graphics  industry  personalities  have  been enlisted in the choosing and
 testing of these typefaces and I'm  very  proud  of  the  initial response
 they've received."

     Five  FontPaks  will  comprise  the  initial  release and more will be
 released as they are developed.  They are being made available through the
 normal Atari dealer network at a price of $42.95 US ea. ($49.95 Canadian.)
 The FontPaks and the individual fonts will also be available directly from
 Cherry Fonts.






  ***********************************************************************


                    :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
                     _________________________________

      To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.

               Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
                         Wait for the U#= prompt.

                 Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.

                       **** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED ****

           The system will now prompt you for your information.


  ***********************************************************************






 > Hard Disks STR InfoFile?           Affordable Mass Storage....
   =======================






                        NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
                       ============================


                      ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
              P.O. Box 6672  Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
                                Est.  1985
                 _________________________________________

                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EDT
                     BBS: 904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST
                    FAX: 904-783-3319  12 PM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________
                                        
                   HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
                   _____________________________________
                                        
   All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
                 are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
                                        
             -ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE-
                 (you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
                   (all cables and connectors installed)
                                        
    * ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
     * ICD ADVANTAGE+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
                  * SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *

         51mb #SGN4951   519.95              65mb #SG60101   649.95
         80mb #SGN296    709.95             100mb #SG84011D  839.95
        120mb #SGN120FH  989.95             120mb #SG120DD  1128.95
        170mb #SGN2962  1369.95             260mb #SG60102  1849.95

          WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE OF 3.5 LOW PROFILE HARD DRIVES
                                    for
           USE IN MEGA ST COMPUTERS AND RELATED CONFIGURATIONS.

         20mb #AI020SC   379.95              30mb #AIO3OSC   419.95
         50mb #AI050SC   449.95              65mb #AI065SC   499.95
                           85mb #AI085SC  $559.95

               >>> ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS <<<
                      (500 - 600k per sec @ 23 -33ms)

           CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS
                           FROM 30mb @ $419.00!
                      Ask about our "REBATE SPECIALS"

                                 --==*==--

                      SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INCLUDED

               ============================================

       * SYQUEST 44MB (#555)>> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *

          - SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE         - ICD ST ADVANTAGE PLUS H/A
          - ICD Utility Software        - 3' DMA Cable 
          - Fan & Clock                 - Multi-Unit Power Supply
                          (1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.

                  COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
                    >> SPECIAL NOW ONLY __$849.00__ <<

                      *** SPECIAL SYQUEST OFFER!! ***
    ORDER YOUR CUSTOM SYQUEST UNIT NOW AND GET A SECOND COMPLETE UNIT!
                       ***** for $50.00 LESS! *****

      -> DO IT YOURSELF BARE SYQUEST UNITS $600.00ea  2 for $1100.00
                    Syquest Mechanism - 2 year warranty

   * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
                        SPECIALLY PRICED  $1539.00 

    * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
         - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
          50mb SQG51   $1179.00           30mb SQG38    $1099.00
          65mb SQG09   $1239.00           85mb SQG96    $1299.00
                       
                 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS

                      CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
           Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
      Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
    (over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)
                                     
            *** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***

  ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
             LARGER units are available - (special order only)

                        NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED!

       - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
                   Keyboard Custom Cables Call for Info
                      ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED

                       -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
                         (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)

                 QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
                 _________________________________________

                     DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
                         please, call for details

                 Personal and Company Checks are accepted.

                        ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!

           CALL: 1-800-562-4037   -=**=-    CALL: 1-904-783-3319
           Customer Orders ONLY               Customer Service
                                9am - 8pm EDT
                                Tues thru Sat






  ***********************************************************************


   NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE

                          FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME

                              to the Readers of;
  
                         STREPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE
                         """"""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"

                         NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!

              Call any of the STReport  Official BBS numbers 
                              (Listed Above)
                                    or
                   Leave E-mail to STReport - R.Mariano

           Be sure to include your full mailing address so your 
             Compuserve kit can be immediately mailed to you!



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  ***********************************************************************




 > A "Quotable Quote"?
   =================



 ....Through the Looking Glass;


           "PERFUMED PARLOR SNAKES HIDE WITHIN HAIRLESS DEMONS"


                            ..Schmohawk, last of the Happy Schleppers


  
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 STReport?              "Your Independent News Source"         July 20, 1990
 16/32bit Magazine           copyright = 1990                    No.6.29
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
 the editors, staff, STReport?  CPU/STR?   or  ST Report?.    Permission to
 reprint articles  is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted.  Each reprint
 must include the name of the publication, date, issue #  and  the author's
 name.  The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
 any way without prior written permission.   The  contents, at  the time of
 publication,  are    believed  to  be  reasonably  accurate.  The editors,
 contributors and/or staff are  not responsible  for either  the use/misuse
 of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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