ST Report: 16-Nov-90 #646

From: Kevin Steele (aj205@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 11/24/90-09:03:37 PM Z


From: aj205@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Kevin Steele)
Subject: ST Report: 16-Nov-90  #646
Date: Sat Nov 24 21:03:37 1990

-Also thanks to: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)



                  *---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                         """""""""""""""""""""""""
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 November 16, 1990                                                  No.6.46
 ==========================================================================

                         STReport Online Magazine?
                          Post Office Box   6672
                          Jacksonville,  Florida
                               32205 ~ 6672
  
                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 _________________________________________
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                    FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST
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              carries ALL issues of STReport Online Magazine
                                    and
               AN INTERNATIONAL LIST OF PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS
       carrying STReport Online Magazine for their user's enjoyment
    __________________________________________________________________

 > 11/16/90: STReport?  #6.46  The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
   -------------------------
     - The Editor's Desk      - CPU REPORT        - PORTFOLIO NEWS!
     - TOS 2.2!               - FOLIO 636K!       - TURBO C (ST) HERE!
     - XOTERIX 20mb HD!       - LYNX REVIEWS      - NEW FSM GDOS! 
     - MT C-SHELL!            - MEGA STE SPECS!   - STR Confidential

                   * COMDEX'90 --> EYEWITNESS REPORTS! *
                      * PORTFOLIO POPULARTIY HIGH! *
                     * MARKEN IS ATARI'S PR AGENCY! *

 ==========================================================================
                         ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE?
                     The _Number One_ Online Magazine
                              -* FEATURING *-
                "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
       Current Events, Original Articles, Hot Tips, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
 ==========================================================================
 STReport's  support  BBS,  NODE  #  350 invites systems using Forem ST and
 Turbo Board BBS to participate in the Fido/F-Net  Mail Network.   Or, call
 Node 350  direct at  904-786-4176, and  enjoy the excitement of exchanging
 information relative to the Atari ST  computer arena  through an excellent
 International ST Mail Network.  All registered F-NET - Crossnet SysOps are
 welcome to join the STReport Crossnet Conference.  The Crossnet Conference
 Code  is  #34813,  and  the  "Lead  Node"  is # 350.  All systems are most
 welcome to actively participate.  Support Atari Computers;  Join Today!
 ==========================================================================
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 ==========================================================================

 > The Editor's Podium?

     This is the big week and we have certainly have  not been disappointed
 by Atari.  Now, the future looks good and for all intents and purposes, it
 appears the marketplace will have its long needed shot in the arm.   Among
 some  of  the  rather  interesting  stories coming out of Comdex'90 is the
 Talon Technology acquisition of  ATSpeed and  PCSpeed.   On top  of which,
 they (Talon)  are embarking on a new venture.  We hear that they are going
 to be assembling an ST motherboard,  a GCR  and an  ATSpeed into  a custom
 cabinet.   The finished device will run both IBM and MAC software and when
 booted will show a minimal desktop with two icons, an  IBM icon  and a Mac
 icon.    The  target  market  for  this  goodie is supposed to be learning
 institutions.  According to our source,  a  rather  nice  sized  order has
 already been placed for these specialty machines.
  
     Elsewhere in this issue we have information pertaining to the upcoming
 bundle deals the US  Market has  eagerly been  waiting for.   Although the
 information about  the bundles  is real, (they exist, for now) there is no
 concrete information relating to cost and  contents.   There are estimates
 and  basic  bundles  already  organized,  but that can change rapidly.  So
 please, since the copious amounts of  information coming  from Comdex tend
 to collide  with each  other, the  best thing  is to  'know' about certain
 items without expecting the information to be cast in stone.  Also in this
 issue is  the actual  "from the  brochure" factory  specifications for the
 Mega STe.  Quite a machine, sure to satisfy.
  
     While fully anticipating the TT and  the Mega  STe, I  have been aware
 for  some  time  that  the  Portfolio  is Atari's portal to every computer
 platform in use today.  I would not therefore be surprised to find that an
 interface is  in the works for just about every platform in widespread use
 today.  Accordingly, expect to see more ads for the Portfolio than for any
 other Atari  product that's  available and shipping.  The * real *  key to
 the bright future for Atari is the Portfolio.   IMHO....  The Portfolio is
 no longer  the "new  kid on  the block" it is now the tail that is wagging
 the dog!  The Portfolio folks, is going be the goodie that will make many,
 wonderful things possible.


                                    Thanks again for your support!!

                                              Ralph.......




             STReport's ATARI-COMDEX/FALL'90 EXPERIENCE Issue





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     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME

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                 WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (Nov. 16)

                              COMDEX REPORTS

     A COMDEX/'90  preview from  STReport Online Magazine and the first two
 COMDEX reports from Z*NET are now available in LIBRARY 1  (NEW UPLOADS) of
 the Atari ST Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS).

                   NEW FILES FROM DOUBLE CLICK SOFTWARE

 Double Click has now made the following files available in their
 Library 13 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN):

   DCHEX.ARC   -  DC Show HEX views any file for anyone.
   DCPICK.ARC  -  DC PICK lets DC Desktop view files from anywhere.
   DCMENU.ARC  -  DC MENU lets DC Desktop run programs not on desktop.
   DCINF.ARC   -  DC DISK INFO graphically shows disk info QUICKLY!
   DCKEY.ARC   -  DC KeyTop v1.2b update for DC Desktop 1.2 owners.

                    ATARI PORTFOLIO CONTEST ANNOUNCED!

     We're  having  another  Atari  Portfolio  Contest!!  And this time you
 don't need to have any programming  skills to  enter.   Read CONTST.TXT in
 LIBRARY 1 (NEW UPLOADS) of the Atari Portfolio Forum (GO APORTFOLIO) for a
 description of the contest, the rules, and of course the prizes!
  

   NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE


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






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


   Issue # 91
   ----------

 by Michael Arthur



                        A COMDEX OBSERVATION OR TWO
                        ===========================



 Casual Observations...


     Atari has announced the TT030, the MEGA STe, the SLM  605 and  a group
 of bundle  deals at  Comdex this year... Now comes the big questions, when
 is this spate of wonderful new goodies going to be  on the  dealer's shel-
 ves?   Why is  it that the majority of other Comdex exhibitors already had
 their new products on their dealer's shelves at least 3 weeks prior to the
 opening date of Comdex/Fall'90?
  
     The real  kick in  the head  is to find that the TT has YET to be type
 accepted by  the FCC..   This  sort of  thing sounds  awfully familiar, it
 seems to  ring to  the tune  of "The  more things  change, the longer they
 remain the same."  Certainly  Atari  HOPED  to  have  the  type acceptance
 matters in  hand before the show, the question is; when did they institute
 the proceedings?  Ordinarily, the entire procedure takes  approximately 90
 - 120 days depending on failure rates.  This excuse is getting very old, I
 am willing to bet it IS FCC ok.. but other things held it up (NewDesk) and
 it will soon ship.  
  
     Now comes  the proud  and triumphant announcement confirming the exis-
 tance of the Mega STe... pretty  neat!   When will  it be  on the dealer's
 shelves and  for how  much?  Amazingly, no one seems to know anything con-
 crete concerning this new machine.  Sure, everybody has reasonable guesses
 but they  can't (won't)  be pinned  down as  to when the dealers will have
 them on the shelf for sale and for how much.
  
     Speaking of dealers, what are they going to  do with  the Mega comput-
 ers, SLM  804s and 1040STe units they now have on the shelves besides sell
 them?  There are reports filtering in, from a few  outspoken dealers, that
 the users  are already asking for trade-in figures toward the Mega STe and
 the TT.  Great you say, but listen, they are attempting to  trade in their
 NEW 1040STe units too!  What does that tell us about the shelf life of the
 regular Mega ST and  the 1040  STe units  which are  already slated  to be
 included in  fantastic "bargain bundles"?  Now comes the big question; how
 many of these "fantastic dealers" have a couple hundred machines  in stock
 that they  'might' have  a problem  selling?   Better yet, how many have a
 dozen?  Maybe Two?  Three?   Would  you believe  they were  thinking about
 ordering two?   I  don't dare  ask how many SLM 804s they have in stock...
 <grin>  The bottom line is clear, Atari must grow and improve,  to do this
 changes must  be made  and we,  all of us, must understand and accept this
 fact of life and allow it to occur.

     Word has it that the users are "waiting" for the new products  to ship
 before investing  their money.  Especially after being made fully aware of
 the new goodies.  How are  the dealers  (what's left  of them)  to hang on
 until the  NEW products  are actually  shipping?   This is the noise being
 heard from a few  dealers who  are feeling  an economic  crunch and expect
 Atari to 'kiss the boo-boo'.  Atari is doing the right thing at this time,
 in a few short weeks the very same dealers will be singing Atari's praises
 to the high heavens.

     On a  more serious  note, Why is DeskSet II being resurrected?  Has it
 been re-done?  Upgraded?  Please,  leave  a  sleeping  DOG  lay.  The last
 reception  Desk  Set  received  was  certainly something to be remembered.
 (right Nevin?)  Leave it in the same place the ABC machines are..  <smirk>
 Actually, Calamus is, by far, the SUPERIOR BUNDLE DEAL.
  
     Ah yes...  bundles!   Remember the Advantage Bundle?  The placards and
 banners are still around.  Where is the Advantage?   Oh well,  perhaps the
 Advantage bundles's  on again,  off again  thing was  part of the learning
 process on how to do a bundle deal and present to the  market it properly.
 Hopefully, the  new bundles  emanating from  this year's Comdex make it to
 market and provide the extra push to stimulate good sales.  
  
     While asking these questions, one must  recall that  for a  company to
 grow it must make changes, tactics, personnel and policies most definitely
 are at the top of the list.  Therefore, I  must tell  myself; "Self, let's
 wait  and  see  what  comes  of  this latest push..., let's see if they've
 finally seen the light and if Gregg Pratt is going to be allowed to "strut
 his stuff".  STReport feels he can do the job and do it well.

     Already its  apparent that  Atari is going after the business and home
 marketplaces in earnest with two separate and distinct  approaches.  Hope-
 fully, Atari  has the  staying power to keep the forward momentum afforded
 them by this year's Comdex.  As an aside, the smart money  in the computer
 world is solidly behind the obviously great future of the Portfolio.


                                              R.F. Mariano






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



 - Coral Gables, FL          MULTIUSER OS/2 APPEARS AS OS/2 SALES SKYROCKET
   ----------------

       One of the biggest obstacles in the industry-wide acceptance of OS/2
 has been that it's only a single-user operating system.   Unix has enjoyed
 far greater  industry support,  as its support for multi-user applications
 made it a more powerful multitasking operating system.  As  such, OS/2 has
 fought  an  uphill  battle  to  weaken DOS's hold on the low/middle-end PC
 industry,  while  high-end  PC  users  rejected  OS/2  because  of  Unix's
 multiuser functionality.

       To remove  this deficiency  in OS/2, Citrix Systems has introduced a
 Multiuser Edition of OS/2  Version 1.2.   Called  Citrix Multiuser,  it is
 fully compatible  with all  OS/2 programs and has built-in support for DOS
 and OS/2 Local Area Networks.   While  it  is  being  marketed  as  a Unix
 alternative, Citrix  hopes to  make its multiuser OS/2 a dominant standard
 in the PC workstation market.  Cost:  $1000 for a five-user package.

       While Citrix tries to boost OS/2's  fortunes in  the workstation and
 "multiuser computing"  markets, it  appears that OS/2 is finally beginning
 to gain widespread acceptance in the  PC industry.   According  to the SPA
 (Software Publishers' Association), total worldwide sales of OS/2 software
 were up by an incredible 861 percent in the first  half of  1990, compared
 to sales  in the first half of 1989.  The SPA has also revealed that among
 its members, domestic OS/2 software sales  were up  by 610  percent, while
 international sales were up by 3,000 percent.  If this trend continues, it
 appears that OS/2 could finally be emerging as a widely accepted operating
 system standard....



 - Scotts Valley, CA                        BORLAND INTROS TURBO PASCAL 6.0
   -----------------

       Borland International  has now  introduced Version  6.0 of its Turbo
 Pascal language.    This  object-oriented  version  of  Pascal,  which has
 virtually  become  a  PC  standard for structured/modular programming, now
 features a  built-in assembler,  an enhanced  Hypertext-based Help system,
 and an improved Development Environment.  Cost: $150.00.

       Also included is Turbo Vision,an object-oriented "interface builder"
 that helps Turbo Pascal  users to  easily build  a program  interface with
 support  for  overlapping  windows,  pull  down  menus, and mouse/keyboard
 handling.  One can then complete a program by installing one's source code
 "objects" into it.

       Borland is  also selling  Turbo Pascal  Professional 6.0, a high-end
 version of TP 6.0 that also includes:

     - Turbo Debugger, an integrated source-level debugger with  an "object
       inspector", "hierarchy browser", and other tools for object-oriented
       debugging.  It also features a register window with support for     
       conditional breakpoints.

     - The  Turbo Drive compiler, which allows large DOS programs to be    
       compiled in extended memory (EMS).  Turbo Drive allows Turbo        
       Debugger to handle 286/386-based DOS programs.

       Turbo Pascal  Professional will  be shipping in the first quarter of
 1991.  Cost:  $300.00.



 - Sunnyvale, CA   ATARI GAINS $3 MILLION, COMMODORE $7 MILLION IN EARNINGS
   -------------

       Atari Corporation recently announced  that it  had $89.1  million in
 sales  in  its  Third  fiscal  Quarter  of  1990,  with a net income of $3
 million.   Net sales  were up  9.5 percent  over last  year's figures, and
 sales for  the first 9 months of 1990 were $259.6 million (up $6.1 million
 from last year).  Interestingly enough, Atari also gained a  net income of
 $6.1  million  over  that  time  span,  while  they had a net loss of $1.8
 million in the first three quarters of 1989.  Demand for the Portfolio has
 remained at high levels in 1990, with Lynx sales growing dramatically this
 year.  Commodore earned $7 million  on revenues  of $200.3  million in its
 first quarter,  ending 09/30. Much of the credit goes to the Amiga line of
 computers. 

     The figures compared with a  $6.5  million  loss  on  sales  of $165.3
 million in  the first  quarter a  year ago.  R. Alexander, vp of Commodore
 mentioned that Amiga sales,  which account  for 50  to 55  percent of Com-
 modore's revenue, grew well over 50 percent through the year.  Commodore's
 MS-DOS machines added another 30% to  its  revenue  and  the  ever popular
 Commodore 64  made up  the balance,  Alexander said.    Favorable exchange
 rates for Euro-Bux helped  improve  CBM's  results  for  the  quarter too.
 "Europe  is  the  strongest  area  for  us," Alexander said.   In the year
 ending 06/30, Commodore earned $3.5 million on $887 million in revenues. 



 - New York, NY         PATENTED SYSTEM CONVERTS FAXED MESSAGES INTO SPEECH
   ------------

       Berkeley Speech Technologies recently obtained a US patent for a new
 system that can translate incoming fax letters into voice messages.  While
 this new development will probably  enjoy  widespread  use  by handicapped
 people, it  is also  expected to  be popular among business executives who
 depend on both voice mail and  electronic mail/fax  messages.   BST is now
 using  its  technology  to  develop  the ReadOut Message Center, a program
 which will translate both  electronic mail  and faxed  messages into voice
 mail....

       BST  is  also  designing  custom  chips  that use its text-to-speech
 conversion system, and will be selling  them to  fax machine manufacturers
 in 1991.   With  such a  device, fax  machines would  not only  be able to
 notify fax users of an incoming fax, but  could actually  read the content
 of a faxed message to a person....



 - Las Vegas, NV.       BUSINESS CARD SIZED PC/XT MOTHERBOARD IN PRESS KIT!
   --------------

     Was it  only a few years ago that press kits included calculators, and
 the media was awed?  At this Fall  COMDEX, for  the first  time, a company
 included an entire PC motherboard in a press kit and the press yawned. 
 The occasion  was the  purchase, by  Megatel Computer  of Weston, Ontario,
 Canada, of the Wildcard  88 product  line from  Intel.   The "Wildcard-88"
 line integrates all the functions of the IBM PC/XT motherboard, except for
 memory and memory drivers, onto a single circuit card slightly larger than
 the typical  business card.   A  sample of the product was included in the
 press kit.   The  card includes  a SCSI  hard disk  interface, and floppy,
 parallel and  serial ports.   Under the agreement Megatel will continue to
 support Intel's Wilcard 88 customers for at least  3 years,  as Intel foc-
 uses entirely on its 80386 and 80486 chip lines.



 - Las Vegas, NV.                     GILBERT HYATT GRANTED ANOTHER PATENT!
   --------------

     In a speech delivered during the COMDEX Show in Las Vegas, Hyatt noted
 that this newly patented technology achieves up to 300 percent performance
 enhancement for  DRAMs used  in personal  computers and  workstations.  It
 supplements his other patents on the single chip microcomputer and on DRAM
 refresh  technology.    According  to Hyatt, the memory performance enhan-
 cement uses  commercially available  DRAM chips  and microprocessor chips,
 changing primarily  the memory  control circuitry and the memory intercon-
 nections.  He added that it can be readily incorporated  into DRAM contro-
 ller chips used on the motherboard of personal computers.



 - Las Vegas, NV.               PHILIPS CREATES NEW SEMI-CONDUCTOR DIVISION
   --------------

     The Dutch  electronics giant  Philips, in its struggle to minimize its
 cost of operation, has created  a  new  semiconductor  division.   Through
 extensive  restructuring  of  its unprofitable components division Philips
 detached the semiconductor operations and housed them under a new separate
 division "to  better react  to the rapid changes in this competitive mark-
 et," a spokesperson said.  The changes are one of a long  list of measures
 that should  enable Philips  to turn  one of  their blackest  pages in its
 100-year history.  Among  the most  stringent of  measures for  the turna-
 round, for  which this  year 1  billion guilders has been set aside ($ 600
 million), is the axing of 45,000 jobs.   





     _________________________________________________________________





 > COMDEX/FALL'90 STR Spotlight?          *** EYEWITNESS REPORTS! ***
   ============================




                    THE ATARI-COMDEX/FALL'90 EXPERIENCE
                    ===================================



 Feature I
 =========

 Eyewitness Report # 1


 by Bill Hastings


     Entering the Sands Convention Center, I was delighted that one  of the
 very first  objects to strike my eyes was the huge Atari sign hanging from
 the roof.  Prominently  located near  the entrance,  Atari had  the second
 largest floor  space of  this convention  center.   It appeared that Atari
 made a sincere effort to be noticed.  The booth was a delight to  view. As
 a side note, Atari had rented one of the four sided billboards in front of
 the main Las Vegas Convention Center.  The billboards had  displays of the
 TT's and  ST's and  directed people  to the  Atari booth over at the Sands
 Convention Center.  I was impressed!
  
     As in previous Comdex shows,  third  party  developers  were  the main
 attractions in  the Atari  booths.  Developers were showing their products
 on either the TT or the just announced Mega STE!   The  list of developers
 included Gadgets  by Small  showing Spectre GCR running version 3.0 softw-
 are, Codehead Software showing their line of software, ISD showing Calamus
 and Dynacadd in color running on a TT, Gribnif showing Neodesk 3, Goldleaf
 showing WordFlair and the beta version of WordFlair  2, Talon  showing the
 SuperCharger  along  with  the  announcement  of  being  the  exclusive US
 distributor for PC-Speed and AT-Speed.  Talon will  also be  a distributor
 for the  ATonce.   Talon sure  does have  the handle  on the IBM emulation
 market.
  
     Other developers  included  Step  Ahead  Software  showing Tracker/ST,
 Xoterix showing  the many  new products  for the  Portfolio including a 20
 Meg Hard Drive and 512k Ram expansion unit which mounts to the base of the
 Portfolio, Soft  Logik showing  Page Stream  (also in color) with exciting
 talk about the pending release  of  verion  2.0  and  GEnie  showing (what
 else!) GEnie.   Speaking  of GEnie,  Dan McNamee  of Atari was showing the
 release version of SoftSource.  Look  for  the  exciting  news  about this
 service from Dan and Atari soon.  RSN? 
  
     Not to be overshadowed by developers, Atari came prepared to show some
 exciting products.  The TT's were located in many locations  in the booth.
 One of  the many  Atari personal  confided that they had hoped to have the
 TT's available for distribution by this  show but  apparently the shipment
 from their manufacturing plant had not arrived.  They expected them within
 two weeks.  The newest offering  from Atari  was the  previously mentioned
 Mega STE.   Packaged  in the  same case  at the TT, the Mega STE will be a
 cached 16 mzh 68000 machine.  The Mega  STE will  also include  a VME slot
 and control  panel similar  to the  TT's.  From the control panel you will
 be able to select 8 mzh, 16 mzh  or 16  mzh cached  operation of  the com-
 puter. The Mega STE that I used came equiped with a 80 meg. hard drive.
  
     Atari was  also showing  the new SLM 605 laser printer, both color and
 monochrome TT monitors and the new  SC1435 monitor  for the  ST line which
 includes stereo  output and  a swivel base.  Portfolios and STEs were also
 shown.
  
     I was able to spend only a few hours in the Atari booth but  left with
 the feeling  that Atari  really was  trying to  put its best foot forward.
 Only time can tell how successful they were and I  wish them  all the luck
 in the world.









                     HOME COMPUTING/BUSINESS COMPUTING
                     =================================


 Eyewitness Report # 2


 by Brad Martin



     Ah Fall,  a magical  time of  year.  Many holidays are celebrated this
 time of year, and while Fall Comdex is not an  official holiday,  for many
 in the computer industry it is the most exciting time of all.  Every year,
 in mid november, tens of thousands  of  computer  industry  people  make a
 pilgrimage to  Las Vegas  to see the latest in Silicon and Magnetic Media.
 This year was no different for the last, with anticipation  raising to new
 heights.

     Nowhere was  this more  evident then  in the Atari Computer community.
 Many new and exciting  products are  being introduced,  products that will
 affect Atari's  direction for  years to come.  And, as in years past, Ata-
 ri's booth did not disappoint.

     Atari had the second largest booth in the  new Sands  Hotel Convention
 Center (JVC  has the  largest).  The booth was split in half with one half
 being "Home Computing" and  the  other  "Business  Computing".    The Home
 Computing area  was bright and cheery while the Business Computing are was
 typical somber colors.  As in past years most of  Atari's booth  was taken
 up with  third party developers, which is a good move by Atari as it gives
 companies that would not normally be able to show their  products a chance
 to be seen.

     The biggest  (new) news is that the Mega STe is indeed real (of course
 this was reported many weeks ago by STReport).   The  Mega STe  shares the
 same case  design as  the new  TT/030, but is the same gray as the current
 Megas rather then the off-white of the Tt/030.   It  runs at  a switchable
 16/8 mhz,  and in the 16 mhz mode you have a 16k S-Ram cache which is also
 switchable on and off.  The Mega STe has a pair of Serial ports as well as
 a Local area Network (Appletalk compatible like the TT/030) port, although
 the LAN and Serial port 2 can not be used simultaneously as they share the
 same internal  hardware connections.   It  also has they TT/030's VME bus,
 which is a great move by  Atari.   The Mega  STe has  all the  older ports
 (ASCI, parallel,  midi, etc.)  but does  not have  the SCSI  port that the
 TT/030 has.

     While the final configuration and price of the Mega STe  is not final,
 the base  unit will  most likely sport 2 meg. of RAM, a 50 meg hard drive,
 the new TT/TOS, and should retail for around $1200.   It should  be avail-
 able (at least in Europe) after the first of the year.

     All the  Mega STes were hooked up to the new Phillips 15" color stereo
 monitors (model SC13435, retail $399).  The picture  on these  monitors is
 very crisp,  bright, and clear, and is a great replacement for the SC1223.
 These monitors should be in stores any time now.

     Besides the Portfolio, the biggest draw at Atari's  booth was  the new
 TT/030.   These 32 bit, 32 mhz machines were a big draw.  Hooked up to the
 new 19" monochrome monitors  the TT/030  is an  almost unbeatable personal
 workstation  (even  more  so  when  UNIX  becomes available).  As much has
 already been said about these I will just sum up that the  basic unit will
 be a  2 meg.  machine with  a 50  meg hard  drive and retail for $2999.95.
 This may seem high, but Atari is giving their dealers  much bigger margins
 (about time)  and we will probably see some large discounts. Unfortunately
 the TT/030 has not yet passed FCC, so no shipping date is available yet.

     Atari was also showing their new  SLM605  laser  printer.    This unit
 replaces  the  SLM804.    The  printers footprint is much smaller then the
 SLM804, and the print quality is also considerable  better.   Atari claims
 that this  is a  6 page  per minute  printer (for straight text), but with
 desktop publishing software it  seems even  faster then  the older SLM804.
 Retail for this unit is $1295.95, and they should start shipping shortly.

     Atari was  also showing  their new  FSM GDOS, which should be released
 later this year.   This new  GDOS uses  outline font  technology, thus al-
 lowing complete  scalability and  rotatable GDOS fonts.  The outlines will
 be Ultrascript outlines, although, they will use the  IBM Ultrascript fam-
 ily, and not the ST Ultrascript fonts (since the ST version of Ultrascript
 has been discontinued).   WordFlair 2.0,  which uses  the new  GDOS, looks
 really  good.    The  new  GDOS  should hopefully breath new life into the
 somewhat stagnant Desktop Publishing arena.

     Atari also announced some  new software  and hardware  bundles just in
 time for  Christmas.   While some bundles have not yet been announced, the
 ones that have been are pretty standard, and nothing to  write home about.
 It is also been suggested that Atari might be putting the 1040STe's into a
 mass distributor's hand.  This is a fabulous  idea as  it will  allow more
 stores to have access to the 1040STe's and hopefully boost sales above the
 slow trickle they are today.   One can  only hope  that Atari  will follow
 through with this plan.

     There is  no good word on ST advertising, besides that fact that Atari
 is actually doing a good job with their Co-Op adds.  When  asked about any
 new advertising  campaigns Garry  Tramiel replied; "We are advertising, in
 the airline journals."  He was referring to the successful  Portfolio adds
 that have  been in  many of  the Airlines  in-flight magazines.  And while
 this is great for Portfolio owners it does not do  much for  us ST owners.
 I was  not able to pin Garry down on any concrete advertising plans, but I
 did hear some rumors from others that there may be something in the works.

     Third party support was good.  Seeing the  Spectre GCR  running on the
 TT/030 with  the new  3.0 software is incredible.  The speed is as fast as
 an Mac II, if not faster.  Gribnif was showing Neodesk 3,  which surpasses
 Atari's new  desktop, and  a couple  of other new goodies we should be see
 down the road shortly.  Goldleaf was showing  a beta  version of WordFlair
 2,  that  should  be  shipping  within  a  month  or two.  It will have an
 integrated spell checker and thesaurus, and a host of other  new features.
 This is  one program to keep an eye out for.  Talon technology was showing
 off their IBM emulators.  They have picked  up the  PC-Speed emulators now
 that Michtron  has gone  by the wayside.  Now that PC-Ditto 2 is gone this
 give full control of the IBM Emulator market to Talon.  

     Well, Atari has pulled off another  great Comdex  again, as  they have
 for the  last few years, but what does this mean?  Not much.  Atari really
 has to get their act together in the US, and start promoting their machin-
 es.   They are  starting to ask a lot of money for their newest computers,
 and the question is are the people who purchase Atari's willing to pay the
 money they  are asking?   I  feel that Atari can be a viable option to Mac
 for the personal and small business computer owner, if, and this is  a big
 if, they do SOMETHING.  Right now, they are doing nothing.  This Comdex is
 a good first step, but will they follow it up  with another  good step, or
 will they  fall flat  on their  faces?   Only time,  and the end user will
 tell.  Either people will purchase Atari computers, or they  won't.  Let's
 hope that they purchase Atari.






       ____________________________________________________________






 > COMDEX/FALL'90 STR FOCUS?                         ATARI SHOWS ITS "NEW"!
   ========================




                    THE ATARI-COMDEX/FALL'90 EXPERIENCE
                    ===================================



 Feature II
 ==========


                           OBSERVATIONS & QUOTES
                           ---------------------


 Below, we  present wide  and varied  expressions and  observations made by
 many of the visitors and participants at the (Very Elaborate)  Atari Booth
 in the Sands Exposition Center at Comdex'90.


     "I spent  about an  hour at  the Atari  exhibit. It  was laid out very
 well, with  several  "known"  developers  manning  some  stations. Charles
 Johnson was  showing his  products, Nathan Potechin was showing Calamus (I
 was impressed),  Dave Small  was showing  (what else?)  Spectre GCR, Nevin
 Shalit was  showing PageStream,  there was a MIDI exhibit, Portfolios were
 in abundance, and so were... TT-030/8s.  There must have been 8-10  of the
 TT-030-8s extremely  busy with  products and  services being demo'ed using
 them."


     "There are many MegaSTe computers  in  evidence  here  as  well.   The
 MegaSTe has  the same  case as  the TT  and includes  an internal HD.  The
 MegaSTe's are 4 mb w/40 meg HD.  This may not be the MegaSTE's  final con-
 figuration.   The HD  might be  60 or  80 meg.  That has not been set yet.
 There are "rumors" of a 2 meg/40 meg MegaSTE as well."


     "The MegaSTe comes with the same keyboard as  the new  TT030.  Really,
 the quickest  way to  differentiate between  the two machines is by color.
 The TT sports a white case.  The  MegaSTe has  a very  familiar Atari grey
 case."


     "The MegaSTe will come configured with either two or four megs of ram,
 and a fifty meg hard disk, and the LAN port, just like on the TT030/2. The
 Mega STE  will also  have stereo  output jacks, that can either be plugged
 into the new SC1435 Stereo Color monitor, or  into external  speakers sup-
 plied by the end user."


     "The MegaSTe  will have  a base unit featuring 2 MEG of RAM, a switch-
 able 16/8 Mhz acceleration with or  without RAM  cache,and an  internal 40
 megabyte hard  drive, the  new TT  style TOS/Desktop,  which is a modified
 version of the 3.01 type desktop called TOS  2.2, at  least that's  how it
 shows up as by programs that read the TOS version out.  Pricing and avail-
 ability is still unknown.  The MgaSTe machines variations are  designed to
 blow  away  the  PS/1  and  Classic  offerings.  All the Mega/STe units on
 display are hooked to  the new  Phillips built,  SC1435, 15"  color stereo
 monitors that  are destined  to replace the current SC1224 monitors.  "The
 SC1435 features the following:  tilt/swivel  base, and  a stereo headphone
 output connector.   The loudness, contrast, horizontal and brightness con-
 trols are all easily  accesable on  the front  of the  monitor.  Surprise!
 There is  a very pleasant and eye appealing "screen tint" option with this
 beauty.  Press the button and poof, there appears a  green tint background
 screen!"


 OF SPECIAL NOTE
 --------------- 

 John Townsend,  Atari Corp.,  noticed a  number of questions and some con-
 fusing answers so he sent out this post which answers some basic, "need to
 know", questions.


 1.  The Mega STE will use the standard ST monitors.

 2.  The Mega STE is capable of using any of the older ACSI Hard
     Drives. That includes all of the Atari Drives, as well as
     drives made by ICD and Supra.

 3.  It has a standard Double Sided Floppy Disk Drive.

 4.  In the models I have seen, the memory is in SIMMs. Maybe Bob
     can tell us more on this one.

 5.  Price.. Sorry. Can't help you here!

 6.  Same story. I am not sure when it will be available.

 7.  It is ST compatible. This includes STE, TT, MEGA, and ST machines.

 8.  The Mega STE has the same amount of ROM space that the STE has. 512K.

 And before I am asked.. Yes, the Mega STE has the TT Desktop in ROM.

                              I hope this answers your questions!


                                             -- John Townsend
                                                  Atari Corp.


     "There was  just some excitement in the Atari Booth.  One of the Beach
 Boys, Bruce Johnson, and  James Grunke  (their keyboard  technician), just
 wandered through  and spent a good deal of time at the MIDI setup, talking
 with Greg Pratt and Bob Brodie of  Atari.    It  seems  that  during their
 concert last  night at  Caesar's Palace,  they made  an unsolicited endor-
 sement of Atari computers because they make extensive use of them in their
 recording studio and on-stage during live performances."

     "BTW, I got to see the Beach Boys perform Monday evening and afterward
 got to go backstage.  Their harmonies are as good as they've ever been and
 they put  on a wonderful show.  Comedian Andy Bumatai opened for the Beach
 Boys and he was  a riot.   After  the show,  James acted  as our  host and
 guide, taking  us backstage  where we  were introduced to Andy and many of
 the musicians and production people.  It turns  out that  Andy is  quite a
 computer enthusiast  himself (although he's not an Atari user.....yet) and
 he has  a humorous  article on  time management  software coming  up in an
 upcoming issue of Byte magazine.  I believe it is scheduled for the Febru-
 ary issue."


 IN CLOSING......

     Atari has set the stage for a very aggressive year  in sales  and mar-
 keting.  By launching its new marketing effort which is obviously designed
 with the future in mind, it would appear that for the first time, Atari is
 going to  make a  positive forward  thrust toward reaching and selling the
 business community.  The powerful  and  competitively  priced  TT  line of
 computers is, of course, the nucleus of this effort.  This effort has been
 a long awaited endeavor  by many  of the  developers supporting  the Atari
 platform along  with those  who use the Atari line of computers and acces-
 sories for business purposes.  Between the TT and the Mega STe,  the busi-
 ness solution is delivered and destined to satisfy most all budgets.

     However, Atari  has made  it quite  clear that  the penetration effort
 towards the home (cottage computer industry) computer market is NOT  to be
 downplayed.    In  fact quite  the opposite  is true, it is destined to be
 marketed aggressively.  With the advent of the MEGA STe, there is no doubt
 left that  the home  computer market is in for some very serious marketing
 and sales campaigns.  There is every indication that Atari  fully plans to
 blow away  both the  PS/1 and  the Classic  in one fell swoop!  It does my
 heart good, how about yours??  Way to go Atari!



              MUCH MORE COMDEX NEWS ELSEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE!





       ____________________________________________________________





 > PORTFOLIO! STR Spotlight?                 "You've come a long way baby!"
   ========================





                      ATARI-COMDEX/FALL'90 EXPERIENCE
                      ===============================



 Feature III
 ===========



                  PORTFOLIO!  ATARI'S <REAL> HEAVYWEIGHT!
                  ---------------------------------------


 Full Functionality for under $500.00

     Atari Computer revolutionized  the  way  people  think  about portable
 systems  when  they  introduced  the Portfolio, the first palmtop personal
 computer.  More than 150,000 of these systems,  which set  the standard in
 weight,  size  and  processing  capability requirements for palmtops, have
 been sold since Atari began shipping the Portfolio last year.
  
     A great deal  of  sophisticated  micro-miniaturization  technology was
 integrated  into  this  one  pound  unit, which is slightly smaller than a
 video cassette tape and can easily slip into a coat pocket or  purse.  But
 its  small  size  can  be  deceiving.   The Portfolio personal computer is
 packed with  the  features  generally  reserved  for  significantly higher
 priced and  bulky notebook  and laptop systems.  The features were thought
 of in the electronic organizer arena, where products offer the Portfolio's
 compact size, but little else.

     Atari Computer's  design Team  had a  single vision when they began to
 conceptualize this tiny  computer--  create  the  smallest,  full featured
 personal computer on the market and offer it at a price for the masses.

     Needless to  say, the  Atari Computer  Portfolio breaks  new ground in
 price/performance.  With  a  suggested  retail  of  $499.95,  the personal
 computer  package  offers  five  internal  software  programs, including a
 Lotus 1-2-3 file compatible spreadsheet program, ASCII text editing softw-
 are, a calculator,with editable tape and a number of personal organization
 options.  This package also includes  a PC  Card Drive  and a  128k credit
 card sized memory.

     The Portfolio  palmtop computer boasts a processing speed of 4.92 Mhz,
 as well as 256kl ROM and 128K RAM internal memory.  An MS-DOS 2.11 command
 compatible operating system is built-in.

     This  palmtop  computer  is  available  with  three different types of
 keyboard configurations.   Each  system includes  one predominant language
 for menus  and messages  and two  additional languages.   Users can switch
 between languages with a few keystrokes.

     MS-DOS software developers are easily adapting  their programs  to the
 tiny PC.  A wide range of horizontal and vertical market software products
 are being developed.

     The Portfolio palmtop computer uses an 80C88 static  CMOS microproces-
 sor, CMOS  RAM and  other CMOS  components.  Because of the low power con-
 sumption of those components,  users can  expect three  standard "AA" bat-
 teries to  power the system for six to eight weeks -- significantly longer
 than the five to seven hours of most laptop computers.  Users  who wish to
 extend battery life even longer, for processor intensive applications, may
 opt to purchase an AC adaptor.

     The system software itself provides several power conserving features.
 For example,  while a  program is  waiting for  the user  to type or enter
 data, the Portfolio automatically  switches  into  a  standby  mode.   The
 standby  mode  simply  stops  the  microprocessor  clock while software is
 waiting for user input.  This function is transparent to  the user because
 the screen does not go blank and there is no delay when work resumes.

     The energy  saving system  also conserves  battery life  by going to a
 screen saver mode if no entry has been made for two to  four minutes.   In
 other words,  the system  turns itself off, but no data is lost.  The user
 simply presses any key to continue the work in progress.
  
     The Atari Computer Portfolio truly has the look  and feel  of a minia-
 ture IBM-compatible  personal computer.   The QWERTY keyboard, which fills
 the entire lower surface of the system (7.8 inch by 4.1 inch) even has the
 touch of  a 63  key PC keyboard.  It offers function keys, direction keys,
 (home, pageup, pagedown, and end) and has a numeric keypad embedded in the
 keyboard (cursor keys are separate).

     Despite its  small size, the positive action keyboard is ergonomically
 pleasing.  Each keytop is tilted upward, from  front to  back, to optimize
 the  viewing  and  typing  angle.    The keyboard design, combined with an
 audible key click (which  can  be  disabled),  tells  the  user  that each
 keystroke is complete.

     One of  the Portfolio's  greatest strengths  is the  array of features
 available with  the Palmtop  system.   For example  the PC  Card Drive can
 easily be  connected to  a desktop  IBM compatible PC through the system's
 empty 8 bit expansion slot.  The larger system can then be  used to access
 and download  data directly  to and  from the  solid state memory cards at
 high speeds.

     In fact, the file  transfer is  one of  the greatest  strengths of the
 Portfolio,  which  transfers  at  up  to  9600 baud and offers a number of
 optional peripherals to simplify the sharing of data  file among  a number
 of systems.

     The internal  software packages provide users with everything required
 to perform basic personal computer functions.  The  Lotus 1-2-3  file com-
 patible spreadsheet  is 127x255  lines and  it permits most Lotus 2.x com-
 mands and functions.

     A  number  of  developers  are  already  offering  software   for  the
 Portfolio.   A Finance  card, which  performs complex business analysis; a
 DOS utilities card, which  allows  users  to  customize  DOS  commands and
 transfer ASCII  data between  the Portfolio and the Mac, ST, CBM and other
 personal computers as well as Hyperlist, an outlining  program are already
 available.

     The Portfolio  has a  60 pin bus connector for use with optional peri-
 pheral devices.  When used with the optional  serial Interface  for insta-
 nce, the  Portfolio can  be connected to any peripheral that uses industry
 standard RS-232 ports.  This  means  that  the  users  can  access modems,
 printers and  bar code  readers with their palmtop personal computers.  (A
 perfect way to check those supermarket prices on your own!)   In addition,
 with  suitable  software,  the  Serial  Interface  can be connected to the
 serial interface of another  computer,  setting  the  Portfolio  up  as an
 intelligent terminal.   With  the addition  of the DOS utility card, users
 can receive a Portfolio XTERM program  which provides  a smooth connection
 to Dow Jones, CompuServe, Genie, Delphi and many other online services. 

     This  column  is  now  a  regular feature of STReport's beginning this
 week.  We firmly believe that the Portfolio is here to stay and therefore,
 deserves ample  coverage for it's many users.  In the coming weeks we will
 explore all the fine goodies available  for the  Portfolio and  delve into
 the manners  in which they work.  We will be presenting guest columns from
 folks in our community as well as the other computer platforms the Portfo-
 lio interfaces with. 





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


                    :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.

               -> NOW!  GENIE STAR SERVICE IS IN EFFECT!! <-


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







 > FSMGDOS STR InfoFile?       FSM GDOS, uses the FSM (Font Scaling Module)
   ====================


                                  FSMGDOS
                                  =======

 from JOHN TOWNSEND... 

     FSMGDOS has  a font cache option which makes the fonts get MUCH faster
 as they are used.  I am talking about on the screen.

 As for point sizes it works like this:

     There is a file called EXTEND.SYS that contains all of the information
 about your  scalable fonts.  You specify specific point sizes in this file
 that will be recognized in your GDOS applications.

     In addition to this method there is a  new GDOS  call that  will allow
 you to  get an  arbitrary point size.  If the GDOS application is aware of
 this call (most of the popular application should  be by  the time FSMGDOS
 ships!) then you can select any point size you want from 1 to 999 points.

     It, FSMGDOS,  uses the FSM (Font Scaling Module) to scale the fonts to
 any device as long as you have drivers for that device. This  includes the
 Screen and the Printer.

     We are  working on  driver for a variety of printers. Can't really say
 what drivers at this point, but we are  trying to  cover the  majority and
 the most popular printers out there first.

 Availability of Fonts?  Wrong person to ask. I am not sure on this one.

     FSMGDOS uses  the IBM  Imagen fonts.   The  Ultrascript ST fonts won't
 work with FSMGDOS.  The distribution of FSMGDOS  and the  associated fonts
 hasn't been  offically determined or announced.  We will just have to wait
 and see :-)  Compatibility has been maintained.  You can still use FSMGDOS
 with the older GDOS bit mapped fonts with no problems.

     Our information  has that  this new FSM GDOS will be placed into dist-
 ribution shortly and at no cost to the users.  We shall see....




           ____________________________________________________





 > LYNX GAMES! STR Review?                         PAPERBOY and ROBO-SQUASH
   ======================


                              LOVE THAT LYNX!
                              ===============


 by Robert Jung


     Well, if it's out for the Lynx, I have to see it, hear it,  or own it.
 I got  lucky this  week; a  friend of  mine at Electronics Boutique got in
 PAPERBOY and ROBO-SQUASH -- by the  end of  the day,  they were  mine too.
 So,  to  help  inform  the  rest  of the Lynx Enthusiasts get the lowdown,
 here's a pair 'o reviews:
  

  
                                 PAPERBOY
                                 ========


 FROM: Atari Corp. $39.95
          ONE PLAYER
  
 OVERVIEW:
 ---------
     In Norman Rockwell's America, pure-hearted young  men got  their start
 in  the  financial  world  by  delivering newspapers or selling fruit.  In
 PAPERBOY for the Atari  Lynx  (an  adaptation  of  the  Atari Games/Tengen
 arcade title), you play such a young man, out to deliver a week's worth of
 papers on either Easy Street, Middle Road, or Hard Way.
  
     You start off with a bike, ten papers, and two blocks of customers. As
 you  ride  up  the  street,  your  objective  is to deliver papers to your
 customers with a well-placed toss.  Aim carefully -- breaking windows is a
 fast way  to lose  a customer. Between customers, throw papers haphazardly
 to destroy other people's property! or hit people! for bonus  points!.  At
 the end  of the  run, you  can run  an obstacle  course and  show off your
 bike-riding and paper-throwing prowess.
  
     It's not all peaches  and cream,  though. Crashing  your bike  into an
 obstacle (incoming  traffic, pedestrians,  animals, etc.)  will lose you a
 paperboy. Lose all your customers, or  all your  boys, and  the game ends.
 Survive an entire week and you may actually keep your job.
  

 GAMEPLAY:
 ---------
     A decent  adaptation of the arcade game.  Minute game details from the
 arcade original are preserved  intact, such  as the  "hidden targets" (the
 catburglar, the  birdbath -->  periscope, etc.).  Scoring and gameplay are
 identical enough that veterans of the original will feel right at home.
  
     There are a few nitpicky points that detract, though.   For one thing,
 while you  can slow  down/speed up the bike, you cannot STOP. For another,
 the Lynx  version seems  a little  bit easier  than the  original.  Making
 mailbox "bullseyes",  dodging obstacles,  and generally  staying alive are
 easier to do. You do get to pick three different  streets of  varying dif-
 ficulty, though there's no way to refine the game further.
  
     One minor  "cute touch"  -- the Lynx version maintains a separate high
 score table for each street.  Get a score in the top five for  the street,
 and you get to enter your name. No score-saving mechanism, however.
  

 GRAPHICS/SOUND:
 ---------------
     A mixed  bag.  Graphics are clearly distinguishable (breakdancers from
 drunks, trash cans from tombstones), but  left me  with a  sense of "could
 have been  done better". Every extra graphic nicety was counterbalanced by
 a weak point, leaving an overall OK graphics impression.
  
     Similarly, the  sound effects  are mediocre  at best.   The background
 music is  a pale  shadow of  the original,  but the  other game sounds are
 appropriate and helpful (especially the musical  riffs when  you deliver a
 paper).   The volume  of the  sounds vary  widely, though -- you strain to
 hear a delivery riff and have your concentration broken by  a (relatively)
 loud "car horn", for instance -- again leaving an overall balanced impres-
 sion.
  

 SUMMARY:
 --------
     Not a bad game, though not one of the Lynx's  best.   It's not  a fast
 paced "breakneck"  speed game,  so people looking for relaxation should be
 interested.  If you can overlook  average-quality graphics  and sound, and
 did not dominate the arcade version, this is worth trying out.
  
                       GAMEPLAY:        7.5
                       GRAPHICS:        6
                       SOUND:           6
                       OVERALL:         7
  
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

  
                                ROBO-SQUASH
                                ===========


 FROM: Atari Games $34.95
        ONE or TWO PLAYER
  

 OVERVIEW:
 ---------
     It's  the  31st  century,  and  after  200  years of peace, there is a
 conflict. The two political  parties of  the universe  are arguing  over a
 successor to  the recently-deceased  President of  the World.   Instead of
 settling the dispute through barbaric warfare  or elections,  both parties
 have sent  a representative  to play the zero-gravity game of Robo-Squash.
 The winning player will win the  Presidency  for  his  party.  Guess what?
 You're one of the players.
  
     The Robo-Squash  game consists  of 16 rounds.  For each round, you sit
 at one end of a zero-gravity corridor.  At the other end is your opponent,
 and in  the middle  are spinning  bricks and some icons.  A ball is batted
 back and forth between the players,  picking  up  speed  and  knocking out
 obstacles as  it goes.   A  round ends when one player fails to return the
 ball three times, or one player hits the  roving mech-spider  that appears
 when all obstacles are knocked out.
  
     The game  is complicated by a few twists: First, missing a ball leaves
 a big red splotch on your end of the arena.  This is more than a nuisance,
 it blocks your view of the ball and makes it harder to see incoming shots.
 Second, hitting the icons in the middle of the arena gives you (if you can
 catch it) power-ups: a ball grabber, a larger paddle, a fireball launcher,
 or a ball spotter are available.
  
     Before each of the 16 rounds, a player picks a  ball in  a 4-by-4 grid
 to play  for. Winning a round wins the ball for the player, and at the end
 of all the rounds, bonuses are awarded for getting grid  entries in  2, 3,
 or 4-in-a-rows.
  

 GAMEPLAY:
 ---------
     ROBO-SQUASH is a nice, well-balanced "sports game" (okay, sport-like).
 The general concept reminds  me of  PONG, BREAKOUT,  SHUFFLEPUCK CAFE, and
 ARKANOID. The game and controls are easy enough to learn, and the addition
 of power-ups, vision-blocking, and fighting  for  grid  positions  make it
 more interesting.  The game  has four  difficulty levels, which affect the
 top speed the ball can get and the intellect of the computer opponent.
  
     ROBO-SQUASH can be  played  either  against  the  computer  or another
 player. The  computer opponent  is good,  but not unbeatable -- like video
 tennis games, alternating volleys to extreme ends of the arena can trip it
 up. Human  opponents, though,  are another matter; use strategic shots (to
 set up vision-blocking splotches)  or fireballs  (exploding bricks obscure
 the view temporarily) to distract your opponent.
  
     One minor  annoyance: You  can angle the return of the ball by hitting
 it on the edge of the paddle OPPOSITE from where you want  to go  (make it
 go down  by hitting it with the top edge, for instance).  Once you unders-
 tand it, ball control is easy --  but  until  then,  it's  a  mystery. The
 manual is of little help here.
  

 GRAPHICS/GAMEPLAY:
 ------------------
     From an  original name  of "3D Barrage", ROBO-SQUASH makes good use of
 the Lynx's scaling capabilites.  The 3D effects of the game are  very well
 done; the  ball's size  changes and  the use  of two  ball shadows make it
 clear where the ball is, and the obscuring blotches are a neat  idea.  The
 rest of  the graphics  are functional, though the power-up icons are a bit
 cute (a dragon's head for the fireball launcher, for instance).
  
     Sounds are passable but not noteworthy, repeating the  trend in PAPER-
 BOY and  XENOPHOBE. The  actual gameplay  is mostly  silent, with only the
 sound of the bouncing ball and smashed bricks punctuating.   The only real
 music  comes  in  the  opening  title  tune, and while it's nice, it's not
 enough.
  

 SUMMARY:
 --------
     A good, slightly above-average game. Playing  it by  yourself is fine,
 since the  difficulty levels  let you tune the computer to your skills.  I
 suspect, though, that playing it with  another person  would be  more fun.
 Best for  players who  are looking for a sports-type game for the Lynx (at
 least until TOURNAMENT CYBERBALL comes out).
  
         GAMEPLAY:  7 to 8 (depending on difficulty/number of players)
         GRAPHICS:  7
         SOUND:     6
         OVERALL:   7
  
  
     Well, unless the Lynx naysayers  are  not  reading  these  reviews, it
 looks like  Atari is  getting their  act together and releasing more games
 for the machine.  These  last  three  releases  (XENOPHOBE,  PAPERBOY, and
 ROBO-SQUASH) are  good games,  but now  I'm salivating  in anticipation of
 what's next: ...ZARLOR MERCENARY and ROADBLASTERS.
  
                                                 -- R.J.






          _______________________________________________________




 > THE FLIP SIDE STR Feature?                     "..a different viewpoint"
   =========================





                    A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT
                    ==================================



 by Michael Lee
  
 Have  you heard the latest news from Comdex?   It looks as if  Atari  is 
 finally ready to hit the home and small business computer market with  a 
 bang.   The new TT and Mega STe's bring meaning back to the old  slogan, 
 "Power  without  the Price"!!   The TT is about ready to  ship  (waiting 
 final  FCC approval) while the Mega STe's are still in the final  design 
 stage,  so we probably won't be seeing either in our stores until  after 
 the  first of the year.....but the wait will be worth  it.   Atari  also 
 introduced  a  new  Laser  printer  and  several  new  monitor's,  which 
 strengthens the line even more.

  
                            ----------------
  
    From R. Woodbridge on Genie:
 At  the beginning of September I received version 2.1 of the  SpiritWare 
 Bible  concordance program.  I must say it is a significant  improvement 
 over version 2.0.  A list of new features in 2.1 follows:
  
    1. A  nice  desk accessory text editor called  SpiritEd  is  provided 
 which has Macintosh-like operation....and auto word wrap.   It interacts 
 with the concordance nicely.  [It is now my editor of choice for writing 
 notes and basic word processing - I'm using it to write this.]
    2. Verses  from the Bible Text and verse List windows can  be  copied 
 into the clipboard and subsequently into SpiritEd.
    3. Search speed,  particularly for complex searches, has been greatly 
 increased.
    4. Multiple wild card operators can now be used in the search string.
    5. Memory management has been improved.
    6. Size  box added so the Bible text window can be made  full  screen 
 size.
    7. Cursor and delete keys now function in the search criteria  window 
 and escape key clears text from it.
    8. The Text window can be scrolled using Up- and Down-Arrow keys.
    9. A  program  is  now provided that extracts Bible  books  from  the 
 compressed .CCD Bible text files and puts them into ST  Writer-formatted 
 files.
  
 In addition,  a letter included in the package indicated that version  3 
 is in the works which will allow more than one version of Scripture  on-
 screen  at  a time.   And Greek New Testament will be  available  (maybe 
 Septuagint too). The folks at SpiritWare request that you send them your 
 suggestions for other features or any bug reports.  They are responsive.  
 My own experience with this program has been great; I've been using v2.1 
 for about a month.
  
 ...The  purchase price is $40 for the whole NIV Bible,  $20 for NIV  New 
 Testament, $30 for whole KJV Bible, $15 for KJV NT, and $60 for both NIV 
 and  KJV whole Bibles.  The concordance program is provided free  to  be 
 used  with above compressed Bible files (cost includes royalties in  the 
 NIV case I believe).  Send order to:
  
                                SpiritWare 
                      Fifteenth Avenue Bible Church 
                           15211 15th Avenue NE 
                            Seattle, WA  98155
  
 Note  that  concordance  program  can run from  floppies  or  hard  disk 
 (obviously hard disk operation is much faster);  the full Bible text  is 
 about 2.5 Meg when installed on a hard disk.
  
                            ----------------
  
    From Frank Bell on Genie:
 A 15 megabyte board (3 boards really) is being produced by a company  in 
 Austria. With these memory expansion boards a MegaST (only Megas) can be 
 upgraded to 15mb.  Some examples:
    Mega ST 1 to  7mb for about $2200.00 
    Mega ST 2 to 12mb for about $3300.00 
    Mega ST 4 to 10mb for about $2200.00
    Mega ST 4 to 14mb for about $4700.00
  
 I  don't  know  the price but a Mega ST 1 can be  upgraded  to  15mb.  I 
 believe  a Mega ST 2 can also be upgraded to 16 mb but 1 mb of  the  RAM 
 can't be used.
  
 The expansion boards come as follows:
    2mb Main expansion board into which a 
      2mb daughter boards and/or 
      4mb daughter boards can be connected.
  
 The Mega ST 4 configuration looks like this:
    Mega ST 4 RAM (4mb) 
      Main expansion board RAM (2mb) 
      2 daughter boards (2 x 4mb)
  
 Compatibility? You may not believe it, but so far 99.99% of the programs 
 tested work perfectly and most ST programs have been tested.
  
                            ----------------
  
    From LRYMAL on Genie:
 If you own a Mega,  it is fairly 'easy' to move the mother-board into  a 
 Baby AT clone case.  I did this a half year ago. I moved the motherboard 
 into the case with the back ports facing the outside, with their nudging 
 the edge. I positioned and anchored the motherboard by first placing the 
 board on top of perf board material, securing it with double stick tape. 
 I then used Velcro tape on the perf board and anchored this to the  Baby 
 AT's bottom pan.  Motherboard was now secure, back ports exposed.
  
 The  cartridge  port was carefully removed via solder  sucking.  It  was 
 removed  because  it  would not provide  sufficient  clearance  for  any 
 cartridge  inside  of the clone  case.  The  cartridge  receptacle,  now 
 removed,  was doctored so that when reinstalled,  it would face  angling 
 upwards.  I had room now for my Spectre GCR to fit *inside* of the clone 
 case.
  
 I never liked the supplied floppy mechanism and replaced it with a  Teac 
 mechanism, mounting it in the appropriate bay. My Seagate 296n also slid 
 into its own bay.  I still have room to spare for another hard drive and 
 even a SysQuest and there would still be room for other goodies!
  
 For those who want to contemplate this project, use a cardboard template 
 for initial sizing.  Also be away that your motherboard is very delicate 
 and not happy about being flexed during the installation.
  
 Find a dealer who can hold your hand,  if possible.  You've got a  power 
 switch,  reset switch, and turbo switch to hook up. These are located on 
 the front on the clone case, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
  
 The  end result is very rewarding and not the difficult.  And as  usual, 
 don't blame Atari for smoke if you do this!!!
  
                            ----------------
  
 Until next week....



       _____________________________________________________________





 > MEGA STe Specs STR Spotlight?   "..New desktop with enhanced features.."
   ============================



                          MEGA STE SPECIFICATIONS
                          =======================




 by Bud White, Vice President 
    D.U.S.T. User Group
    Las Vegas Nevada.


     The New mega STe computer features a 4096 color palette,  stereo digi-
 tal sound,  and a graphics coprocessor.  It is also running at 16 MHz also
 has a onboard cache.  The Mega STe comes with MIDI a built in RF modulator
 with  GENLOCK  for  receiving  external  video  sources, plus parallel and
 serial ports.  The Mega STe offers a graphical user  interface.   The MEGA
 STe's interface  and the  rest of  the operating  system is  in ROM on the
 motherboard.  It also has a VME slot. 
  

 ARCHITECTURE
 ------------
     CPU: Motorola 68000 running at 16MHz.
     BUS:16-bit external; 32-bit internal; 24-bit address.
     FPU: Optional MC68881/82.
     RAM: 2 or 4 MB.
     ROM: 256 kbyte internal; 128 Kbyte external plug-in ROM.

  
 HARDWARE
 --------
     Accepts external GENLOCK.
     Graphics coprocessor chip (Blitter).

  
 KEYBOARD
 -------- 
     Standard Qwerty  keyboard  format  keyboard  processor  to  reduce CPU
     overhead.

  
 SOFTWARE
 -------- 
     New  desktop  with  enhanced  features such as installing custom icons
     onto the desktop to represent drives, programs, or files.  New control
     panel desk accessory with extensions such as color set up, sound setup
     and the mouse accelerator.

  
 INPUT/OUTPUT Ports
 ------------------
     All ports built in.
     MIDI ports
     Audio out:2 x RCA jacks for left and right channels.
     Connector for color or mono monitors.
     2 modem/RS232c serial ports
     1 high speed DMA serial port or LAN port with DMA.
     Parallel printer port (8bit parallel).
     External floppy disk drive port.
     External DMA port for hard disk,CD-ROM, and laser printer.
     Mouse/Joystick port.
     Controller/J-stick/Light gun ports:2x15 pin high density D connectors.
     Cartridge port (128 Kbyte capacity).
     Built in RF modulator for connection to TV and VCR.
     Built in Power supply.
     Direct Memory Access(DMA).

  
 GRAPHICS
 --------
     Includes graphics coprocessor.
     High resolution:600 x 400 Monochrome.
     Medium resolution:640 x 200 4 colors.
     Low Resolution: 320 x 200 16 colors
     Color palette: 4096 colors.
     Text display: 80 column.

  
 SOUND AND MUSIC
 ---------------
     5 programmable sound channels.
     Frequency programmable to 25 kHz
     Stereo DMA sound engine:  built in  2-channel digital/analog converter
     (DAC). Play back digitized samples at rates between 6 kHz and 50kHz on
     2 channels; programmable volume/tone control.
     Programmable  sound  generator(PSG):  3   tone  generators;   2  noise
     generators; dynamic envelope shaping; wave shaping.

  
 These specs  are directly  from a  brochure I obtained at the ATARI Comdex
 Booth.

                              Hope this helps out.

                              Bud White, Vice President 
                         D.U.S.T. User Group Las Vegas Nevada.




          _______________________________________________________






 > USENET CALLING STR OnLine?                 ports of informative messages
   =========================



 Path: bdt!unisoft!mtxinu!ucbvax!decwrl!apple!portal!atari!apratt
 From: apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
 Subject: Re: Quien es mas macho? (HD caching)
 Message-ID: <2729@atari.UUCP>
 Date: 1 Nov 90 02:01:26 GMT
 References: <1990Oct30.220831.17172@math.lsa.umich.edu> 
 <1990Oct31.162831.10747@cs.ucla.edu>
 Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
 Lines: 56

 People seem a little unsure of  how GEMDOS's  cache (the  one CACHEXXX.PRG
 adds to) works.

 There are  two lists  of buffers.   CACHE030.PRG, for example, will add 30
 buffers to each list.  You  can give  it arguments  to explicitly  give  a
 certain number to each list.

 Both lists are write-through: all writes happen right away.

 The first  list caches  FAT and  root directory  sectors.  Any FAT or root
 directory access will use this cache.

 The second list caches data sectors, defined as those which  aren't FAT or
 root directory.   Subdirectory  sectors always use this cache. Normal file
 data sectors  only use  this cache  if your  program doesn't  do reads and
 writes of  complete sectors.  Then the data sector is read into the cache,
 and the piece your program wanted is copied.

 Whole-sector or multi-sector reads and writes  don't use  the GEMDOS cache
 at all.   They  always go straight to disk.  That's where the other caches
 in the world can help.

 With enough cache buffers, all of the FATs and root directories on  all of
 the drives  on your  system will  end up  in the  first cache and never be
 replaced.  It's a waste of space to  have more  sectors in  the first list
 than you have FAT and root directory sectors.

 Having a  lot of  buffers in  the data-cache  list will mean that all your
 subdirectory sectors will get cached, and in addition  the parts  of files
 that get accessed as fragments, not as whole sectors.  One example of this
 kind of access is in GEMDOS itself: Pexec  reads the  header of  a file to
 find out  how big  it is, and since the Pexec routine only wants $1c bytes
 of data, the sector lands in the cache.  Then,  Pexec reads  the text+data
 part of  the file,  and since it probably doesn't end on a sector boundary
 that last sector winds up in the cache.   Finally,  Pexec reads  the fixup
 information, and  that probably doesn't begin or end on sector boundaries,
 resulting in two more fragments. (The end of the text+data  and the begin-
 ning of  the fixups will be the same place unless there are symbols in the
 file.)

 You can tell if you have "enough" sectors  in each  list by  doing a "show
 info" from  the Desktop  on all  your drives, then doing it again.  If the
 second time doesn't actually  hit any  disks, it  means all  the FAT, root
 directory, and subdirectory sectors are in the cache.

 Both  caches  are  managed  LRU:  each  time  there  is a "cache hit" on a
 buffer, it gets moved  to the  beginning of  the list,  and when  the time
 comes to  replace a  buffer, the replacement is chosen from the end of the
 list.

 All this information is subject to change: I make no  guarantees about the
 workings of GEMDOS's cache system past, present, or future.

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






 Path: bdt!unisoft!mtxinu!ucbvax!decwrl!apple!portal!atari!mui
 From: mui@atari.UUCP (Derek Mui)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
 Subject: Re: TOS 2.0
 Message-ID: <2726@atari.UUCP-
 Date: 1 Nov 90 00:30:31 GMT
 References: <CMM.0.88.657398135.larserio@kvart.ifi.uio.no-
 Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
 Lines: 34

 in article <CMM.0.88.657398135.larserio@kvart.ifi.uio.no-, larserio@IFI.
 UIO.NO 
 (LarsErikOsterud) says:
  
 - If you ask people to stop using a version of TOS 2.0 you should offer
 - them a new bug-free version.  Many people I know use 2.0 because they
 - like the extra funtions.  They keep asking if anyone can get hold of
 - a ROM-version of this great improvement to TOS.  Will such a ROM-version
 - TOS 2.0 for ST, STE and MEGA ST be available soon ????
 - 
 -  Lars-Erik  /  ABK-BBS +47 2132659  /   ____ ______ -   Osterud 
              /  larserio@ifi.uio.no  /   /___    /   The norwegian ST
 - __________/ ______________________/   ____/   /    Klubben, Usergroup


         Please Listen !!!!! The TOS 2.0 never exists. 

     As far  as I know, it is done by an irresponsible person who stole  an
 alpha test version of the desktop, put in  version 2.0  title in  the info
 box and  distributed among  you guys.  Since it is not an official release
 version, Atari is not obligated to replace it.

     And you heard it right, it  is an  alpha test  version and  it is very
 buggy. If you insist to use it, that's fine with us. But don't complain to
 us that it trashes your files or wipes out your whole partition.

         

 ==================================================================
 Derek Mui, Atari Corp, 1196 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
 UUCP: {..ames!atari!mui}

 Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are my own and they may be 
             hazardous to your mind.
 ==================================================================




 bdt!unisoft!hoptoad!pacbell!pacbell.com!ucsd!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!
 From: ki@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de (Karsten Isakovic)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
 Subject: Re: TOS 2.0
 Message-ID: <2164@bahia.opal.cs.tu-berlin.de>
 Date: 6 Nov 90 14:36:29 GMT
 References: <1430@hexagon.se> <2733@atari.UUCP>
 Reply-To: ki@tubopal.UUCP (Karsten Isakovic)
 Organization: Technical University of Berlin, Germany
 Lines: 25

 In article <2733@atari.UUCP- mui@atari.UUCP (Derek Mui) writes:
 - 
 -Atari Corp never endorses users to use any illegal copy of any kind
  of softwares including TOS. I have said enough before about the so called
  TOS 2.0 and this will the last time that I will say it. 
 -
 -       "PLEASE DON'T USE IT FOR YOUR OWN SAKE." 
 -
 -       It have lot of bugs and they will screw you up sooner or later.
 -

 Hello Derek,

 In Germany,  I have  heard of  a 'new' problem... Someone took the TT-Desk
 right out of the ROMs of an TT.  This version has  all features,  the TT--
 Desk has.   Like the TOS 2.0 you are talking of, the TT-Desk is a software
 that must start in the auto-folder.  Since it is  the same  AES as  in the
 orginal TT  with TOS 3.01, it has the same 'bugs', a normal TT user has to
 live with.  I don't have it and  I know  it is  absolutely illegal,  but I
 think it will spread very fast.

 I just wanted to tell this.  If someone 'else' could do this, I think it's
 also possible for Atari Corp.

 Sincerely, Karsten                 ki@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de




 bdt!unisoft!mtxinu!ucbvax!ucsd!usc!apple!agate!linus!nixbur!nixpbe!
 peun33!mboen
 From: mboen@nixdorf.de (Martin Boening)
 Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
 Subject: Re: TOS 2.0
 Message-ID: <mboen.657831766@peun33-
 Date: 5 Nov 90 19:02:46 GMT
 References: <CMM.0.88.657491352.larserio@kvart.ifi.uio.no- 
 <35495@cup.portal.com-
 Sender: news@nixpbe.nixdorf.de
 Lines: 46

 In <35495@cup.portal.com- Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes:

 -Concerning whether Atari will ever release TOS 3.0 for lesser machines
  than the TT, David Clear writes:

 -I don't even have a hard drive but I would consider it a worthwhile
  expense 

 -TOS 3.0 were hard disk based.

 --Whether or not this will happen is, of course, out of the hands of
   mortal me
        
 -Actually, of course, it's in the hands of those named "Tramiel"..
  
 -It's not what's "Right",  it's not what's "Fair", it's not even what's
  "Technically Feasible"..
  
 -It's what will make the most money for those named "Tramiel"...
  

     Therefore this would be the greatest idesa since the invention of ....
 well  of  whatever.  Just  think  of  the  money  Microsoft makes with DOS
 upgrades. DR has jumped on that bandwaggon and is selling a DRDOS upgrade.

     A diskbased  TOS would  be just  the same: release TOS 3.0 and sell it
 without having to burn it into ROMS. The fix some bugs and  upgrade to TOS
 3.1 for  a more or less substantial fee. Again, no hassle with ROMS, quick
 turnout, and many more people would buy it since it's so easy  to install.
 When sales drop of, fix some more or less trivial bugs and upgrade .... 

     And so on and so forth. At the same time make better machines and some
 day everybody will upgradee anyway for the better  performance if  the new
 system is relatively compatible to the old one and runs TOS 3.x.

     Some  day  in  the  future  you  release TOS 4.0, 5.0, etc. And always
 there'll be bugs to fix, features to add, upgrades to  sell ...  And all a
 lot easier than with ROM based systems.

                                                       Yeah.
                                                       Martin

 PS.: 
 Disclaimer: I hope you don't believe you've seen the above.
 --
 Email: in the   USA --  mboening.pad@nixdorf.com
        outside  USA --  mboening.pad@nixdorf.de

 Paper Mail: Martin Boening, Nixdorf Computer AG, SNI STO SI 355,
             Pontanusstr. 55, 4790 Paderborn, W.-Germany  (Phone: +49 5251 
 146155)



          ______________________________________________________
  



 > MT C-Shell STR InfoFile?      MT C-Shell Version 2.0 And VSH Version 2.0
   =======================



  
 PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
 --------------------




                MT C-SHELL VERSION 2.0 AND VSH VERSION 2.0
                ==========================================




 MULTITASKING JUST GOT BETTER
 ----------------------------

     Those who  are already  familiar with  Beckemeyer's MT C-Shell and VSH
 products will be impressed -- newcomers will be astonished!

     Version 2.0, the third generation of this mature and stable system, is
 a major  upgrade from previous versions.  With Version 2.0, MT C-Shell has
 been drastically revised and improved.


 FASTER THEN EVER!
 ----------------

     All 70 plus MT C-Shell commands have been upgraded and offer signific-
 antly improved performance.


 FULLY TT030 COMPATIBLE!
 -----------------------

     A  new  version  of  the  Beckemeyer  Real-time Multitasking Operating
 System Kernel has been  specifically designed  for the  new Atari  TT com-
 puter.   This new  operating system takes advantage of the 68030 processor
 and implements new TOS system calls introduced with  the TT.  Of course MT
 C-Shell and  VSH are  also fully compatible with the Atari ST computers as
 well.


 VIRTUAL CONSOLES
 ----------------

     Now included with MT C-Shell is  a system  which allows  you to switch
 between multiple  full-screen sessions  using a  "hot key".   This feature
 allows you to have multiple MT C-Shell sessions active concurrently, as if
 you had several terminals sitting on your desk!

 Some of the other new features of MT C-Shell Version 2.0 are:

     o Now fully supports User ID and Group ID numbers

     o Processes are assigned unique PIDs in subsequent incarnations

     o Config program helps set options (e.g. Memory quotas)

     o Pseudo-TTY driver with GEM Windowing interface included

     o Many internal improvements and speedups


 VISUAL SHELL MANAGER
 --------------------

               VSH is like a graphics workstation on a disk!

 Just look at these new features in Version 2.0:

     o Cut & Paste between windows

     o Save window or paste-buffer contents to a file

     o Set options individually for each window

     o Choose fonts for each window

     o Install custom program Icons onto the VSH Desktop

     o Works in all resolutions, including TT and Moniterm

     o Save settings and positions for all windows & icons


 Also included are the following VSH Desk Accessories:

     o Analog Clock

     o CPU Load Monitor

     o DEGAS Picture Viewer


     With  the  new  VSH  Version  2.0,  you can now install icons for your
 favorite programs -- no more searching all over the place.  The  VSH icons
 use the  DC- ICE  format, and  can easily  be customized.  You can install
 unique icons for all your programs.


                              UPGRADE POLICY
                              ==============

 The MT C-Shell upgrade is $39 US.  You must send your  MT C-Shell  disk in
 for update.   There is a $5 fee for replacement disks.  The VSH upgrade is
 $15 for registered owners  of VSH.   If  you are  a registered  MT C-Shell
 owner, but  you DO  NOT have  VSH, you  can order VSH with your MT C-Shell
 upgrade for the discounted price of  $24.   The suggested  retail price of
 VSH Manager  is $34.95  US.   The suggested  retail price of MT C-Shell is
 $129.95 US.


 PLEASE CONTACT:

                          Beckemeyer Development
                               PO Box 21575
                            Oakland, CA. 94620
                              (415) 530-9637
                            BBS: (415) 530-9682




       ____________________________________________________________




 > Stock Market ~ STReport?                     And the Band Marches On....
   =======================

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

 by Michael Arthur


     The price of Atari stock  stayed  the  same  on  Monday,  Tuesday, and
 Wednesday.   On Thursday, its price went up by 1/8 of a point, but dropped
 back down 1/8 of a point on Friday, to end the week at $2.25 a share.  The
 price price  of Atari  stock was at the same price on November 9th that it
 was on November 2nd.


      Apple Stock was up 3 3/4 points from Friday, November 2, 1990.
            Commodore Stock was up 1/4 of a point from 11/2/90.
                IBM Stock was up 1 7/8 points from 11/2/90.

                Stock Report for Week of 11/5/90 to 11/9/90

 _________________________________________________________________________
 STock|   Monday    |  Tuesday   | Wednesday  |  Thursday  |    Friday    |
 Reprt|Last     Chg.|Last    Chg.|Last    Chg.|Last    Chg.|Last      Chg.|
 -----|-------------|------------|------------|------------|--------------|
 Atari|2 1/4    ----|2 1/4   ----|2 1/4   ----|2 3/8   +1/8|2 1/4    ---- |
      |             |  9700 Sls  |            |            |   8200 Sls   |
 -----|-------------+------------+------------+------------+--------------|
  CBM |6 7/8   + 1/8|6 7/8   ----|6 7/8   ----|6 3/4   -1/4|  7      + 1/4|
      |             |            |            |            | 110,200 Sls  |
 -----|-------------+------------+------------+------------+--------------|
 Apple|33 1/4 +1 1/2|33 1/2  +1/4|33 1/4  -1/4|34 1/2      |35 1/2     + 1|
      |             |            |            |      +1 1/4|1,769,900 Sls |
 -----|-------------+------------+------------+------------+--------------|
  IBM |107 7/8  -1/2|107 7/8 ----|106 1/2     |107 1/2  + 1|110 1/4 +2 3/4|
      |             |            |      -1 3/8|            |2,274,200 Sls |
 -----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'

   '#' and 'Sls' refer to the # of stock shares that were bought that day.
                  'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.





         ________________________________________________________





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




 - Sunnyvale, CA.                            MARKEN COMMUNICATIONS IS BACK!
   --------------

     Andy Marken of Marken Communications,  was  a  very  familiar  face at
 major shows  last year  where Atari was exhibiting.  Atari and Andy parted
 company early this year but its nice to see Andy  is once  again represen-
 ting  Atari.    Andy,  welcome  back!   STReport is confident you will, as
 always, do a stellar job for Atari.




 - Hadley, MA.                        GRIBNIF TO IMPORT TURBO C FOR THE ST!
   -----------

                  Borland's Turbo C 2.0 for the Atari ST
                  --------------------------------------

     For those who don't  know,  Borland  Germany  has  released  a special
 version of  their Turbo  C compiler for the Atari ST.  The entire compiler
 and its error messages are in English, with  the online  help and documen-
 tion in  German.   Currently there are no plans for a version with English
 documentation (though we keep asking).

      Some of the features of the package include:

      o Full K & R implementation with ANSI extensions.
      o Integrated GEM based editing and compiling environment.
      o Handles both Borland and DRI object file formats.
      o Libraries for TOS, GEM, Line A, and Borland Graphics Interface 
        functions.
      o Profiling for management of multiple source files.
      o 68881/2 match coprocessor libraries.
      o Window based sources level debugger which allows for stepping, 
        break pointing, logging, and much more.  (Package 2 only)
      o Integrated Lint and Make.
      o Robust macro assembler which can generate 68000 through 68030 
        compatible code with full coprocessor support. (Package 2 only)
      o Turbo fast compiling which generates very tight code.

     While in  Germany at  the Atari  Fair in  Dusseldorf we  worked out an
 agreement with  Borland Germany.  Under this agreement we would be able to
 order copies direct from them for programmers in the U.S. and Canada.


                   TWO DIFFERENT PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE:

               Package 1:  $160.00           Package 2:  $275.00

               Turbo C 2.0                   Turbo C 2.0
               Compiler                      Compiler
               Linker                        Linker
               Editor                        Editor
                                             Turbo Assembler



 To order,  send a  check or  money order  (drawn on  a U.S.  bank) for the
 correct amount along with $5 for shipping and handling to:

      Attn: 

                               Turbo C Offer
                             Gribnif Software
                               P.O. Box 350
                             Hadley, MA  01035

     Be sure  to include  your name, address, and daytime phone number.  If
 you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (413) 584-7887.  We
 will keep  you posted  on GEnie  as to  the status  of the order.  Pricing
 subject to change due to the nature of exchange rates.





 - Las Vegas, NV.                XOTERIX UNVEILS ITS NEW PORTFOLIO ADD-ONS!
   --------------

     Xoterix, a start- up company out  of  West  Hills  in  California, has
 expanded its  range of Atari Portfolio add-on products.  According to Mark
 Henderson of Xoterix, the  tiny pocket  PC, The  PORTFOLIO, from  Atari is
 being  acclaimed  in  the  U.S.  with an equal positive sales response and
 success as in the UK.

     Xoterix, now into its  second year  of operation,  specializes in sup-
 plying add-ons  for the  Portfolio and,  even more  importantly, at prices
 notably lower than Atari's  competing product.   Foremost  among Xoterix's
 new products  unveiled at Comdex is a 512K RAM expansion module that's 3 x
 4 x 1 inches that connects to the Portfolio, giving the Portfolio  636K of
 total memory.  The wonderful  aspect is  the outstanding  fact that it has
 twice the capacity of the Atari  RAM  module,  yet  it  costs considerably
 less, ($299). Available next month.

     Xoterix also is showing its 20MB hard disk for the Portfolio. The $899
 unit, which fits under the Portfolio case provides a 20MB  hard disk, 512K
 of RAM  expansion (with  a D: drive configuration to allow existing expan-
 sion cards to be used on drive C:) and optional ser and parallel ports.

     Addionally, Xoterix  was exhibiting  their Telecommunications package,
 Terminal Plus  software.  Although Xoterix is a start-up company, interna-
 tional support for its products is provided using the "Aportfolio" special
 interest  group  (SIG)  on  Compuserve.    The company's products are also
 stocked by a growing number of dealers across the US.





 - Las Vegas, NV.                        ATARI DEBUTS THE ELUSIVE MEGA STE!
   --------------

      The Mega STE series is essentially an existing STE motherboard fitted
 into a  slimline TT-style case, and targeted at new Mega ST users who want
 a sleek low-profile case version of the Mega ST, plus  an improved desktop
 user interface  coupled with  16Mhz switchable operation and the fancy new
 TOS 2.2 in ROM.  The Mega STE series is  capable of  being configured with
 up to  4mb of RAM.  The SLM605 laser, meanwhile, is bundled as a DTP laser
 printer with the Mega STE series.  A  sample configuration  with Mega STE,
 50MB hard disk and SLM605 laser will sell for $2,800.  This price includes
 end-user training and support.    Pricing on  the individual  Mega STe and
 SLM605 laser printer along with many rumored "bundle deals" have yet to be
 confirmed. 




 - LAS VEGAS, NV.                          "PROPOSED BUNDLE DEALS FOR 1990"
   --------------

     "Proposed Bundle Deals for 1990."  Of course, most of  us remember the
 the "Advantage"  Bundle form last year's Comdex.  It too was touted as the
 'marketing breakthrough for Atari.  This year, from all indications, Atari
 is prepared  to not  only deliver..  but to deliver in a big way.  At this
 point in time though, its a smart bet to 'wait and see'.  After all, we've
 been down this road before... more than once.
  

                     "PROPOSED BUNDLE DEALS FOR 1990"
                     --------------------------------

 PORTFOLIO PC TRAVELER:
 Portfolio computer,  File Manager ROM card, PC Card Drive, and 128K Memory
 Card.
 $499.00

  
 520STFM HOME ENTERTAINMENT PACK:
 520STFM, Missile Command, Star Raiders, Crack'd,  Moon Patrol, NEO-Chrome,
 Joust.
 $579.65

  
 520STFM COMMUNICATIONS PACK:
 Computer,  SX212  modem,  Strata's  Stalker  and  Steno telecommunications
 software.
 $529.85


 1040STE HOME DESK TOP PUBLISHING BUNDLE:
 Computer, Migraph's Hand Scanner, Touch-Up, Easy Draw 3.0....
 $1398.90


 1040STE DELUXE PAINT PACK:
 Computer, Electronic Arts' DELUXE PAINT ANIMATOR 
 $799.90


 DTP PACKAGE #1: 
 Mega 2 computer, SM124 Mono Monitor, Megafile 30 hard drive,  SLM605 Laser
 Printer, ISD's Calamus.
 $2199.00

  
 DTP PACKAGE #2: 
 Mega 2  Computer, SM124 Mono Monitor, Megafile 30 hard drive, SLM605 Laser
 Printer, Atari's Deskset II.
 $2099.00


     Plus there are "other" exciting, yet to be  announced, bundles  in the
     pipeline at this time.




       ____________________________________________________________






 > Chet & Bob STR Feature?                      ..........Please!
   ======================




                     SAVE THE TREES & THE ENVIRONMENT!
                     =================================




     Dr. Bob  and I  would like to clear something up.  When WizWorks! tra-
 vels to shows, we offer a $2.00 discount on our  products MUG  SHOT!, MVG,
 and IMAGE CAT if the purchaser is kind enough to buy them without the box.
 That means that they get the  program  disks,  the  manual  and everything
 else that  is necessary  to run  and register the product.  The only thing
 missing is the glossy box and the "fluff" that goes with it.   We  want to
 emphasize that  we sell  SOFTWARE, **  NOT **  packaging.   We also do not
 offer bags at our booth.  Bring your own!

     This is also true of shipments  to folks  who order  directly from us.
 We ship as inexpensively as we can, hence only the envelope (and that made
 of recycled paper and we hope that the  customer will  re-use that even!).
 This enables  us to  ship to US adresses at no charge.  FREE shipping!  We
 eat the cost of shipping in order to save the environment.  We figure that
 the end  user will  just set the box on the shelf or worse, toss it out so
 it contributes to filling our waning supply of already too  full landfills
 across the nation.  We don't ship fluff!  We ship good software!

     When we tell folks this at shows, some of them just kind of look at us
 with crossed eyes as if they  don't  quite  understand.    The  most asked
 question is,  "Is everything  there?"  YES!  Everything you need is there,
 except the fluff, which you don't need, we  don't need,  and that  we sell
 SOFTWARE, not packaging!

     Now, we have considered changing our packaging for shipments to deale-
 rs, but we figure that our  stuff will  get relegated  to the  back of the
 shelf if  we do,  so we still send the "fluff" to the distributors because
 of that.  We wish it were different.  We wish we could ship  to dealers in
 just shrink  wrap and  forget the  fluff.   But, the American mentality is
 just not ready for that.  Most Americans must feel a large  box and "some-
 thing significant" in their hand when they leave the store.

     We want  ** YOU  ** to change all that.  We want ** YOU ** to say, "No
 FLUFF!  No bag! look I  brought my  own bag!   Hey,  there's a  nice SMALL
 package.   I bet there's some good stuff inside.  Not much color, not much
 fluff.  There's some smart folks who care about the environment. Let's buy
 that one!"   Since  we are part of a unique group of people who are "into"
 electronic media, then we have a unique opportunity  to be  the leaders in
 the "no fluff" movement.  We can really contribute!

     But, until  most of  you folks  show us  different, then we must still
 send the fluff to dealers.  We wish we didn't have to.  We  don't want to!
 Please say  you agree.   And  if you do, tell your friends about it.  Say,
 "NO FLUFF!" Oh, and bring your own bag!!!

                                        Sincerely,

                          Chet Walters  WizWorks!
                         W.D. Parks    Dr. Bobware





            __________________________________________________





 > AUA & PIRACY STR Feature?                              The Law is Clear!
   ========================



              THOU SHALT NOT DUPE: Piracy Kills the Atari ST
              ==============================================



 Public Service Announcement by the AUA


 Either Way It's Wrong
 ---------------------

      People who would never walk into  a  store  and  shoplift  a software
 product think  nothing of making several copies of the same software.  The
 results are the same.  The act is just as wrong.

      When it comes to unauthorized duplication of software, many people do
 not realize  the costly  impact on the software developer and the customer
 community.  The relationship between customer and developer  in a software
 transaction is  one of  mutual trust.  The customer trusts that the devel-
 oper has produced a product that will deliver the desired result, performs
 according  to  specifications,  and  is properly documented and supported.
 The developer trusts that the customer will make use of  only those copies
 for which he has purchased a license.

      Unauthorized  duplication  and  use  of  software  violates  the U.S.
 Copyright Law, and unfairly deprives software  developers of  revenue they
 are entitled  to receive  for their  work.   Software developers find that
 thousands of illegal copies  have been  made by  customers who  either in-
 nocently believe  they are  doing nothing wrong or simply choose to ignore
 the law.


 The Law is Clear
 ----------------

      Reproducing  computer  software  without  authorization  violates the
 U.S.Copyright Law.   It  is a FEDERAL offense.  The money paid for a soft-
 ware product represents a license fee for the  use of  ONE copy.   It does
 not represent  an authorization  to copy.   Civil damages for unauthorized
 software copying can be as much as $50,000 or more  and criminal penalties
 include fines and imprisonment.  Bills have been introduced in Congress to
 strengthen the law and increase penalties.


 Myths and Facts of Software
 ---------------------------

      Let's start by dispelling  some  myths  with  a  few  facts.   First,
 software developers  DO NOT  condone unauthorized copying in order to gain
 market penetration.  Second, the price of software DOES NOT make unauthor-
 ized copying  justifiable.   The cost  of a software product to a consumer
 represents only a small fraction of the publisher's development and marke-
 ting costs.   Third, although the cost of 'softlifting' is borne initially
 by the software developer, it is paid for ultimately by legitimate users.


 What it Means to You
 --------------------

      It's obvious that legitimate  software  users  are  paying  for theft
 along with software developers.  It's obvious too, that no one is going to
 put up with it for much  longer.   Think twice  before you  ask someone to
 give you  an illegal copy of their software.  Think THREE times before you
 offer to do it for someone  else!   Software piracy  is not  only a crime,
 it's simply wrong!



                 SOFTWARE PIRACY IS KILLING THE ATARI ST!
                      DON'T HELP TO KILL MY COMPUTER!



           _____________________________________________________




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


                      NEW LOW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
                      ===============================
                             HOLIDAY SPECIALS!
                        ** EFFECTIVE  -> 11/19/90 **

                      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 *

                           Conventional Shoe Box
            Model        Description      Autopark       Price
            ==================================================
            SGN4951      51Mb 28ms   3.5"    Y          519.00
            SGN6177      62Mb 24ms   3.5"    Y          619.00
            SGN1096      85Mb 24ms   3.5"    Y          649.00
            SGN6277     120Mb 24ms   3.5"    Y          889.00
            SGN1296     168Mb 24ms   3.5"    Y         1069.00
            SGN4077     230Mb 24ms   3.5"    Y         1669.00
            ==================================================

          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
                        MEGA ST Internal Hard Drives
                    CONNOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MECHANISMS

               >>> 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 28MS @ $419.00!
                      Ask about our "REBATE SPECIALS"

                                 --==*==--

          SHIPPING AND INSURANCE INCLUDED IN COMPLETE UNIT PRICE!

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

       * 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 __$719.00__ <<---

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

   * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
                       SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1329.00 **

    * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
         - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
          50mb SQG51   $1039.00           30mb SQG38    $1019.00
          65mb SQG09   $1109.00           85mb SQG96    $1119.00
                       
                 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 - AT/PC SPEED - SPECTRE/GCR
             LARGER units are available - (special order only)

                     *>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*

       - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
            * SLM 804 Replacement Toner Cartridge Kits $46.95 *
                          Replacement Drums; CALL
                   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 ***




       ____________________________________________________________





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




                 "Those who congratulate themselves....."
             ".....leave very few enlightened or encouraged!"



                                                  ..Alfred E. Newman

 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                        STReport Online Magazine?
     Also available on more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 STReport?           "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE"       November 16, 1990
 16/32bit Magazine           copyright = 1990                   No.6.46
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 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.
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

-- 
Kevin Steele (aj205.Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)


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