Atari Explorer Online: 1-May-93 #0209

From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 05/06/93-11:04:09 AM Z


From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 1-May-93 #0209
Date: Thu May  6 11:04:09 1993


 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 ::  Volume 2 - Issue 9      ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE           1 May 1993  ::
 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::  ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI  ::
 ::    EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER    ::
 ::       ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE       ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::         Published and Copyright (c) 1993 by Atari Corporation        ::
 ::          """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""           ::
 ::   Editor .................................. Travis Guy   AEO.MAG     ::
 ::    Assistant Editor GEnie................ Ron Robinson   EXPLORER.1  ::
 ::     Assistant Editor CompuServe.......... Albert Dayes   AEO.1       ::
 ::      Assistant Editor Delphi......... Andreas Barbiero   AEO.2       ::
 ::       News Editor ............................... Lyre   AEO.3       ::
 ::        Editor-at-Large ..................... Ed Krimen   AEO.5       ::
 ::         Hardware Editor .............. Britton Robbins   AEO.4       ::
 ::          Internet Editor .................. Tim Wilson   AEO.8       ::
 ::           Atari Artist ..... Peter Donoso & Fadi Hayek   EXPLORER.2  ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::                              Contributors                            ::
 ::                              """"""""""""                            ::
 ::                      Gregg Anderson  Don Wilhelm                     ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::                       Editorial Advisory Board                       ::
 ::                       """"""""""""""""""""""""                       ::
 ::   President, Atari Corporation........................Sam Tramiel    ::
 ::   Director of Application Software...................Bill Rehbock    ::
 ::   Director, Computer Marketing ........................Don Thomas    ::
 ::   Director of Communications...........................Bob Brodie    ::
 ::   Corporate Director, International Music Markets....James Grunke    ::
 ::   Atari Explorer Magazine............................Mike Lindsay    ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::                      Telecommunicated to you via:                    ::
 ::                      """"""""""""""""""""""""""""                    ::
 ::                             GEnie: AEO.MAG                           ::
 ::                         CompuServe: 70007,3615                       ::
 ::                             Delphi: AEO_MAG                          ::
 ::                      Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 706                  ::
 ::                  AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10              ::
 ::                                                                      ::
 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


                              Table of Contents


 * From the Editors ........................................ The Way It Is.

 * The IAAD Pirate BBS Investigation - Report and Follow-up................

 * The Right STuff .......... Bob Brodie talks about Explorer, Non-Clones,
                                                and Falcon030 developments.

 * Andreas' Den .................. Direct Marketing Views, Falcon030 News,
                                                       and a Software Plea.

 * Adventures of an Hardware Hacker - Part I .......... Building a PC case
                                                               for your ST.

 * Multi-Media .................. Andreas on the current multi-media craze.

 * Games We Like ................ Gregg Anderson waxes nostalgic on one of
                                          his favorites: Battle of Britain.

 * Krimen on GEnie .............................. Ed gives us some topical
                                                   messages found on GEnie.

 * Developer Press Releases ............. Eliemouse Coloring Book Version 7
                                             CodeHead Tech imports DigiTape

 * Shutdown ........................... The Lack Of Civilization This Week.


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


 |||  From the Editors ....... Atari Explorer Online: The Next Generation
 |||  Travis Guy
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG    Delphi: AEO_MAG
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

Another week goes by in the World Atari, and slowly but surely, the
Atari faithful are finding dealer demo Falcon030s showing up all over
the US. Falcon030 specific shareware and commercial software is
already hitting the US - I know I can't wait to get my hands on a
Falcon030 to try some of these amazing applications.

Commercial (for sale) units are being readied for shipment at the
factory. One advantage in the delay (maybe the _only_ advantage!) is
that the OS in them will have some minor corrections over the versions
that developers have had for months now. The TOS group put in hard
work earlier this year, tracking down some problems reported by
developers.

On to this issue of AEO. Up first is a reprint of the Independent
Association of Atari Developers (IAAD) Piracy Report that has stunned
many developers and users. Please take the time to read this piece. If
you've read it already, skip to the end of it to read some "additions
& corrections" posted by IAAD President D.A. Brumleve as well as some
initial reactions to the report from GEnie. The IAAD is still
interested in receiving any information you may have on pirate
activity. Please forward any info you feel would be helpful to the
IAAD - their online addresses are listed in the report.

Next is an article by Bob Brodie, throwing some well needed cold
water on some rumors that have been popping up recently.
 
A new feature of AEO is "Games We Like" - where AEO editors and
staffers can wax poetic about their favorite games. (Albert insists
that when it's his turn, he will wax poetic about his favorite C
compiler!) Gregg Anderson leads off with one of his faves, Their
Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain.

For those hardware tinkerers out there, we have a new series,
"Adventures of a Hardware Hacker." Don Wilhelm shares some of his
experiences in kibitizing on the ST's design. It's an interesting
three part read, so get your power tools and soldering irons out and
powered up.

And we're off.


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


 |||  The IAAD Pirate BBS Investigation
 |||  Courtesy: The Independent Association of Atari Developers
/ | \ GEnie: PERMIT$    CIS: 76004,3655      Delphi: DABRUMLEVE
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

////
//// This is a reprint of an IAAD sponsored investigation into pirate
//// BBSes in North America. Following the IAAD report, there are some
//// messages compiled from GEnie commenting on the report, and the
//// reaction to it. Please take the time to read this - it's very
//// important to all of our futures.
////
////   Permission to reprint granted by D.A. Brumleve 04/29/93.
////

This article is the result of contributions by people from every 
facet of the Atari community.  Many thanks to all the users, 
developers, sysops, and others who provided the investigators with 
information and assistance.

[Note: Stand-alone quotations are framed on the left and right by 
the "~" character.] 

                  Small Developers, Big Business
      How Pirate BBSs Impact on the Entire Atari Community
                by D.A. Brumleve, President, IAAD
                 Copyright 1993 by D.A. Brumleve

The Independent Association of Atari Developers represents over 
sixty companies supporting the Atari ST platform with commercial 
software and hardware.  Now and then a "pirate" BBS will come to 
our members' attention.  We'll capture the file areas and study 
them.  We'll cringe at the download counts and growl at the 
messages about our products.  We'll download copies of our 
products and trace the original owner.  Sometimes we'll even file 
a police report, but the pirate board stays up and callers keep 
calling, downloading, and uploading our programs.  And every time 
we leave this experience further demoralized, less enthusiastic 
about writing for the ST, less enthusiastic about programming in 
_general_.
  
Recently, the IAAD undertook a more comprehensive investigation 
of pirate BBSs in North America.  We solicited information from 
the public -- and the Atari community responded.  In spite of 
some previous experience with pirate boards, I was not at all 
prepared for the amount of pirate activity we found.
 
On each pirate BBS, we found numbers for other BBSs, many of 
which also proved to have copyrighted files.  We found 
concentrated pockets of heavy pirate activity in the Southwest, 
the East, and the Southeast, but we also found isolated pirate 
boards in just about every region of the continent.  We found 
small boards with few users and fewer files; we found big boards 
with hundreds of users offering nearly every commercial program 
on the market of current interest.  We found young teens actively 
involved in criminal activity -- and older, more experienced men 
showing them the ropes.  On every user list, I encountered folks 
I know: the doting father who bought Super Kidgrid for his 
daughter at a show, the user group officer who contacted me for 
IAAD brochures, and many, many others who chat with me from time 
to time on the major pay services.
 
Because of the scope and scale of this activity, I feel that it's 
important to share our findings with the Atari community at 
large.  What follows is the outcome of our investigation.

1. The Damage

~    This BBS DOES NOT support the transfer of any pirated      ~
~    software.                                                  ~
     -- Rats Nest BBS

~    Rats Nest always had some of the best stuff around...      ~
     --Zaphod Beeblebrox on Fawlty Towers BBS

When people pirate programs they would otherwise buy, developers 
and dealers (and distributors) lose sales.  Dealers respond to 
low sales by closing or supporting another platform.  Developers 
respond to low sales by raising their prices or by dropping the 
product; either way, the market is damaged.  

How badly damaged?  Let's take a look at just some of the 
commercial applications and utilities which were until recently 
available on the Rats Nest in Loma Alta CA.  For the sake of 
brevity, I've limited this particular list to products of IAAD 
members and Atari Corporation; thus this list does not include 
applications and utilities by publishers who are not members of 
the IAAD, public domain files, or shareware programs.
                                         _
    ____                           __   / \
   /    \                         /  \  \ /
   \  |  |          ___           |   \ / \ _____   /\  ___
   |     | __  _  __\ /__   /\    |    \| |/     \ / /__\ /__
   |    / /  \/ \/       \ / /    | |\    |   -- // //       \
   |    \| |  \ |\__   __// /     | | \   |   ___\\ \\__   __/
   | |\  | |  | |   | |   \ \     | |  \  |\_____/ \ \  | |
   | | \ |    / |   | |    \ \    | |   \_/        / /  | |
   \ /  \/\__/\./   \ /    / /    \ /             / /   \ /
   / \         |    / \   / /     / \            / /    / \
   \./         |    \./  / /      \./            \/     \./
    |                |   \/        |              |      |
    |          .     .    |        .              .      |
    .                     |                              .
                          .

  *^* (#1)  Applications  *^*

 ### | Filename.Ext   Size     Date   Brief Description                       
     |
   5 | Maxif_3A.Lzh    55665 01-03-92 MaxiFile v3.3a
  13 | Hdsentry.Lzh    33922 01-10-92 HD Sentry... HD optimizer, fixer
  18 | Xboot   .Lzh    37888 01-18-92 X-Boot, like Desk Manager
  19 | Steno   .Lzh    28885 01-18-92 STeno, from Gribnif. Sortof Flakey
  36 | Gramxprt.Lzh    84265 02-05-92 Grammer Expert
  37 | Grnslamc.Lzh    56066 02-05-92 Gran Slam!
  48 | Codeke13.Lzh    98427 02-05-92 CodeKeys v1.3 from Gribnif 
  49 | Mltdsh33.Lzh   217352 02-05-92 MultiDesk Deluxe v3.3
  56 | Knife108.Lzh    87757 02-05-92 Knife ST!
  71 | Lookpop .Lzh   109631 02-07-92 Look It! and Pop It! from Codeheads
  72 | Imagecat.Lzh   290048 02-07-92 ImageCat 2.o
 111 | Hpas_A  .Lzh   247343 02-22-92 High Speed Pascal, Disk 1 of 2
 112 | Hpas_B  .Lzh   269757 02-22-92 High Speed Pascal, Disk 2 of 2
 150 | Tos_206 .Lzh    77116 03-22-92 Tos 2.06 software vertion
 151 | Hyprlink.Lzh   271744 03-28-92 HyperLink
 164 | Chem1_2 .Lzh   217327 04-05-92 Chemistry - Arrakis educational
 165 | Chm2Sts1.Lzh   222763 04-05-92 Chemistry 2 and Stats from Arrakis
 166 | Alg11_12.Lzh   224322 04-06-92 Algebra 1 from Arrakis educational
 167 | Alg12_21.Lzh   247109 04-06-92 Algebra 2  from Arrakis
 168 | Al3_1Tr1.Zip   239499 04-06-92 Algebra 3 Trig 1 from Arrakis
 173 | Neocli  .Lzh    66076 04-19-92 NeoDesk Command Line... nice
 178 | Tos1_4  .Zip   123342 04-25-92 To let ya run those stubern 1.4 tos soft
 197 | Xboot257.Zip    51420 05-06-92 Newest Version of X-Boot (v2.57)
 221 | Tw13E_A .Lzh   703536 05-17-92 That's Write 1.3 - English - 1/2
 222 | Tw13E_B .Lzh   703536 05-17-92 That's Write 1.3 - English - 2/2
 228 | Gen106_A.Lzh   192808 05-17-92 That's Relative 1.06 1/2  ELITE release
 229 | Gen106_B.Lzh   130361 05-17-92 That's Relative 2/2  ELITE release
 243 | P_Nix15A.Lzh   427252 05-30-92 Phoenix v.1.5 - Disk 1 of 3
 244 | P_Nix15B.Lzh   410836 05-30-92 Phoenix v.1.5 - Disk 2 of 3
 245 | P_Nix15C.Lzh   410836 05-30-92 Phoenix v.1.5 - Disk 3 of 3
 258 | Tracker .Lzh   402564 06-08-92 Rolodex/Client Tracking util
 287 | Mint80A .Lzh   503661 07-20-92 MultiTos v8.0 [1/3]
 288 | Mint80B .Lzh   181797 07-20-92 MultiTos v8.0 [2/3]
 289 | Mint80C .Lzh   263956 07-20-92 MultiTos v8.0 [3/3]
 297 | Scanlitd.Arc    33361 08-01-92 Hand Scanner software
 308 | Codehed4.Lzh   191763 08-08-92 CodeHead Utilities rel.4 (1991)
 317 | Clnup426.Lzh    91942 08-29-92 ICD CleanUP 4.26  Host required
 334 | Edhak236.Lzh    43125 09-12-92 Edhack v2.36 (patched from v2.35)
 335 | Dmd_Edge.Lzh   149439 09-13-92 Diamond Edge  1.0  ELITE release
 352 | Dback250.Lzh    85508 10-03-92 Diamond Back 2.50  latest
 356 | Warp9373.Lzh   338270 10-07-92 Warp 9 3.73  Complete Package
 374 | L_Rad_E1.Lzh   631730 10-18-92 Redacteur 3  1/4 (english) ELITE release
 375 | L_Rad_E2.Lzh   485004 10-18-92 Redacteur 3 2/3 (eng) ELITE release
 376 | L_Rad_E3.Lzh   660252 10-18-92 Redacteur 3 3/4 (eng) ELITE release
 377 | L_Rad_E4.Lzh   525994 10-18-92 Redacteur 3 4/4 (eng) ELITE  release
 378 | Icdb604C.Lzh    12971 10-18-92 ICD Booter 6.0.4 (crack'd) by Zaphod
 388 | Harleq21.Lzh   360135 11-12-92 Harlequin 2.01  Genesis INC release(old)
 392 | Adspeed .Lzh    95744 11-20-92 ICD Adspeed Accelerator Software.
 396 | Harl_206.Lzh   354749 11-26-92 Harlequin  vrs. 2.06
 402 | Spectre3.Zip   446203 12-02-92 Spectre 3.0 software
 403 | Xboot300.Lzh    59385 12-04-92 X-Boot v3.00
 408 | Cache_Cr.Lzh    33876 12-13-92 Cache 2.56  ELITE hacked/all features
 410 | Mvg200  .Lzh   488069 12-13-92 Multi Vue Graphica 2.0
 421 | Cardf403.Lzh   186987 01-03-93 Card File 4.03 from Gribnif lates ver
 422 | St_Sutra.Lzh   657385 01-03-93 STSutra ELITE release still beta..
 453 | Uvk5_7  .Lzh   276224 02-01-93 UVK 5.7gb  latest vr
 460 | Falcprgs.Lzh   572035 02-03-93 The Programs included with the Falcon.
 470 | Icdpro68.Lzh   528187 02-06-93 ICD Boot PRO 6.0.8!
 474 | Tos206B .Zip   148016 02-07-93 TOS 2.06 as a program!
 480 | Calpro_2.Lzh   332815 02-18-93 Calligrapher Professional [2/5].
 481 | Calpro_3.Lzh   305163 02-18-93 Calligrapher Professional [3/5].
 482 | Calpro_4.Lzh   406075 02-18-93 Calligrapher Professional [4/5].
 483 | Calpro_5.Lzh   328443 02-18-93 Calligrapher Professional [5/5].
 494 | Mint_81 .Lzh   407624 02-22-93 mint81
 502 | Neo303_1.Lzh   354937 03-06-93 NeoDesk 3.03 "MASTER" disk [1/3]
 503 | Neo303_2.Lzh   328564 03-06-93 NeoDesk 3.03 "EXTRAS" disk [2/3]
 504 | Neo303_3.Lzh    24763 03-06-93 NeoDesk 3.03 Util disk [3/3]
 514 | Cali3_2 .Lzh   273959 03-13-93 Calligrapher 3, 2/4
 515 | Cali3_3 .Lzh   309849 03-13-93 Calligrapher 3, 3/4
 516 | Cali3_4 .Lzh   504895 03-13-93 Calligrapher 3, 4/4
 531 | Cali3100.Lzh   290501 03-23-93 Caligrapher 3 Pro 100% disk 1 CO/ICS
 535 | Mt101   .Tos   294518 03-24-93 MultiTOS v.1.01
 542 | Atariwx1.Zip   285943 03-27-93 Atari Works 1/2
 543 | Atariwx2.Zip   701987 03-27-93 Atari Works 2/2

Fawlty Towers provides an example of typical desktop publishing 
products available on such BBSs:
 
       ////////////////////////         /// ///////////// ///       /// 
      ///         ///      ///         ///      ///       ///     /// 
     ///         ///      ///         ///      ///        ///   /// 
    /////////   ////////////         ///      ///         /////// 
   ///         ///      ///         ///      ///           /// 
  ///         ///      ///   ///   ///      ///           /// 
 ///         ///      ///   ///   ///      ///           /// 
///         ///      ////////////////////////////////////// 
 
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\         \\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\ 
     \\\    \\\      \\\         \\\          \\\      \\\ \\\     \\\ 
      \\\    \\\      \\\         \\\          \\\      \\\ \\\ 
       \\\    \\\      \\\         \\\\\\\\\    \\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\ 
        \\\    \\\      \\\         \\\          \\\   \\\          \\\ 
         \\\    \\\      \\\   \\\   \\\          \\\    \\\        \\\ 
          \\\    \\\      \\\   \\\   \\\          \\\     \\\      \\\ 
           \\\    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\      \\\\\\\\\\ 
 
  *^* (#8) ST DTP *^*

 ### | Filename.Ext   Size     Date   Brief Description                       
     |
   1 | Avant   .Lzh   171368 02-11-92 ADvant Vector
   8 | Dp_E1   .Lzh   343016 03-17-92 Insane!!! Didot-professional DTP [1/2]
   9 | Dp_E2   .Lzh   414822 03-17-92 The best! Didot-Professional DTP [2/2]
  10 | Siloutte.Lzh   323802 05-11-92 Sillhoutte Vector Graphics/Ray Tracer
  11 | Outline .Lzh   193536 05-13-92 Calamus Outline Art 
  16 | Pgs22_1 .Lzh   322001 07-25-92 Pagestream v2.2 [1/4].
  17 | Pgs22_2 .Lzh   379509 07-25-92 Pagestream v2.2 [2/4].
  18 | Pgs22_3 .Lzh   317627 07-25-92 Pagestream v2.2 [3/4].
  19 | Pgs22_4 .Lzh   428038 07-25-92 Pagestream v2.2 [4/4].
  27 | Ara213  .Lzh   329614 08-06-92 Aribesque 2.13
  34 | Sl_Enga .Lzh   370940 12-17-92 Calamus
  35 | Sl_Eng_B.Lzh   237849 12-17-92 Calamus
  36 | Sl_Eng_C.Lzh   318914 12-17-92 Calamus
  37 | Convec20.Lzh   311683 01-05-93 Convector 2.0
  38 | Cranach1.Lzh   282850 01-05-93 Cool
  39 | Cranach2.Lzh   153775 01-05-93 cool
  40 | Skyplot1.Lzh   248536 01-05-93 SkyPlot disk 1/2
  41 | Skyplot2.Lzh   205589 01-05-93 SkyPlot disk 2/2
  42 | Skyplot3.Lzh   323450 01-05-93 Skyplot disk 3? or 3?
  43 | Cfned22 .Lzh    17227 01-27-93 Takes Serial #'s off Calamus Fonts
  44 | Slmodul2.Lzh    90489 01-27-93 Some Moduals for Calamus
  45 | Genus   .Lzh    80305 02-01-93 Genus v1.78 - Calamus Fonteditor.
  46 | Touchup1.Lzh   362626 02-06-93 Touch Up  disk 1/2
  47 | Touchup2.Lzh   230762 02-06-93 Touch up disk 2/2
  48 | Calpro_1.Lzh   328402 02-24-93 Caligrapher Pro [1/5]
  49 | Calpro_2.Lzh   332815 02-24-93 Cal Pro [2/5]
  50 | Calpro_3.Lzh   305163 02-24-93 Cal Pro [3/5]
  51 | Calpro_4.Lzh   406075 02-24-93 Cal Pro [4/5]
  52 | Calpro_5.Lzh   328443 02-24-93 Cal Pro [5/5]

STampede offers Super Nintendo software, so it's not surprising 
to find a good many commercial ST games as well:
                                               ________  ________  ________
                                              /__   __/\/  _____/\/  _____/\
             _______  ______________          \_/  /\_\/  /\____\/__/\____\/
            /       \/              \       ___/  / / /  /_/__  _\__\/  /\
           /    ____/____     ______/\     /_______/\/_______/\/_______/ /
          /    /\___\___/    /\_____\/     \_______\/\_______\/\_______\/
         /    / /      /    / /                _  ___ __   _  ___
        /    /_/_     /    / /                 / //_ /_/   /_// /
        \____    \   /    / /                 /_/__// /   / //_/  SYSOP
         \__/    /\ /    / /_________  ______________  _____   \   PAK
           /    / //    / / __  /    \/ __ /  __/ __ \/  __/\
     _____/    / //    / / __  / / / /  __/  __/ /_/ /  __/\/
    /_________/ //____/ /_/ /_/_/_/_/__/\/____/_____/____/\/   CO-SYSOP
    \_________\/ \____\/\_\ \_\_\_\_\__\/\____\_____\____\/     SCYTHE
    ATARI ST/STE/TT                  ___  ___  _____        THE THREAT/ICS
   CONSOLES SNES/SMD                / _ \/ _ \/ ___/\         MR.FLY/ICS
U. S. ROBOTICS 14,400 HST          / _  / _  /__  /\/         SLASH/ICS
     24 HOURS A DAY               /____/____/____/ /         BELGARION/ICS
                                  \____\____\____\/            JPC/ICS

  *^* (#1)  GAMES! GAMES! GAMES!  *^*

 #### Filename.Ext   Size     Date   Brief Description                         

     1 Ox_Final.Lzh     4958  1-25-93 Crack of OXYD for ALL Tos +codes printer
     2 Ace_Boot.Zip   2482o5  1-28-93 Space Ace II [1/6].
     3 Make1.Prg      771554  1-28-93 Space Ace II [2/6].
     4 Make2.Prg      8o174o  1-28-93 Space Ace II [3/6].
     5 Make3.Prg      757744  1-28-93 Space Ace II [4/6].
     6 Make4.Prg      816522  1-28-93 Space Ace II [5/6].
     7 Make5.Prg      773416  1-28-93 Space Ace II [6/6].
    17 Grandad.Prg    121942   2-5-93 Grandad... code revealed ClockWork/ICS
    19 Plan9_A.Lzh    446365  2-1o-93 Plan 9 From Outer Space [1/4] -=ELITE=-
    2o Plan9_B.Lzh    694644  2-1o-93 Plan 9 From Outer Space [2/4] -=ELITE=-
    21 Plan9_C.Lzh    559989  2-1o-93 Plan 9 From Outer Space [3/4] -=ELITE=-
    22 Plan9_D.Lzh    46o123  2-1o-93 Plan 9 From Outer Space [4/4] -=ELITE=-
    23 Bat2A.Lzh      494437  2-11-93 BAT II- Disk 1/5 in English
    24 Bat2B.Lzh      513453  2-11-93 BAT II- Disk 2/5
    25 Bat2C.Lzh      453112  2-11-93 BAT II- Disk 3/5
    26 Bat2D.Lzh      533968  2-11-93 BAT II- Disk 4/5
    27 Bat2E.Lzh      479446  2-11-93 BAT II- Disk 5/5
    28 Ics_Bat1.Lzh   519321  2-11-93 BAT 2 Disk 1/5 *german* +-=I.C.S=-+
    29 Ics_Bat2.Lzh   53322o  2-11-93 BAT 2 Disk 2/5
    3o Ics_Bat3.Lzh   46437o  2-11-93 BAT 2 Disk 3/5
    31 Ics_Bat4.Lzh   542978  2-11-93 BAT 2 Disk 4/5
    32 Ics_Bat5.Lzh   5o5595  2-11-93 BAT 2 Disk 5/5
    36 Ics_Sp21.Lzh   487641  2-13-93 Space Crusade II 1/2 cracked by -=ICS=-
    37 Ics_Sp22.Lzh   39834o  2-13-93 Space Crusade II 2/2
    38 Bat_Ii.Zip      1243o  2-13-93 BAT II Complete docs
    41 Ics_Dl3o.Lzh   77o5o8  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III The Curse Of Mordead
    42 Ics_Dl31.Lzh   585584  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 2/8  -=ICS=-
    43 Ics_Dl32.Lzh   432o33  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 3/8  -=ICS=-
    44 Ics_Dl33.Lzh   451928  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 4/8  -=ICS=-
    45 Ics_Dl34.Lzh   517527  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 5/8  -=ICS=-
    46 Ics_Dl35.Lzh   5o9381  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 6/8  -=ICS=-
    47 Ics_Dl36.Lzh   6o3781  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 7/8  -=ICS=-
    48 Ics_Dl37.Lzh   612524  2-14-93 Dragons Lair III 8/8  -=ICS=-
    51 Galaxian.Lzh   163o72  2-15-93 Galaxian
    52 Cyberlzh.Lzh   6276o5  2-16-93 Cyber Assult [ZX/ICS]  *READ FULL DESC*
    56 Ics_Cybr.Lzh   168957  2-21-93 Cyberdome Hoverjet Simulator  -=ICS=-
    58 Rebelion.Zip   33119o  2-22-93 Rebellion  D'Bug release
    64 Ics_Nigl.Lzh   763445  2-28-93 Nigel Manesll cracked by Belgarion/ICS
    65 Ics_Gob1.Lzh   537814   3-2-93 Gobliins II *THE REAL ENGLISH VERSION*
    66 Ics_Gob2.Lzh   65o934   3-2-93 Gobliins II  2/3  -=ICS=-
    67 Ics_Gob3.Lzh   6o82o1   3-2-93 Gobliins II  3/3  -=ICS=-
    72 Grav2.Zip      247252   3-7-93 Grav II
    74 Kil_Mach.Lzh   283892   3-7-93 Killing Machine
    98 Ics_Civo.Lzh   322966  3-19-93 Civilization 1/4 cr. by Belgarion/ICS
    99 Ics_Civa.Lzh   328o17  3-19-93 Civilization 2/4  -=ICS=-
   1oo Ics_Civb.Lzh   33o664  3-19-93 Civilization 3/4  -=ICS=-
   1o1 Ics_Civc.Lzh   3o3685  3-19-93 Civilization 4/4  -=ICS=-
   1o2 Civiliz.Zip     51863  3-19-93 Civilization full docs
   1o3 Civhints.Zip    15878  3-19-93 Civilization hints and tips
   1o4 Frank.Prg      1461oo  3-2o-93 Frankenstein   CyniX release
   1o5 Crys_A.Lzh     23447o  3-2o-93 CRYSTAL KINGDOM DIZZY Disk 1/2
   1o6 Crys_B.Lzh     532o62  3-2o-93 CRYSTAL KINGDOM DIZZY Disk 2/2
   114 Sleep1.Lzh     781519  3-27-93 Sleep Walker [1/3]  *-CyniX!-*
   115 Sleep2.Lzh     774173  3-27-93 Sleep Walker  [2/3]
   116 Sleep3.Lzh     8o4o2o  3-27-93 Sleep Walker [3/3]
 
I must stress that this is just a small sampling of the kinds of 
offerings we found -- and of the boards we investigated.  Most 
boards (pirate and legitimate) have separate file areas for 
different kinds of products (MIDI, DTP, Applications, Utilities, 
Games, Docs, Graphic Utilities, etc.).  A BBS which offers a 
wealth of Utilities, for example, is likely to have a strong 
database in other file categories as well.  Please note that 
these are just partial lists from a single file category on each 
of these boards.  A truly comprehensive listing would make this 
article intolerably huge.

The IAAD's membership total fluctuates, but right now we are 
holding steady around the 60-member mark.  Products owned or 
distributed by nearly every single member were found on one BBS 
or another during our investigation; some of our members were 
victimized by every pirate board we called.

The self-confessed pirate Troed says this about piracy:
 
~    I NEVER buy a program without knowing if it is what I      ~
~    want .. the ShareWare principle .. but how do I check      ~
~    that with commercial software? By pirating them, using     ~
~    them .. if I like them, I want the original + manual ..    ~
~    I buy it.                                                  ~
     -- Troed on the F-Net, ST Report Conference

but contradicts himself a paragraph later:

~    I bought my STe for $800 one year ago, if I were to        ~
~    registre/buy [sic] all the soft I use I would have to      ~
~    pay something around $10000 .. I can't afford that.        ~
     --Troed on the F-Net, ST Report Conference           

On the one hand, Troed insists that he merely tries out his 
pirated software prior to purchase -- and buys it if he wants it.  
But on the other hand, he _uses_ $10,000 worth of commercial 
products and _cannot_ afford to pay for it.  I would concede that 
it is possible that some software thieves do use their pirated 
downloads in the same way that honest people use commercial demos 
and shareware...some, but not many.

Developers are well aware of "software collectors".  These are 
folks who simply must have a copy of everything, whether it meets 
their needs or not.  The majority of software collectors want the 
real thing, manual and all.  It's our experience that, because 
pirate board users have to pay with an upload (or with money) for 
each and every download, few will bother to download programs they 
don't really want, need, and plan to use.  Because of this, the 
majority of downloads from pirate boards must be viewed as lost 
potential sales.  And those few pirates who are collectors or who 
find they don't need a particular file will hang onto it and later 
share it with others in order to earn upload credits.

We found Warp 9 on nearly every pirate board we called.  CodeHead 
had purchased the QuickST kernal used for Warp 9 from Darek 
Mihocka of Branch Always Software, and Charles Johnson worked 
very hard to refine and extend it in order to deliver to us the 
indespensible utility Warp 9 has become.  Like many CodeHead 
products, Warp 9 is so easy to use that the manual is not needed 
for basic use.  Warp 9 sells for $44.95; a purchase like this 
wouldn't put many STers in the poorhouse.  But how many people 
downloading this program from a BBS would go to the trouble of 
ordering it after "testing it out"?

A good example of the speed at which pirates can destroy the 
sales potential of a new release is shown by the upload date on 
this entry found on the Rats Nest (the notation "Off" indicates 
that this file has been removed, probably when a later version 
superceded it):

336 | Warp9370.Zip  --Off-- 09-13-92 Warp 9 v. 3.70 - Glendale Release

CodeHead released this version on Saturday, September 12, 1992 at 
the Glendale AtariFaire.  By Sunday, before the second day of the 
show was even over, it was already in distribution by pirates.  

What about more expensive products?  At $795, Calamus SL by DMC 
is one of the pricier offerings on the North American market.  
It's a high-end DTP package requiring or benefitting from an 
additional investment in sophisticated Atari hardware, 
accelerator boards, graphics cards, and a large-capacity hard 
drive.

~    It was bad enough to discover Calamus SL on just           ~
~    about every single "pirate" board that was                 ~
~    investigated; it was worse to discover a program           ~
~    written specifically to strip out our serialization.       ~
~    But the real kicker was to discover our entire 600-        ~
~    page manual available for downloading in ASCII.  The       ~
~    people that run these boards are criminals and deserve     ~
~    to be put in jail.  Their "customers", those that          ~
~    frequent these boards, are, at best, petty thieves.        ~
~    What disgusts me the most is how many of these             ~
~    "customers" would never consider themselves thieves        ~
~    even though they are stealing from me, from my family,     ~
~    from my company, and from the Atari community at large.    ~
     --Nathan Potechin of DMC

Since the manuals for such extensive programs are truly required 
in order to make good use of the product, software thieves will 
actually go to the trouble of typing them in or copying them with 
OCR software (which is also conveniently available on these 
BBSs).  Even when a manual is indispensible, the software pirate 
may have no need to actually purchase the program in order to 
make full use of it.

Expensive products get that way because of development and 
production costs.  While the raw materials in a typical software 
package may cost only a few dollars, it takes much more than 
pieces of paper and a disk to make a commercial product.  Calamus 
SL cost DMC hundreds of thousands of dollars for development 
staff alone, _not_ counting expenses related to the writing and 
production of the manual, packaging, marketing, duplication, 
overhead, etc.  A share of this expense must be borne by everyone 
who uses the program in order to recoup costs and keep 
development going.  When people use the program without paying 
for it, this simply does not happen.

Many ST development firms are essentially one-man shows; the 
programmer is also the accountant, the publisher, the editor, the 
secretary.  Developers like these are apt to take software theft 
very personally and feel the impact very intensely.  One 
developer's reaction to his product's proliferation on pirate 
boards began: "I used to be against captital punishment..."

~    ...It hurts, and I don't mean that strictly in a           ~
~    financial sense, either.  We've tried hard, I mean         ~
~    _really_ hard, to provide quality software at a            ~
~    reasonable price coupled with a customer support           ~
~    policy that is second to none...The pirate mentality       ~
~    couldn't care less about us and our ideals of customer     ~
~    service.  And that hurts.                                  ~
     --John Hutchinson of Fair Dinkum
 
~    It's very discouraging to me to see illegal copies of      ~
~    Flash II appear on these so-called pirate boards.  I       ~
~    wonder if the folks that steal our program understand      ~
~    the length of time it took to produce it?  Flash II        ~
~    ver. 2.0 took 3 years to create and spent another year     ~
~    in beta test.  Version 2.1 took close to another year      ~
~    to modify and test.  We're practically giving it away      ~
~    as it is!                                                  ~
     --John Trautschold of Missionware

Word Perfect has been public about having dropped future 
development for the ST and about the reason for that decision: 
low sales.  It can't be a coincidence that Word Perfect for the 
ST was on many boards we called.  

I doubt that STers are any less honest than owners of other 
computer brands, but ours is a small market, and piracy here can 
hurt developers much more than on more popular platforms.  If a 
platform has 10 million users and 90% of them are pirates, the 
software developers still have 1 million potential buyers.  On a 
platform like the ST, with only a few hundred thousand users at 
most by comparison, even if _no_one_ stole software, developers 
would still only have a few hundred thousand potential buyers.  In 
reality, only the most popular products are likely to sell in 
quantities greater than 1000 units in North America.  In the case 
of a coveted and respected multi-platform application like Word 
Perfect, if the program had not been pirated so many times over, 
the sales figures might well have been sufficient to justify 
further development for the benefit of ST owners.

~    I talked to a couple of shops...and...asked if they        ~
~    were interested in carrying any music education stuff.     ~
~    They said that they would love to carry some but could     ~
~    not sell any education, music, or game software due to     ~
~    the fact that if anyone wanted a copy they would pirate    ~
~    it...The only thing they have real success at selling      ~
~    is applications due to people wanting a printed manual +   ~
~    phone support...I didn't make a sale.                      ~
     --Jim Collins of chro_MAGIC

There's a small profit margin in selling computer hardware; 
dealers depend on income from software sales to sustain their 
businesses.  In every area where large pirate boards flourish, 
Atari dealers have closed their doors in spite of a comparatively 
large installed base of users.  "It got to the point where I sold 
only magazines," one former dealer complained.  "They'd buy the 
magazines to find out what programs were worth downloading."  
Honest users in these areas are likely to grumble about the loss 
of the dealers; pirates grumble, too, because their link to new
hardware, service, and magazines has been lost.  Every dealer 
lost means fewer hardware sales for Atari, fewer software sales 
for developers, fewer new members for users groups, fewer 
vendors and attendees at fewer shows.   

With the Atari user base in serious decline, it is more important 
now than ever that piracy not be tolerated.  Make no mistake 
about it: pirated software is _not_ free.

~    Wait-wait-wait... There is nothing positive piracy does    ~ 
~    for a computer company. Nor is it anything BUT negative.   ~
~    I look at it like this...We can always blame Atari for     ~
~    not advertising, but if there were no Atari pirates,       ~
~    more software would have been sold, making the computer    ~
~    more viable for software companies, which in turn makes    ~
~    the computer more desirable for a user. So, basically      ~
~    what I'm saying is, the people who love Atari the most,    ~
~    (us) are the same people who have been killing it for      ~
~    years.  And there was a time when Atari was big            ~
~    EVERYWHERE...There was even an Atari dealer here in my     ~
~    little town of Lake Wales! That's where I bought my 400!   ~
     -- Fruit-WARE Man on Excalibur II BBS

Ultimately, we all pay for piracy one way or another: Atari, 
developers, dealers, and users -- even the pirates.  

2. How it Works

For the uninitiated, let's define some terms.  A "pirate board" 
is a Bulletin Board System (BBS) on which copyrighted commercial 
files are offered to users for downloading without compensation 
for the copyright holder.  Some pirate boards are devoted to this 
activity almost exclusively, and sysops running these boards 
accept only fellow pirates as users.  Other pirate BBSs have 
pd/shareware files areas in addition to hidden commercial areas; 
honest users of such boards may have access only to the 
pd/shareware sections and may be completely unaware of the pirate 
nature of the board.  

Software pirates have a unique lexicon to describe their 
activities.  Users allowed into the commercial areas have been 
granted "elite access".  The commercial files are referred to as 
"warez"; elite file areas on some BBSs include sections on such 
related topics as pornography, defrauding long distance carriers, 
and creating one's own Super Nintendo Entertainment System 
cartridges by burning the software into EPROMs.  Callers who take 
without giving back (download without uploading) are called 
"leeches", and downloadable files may be referred to as 
"leechables".  Defrauding the phone company by using illegal 
techniques to make long distance calls is a mainstay of the art of 
"phreaking".  "Cracked" versions of programs have the copy-
protection and/or registration and serial numbers removed.  "0 
day" is the day a commercial product is officially released.  Many 
pirates have also adopted a manner of writing which flaunts the 
rules of our language, such as swapping lower and upper case, 
substituting "z" for "s" and "ph" for "f", etc.

Successful software theft has two basic requirements: a dishonest 
person willing to give away a copy of a program he has purchased 
-- and another dishonest person willing to accept it.  When this 
activity takes place on a Bulletin Board System, a given copy can 
be distributed rapidly from BBS to BBS, from user to sysop to 
user, all over the world.  One person's willingness to give away 
that first copy can lead to its possession by literally thousands 
of others.  Pirate boards succeed because there are many people 
willing to give or take the copies -- and because the sysop uses 
strategies calculated to maintain and escalate their involvement.

The pirate sysop sets up his BBS, invests in a high-speed modem 
and phone lines, and advertises his number on other BBSs.  When 
the calls start coming in, the sysop scrutinizes each would-be 
user and decides whether or not to validate the new account and 
what level of access to allow.  

~    I've seen credit applications that made more sense.        ~
     -- Sandy Wilson on GEnie, describing a brief encounter 
        with the new user questionnaire on a BBS running 
        RATSoft ST

~    Do you believe in the free distribution of software be     ~
~    it copyrighted or not?                                     ~
     -- Fawlty Towers BBS, from the new user questionnaire

The sysop has two major responsibilities: to keep the board 
running and to ensure security.  He requires full disclosure from 
his callers.  He wants his callers' real names, real addresses, 
real phones, but he is not likely to reveal his own name or 
location.  There is usually an elaborate questionnaire.  The 
sysop may call the new user's voice number to check its 
authenticity.  He may do thorough background checks with other 
information the caller has provided.  He may keep a blacklist of 
uncooperative or non-productive callers (leeches) and share it 
with other sysops.
 
~    NEW USERS: IF YOU DON'T DO A NEW USER UPLOAD YOU WILL NOT  ~
~    GET ACCESS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A NEW USER UPLOAD IS    ~
~    YOU DON'T BELONG ON THIS BBS.                              ~
     -- PAK on STampede BBS

The callers themselves supply the warez which keep the board 
active.  They earn credits for uploading, and apply those credits 
toward future downloads.  Pressure to upload a file often begins 
immediately after a new user's account is validated.  It may even 
be part of the new user questionnaire prior to validation.  
Typically, a New User Upload is required before the new user is 
given full access, including the ability to download.  Sometimes 
the sysop will allow the new user to view the files area on the 
BBS in order to entice the caller into uploading a commercial 
file.  On other boards, the commercial files area will stay 
completely hidden from the new user until after he has proved his 
worthiness -- and incriminated himself -- by sharing a commercial 
program of his own.

Like a kid in a candy store, the caller wants one of everything, 
but to get it, he must pay the price.  So he looks at his 
collection and chooses a program he hopes will meet with the 
sysop's approval.  Merely uploading the program may not be enough 
to gain elite access; the upload may be judged on how new it is, 
whether the board already has a copy, or even whether the program 
chosen is useful or well-reviewed.

~    You Understand that you MUST keep a 'reasonable' file      ~
~    Upload/ Download ratio And  "K-Byte" ratio or your         ~
~    Access WILL be Lowered and maybe Deleted!!                 ~
     -- Gold Nugget BBS, from the new user questionnaire

~    Donate!  King Arthur has a very reasonable donation        ~
~    policy that makes it easily affordable to have             ~
~    unlimited download credits...It's so much fun on the       ~
~    Atari (and soon to be Falcon) scene now that there's       ~
~    no excuse for you to miss out!                             ~
     -- Little Flea on Excalibur II BBS

~    ...I started caring, and so the users that DID not post,   ~
~    called within 30 days, and sent new files, got kicked      ~
~    off.. YOU DONT [sic] GET NOTHING FOR FREE!!!               ~
     --The Conjurer, sysop of Outer Planes BBS, on the F-Net, 
       Elite Underground Conference

The sysop uses his warez to entice callers, but he may also 
perfunctorily ax callers who violate his rules or confidentiality 
requirements.  The threat of being cut off from the source keeps 
the callers uploading on a regular basis.  The BBS software keeps 
track of a user's download/upload ratio; ratios that are 
unacceptably high on the download side may result in censure by 
the sysop or loss of access.  If a user has no files of value 
to offer the sysop, he may be able to gain privileges by sending 
in a "donation".  Some sysops forego the euphemisms and announce 
flatly that they charge for greater access.

~    Does anyone have Trump castle? Im [sic] starting to run    ~
~    thin on other boards for credits. I would rather save      ~
~    them for the 0 days stuff. If you have it could you        ~
~    please u/l it.                                             ~
     --Shadow Master on London Smog BBS

In order to keep his account current, the user may be forced to 
call in every few weeks; each call results in a deduction from 
the user's credit total, so he's back looking for new files to 
upload.  If the caller gets those files from another BBS, he'll 
get caught up in a never-ending cycle of uploads and downloads in 
order to keep his accounts active on all the boards he calls.  
Occasionally, he may have to buy a program outright in order to 
upload it.  The caller is reminded of any deficit in his credit 
total every time he calls and may be denied access to certain 
areas until the total is in the black.

~    Well, after being away from the BBS scene for awhile, I    ~
~    have finally found an Elite BBS! (Thanks PAK! :). Anyhow,  ~
~    please send me BBS #/NUPs for boards that carry elite      ~
~    Macintosh or SNES console stuff.                           ~
     -- Nostrildomus on STampede BBS

Some pirate-only BBSs won't allow any but the most serious of 
callers.  They may require all users to have 9600-baud modems or 
greater.  They may limit 2400-baud callers to less desirable 
calling hours.  Some require would-be callers to announce their 
first upload before being allowed access; the sysop then decides 
whether or not this caller will be a valuable contributor on that 
basis.  Some require referrals from other pirate boards.  A twist 
on this is the New User Password, spread from user to user.  
Boards like the Computer Connection will ask for this "NUP" in 
the new user questionnaire.  If the caller cannot provide it, 
access is not granted.  Most boards ask at the very least for the 
names and numbers of the boards the new user already calls; a new 
user who provides incorrect numbers or fictional board names -- 
or who lists only legitimate BBSs -- may be denied access.

The sysop's users provide his warez, and the sysop is a direct 
beneficiary.  Like a golden goose, a single program keeps giving 
and giving.  One user paid for it once, but the sysop can 
distribute it to other users in trade for additional warez or 
money again and again.  The current callers spread the word about 
the BBS's offerings to others, thus increasing the number of 
users frequenting the board and providing uploads.  Some boards 
encourage this by offering download credit for user referrals.
 
While operating a BBS is the least labor-intensive way to 
accumulate warez, it may not be the most efficient way to make 
money.  After all, there's a whole market of non-modem users out 
there just waiting to be tapped.  For a tidy fee, sysops may sell 
copies of their warez via mail order; through schemes like these, 
users can obtain pirated software without the costs of a high-
speed modem and long-distance calls and the pressures of the 
upload/download ratio.

3. Paranoia Strikes Deep

All BBS sysops, even the most responsible, put themselves at some 
risk of legal complications due to messages, e-mail, and files 
posted by users.  It takes a special motivation for a sysop to 
actually promote and encourage an illegal activity which increases 
his risk and liability.  For some, money or software may be 
sufficient motivation.  Others may make up for social inadequacy 
in their offline lives by taking a leadership role online.  And 
many of these seem to enjoy the power they have over their users.  
Like schoolyard bullies, they control and police their turf with 
heavy-handed threats and zero-tolerance judgments, all with the 
protection afforded by their anonymity.  On their own BBSs, they 
call the shots -- and no caller can challenge them on that.

~       """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""         ~
~       "  Happy Hideaway BBS is protected under the  "         ~
~       "      FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS ACT of 1986     "         ~
~       """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""         ~
~    Duplication, Re-transmission, or Distribution of any       ~
~    part(s) of this BBS is forbidden without the expressed     ~
~    written permission of the sysops.                          ~
     --Happy Hideaway BBS

~    Re-transmission of material from this BBS is strictly      ~
~    forbidden without written permission of the Sysop(s)!!!    ~
     -- The Ghetto! BBS

Some sysops are very protective of their warez.  They want their 
boards to be the best, to have the most highly-prized files, to 
attract the greatest number of active users.  The sysop may claim 
that his board is protected by international copyright laws; that 
is, he has a copyright on the _collection_ and he has a right to 
control the distribution of any part of it.  A user may download 
from his BBS, but he'd better not find that user uploading the 
same program to a competitor.  In other words, the sysop contends 
that he has exclusive rights to the black-market product!
 
~    "I agree with these conditions, and I am not a             ~
~    member/employee of ANY authority like the Police, or       ~
~    anything like that, nor am I an employee of ANY type of    ~
~    non-public domain software company, Telephone company      ~
~    security or some anti-software piracy organization. I      ~
~    hereby legally bind myself to this, by answering YES       ~
~    in [sic] at the prompt".                                   ~
     -- The Ghetto! BBS

~    This BBS is a PRIVATE SYSTEM.  Only private citizens       ~
~    who are not involved in government or law enforcement      ~
~    activities are authorized to use it...access to this       ~
~    system by ANY law enforcement agency ( Federal, State,     ~
~    Local or other), software company, telephone company,      ~
~    government agency, or anyone affiliated with the above     ~
~    is not allowed.                                            ~
     --London Smog BBS

~    Are you registering on this BBS with the sole purpose      ~
~    of entrapping or aiding in the entrapment of the SysOp?    ~
     -- DarkWorld BBS 

~    "I am not part of ANY law enforcement agency or an         ~
~    employer/employee of any NON-Public Domain software        ~
~    company, or software publisher."                           ~
~    ********************************************************   ~
~    *  By typing YES at the PASSWORD prompt you LEGALLY    *   ~
~    *  BIND yourself to the provisions listed above.       *   ~
~    ********************************************************   ~
     -- Outer Region BBS

Sysops are well aware of the illegal nature of their activity, 
and they may go to great lengths to protect themselves from legal 
action.  Most boards post disclaimers about the sysop's 
responsibility for the activities which take place there.  Others 
try to compromise the submissability of legal evidence by 
requiring investigators to reveal themselves. 

~    You have failed to answer a security validation            ~ 
~    question properly.                                         ~
     --Paris BBS

In the midst of such paranoia, it's not surprising that most 
pirate BBS callers and sysops use pseudonyms.  Frequently a user 
goes by the same pseudonym on every board he calls so that his 
online friends can identify him, send him e-mail, etc.  We've 
identified many pseudonym-users in spite of their attempts to 
hide their identity.  Here are a few examples of the thousands of 
aliases used by callers on pirate boards.  They know who they 
are.  And you may be surprised to find that _you_ know who they 
are, too:

RAHMAN                   Clockwork Orange         Stsoft
Elof                     Zaphod Beeblebrox        Troed
Hack-Hack                KG                       mr.fly/ics
Looms                    Hanzon Horizon           Sparky
Yellow Lightning         PAK                      slash/ics 
The Piper                The Parsec               The Shamus
Mouse Master             Overlord                 RoadKill
The Missing Link         Nightmare                Deadhead Ed
Little Flea              the threat/ics           jpc/ics
belgarion/ics            Disease Factory          Frosty
Sledge                   Archiver                 Spy Guy
Traveler                 The Dragon Lord          Frogger
Shadow                   Skinhead                 rhys/ics
Sparky                   KRS-ONE                  Ice Pirate
Clueman                  Arthur Dent              DANE
Goat Slayer              Norstar                  Speed Demon
Time Warp                Snow Queen               Mr.terry

Who are the people who go by these aliases?  Who calls pirate 
BBSs and who runs them?  A 16-year-old high school junior whose 
supply of British games multiplied out of control when he added a 
high-speed modem to his system?  Yes.  A 32-year-old father of 
two who in all other ways is the very model of integrity?  Yes.  
The good old boys who bring crates of software to swap at your 
users group meeting?  You know it!  A 50-year-old con artist who 
makes thousands of unreported (i.e., tax-free) dollars every year 
by convincing others to give him programs to sell?  Absolutely. 

Several hundred software thieves are so active and on so many 
BBSs that it's hard to imagine that they have time for anything 
else.  The thousands of more casual pirates may have access to 
only a few boards and call only a few times a month.  And whether 
a specific pirate BBS has 50 regular users or 500, its phone 
lines are constantly busy.

4. Organized Crime

As with other criminal activity, the big players in software 
theft have formed alliances to share files, blacklists, message 
networks, and other information.  There are dozens of these 
organizations, some international in scope.  For example, The 
Elite, with world headquarters in the Netherlands, is 
headquartered here by the Outer Region BBS in Colorado and 
Dragon's Pub in Quebec.  The Syndicate (TSC) has representative 
BBSs on three continents and in both hemispheres; the Happy 
Hideaway in Florida serves as its Eastern US headquarters and 
Outer Region as its Western base, while the Shire BBS in Chile 
and the Eagles Nest and Slime City BBSs in Sweden provide an 
international link.
 
Cracking organizations are devoted expressly to undermining copy-
protection and registration strategies used in commercial 
programs.  Outer Planes in Ohio is the world headquarters for the 
cracking ring known as CyniX.  STampede, in Plant City Florida, 
is the International Cracking Society's (ICS) US headquarters and 
features its cracked warez, but these rapidly spread to other 
BBSs across the country and so can be found on many other boards 
as well.  Cracking rings are often multi-platform in scope; 
individual crackers will work on getting around the copy-
protection on the platform of their choice.  They'll share 
cracking tips with and seek advice from ring members working on 
other platforms.  The Pompey Pirates cracking ring, headquartered 
on the Paris BBS in New York City, reportedly has just one 
cracker, who goes by the name of Alien, working routinely on the 
ST, while cracking rings like ICS include many ST enthusiasts.

ICS, MCA, Section 1, CyniX, and other crackers are very well-
connected, using ultra-high-speed modems and multi-frequency 
dialers to call all over the world without long distance fees.  
It's not unusual to find a cracker from one ring visiting the 
headquarters of another and sharing warez.  Cracking rings 
compete vigorously for the first crack of "0 day warez" (brand 
new releases), for the most successful crack, for the toughest, 
etc.

Pirate boards have aligned themselves with legitimate networks as 
well.  Many of the BBSs on which we discovered commercial files 
areas are linked to the F-Net -- and, of course, so are plenty of 
responsible BBSs.  For example, according to a CrossNet Conference 
Node Listing, The Time Warp BBS (F-Net node 99) serves as the lead 
node for the "Elite Underground" F-Net conference, which also 
includes Starlight BBS (node 287), Darkworld BBS (node 305), Outer 
Region BBS (node 469), Steal Your Face (node 489), Outer Planes 
(node 558), Gold Nugget BBS (node 622), London Smog BBS (node 
632), Million Dollar Saloon (node 639), Speedy's Raceway (node 
689) and H.B. Smog (node 712).  According to another CrossNet 
Conference Node Listing, The Gold Nugget serves as the lead node 
for The "Pompey Pirates Elite" (not directly associated with the 
Pompey Pirates cracking ring mentioned above) F-Net conference; 
The Prairie Chip II BBS (node 45), The Blackhole (node 612), The 
Temple of Doom (node 595), and Spider-man's Web (node 711) are 
among the 9 BBSs involved in this conference.  The "Upper Echelon" 
F-Net conference ties US and Canadian boards by serving callers on 
the Gold Nugget in Ohio, Steal Your Face in New Jersey, Space 
Station BBS (node 248) and London Smog in California, Million 
Dollar Saloon in Texas, Paybax BBS (node 307) in Delaware, and 
Aardvarks from Mars (node 38) and Dragon's Lair (node 87) in 
Ontario.

Conferences of this kind allow pirates from great distances to 
"get to know" each other, to exchange files as well as messages, 
to solicit calls to their favorite BBSs.  Participation in these 
conferences establishes an online identity; a pirate recognized 
from his posts on one node of a conference is likely to be 
accepted without question when logging on as a new user on 
another node in the same conference.

There are also smaller F-Net-related conferences for pirating 
discussions.  For example, according to a CrossNet Conference 
Node Listing, a Local Area Private Elite Conference with a lead 
node at the Outer Region links with three other BBSs in Colorado, 
including RingWorld (node 643), The Grave Diggers Tomb (node 
186), and BILINE BBS (node 423).  Outer Planes is the lead node 
for the 4-node "Console" conference, a message thread devoted to 
topics related to pirating SNES and other game console warez.

5. Ill-Begotten Goods, Fawlty Filez...
 
Pirating hurts the entire ST community by discouraging third-
party development, closing down dealerships, and raising software 
prices.  But is it a "good deal", at least in the short run, for 
the pirates themselves?  Let's ask 'em:
 
~    Mock me not!  Civilisation is great.. Except it is         ~
~    cracked poorly...Can't win with the Cynix crack...         ~
     --Mark Anthony on Outer Planes BBS

~    ...ok, then how do you save????? I love this game, but     ~
~    I dont know how to save it.. ahhh                          ~
     --The Conjurer on Outer Planes BBS

~    Bad news... using UVK, just found out that the disk has    ~ 
~    a VIRUS on it called the 'DIRECTORY WASTER'.  After        ~
~    twenty copies of it are made, it wipes out your disk.      ~
~    Use UVK to kill the virus, and be careful with swapping    ~
~    disks around this one.                                     ~
     --Sparky on Outer Planes BBS

~    Has anyone set up Speedo GDOS , I seam [sic] to run        ~
~    into probles .. [sic]                                      ~
     --The Mixer on Time Warp BBS

~    Can someone please send me a working ASCII import          ~
~    module for pagestream. I cant seem to get TEXT files       ~
~    to import correctly. Either the text doesnt [sic]          ~
~    fill the full width of the screen or I get no              ~
~    paragraphs(ALL run together)                               ~
     --Red Dragon on Time Warp BBS

~    Has anyone got it to work? I tried to get it to run on     ~ 
~    a Floppy based 520ST (1meg) and on my TT030 and on both    ~
~    I got 4 bombs!                                             ~
     --The Parsec on Rats Nest BBS

~    Has anyone gotten this to load? My install disk just       ~
~    freezes. Any ideas?                                        ~
     --Bullshot Xxx on the F-Net, Upper Echelon Conference

~    ...my UTIL_2.PRG doesn't work, it was corrupt in the       ~
~    original download...                                       ~
     --Jason Elite on the F-Net, Upper Echelon Conference

~    For some reason I can't get other vers. of TOS to boot     ~
~    from the HD without sticking a disk in with the HD boot    ~
~    in the Auto folder. ANYONE know how I can get TOS 1.4      ~
~    and 1.0 to off the HD and recognize the hard drive         ~
~    without sticking a disk in?...It's just a hastle [sic]     ~
~    to use the Hard Drive when you have to boot from disk      ~
~    first...                                                   ~
     --Ice Pirate on Rats Nest BBS

~    I have the two lharc's of Epic, and after lharc, they      ~ 
~    come out to 900+K MSA files... Well, MSA won't format      ~
~    a disk large enough to put them on..  What kind of         ~
~    formatting program can I use to format my disks that       ~
~    large.. Or can I?                                          ~
     --Cronos on Fawlty Towers BBS

~    I was wondering if anyone else has been messing with       ~ 
~    the latest Cubase 3 crack. I've had some success and       ~
~    have even used the SMPTE options via my C-Lab              ~
~    Unitor-N box, but when I try to use the "edit" functions   ~
~    more than a few times (sometimes even the first try),      ~
~    I get an "Internal Error" message and the program locks.   ~
     --MIDIMUCK on Fawlty Towers BBS

~    I wouldn't use it if your [sic] working on a paying gig,   ~ 
~    Just cause It's unreliable, especially when in SMPTE lock. ~
~    I've had this same problem recently, I ended up x-fering   ~
~    the stuff over to another sequencer.                       ~
     --KG on Fawlty Towers BBS, replying to MIDIMUCK about the
       cracked version of Cubase 3

~    Yes, there are 2 different cracks of version 3.x, none     ~
~    of them working properly. The best Cubase crack I know     ~
~    is version 2. I heard though that it gives problems        ~
~    when you use Midiex...                                     ~
     --X-tian on Fawlty Towers BBS

~    yeah, I would [sic] do any real work on it.  I lost 2      ~
~    songs with it.                                             ~
     --KG on STampede BBS, replying to a message about a 
       cracked version of Cubase

~    Has anybody had a problem with the Cynix crack of          ~
~    Frankenstein? I haven't been able to get it to work on     ~
~    either of my computers. It bombs badly.                    ~
     --PAK on STampede BBS

~    I've been having problems with some files I D/Led          ~
~    (Ultima 6 is flaky and Lost Vikings doesn't work at        ~
~    all).                                                      ~
     --Nostrildomus on STampede BBS

~    I sure wouldn't even attempt any 'serious' work project    ~
~    with that 'crack'...                                       ~
     --Sparky on STampede BBS

~    Do you have a version of NEW ZEALAND STORY which works     ~ 
~    past the first city?                                       ~
     --The Shamus on STampede BBS

~    HEY!! Will someone PLEASE UPLOAD a FULLY working version   ~ 
~    for KOBOLD 2 I've had so many different version from       ~
~    different people and they are  ALL bad !!!                 ~
     --Sidewinder on Outer Region BBS

~    I have an elite copy of Calligrapher and it doesn't        ~
~    support ASCII text files, so you can only work with        ~
~    .CAL files (files made by Calligrapher)  Also it doesn't   ~
~    have keyboard equivalents (a pain)                         ~
     --Frogger on the F-Net, Elite Underground Conference 

Pirates aren't entitled to support from commercial developers and 
are often working without any documentation, so they are very 
likely to encounter problems with their warez.  

The real version of Calligrapher, for example, has several import 
and export options, including ASCII.  It has configurable keyboard 
commands.  Frogger's version might have been hacked in a way which 
destroyed these capabilities, or he simply might not know how to 
take advantage of them because he has no documentation or support.  

When pirates spread disinformation about the warez they use, 
people may think they are speaking out of knowledge of the actual 
commercial release.  In this way, a pirate's ill-informed comments 
about products can discourage sales to others.

The software they use -- like the sysops and other pirates with 
whom they associate -- cannot be trusted.  Cracked software is 
prone to be flakey.  And the same type of people who think it's 
acceptable to crack and steal software are also the type who write 
viruses and unleash them on others, so even files which haven't 
been cracked must be viewed with suspicion.

In addition to the fear of loss of access, the pressure to upload 
or pay, lack of official and informed support, an online 
environment of suspicion and paranoia, and abandonment of ethical 
principles, pirates must also contend with software that is 
unreliable and potentially dangerous.  The pirate pays a heavy 
price.  Pirated software is _not_ free -- for anybody.

6. Phreaking, Copyright Infringement, Pornography, and the Law

The users pay the sysop of a pirate board, either by sending a 
check for greater access or by offering up files they've 
purchased in exchange (or both).  Heavy users must invest in 
expensive hardware, such as high-speed modems.  And for many 
callers, there's a long-distance charge.

~    If any of the USA callers has MCI you can put this bbs     ~
~    on you [sic] Friends and Family list and save yourself     ~
~    about 3 cents a minute. Just say that the phone number     ~
~    is for a data line and they usually don't ask anymore      ~
~    questions.                                                 ~
     -- PAK on STampede BBS

~    ...there are high speed users around, and considering      ~
~    other really good Atari boards are out of state, $.25      ~
~    per call is as cheap as anyone could ask for. I'm          ~
~    starting to think "elite" is dead in the Tampa area,       ~
~    as far as Atari is conserned [sic].                        ~
     --PAK on Master Lazarus BBS, explaining the poor 
       attendance rates by local pirates on local BBSs

~    Wanted... original suppliers                               ~
~              graphic artists                                  ~
~              another support bbs                              ~
~              calling card suppliers                           ~
     --Quattro of the CyniX cracking ring on the F-Net, 
       Elite Underground Conference

~    When I hit a special key, my Bluebox plays a little        ~
~    melody.....                                                ~
     -- STampede BBS

~    I call the whole world for the same price.                 ~
     -- Troed on Rats Nest BBS

Not all those living far from a BBS pay long distance charges, 
however.  Some boards share calling card numbers (belonging to 
innocent victims, presumably) so that the phone company will 
charge the users' calls to someone else.  Sometimes users as far 
away as Chile or Sweden manage to make calls at no cost by 
fooling and defrauding their long distance carriers.  In the old 
days (defined here as the 70's), this was achieved by building a 
"bluebox" and installing it in one's phone line.  Today, it's 
easily done in software.  The caller's ST simulates the tones 
recognized by the telephone system.  Calls are routed all over 
the world and back, typically through South America, in order to 
confuse the system and avoid detection.  This activity is just as 
illegal as copyright infringement, and it's also better 
understood as a crime by police.  Many times a pirate board is 
closed down not because of the illegal transfer of software, but 
rather because information on blueboxes was available for 
download.
 
~    Word is around town that there are feds looking for        ~
~    Pirate BBS's. I know weather to belive [sic] it but        ~
~    it could be time for another big bust like there was       ~
~    four years ago. Supposedly a Big BBS in OHIO just got      ~
~    nailed real bad!. Freaky as hell.                          ~
     --Mind Eye on Thieves Guild BBS

There are, in fact, many approaches to shutting down pirate 
boards.  Copyright infringement is one obvious track.  The 
Software Publishers Association is a watchdog agency which works 
with the FBI to shut down large-scale BBS operations.  There are 
legal departments at major computer, game machine, and software 
companies devoting time and effort to this task.  There's the IRS 
connection for unreported caller "donations".  Some boards come 
down because of the availability of pornography.  There are a 
variety of criminal laws related to activities common on pirate 
boards, and, especially in cases of copyright infringement, civil 
law may offer the most effective route to compensation for the 
victims.

When a board is busted by the authorities, the related equipment 
and property is usually seized.  Any records of callers, caller 
donations, etc., are seized along with that equipment.  Callers 
could be charged with conspiracy.  For this reason, it's not wise 
to have one's real name, address, and real phone show up in the 
records of a pirate board, even though the sysop adamantly 
insists upon it and uses verification checks to enforce it...  

7. Spotting a Pirate Board

~    Many people may not realize that software pirates cause    ~
~    prices to be much higher, in part, to make up for          ~
~    publisher losses from piracy.  In addition, they ruin      ~
~    the reputation of the hundreds of legitimate bulletin      ~
~    boards that serve an important function for computer       ~
~    users.                                                     ~
     --Ken Wasch, Executive Director of the SPA, as quoted in
       STR #915 

I recently logged on to the Polish Hideout BBS in Southern 
Illinois.  What a contrast it presented to the pirate boards I've 
been investigating!  The questionnaire asked only for my name, 
contact information, and type of computer.  Validation was 
immediate and I was granted access to all message bases and file 
areas on that very first call!  I wasn't under any obligation to 
upload before downloading.  There was no pressure to compromise 
my principals nor temptation to indulge in criminal activity.  
The messages from the sysop were friendly and inviting.  The 
Polish Hideout is _not_ a pirate BBS.

It can be tough to differentiate a pirate board from a legitimate 
one if one has not been granted access to the elite areas.  
Sometimes non-elite discussion or file areas can provide hints, 
but it's not sure-fire.  For example, although many pirate boards 
can boast of extensive pornography collections, some BBS sysops 
who wouldn't tolerate commercial files will nevertheless offer 
pornography; the existence of pornographic files does not in and 
of itself indicate a pirate board or clientele.  Even the 
existence of an isolated commercial file in the downloads is not 
evidence of intentional piracy.  From time to time, every BBS 
receives a commercial upload or two; sometimes the sysop overlooks 
the file or doesn't recognize it as commercial and leaves it in 
the download area.  Such oversights and accidents do not even 
remotely correspond to the kinds of activity we have encountered 
on BBSs where software theft is encouraged.

A typical pirate board includes a highly aggressive (and often 
hostile and suspicious) new user questionnaire.  It is often 
necessary to provide referrals of some kind, and the questions 
are likely to assume dishonesty on the part of the new user.  
Pirates, as a rule, are not nice guys, and the new user is 
usually made to feel very uncomfortable.  The new user may be 
required to "sign" disclaimers.  The Other BBS list is likely to 
include some other pirate boards.  If the users adopt the lexicon 
of piracy ("elite", "warez", "philez", etc.), If ThErE aRe LoTs 
Of PhRaSeS wRiTtEn LiKe ThIs, if the board associates itself with 
a pirate syndicate or network, if it has numerous known pirates 
as callers, if there is aggressive insistence on the maintenance 
of download/upload ratios, if deadbeats are threatened with loss 
of access, if phreaking files are available online, chances are 
very good that the caller has stumbled onto a pirate BBS.

There are legitimate reasons why a BBS sysop might want accurate 
contact information from his callers.  There are also good 
reasons in many cases for offering a few private file and message 
areas.  Most BBSs, pirate and legitimate, require validation, 
usually by phoning the caller's number.  Such features are not 
unusual, but if combined with heavy-handed warnings and threats, 
they tip the user off to the nature of the board.  It should be 
noted that legitimate pd/shareware BBSs far outnumber the pirate 
boards.  The confusion between the two is most unfortunate.

~    I...have callers uploading commercial software and         ~
~    giving me a hard time because I don't have an "elite"      ~
~    area, even though they see a message when they log on      ~
~    as a new caller that this board does not support           ~
~    piracy...It's a _risk_ to run a BBS, and not many ways     ~
~    to protect the investment.                                 ~
     --sysop of a legitimate BBS

If a board you call has an occasional commercial file, be sure to 
point it out to the sysop for his own protection; a responsible 
sysop will avoid commercial offerings.  PD/shareware BBSs perform 
a much-needed service in supporting our Atari community; the IAAD 
applauds and encourages this effort.

If you suspect -- or _know_ -- that a board you call offers 
numerous commercial files, however, please bring it to the 
attention of the IAAD (online addresses are available at the end 
of this article).  Your anonymity is assured.  We are already 
intimately familiar with dozens of boards, but additional 
information is always welcome.

8. The Moral Toll: As the Twig is Bent...

~    Right and wrong now seem the same                          ~
     -- Rats Nest

As a parent, I'm concerned about the numbers of young people 
logged on to pirate boards.  These kids put themselves in a very 
vulnerable position.  In earning their right to download, young 
callers are implicated in the illegal activity.  The adults who 
run and participate on these boards set an example which could, 
by extension, lead to ignoring the laws which govern other areas 
of their lives.  Do these kids also shoplift, steal from other 
kids' lockers, buy termpapers to submit as their own?  Children 
learn to run and to use pirate boards from adults whose character 
is questionable by definition.  When a child has such a sysop as 
a role model, what does that spell for his future?

Like the proverbial stranger who offers candy, these criminals 
lure teenagers and young adults with promises of free software in 
exchange for their services.  The service, of course, is to 
provide more free software -- which the sysop can then use to lure 
more callers and to keep his current clientele calling back.  The 
first step is to inspire fear; this is achieved right off the bat 
with a new user questionnaire threatening denial of access if 
caller doesn't provide just the right answers.  And the second is 
to force the caller to incriminate himself with his initial 
upload.  Once the kid begins downloading and playing commercial 
games he could never afford to buy, the pressure cycle of 
upload/download counts begins.

~           GENESIS COPIER (super magic drive)                  ~
~    My son is selling his copier for the Genesis for:          ~
~    $275.00  That includes the copier, drive and power         ~
~    supply.                                                    ~
     --Little Lulu on the F-Net, Pompey Pirates Elite
       Conference

While many of the software thieves we've encountered are young, 
in their teens and early twenties, others are old enough to be 
parents (or even grandparents!).  Few pirate boards have an 
"educational warez" category in their files areas, so my own 
products are rarely found, but parents do download plenty of 
games.  I wonder about the children who use the programs that 
Dad or Mom has stolen.  Do they know that the program could be 
purchased with a manual?  Do they learn about hidden features 
from friends who have the real thing and then wonder why their 
parents never told them they could do that?  If and when these 
children do learn that Dad has stolen some software they've 
enjoyed, do they respect and trust their father less -- or do 
they simply adopt his dishonest character as their own?

~    Pirating is dishonest.  Honorable people don't do          ~
~    dishonest things.  If you want to publicly proclaim your   ~
~    untrustworthyness [sic], go right ahead.  But don't        ~
~    expect anyone to ever trust you.  Or respect _your_        ~
~    rights.                                                    ~
     -- Myeck Waters, responding to a pro-piracy post on the 
        F-Net, ST Report Conference
 
~    BYE! (Click)                                               ~
~    NO CARRIER                                                 ~
     -- Computer Connection

_________________
The author takes no responsibility for errors in spelling, 
punctuation, judgment, or logic in quotations; these are 
reprinted as written.

Copyright 1993 by D.A. Brumleve
 
This file may be transmitted only in its entirety, with all 
portions unedited and intact.  The author reserves _all_ rights 
regarding distribution and republication, with the exception that 
this file may be posted in its entirety and without additions on 
BBSs everywhere, especially on pirate boards.  If you find it 
already posted on your local pirate board, please upload a second 
copy, and a third...

Editors and others wishing to republish this article are advised 
to contact the IAAD and the author on the major online services:
     GEnie: PERMIT$
     CIS:   76004,3655
     Delphi:DABRUMLEVE

The IAAD welcomes tips about pirate activity.  Please contact us 
at the online addresses listed above.


//// The following messages were gathered from CAT 18, Topic 7 on the
//// GEnie ST RoundTable. These messages comment directly on the
//// preceeding report, and are reprinted here, courtesy of GEnie.


Message 51        Wed Apr 28, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs]       at 18:49 EDT
 
 I want to thank the many people who have taken the time to write 
 or call with their support for the IAAD.  It is most gratifying to 
 know that so many folks have appreciated our efforts.

 We've also been hearing a great deal from the pirates' side.  Some 
 seem concerned about perceived technical inaccuracies in our 
 report, and I certainly don't want to be passing on falsehoods, so 
 I'll correct the record here and now.

 For example, in his ninth blue-boxed call to my number today, 
 Zaphod Beeblebrox, co-sysop of the Sarcastic Existence BBS in 
 Sweden, objected to the following quotation from our report:

 ~    Rats Nest always had some of the best stuff around...      ~
      --Zaphod Beeblebrox on Fawlty Towers BBS

 Zaphod felt that the presentation of his quotation out of context 
 was misleading, and I apologize if anyone was misled.  This item 
 was taken from a thread about the Rats Nest entitled: "Rats Nest 
 -- Anyone know why it's down???"  We had contacted the Rats Nest 
 sysop about our findings on his board some time ago, and the BBS 
 was down for over a week following our discussion with him.  Rats 
 Nest and Fawlty Towers had many callers in common, so it's not 
 surprising that activities on one board might be discussed on 
 another.

 Zaphod told me today that, when he'd referred to the "best 
 stuff" in that thread, he didn't _mean_ commercial products.  I 
 admit I can't read minds any better than the next guy.  _I_ 
 thought he was referring to the elite files on the Rats Nest, and 
 so _did_ the next guy in the thread.  The Parsec had responded to 
 Zaphod's remark by saying:

 ~    Yeah i called yesterday night and just now....no warez     ~
 ~    ....I wonder what the sitch is!                            ~
      --The Parsec on Fawlty Towers

 We didn't print The Parsec's reply in our report.  We also didn't 
 print the post by Zaphod which began the thread:

 ~    Hey Piper, have you got any idea why Rats Nest is          ~
 ~    down??? I heard some story about that somebody tried to    ~
 ~    nail [sysop's name] for having pirated files on the        ~
 ~    board, but that is all I got to hear, the next day Rats    ~
 ~    Nest didn't answer anymore. If you do know anything about  ~
 ~    this, please let me know, as I am getting a bit worried    ~
 ~    about what is happening to [sysop's name]. And if they     ~
 ~    have busted his board, then we should all be a great deal  ~
 ~    more carefull [sic]...... I do hope that he is not         ~
 ~    busted, but rather took the board down for a while just    ~
 ~    to be on the safe side...                                  ~
      --Zaphod Beeblebrox on Fawlty Towers

 And we didn't print a suggestion for the Rats Nest offered by The 
 Wonderer:

 ~    He could take down all the files instead of going down if  ~
 ~    that were the problem.  I think it may be a little more    ~
 ~    serious than that maybe.                                   ~
      --The Wonderer on Fawlty Towers

 Given the context of the thread in which Zaphod's "best stuff" 
 remark occurred, I hope Zaphod will understand why we interpreted 
 the comment as we did.  For the record, Zaphod would like it to be 
 known that he most definitely did not mean commercial software.  
 It's only fair that we present his side more comprehensively here.  
 I hope his intent is clear to everyone now.

 It's not quite a correction, as our report does not say otherwise, 
 but Zaphod would like it to be known that he uses a genuine 
 hardware bluebox.  He has authored a piece of software which 
 allows users to simulate phone tones with their computers, but he 
 doesn't use this software himself.

 It was from the documentation for Zaphod's Multi-Frequency Dialer, 
 in fact, that we got the misguided impression that The Shire BBS 
 was in Chile.  Zaphod had given a Chilean exchange for that board.  
 We found a citation on a BBS for the Shire with a location in NY, 
 so we called it.  When an elderly woman answered, we assumed that 
 Zaphod knew what he was talking about when he'd given the Chilean 
 exchange.  PAK, sysop of STampede, has told us that the Shire 
 _was_ in NY but has been down for a year.  I hope this clears that 
 one up.

 PAK has also objected that the Pompey Pirates cracking ring 
 dropped the ST six months ago and that it is/was not headquartered 
 on the Paris BBS in NYC.  We stand corrected: The Paris BBS is 
 headquarters of the SNEAKERS "spy" ring, and the alias Alien is 
 associated with SNEAKERS, not the Pompey Pirates.  

 The Pompey Pirates cracking ring was advertised as headquarted on 
 the Anti-Gravity II BBS on December 11 1992, as follows:

 1  ~~~ CALL TODAY!!  MENTION THIS AD FOR QUICK VALIDATION!! ~~~  3
 2             ________  _      __  _______  _____                0
 2            / ____  /\/ \    / /\/__  __/\/_  _/\               0
 2           / /___/ / /   \  / / /\_/ /\_\/\/ /\\/ ____          0
 2          / ____  / /  /\ \/ / /  / / /  _/ /_/  /___/\         0
 2         /_/\__/_/ /__/ /\ _/ /  /_/ /  /____/\  \___\/         0
 2         \_\/  \_\/\__\/  \_\/   \_\/   \____\/                 0
                  1  +  ANTI-GRAVITY II  BBS  +  3                 
    408-XXX-XXXX  2   +  ATARI ST- PC ELITE  +   0  408-XXX-XXXX   
 2     ______             ______          _____           __  __  0
 2    / ____/\______     / __  /\__    __/\_  _\  _______/\ \/ /\ 0
 2   / /___ \/\  __ \   / /_/ / /\ \  /\_\//\ \/ /__  __/\ \ \/ / 0
 2  / /_/ /\ \ \ \/ /  / __  / /\ \ \/ / / \_\ \_\_/ /\_\/\_\  /  0
 2 /_____/ /  \ \   \_/_/\/_/ /  \ \/ / /  /\____\/ / /   /_/ /   0
 2 \_____\/    \ \_\__\_\/\_\/    \__/ /   \/____/_/ /    \_\/    0
 2              \/_/__/            \_\/          \_\/             0
    Pompey    1  380 MEGS ONLINE - 14,400 BAUD HST!  3  Pompey     
     Pirates  2  SysOp: GRAVITAR   Co-SysOp: SPARKY  0   Pirates   
                     The West Coast Connection                   
 2  If you never call, you'll never know what you're missing....  0
 --Sparky on The Tavern Elite Conference

 I apologize for any confusion this error may have caused.  I'll 
 give PAK a call and discuss it.

 Clockwork Orange has objected that I spelled his name with a 
 small "w".  Please note the spelling of his name in the header of 
 the message which lodges this complaint:

         Message:  = ELITE TALK =  #385 of 4oo [51 Lines]
 ||>> // Sent On: April 26, 1993 at 4:44am
 ||\\ \\ Sent By:  Clockwork Orange 
    \\// Sent To:  All 
     ST  Replies: 1
         Subject: Pirates

 ...ClockWork Orange/ICS  <- the 'W' is capitalised!!!
 --Clockwork Orange on STampede

 Zaphod has said that he and his pirate friends are preparing a 
 textphile to counter the misinformation in the IAAD's report.  
 That would be a refreshing change from the retaliatory tactics 
 attempted so far.

 Some of the boards mentioned in our report no longer answer.  Two 
 are reported to have gone strictly public domain.  Some elite 
 conferences are now local-only.  Some sysops feel confident that 
 they've eliminated the "snitch", while others don't trust any of 
 their callers.  

 Individual reactions from pirates have varied just as much.  Some 
 pirates have been discussing harrassment strategies openly in 
 their message threads.  Yesterday, a young man impersonating a 
 telephone operator attempted to convince me to give him my calling 
 card number!  When this failed, he called back and warned me not 
 to mess with pirates.  Believing that their aliases provide them 
 anonymity, some have posted self-incriminating messages on some 
 boards in an attempt to harrass us.  I think Belgarion's post is 
 one of the few which can be reproduced here:
                ___      
               /  /|
              /  / |
             /_ <  |   WHY USE A AK 47 ?
             | | \ |   TOO EXPENSIVE !
             | |  \|
             | |   |   I PREFER A GUILLOTINE !!
             | | //|    
             | |/O/|   COME ON GUYS,I'LL CUT YOUR HEAR !
             |_|// |___________________________
            /| |  /                           /|
           / | | /                           //
          <__| |/___________________________//
          |__| |___________________________|/I
            I =  I                      I    I
            I    I                      I    I
            I                           I
            I                           I
 --Belgarion on STampede

 I hope this sets the record straight.  I sincerely would not want 
 to give anyone the wrong impression about these people.  

 D.A. Brumleve
 President, IAAD 
 ------------
Category 18,  Topic 7
Message 66        Thu Apr 29, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs]       at 11:28 EDT
 
 Lest my corrections above perpetuate yet another error, I'd like 
 to point out that Zaphod Beeblebrox of ICS and Control Team is 
 sysop of the Eagles Nest BBS in Sweden, as evidenced by his 
 typical message signature:

      Greetz, Zaphod Beeblebrox of ICS and Control Team.
      Eagles Nest BBS +46-XX-XXXXXX - 285 Mb/14400 HST Dual - 24 Hours.

 I have assumed that he is also the co-sysop "Zaphod B" listed in 
 this advertisement for the Sarcastic Existence, and hence my 
 reference to it above in message #51:

  FiDONET 2:200/612             /\    .       /\    *  .     MeGaNeT 66:666/1
                       .  * .  /  \        . /  \  .
  FUJiNeT 7:102/102           /    \   +    /    \      .    NeST 90:1101/112
                         +   /   /  \      /      \   +
                            /\   \  /  .  /    \  /      .                
   I.C.S Swedish HQ     .  /  \   \/     /     /\/   .        Sync WorldHQ
                           \  /   /      \   \/    +
                        *   \    /  + .   \   \ .    .  .
                          .  \  /          \  /
     SysOp: Troed             \/ARCASTIC    \/XISTENCE      CoSysOp: Zaphod B

   +46-(0)XXX-XXXXX   +46-(0)XXX-XXXXX   +46-(0)XXX-XXXXX   +46-(0)XXX-XXXXX

 Hope that's all perfectly clear now.
 ------------


//// ... and here are some more messages from the Piracy thread.
//// Again, these messages are reprinted courtesy of the GEnie ST
//// RoundTable, CATegory 18, TOPic 7.


Message 55        Wed Apr 28, 1993
P-DIRECT2 [Tim @ TWP]        at 22:01 EDT
 
Dorothy, I think that the pirates' objections to your 'technical errors'
are just a bit childish, don't you?  It looks to me that either they're
trying to divert us from the point behind your article, or they're missed
the point entirely.  Your article is trying to point out the flaws in
their illegal way of life, not catalog pirate BBS's, handles, and elite 
organizations. 

You know, if these people had any brains at all, they'd be glad that you
made errors.  The more information you have about them, they more danger
they are in, right?  They don't seem to see that.  They sure did contact
you quickly to correct you, didn't they?  It's like, "Hey, we're pirates
calling you!  Come and get us!  And while we're at it, here's more some
MORE information about us."
 ------------
Message 56        Wed Apr 28, 1993
J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 22:46 EDT
 
Mr Belgarion, it is "_an_ AK47". For crying out loud, if you want to make
death threats at least have the decency to spell them correctly. 

Myself, I prefer the .50 Cal rifle that the FBI was whining about the Waco
Wacko's having. I've been looking for an excuse to buy one, maybe pirate
scum giving Dot a hard time will give me that excuse....you remember the
one, it was a prop in ROBOCOP...the ammo costs but what a hole it makes in
little pirate dweebs who need desperately to get a life, or lose it.

   $.02
 ------------
Message 57        Wed Apr 28, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs]       at 23:38 EDT
 
 Tim, we appreciate all the information we've received, from whatever
 source.
 ------------
Message 58        Wed Apr 28, 1993
M.JONES52 [Jonesy]           at 23:39 EDT
 
   Thanks for clearing that up, Dorothy. ;-)

 ------------
Message 64        Thu Apr 29, 1993
JWEAVERJR [John@RSCARDS]     at 10:12 EDT
 
Excellent file! I think I'll keep the file number here on my desk, for
the next time somebody asks me why I don't do disk-based software any
more.
 ------------
Message 67        Thu Apr 29, 1993
A.FASOLDT [Al Fasoldt]       at 18:30 EDT
 
Dot,

Amazing. And I thought I already had an idea of the problem. I am just
plain naive.

This is an incredible service.

Al
 ------------
Message 73        Fri Apr 30, 1993
SANDY.W [sysop]              at 16:25 EDT
 
>From this weeks edition of A NETWORKER'S JOURNAL:

    CONVICTED COMPUTER INTRUDER EXECUTED IN CHINA


It seems Shai Biao was executed after being convicted of invading a
computer and embezzling around $192,000....

 ------------
Message 74        Fri Apr 30, 1993
J.BRENNER1 [See Flat]        at 20:48 EDT
 
Sandy,
      wouldn't it be a shame if they got the wrong guy. Main argument
against capital punishement=no recorse.

I have been told that a local Atari developer (I don't know the name) just
saw their software was on pirate boards. It must be a hard pill to swallow
since they haven't released it yet!
 ------------
Message 75        Fri Apr 30, 1993
R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    at 21:25 EDT
 
Ok, I will try this again with the appropriate words.

  They are just mad because they got caught. :-)  Some probably think they
have the means to ruin the IAAD or anyone involved with this and are just
using these tactics to stop it so that they can continue. Anyone involved
should however take measures with the phone company, etc. Some may have
the means to try and finacially ruin the people involved.

  I hope that anything that is done will not stop the cleanup by the IAAD
and others.

  Good luck in the cleanup Dot. I have had several people tell me they
have seen the commercial wares on RatsNest. If there is anything I can
help with, just holler.

 ------------
Message 76        Fri Apr 30, 1993
C.ALLEN17 [Cliff]            at 23:37 EDT
 
Dorothy,
   Great article. thanks for the hard work that went into putting it
together.

   May all pirates visit Dantes Inferno, for all eternity.

Cliff (Ashevillite)
 ------------
Message 77        Sat May 01, 1993
HUTCH [FAIR-DINKUM]          at 00:01 EDT
 
Right you are, Dorothy.  If a bunch of pirates want to boycott my software
because I'm a member of the IAAD, then so be it.

     "I'm a thief, and because you are bugging me about my
      illegal activities, I and all my friends will refuse
      to steal your software from now on."

Boy... I guess that's going to teach US a lesson, eh?   :)

-Hutch- @ Fair Dinkum Tech

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


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


 |||   The Right STuff
 |||   By: Bob Brodie, Director of Communications, Atari Corp.
/ | \  GEnie: BOB-BRODIE   Delphi: BOBBRODIE
       -------------------------------------------------------------------

I want to clear up a few rumors that are going around, and especially
elminiate some confusion regarding Atari Explorer Magazine.

In a rush to get out a perceived "scoop", another writer has begun a
set of rumors regarding Atari Explorer over on Delphi. Rather than
clog this issue with a complete rebuttal of the rumors, I prefer to
simply address the facts regarding Explorer. Look for my rebuttal to
the rumor monger over on Delphi. Atari wants to be certain that any
concerns you have about Atari Explorer are resolved.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Exploring the Truth
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

We've had a series of small layoffs at Atari recently. A decision was
made to discontinue our in house publication, Atari Explorer Magazine
- a decision which was reversed over a weekend. Presently, the way
that Atari Explorer Magazine is going to be produced is under
consideration.

Atari is very impressed with Mike Lindsay's capabilities, and Mike has
presented a series of options to Atari in order to continue the
magazine. Among the options are returning Atari Explorer to an "out of
house" publication, or continuing to do the publication in house, but
in a different, more cost effective format. While these decisions are
being considered, Mike has continued to be in the office on a near
daily basis, handling all of Explorer's affairs. There is no doubt
that the magazine will continue! Atari Explorer is an essential
component of our news and PR efforts. It has not been shut down. Once
all of the decisions about Atari Explorer have been finalized, we'll
make the announcements on the specifics of those arrangements.

We apologize for the confusion generated by the erroneous reports
concerning Atari Explorer that have been made in both other online
magazines.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Clone - No Clone
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

There is a rumor over on CompuServe that there is an "Atari clone"
being developed. This rumor is being spread by essentially the same
crew that is spreading the rumors about Atari Exporer. It is true that
there is a VAR that is looking at producing custom hardware that is
similar to Atari's. However, I have personally spoken with the
principles involved with this effort. They have no intention of
marketing these machines to the general public, but rather only using
them with specific, high end applications.

While the knowledge of such a thing might be news, in fact there has
been several other companies that have done similar things for quite a
while. One of them produces a autmobile diagnostic sytem, one of them
has a control unit for a high speed/high volume envelope stuffing
machine, and yet another controls a foundry with another custom
system.

These computers are not targeted as a competitor to the Atari
Falcon030. They will not have the same capabilities as the Atari
Falcon030. For example, they will not have MIDI ports on them. They
will not have many of the custom chips on board that the
ST/STe/TT030/Falcon030s have. They will be designed with a limited
number of uses in mind. Even the architect of the hardware
acknowledges that the system will be largely incompatible with most
applications. They are only targeting a few specific applications, not
general purpose computing.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Falcon030 News
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Now, on to news regarding the Atari Falcon030. A number of the units
for the Atari Falcon030 have gone out to dealers, with Falcon030
sightings already coming in. Mid Cities Comp-Soft in Bellflower,
California, Run PC in Fort Collins, Colorado, Micro Computer Depot in
Columbia, South Carolina, Cottonwood Computers in Cottonwood,
California, Toad Computers in Maryland, Manny's Music in New York
City, and The Computer Network in Glendale, California are just some
of the dealers that have already placed their demo units on display.

Other dealers have their shipments on the way to them, and should have
them by next week. We have at present withheld the Falcon D2D
recording package due to bugs that were discovered at the last minute.
Updates are coming in on a near daily basis from the programmers, and
we are making every effort to have that situation resolved ASAP.
Naturally, we will supply Falcon D2D free of charge to anyone that has
an Atari Falcon030 that obtains one without this program.

In addition to shipping units to our dealers, we have also begun
shipments of demo units to our manufacturer's representatives. We
believe that this will enable them to be able to sign up more dealers
in an easier fashion. It's been very gratifying to see the response to
the new dealer agreement, as a large number of dealers that had
discontinued doing business with Atari are now coming back on board to
carry the Atari Falcon030.

We are putting the first shipment of Atari Falcon030's through a
rigorous burn-in process. The quality of the machines is excellent,
with a less than 1% failure rate. We're very pleased that the decision
to change manufacturers that we made in January is being validated by
the quality product that we're seeing now. All of the machines that we
have at present are 4 megs of RAM, and a 65 meg hard disk.

Bill Rehbock has been hard at work in helping European developers find
a representative for their products here in the US. There was an
excellent selection of products that were shown at CeBIT in Germany,
like Chagall, a true color paint program. We do not envision the
"marrying" of these developers to be a protracted process.

I'll be online this coming Friday night, May 7th, for the monthly
Dateline: Atari Conference on GEnie, our official online resource. Be
sure to stop by and say hello!! I'm looking forward to another fun
evening with everyone in attendance!! The Dateline: Atari Conferences
have proven to be consistently fun, upbeat, and insightful discussion
opportunities. I hope to see you there!!


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


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--       --==--==--    CompuServe Sign-Up Information    --==--==--      --
--                                                                       --
-- To sign up for CompuServe service, call (voice call) (800) 848-8199.  --
-- Ask for operator #198. You will be sent a $15.00 value CIS membership --
-- kit for free.                                                         --
--                                                                       --
--       --==--==--    CompuServe Sign-Up Information    --==--==--      --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


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


 |||  Andreas' Den
 |||  By: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: ABARBIERO    GEnie: AEO.2
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

Direct marketing is a tactic that many companies are trying out in
order to increase profits and sell their products more efficiently.
With direct marketing, a product can be sold to the public without it
having to be shipped, stored, and marked up before it is even seen by
the prospective purchaser. These intermediate steps costs the buyer
more, and mandate that the manufacturer sells the product to the
distributor or dealer low enough so that the dealer mark-up still
keeps the price competitive. Atari is starting direct sales with the
Lynx. Recently there has been a dropping off of distributors of the
Lynx system, and in some areas it may be really tough to find games in
stock. Atari is combating this by putting a nice spread into several
gaming magazines, such as the popular Game-Pro magazine. With other
incentives, like a 'buy two- get one free' on software, the sales of
Lynx base units and software should be moving quite nicely. Combined
with a central distribution, advertising can better be targeted and
sales directly generated. Optimally, this direct marketing approach
should sell units, and provide a place for software to be purchased in
areas without a Lynx dealer, and encourage retail outfits to carry
software and accessories for the Lynx. Where there are owners of the
base unit, software sales will follow.

On the Falcon030 front, as everyone knows, the machines are shipping,
and the units will be arriving regularly as they come in off the boat
and purchase orders are made. News from CEBIT was exciting as well as
it was understated here in the USA. Interesting products that were
announced in Germany came from all over the world, especially from
France. The French seem to be really hot on the Falcon030, and the
products they are presenting prove it.

There are the usual painting programs but some typically French weird
stuff. The TOKI series is presented as help for create animation
storyboards, video overlays, and auto colorizing of the images. Chloe
looks like a really amazing raytracing program, purportedly faster and
better than Point of View on the PC, it supports the math co-processor
and uses the DSP for calculations.

The Germans are also ahead of the ball with some excellent DSP
programming libraries, the Screen Blaster external graphics box,
supporting 800X600X256 and 880X608X16 colors. Of course the British
are poking their noses into the developer circles; Rombo is producing
a video digitizer that can do real time video digitizing in
320X200X256 and supports true color modes as well. Games and
simulations are coming along rapidly from all sources, and several
excellent games are coming from projects directly supported by Atari.

Commercial sources are not the only place that professional quality
software is expected from. Gem-View and Speed of Light are two
incredible picture viewers, which work on all Atari computers and
rival most commercial packages available for the image quality they
present. (Editor's Note: Gem-View was recently picked up by Lexicor
for US distribution.) Rumor has it that the Codeheads are working on a
front end driver for Microsoft Bookshelf, a collection of information
resources including an encyclopedia and other common CDROM references.
This is a major step forward in software, and we need more like it.

Shareware is the perfect forum for releasing more software to drive
the growing library of CDROM software. These disks are mostly data
(encrypted in some cases), and the actual program that allows the
computer to access the information is small and highly portable code.
It would be fantastic to see the high quality shareware authors turn
their attention to this natural outgrowth of the ICD Link for the
STe, and the SCSI ports on the Falcon030 and TT030.

So for all you C programmers, or shareware writers who think there is
nothing you can do that will generate some income, just think of how
many CDROMs are out there and how many people would love to run them
on their Atari. I for one am looking forward to being able to access
the Mayo Clinic CDROM.

I will probably be departing for a deployment to the Pacific soon (my
US Navy job), and while I have been lucky enough to obtain equipment
in order to keep on writing and send in articles from overseas, time
will be limited and I will not be torturing people with my presence on
Delphi and GEnie for a while. One thing I will not miss is the dirt
raking and false rumor mongering. With all the hard decisions being
made at Atari and the labor put in to bringing the Falcon030 to
American shores, having someone look for any news, and then proceeding
to make it look as bad as it can for Atari goes beyond reporting the
facts, and is in the realm of antagonistic spitefulness.

Atari Explorer Online is not a Xerox machine for Atari Corp's version
of things. We are all intelligent adults here, and would not put our
name on something that bordered on propaganda. I am here because I see
a change in the computer market and an opportunity for Atari to place
a computer into people's homes that will finally be able to do what
they need it to do, and not require $100 programs just to use a mouse
in a word processor.

Enough of this, thanks, and to all, hasta la vista, baby!


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


 |||  Adventures of an Amateur Hardware Hacker - Part One
 |||  By: Don Wilhelm, BAAUG & SCCAUG
/ | \ -------------------------------------------------------------------
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

//// Editor: As a precaution, if you do not have experience with
//// working with the tools and/or methods described in this article,
//// or if you feel uncomfortable about anything herein, PLEASE DO NOT
//// ATTEMPT ANY MODIFICATIONS DESCRIBED. Your, and your computer's
//// safety, is paramount.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// INTRODUCTION
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Three adventures will be described in this series in the hope that
somebody will benefit from them, and perhaps some useful dialog will
also arise from them. Perhaps I'll benefit, if somebody sets me
straight on one or more issues or items. The first adventure, putting
the ST motherboard into a PC clone case is partly intended to
encourage experimentation, especially with one's old ST after one buys
his/her new Falcon030, TT030, or Atari 680X0 super computer. The
second (carried in the next issue of AEO) reflects on some aspects of
life-extension for STs (overscan and accelerators), and the third
summarizes a strange problem that I encountered with a Z-RAM memory
upgrade on a 520ST.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Adventure No.1. CUSTOMIZING THE 520ST IN A PC/XT CLONE CASE
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

For two to three years after buying my 520ST (external drive model,
not FM) about 5 years ago, I was miffed that every Atari accessory was
an external device with an absurdly high price tag. (The myth of
"power without the price".)  I wanted to simplify and economize my
ST's upgradability and put its upgradability on a par with PCs by
putting the motherboard, drives, and power supply into a PC case. A
friend got me started right after I bought the ST by rigging up a PC
case for me with a 165 watt power supply, and two Toshiba 3-1/2-inch
720k floppy drives. Later I added a hard drive with a Berkeley
MicroSystems BMS-200 host adaptor (inside the PC case) and added
another 2MB of RAM via an AERCO memory upgrade. All of these devices
have worked flawlessly, including the recent addition of a second
internal hard drive with the BMS-200. Also BMS and AERCO have both
been very generous in providing technical support whenever I have had
questions (e.g., when I added the second hard drive and when I was
considering upgrading to 4 MB of RAM).

As some of you know, the above floppy drives work directly with the
ST (as long as the cables are properly connected) without the I/O
interface cards that come built into the Atari brand external floppy
drives. And they are a helluvalot cheaper than the Atari brand drives.
Other floppy drives that also work with this direct connection include
Epson and Teac 3-1/2-inch drives, and a Fujitsu Model M2551A
5-1/4-inch 360k drive (as the B drive, once the R-37 resistor on the
drive's PC board is disconnected and the little program SIXMS.PRG is
put in the AUTO folder of the boot disk). I have been told that NEC
3-1/2-inch floppy drives also work with this direct hook up.

I didn't brave putting the motherboard itself into the case until two 
years ago. I was afraid to touch this task for a long time. Moreover,
I wanted to wait until I found a fliptop case - for immediate access,
rather than my original slide-in/slide-out PC case that had to be
unscrewed every time I wanted to look inside. However, I was
beginning to think of upgrading my ST further with a 68030 accelerator
board, and for that I need a lot more overhead space than is available
in the tight little 520ST case. I finally found a few surplus fliptop
cases (with 150 watt power supplies) for PC/XT clones and discovered
that the 520ST motherboard just fits in them. So now both my father
and I have 520ST "clones" in these cases.

The adaptation to the PC case required:

- a lot of patience. (The two-computer project took about 8-10
  weekends to complete.)
- a voltmeter/ohmmeter and much care to be sure that the power (pin)
  connections to the motherboard were correct and that all of the
  other homemade cables were correctly connected.
- making a power supply cable for each computer: by soldering 6 wires
  to a 7-pin DIN female connector (to plug into the ST's motherboard
  power cable socket) at one end and to the appropriate pins of a
  10-pin (in- line) connector at the other end (to plug into the
  appropriate connectors from the 150 watt power supply).
- lots of drilling of holes in the PC cases for securing the
  motherboard and remounting the bracket that holds the internal
  drives (up to four drives can be accommodated), followed by a
  thorough cleaning to remove all traces of metal filings. (I didn't
  want those little boogers shorting out circuits on my motherboard.)
- making some homemade sheetmetal brackets to further secure the
  above bracket and other things (such as my BMS-200, which had to be
  relocated off to the side of the hard drives after I added a second
  hard drive).
- purchasing ready-made 14-pin-to-34-wire connector cables for the
  floppy drives.
- making 34-wire ribbon cables with compression connectors to hook up
  two floppy drives in each case.
- making 3-foot long keyboard-to-motherboard cables from 34-wire
  ribbon cables (only about half of the conductors are actually used)
  and compression connectors. This cable works fine; it just looks
  abnormal and is not conveniently snaked around on the desk.
- very carefully cutting a 2-1/4-inch section out of the back of the
  520ST case (after the motherboard was removed, of course), saving
  the back of the case itself, and then putting the case back together
  to enclose the keyboard - now looking like a normal computer
  keyboard, except for the ribbon cable connection to the computer. To
  cut the case I drew lines on it where the cuts were to be made,
  carefully edged them with masking tape, and then carefully sawed
  with a fine-tooth hacksaw blade along the masking tape edge. I held
  the saw blade in my hand, not in a hacksaw. Then I filed the sawed
  edges to smooth them as much as was practical. I used methyl ethyl
  ketone-based cement (vinyl patch cement) to glue the back of the
  keyboard case back onto the top of the case. To secure the top of
  the now-modified case to the bottom I used a combination of
  strategically placed 1/2-inch corner irons and a 6-inch piece of
  wood firring strip with nuts and bolts and wood screws. It all
  worked out very well, giving me a solid nice-looking conventional
  type of keyboard. The modification did indeed take a great deal of
  time, but I wanted to see if I could do it, and I was quite
  satisfied with the result.
- Donald Duck decals on the case, keyboard, and monitor for the
  finishing touch. (I'm glad I didn't unthinkingly use Mickey Mouse
  decals.)

So what does this give me?  

- a computer that I can lay on its base on the desktop without a
  million external cables all over the place, or one that I can stand
  on its side.
- easily reconfigurable and replaceable computer internal components.
- a separate keyboard.
- a more than ample power supply for just about anything that I might
  add.
- lots of overhead space above the motherboard for a 68030 accelerator 
  and or a graphics card, if I decide to upgrade further.
- the satisfaction of customizing my ST.
- the confidence to do a bit more hacking and customizing.
- 8-10 lost weekends.
- a 2.5MB, 2-floppy drive, 2-hard drive, Donald Duck 520ST clone in a
  real PC computer case with a jumbo power supply, and a system that
  is potentially upgradable (with a few minor modifications) with
  680X0 upgrade boards to Cray supercomputer status, and a workstation
  with video resolution rivaling the best available at your
  neighborhood wide-screen movie theater. (I hope that you realize
  that the last claims are absurd.)
  
I realized somewhere in the middle of this project that one could also
make a spiffy-looking wood case of any size and shape to hold any
Atari (or other) computer motherboard and all of the drives and other
internal components one's heart could possibly desire (even a smoke
detector). Sheet metal shielding could easily be cut to fit the inside
of the case, if one wanted to avoid an FCC raid. For the hacker who
likes to work with plastic and colors, attractive plastic sheets are
available from places like TAP Plastics. If I should want a Falcon in
a custom case with a separate keyboard, I could produce one by this
process. Perhaps a tower case would be nice for the Falcon030.

At some point (perhaps now) I'll be at the point of diminishing
returns in efforts to upgrade my ST to save it from obsolesence. It
looks as if the cost of upgrading with a 68030 accelerator would be
about as much as the cost of a Falcon030 or a TT030, and higher if I
decide that I "need" higher resolution graphics. The Falcon030 and the
TT030 already have some higher resolution graphics capabilities built
in, and they have expansion slots for graphics cards. Yet, so far it
has been hard for me to say goodbye to my 520ST. Of course I could
still buy a new machine and keep the 520ST as my experimental machine.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Biographical Information on Author
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 

Don Wilhelm is a senior chemical engineer with a Mountain View,
California engineering consulting company. The company does technical,
economic, and market evaluations for both major domestic and
international industrial and government organizations, primarily
related to the energy sector (fuel resources, production of fuels,
petroleum refining, electric power generation, and environmental
emissions control technology). The company uses PC clones with MSDOS,
and more recently Windows, as well as a Macintosh. Don prefers the GEM
interface of his ST to the Windows interface, but has not been able to
get his company to convert to the Atari computer platform. He is also
a marriage and family therapist, currently on sabbatical from his
part-time evenings private practice. His Atari ST nicely serves the
latter business for record-keeping and correspondence. He lives in
Menlo Park.


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


 |||  Multi-Media - New Horizon or Golden Fleece?
 |||  Commentary by: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: ABARBIERO    GEnie: AEO.2
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

The images are now familiar to anyone who has seen a computing TV
show, or bought one of the super slick multi-media magazines.
Espousing the benefits of 20 second video clips and $600 peripherals,
these magazines display dozens of products, all labeled with
Multi-Media somewhere in their title. Intergrating video and audio
into a fully interactive system of displays has been on the verge of
becoming a reality with the advance of home computer technology, but
unfortunately, the multi-media concept is still being born in the
computer market.

Many early pioneers of the field have been plagued by a "vapor-market"
as much as being haunted by the accusations of producing
"vapor-products," with the wilder claims of software and hardware
makers falling flat in the hands of users. Still the term multi-media
excites and opens the pocketbook of many computer owners. Based on the
prodigious capacity of a CD-ROM disc, the technology has almost single
handedly revamped the clone marketplace.

As I page through the local computer newspapers, seemingly everyone
who sells a clone is hawking a multi-media system 'complete' with
stereo sound and CD-ROM drive. The PC marketplace is a multi-billion
dollar arena that has had an abysmal profit performance, with the
average profit from a clone setup is in single digit percentages. I
guess the few extra dollars made from adding a CD-ROM drive, and
expectation of dollars from future software sales is keeping the store
doors open a little longer. When every manufacturer makes the same
product, what makes one better than the others?

Americans are notorious for buying cheap over buying for value.
Multi-media is one thing the entire marketplace is looking to in order
to squeeze a few more dollars profit from the systems they sell.
Multi-media technology IS becoming cheaper. CD-ROM units are
experiencing a decrease in price as newer units, and software becomes
available. You can buy a decent internal CD-ROM player for under $250!
These are most likely the older units, not capable of accessing newer
formats, like the Kodak Photo-CD discs.

CD-ROM games right now are nothing more than marketing ploys to create
more money from old products, but the encyclopedia discs are becoming
cheaper all the time. I have seen the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book
for under $20, as well as the CD-ROM version of Battle Chess. It isn't
any better playing, but the new sound effects are neat. The audio
samples are not generated by the computer, but it still sounds nice on
those $150 shielded speakers.

This really isn't multimedia, but there are some real multimedia
titles out there for the PC platform as well as for the Mac. These are
much like the Sherlock Holmes game on the Sega. Real time video clips
re-enact events, and by making simple selections, a player can wend
his way through the clues to find out whodunit. This is closer to what
multi-media promises, but the educational aspect touted by
multi-media's promoters is still not mature enough for a serious
educator to consider.

Being able to interactively view and study the works of Shakespeare,
using, say the Lawrence Olivier performance of King Lear, examining
the original text, and having access to the best critical analysis of
the play at the same time is an outrageous tool for education. But
beyond other obvious utilizations of this level of information
integration, the limit to the usefulness of the technology is where
multimedia reference and information stops. Until the hardware becomes
more affordable, and easy to use, the mass consumer impact of this
information technology will not be fully realized. Stand alone items
are not cheap enough. Sony has a stand alone mini-disc reader that can
show LCD images, and can let you read a book, but who is going to rely
on a battery powered $500 gizmo when the paperback is only $5?

What is needed is an inexpensive computer, that needs no setup, and is
not dictated to just a few functions. The software is the second part,
and that is what will take FAR more effort than any hardware project
could.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// 59 CHANNELS WITH NOTHING ON....
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

When I hear people talk about multimedia, and the advancement of art
and creativity, I always like to ask them who is going to produce the
media. I would like to compare multimedia to television. Even after
over thirty years of development with TV, has the world been inundated
with incredible works of art and philosophic importance? Not really.
While we have CNN and The Learning Channel, we also have dozens of
episodes of Gilligan's Island. C-SPAN serves a valuable service by
broadcasting the antics of our elected officials, but how many people
are watching a home video show, or re-runs of Knight Rider? Don't
laugh or get mad, how many millions of dollars and man-hours do you
think have been spent on purchasing and configuring those animated
true-color screen-savers? It seems that the people I have seen
creating video fish-tanks for screen-savers are more interested in
watching it than running the application behind it. Are we talking
brain-bubblegum or teaching the philosophic genius of Socrates, Locke,
Barkley, Hume, Descartes and Roussau? The effort that will have to go
into producing a title that can truly entertain and teach will be hard
to come by. Until there is the same return on investment as there is
with the movie blockbusters, don't expect the CD-ROM to bring you
entertainment that you can't even get on TV or at the movies.

I'm not trying to insult everyone who uses After Dark, or plays
videogames, after all, I am a regular game reviewer. People are being
sold a bill of goods without seeing the product. They are being pushed
into higher priced computers, software, and machine intensive work,
just to get something that may or may not even give a return on the
effort invested. At least playing a good game will return some
satisfaction or entertainment value. The cost of running titles like,
World Atlas, Chessmaster 3000, or Great Cities of the World, is still
steep. A decent CD-ROM drive that will allow Photo-CD access will cost
around $400. This is a 'fast' drive with 265ms access and 300K/sec
transfer rates. In order to hear the audio of the discs you need a
decent sound card that runs for around $200. This is not including the
cost of a SCSI adaptor, the speakers, the software, extra RAM, and the
TIME to put it all together.

A clone, regardless of the tiny entry price, is just not the right
vehicle for this type of work. Macs are better suited to this type of
work now that they are becoming cheaper as well as more powerful, but
the costs remain. A machine like the Atari Falcon030, which includes
such hidden necessities for multimedia like SCSI II (faster access
rates, and allows for the full command set for XA-compatible CD-ROM
drives) and more than sufficient audio and video capabilities, is far
more useful. All the basics are there in the box, all that remains is
to hook up a CD-ROM.

Anyone who expects this next generation of technology to instantly
empower them to discover new worlds and learn languages in a day will
be disappointed. But, the use of the technology is not without merit.
The info-CDs out there are very useful, and the games that are due out
soon, fully utilizing the capabilities of a CD-ROM with live action
and audio clips are amazing. Already there are some titles planned for
the Falcon030, and you can still access CD-ROM technology with an ICD
Link on any ST. For anyone that is interested in finding a title or
two to write for the ST line, front end software to run the
encyclopedia disks and access other types of discs on the Atari would
sell quite nicely. The hard part has already been done, all we need is
the code to sort through the information.

CD-ROM multimedia is not mature the way that some magazines and people
would lead you to believe, but it is a technology that can still
provide a good game, and give you the world's medical knowledge at
your fingertips.


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


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


 |||   Games We Like - Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain 1940
 |||   By: Gregg Anderson
/ | \  GEnie: AEO.7
       ------------------------------------------------------------------

Never have so many computer enthusiasts owed so much to so few...
well, almost anyway. My apologies to Mr. Churchill but I couldn't
resist. Anyway, Lucasfilm's "Their Finest Hour; the Battle of Britain
1940," hit the streets almost two years ago and quickly earned the
title of "most realistic simulator." This outstanding program puts you
square in the middle of the most famous air battle in history and in
personal command of the most capable aircraft of the day.

If you've played Lucasfilm's original combat simulator, Battle Hawks
1942 (BHwks), then Battle of Britain 1940 (BoB) will feel familiar.
Despite the similarities of concept and layout, BoB is a noticeable
upgrade over BHwks. The graphics are sharper, the competition's more
skilled, the feel more realistic, and the aircraft more durable. In
fact, a burst of machine gun or cannon fire that would have blown a
Zero into stray molecules only knocks a few pieces off a 109 or a
Hurricane.

One of the more pleasant surprises of BoB is its compatibility. I've
tested it with a wide range of AUTO folder utilities, desktop
accessories, and ICD's hard disk drivers with no problems. In fact
I've yet to find ANYTHING that interferes with it - it's even
compatible with the newer TOS's used on the STe, MegaSTe, and even the
TT030. I have to admit that the TT030 does have one small problem
with BoB, its mouse cursor has a serious case of palsy in the 'mission
select' and 'Map' menus. Once in the flight simulator itself though it
runs great.

In fact I've found that BoB benefits quite a bit from faster CPUs.
Eight Megahertz systems tend to have a slightly 'jerky' horizon
refresh when you bank. On 16 MHz (and up) systems this 'jerky' display
smooths out quite nicely. Falcon030 compatibility at this point is
still unconfirmed, though I'd be surprised if there are any serious
problems.

If you install BoB on your desktop (new versions of TOS only) be sure
to use the 'Set Application' to something other than 'Top Window' in
your desktop configuration. That or make sure you don't have any
windows open when you click on BoB's icon on the GEM desktop. Also, if
you should be lucky enough to be running BoB on a TT030 then avoid
trying to run it from TT RAM, unless you enjoy flickering displays
that is. When run from ST RAM BoB works just fine, but TT-RAM
compatible it's not.

Major Kudos are due Lucasfilm for convincing Electronic Arts to market
the program WITHOUT disk-based copy protection. That's right kiddies,
BoB is HARD DISK compatible and being run from a hard disk seriously
improves game play. To prevent piracy, Lucasfilm provides an
authentication disk that combines symbols, names, numbers, and colors
from within the game and a codewheel to produce a number and color
combination to tune your radio in the Map display. It's impossible to
authenticate without the codewheel and playing the game without
authenticating limits you to five minutes of game play (makes a great
demo though). While initially confusing, this system is easier to use
than most "find the word" systems and more pirate proof than "match
the picture" schemes. In short, it's a copy protection system I can
live with. My only complaint is that you must re-authenticate for the
first couple of missions. Once should be enough. In addition to the
authentication process, the Map also provides 'on air' reports of
enemy aircraft, target locations, and a guide for returning to your
home base. In short it acts like an actual radio for guiding your
actions.

One change in BoB is the addition of joystick as well as mouse
control. Many simulator addicts will welcome this as a major
improvement in playability but, in my opinion, this is misleading.
I've played BoB with both mouse and joystick and for me mouse response
is smoother and easier to control. Joysticks may feel more natural but
they just don't offer the same level of control as a mouse.
Unfortunately, BoB leaves both mouse and joystick active so if you use
the joystick you have to be careful not to accidently bump the mouse
(and visa-versa) while playing. If you do you may get to learn the
hard way how difficult it is to recover from an unexpected flat spin.

BoB's Owners Manual is, as expected of Lucasfilm, outstanding. It
starts with a brief (if slightly one-sided) outline of the events that
led to the outbreak of WWII and continues with a detailed description
of the Battle of Britain itself. It also includes an analysis of the
various aircraft involved in the battle, proven air combat tactics,
general flight rules, and even a simple "jump start" section for folks
too impatient to read the entire manual before playing. Also provided
is a special appendix for ST owners with instructions unique to our
system.

As with BHwks, the cockpit instrument panel gives a constant display
of air speed, engine RPM, attitude, altitude, and damage levels.
Controls for flaps, landing gear, camera, bomb, and even the gun and
cannon switches change position when activated. Visibility from every
aircraft is excellent with a clear field of view in all directions.
While the bombers use their rear gunner's position, the fighters have
a small (but historically accurate) "rear view mirror" mounted on top
of the cockpit for their aft view. There's even a "replay camera"
which records and replays (from outside the cockpit if you want) your
maneuvers. This is the only third party view available within BoB and,
while better than nothing, is NOT the same as the live action views
offered from many other flight/combat simulators. It is, however, a
seriously handy utility though if you can remember to turn your camera
on at the right times....

One handy feature of BoB is the ability to modify the mission
parameters of your session. You can select your opponent's skill
levels to range from Novice (drooling idiot) to Top Ace (God in a
cockpit). For yourself you can select unlimited ammo, unlimited fuel,
and unlimited damage (otherwise referred to as the "immortal Second
Lieutenant mode"). Be warned that if you select unlimited ANYTHING you
won't be able to save your game score or pilot status. After all,
what's the point in keeping score if you're unbeatable?

The historical accuracy of BoB is incredible. From the overall
appearance of the aircraft to the individual cockpit instrument panels
it's obvious that Lucasfilm strove for historical accuracy. The
overall graphics are incredibly realistic and, with only a few
exceptions, the cockpit instruments are historically correct as well.
Even the handling parameters of each aircraft have been faithfully
reproduced, with the Spitfire maneuvering like a leaf in the wind
while the He-111 responds with all the grace and agility of a Mack
Truck.

Combat itself has been made more realistic; hit your opponent with
machine gun or cannon fire and bits & pieces start flying off. A few
more hits and he'll start to burn. Pound it long enough and the pilot
will bail out of his crippled aircraft. Hit it just right and your
opponent vanishes in an impressive ball of smoke and flame.

Since we're talking about World War II there's no "Fire and Forget"
air to air missile system here and no Heads-Up Display either, just a
small glass gunsight in front of the pilot. You've got to get right on
top of your opponent and hammer away with your guns up close to have
any real hope of knocking him down. In fact hitting ANY target is a
challenge and it's all too easy to run out of shells at the worst
possible moment (unlimited ammo is available in the training mode).

Generally try to avoid firing until you're fairly close to the target,
and save your cannons until you're just about to run into him.
Takeoffs and landings are surprisingly smooth and realistic, though
possibly a bit too easy. I'd like to see more detail on the landing
fields and other ground objects though. Generally speaking the only
ground details you're liable to see are your targets and building or
two next to airfields. Though flaps & landing gear are present there's
no evidence of any wheel braking systems, a strange shortcoming in an
otherwise accurate simulator.

Within the limits imposed by resolution and screen size, the interior
details of the aircraft are unbelievably accurate and show Lucasfilm's
attention to detail and accuracy. The Bf.109, Ju-87, and Me-110's
instrument panels seem to have been taken directly from the original
aircraft. The Spitfire and Hurricane, on the other hand, share an
instrument panel that, if not 100% accurate, is surprisingly
realistic.

Also sharing identical instrument panels are the three German bombers.
The panel used seems to be based on the Ju-88 or the Do-17s since the
He-111's layout was radically different. Despite this the display is
excellent and no doubt accurate for one of the bombers. The He-111 gun
positions are almost 100% accurate with the gun positions on the other
two based on this display.

The addition of an "Auto-Fire" feature allows the player to
concentrate on flying or bombing while attackers are shot at
automatically. Though handy it's wasteful of ammunition and should be
used sparingly. There's also a bombardier position that provides
limited flight information and control. There's no obvious system for
adjusting the bombsight for aircraft speed & altitude. Scoring hits
takes as much guesswork as it does skill. Considerable practice will
be needed to become accurate. The bombers also have an Autopilot, but
since it's limited to just holding the current airspeed and altitude
it's more a throttle lock than an autopilot.

Though primarily a Tactical simulation, a Strategic aspect was added
with the inclusion of the Mission and Campaign options. The Mission
builder allows you to create custom missions to YOUR exact
specifications, from aircraft type to targets, opponents, and enemy
aircraft. As in the supplied missions, you can select opposing skill
levels that range from Novice to a Top Ace that puts Adolf Galland to
shame. In other words, if you don't like reality you can always write
your own war. The Campaign Mission option merges the strategic and
tactical elements of BoB and gives you the chance to change history.
Here you create a realistic series of missions that parallel (or
alter) the actual events of the Battle of Britain. You design and lead
a series of 15 to 20 missions involving several aircraft against a
variety of targets. You take off, attack or defend, and return to your
home base. Survive and succeed and your results are merged with the
entire mission's so that everyone was successful. Do poorly and
everyone fails. Do well enough and you may change history, fail and
you'll watch your forces go down in abysmal defeat.

So is the program missing anything? Well, yes. Badly needed is a
variable time compression system instead of just "on or off." Most
missions require that you return to base and land before ending and
this can take a LOT of time. Press "Q" to quit too soon and you're
likely to find yourself captured or floating in the English Channel
praying for a rescue boat. While the Reference Book is handy, a
keyboard mounted "command card" would have been even handier. There's
also no way to add different aircraft for a little "what if" war
gaming.

Also missing are external views like those offered by F-19 & F-16.
Finally there's the rather limited sound effects. I'm afraid Lucasfilm
didn't go out of its way any to push the ST's sound system any. While
visibility and screen details are good, BoB seems slow to display the
left, right, and rear views from the cockpit. In fact it's slower than
the same routine in Battle Hawks and noticeably slower than
MicroProse's Stealth Fighter and Spectrum Holobyte's F-16.  Also slow
is the Map and "Tune Radio" display. This is not the case when running
on a TT030, here they tend to be almost instantaneous. Despite these
rough edges, I feel BoB is still the most realistic and historically
accurate WWII combat simulator I've ever seen on the ST.

All in all, the Battle of Britain 1940 is an outstanding game that
deserves a LOT of attention. If you liked Battle Hawks 1942 you'll
LOVE Battle of Britain. Even if you didn't, you'll like BoB's improved
playability and historical accuracy. In short, you owe it to yourself
to check this one out!

By the way, I hate to admit it but it's been a while since we've seen
any new ST games of this quality released here in the US. If you enjoy
air combat simulators then I strongly suggest that you take advantage
of this outstanding simulation and support Lucasfilm and any other
company that supports us. If you can, include a note with your
warranty card asking that Lucasfilm port their newer simulations like
"Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" and "X-Wing" to the STe, TT030, and
Falcon030. We deserve these excellent programs but we won't see them
unless Lucasfilm Film (and others) have reason to think there's a
market for them in Atariland.

Lucasfilm Games, PO Box 10307, San Rafael, CA, 94912.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Combat Aircraft within BoB
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Messerschmitt Bf.109 E-3 was Germany's premier fighter and had
gone virtually unchallenged until the arrival of the Spitfire. Though
slightly slower and marginally less maneuverable at low altitudes
(where most air combat occurred) than the Mark II Spitfire, the 109's
fuel-injected engine allowed it to out-climb, out-dive, and at high
altitudes, outperform the Spitfire Mark II and generally outperform
the Mark I at all altitudes. The 109's cowl-mounted twin 7.92mm
machine guns and dual 20 mm cannon also gave it a noticeable edge in
hitting power.

Though superior to the Hurricane, victory over a Spitfire usually
depended on pilot skill. The greatest disadvantage of the 109 was its
limited combat range (external drop tanks didn't appear on German
fighters until later). This limited the 109 to less than 20 minutes
over England and greatly reduced its ability to protect the bombers.
Often 109 pilots were left swimming in the English Channel after
running out of fuel on their way back to their bases in France. Oddly
absent from BoB is the more powerful Bf.109 E4/N which began appearing
around the same time as the Mark II Spitfire.

Despite having been designed as a heavily armed and durable long-
range fighter (like Lockheed's P-38), the Me 110's so-so
maneuverability made combat with a Hurricane a doubtful proposition,
and taking on a Spitfire an invitation to suicide. It wasn't until
later in the war that the 110 was to find success as a long range
night fighter.

While the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka developed a horrifying reputation in the
early days of the war the reality was to prove quite different. A
supremely accurate dive bomber, the Stuka's slow speed and lack of
maneuverability left it a good machine to be shot down in in the face
of any enemy opposition (such as the arrival of a Spitfire or
Hurricane). It took only a few disastrous missions before the Stuka
was withdrawn from the Battle of Britain. Despite its weaknesses the
Stuka was to remain an active dive bomber and an amazingly effective
anti-tank aircraft in the Eastern Front until the war's end.

With its 4,410 lb. bombload, the Heinkel He-111 was the closest thing
Germany had to a strategic bomber. Close but not nearly close enough.
With its slow speed, medium-sized bombload, and limited range, the
He-111 just wasn't up to the task of bombing England into submission,
especially not in the face of opposing Spitfires and Hurricanes.

About the only good thing you could say about the Dornier Do 17z-2
bomber was that it was faster and more durable than the JU-87 Stuka.
This was the oldest front-line bomber in Germany's inventory and,
while impressive back in 1934, it was showing its age by 1940. It was,
in short, totally outclassed by the time it entered the Battle of
Britain.

The bomber of choice in BoB is the Junkers Ju-88. This was Germany's
fastest, longest ranged, most durable medium bomber to see combat in
the early days of the war. The flip side was that it had a smaller
bombload than the He-111 and lacked the He-111 & Do-17's side-mounted
machine guns.

The Hawker Hurricane was an older design than the Spitfire and showed
it in slower speeds and less agile handling. Despite that, it more
than proved itself a capable and deadly combat aircraft. With its
durability, and eight .30 caliber machine guns, the Hurricane's
primary task was attacking the German bombers.

Though lacking the 109's cannon, the Spitfire's eight .30 caliber
machine guns delivered a deadly rain of bullets that, at close range,
even the durable He-111 couldn't ignore. With its higher speed and
greater maneuverability, the Spitfire Mark I proved itself a near
match for Germany's deadly Bf.109E-3 and, in the Mark II, often its
superior. I was surprised to see the Mark II Spitfire included in BoB.
This refinement of the Spitfire didn't go into series production until
after July 1940 and would have been available in very limited numbers
at best until after the Battle of Britain was technically over.


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


 |||  Krimen on GEnie
 |||  By: Ed Krimen - Messages reprinted courtesy of GEnie
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.5
      -------------------------------------------------------------------

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// THEY'VE ARRIVED
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Atari-ST RoundTable
Category 14: Atari Corporation Online
   Topic 18: The Falcon has landed.

Message   9       Fri Apr 23, 1993
C.OATES2 [Chris]             (Forwarded) 
 
Well, ATY Computer in Oakland got its Falcon Demo unit yesterday
(thursday) which I can verify because I went down there and saw it
today...

     ~Chris
----------

Message  10       Sat Apr 24, 1993
P.THOMAS6                    (Forwarded) 
 
The Falcon has been spotted in the Twin Cities!
----------

Message  11       Sat Apr 24, 1993
R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    (Forwarded) 
 
  The Falcon landed at Micro Computer Depot in SC today. They were
the dealer demo units and they had a User Group meeting tonight
(23rd). It makes a great sound machine. They showed talking into the
microphone and playing it back. It sounded exactly the same as the guy
talking (even at 25khz).

  They had it hooked to a XGA monitor and you could use ALL the video
modes on the one monitor. Even though it is only rated at 640 x 480,
the screen looked real nice. They showed off some pictures that looked
REAL nice in the different modes and in Truecolor. All I can say is
nice. The sound output from the speakers they hooked up was real nice
also.

  If Atari can get the word out, I think they will sell a lot of
these things.  Word is, they are about 350,000 units backordered
around the world. About 60,000 US. It is a real nice machine but, I
will still wait for the 2 piece unit. My MSTE has gotten me spoiled.

  In 16 color mode, the screen redraw was pretty quick considering it
wasn't running ANY graphics accelerator. The 256 color mode was
tolerable.

  I didn't get to play with them like I wanted to do to there being
the User Group show going on and all. When I am able to run a lot of
the software available and see how it handles it, then I will
determine if it is for me or not. AtariWorks is nice!!!

  Now all we need is the 2 piece unit with at least a 33mhz 030 and
800 x 600 x 256 graphics.
----------

Message 12        Sat Apr 24, 1993
J.P.C.                       at 14:48 EDT
 
350,000 worldwide and 60,000 USA.... BACKORDERS???

I think that's streching the w - o - r - d just a little bit.
----------

Message 13        Sat Apr 24, 1993
R.LUNSFORD2                  at 16:55 EDT
 
Thunderbird:
       Micro Computer Depot in Columbia, SC is not selling Falcons
yet. They received demo units on Friday (23rd), and expect the
consumer units in 2-3 weeks.  They are not importing them from Europe,
and they are not selling them.
  Russ
----------

Message 14        Sat Apr 24, 1993
HAINES [Chuck]               at 23:04 EDT
 
Yes, John would never rip anyone off. Depot is the only place I get
my ST stuff from, and I will continue to do so. There must have been
some misunderstanding, as John has known all along the Falcons were
one piece, as Atari still doesn't even tell the dealers if there is a
two piece one anytime near. Micro Computer Depot is taking orders for
the second order of Falcons they are to receive that are for sale, as
their first order is already sold out, awaiting delivery. To anyone
thinking that Falcon interest has died down, all afternoon this is
what you heard at the phone. "Micro Computer Depot. Yes we have them
in. Yes you can. 2 - 3 weeks if you order now." You heard that all day
long, even after business hours. And these calls were not from just
around here. Probably half were long distance. About 50 people, from
the User group and not, saw the Falcon Friday afternoon. Everyone was
impressed.  Period.
----------

Message 20        Sun Apr 25, 1993
C.OATES2 [Chris]             at 22:04 EDT
 
Okay, here's a software sighting:  ATY Had 3 copies of Musicom for
sale.  If you haven't seen it, it's just a super-cool program for
recording sounds with the falcon and doing real-time effects, such as
flanging, pitch shift, echo, and a Karaoke effect for removing vocals
from a music sample!

     ~Chris
======================================
 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// DSP COMPRESSION FOR BACKUPS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Atari-ST RoundTable
Category 33: Oregon Research
    Topic 2: Diamond Back II

Message 178       Wed Apr 14, 1993
ORA.TECH                     at 23:18 EDT
 
Diamond Back III probably won't be out until early summer, although
we are still shooting for the Conn. Atari Show in mid-june.  The DSP
compression for the Falcon is taking longer to implement than
originally planned.

Best regards,

Bob@ORA
======================================
 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// INEXPENSIVE DIGITAL AUDIO
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

MIDI/WorldMusic RT
Category 49: Note On, Note Off
   Topic 10: Old Atari Users Laughing at the Falcon

Message 153       Fri Apr 23, 1993
KEBAUM                       at 23:35 EDT
 
Just one comment this time around........Cubase Audio is available
for the Atari ST, Atari Falcon, Macintosh & IBM platforms. On every
platform it will require a direct to disk add on such as Yamaha's new
CBX-D5, except on the Falcon because it has the needed hardware
already. Guess what platform will be the least expensive to do Digital
audio on????

One correction also, the Sunrize 8 channel direct to disk board for
the  Amiga 2000,3000, 4000 costs closer to $1300. Hmmmm, that's the
same price as a 4Meg ram 65Meg HD Falcon. The good ole' "power without
the price" slogan lives again!
======================================
 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// WAREHOUSE GOODS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Atari-ST RoundTable
Category 14: Atari Corporation Online
   Topic 37: Wacky Stuff in the Atari Warehouse

Message 2         Thu Apr 22, 1993
G.LABREC [Greg @ Atari]      at 13:39 EDT
 
 To order any of the items listed in this topic send mail to G.LABREC
 with the following:

      Item Description(s)
      Quantity(s)
      Name
      Ship-to Address (No PO Boxes), City, State, Zip
      Daytime Phone Number
      MasterCard or VISA Number
      Card Expiration Date

 You may also order by phone by calling me at 408-745-2015.  *NOTE*
 this is for ordering only, and I can sometimes be hard to get a hold
 of.  Please don't call with questions.  Ask here on GEnie.

 You may also pay by check or money order by writing to:
      Greg LaBrec
      Atari Corporation
      1196 Borregas Avenue
      Sunnyvale, CA  94089
 (Allow 2-4 weeks additional if paying by personal check)

 7.25% sales tax must be added if ordering from California.
 $5.00 shipping and handling per order must be added unless otherwise
 specified.  All items offered through this topic are sold as-is.  No
 refunds, returns, or exchanges.
----------

Message 4         Thu Apr 22, 1993
G.LABREC [Greg @ Atari]      at 22:58 EDT
 
 I found some interesting laser printers today.
 They are refurbished SLM804's but they don't have any drums in them.
 They are in the box and have been tested.
 There are only 18 of them and they can go out the door for $239.95
     shipping and handling INCLUDED.

 I did get all your requests, and I have found some of the items.
 I did find about 43 wireless controllers.  I'm waiting for pricing.
     I'm trying to get them down to $18.00 a pair.
 Someone asked about MegaSTE keyboards.  I found some.  Just waiting
     on pricing.
----------

Message 5         Fri Apr 23, 1993
D.A.BRUMLEVE [kidprgs]       at 01:00 EDT
 
 Greg, wondering if you've found a bunch of SMM804's, the old Atari
 9-pin printer...
-----------

Message 6         Fri Apr 23, 1993
J.ALLEN27 [FAST TECH]        at 09:54 EDT
 
I really liked Bill Rehboch's office chair, is there any price for
that, shipping included of course?
======================================
 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// THE GRAPHICS CARD OF GRAPHICS CARDS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Atari-ST RoundTable
Category 16: ISD/DMC Product Support
   Topic 12: CyberCube Sunrise M16-1280

Message 18        Tue Apr 20, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 23:31 EDT
 
There have been quite a few questions raised on the various services
over the last little while. As most of the issues addressed are quite
common, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share them with you
here.

EM> Incidentally the version at Replay (an Atari Dealer in Toronto) was
EM> said to have 2048 x 2048 graphics, and you say the new version affords
EM> even higher resolutions than that?  If so, what?  And what monitor can
EM> handle that?  THe best monitor I've seen thus far that can handle 
EM> resolutions like that is the Cornerstone Technologies, and it handles 
EM> up to 2048 x 2048.

Well, the cards support resolutions up to 4096x4096. With that kind of
resolution we are talking about monochrome pictures and we are
talking about a principle called 'virtual' resolutions. The actual
resolution displayed on the monitor is most often a lot lower than the
total 'virtual' screen. To give you an example: set up your monitor
for e.g. 800x600 (choose what you want, this is just an example), set
up the card for (again just to pick something) 2048x3072. Our VDI
driver will work on the entire area and you can use the mouse to
scroll your 800x600 'window' over the entire 'virtual' area.
Confusing enough ? Hmmm, maybe I should try do draw a small pic...

         _________________________________ 
        |                                 |
        |      ___________                |
        |     |           |               |
        |     |  800x600  |               |
        |     |           |     2048x3072 |
        |     !___________!               |
        |                                 |
        |                                 |
        !_________________________________!

Here is how it works: you always see 800x600 pixels on screen. You
can use your mouse to move or shift the 800x600 window  within that
larger 'virtual' area of 2048x3072.

And these are the limits of the card: - horizontal resolutions MUST
be an even multiple of four
                    (gosh, sounds very restricting! *,* )
                                                    \_/ - vertical
resolutions can be any arbitrary number up to the maximum buffer size
usage.

- Every CyReL SUNRISE M16-1280 card comes with 2 MB of
  high speed video RAM. Therefore the maximum resolution
  can be computed as follows:

  2 MB * 8 bits / (x_resolution * y_resolution * bits_pixel)

  Example:
  for 256 colors (needs 8 bits per pixel):
  2097152 * 8 /  (x_resolution * y_resolution * 8 )

  So, I you for instance choose 2048 as your horizontal
  resolution, you can have a maximum of 1024 lines.

  This works out to:
  2048 x 1024 in 256 Colors. We supply a predefined screen setting 
  that *DISPLAYS* that entire resolution on a 21" monitor.

  But by keeping the above listed restrictions in mind, choose any 
  suitable resolution and perform the simple test to see if it 'fits
  in'. Here a few 'magic' numbers that might be of help:

  MODE            BIT PER PIXEL
  Monochrome           1
    4 colors           2
   16 colors           4
  256 colors           8
  True Color          32 

Remember, to use any 'non-standard' resolution, like the fantasy
resolutions we talked about a little earlier, you will certainly need
a multi-sync monitor. You can use any industry standard VGA monitor,
single-frequency monitor, multi-frequency monitors from 12" to 37".
But by using the virtual resolution technique you can also use lower
rated monitors to enjoy the freedom of a HUGE desktop.

Ralf.
----------

Message 19        Tue Apr 20, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 23:33 EDT
 
EM> Ah, yes, I'm familiar with the principle of 'virtual resolutions'. 
EM> Many of the monochrome emulators for colour STs use the same  
EM> technique. 

Yep, that's almost it. Only that we offer better scrolling &
panning. If you're using a serial 3 button mouse, you can use the
middle button to 'move' your window in the virtual area.

EM> I have a few questionns about the graphics board, though: 
EM> 1) Is the on-board RAM expandable?  To what degree?  And  
EM> what sort of RAM does it use?

Although the cards have a special expansion connector, you cannot
expand the video frame buffer memory (you could if you wanted to, but
this would not a plug-and-play solution like the rest of the products
we offer).

Here are the reasons why:

1. the RAM used is VRAM (video RAM). A special (and costly) RAM
   designed especially for high-end graphics cards. Not something
   you come across in your next door computer shop.

2. 2 MB of RAM seems quite reasonable or not ? Remember the normal
   ST modes work with 32 KB, the TT has 153 KB. So, managing 2048
   KB seems to be quite the right size for some time to come.

3. Space limitation. There is no room left in the small VME cage
   to add anything more besides the CyReL M16 graphics card and 
   one M16 expansion module like our VidiMix8 Desktop-Video module.

4. Power considerations. We tried really hard to stay within the
   recommended power consumption levels (and did so). Adding
   more RAM would consume A LOT more power.

EM> 2) What sort of software is available to support this card?  Any 
EM> animation software?  If there is, how would it compare -- on a  
EM> larger scale, mind -- to Cyberpaint?  Does it use frame flipping 
EM> or does it actually monitor the changes from frame to frame and 
EM> capture only that which has changed?

First off all, we provide a general replacemet for the VDI. Think of
something like WARP 9, TURBO ST, NVDI or whatever these VDI replace-
ments may be called.

The benefit: Allmost all software that worked on your computer before
(when running GEM and the desktop) will work on the card as well. As a
matter of fact, I HARDLY use the normal video output of my TT at all.
I use assemblers, compilers, editors, wordprocessors, picture viewers,
drawing programs, CAD programs and DTP programs, all directly on the
card.

To answer your question: yes there are some fine drawing programs
available that use the VDI and run on the card. We just received the
latest version of GEMVIEW (a JPEG, GIF, PCX, GEM, IFF etc. picture
viewer from Dieter Fiebelkorn, Germany). It looks fabulous!!

If you are interested in animation software, maybe you should ask
LEXICOR about it!

EM> 3) Is the card specifically designed for the MSTE/TT series,  
EM> or can it be used on a Mega ST?  I assume it requires a VME 
EM> slot, at any rate.

Something is coming. Sorry no further details yet. I'll keep you
posted. For the time being, you'll need a VME slot.

Ralf.
----------

Message 21        Tue Apr 20, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 23:35 EDT
 
JB> I didn't think it would work..... I'm a bit dissapointed that  
JB> the VME bus was excluded in the Falcon... 

Well, at least until now, the VME bus has been perceived as an
interface standard that allows you to play around with some wonderful
...TOYS (the costly ones!) and some pretty heavy duty system boards
for industrial (or military) applications.

So it iss rather more of a question of: did you really expected  this
sort of thing in a machine clearly targeted for the mass  market, the
home user ? I think the Falcon is a fine machine and  certainly
welcome as a big new attraction to the Atari market. Atari computers
have evolved quite a bit over the years. There have been machines for
all kinds of market segments and applications. And I am confident,
that Atari will continue in this tradition.

JB> I'd have personally rathered the same case as the TT that  
JB> would have been the best choice in my mind...There'd be  
JB> room & they wouldn't have to develop a new case...

Well, let us have some diversirty. Even Ferrari does not  package all
their goodies in the same case!  *,<
                                 \_/

JB> I'm still working on how they fit a hard drive in that  
JB> case......

Try to 'work' on something small, real small like 2.5" ! Maybe your
getting the IDEa !  +,+
                    \_/

Ralf.
----------

Message 23        Tue Apr 20, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 23:40 EDT
 
NC> So what is true colour then? 65,000 sounds like an ample number 
NC> especially use that are used to 16 colours and even the more  
NC> standard 256. How much difference is there between 65,000  
NC> and true colour? Just interested!

You had to ask that, didn't you ? *,*
                                  \_/

Hmmm.... how to describe the difference of color with ASCII text?
Well, let's do a simple mind experiment.

Task: Think of a small program that tries to paint every pixel
      on screen with a different color. Seems simple enough, or not?

      Now here is how it goes:

      16 color mode:

      The program stops in the first row, after the 16th pixel
      has been drawn. No more colors left. Pitty!

      256 color mode:

      A little more luck here, but again, the program stops in
      the first line, after the 256th pixel has been drawn.
      Yes, that's all in glorious 256 color mode!

      Hi-Color or 65,536 color mode:

      Assuming we have a 1024x768 display, the program stops
      after drawing 64 lines, every pixel with a different
      color. Assuming again that your characters on screen
      are 16 pixels high, that's as much as 4 lines of text!

      And now... 16.7 Million color mode (True Color):

      Boy, we have to expand the screen. The program could
      fill an display with the size of 4096 x 4096 (!)
      pixels, every pixel with a unique color shade! No
      tricks, no flickering interrupt driven stuff. Just
      the plain display mode! Assuming again a character
      size of 8x16 pixels, that represents an area of
      512 characters per line, 256 lines per screen.
      Big enough to start with ?

But the difference between a 65,000 color display and a 16 Million color
display becomes even more apparent if you want to display pictures which
contain a lot of color shading, i.e. very smooth color transitions. 

And for all those who doubt they really need 16.7 Million colors...
... you don't need to watch 16.7 Million colors  since you can emulate
the 65,000 color mode on the  CyReL SUNRISE cards as well. *,<
                                                           \_/
Seriously, let's compare the color issue with something a lot more
people would have some experience with:

What sense does it make to expand your system with i.e.  8-bit wide
RAM cards if your computer has 32-bit RAM?

My point is, people apparently do not compromise when buying the best
possible RAM upgrades. So why settle with an inferior graphics output.
Besides, what do you watch most of the time ? Your RAM or your screen
? +,+
  \_/ Working with the computer is a visually driven interaction.
Demanding the best possible performance levels for the interface you
work with the most, does not only make sense, it also preserves your
health. +.+
        \_/

Ralf.
----------

Message 24        Tue Apr 20, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 23:41 EDT
 
SS> I must admit that I keep getting impressed by you and your  
SS> company! I admire Cybercube because as you said you concentrate 
SS> on producing "good" products not cheap ones. These are tough  
SS> times and a lot of companies try to get away with selling cheap  
SS> crap (pc clowns are one example) and that emphasis on quality has 
SS> disappeared.

Shervin:

Thanks for the nice compliments. But with increasing competition and
our aspirations to compete on a 'global' market, we feel that we MUST
make sure we offer products that can stand up and will endure the
day-in day-out workload put on them. It has always been our goal to
reduce MAINTENANCE & SERVICING COSTS. How do you do it? Simply by
doing it right in the first place. We are far from claiming that we
invented this principle, rather it seems to be a growing trend
nowadays. Let's hope many more will follow.

SS> I must say that for what the Sunrise/Skyline cards do, they are  
SS> indeed INEXPENSIVE. I don't believe EVEN the clown market has  
SS> cards that can compete with it in the price/performance category. 
SS> I am impressed I must say. If I were into video work, I would  
SS> definitely save my pennies and purchase your card.

With the most recent addition of the VidiMix Video Desktop Module we
hope to emphasize even more that comparable systems often cost a
couple (of thousands *,* ) dollars more.
                     \_/

SS> I am glad Cybercube is supporting Atari computers which are  
SS> unique in their own right.

Well, we'll do it as long as there is demand for our products. A lot
depends on how the Atari platform is supported in general. This in
turn depends on every user. We welcome any suggestions and any help we
can get.  *,<
          \_/ Ralf.
----------

Message 35        Sat Apr 24, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 22:13 EDT
 
 Introducing: The CyReL VidiMix8     
                  Desktop-Video Module

 The VidiMix8 is an expansion module designed to add desktop video
 capabilities to the CyReL M16-1280 High Resolution True Color
 Graphics Cards.

 The VidiMix8 encodes computer generated pictures, animations and
 images in 12 different international TV standards while providing a
 host of special effects.

 A user friendly GEM-based interface allows the user to instantly
 capture live video clips, single frames, even resize video images in
 real-time.

 The VidiMix8 offers three video inputs for multiple-source processing
 as well as a SVHS and composite video output.

 Add a fresh touch to your presentations, design fancy titles for your
 favourite video clips, enhance the appearance of your shots or add
 some stunning visual effects to your footage.
----------

Message 36        Sat Apr 24, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 22:17 EDT
 
 Here is a partial list of programs found to be compatible with the
 CyReL SUNRISE M16-1280 Graphics Cards.

 NOTE: This list is *NOT* complete. The information is provided 'as
 is'. Some of the programs listed have been tested by Cybercube,
 others by our customers.

 Should you require more information about a specific program, please
 contact the author/manufacturer directly. This will most of the time
 be the best way to find out if the program is 100% VDI compatible. In
 case you are not able to contact the these parties, try the
 manufacturer/distributor or leave a message here. We will try our
 best to answer your questions.

 ----Telecommunications-----------------

 Rufus                  Terminal Program
 Stalker                Terminal Program
 Steno                  Capture Buffer prog.
 Connect                Terminal program
 Alladin                GEnie Interface

 ----Filehandling-----------------------

 Cheetah                File Manager
 CodeHead MAXIFILE      File Manager

 ----Screen Accelerators----------------

 Bela NVDI*             Accelerator
 CodeHead WARP9*        Accelerator

 ----Utilities--------------------------

 Selectric              Fileselector
 Letemfly               Flying Dialogs
 CodeHead MULTIDESK**   Accessory Manager
 CodeHead HOTWIRE       Program Launcher
 STZIP                  Decompressor
 COMMAND                Command Line Interface
 Gribnif MUTIL**        Disk Utility
 Atari PRGFLAGS         File Utility
 Atari NOROACH          Disk Utility
 Bela GEMTEST           Benchmark
 WINNI                  40 Windows program
 CHAMELEON              Accessory Manager
 PRIV_EYE               System utility
 SYS_INFO               System Utility
 STDCAT                 Disk Catalog prog
 AUTOSORT               AUTO Folder Manager
 SuperBoot              Boot Utility

 ----Accessories------------------------

 CyReL SERMOUSE         Serial Mouse Manager
 CyReL CYRELSSM         Serial Mouse Accessory
 CyReL PALMASTR         Palette Master
 CyReL VDI_CONF         VDI Configuration
 CyReL RUNME1ST         Installation program
 CyReL CB_PAINT         Fun paint program
 CyReL DISPCONF         Display Configuration
 PAULA                  Mod Player
 GRAFITY                Fun paint program
 MDISK                  RAM Disk/ File Manager
 MPAINT                 Paint program
 BIT37                  Disk Formatter
 ORA DFORMAT            Disk Formatter
 GEMLOAD                CPU workload display
 GLASNOST               Disk space analyzer
 PROCALC                Calculator
 SNAPSHOT               Snapshot utility
 Atari TLKCLOCK         Talking Clock
 Atari XCONTROL         Extended Control Panel

 ----CPX Modules------------------------

 Atari GENERAL         Version 01.20
 Atari SOUND           Version 01.00
 Atari CONFIG          Version 01.00
 Atari MACCEL          Version 01.01
 Atari MODEM           Version 01.20
 Atari PRINTER         Version 01.20
 Atari SAMPLE          Version 01.00
 Atari FONTGDOS        Version 01.00
 Atari COLOR           Version 01.06
 Atari FSM             Version 01.00
 Atari FSMPRINT        Version 01.00
 Atari COLOR           Version 02.00
 Atari WCOLORS         Version 02.00
 COOKIES               Cookies viewer
 FILEINFO              Dir config CPX
 SYSTEM                System/OS analyzer
 BOOT                  AUTO Folder 
 ASCIITAB              Programmer's utility
 SETENV                Environment String CPX

 ----System Software--------------------

 CyReL CM16_VIP         M16 Boot Program
 CyReL M16VDI8B         256 color VDI
 CyReL M16VDITC         True Color VDI
 Atari GDOS             GDOS OS extension
 Atari FSMGDOS          GDOS OS extension
 Atari MINT             Multi-tasking TOS
 Atari MULTITOS         Multi-tasking TOS
 POWERDOS               Multi-tasking OS, LAN

 ----DTP Programs ----------------------

 DMC CALAMUS            Calamus SL
 DMC OUTLINE3           Font/Image processing
 Soft-Logik PAGESTREAM  V2.2

 ----Image Processing-------------------

 TMS CRANACH            Touch-up/post-processing
 HiSoft TRUPAINT        Graphics/Drawing

 ----Charting/Drawing Programs----------

 SciLab SCIGRAPH        Vektor Drawing
 ASH PAPILLON           Graphics
 Lexicor PRISMPNT**     Prism Paint
 Artis ARTIS3**         Paint program

 ----Word Processing--------------------

 GST WORDPLUS           First Word Plus
 WordflairII            Word processor

 ----CAD Programs-----------------------

 Ditek DynaCADD         CAD program
 GfA GFADRAFT**         Drafting program

 ----Rendering/Animation----------------

 RAYSHADE512            Renderer
 Lexicor PHOENIX        Renderer
 Lexicor CyberColor     Recoloring utility
 Lexicor TRACE          Tracer/Vektorizer

 ----Editors----------------------------

 EDISON                 Editor
 7UP                    Editor

 ----Assemblers-------------------------

 HiSoft GENST           Editor/Assembler
 HiSoft DEVPACK         Editor/Assembler
 Borland TASM           Assembler
 ASH PASM               Assembler

 ----Debuggers--------------------------

 TEMPLMON               TempleMon
 HiSoft MONST           Debugger
 HiSoft MON             Debugger
 OverScan SYSMON        Tracer

 ----Compilers--------------------------

 Borland TC             Turbo C
 ASH PC                 Pure C

 ----Harddisk Utilities-----------------

 Atari HARDDISK         Backup program
 TURTLE                 Backup program
 THEVAULT               Backup program
 ORA BACKUP             Diamond BackUp
 ORA EDGE               Diamond Edge

 ----Alternate Desktops-----------------

 GEMINI                 Desktop replacement

 ----Recource Construction Sets---------

 ORCS                   Otto's RSC
 Atari RCS8             Digital Research RSC
 Atari SE               Sprite Editor

 ----Viewers----------------------------

 CyReL VIEW_JPG         JPG Viewer
 CyReL VIEW_TGA         TGA Viewer
 CyReL VIEW_GIF         GIF Viewer
 CyReL VIEW_PCX         PCX Viewer
 1STView                File/Image Viewer
 GEMView                File/Image Viewer/Converter
 Migraph IMGSHOW        IMG Viewer
 Lexicor TTGIF2         GIF Viewer

 ----Math programs----------------------

 MNDL_FPU               Mandelbrot
 MNDL_INT               Mandelbrot

 ----Games------------------------------

 BALLERBURG             Game
 TETRIS                 Game
 BREAKOUT               Game
 REVERSI                Game

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

 This list will be ammended and updated
 as required.

  )* needs CyReL M16 PM2 Module
  )** requires patch
----------

Message 38        Sat Apr 24, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 22:41 EDT
 
 Re: CyReL M16 VDI Compatibility

 The previous post list some of the programs already tested on the
 CyReL cards. Since this is a constant process, we are adding files
 daily.

 But even this 'snapshot' clearly demonstrates the broad scope and the
 flexibility of the CyReL software.

 Here is a list of all the drivers shipped with the cards:

         CyReL XBios Emulator
         CyReL TT Color Emulator
         CyReL LINE-A Emulator
         CyReL VT52 Emulator
         CyReL VDI Driver

 These drivers and emulators plus the provided accessories to
 control their function, create a comfortable and fast
 working environment.

 Ralf.
----------

Message 39        Sat Apr 24, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 22:47 EDT
 
 Lou,

 these graphic/file viewers are 'customized' to take advantage of the
 particular features of the cards.

 But if you are looking for a really stunning viewer, have a look at
 the *NEW* GEMView.... (I have to admit that the author of GEMView is
 a friend of mine, so please don't be suprised if I am constantly
 promoting not only our products but also his =') )

 GEMView 2.30 is due to be released. It surpasses the current version
 in several ways:
 1. more file formats (like Prism Paint files, TGA, Cranach ESM...)
 2. better conversion features
 3. improved user interface
 4. MULTI-TOS compatible
 5. ... CyReL M16 compatible ( =') )

 I am sure there are many viewers out there... and I would love to
 hear what sort and type of viewers are used the most....

 Ralf.
----------

Message 46        Mon Apr 26, 1993
CYBERCUBE [Ralf]             at 20:46 EDT
 
 Joey,

 we have not set a final price for the CyReL VidiMix8 Desktop Video
 Module yet. As soon as I have more information about pricing, I'll
 post it here.

 The module works as an expansion board for the CyReL SUNRISE M16-1280
 and fits entirely into the VME Slot. The only difference you'll
 notice are the extra ports when it is installed:  the video in/out
 connectors

 The VidiMix8 software allows you to switch between three composite
 video inputs. Each input can either be terminated or act as a
 'loop-through' port. The module accepts 12 international TV
 standards.

 Further, the VidiMix provides *SIMULTANEOUS* S-VHS and composite
 video output.

 This feature has been provided to give the user the best possible
 output signal. Additional features include chroma booster, gain
 adjustments, gamma correction and many more.

 Right now we are working on an 'MULTIMEDIA' extension for the GEM
 desktop. This will allow you to instanly record live video clips,
 capture single frames, resize video or simply record your images onto
 tape.

 Let me know if you need more informations.

 Ralf.
======================================


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


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


 |||   Developers' Press Releases
 |||   
/ | \  -------------------------------------------------------------------
       -------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, I've been left Lyre-less this week, and what with a
hundred other things begging for my attention, I've not had time to
put together a proper Developing Notes for AEO. In lieu of the regular
column, here's the TOS platform developer press releases sent in this
week.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// CodeHeads Announce DigiTape
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

  CodeHeadQuarters
  April 30, 1993
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
CODEHEAD TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES DIGITAPE: DIRECT-TO-DISK DIGITAL RECORDING
FOR THE FALCON 030!
 
DigiTape and Atari's new Falcon 030 computer combine to give you a
complete professional-quality home recording system.
 
DigiTape is an 8-track "simulated tape deck," with a modular
plug-in/plug-out mixing board and 4 modular digital effect racks.  It uses
the amazing DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chip built into the Falcon to
give you direct-to-disk digital recording that equals or surpasses
conventional analog tape decks.
 
There are two versions of DigiTape; here's a brief description of the
features of each version:
 
  ----------------------------
  DigiTape Light
  Suggested retail: US $149.00
  ----------------------------
 
  o mixing board with up to eight tracks (two for record, up to six for
    simultaneous replay)
 
  o sampling frequency selectable between 8 to 50 kHz in 16-bit stereo
 
  o modular digital effects such as reverb, echo, flanger, vibrato,
    distortion and more.  (Developer's documentation available for writing
    DSP effects modules).
 
  o recording time with 55MB hard disk space: approx. 3 min 30 sec with 6
    tracks at 25 kHz
 
  o frequency analyzer (for tuning guitars and other instruments)
 
  o online digital effect processor: 2 x 2 possible chained stereo effect
    combinations
 
  o all connections are through the Falcon's standard microphone-in and
    headphone-out jacks
 
 
  ----------------------------
  DigiTape
  Suggested retail: US $199.00
  ----------------------------
 
  (includes the following additional features):
 
  o virtual track management of up to 64 tracks
 
  o burn in of digital effects ("print" effects on recorded tracks)
 
  o digital remix to hard disk: up to six tracks into two tracks with
    full digital effect mixing and stereo placement control
 
  o cut, copy, and paste functions -- both destructive and nondestructive
 
  o sample zoom function for accurate editing and "cutting"
 
 
Availability of DigiTape and DigiTape Light will be announced shortly.
For more information, contact:
 
  CodeHead Technologies
  P.O. Box 74090
  Los Angeles, CA 90004
 
  Phone: (213) 386-5735   (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm Pacific Time)
  FAX:   (213) 386-5789
  BBS:   (213) 461-2095


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Eliemouse Complimentary Coloring Book Version 7
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

VERSION 7 of "The Eliemouse Complimentary Coloring Book" (ECCB7) is
now available for shipping. One year of work has gone into this
upgrade of version 6. ECCB7 is MULTI-LINGUAL, allowing hours of fun in
English, Spanish or French for children ages 4 and up.

  Here are a few more of the many features added:
        Music feature added - play tunes with color,
        Psychedelic color shifting,
        Pattern fills,
        New on-line games,
        Slide show feature,
        Add toys to pictures,
        Instant 'string art' designs,
        Quick change of languages,
        Add picture labels,
        New interface features,
        F-key alternate commands,
        Quick sheet,
        and much, much more.

ECCB7 is the only electronic coloring book featuring Eliemouse, the
user friendly fellow who communicates with your child during the
coloring activity.  He is filled with compliments and ECCB is filled
with lots of educational fun for your child.

ECCB7 is being offered as a package as follows:

Main Program with 6 starter pictures 140 compressed pictures
(Eliemouse and friends, butterflies alphabet creatures, flowers,
animation pictures, doofy dinosaurs, stain glass windows, christmas
pictures and special story pictures).

Eliemouse Spelling Hunt Color Adventure Game
Eliemouse Paper, Scissors, Rocks Game
Eliemouse Count the Peanuts Game
6 Bonus Color Screens (.PI1 format)
48 Page Printed Manual
Souvenir Eliemouse Pencil

Price $45.00 - a $100.00 value if purchased separately - pictures
disks may be ordered separately at $5.00 per disk

UPGRADE - Current users of ECCB may upgrade from any version to the
above package for only $25.00 - Return original disk(s) and include
$1.00 for postage)

Order from:
            Baggetta_Ware
            P.O. Box 759
            Agawam, MA  01001-0759


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 |||  Shutdown ............................ Power off, EXIT, BYE, Logoff
/ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------

Happy May Day! ;-)

I've fallen down on my deadline this week, and to make up for it,
there will be an issue of AEO out next week. In it, expect to find an
update on the Atari TT030 (no, it's not cancelled), a review of the
smash new monster hit game of the decade, MicroProse's Civilization
(guaranteed to disrupt many peoples' sleep patterns), and a transcript
of Next Friday's GEnie RTC with Bob Brodie.

That plus the usual features from the editors, plus whatever else
shows up.

Until the next issue of AEO, I remain,
Your Editor
Travis Guy


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

                (This issue printed on recycled photons)

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

Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
Atari computer community. Material published in this issue may be
reprinted under the following terms only: articles must remain unedited
and include the issue number and author at the top of each article
reprinted. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted at the
beginning of the article, to registered Atari user groups and not for
profit publications. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of Atari
Corporation.

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

Atari, ST, Mega ST, STE, Mega STE, TT030, Atari Falcon030, TOS,
MultiTOS, NewDesk, BLiTTER, Atari Lynx, Atari Jaguar, Atari Portfolio,
Atari Explorer, Atari Explorer Online, and the Atari Fuji Symbol are
all trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. All
other trademarks mentioned in this issue belong to their respective
owners.

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

                      Atari Explorer Online Magazine
                   "The Official Atari Online Journal"
               Copyright (c) 1993, Atari Computer Corporation

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 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A    E    O :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
 ::  Volume 2 - Issue 9     ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE            1 May 1993  ::
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