STix - June 1991

From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 03/02/94-12:43:29 PM Z


From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: STix - June 1991
Date: Wed Mar  2 12:43:29 1994



                               STix
                            ----------
ST Information Exchange                                  JUNE 1991

       A Monthly Publication of the ST Information Exchange



[---------------------------------------------------------------]
|                        IN THIS ISSUE                          |
|                        -------------                          |
|                    From the Editor's Mess                     |
|                                                               |
|                           PD Picks                            |
|                                                               |
|                    Club Election Results                      |
|                                                               |
|                         Nibbled News                          |
[---------------------------------------------------------------]


>From the Editor's Mess
----------------------
     Surprised?  It has been quite some time since STiX has put 
together a newsletter.  Getting this newsletter probably surprises 
you as much as finding out I was editor surprised me.
     A couple of months ago, I mentioned I was interested in the
job.  "I might be able to do it," I said.  "Give me a couple of
old newsletters and the programs I need, and I'll see if I can."
And they handed me the club's PageStream, some fonts, some image
files, and patted me on the back.  Instant Editor -- Just Add 
Software.
     Now, out of excuses, I present the first of a monthly 
newsletter.  I would like to thank everyone involved with the 
effort for their patience.  I would like to especially thank John 
Cummins, the other editor (no head honcho in this outfit!).  He 
let me borrow his monochrome monitor so I could finish putting 
this little paper together.  (Actually, I think he loaned it 
knowing I'd be really embarrassed to not have something ready 
by the time he came to get it.  Am I right, John?)
     John and I hope the newsletters will be as informative and 
up-to-date as a monthly publication can be.  They will definitely 
get larger as we discover the direction we want them to take.  I
would like to get input from you, the readers, too.  What would
you like to see here?  Software reviews?  Hardware tests?  Atari
rumors?  Maybe you have an article you'd like us to use?  You can
reach us at the Saturday meetings, since we usually attend those.
Also, you can contact us through John's BBS in Stillwater:

                          Erbid's Place
                          (405) 377-5819
                          Stillwater, OK
                    24 Hours  96/24/1200 Baud

Just leave a message to either Erbid (the SysOp)
or James Bond-007" (me).

                           ----------

                  INFO-1: Throwing in the Towel?

                       An Editorial Comment


     Although I didn't make it to the May meeting, I did make my 
monthly journey to Info-1.  What I saw disturbed me.  It seems 
that Info-1 has removed half of Atari's display area, replacing it 
with IBM Windows software packages.  All that remained of Atari 
software was some aging games, a few applications, and a small 
selection of hardware (Magic Sac, a mouse, etc.).  Just a month 
before, Info-1 had moved its STacy display unit next to the 
software shelves.  Although the best place to show a computer 
probably is next to its software, the STacy is now gone.  All that 
remains is a lone unit in the display room which looks like it is 
slowly being dismantled and sold in parts.
     When I leafed through the magazines, it seemed to me that 
many new items were being released for the ST.  The European mags 
had their usual glossy pictorials of many new games.  ST Informer 
spoke of recent developments in desktop publishing software.  Why 
was Info-1 decreasing their Atari stock?  It is the last bastion 
for Atari users in Oklahoma City.
     I hope to ask them the next time I visit the store.  I hope 
to be able to relay either better news or a good explanation in 
the next newsletter.  Until that time, I have to say if Info-1 is 
throwing in the Atari towel, it will be a sad thing for Oklahoma 
City.  Despite rumors, I have never had a problem returning bad 
software or getting assistance there.  Although mail-order is 
often cheaper, recent experiences have made me appreciate checking 
out at least the box before a purchase.  (More on that, perhaps, 
in my next editorial.)  Losing Info-1 as an outlet can only 
further frustrate Oklahoma Atari users starved for the latest 
software and hardware.  (Where else can you find a selection of 
Atari magazines like Info-1 has?)  Let us hope this is a problem 
with space limitations and not the tolling of a bell.

                            ----------

     So ends the gloom and doom.  On to the news and events!

                                             Your editor,
                                             Michael D. Lewis


PD Picks
--------
     This will be a monthly column devoted to spotlighting public 
domain and shareware programs.  The programs may not necessarily 
be new, but the person who contributed the information has found 
them particularly useful.  These programs can usually be located 
on a BBS near you or at a STiX meeting.  Filenames may vary.

DCRTCALL.ARC   This program from Double Click allows you to press
               the right mouse button to call a file selector.  It
               will also call custom file selectors such as UIS
               and Little Green.

DCPOPBAR.ARC   Another Double Click product.  By pressing the
               right mouse button, the user gets menu bar
               selections at the location of the mouse.

PAPACNT.ARC    The Paperless Accountant.  A small program which
               helps you keep track of checking, credit, and loan
               accounts.  It allows you to customize the entry
               notations (I changed Heating Oil to Natural Gas,
               for example).  A good feature is the option to have
               cashflow charted by bargraph.  Being "paperless,"
               it is a good program for someone like me who only
               cares to supplement his checkbook figuring.

MOUSER.ARC     Those drop-down menus bothering you while you're
               working at the top of your document?  MOUSER will
               not allow the pointer to enter the menu bar until 
               the right mouse button is pressed.

RAMBABY.ARC    An upgrade of the INTERSECT RAMDisk. RAMBABY allows
               you to allocate your ramdisk's size through a desk
               accessory.  Could be handy when you need that extra
               few K to download from your favorite BBS or to
               print your work.

SUPRBT70.LZH   SuperBoot, a program which allows you to choose
               programs and desk accessories at boot-up, has
               been upgraded.  The latest version, 7.0, still
               allows you to define function keys for various
               program startups and more.  Added are frills such
               as digitized sounds played at the same time a
               picture is displayed during boot-up.


Club Election Results
---------------------
Officers for the year of 1991 were elected a couple of months 
ago.  Although it is no longer news, here is the list of those 
elected (or appointed . . . heh heh) to STiX posts.

President           Steve Balch
Vice President      Fred Hoipkemeier
Secretary           Kenneth Love
Treasurer           Carolyn Lumry
Librarian           Moh Severson
Editors             Michael Lewis
                    John Cummins     
Hospitality         Bill Puckett
Communications      Bill Hallman

Belated congratulations (or condolences . . . heh heh) to 
everyone.  Here's to another good year for STiX.


Nibbled News
------------
The following informative tidbits were taken from various 
sources.  Two of the sources were the online electronic magazines 
Z*NET INTERNATIONAL and STREPORT.  For those of you with modems 
who cannot find these on a BBS near you, it would be worth your 
time to convince a SysOp to carry them.


STart Magazine Finished?

     STart Magazine, published by Antic Publishing, announced that 
publication will cease until the magazine is sold.  Twenty 
thousand subscribers will be given substitute subscriptions to 
other publications.  STart was the only "slick" commercial, 
independent magazine produced in the United States.  Remaining are
Atari's bi-monthly Atari Explorer, the newsprint mags ST Informer 
and AtariUser, and various user group publications.


 Atari VP Speaks Up

     Richard Miller, the Atari Vice-President of Research and 
Development, recently answered questions for GEnie users in an 
online conference.  His first comments were directed toward the 
concern for high-density (1.44mb or so) floppy drive mechanisms.  
Although no machines have been shipped with such mechanisms, he 
pointed out the announcement that inexpensive upgrades will be 
available in the near future.  Miller did say that Atari will be 
offering hard drives up to 600mb before year's end.
     The new Atari laptop, the ST Book, should be shipping after 
the Dusseldorf Atari show and will cost around $1500.  Miller 
confirmed that Atari is developing a palmtop computer.  Miller 
announced that the Mega STE received FCC Class B approval on May 
15, 1991.


New STs on the Way

The Mega/STe computers are coming!  The new 16mHz, TT-styled machines
are now shipping to the U.S. and Canada at new reduced prices: $1,699
retail for a 2 meg RAM, 50 mbyte hard drive unit.  A Mega/STe 1 may
become available at or below $1,000 that would have only one meg of RAM
and no hard drive, allowing the user to upgrade as he desires later.


ST Package for Schools

     D.A. Brumleve of KIDPRGS announced that his company offers an 
ST package designed for preschool through Grade 1.  The package 
includes a 1040STe, 11 programs, mouse and mousepad.  The programs 
include public domain and commercial software specially modified 
to suit the needs of the classroom setting.  He presented 
it at the Midwest Association for the Education of Young Children 
conference in Des Moines, April 18-20, and it was well-received by 
onlookers.
     Interested teachers and directors of preschools, day care 
centers, at-risk programs, or Kindergarten-Grade 1 can contact 
Brumleve at 217-337-1937 to request information and literature.



MULTIGEM Arrives

     Are you a power uslways looking for that extra 
modification, gadget, or patch that will squeeze an extra 
nanosecond of speed or add another use to your ST?  If you have 
seen the higher-end Macintosh machines, then you may have been 
envious of their multi-tasking ability.  REVOLVER and various 
other switching programs are nice, but they are not true multi-
tasking.  Now there is MULTIGEM.
     MULTIGEM uses the accessory slots of the desktop for 
programs. Up to six programs may be loaded at a time.  If 
the program is written for MULTIGEM then it will actually run 
along with other programs.  Otherwise, MULTIGEM will load multiple 
programs in separate windows and allow you to switch between them.
     Reports are that MULTIGEM works on all STs and TTs, although 
only with the original desktop.  Desktops which replace GEM 
generally are not compatible.  MULTIGEM and an accelerator board 
could make a very productive combination.


[----------------------------------------------------------------]
|The _STix Newsletter_ is a monthly publication of the ST Infor- |
|mation Exchange (STix).  STix is a place for people who own or  |
|are interested in Atari ST, Mega ST, STe, and TT line of compu- |
|ters to meet and discuss common interests.  Any use of brand    |
|names, company names, logos, and other proprietary items associ-|
|ated with companies mentioned in the _STix Newsletter_ are      |
|intended as a means of identifying said companies and are not   |
|meant to infringe upon the owner's rights.  All articles are the|
|sole property of the authors and reflect the author's views.    |
|Articles do not necessarily reflect the views of _STix News-    |
|letter_, ST Information Exchange, its officers, or its members. |
|Attempts have been made to give proper credit wherever it is    |
|necessary.                                                      |
[----------------------------------------------------------------]

STix Officers: Pres.   : Steve Balch            _STix Newsletter
               V.P.    : Fred Hoipkemeier       is always looking
               Sec.    : Kenneth Love           for articles. If 
               Treas.  : Carolyn Lumry          you would like to
               Lib.    : Moh Severson           contribute, you
               News Ed.: Michael Lewis          may send it to our
               Hosp't'.: Bill Puckett           address or give it
               Comm.   : Bill Hallman           an officer.

STix Newsletter                                          June 1991

-- 
Michael Lewis             "Now that you're dead, your usefulness
ar224/ CWRU Freenet        to me has ended!!  But I'll keep your
                           shoes.  HA HA HA!!" -- Lightning Bug
                                                 'J-Men Forever'


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