News - Jan.99 - Jul.99

From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/23/99-05:33:37 PM Z


From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: News - Jan.99 - Jul.99
Date: Mon Aug 23 17:33:37 1999


 Time Capsule - News - Jan.99 - Jul.99
 -------------------------------------

 News Subject Title                    Date Posted
 ------------------                    -----------
Pooldisk Too                           Jan.18,1999
Atari800Win 2.5 released               Jan.18,1999
Atari800win 2.5a & source released     Jan.18,1999
DIR2ATR and XDIR                       Jan.30,1999
Hasbro Interactive Advances to #3 PC Games Publisher
                                       Feb.22,1999
UK8 8-bit Convention 26th September 1999
                                       Feb.22,1999
Dir2Atr and Xdir, new versions         Feb.22,1999
Project: PHOENIX notes                 Feb.22,1999
A-ONE... A New Atari Online Magazine   Feb.22,1999
New ATARI-FileManagement               Feb.22,1999
OMNIVIEW XL/XE                         Feb.22,1999
Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell Confirmed to Attend Classic Gaming
                                       Apr.04,1999
Jagfest 99 Update                      Apr.04,1999
Second Annual Classic Video and Computer Game Show Takes Flight
                                       Apr.04,1999
New carts for the Atari8 from Video 61 Apr.19,1999
CGE '99 Announces Guests               Apr.19,1999
Hasbro Interactive Acquires Rights to 11 Namco Titles
                                       Apr.19,1999
Columbus Atari Swap on WWW: check it out ...(fwd)
                                       Apr.29,1999
Dean Garraghty Software (DGS)          May.24,1999
New from Video 61: Firebug, Dan Strikes Back, Spaceball
                                       May.24,1999
Professional AKI board now available!  Jun.19,1999
APE and Prosystem '98 Beta Available   Jun.19,1999
Hasbro Interactive Releases Rights to the Atari Jaguar Hardware
                                       Jul.29,1999
Vintage Computer Festival 3.0          Jul.29,1999
Prominent Interactive Entertainment Companies Endorse Classic Gaming
                                       Jul.29,1999
Classic Gaming Expo '99 Update 7/15/99 Jul.29,1999
Announcing 7 New Cart Titles           Jul.29,1999
Announcing Clash of Kings Now On Cart  Jul.29,1999



Article 608 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Pooldisk Too
Date: 18 Jan 1999 02:35:53 GMT

From: ernest@wxs.nl (Ernest R. Schreurs)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 16:33:31 GMT

In October 1995, we released the Pooldisk CD.  It contained
over 2300 disk image files in the ATR format.  The disks were also on
the CD in the XFD format.  The Pooldisk Too is a double CD.  Some
people helped us obtain more disks, and so we were able to fill an
entire CD with ATR image files.  We had to drop support for the XFD
format due to the space limitations.  This is only a problem if you
are using a program that supports nothing but XFD files.
You would need to use one of the converters that is on the CD.
On the CD you will find disks from these well known sources:
ABBUC            871     ACE              341     Analog            53
Antic            104     Belgium           88     Bellcom          967
BRE               60     C & T            113     Colonia           61
CSM               56     Demos             45     Flop              26
Futura            46     Haps             820     Internet          35
strange Invasion  16     KE-soft           24     LACE             128
Manosky           40     Mega magazine     16     Misc             289
PAGE 6            29     PD mag            66     Pokey            125
SAG              221     SCAT             209     SEX               37
SPACE            100     STack             86     Thunderdome BBS  330
Top mag           85     Twaug             58     Umich (1995)     454

The directories below contain less than 25 disks:
Atari Classics, AMC, Atari Dos, Bpaug, Brace, Bradford, DOS, Elfin,
Hac, HTT, Ol'hacker, PAC, PACE, R-Atari, Starbase.

Several commercial titles from A New Generation software were put on
the CD by permission of ANG with a restriction from copying them.
The mega magazines and the Pokey material have the same restriction.

This all adds up to well over 6000 ATR files.  Now since some
libraries are (almost) completely on the CD, some disks are bound to
be duplicated across libraries.  We included them anyway, just so you
have the libraries as complete as currently possible.  I think it is
reasonable to assume that there are over 5000 different ATR files on
the CD.

The second CD contains various utilities and fun stuff for use on a PC
or platform other than the Classic Atari, but very much related to it.
You will find over 100 Internet sites, varying from simple home pages
to elaborate sites.  You will also find about a year's worth of
messages from the Use net newsgroups rec.games.video.atari and
comp.sys.atari.8bit, and messages from the abbucnet and assembler
SIGs.  These are in the QWK format, so that they can be read with a
QWK offline reader.  Furthermore you will find information related to
the Jaguar.  Some stuff for use on an Amiga, Atari ST and the Apple
Macintosh.  The text of the well known book Mapping The Atari by
Ian Chadwick is on the CD, by his permission, with the restriction
that it is not copied.
We have collected various avi and movie files, and put them on this CD
too. These are huge, so no more download time, and fun to watch.
Various utilities and emulators for the PC can be found on the CD.
These emulators also make use of the files in the ATR file format.
The current versions of SIO2PC and APE can be found here, and
emulators like Atari800Win, XL-it!, Xformer, Rainbow, Pokey, and ACE.
Converters like Imagic and Diskcomm and XFD converters.
About 1000 pictures of various Atari equipment, collectibles, cassette
covers, flyers, schematic diagrams, and the occasional Atari lover.
Lots of text files with information and documentation.  There are lots
of XL files that we did not put in ATR image files.  One reason is
that we did not have the time to do it.  Another one is that the files
are subdivided into sub-directories and putting them into ATR files
would result in lots of ATR's with a small number of files, or ATR's
with multiple unrelated files.  The Umich archives from 1998 are
therefore also on the second CD, not in ATR files.  We did
convert the archives to uncompressed format though.
Finally, the second CD contains a 20 megabyte directory listing of
all the ATR files that are on disk one, so if you are looking for a
specific file, you can search this listing to find the ATR disk
the file is on.

You can order this double CD by sending a check or money order
drawn on an US bank for US $20 to me:

Ernest R. Schreurs
Kempenlandstraat 8
5211 VN  Den Bosch
The Netherlands

Include a note telling us the shipping address.  The US $20 includes
shipping by airmail.  If you live in Germany, you can also order the
CD from the ABBUC user group.  Take a look at this URL:
http://www.atari-computer.de/abbuc/

For more information on the Pooldisk Too, take a look at this URL:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/atarixle.html

If you have any questions, you can send me E-mail at ernest@wxs.nl

Keep those XL's/XE's humming!






Article 609 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Atari800Win 2.5 released
Date: 18 Jan 1999 02:36:20 GMT

Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 00:13:23 CST
From: rich@cstone.net (Rich)

(This appeared to not go out the first time).

http://www.cris.com/~Twist/atari800win

Here is what's new in this version:

12-05-98        Ver 2.5 (a "beta" release)
  * Consider this a beta release. It has not been tested extensively.
    I will be releasing again soon to sync up with the general
    Atari800 code base and address some other issues of my own.
  * Any "sticky key" problems should be fixed on slow machines
  * Warmstart reappears on F5 as if by magic :-)
  * Arrgh! ATR images formatted while loaded into the emulator were
    getting corrupted headers (they were reformatted as XFD). Modified
    SIO code so that any valid ATR image (even megadisks) can be
    reformatted by Atari800win.
  * Added option to load Atari executable files individually instead
    of requiring a disk image. This will NOT work for files that
    require Atari DOS. I more or less lifted Ken Sider's routines
    right out of MakeATR (actually I initially wrote a multi-segment
    loader myself, but it sucked, so people can thank Ken for this
    feature). When you do this the EXE will replace the disk mounted
    in drive 1.
  * John Frias contributed some icons (mine are retired to no artistic
    talent land now).
  * Fixed a problem with the R-TIME cartridge returning the incorrect
    month. BTW This should come as a surprise to no one, but the
    R-TIME is not year 2000 compliant.
  * Fixed a small timing problem on keyboard input.
  * Blank scan line option added for some video modes. Read the
    readme.txt for why I still think this is a *really* stupid idea.
  * Built a new ZLIB DLL which appears much less touchy about
    alignment. I highly recommend you use the one included with
    Atari800win as your DLL in general (slightly larger but works much
    better).
  * Drive status can be set directly from the disk drive dialog. This
    is mainly so images can be switched to read-only on the fly for
    some demos. You cannot use the dialog to override actual file
    permissions - if the file is read-only to the OS, then it will
    always be read-only to Atari800win (and that's by design, not
    omission).
  * Corrected small joystick bug that prevented the keypad from
    working as joystick on port 1 while a real joystick was used on
    port 2.
  * Inserted a completely bogus wait after DDraw SetDisplayMode that
    corrects garbage sometimes left on the screen. This very much
    looks like a DDraw bug. The delay may not be long enough for all
    systems. Email me if you still see window garbage on your display.
  * 640x480 is now a "no visible menu" mode. Use F10 to get a menu (or
    the keyboard accelerators - e.g. Alt-A + L is Atari/Load Exe). Let
    me know if you find this a problem - I could make it configurable.
    800x600 and up still have menus.






Article 610 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Atari800win 2.5a & source released
Date: 18 Jan 1999 02:37:53 GMT

From: rich@cstone.net (Rich)
Date: 18 Dec 1998 19:20:03 -0000

Atari800Win has been updated to version 2.5a, and the source code
archive has been updated as well. The Atari800win page is located at

http://www.cris.com/~Twist/atari800win

and the emulator itself is contained in this zip:
http://www.cris.com/~Twist/atari800win/atari800win_2.5a.zip

source code is in this archive:

http://www.cris.com/~Twist/atari800win/atari800win_2.5a_source.zip

Please do not download the source unless you intend to really look at
it; my bandwidth is very limited.

Here is what's new in this release:

12-18-98        Ver 2.5a
  * Note: Older saved states will need to be re-saved for this
    version.
  * Re-synced with the general Atari800 code base. Fixed a couple of
    Antic problems.
  * Fixed screen getting offset when switching hardware types.
  * Fixed the damn keyboard joystick not being detected (was only
    happening on machines that have no hardware joystick devices, and
    guess what - all of mine do. Grrr).
  * Joystick selections are saved permanently. If you change your
    stick config around (hardware wise), it won't crash, but you will
    probably have to reconfigure via the joystick selection dialog.
  * The scanline modes are now driven by highly tweaked assembly,
    mostly because I changed the way they worked: they now show
    half-lumen lines interleaved instead of black ones. In a couple of
    the available graphics modes (GDI) even though a lot more work is
    being done it's slightly faster than the older scanline mode.
  * Added keyboard accelerators for the following functions:
    Alt-C       Cartridge dialog
    Alt-D       Disk dialog (floppies)
    Alt-G       Graphics dialog (screen modes)
    Alt-H       Hardware dialog
    Alt-J       Joystick dialog
    Alt-K       Keyboard dialog
    Alt-L       Load Atari executable
    Alt-S       Sound dialog
    Alt-R       Rotate through artifacting modes (including off)
  * Last path used to load Atari executables is remembered
  * Some small code re-orgs (same functionality, but less code)
  * Fixed screen corruption in stretched-window modes when paused
  * Smarter about registry updates - doesn't have to reset ROM paths
    when these occur now. Also, for first time users tries to find the
    ROMS in either the working directory or "ROMS" subdirectory
  * Added different machine types in hardware selector for 320XE Compy
    and 320XE Rambo






Article 611 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: DIR2ATR and XDIR
Date: 30 Jan 1999 21:28:48 GMT

=46rom: stack@xs4all.nl (Bo Schreurs)
>Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 01:31:33 GMT

Hi All,

I=B4ve just finished my latest versions of DIR2ATR and XDIR and have
updated my homepage accordingly.

DIR2ATR
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Version 5.03.00 lets you turn a pc directory
(or more pc directories in the case of Spartados)
into one or more .ATR or .XFD disk images.
It supports Single, Medium, Enhanced, Double, Quad, 720KB,
1.44 MB and 16 MB disk images.
The following OS-es are supported: Dos 2.5, MyDos 4.53,
and SpartaDos 3.3a.
Although the program is designed to accept BeWe Dos and
SpartaDos/X, the bootcode for them and the DOS.SYS are
not included in the archive.
Although I assume the program will work if you have them,
just put them in the correct directory (read the included .txt file).
The program accepts your own favourite DOS too, just use
the "MY OWN DOS" feature of the program.
Please note that the directories you are converting should
contain Atari XL/XE files and/or text files. Just a reminder.

XDIR
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Version 10.04 now supports the disk images created
by the new version of DIR2ATR as well.
So SpartaDos disk images are correctly extracted as well now.


So download these new versions, and let me know what you think.
Regards,
Bo Schreurs

Email: stack@xs4all.nl
Homepage: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/atarixle.html
Download DIR2ATR directly: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/dir2atr.zip
Download XDIR directly: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/xdirv10.zip






Article 612 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Hasbro Interactive Advances to #3 PC Games Publisher
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:50:04 GMT

Thursday January 28, 9:11 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

Hasbro Interactive Advances to #3 PC Games Publisher

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 1999--In three short years,
entertainment software publisher Hasbro Interactive has quickly climbed the
ranks to #3 PC games publisher status, based on dollar sales, according to
PC Data's 1998 year-end report. The company surpassed its year-ago ranking
of #4 PC Games publisher and has increased its market share.

Hasbro Interactive strengthened its position as the #1 family games
publisher in the industry by possessing six of the top seven best-selling
family games in 1998 based on dollars, according to PC Data. The esteemed
list of family titles included MonopolyR, ScrabbleR, Game of LifeR, Wheel of
FortuneR, Monopoly Star WarsR and JeopardyR. The company also captured top-5
publisher positions in nearly all major PC games categories including
children's, action and strategy, and held the #6 position in simulation
games, based on dollars.

``1998 was another exciting year for Hasbro Interactive,'' said Hasbro
Interactive President Tom Dusenberry. ``We met our goal of building the
business beyond children's and family games and have made huge strides in
creating new opportunities in the action, strategy and simulation game
areas,'' Dusenberry added. ``With last year's acquisitions of MicroProse,
Avalon Hill and Atari, we believe '99 will be an even brighter year.''

Hasbro Interactive also delivered impressive results during the 1998 holiday
season. According to PC Data dollar numbers, Hasbro Interactive landed five
titles in the Top-25, and a total of 10 titles in the Top-50 in the month of
December.

For the year, Hasbro Interactive's top five sellers included FroggerR,
MonopolyR, ScrabbleR, TonkaR Workshop CD-ROM Playset and Game of LIFER.

Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a leading all-family interactive games
publisher, formed in 1995 to bring to life on the computer the deep library
of toy and board games of parent company, Hasbro, Inc. (AMEX:HAS - news).
Hasbro Interactive has expanded its charter to include original and licensed
games for the PC, the PlayStationR and NintendoR 64 game consoles and for
multi-player gaming over the Internet. Headquartered in Beverly,
Massachusetts, Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.K., France, Germany,
Japan and Canada. For additional information, visit Hasbro Interactive's web
site at: www.hasbro-interactive.com

Based in Reston, VA, PC Data has been providing point-of-sale data since
1991 and has become the only comprehensive source of software and hardware
sales information. The company provides software and hardware vendors with
the point-of-sale data and analysis which forms the underpinning of their
strategic decision-making process. PC Data supplies sales information to
more than 800 software and hardware firms, which account for nearly 95
percent of total computer industry sales. The company's latest initiative
includes launching @PCData, an Internet monitoring service. In addition to
tracking software sales through retailers, PC Data also tracks hardware and
software sales through educational resellers, corporate resellers and
distributors.

Frogger is a registered trademark of Konami Co., Ltd. (c)1981 KONAMI. All
rights reserved. Monopoly is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc.

Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. Scrabble
rights elsewhere in the world are held by J.W. Spear & Sons, PLC.

Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd., used under
authorization.

Jeopardy! is a registered trademark of Jeopardy Productions, Inc. (c) 1998
Jeopardy Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Wheel of Fortune is a registered trademark of Califon Productions, Inc. (c)
1998 Califon Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

(c) 1999 Hasbro Interactive, Inc. (c)1999 Hasbro, Inc.
----------------
Contact:

     Hasbro Interactive
     Dana Henry, 978-921-3759
     dhenry@hasbro.com
      or
     Agnew, Carter, McCarthy
     Cale Barrett, 617-437-7722
     cbb@acm-pr.com






Article 613 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: UK8 8-bit Convention 26th September 1999
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:54:17 GMT

=46rom: "Brian Watson" <brian@spheroid.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1999 21:16:11 -0000

More information, as promised last week:


Event: The 1999 UK 8-bit Convention UK8

Where: The Saddlers Club, Walsall, Nr Birmingham, England

Date: Sunday, September 26th 1999

Times: 9.30 - 5 (bar open from 12 =96 3.30)

Cost: =A32 per person admission (by ticket only).

    Tables bookable (*probably* up to 40/50 available): =A35 each. Priority
will be given in the following order; (1) clubs and magazines (2) commercial
suppliers/supporters (3) individuals.

Any profit left over at the end will be put back into another event next
year. Nobody is getting a wage out of it!

Awards will be made to the best exhibitors in various categories on the day.

We expect it to be a sell-out, but send *no* money yet, bookings will open
at the end of March (NB: this is *not* an April Fool!)

=46ood facilities available: various, including a McDonalds, are nearby. Or
bring your own food. There will be a comfy sit-down and chat area.

=46or a further information as it becomes available e-mail
uk8@spheroid.demon.co.uk or write, enclosing an A4 stamped addressed
envelope, to Brian Watson, Harrowden, 39, High Street, Sutton, ELY, Cambs
CB6 2RA, England.

It would be appreciated if this information could be passed to any user
groups, fanzine editors or commercial supporters who might be interested in
attending.

--
Brian






Article 614 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Dir2Atr and Xdir, new versions
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:55:02 GMT

=46rom: stack@xs4all.nl (Bo Schreurs)
Date: Thu, 04 Feb 1999 00:28:48 GMT

Hi Atarian(s),

I=B4ve just finished my update of the new DIR2ATR and XDIR
programs, and have updated my homepage accordingly.

DIR2ATR
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Version 5.05.00 lets you turn a pc directory
(or more pc directories in the case of Spartados)
into one or more .ATR or .XFD disk images.
It supports Single, Medium, Enhanced, Double, Quad, 720KB,
1.44 MB and 16 MB disk images.
The following OS-es are supported: Dos 2.5, MyDos 4.53,
BeWeDos 1.30 and SpartaDos 3.3a.
Although the program is designed to accept SpartaDos/X as well,
the bootcode for it is not included in the archive.
The program accepts your own favourite DOS too, just use
the "MY OWN DOS" feature of the program.
Please note that the directories you are converting should
contain Atari XL/XE files and/or text files. Just a reminder.
The update solves a bug with the configuration file,
a command line interface has been added, and the program
has a fast drive switching option now.

XDIR
=3D=3D=3D=3D
Version 10.05 now supports a command line interface as well,
has the fast drive switching option.
A bug concerning a multiple extraction of the same disk image
(which stopped the program), has been solved as well.


So download these new versions, and let me know what you think.
Regards,
Bo Schreurs

Email: stack@xs4all.nl
Homepage: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/atarixle.html
Download DIR2ATR directly: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/dir2atr.zip
Download XDIR directly: http://www.xs4all.nl/~stack/xdirv10.zip






Article 615 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Project: PHOENIX notes
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:54:47 GMT

From: "morloc" <morloc@acd.net>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 00:33:50 -0500

Project: PHOENIX



Development by: Timothy B. Kline

Logical development: S.T.I.P. (ST.andard I.nterface P.rotocol) modules

Product Design: Cartidge (256K ROM/128K RAM/dual chipset) (estimation)

Programming Language: 6502 Assembly

Supports: TCP, PPP, HTML (text-based)

Machine Requirements: Atari 800/XL/XE, modem

Optional Components: Disk Drive(floppy/hard),printer,mouse/joystick



Introduction: This is a very generalized overlay of the PHOENIX project that
I am presenting to the Atari public from the outset to get feedback. This is
also a rough draft of the project and will likely become more refined as
PHOENIX is developed. Feedback and questions are welcome, as I am new at
some of this and will likely have many mistakes, including in my logic. Let
PHOENIX be an Atari Users PUBLIC-INPUT project since you are the ones that
will be using it.

Modules:

Modules marked with (*) are required to remain in MAIN memory and cannot be
banked!

Modules marked with (+) are cleared from memory after they operate.

1. TCPIP*

A. Provides the tcp/ip stack for user.

2. DIALUP (+)

A. Handles connecting to ISP for user, including login procedures. Used only
to connect to ISP. All other matters are handled by TCPIP module.

B. Memory freed up by KERNEL after successful connection. Reconnection
requires that module be reloaded to run.

3. KERNEL*

A. Browser kernel (OS).

B. Handles com port activity, calls appropriate modules for action after
INIT.

C. Maintains HTML buffer for HTML-IN modules.

D. Frees up memory used by INIT module, DIALUP (after connection returns
"success"), DISPSETUP.

E. Monitors user's inputs via joystick/keyboard/mouse.

4. HMTL-IN

  1.. HTML interpreter (similar to BASIC interpreter which dismisses w/error
any HTML code not supported (HTML 3 so far?)
B. Read in HTML from kernel HTML buffer

C. Convert to PHOENIX' display S.T.I.P. format

D. Send converted code to HTML-OUT S.T.I.P. module for displaying

5. HTML-OUT

A. Receive converted code from HTML-IN module

B. Display page, setup any pop-up boxes containing links on page

1) Determines if display is hi or lo res and formats accordingly

6. DISPSET (+)

A. Initializes custom display according to user's selection (hi/lo res)

7. INIT (+)

A. Runs setup routines, reads in from disk any user preferences/settings

B. Sets variables, checks machine's capabilities (RAM, XL/XE?, etc.)

C. Initializes KERNEL and passes control to KERNEL

8. BUFFER*

A. Stores HTML code for processing

9. POPUP

  1.. Provides a pop-up menuing system for user to access certain features
such
  as page links of a web page.

  B. Provides a simple help system to user as an "online" guide.

  2.. Provides a means to input manually a URL address, in conjunction with
the input box of the web browser.
  3.. Provides user with a list of available "favorites" from disk file and
ability to select one.
10. HTMLED

A. A simple text-based HTML editor for editing HTML files

Notes:

1. S.T.I.P.

  1.. S.T.I.P. is designed for modular use to allow for maximum
expandability of PHOENIX and to allow for optimal trapping of errors.
  2.. Each module interfaces with the KERNEL by using the KERNEL's unique
program STACK. The KERNEL module simply initializes appropriate modules.
Each module MUST PERFORM A SINGLE FUNCTION, and may access the following
permanent modules: STACK, BUFFER, TCPIP.
  1.. C. Additional modules can be interfaced into PHOENIX simply by
injecting itself into the STACK's command table or by the designer providing
a new COMMAND module for PHOENIX which includes his/her module's
call-command.
This gives PHOENIX unlimited potential for all its users and a standardized
means of expandability. Modules can be set up to run from any available disk
drive (floppy, hard, or RAM).

2. BUFFER

  1.. Simply put, this is where all html that is received from the web goes.
Now, because there is only so much memory available on the Atari 8bit, this
is done in the following fashion:
1) html code is received

2) after each "complete" html segment, it is buffered and HTMLIN module is
summoned by KERNEL, which processes the code and passes the processed code
onto HTMLOUT for display.


example: KERNEL receives an html segment from web page and buffers it thus:


Received:

<A>text</A>

KERNEL's action:

Upon receiving the closure html code "</A>", KERNEL considers this a
complete instruction and sends it on to HTMLIN for processing. If there had
been no "</A>" signifying closure, KERNEL would have come to another html
code and dismissed the beginning "<A>" command altogether.

Fortunately, most html editors on the market will check for errors in html
code, so this is unlikely to happen.


This is similar to how BASIC interprets your typing in a command (such as
SETCOLOR) and then reacts. Simple, right? Thus the COMMAND module's
importance comes to light. Want a new feature? Add a command to the COMMAND
table and KERNEL will call it up when it's needed. HTML definitions are
located in the COMMAND module in such a way as to cause HTMLIN to react in
an Atari-friendly fashion, and HTMLOUT, too.

Now you may ask, what about web pages that contain straight text, such as a
textfile, or text that may be found without html tags? Does that, then, just
become ignored? No. The KERNEL is designed to recognize that sometimes this
is the case and will respond thus:

If information continues to be received from a website, but without any html
tags, then it is fed into BUFFER until it becomes full, and then HTMLIN is
flagged to dispose of the BUFFER, treating it as raw text, and it will
certainly display it as raw text, too! The BUFFER is then cleared and ready
to go again. This process continues until an html tag is found or until the
web page finishes loading. Again, though, most people will add a
<BODY></BODY> tag to their html, so this will work in an html setting. In
the case of a raw textfile, the end will be reached and that is, as they
say, that. Flagging HTMLIN to act on the buffer as raw text is the ultimate
failsafe that you won't miss any information of a web page that is
text-based. However, there is no java support, midi support, etc. in PHOENIX
unless someone figures out how to write the S.T.I.P. module for it. Sorry!

3) process returns to step 1.

3. STACK

  1.. This is a unique system that will provide a means to access various
features of PHOENIX.
  2.. It provides numerous factors such as FLAGS, online condition
(connected/offline), and more.
C. It is designed thus:


1) STATUS TABLE:

STATUS1 [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]

               F    E    D    C    B    A

A- CONNECT ONLINE=255 OFFLINE=0

B- DISPLAY HIGH=255 LOW=0

C- MACHINE XE=255 XL=0

D- CART YES=255 NO=0

E- MODIFIED YES=255 NO=0

F- PATCHING YES=255 NO=0

RAM [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]

         1024  512  320  256  128   64

BANK [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]

       7    6    5    4    3    2    1

[Bank 0 = 0, Bank 8=255]

STATUS2 [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]

          G    F    E    D    C    B    A

A- BUFFER FULL=255 EMPTY=0

B- CONVERT HTMLIN=255 HTMLOUT=0

C- BUFCOMMAND TAG=255 RAW=0


2) COMMAND STACK:

CMDSTACK1 [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]



CMDSTACK2 [64] [32] [16] [08] [04] [02] [01]



4. COMMAND

  1.. This works in conjunction with the KERNEL module in that it will
verify that what is in the BUFFER is html code. It examines the buffer's
start for an html tag, compares it against its command table and if it
doesn't find a match, sets the COMMAND flag to RAW and returns control to
KERNEL.
  If it matches the html tag with a command, it sends it to HTMLIN for
processing, along with setting the CMDSTACK byte to its necessary flags for
HTMLIN.

  2.. Can be modified by enduser or developer to incorporate additional
support, such as music support, or to add additional modules such as
ftp/email. Table for COMMAND is loaded during INIT from either the cartridge
or a diskfile. If PHOENIX is the cartridge version, the user must have set
the flag in his SETTINGS panel to have PHOENIX recognize that the COMMAND
table needs to be patched with add-on commands. The appropriate format for
patching is as follows (text-only!):
  Format for a new COMMAND to be added into table:

  128,command-name,command-module-name,0,255

  The "128" tells INIT that this is an incoming COMMAND patch.

  The "0" designates the end of the patch.

  The "255" signifies end of patching sequence, EOF. If there are more
COMMANDS to be patched, then there would be another "128," after the "0,"
until done, and then the "255."

  3.. There is no check to assure that the original COMMANDS are not
overwritten! However, the flag for MODIFIED is set to high when the COMMAND
table is patched, so if PHOENIX starts behaving erratically, check the
MODIFIED bit to see if the COMMAND table was modified. If it was, and you
want to determine if the patch is at fault, simply set the flag in your
SETUP to disallow patching of the COMMAND table and restart PHOENIX.
  If the problem stops, then you've discovered the culprit!

  4.. Again, this is a wonderful provision of expandability provided to the
enduser. By adding a command for KERNEL to access, you can add power to your
web browser! Your add-in patch can direct HTMLIN to act in certain ways in
response to the code it may have otherwise discarded or shown as raw text,
as an example. You could re-direct it to a file on your floppy drive (if you
have enough room!) or to a hard disk, even. The possibilities are there, if
you have the imagination and motivation to do it. I've made the S.T.I.P.
simple enough that you should have little trouble customizing your own copy
of PHOENIX or making your add-in patches available on the internet for
others to use. The only draw back is that you must use 6502 ML to write the
module. If you don't know ML, there may still be a pseudo-compiler available
at one of the Atari archives that takes BASIC and converts it into ML (I
used to use one from Analog Magazine years ago!) if you want to write it in
BASIC instead.
-------------------------------------------------------

Again, this is nothing more than my initial notes. Some things will change
as the design becomes more firm.

Essentially, PHOENIX will serve as a means for the Atari 8bit user to
connect to the WWW, using what I am calling a "in progress" interpreter.
Simply put: it will act like BASIC's intepreter does, only you aren't typing
in the html it is acting upon (like someone typing in the BASIC program for
you).

The S.T.I.P. concept should allow for a centralized KERNEL and companion
modules and yet allow for either customization or additional components. The
trick will be how to add in new commands in a cartridge setting.

Having established REGISTERS for PHOENIX and aspiring programmers should
ease things, too, since various values and settings will be accessible via a
table of bytes (with flagged bits as the means of discernment, rather than
wasting entire bytes for a particular value).

Conserving memory is vital in the Atari. PHOENIX is being built specifically
to utilize not only VBLANK processing, but memory bank switching, too! Add
to that that my current scenario is to have the browser burned into a 256K
rom cartridge (banked memory), and looking into how 128K of RAM can
accompany that for high-speed writes for caching. and this should be a
decent little web browser for the Atari 8bit!

The credit list will be intact as well, for all those who have been such a
tremendous help with this thus far!






Article 616 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: A-ONE... A New Atari Online Magazine
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:59:26 GMT

From: jmirando@portone.com (Joe Mirando)
Date: 21 Feb 1999 15:52:37 GMT

For Immediate Release



Former Atari Editors to Debut New Online Magazine



[February 19, 1999, Boston] Former STReport Atari Editors Dana Jacobson
and Joe Mirando announced today that they have begun work on a new Atari
online magazine.  A-ONE (Atari Online News, Etc.), which will likely
debut on Friday, March 5, will be a magazine primarily aimed to serve
the Atari community, according to Jacobson.  "Our goal," said Jacobson,
"is to focus on a magazine which covers material of interest to fellow
Atari users.  We'll do our best to cover all facets of the Atari
experience - computing and console gaming.  But, we'll also cover topics
that are of a general interest to Atari users: general industry news
items and other gaming platforms."

"Joe and I have been using and writing about Atari computers for a long
time," says Jacobson.  "Between the two of us," he added, "we've probably
written for most of the commercial Atari magazines of yesteryear such as
Current Notes, Atari Interface, ST Informer, and Atari Explorer.  And we
just completed a lengthy stint with STReport, an online magazine.  We
have both considered doing an Atari online magazine on our own for quite
some time now.  The talks became more serious the past few weeks and many
of our STReport readers were asking.  The timing was perfect."

Jacobson states that A-ONE readers will see the same coverage as they did
with STReport, but more.  "Columns such as 'People Are Talking' will
continue in A-One," states Jacobson, "and the Atari news items, various
announcements and product descriptions will continue.  We're also going
to continue with the computing and technology industry news section, as
well as Atari and other platform gaming news.  All of that will remain
unchanged, except cosmetically."

When asked what new things A-ONE readers will be able to see in the
magazine, Jacobson reported that "we have a lot of new ideas; and we're
going to be able to resurrect some old ones!  We've talked to Michael
Burkley, of Suzy B's fame.  A-ONE readers will be happy to learn that
Michael has agreed to bring back his "Unabashed Atariophile" column - a
column devoted to Atari public domain, shareware, and freeware software.
We're also looking to get more involved with Atari internet news.  We're
working on 'guest columns.'  We'll be talking to a number of people to
help us make A-ONE the #1 Atari online magazine worldwide."

According to Jacobson, A-ONE will be a text-based magazine.  However, he
stated that an HTML version hasn't been ruled out as an additional
format.  "We're in the process of establishing distribution points for
the magazine," Jacobson stated.  "We'll maintain our e-mail distribution
lists as well as making the magazine available on online services such
as Delphi and bulletin boards.  We'll also make it available for
downloading via numerous Internet web pages.  The best way to do this,
and make it accessible to all readers, is text.  But we realize that some
of our readers may want to read A-ONE while on the Internet.  The 'plain'
text version will be available initially, but we're also considering
adding an HTML version, with all the 'eye-candy,' for those who might
want it."

To contact A-ONE regarding e-mail subscriptions or other inquiries, send
e-mail to dpj@delphi.com .  For submissions and related information,
send e-mail to jmirando@portone.com .






Article 617 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: New ATARI-FileManagement
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:56:25 GMT

From: HCRBurk@t-online.de (HCRBurk)
Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 05:34:53 +0100

Hi atarians!

A new release of the Filemanagement (1.5 0128  - Windows 9x) is complete.

Features:
- Freeware
- Management of XFD/ATR files
- Lists directory structure (DOS/MyDOS/SpartaDOS)
- Import/Export (ASCII, Binary) for DOS/MYDOS/SpartaDOS
- Management of tools for work with other programmes.
- Serial communication (like SIO2PC) between PC and ATARI, it simulates up
to 8 floppy disk drives
.. and much more.

For the ATARIMAN.ZIP file look at my Homepage:
http://home.t-online.de/home/hcrburk/hpatari.html
or http://members.aol.com/MacFalkner

I soon make a DOC available.

Please give a feedback if you find bugs or if you have other suggestions.

thanks,
bye, Burkhard

EMail: HCRBurk@T-Online.de
HP: http://home.t-online.de/home/hcrburk






Article 618 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: OMNIVIEW XL/XE
Date: 22 Feb 1999 03:57:43 GMT

From: "John K. Picken" <yg473@victoria.tc.ca>
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 05:36:09 -0800

=C9=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=BB
=BA  Following is the partial text of the photo-copied "docs" that    =BA
=BA  came with my OMNIVIEW XL years ago. The original was an 8" by    =BA
=BA  6" booklet with no date. My comments are limited to this and     =BA
=BA  the box which follows the last of the stuff I typed in.          =BA
=BA                                                                   =BA
=BA  John Picken                                                      =BA
=BA  yg473@victoria.tc.ca                                             =BA
=C8=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=BC

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3DCover Page =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Omniview XL/XE
by
CDY Consulting

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page i =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Table of Contents

The New Features.........................   1
The Overview.............................   3
The 80 Column E: Mode....................   3
Theory Behind OMNIVIEW XL/XE.............   4
Technical Details........................   4
Memory Map and Variables.................   6
OMNIVIEW Patches for LJK Program.........   7
Using OMNIVIEW XL/XE with the ATR8000....  11
Optional Installation Instructions.......  13
OMNIVIEW XE Installation Instructions....  17
OMNIVIEW XL Installation Instructions....  18

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 1 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

NEW OMNIVIEW XL/XE FEATURES

OMNIVIEW XL/XE now have several new features which solve the
compatibility problem associated with the 800XL/130XE. OMNIVIEW XL/XE
does this by having an ultra compatible 400/800 style OS which will copy
itself into RAM, freeing up the $C000 page. In addition, OMNIVIEW XE has
resident ramdisk handlers which allow you to use the extra 64k of RAM in
the XE as an ultra fast disk drive. Add the other outstanding features
of OMNIVIEW XL/XE, namely, 80 column emulation under SpeedScript 80,
Letter/Data Perfect, BASIC, MAC65, ATR8000 CPM, rtc., and the Fastchip
floating point package for signifigantly faster math operations, and you
have an outstanding value for any 800XL/130XE owner!

Improved 400/800 compatibility:

(Developed by CAL COM, 5295 Cameron Drive #505, Buena Park, CA 90621)
The OMNIVIEW XL/XE operating system runs virtually every piece of
software written for the ATARI computer. Besides being coded closely to
the older OSB, it also has the capability of copying itself into RAM,
freeing up the $C000 page for your applications. This means 4k more RAM
for programs like Visicalc, modem programs, word processors, etc. It
also means added compatibility with highly protected games which look
for ROM in the $C000 page as a part of their misguided protection
schemes (e.g. Electronic Arts).

To copy the OS into RAM (from $D800 tp $FFFF), hold down the SELECT key
while pressing RESET. To restore the OS to ROM, press RESET by itself.
From=20this point on, the RAM version of the OS will be preserved, even if
you switch the OS to ROM and back to RAM. Thus, any changes you may make
to the OS in RAM remain in effect as long as you do not power down. In
addition, if you hold down the SELECT key during powerup, the OS will be
copied into RAM and it will stay in RAM even if you press RESET. Please
note that the 80 column emulation is not available when running the OS
out of RAM.

There are two other features designed to give increased compatibility:
the cursor speed and the OPTION key BASIC activation during powerup. The
cursor speed is the same as the original XL/XE OS to remain compatible
with the SYNAPSE software (SYNCALC, SYNFILE+, etc.) which speed up the
cursor. Also, the meaning of the OPTION key during powerup is just
opposite of the original OS: hold down the OPTION key to activate BASIC.
This seems to be the preference of most people. In addition, there is
the added function of the HELP key. Instead of using CTRL-1 the HELP key
now functions as the scroll control for program listings.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 2 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Turning on 80 columns:

80 column emulation is activated fropm the keyboard by typing CTRL-a and
hitting RESET. To return to 40 columns, type a key without CTRL and hit
RESET. Don't try this if running OS in RAM. Also see "Technical
Details".

Changing screen colors:

Switch the screen colors in the 80 column mode by holding down the START
key while typing a letter. If this does not work (as in Letter Perfect),
try holding down the START key while pressing RESET. However, since this
combination is also used to install the ramdisk handlers, read the next
section before using this second technique.

Installing the resident Ramdisk handlers: (130XE only)

The resident Ramdisk handlers in OMNIVIEW XL/XE allow you to use the
extra 64k RAM of the 130XE as an ultra fast 512 sector single density
disk drive in conjunction with any DOS which uses standard SIO calls
($E459 and $E453) and does not hide itself underneath the cartridge or
OS (e.g. Atari 2.0s, MYDOS, SMARTDOS, etc.). In addition, you will find
it possible to use the Ramdisk with boot programs like Letter and Data
Perfect.

The installation is simple: Type a number (1 to 8) corresponding to the
drive number you wish to assign the Ramdisk, hold down the START key,
and press RESET. (Note: If you are using DOS 2.0 and it is not
configured for more than 2 drives, it will be necessary to configure it
accordingly. First boot up BASIC with DOS 2.0, then, after you have a
`Ready' prompt type `POKE 1802,15 for 4 drives or `POKE 1802,131' for 8
drives. Now go to DOS, write the DOS files back out to the disk. You
have now configured DOS to accept either 4 or 8 drives online.) Continue
to hold the START button down until DOS returns or you go into BASIC.
The reason for this is to allow the ramdisk handler enough time for the
installation process. If you do not hit a number prior to pressing
START/RESET, drive 1 will be assumed. In Letter/Data Perfect this
combination is also used to change the screen colors, so assign the
Ramdisk as drive 3 if you do not wish to use it in these environments.
For example, in BASIC:
 1) Type DOS to go to DOS. Now type 2 and START/RESET to install the
Ramdisk as drive 2.
 2) Since you are now back in BASIC, go to DOS again, format and write
DOS files to drive 2. (Note that we suggest doing a directory on the
drive # you have assigned the ramdisk to. This is to show the DOS that
the drive exists)
 3) Now type 1 and START/RESET to install the Ramdisk as drive 1 if you
so desire.

You can use the enclosed files on the SpeedScript 80 diskette to install
the ram disk handlers. The files named INSTALL1 and INSTALL2 are the
ramdisk installation files. To use them simply load them from DOS
depending on

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 3 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

which drive you wish to assign the ramdisk. You will still have to
format the disk you have assigned to be the ramdisk. Again we suggest
doing a directory on the drive number the ramdisk has been assigned.

To create your own file in assembly language type as follows:

  LDA #2 (the 2 denotes the drive number, this can be changed)
  STA $94
  LDA $D301
  AND #$7F
  STA $D301
  JSR $CFAE
  LDA $D301
  ORA #$80
  STA $D301
  RTS

Note that any attempt to use more than 512 sectors of the Ramdisk will
result in an I/O ERROR.

The Overview of OMNIVIEW XL/XE

OMNIVIEW XL/XE takes advantage of the high resolution graphics mode
built into the ATARI to grenerate an 80 column screen editor essentially
identical to the ATARI screen editor (E:, S:). Thus, you can use
OMNIVIEW XL/XE in any environment where you would normally use the 40
column "E:" (e.g., BASIC, Assembler/Editor, Mac/65, BASIC XL, modem
programs, etc.). The character font was specially designed to be legible
on an ordinary TV set! A monochrome monitor is recommended, but not
really necessary for casual 80 column operation. The Bit-3 versions of
LJK's Letter and Data Perfect have been modified to support OMNIVIEW
XL/XE, along with SpeedScript 80. Other programs are very likely to
follow once software developers realize the potential of the OMNIVIEW
XL/XE.

Use of OMNIVIEW XL/XE 80 column E:

You can activate the 80 column mode in most environments (e.g. BASIC,
DOS, etc.) by hitting CONTROL a-RESET. This will do a normal warmstart
except that 40 column E: and S: will be replaced by 80 column E: and S:.
In addition, the 80 column mode can be activated from assembly language
with `JSR C001' or from BASIC with `X=3DUSR(49152)'. Once activated, the
80 column E: acts just like the ATARI 40 column E: except for a few
minor points. First, the logical line is 80 characters long (1 physical
line) instead of 120. If you wish to edit a line longer than 80
characters, as you might in BASIC, hit SYSTEM RESET to take you back to
40 column mode. Secondly, you cannot set the tabs as you can in 40
column mode. Thirdly, neither split screen nor

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 4 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

line drawing is supported. However, there is a feature which will allow
a mixture of 80 column text and graphics on the screen. This will be
described later.

Thus, any program which uses pure E: in its simplest form (no split
screen or line drawing) for its screen I/O should work in 80 column
mode. Even programs which reference and manipulate internal E: variables
(ROWCRS, COLCRS, LMARGN, RMARGN, OLDCHR, etc.) should work fine because
every effort was made to preserve the meanings of these variables in 80
column mode. One possible exception would be a program which relies on
characteristics specific to a 40 column screen like, for instance, that
the line will wrap at the 40th column. Likewise, programs like VISICALC,
ATARIWRITER, MEDIT, etc. will not work because their internal design
assumes a 40 column screen.

Theory Behind OMNIVIEW XL/XE

OMNIVIEW XL/XE uses ANTIC mode F (BASIC GRAPHICS 8), which gives you a
resolution of 320 by 192 pixels. If you use a 4 by 8 character cell,
this gives you exactly 80 columns by 24 rows. One drawback to this
scheme is that it uses $1E00 bytes (almost 8k) of memory for the screen
data alone. This is rarely a problem and, when it is, you can always
drop into the 40 column mode anyway. Another drawback is that the format
of the screen data is not nearly so convenient as BASIC GRAPHIC 0 (which
is essentially stored as ATASCII). Each character must ve translated to
pixel data represented by bits in noncontiguous bytes in screen memory.
This gets especially tricky when E: goes to read a character from the
screen! This requires a search of the character data table to find a
match for the pixel data representing that character. You can see how
this could be quite slow, but this part of the code has been optimized
for speed and the small delay is hardly noticable. For example, it will
take a fraction of a second longer for the machine to respond when you
type a line of BASIC and hit RETURN.

Technical Details

When you activate 80 column mode with CNTRL-a/RESET, `JSR $C001', or
`X=3DUSR(49152)', OMNIVIEW XL/XE initializes the 80 column screen and
installs the 80 column E: and S: in the handler address of the table at
$31A (HATABS). Afterwards, all CIO calls to E: and S: will get vectored
into OMNIVIEW XL/XE. By the way, when OMNIVIEW's E: GET CHAR routine
fetches a character from the keyboard, it vectors through the K: entry
in HATABS instead of cheating like the OS does and calling the keyboard
handler directly. This would allow you to redirect the keyboard input if
you so desire.


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 5 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

As mentioned earlier, there is a way to mix 80 column text and graphics
on the same screen. While the first line of text is always the top row,
the last is set with the variable BOTSCR ($2BF), which ranges from 0 to
23. If you were to set BOTSCR to anything less than 23 then you could
use the remaining lower part of the screen for anything you wanted by
simply modifying the display list. Also, since OMNIVIEW uses graphics 8
to generate the 80 column characters, there is nothing to keep you from
drawing on the screen directly. This opens up all sorts of exciting
possibilities which were inconceivable with the other dedicated 80
column boards for thje ATARI. For example, wouldn't it be nice to have a
word processor which would allow you to draw diagrams in with the text?
Some software developer ought to jump on that one and incorporate that
into the enclosed 80 column version of SpeedScript 80 the comes with the
OMNIVIEW XL/XE at no charge. Contact CDY for the source code for
SpeedScript 80.


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 6 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Here is a memory map of the screen data area:

RAMTOP*256       ->RAMTOP HOLDS THE NUMBER OF PAGES OF RAM
RAMTOP*256-$126  ->FUTURE BUFFER FOR LAST LINE DELETED (LINBUF)
RAMTOP*256-$1F0  ->BEGINNING OF DISPLAY LIST
RAMTOP*256-$1FF0 ->BEGINNING OF DISPLAY DATA (SAVMSC)
RAMTOP*256-$2001 ->LAST BYTE OF FREE RAM (MEMTOP)

Here are the definitions of OMNIVIEW XL/XE variables:

DSTAT      $4C    USED TO SAVE STATUS
TEMP       $50    TEMPORARY REGISTER
HOLD1      $51    TEMPORARY REGISTER
LMARGN     $52    LEFT MARGIN (0-79)
RMARGN     $53    RIGHT MARGIN (0-79)
ROWCRS     $54    ROW CURSOR IS ON (0-23)
COLCRS     $55    COLUMN CURSOR IS ON (0-79); DISCERNS BETWEEN ODD
                  AND EVEN CHARS DURING SCREEN OUTPUT (OUTCHJ)
LFTMSK     $56    INVERSE VIDEO MASK FOR EVEN COLUMNS
RGTMSK     $57    INVERSE VIDEO MASK FOR ODD COLUMNS
SAVMSC     $58    2 BYTE POINTER TO BEGINNING OF DISPLAY DATA
OLDCHR     $5D    INTERNAL FORMAT OF CHARACTER UNDER CURSOR
OLDADR     $5E    2 BYTE POINTER TO CURRENT CURSOR POSITION (ALSO
                  SEE COLCRS) WITHIN SCREEN DATA
ADRESS     $64    2 BYTE POINTER TO CURRENT CHARACTER
MLTEMP     $66    2 BYTE POINTER WHERE NEXT CHAR WILL BE OUTPUT
                  (ALSO SEE COLCRS) WITHIN SCREEN DATA
RAMTOP     $6A    NUMBER OF 256 BYTE PAGES OF RAM AVAILABLE
BUFCNT     $6B    BUFFER COUNT DURING E: GET CHAR
BUFSTR     $6C    RETAINS START OF LOGICAL LINE DURING E: GET CHAR
                  (ROW/COL)
DILIST     $70    TEMP 2 BYTE PTR USED DURING GENERATION OF DISPLAY
                  LIST
TEMP1      $79    TEMPORARY REGISTER
INSDAT     $7D    TEMPORARY REGISTER
LINBUF     $7E    2 BYTE POINTER TO A LINE BUFFER JUST PAST DISPLAY LIST
GPRIOR     $26F   PRIORITY SELECTION REGISTER
HOLD3      $29D   TEMPORARY REGISTER
ESCFLG     $2A2   ESCAPE FLAG; USED TO DISPLAY CTRL CODES
TMPROW     $2B8   TEMPORARY STORAGE FOR ROWCRS
SCRFLG     $2BB   SCROLL FLAG; SET IF SCROLL OCCURRED
SHFLOK     $2BE   FLAG FOR SHIFT AND CONTROL KEYS
BOTSCR     $2BF   THE NUMBER OF TEXT ROWS AVAILABLE FOR PRINTING
MEMTOP     $2E5   2 BYTE POINTER TO THE TOP OF FREE MEMORY
CRSINH     $2F0   CURSOR INHIBIT FLAG; NON-ZERO TURNS CURSOR OFF
ATACHR     $2FB   LAST ATASCII CHARACTER READ OR WRITTEN
CH         $2FC   INTERNAL HARDWARE VALUE OF THE LAST KEY PRESSED
DSPFLG     $2FE   DISPLAY FLAG; NON-ZERO WILL DISPLAY CTRL CHARS
SSFLAG     $2FF   START/STOP FLAG; NON-ZERO WILL SUSPEND SCREEN
                  OUTPUT

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Page 7 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Use of OMNIVIEW XL/XE WITH LJK'S Letter Perfect

Any version of Letter Perfect which supports the Bit-3 board can, with
the appropriate patches, be made to work with OMNIVIEW XL/XE. Some
special fixed entry points were added to OMNIVIEW XE/XL to provide the
necessary hooks and these can be used in your own software if needed:

CURSNJ $CFB1 TURN ON CURSOR @OLDADR ($5E)
CURSFJ $CFB4 TURN OFF CURSOR @OLDADR ($5E)
DELRTJ $CFB7 CLEAR TO EOL, BASED UPON MLTEMP ($66) AND COL # IN REG Y
OUTCHJ $CFBA OUTPUT CHAR IN ACC TO SCREEN @MLTEMP ($66) AND COLCRS ($55)
SCROLJ $CFBD SCROLL SCREEN UP
SCRLDJ $CFC0 SCROLL SCREEN DOWN

=C9=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=BB
=BA  The balance of page 7 and pages 8-10 consist of sector editing   =BA
=BA  instructions to enable use of Letter Perfect and Data Perfect    =BA
=BA  with OMNIVIEW. Since I've never met, or even heard of, anyone    =BA
=BA  who uses these, I'll be d***ed if I'll waste the time typing     =BA
=BA  them in. Additionally, given some of the obvious errors in the   =BA
=BA  foregoing text, who knows what the sector data is in reality?    =BA
=BA                                                                   =BA
=BA  Pages 11-12 consist of instructions for use with the ATR8000,    =BA
=BA  (almost as rare as Letter Perfect). About the only thing of      =BA
=BA  interest to non-ATR users is that the ATRMON (terminal           =BA
=BA  program and cursor controls for CP/M) code is in the portion     =BA
=BA  of the ROM occupied by the XL/XE diagnostic, i.e. $D000,         =BA
=BA  which is mapped into $5000-$57FF when ATRMON is active. From     =BA
=BA  the PORTB manipulation in the RAMdisk number code snippet, I     =BA
=BA  surmise that this portion of the ROM contains a bit more than    =BA
=BA  the docs indicate. Interestingly enough, the authors omitted     =BA
=BA  to warn the programmer to avoid the $5000-$57FF address range    =BA
=BA  when assembling the RD number thing and made no mention of       =BA
=BA  $94 in the equates above. Oh well, from my experience with       =BA
=BA  Omniview on a 256XL, the RD never worked properly anyway and     =BA
=BA  really wouldn't have been very useful since it only exploited    =BA
=BA  64k of extra RAM (why I hate code in ROM).                       =BA
=BA                                                                   =BA
=BA  I never received pages 13-18 (No, I don't do my own upgrades!)   =BA
=BA                                                                   =BA
=BA  jkp                                                              =BA
=BA  18 Feb 99                                                        =BA
=C8=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=
=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=CD=BC






Article 619 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Subject: Atari Founder Nolan Bushnell Confirmed to Attend Classic Gaming

Expo '99
Reply-To: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

For immediate release
Contact Keita Iida and John Hardie
info@cgexpo.com
914-835-4069, 516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com


ATARI FOUNDER NOLAN BUSHNELL CONFIRMED TO ATTEND CLASSIC GAMING EXPO '99
Father of Electronic Game Entertainment is Distinguished Guest for August
Show

February 26, 1999

VALLEY STREAM, NY -- The Classic Gaming Expo '99 (CGE'99) promoters
announced today that legendary entrepreneur and visionary, Mr. Nolan
Bushnell, has confirmed his intention to attend this year's event in Las
Vegas.  Bushnell, Founder of Atari Corporation, creator of "PONG" and
considered by many to be the "Father of the Video Game Industry" is slated
to give a keynote address and join a panel of other industry-related
pioneers in a round table discussion.

"We are elated that Mr. Bushnell has agreed to participate in this year's
festivities," exclaimed John Hardie, co-promoter of CGE'99.  "The entire six
billion dollar electronic entertainment industry owes a great deal to the
vision and leadership of the individual that actually established the
industry.  Many of us have been inspired by his passion to educate and
entertain."

In addition to Atari, Bushnell was also the founder and mastermind behind
Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater, Catalyst Technologies, ByVideo, Axlon,
Androbot, Etak (just to name a few), and has continued to stay in the
mainstream of today's gaming industry.

Bushnell was also granted patents on some of the basic technologies utilized
in early video games and is the
inventor or co-inventor of numerous patented products in various industries
throughout the world.

Currently, Bushnell has several projects in development, including
In.10.City Inc., a "super mall for fun and education," and Playnet.com,
Inc., a public venue internet-based entertainment corporation. He is
Chairman and CEO of both companies.

"I'm excited to be attending this year's Classic Gaming Expo '99," remarked
Bushnell, "especially since this year is the 25th Anniversary of the
shipping of Atari's first home video game unit.  Atari was an incredible
period in my life and it will be interesting to shed some light on those
days for those who didn't get to live them.  It's going to be a fun weekend,
catching up with old friends and meeting other classic gaming enthusiasts.
I'm really looking forward to it!"

Bushnell was voted 1997's Man of the Year by AMI, a major coin-operated
amusement industry trade show. He has also been inducted into the video game
industry's Hall of Fame, was named Babson College's Entrepreneur of the
Year, and is currently serving as the Commissioner of the Professional
Gamers League.  Among his numerous other distinctions, Bushnell holds a BSEE
and is a "Distinguished Fellow" at the University of Utah, as well as having
attended Stanford University.  Bushnell frequently lectures at major
universities and corporations around the nation on the topics of
entrepreneurship, innovation and education.

Nolan Bushnell's Classic Gaming Expo '99 keynote presentation will take
place Saturday, August 14 at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Internet
users can visit http://www.cgexpo.com for updated news and registration
information.

Conceived and coordinated by two of the individuals responsible for
coordinating last year's highly successful "World of Atari" event, Classic
Gaming Expo is the industry's only annual event that is dedicated to
celebrating the roots of electronic entertainment, bringing together
industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media for the ultimate in
learning, game-playing and networking. Classic Gaming Expo is a production
of CGE Services, Corp.
(www.cgexpo.com)

### END ###
-- 
Michael Current, mailto:mcurrent@carleton.edu
8-bit Atari FAQ and Vendor Lists, http://www.faqs.org/faqs/atari-8-bit/
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG, telnet://freenet-in-c.cwru.edu (go atari)
St. Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts, http://www.library.carleton.edu/space/




Article 620 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Subject: Jagfest 99 Update
Date: 4 Apr 1999 20:22:10 GMT

March 19, 1999

For immediate release:

ROCHESTER, MN -- Songbird Productions is proud to be the official
sponsor of this year's JagFest. This third annual event will be
held in Rochester, MN, on June 18, 1999. The theme for this
year's event is "Celebrate Atari", and Songbird Productions
welcomes the opportunity to expand the event to cover all Atari
consoles -- from the classic VCS (2600) to the Lynx to the
Jaguar.

Enthusiasts are encouraged to bring their own collections for
display or trade. Special accommodations must be made with
Songbird Productions for those wishing to reserve a table, TV, or
sell any merchandise.

Details are as follows:

Where:  Holiday Inn South
        1630 South Broadway
        Rochester, MN 55904
        (507)288-1844

When:   June 18, 1999
        Set up from 7-10am
        General public from 10am-10pm

Cost:   Adult:          $10 in advance, $12 at the door
        Ages 6-12:      $3
        Ages 5 & under: FREE

----- Hotel information -----------------------------------

The Holiday Inn South has a limited selection of rooms available
at a special JagFest price of $79 per night. You must call the
hotel directly at (507)288-1844 to receive this special pricing,
and notify the representative of the discount code 'JAG'. These
rooms must be reserved before May 27, 1999, to guarantee
availability.

Other hotels are also available within walking distance of the
Holiday Inn South. These hotels include:

Quality Inn and Suites
1620 1st Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)282-8091

Comfort Inn
1625 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)281-2211

Econo Lodge South
1850 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904
(507)282-9905

----- Tickets ---------------------------------------------

Tickets may now be reserved directly with Songbird Productions.
Send an email to songbird@atari.org for details.

Tickets or wristbands will be issued, allowing attendees to come
and go all day long as needed. All children 12 & under must be
accompanied by an adult at all times.

----- General Information ---------------------------------

Be sure to visit the JagFest '99 web site for the latest
information:

http://jagfest.atari.org

For those who may wish to remain in Rochester over the weekend,
more activities are currently slated:

Saturday, June 19 - Take a trip to one of the largest shopping
centers in the world: the Mall of America. Try your hand at the
NASCAR networked racing simulator, visit the arcade, play a round
of laser tag at Starbase Omega, shop at the Starlog retail store
or Electronics Boutique, or even try a roller coaster at Camp
Snoopy. Plus, don't forget to visit specialty video game stores
Games to Go and Raven Video Games. Directions will be provided.

Sunday, June 20 - Before you head back home, join Carl Forhan for
church at New Life Worship Center (http://www.newlifewc.org).
NLWC is a contemporary Christian church dedicated to the singular
purpose of bringing glory to the Lord and spreading the good news
of the gospel.  Carl energetically leads the music team with his
vocals and keyboard skills. Other instruments inclue bass guitar,
drums, piano, and back up vocals. This is one church service you
won't want to miss! Directions will be provided.

Other areas of interest in Rochester include the Mayo Clinic,
IBM, Apache Mall (with arcade), Skyline Raceway and Waterslide,
Cyber Cue pool hall, and more.

To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird Productions,
be sure to visit the company web site at
http://songbird.atari.org, or send an email to
songbird@atari.org.

Copyright 1999 Songbird Productions. All rights reserved. This
article may be reprinted in its entirety.

-- 
Michael Current, mailto:mcurrent@carleton.edu
8-bit Atari FAQ and Vendor Lists, http://www.faqs.org/faqs/atari-8-bit/
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG, telnet://freenet-in-c.cwru.edu (go atari)
St. Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts, http://www.library.carleton.edu/space/




Article 621 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: Second Annual Classic Video and Computer Game Show Takes Flight
Date: 4 Apr 1999 20:29:37 GMT

For immediate release
Contact Keita Iida and John Hardie
info@cgexpo.com
914-835-4069, 516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com


SECOND ANNUAL CLASSIC VIDEO AND COMPUTER GAME SHOW
TAKES FLIGHT

January 28, 1999

VALLEY STREAM, NY -- What started it all is starting all
over again. On Saturday, August 14, and Sunday August, 15,
the computer and gaming industry's most innovative
pioneers will gather in Las Vegas to attend Classic Gaming
Expo '99.  The second of new annual event was inspired by
a resurgent interest in classic game re-releases and
updates such as "Pitfall 3D" by Activision, "Williams
Arcade Classics" by Williams and "Namco Museum" by Namco
Hometek as well as titles including "Battlezone",
"Asteroids" and Hasbro's "Centipede".

John Hardie and Keita Iida, part of the group responsible
for organizing last year's World of Atari event, have
teamed up once again to host the second annual show
devoted entirely to celebrating the roots of the
electronic entertainment industry. This year's event,
however, has been expanded and is planned to embrace
everything and everyone that has to do with classic
gaming and computing.

"We're turning the exhibition areas of Jackie Gaughan's
Plaza Hotel into a living video game museum -- spotlighting
an era that spawned a mammoth industry," explained Mr.
Iida. "Classic Gaming Expo honors the catalysts for many
of Silicon Valley's historic corporate and personal success
stories." On display will be mint-condition restorations of
products once produced by Atari, Magnavox, Coleco, Mattel,
Apple, Midway, Namco and many more.

Aside from game competitions, displays, and various other
festivities scheduled over two full days in the elegance
of the Plaza Hotel. A number of noted programmers,
developers and spokespersons will be on hand. All are
expected to be available to actively trade smiles, answer
questions and fulfill occasional requests for autographs.
Among those who have already announced plans to attend are
Ralph Baer, legendary inventor of Odyssey(tm), the first
home video game; Steve Cartwright, Activision game
designer of hit Atari 2600 classics such as "Barnstorming"
and "Megamania"; and Arnie Katz, Bill Kunkel and Joyce
Worley, co-founders of "Electronic Games Magazine," the
first publication entirely devoted to the coverage of video
and computer games.

"Classic gaming is not just a pastime any longer.  It has
quickly evolved into a substantial niche business that
contemporary publishers and distributors are beginning to
rediscover," points out Mr. Donald A. Thomas, Director of
Peripherals Licensing for VM Labs in Mt. View, CA.  Mr.
Thomas worked as Atari's Consumer Services and Marketing
Director in its latter years.  He has since worked on
projects for PlayStation and is focused on the eminent NUON
entertainment platform.

"We are not surprised by the interest in classic video and
computer games, but the turnout at least year's event
exceeded even our greatest expectations," concluded
co-promoter John Hardie. "Attendees and members of the
industry asked us to plan a classic gaming exposition as an
annual event, and we had hoped to do that from the
beginning. We're happy to say that the momentum exists to
make our common goal a reality."


Now approaching its second annual celebration, Classic
Gaming Expo (formerly known as "World of Atari") is the
industry's only event that is dedicated to celebrating the
roots of electronic entertainment, bringing together
industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media for
the ultimate in learning, game-playing and networking.
Classic Gaming Expo is a production of CGE Services, Corp.
(www.cgexpo.com)

### END ###





Article 622 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: New carts for the Atari8 from Video 61
Date: 19 Apr 1999 19:17:09 GMT

From: Video61@webtv.net (Lance Ringquist)
>Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: new carts for the atari8
Date: Tue Apr 13 22:21:09 1999

here is a list of all the new carts we have released n the last 2
years,all carts come in a box,with documentation,except sparta
dos3.3c,we are currently working on doc's,all carts run directly from
the cart port except the 3 utility carts,they are installed,then taken
out,we currently are working on more titles,and we will post them when
we are able to,all titles carry a $19.95 a peice price,
mydos xl/xe only,this is the newest version,and has some improvements
sparta dos 3.3c xl/xe only,this is the most solid sparta yet
translator cart xl/xe only,now you can have fast boot of your
incompatible 400/800 programs,no more wait time for translator disk boot
up,this aso works on many carts
amazemaze 48k,maze craze type game
hearts 48k,based on the popular card game
montana solitaire 64k,nice solitiare type puzzle game
checkers 16k,nice checkers game
jailbreak 64k,2-4 player arcade style game
ricochet 64k,paddles requirerd in this breakout style game
sharp shoooter 64k,light gun shooting game
my jong 64k,chinese puzzle style game
paddle wars 48k,pong style game
bumpers 48k,fast breakout style game
lights out 48k,1-2 player puzzle game
puzzler 48k,20 dungeons of puzzle fun
paddle pack 48k,two pong games on one cart
puzzled 48k,jigsaw puzzle fun
twin pack 48k,two games on one cart,battle ship/jump the pegs
solitaire 48k,real good version of solitaire,nice and addicting
video slots 48k,nice video slot machine good graphics
desmonds dungeons 16k,good platform style game
dungeonlords 48k,like dark chambers,or gauntlet
maze war 16k,fast fun 1-4 player game(4player 400/800 only)
dan strikes back 16k,good platform style game
elevator man 16k, donkey kong style game
plaqueman 16k,pacman maze style game
coming soon,
zybex
concentration

Video 61 & Atari Sales
                        22735 Congo ST NE
Stacy MN 55079






Article 623 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: CGE '99 Announces Guests
Date: 19 Apr 1999 19:18:32 GMT

For Immediate Release
Contact Keita Iida and John Hardie
info@cgexpo.com
516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com


CLASSIC GAMING EXPO '99(tm) ANNOUNCES DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

AUGUST SHOW FAST BECOMING INDUSTRY PHENOMENON

April 15, 1999

VALLEY STREAM, NY -- Hot on the heals of an announcement by Hasbro
Interactive to publish eleven Namco blockbuster classic video games
including "Pac-Man" and "Galaga", the Classic Gaming Expo '99(tm)
(CGE'99) promoters released a partial list of celebrities scheduled to
attend the August event. In all, over thirty video game and computer
pioneers have confirmed plans to actively participate, including
industry legends such as Mr. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, and
Mr. Ralph Baer, father of the Magnavox Odyssey.

Among the many industry dignitaries that have confirmed their plans to
attend are:

-- Mr. Steve Cartwright, Activision designer of such classic hits as
"Megamania" and "Barnstorming" for the Atari VCS.

-- Mr. David Crane, Atari programmer and Activision co-founder.
Designer of numerous Atari VCS classics including "Outlaw", "Slot
Machine", "Freeway", and the mega-hit "Pitfall!".

-- Mr. Rob Fulop, Atari programmer and Imagic co-founder. Designed the
Atari VCS versions of "Night Driver" and "Missile Command", as well as
"Demon Attack". Also responsible for the highly-controversial Sega CD
title, "Night Trap".

-- Mr. Arnie Katz, Mr. Bill Kunkel, and Ms. Joyce Worley. The pioneers
of videogame magazine publishing. This elite media trio was
responsible for co-founding Electronic Games Magazine and several
others throughout the years.

-- Mr. Ed Logg, the creator of numerous arcade mega-hits including
"Asteroids", "Centipede", "Millipede", "Gauntlet", and "Xybots".

-- Mr. Jay Smith, mastermind responsible for bringing us the Vectrex,
the first and only vector home game system.


Up-to-the minute details and an expanded guest list, as well as
discount ticket and travel information may be found at the official
Classic Gaming Expo '99 (tm) Web Site at http://www.cgexpo.com.

The Classic Gaming Expo will take place at the beautiful Plaza Hotel
on Saturday, August 14 and Sunday, August 15 in the heart of Las
Vegas. The Expo includes back-to-back keynote presentations, an
elaborate museum containing many rare and unreleased software and
hardware products, demonstrations of forthcoming classic products from
Hasbro, The Blue Sky Rangers, and Nyko Technologies as well as a
spectacular opportunity to buy and trade classic video game systems
and software.

Conceived and coordinated by two of the individuals responsible for
coordinating last year's highly successful "World of Atari" event,
Classic Gaming Expo(tm) is the industry's only annual event that is
dedicated to celebrating the roots of electronic entertainment,
bringing together industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts and the media
for the ultimate in learning, game-playing and networking. Classic
Gaming Expo(tm) is a production of CGE Services, Corp.
(www.cgexpo.com)


Media assistance provided by http://www.icwhen.com

Note: trade names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their owning companies.

                    ### END ###






Article 624 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Hasbro Interactive Acquires Rights to 11 Namco Titles
Date: 19 Apr 1999 19:18:51 GMT

Hasbro Interactive Acquires Rights to
11 Namco Titles

Pac-Man to Join Frogger In Company's Growing Action Games Line

BEVERLY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1999--Leading entertainment
software publisher Hasbro Interactive today announced it has reached an
agreement with Namco Ltd. that will allow Hasbro Interactive to develop,
publish and distribute interactive games based on 11 Namco properties,
including Pac-ManR, the #1 video arcade game of all time. The license
agreement includes PC game rights to such arcade classics as Pac-Man, Ms.
Pac-ManR and Dig DugR, and multiple hardware platform rights to GalagaR,
GalaxianR and Pole PositionR, among others.

``We expect the Namco properties to greatly enhance our position in the
action games category,'' explained Hasbro Interactive President Tom
Dusenberry. ``Our success with FroggerR on both the PC and PlayStationR game
console has paved the way for future development in this genre of games. The
Namco properties are an excellent fit with Hasbro Interactive's classic
games heritage.''

Hasbro Interactive's first games based on the Namco properties will be
available in the fall of 2000, coinciding with Pac-Man's 20th anniversary.
Over the years, there have been more than 430 licensed Pac-Man products,
making it among the most popular franchises in the entertainment industry.
Hasbro's Milton Bradley division developed board games, puzzles and card
games featuring the familiar yellow character.

``Hasbro Interactive's success in bringing classic arcade games to the
mass-market made them the right partner for us in this venture,'' said Namco
Managing Director Yasuhiko Asada. Namco will introduce the first 3D Pac-Man
game this fall, Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary for the PlayStation game
console. ``There is a huge market for retro entertainment. We're putting a
major emphasis on Pac-Man around our launch of Pac-Man World 20th
Anniversary this fall and Hasbro Interactive will help us carry the momentum
well into 2000 and beyond with new versions for the PC.''

``This is a great opportunity for both Hasbro Interactive and Namco,'' said
Mike Fischer, Director of Marketing, Namco Hometek Inc. ``I'm especially
excited about Hasbro Interactive's PC-based products for Pac-Man and Ms.
Pac-Man, which will support the impact and awareness of Namco's own
PlayStation products. Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary will just be the start
of a great new family of updated Namco classics from both of our
companies.''

Arcade game fans have scooped up more than 2 million copies of Hasbro
Interactive's Frogger since it was introduced in 1997. Last month, the
two-year-old title hopped its way to #2 on the PC games sales chart,
according to PC Data. ``Character-driven classics like Frogger can have an
extremely long shelf-life,'' explained Dusenberry. ``We see enormous
potential with the many Namco properties, not the least of which is Pac-Man.
Hasbro Interactive will bring these classic gaming properties into the next
millennium in a big way.''

Hasbro Interactive will debut a full line of action games at the Electronic
Entertainment Expo in May. Among the planned fall releases are all-new, 3D
versions of Pong, Tetris and Missile Command. And, just in time for summer,
Hasbro Interactive will release a compilation CD-ROM of original Atari
games.

Namco Ltd., a Tokyo based world leader in the entertainment industry, has
been engaged in the amusement business for more than 40 years and today
maintains a leading position in the R&D, production and sales of
coin-operated game machines and home videogame software, operation of an
urban theme park ``Wonder Egg'', as well as amusement facility operations.

Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a leading all-family interactive games
publisher, formed in 1995 to bring to life on the computer the deep library
of toy and board games of parent company, Hasbro, Inc. (ASE:HAS). Hasbro
Interactive has expanded its charter to include original and licensed games
for the PC, the PlayStationR and NintendoR 64 game consoles and for
multi-player gaming over the Internet. Headquartered in Beverly,
Massachusetts, Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.K., France, Germany,
Japan and Canada. For more information, visit the Hasbro Interactive Web
site at www.hasbro-interactive.com.

(c) 1999 Hasbro Interactive, Inc. Frogger is a registered trademark of
Konami Co., Ltd. (c)1981 KONAMI. All rights reserved.

PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc.
----------------
Contact:

     Hasbro Interactive
     Dana Henry
     978-921-3759
     dhenry@hasbro.com
           or
     Agnew, Carter, McCarthy
     Laura Tomasetti
     617-437-7722
     ltt@acm-pr.com






Article 625 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Stu Huffman <shuffman@doe.state.in.us>
Subject: Columbus Atari Swap on WWW: check it out ...(fwd)
Date: 29 Apr 1999 01:11:45 GMT

In case you have not heard, we Mid-Indiana MIST users want to share the
news about the September swap meet right next door at Columbus, Ohio:

           - COLUMBUS SWAP MEET -

The Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Columbus, Ohio are pleased
 to announce their annual swap to be held:

                              9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
                        Saturday, September 18, 1999
                       Oakland Park Community Center
                     980 Lenore Street  -  Columbus, Ohio

You'll find the announcement and updates on the Web at:

http://www.icwhen.com/index1.html 

but then you need a little more info:

go to "site features"

go to "ic news"

we're listed down the page a bit "Columbus Swap Meet," Columbus, Ohio

 __
|  \ R. Wayne Arenz  ********************************************************
|__|   /\    /       *  rwarenz@infinet.com (H)                             *
|  \  /_ \  /        *  warenz@lintek.com (W)                               * 
|   \/    \/         ********************************************************





Article 626 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Dean Garraghty Software (DGS)
Date: 24 May 1999 21:59:33 GMT

From: "Dean Garraghty" <dgs@clara.net>
Date: Tue May  4 11:40:35 1999

DGS - Who are we and what do we do?

Dean Garraghty Software (DGS) supply Atari 8-bit software, both PD and
exclusive Commercial software, including the PPP products QUICK and SAM. We
have been supporting the Atari since 1988, and plan to continue doing so.
We are based in the UK, but sell to anywhere in the world. We accept
payments in UK Pounds and US$. Shipping charges to the US are no more than
$5 per order in 95% of cases.

The DGS Website - What's on it?

We have recently been building our site up to include more Atari archive
material. Here is a summary of the site:

* Our main PD/Commercial software catalogue

* Latest list of used hardware/software/books/magus we have for sale

* List of PC CD-ROMs we have left which need clearing out (CD-ROMs from
50pence each!)

* Free demos of the Quick programming language and Digi-Studio to download

* 17 articles written by me (covering a variety of Atari-related subjects)
and originally published in the Atari 8-bit News-Paper and Page 6 magazine

* Photos from the 1990, 1992, and 1993 AMS shows held in the UK

* Cover scans of the early Page 6 issues including the very rare Issue 1

* Cover scans of all 5 issues of Atari UK's I/O magazine from the early
80's, including the rare Issue 1

* Cover scans of the Official Show Guides to the Spring and Autumn 1987
'Atari User Shows'

* A scanned article from I/O magazine about how Atari got its name

* A cover scan of an old Silica Shop catalogue from 1987

* A complete scan of an Atari UK service centre guide from 1983

* Cover scan of Issue 1 of the UK's "Monitor" magazine (a real treat for
folks in the UK!)

More stuff will be added quite regularly, so make sure you come by from
time-to-time.

The site now uses frames (only 2 to be exact!) so it may take a while to
start up on some machines/browsers. Be patient! If you have any problems
using it with your Browser, then please let us know.

All you need now is the address, which is: http://www.dgs.clara.net

Please stop by and take a look!

Dean Garraghty
dgs@clara.net






Article 627 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: New from Video 61: Firebug, Dan Strikes Back, Spaceball
Date: 24 May 1999 22:00:14 GMT

From: Video61@webtv.net (Lance Ringquist)
Subject: boulderdash style game on cart
Date: Fri May 21 22:13:08 1999

announcing 3 new to cart format games,
firebug,16k classic analog game now on cart,its has boulderdash style
play
dan strikes back,16k,fun platform style game
spaceball,48k,awesome 3-d pong style game,spectacular graphics
all 3 games run straight from your cart port,just plug in and play,
www.atarisales.com
thanks,
lance

Video 61 & Atari Sales
                        22735 Congo ST NE
Stacy MN 55079






Article 628 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Professional AKI board now available!
Date: 19 Jun 1999 21:29:57 GMT

Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 11:56:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: MacFalk2@aol.com

Theres a new professional maded board for the "AKI" (Atari Keyboard
Interface) available now !
Some of the features:

- connects any standard PC keyboard with your ATARI
- full plugable, only 4 soldering points needed (only if POKEY is socketed)
- option for a separate macro memory (up to 8Kbytes)
- output pin for switching several OS-Roms or Ramdisks
- the 'hanging key' software bug is removed

For some pictures and a short description of the new board look at:
http://www.macfalkner.de
-> atari projects -> AKI

bye, MacFalkner






Article 629 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: APE and Prosystem '98 Beta Available
Date: 19 Jun 1999 21:30:21 GMT

From: "Steven J. Tucker" <ai123@FreeNet.Carleton.CA>
Date: Thu May 27 13:23:43 1999

Final beta test versions of Ape '98 and Prosystem '98 are now
 available for registered users of APE.  A few of the new features
 in APE '98 vs. the dos version are:

Excellent stability under even the heaviest system loads, runs as a
 real windows device driver in the background.  No more sputtering
 or timeouts when running programs.

Runs in the system tray and uses 0% of the CPU when idle, even on a
 486 system.  Does not use more than 3-4% of available CPU time even
 when loading from the Atari at highest possible speed.

8 independany PC-MIRROR drives, as well as the complete big disk support
 your used to in APE.  Each independant PC-MIRROR drive can also act as
 an independant APELOADER drive if your OS supports booting from drives
 other than drive 1.

A file browser with built-in support for viewing the complete directory
 tree of any Atari/Mydos or Spartados image, and extracting files.

Advanced printer support.  Print from your Atari to any windows printer
 driver, using truetype fonts, direct to the pc printer port, to a file,
 or to a print monitor window.

Plus many other new features like the nice GUI and ease of use.  Check it out
 if you have Windows and are using APE.

The prosystem has been completely rewritten and includes batch support
 of 1-4 drives for every operation.  Need to image a bunch of disks?  Just
 hook four drives upto your Prosystem interface and press start.  Need
 to format a box of disks?  how about formatting all 4 drives at once
 to make things easier and faster?

To get your beta copy just e-mail me with your registration information
 and I will send you the dpownload URL and password.  Any information
 regarding bugs or new features would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks

Steve
--
   * * *   Author of Imagic and APE - The Atari Peripheral Emulator!   * * *
   * * *       Turn your 8-bit Atari into a powerhouse with APE!       * * *
  *  *  *         Ape Homepage: http://www.nacs.net/~classics         *  *  *
 !! Request my *FOR SALE* LISTING OF CLASSIC VIDEO GAME STUFF !! 2000+ Lines !!






Article 630 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Hasbro Interactive Releases Rights to the Atari Jaguar Hardware
Date: 29 Jul 1999 21:58:59 GMT

HASBRO INTERACTIVE RELEASES RIGHTS TO THE ATARI JAGUAR HARDWARE PLATFORM

BEVERLY, MA (May 13, 1999) - Leading entertainment software publisher,
Hasbro Interactive announced today it has released all rights that it may
have to the vintage Atari hardware platform, the Jaguar.

Hasbro Interactive acquired rights to many Atari properties, including the
legendary Centipede, Missile Command and Asteroids games, in a March 1998
acquisition from JTS Corporation.

This announcement will allow software developers to create and publish
software for the Jaguar system without having to obtain a licensing
agreement with Hasbro Interactive for such platform development. Hasbro
Interactive cautioned, however, that the developers should not use the Atari
trademark or logo in connection with their games or present the games as
authorized or approved by Hasbro Interactive.

"Hasbro Interactive is strictly focused on developing and publishing
entertainment software for the PC and the next generation game consoles,"
said Richard Cleveland, Head of Marketing for Hasbro Interactive's Atari
Business Unit. "We realize there is a passionate audience of diehard Atari
fans who want to keep the Jaguar system alive, and we don't want to prevent
them from doing that. We will not interfere with the efforts of software
developers to create software for the Jaguar system."

Hasbro Interactive, Inc. is a leading all-family interactive games
publisher, formed in 1995 to bring to life on the computer the deep library
of toy and board games of parent company, Hasbro, Inc. (ASE:HAS). Hasbro
Interactive has expanded its charter to include original and licensed games
for the PC, the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 game consoles and for
multi-player gaming over the Internet. Headquartered in Beverly,
Massachusetts, Hasbro Interactive has offices in the U.K., France, Germany,
Japan and Canada. For more information, visit the Hasbro Interactive Web
site at www.hasbro-interactive.com.

Atari is a trademark of Atari Interactive, Inc. a Hasbro affiliate. (c) 1999
Hasbro Interactive, Inc.






Article 631 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
Date: 29 Jul 1999 21:59:13 GMT

             Parallax Inc. and Dr. Dobb's Journal proudly present...

                     The Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
                             October 2nd & 3rd
                       Santa Clara Convention Center
                          Santa Clara, California
                              www.vintage.org


For the third year in a row, the Vintage Computer Festival is back to
thrill and amaze you with the history of one of the greatest inventions
in all of mankind, the computer!

This year:

   * More great speakers!
   * More great exhibits!
   * More great vendors with Cool Stuff to sell!
   * More fun games and contests, including the Nerd Trivia Challenge!
   * Tour The Computer Museum History Center!
   * And of course, FREE STUFF!!

   In short, plenty of stuff to indulge all your SENSES:

        HEAR the speakers! SEE vintage computers! TOUCH them too!
         SMELL their electronics!  But please don't TASTE them!

       "The mission of the Vintage Computer Festival is to promote
    the preservation of 'obsolete' computers by allowing attendees to
     experience the people, stories and technologies that embody the
              remarkable tale of the computer revolution."


Register Early and $AVE!

   Register by September 15 and pay only $20 per person.  That includes
   access to the entire event all weekend, including the speakers, the
   exhibit and the flea market.  Kids 17 and under are admitted free,
   and as always, parking is free too!

   To pre-register, send a check or money order to:

      Vintage Computer Festival
      4275 Rosewood Drive #29-161
      Pleasanton, California 94588

   Or visit the VCF website for more information and a handy registration
   form ready to print (http://www.vintage.org/vcf/register.htm).


The Speakers

   Horst Zuse

   Horst, the eldest son of early digital computer pioneer Konrad Zuse,
   will be giving a lecture on his late father's machines and will
   focus on the computer businesses that Konrad later founded to market
   his ideas.

   Jon Titus

   Who can forget one of the earliest of kit microcomputers, the Mark-8?
   Jon designed the Mark-8 around Intel's 8008 microprocessor and wrote
   a construction article which appeared in the July 1974 issue of
   Radio Electronics.

   Todd Fischer

   Todd bought the assets of IMSAI after their bankruptcy and continued
   to manufacture and sell IMSAI products under the Fischer-Frietas
   Corporation.  Todd consulted with MGM for the movie _War Games_ and,
   as a treat, will be bringing along for show and tell the actual IMSAI
   8080 computer that co-starred in the film.

   Stan Veit

   Stan is an early chronicler of the microcomputer revolution, and also
   a participant.  Stan started one of America's first computer stores in
   New York, and in the process forged relationships with some of today's
   revered pioneers, including Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, whom he
   shared a booth with at the first West Coast Computer Faire where the
   Apple ][ was debuted to the world.

   Jim Willing

   Our admired and beloved VCF Celebrity, Jim will wax philosophic on
   various themes of stupendous relevance.

   Eugene Kim

   Eugene is a writer for Dr. Dobb's Journal (a VCF sponsor!) and will
   be giving a lecture on the history of free software, a very relevant
   topic considering the free-software movement is in full force in
   today's computing arena as evidenced by the escalating adoption of
   GNU/Linux.

   Curt Vendel

   Curt is the founder of the Atari Historical Society (check out his
   great website at http://www.atari-history.com) and has amassed an
   amazing collection of Atari artifacts and company history, including
   some one-of-a-kind Atari prototypes.  Curt will be bringing along
   some of these prototypes for show and tell.

   Roger Sinasohn

   Roger is an avid collector of early portable computers and will be
   giving a talk on the history of the Kyocera 85, a.k.a. the Tandy
   Model 100, a.k.a. the Olivetti M10, a.k.a. the NEC PC-8201A.

   Doug Salot

   Doug's research has uncovered what he believes to be the first
   "personal computer".  Forget the Apple ][, the Altair or even the
   Alto.  Doug's pick as first PC goes all the way back to the 1950's.
   Designed by Edmund Berkeley, an unsung hero of computer history,
   Doug intends to win Berkeley the prominance and praise that he feels
   is much deserved by this virtually unknown computer visionary.

   Plus!

   Workshops by Parallax on their amazing little BASIC Stamp.  Get
   a preview of this cool little device by visiting their website
   at http://www.parallaxinc.com.

   More speakers to be announced soon!  Check the VCF website for
   updates.


The Vintage Computer Faire and Exhibition

   This year, the Vintage Computer Festival exhibit will feature the
   exhibits of individual collectors, all vying to win first, second
   or third place in eleven categories, plus the coveted "Best of Show"
   award.  The winner of the "Best of Show" ribbon will also win
   fabulous prizes.

   This year, we want YOU to exhibit the pride of your collection.
   What better way to demonstrate your enthusiasm for your hobby than
   to be an exhibitor at the Vintage Computer Festival.

   Exhibitor information can be found on the Vintage Computer Festival
   website (http://www.vintage.org/vcf/exhibit.htm).


The Vintage Computer Flea Market

   Every year the best deals on vintage computer items can be found
   at the Vintage Computer Flea Market.  Here are only a few of the
   amazing items sold at last year's flea market:

   * Apple 1 (no, we're NOT kidding!)
   * SWTPc 6800
   * A rare computer by "the digital group"
   * Morrow Decision 1 (S-100)
   * California Computer Systems (S-100)
   * Apple Lisa 2
   * And much, much more!!

   If you've got old computer stuff that you'd like to sell, there's
   no better place than the Vintage Computer Flea Market at the
   Vintage Computer Festival.  Please visit our website for rates
   and regulations (http://www.vintage.org/vcf/vendor.htm).


The Nerd Trivia Challenge!

   Hey trivia fans!  Think you got what it takes to survive the Nerd
   Trivia Challenge?  If you qualify, you'll be pitted against two
   other players in a battle to determine who is the undisputed master
   of computer history trivia.  Answer the most questions correctly
   and you could walk away with $50 in cash plus some other nifty prizes.

   Lightweights need not apply, this contest is geared towards the
   serious computer history enthusiast.  For contest rules please visit
   http://www.vintage.org/vcf/ntc.htm.


Tour The Computer Museum History Center!

   The Computer Museum History Center boasts the largest collection
   of historic computer artifacts in the world.  Their collection
   includes rare, one-of-a-kind computers and artifacts that date
   back to the early part of the century and beyond.

   A tour of the History Center's "Visible Storage" warehouse will
   be organized on Sunday, October 3.  Tickets are limited and so
   advanced registration is recommended.

   FYI: The History Center is on the move, and is thrilled to announce
   plans to build a permanent museum to be dedicated by 2007.  You
   can help the History Center achieve its goal by becoming a member.
   Information about becoming a member of the History Center can be
   found at http://www.computer-history.org.


Meet Fellow Computer Collectors!

   The VCF is the premier gathering for collectors of vintage computers.
   What better way to enjoy your hobby than by meeting other like-minded
   individuals to share stories and information about your computer
   collection.  Register now!  http://www.vintage.org/vcf/register.htm


Visit our Sponsors!

   Without our sponsors, the Vintage Computer Festival could not be
   a reality.  It is our wonderful sponsors that enabled us to bring
   you the Vintage Computer Festival year after year.  Demonstrate
   your appreciation by visiting them on the web:

         Parallax, Inc.
         http://www.parallaxinc.com

                Parallax manufactures the BASIC Stamp, a versatile
                microcontroller with a built-in BASIC language that is
                suitable for most any electronics and computer hobbyist
                project.


         Dr. Dobb's Journal
         http://www.ddj.com

                Dr. Dobb's Journal is the oldest continually running
                microcomputer journal, in existence since 1975.  It
                features monthly articles and columns geared towards
                the computer programming professional.

EOF






Article 632 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Prominent Interactive Entertainment Companies Endorse Classic Gaming
Date: 29 Jul 1999 21:59:25 GMT

For Immediate Release

Contact Keita Iida and John Hardie
info@cgexpo.com
408-983-0953, 516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com


PROMINENT INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANIES
ENDORSE CLASSIC GAMING EXPO '99


VALLEY STREAM, NY (July 14, 1999) -- A prolific line-up of leading
interactive entertainment companies will be sponsoring this
year's Classic Gaming Expo '99 to be held on August 14-15 in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Contributing to this year's event are Hasbro
Interactive, Inc., Nyko Technologies, Inc., Telegames Inc.,
Next Generation Magazine and Digital Eclipse Software Inc. Their
financial and promotional support has proved valuable in aiding
the show coordinators to organize what is touted as the greatest
gathering of industry legends, historic gaming artifacts and
classic gaming fans.

"We are thrilled by the continuing level of interest that CGE'99
has garnered among some of the market leaders in electronic
entertainment," said John Hardie, co-promoter of the show. "The
contributions, product for prizes and giveaways, and public
relations assistance helps ensure that Las Vegas will be the
center of the electronic gaming universe during the month of
August."

Hasbro Interactive is a division of Hasbro, a worldwide leader
in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys, games,
interactive software, puzzles and infant products. With its vast
repertoire of classic board games and the recent acquisition of
Microprose and Atari, Beverly, Massachusetts-based Hasbro
Interactive is focused on bringing simple yet addictive gameplay
to all members of the family. "With modern updates of such
classics as Frogger, Centipede, Q*Bert and Pong, we are bringing
simple yet timeless gameplay to both classic gaming fans and to
a whole new generation of players," said Tom Dusenberry,
President of Hasbro Interactive. "We are proud to sponsor Classic
Gaming Expo '99.  Nowhere else could we hope to reach such a
group of Atari loyalists with the message that Atari is back and
that the gameplay the company pioneered goes on."

For the second consecutive year, Nyko Technologies will be a
prominent co-sponsor of the show. The privately held marketer of
innovative game accessory products rocked and rolled last year's
event by using the venue to debut its Classic Trackball
controller for the PlayStation. Nyko will once again exhibit its
extensive line of products at Classic Gaming Expo.  "We are
delighted to again be involved in such a wonderful show," said
Robert J. Rienick, Nyko's Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
"Classic gaming fans are among the most savvy consumers of
videogame products, and they recognize the quality and
innovation that goes into every Nyko product. This is our chance
to promote our line of peripherals while at the same time paying
tribute to those who have supported us through the years."

Telegames is a group of multi-national operations that are
involved in all aspects of video games and computer software.
The Lancaster, Texas-based company is involved in online and
direct mail retail, wholesale distribution, publishing,
licensing and contract development. It also stocks a large
inventory of classic videogame systems and software, including
Atari, Coleco, Intellivision, Nintendo and Turbografx-16.
Telegames also plans to sell its products at CGE'99, including
exclusive re-releases of the hit Atari Jaguar cartridges,
"Worms" and "Iron Soldier II."

With an enormous subscriber base for its print magazine and the
fact that it's online site is part of the largest online video
game network, Next Generation was an ideal choice to partner
with CGE '99 to aid in promoting the event. In addition to
financial contributions, Next Generation has been prominently
running CGE'99 articles and press releases throughout the
show's promotional period.

Digital Eclipse, a developer, publisher and distributor of
interactive software titles for PC, Macintosh, Playstation and
Game Boy Color, is well known throughout the classic gaming
community as the leader in the development of classic software
titles. The Emeryville, California-based company has been
responsible for the production of such titles as Atari Arcade
Hits 1 & 2 and Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits for various
formats and Klax, Paperboy, Joust/Defender and 720 for Game
Boy Color. "Considering the large number of classic titles
that we develop each year, deciding whether to sponsor Classic
Gaming Expo '99 was a no-brainer," said Mike Mika, Technical
Director of Digital Eclipse and a noted expert in the field
of software-based emulators of classic 70's and early-80's
consoles, coin-ops and computers. "Not only are many of our
products geared toward the classic game player, but we're big
fans of classic games ourselves. We're delighted to be a
contributor to Classic Gaming Expo '99."

Conceived and coordinated by two of the individuals responsible
for coordinating last year's highly successful "World of Atari"
event, Classic Gaming Expo is the industry's only annual show
that is dedicated to celebrating the roots of electronic
entertainment, bringing together industry pioneers, gaming
enthusiasts and the media for the ultimate in learning,
game-playing and networking. Classic Gaming Expo is a production
of CGE Services, Corp. (www.cgexpo.com)

### END ###










Article 633 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Classic Gaming Expo '99 Update 7/15/99
Date: 29 Jul 1999 21:59:36 GMT

Classic Gaming Expo '99 Update        7/15/99
-------------------------------------------------

Hello Everyone,

A lot of exciting things are planned for CGE '99
and we've been hard at work trying to put together
one heck of a show for our attendees. We decided
to send out this news update to clue everyone in
on the latest happenings.

First we'd like to welcome our new sponsor,
Digital Eclipse. If you don't know, these are the
guys responsible for many of the great classic
compilations and conversions that came out from
Midway, Hasbro, etc.

We now have well over 50 special guests that are
planning to attend the show. Check out the show
page at http://www.cgexpo.com for all the latest
info.

Also be sure to check the latest list of vendors
to see who's been added.

*** Great News ***
Due to continued demand for CGE '99 we have
changed our pricing as follows. We have extended
the $27.50 price until the end of July. All
those that register after July 31st, will have
to register at the door. We have also reduced
the price of on-site registration to $35.

Show hours are Sat. 9-6 and Sunday 9-5.
All attendees need to pick up their name badges
at the CGE '99 registration desk.

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

Here's a list of some of the super things we have
in store for everyone...

- Hasbro is planning to hold spur-of-the-moment
Pong tournaments throughout the day. If you're
in their booth at the right time, you might just
get picked to compete.

- Midway has decided to make CGE '99 one of the
stops on their Hydro-Thunder Arcade tour. Walter
Day of Twin Galaxies fame will be hosting the
tour for Midway.

- Walter will also be organizing and running the
CGE '99 tournament area. Aside from the two
regular contests, if you beat the high score on
one of the arcade machines or home system games
Walter will enter you into the next edition of
the high-score book.

- Billy Mitchell, the first perfect score holder
on Pac-man, will be at the show with his machine
showing the attendees how the pros do it.

- Eric Bacher, of Alfred Challenge fame will be
releasing his second 2600 game called "Pesco".
Similar to Alfred Challenge, Eric will sell 40
CGE '99 commemorative editions of the game with
color label, instructions, and box. The game will
also be availale later in the month in B&W label,
etc.

- Eric's friend, Igor Barzilai, will debut his
new 2600 game as well. Igor will sell 50 copies
of "Merlin's Wall" in special CGE '99 editions.

- Eric has also created a secret game that will
not be sold, but he will be running a contest at
one of the game stations with this game. Stop by
and let Eric know what you think and maybe win a
prize.

- Carl Forhan of Songbird Productions will be
releasing 2 new Lynx products at the show.

- Telegames USA has indicated that they will have
at least one new lynx product available.

- Tim Arnold of the Las Vegas Pinball Collector's
Club will have a raffle with all proceeds going
to charity. Aside from coin-op flyers and other
goodies, the grand prize will be your choice of
a full-size Missile Command or Rip-Off arcade
machine plus free shipping in the U.S.

- CGE '99 will also see the re-release of the
book, ZAP! The Rise and Fall of Atari. CGE
Services Corp. has inked a 5-year exclusive
deal with McGraw-Hill for rights to re-print
Zap.

- A special screening room has been set-up for
previewing the current video documentaries being
released by Howard Scott Warshaw and Cyberpunks
Entertainment.

- World-renowned Caricaturist, M.C. Sturman,
will be on-hand at various hours throughout
both days to put your image onto our special
Classic Gaming Expo '99 backdrop. Prices are
very reasonable at $5 for a B&W image or $10
for color.

- The CGE '99 museum is shaping up to be the
best yet. Look for tons of systems on display,
both released and unreleased, as well as rare
and prototype software, memorabilia and other
neat items. Some of the new highlights since
last year's museum include the Color Vectrex,
Odyssey 3, Intellivision 1 Computer, and loads
of software like 2600 & 5200 Tempest, 5200
Asteroids, 5200 Super Pac-man, and many others.

----------------------------------------------
If you have questions, comments, or would like
further information on Classic Gaming Expo '99
please feel free to contact us at:

info@cgexpo.com

Special thanks to all the sponsors, vendors,
guests, and attendees for their support and
help. We look forward to meeting everyone and
having a great time.

Sincerely,
   The CG Expo Staff








Article 634 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Announcing 7 New Cart Titles
Date: 29 Jul 1999 21:59:51 GMT

From: Video61@webtv.net (Lance Ringquist)
Date: Mon Jul 19 18:49:12 1999

here are 7 new to cart format games for all xl/xe machines with at least
64k of ram,these all run from the cart port,simply plug in and play,1
zybex,2mah jong from childs play software(the same company that did the
awesome solitaire)3,monopoly awesome graphics,4 mr. robot&his robot
factory,5 dinky doo 9 level platform game,6 concentration(by the same
people who did solitaire),7 tetris game one or two player simultanius
version.
to order simply go to,
www.atarisales.com
and go to the ordering info page,
thanks,
lance

Video 61 & Atari Sales
                        22735 Congo ST NE
Stacy MN 55079






Article 635 of freenet.sci.comp.atari.news:
From: Michael Current <mcurrent@carleton.edu>
Subject: Announcing Clash of Kings Now On Cart
Date: 29 Jul 1999 22:00:03 GMT

From: Video61@webtv.net (Lance Ringquist)
Date: Wed Jul 21 15:22:28 1999

the anolog classic,the clash of the kings is now on cartridge,it works
on all 8-bit atari computers with at least 16k of ram,for ordering
info,just go to,
www.atarisales.com
thanks,
lance

Video 61 & Atari Sales
                        22735 Congo ST NE
Stacy MN 55079


-----------------------------------------
Return to message index