Z*Magazine: 27-May-86 #3

From: Atari SIG (xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/03/93-08:21:18 PM Z


From: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Atari SIG)
Subject: Z*Magazine: 27-May-86 #3
Date: Sat Jul  3 20:21:18 1993



________________________^^^__________
Zmag/a\zine             HOT Atari 
Ron Kovacs-Editor       News Plus
Middlesex,NJ      May 27, 1986
Issue #3
_____________________________________
Welcome to another Zmag release from
New Jersey. In this issue we welcome
aboard Walt Drummond who will be our
BBS Reporter, Text from the last BAT
User group Newsletter, and more!!!!!!
_____________________________________
XxContents
_____________________________________
* Software Review, this week HACKER
  for the ST.

* BBS Review by Walt Drummond

* Customizing Dos sent by Marlene
  Kovacs

* BAT Column, Text selected from the
  last Newsletter

* Part 2 of False Advertising

* News from Chicago Zmag
  and more.......
_____________________________________
XxEditor's Column
_____________________________________
I want to thank The BAT users group
for their submitting their latest
newsletter to Zmag. Each week I hope
to include news and information from
BAT.

The next Brooklyn Atari Team mtg will
be June 4th @ 7:30 at St. Thomas
Aquianas School 4th and 9th Street
Brooklyn, New York. Meetings are held
every 1st and 3rd wednesday of the
month.
_____________________________________
XxAtomic Network Systems

 #1 Valhalla BBS 212-598-0243
 #2 Funhouse BBS 212-828-7658
 #3 Syndicate BBS 201-968-8148
 #4 New York City 212-604-3323
 #5 "Hour of The Wolf" 99.5fm
    WBAI RADIO
 #6 Electronic Shop 212-547-4871
_____________________________________
XxBBS Advertisements

Call the West Coast SYNDICATE BBS 10
Meg Hard drive, 24 hours 300/1200
415-582-2952
_____________________________________
XxYour Help is needed
We need your help with Zmag text,
upload articles from your favorite
Atari magazines, interesting msgs you
see on your favorite BBS. Make sure
you include your name and city in
your upload. You can also send text
to me to... The Syndicate BBS
            Post Office Box 74
            Middlesex, NJ 08846-0074
            Attn:Zmag/a\zine
_____________________________________
XxWorldwide User Network Members
 ANTIC PUBLISHING INC.,COPYRIGHT
 1985.  REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.

Here are 10 of the 130 most active
user groups in the WUN. Each week I
will list another 10 members. Here 
is this weeks list.

  BERKSHIRE USERS GROUP
  P.O.BOX 593
  GT. BARRINGTON, MA 01230
  JIM BROWN, 413/528/0744

  COMPUCLUB USER GROUP
  P.O. BOX 652
  NATICK, MA 01760
  THOM GRAZIANO, 617/879/5232

  NORTH SHORE ATARI COMP. USERS GROUP
  P.O. BOX 2052
  PEABODY, MA 01960
  MATT BIRKNER

  SEACOAST ATARI COMPUTER ENTHUSIASTS
  64 SOUTH ST
  WEST NEWBURY, MA 01985
  SCOTT CASAVANT, 617/465/5884

  STONE & WEBSTER ATARI USER'S GROUP
  245-7 SUMMER ST
  BOSTON , MA 02107
  GIL BAPTISTA, 617/589/2197

  ATARI ANONYMOUS OF RHODE ISLAND
  194 RANDALL STREET
  PAWTUCKET, RI 02860
  ROBERT CROWELL, 401/724/5629

  KID X USER'S GROUP
  87 MEADOW ST
  WINSTED, CT 06098
  ANDY EDDY, 203/379/8918

  SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT ATARI
   COMPUTER ENTHUSIASTS
  239  BUDDINGTON RD
  HUNTINGTON, CT 06484
  JAMES DZIEMIANZUK, 203/926/0301

  MICROS OF MONMOUTH COUNTRY
  23 WINDING LANE
  BLOOMFIELD, NJ 07003
  201/338/8014

  JERSEY ATARI COMPUTER SOCIETY
  108 WEST POINT DR.
  CHERRY HILL, NJ 08003
  NEIL E. SHERMAN, 609/424/3705 
_____________________________________
XxBBS Review
_____________________________________
Department Reporter Walt Drummond
 
BBS Review-The Syndicate

First Impression->

When a user logs on The Syndicate,
they will find a frendly, user-
orientated BBS.  Functions such as
CompuNotes, messages captured from
Compu-Serve pertaining to a different
topic each week.

Cartoons, a Technical Help Base, a
newly added ST Base and new Base
Sysop-The Socialist, and Z-Magazine
which all together make this an
interesting BBS to be on.

The SysOp->

The Syndicate is run by SysOp
Scarface and Co-SysOp Rum-Runner. 
Both SysOps are very frendly and,
while both Sysops work, they are
quick to answer any question put to
them.

System Configuration->

The Syndicate is run on a 130XE, two
Indus GT drives, an Atari 1050 with
the ICD Upgrade, A CTI printer, the
MPP 1000E Modem, a 1702 Commodore
Monitor and the F.o.R.e.M. BBS
program.

The Syndicate was using BBCS by Scott
Brause a few weeks ago, Due to System
lock-ups, they have gone back to the
MPP. They are going to go back to
BBCS and their 10 meg hard drive
soon.

Special functions->

Cartoons->
The Cartoon function is self-
explanitory, it shows a cartoon.

CompuNotes->
The CompuNotes are Messages captured
from Compu-Serve on a given subject.
Very handy if your are looking for
a little bit of information.

Z-Magazine->

Zmag is what you see here, real
simple explanation, huh?

Network Information->

The Syndicate is a member of the 
Atomic Network, and the founder of
the NJCN, the New Jersey Computer
Network.

The Brooklyn Atari Team Users Group
is the Official User Group of Atomic

Personal Comments->

Personally, I really enjoy being an
active user on The Syndicate.  It's
one of the better BBSs I've been on.

If you want to reach me for any
reason, you can contact me via
Compu-Serve, 71777,3631, or at The
Syndicate.

So until next week, BYE
Walt Drummond
BBS Review Reporter
May 24, 1986
-------------------------------------
XxBAT Column
 Minutes of the meeting of 4/2/86

 The meeting was called to order at
 8:20 PM by the President, Tom Hayes,
 Sr..  Thirteen Atari enthusiasts
 were present. He stated the clubs
 purpose and policy, stressing Team
 effort and teaching and learning
 about the Atari Computer. The second
 issue of the BAT Newsletter was
 distributed.  Bob Metcalf thanked
 the people who contributed items for
 it.  He also mentioned that
 contributions for the next
 newsletter would be appreciated. The
 members were impressed by the size
 and contents of Issue No. 2.
 "Woden", the Sysop of the Valhalla
 BBS spoke to us regarding his BBS
 and The Atomic Network.  The Atomic
 Network is starting to get into
 Community Projects.  The program was
 an interesting demonstration of
 Computer Eyes given by Ray
 Sneigocki.  Ray demonstrated
 Computer Eyes using a camera and
 video tape.  He also showed us
 examples of the different graphic
 modes, and explained the process of
 making and storing digitized
 pictures. The meeting was adjourned
 at 10:40 PM.

      Respectfully submitted,
      Richard Kovalcik
      Recording Secretary
_____________________________________
XxMeeting of 4/16 Minutes

 Minutes of the meeting of 4/16/86

 President Tom Hayes called the
 meeting to order at 8:10 PM. Despite
 the bad weather, twelve members and
 visitors were present. We had two
 female visitors present. For a
 computer club that is something to
 note. Tom briefly told about the
 purpose and plans of the club for
 the visitors. Tom also told us about
 a meeting that three of our members
 had with members of the Atomic
 Network BBS Group. The Atomic
 Network will assist BAT in promoting
 the club and let us use their boards
 for leaving messages and files for
 the members of BAT. Dave Druce,
 Sysop of the New York City BBS,
 spoke about the Atomic Network.  He
 stated that the Network is strictly
 Public Domain. He also said that
 they are starting to get into the
 Public Service area, and there
 should be more to BBS'ing than
 downloading.  The Atomic Network is
 trying to get more communicating
 and Public Service items on their
 boards. The program for the night
 was given by Robert J. Metcalf,
 (BoB). He gave us a demonstration of
 various Public Domain programs that
 would help us with our computing.
 Questions were asked and answered.
 The words "May I have a copy of that
 program" were heard.  Bob noted the
 requests and will have them for the
 members at the next meeting.
 Thanks Bob. For the members who have
 Modems, some of these programs will
 be uploaded to the Atomic BBS's for
 members to download. The meeting was
 adjourned at 10:20 PM, and out into
 the pouring rain we went.

 Respectfully submitted,
 Richard Kovalcik
 Recording Secretary
_____________________________________
XxEditorial

 The NEWSLETTER
 Thanks to the efforts of the members
 of B.A.T. OUR newsletter has been
 very,very well received. Do to these
 efforts WE have been offered the use
 of the several B.B.S. boards in the
 "ATOMIC NETWORK" the names and
 numbers are published in this issue.
 What does this mean to us
 RECOGNITION someone else knows we
 exist. An ONLINE HOME for our
 members where we are welcome as a
 group.NO MORE NEED TO SEARCH the
 world to find B.A.T. messages.
 This will also permit the exchange
 information & and programs,as they
 become available to either group.
 Many of the items that appear in our
 newsletter will also appear as files
 on the ATOMIC NETWORK member boards.
 It is hoped that this will be of
 mutual benefit to our members as
 well as theirs. For this association
 we must say a great BIG THANKS to:

      JIM (WODEN) RIBANDO
         VAHALLA B.B.S
           ATOMIC # 1
_____________________________________
XxAn Eight Bit Lament

 I'm an eight bit Atari Computer.
 Will I continue to be supported? For
 how long?  Has everybody forgotten
 about me?  I have a new bigger and
 faster brother called ST. Everyone
 is paying attention and talking
 about him. They are writing a lot of
 new software for him. How about me?
 Over a year ago my parents (The
 Atari Corp) jazzed me up a bit and
 gave me some more memory. The
 magazines wrote a few articles about
 the new me.  They also published a
 couple of copy programs and a
 picture loader for me. The software
 manufacturers did not do much more.
 They put a couple of new routines in
 existing programs (AtariWriter Plus
 and SynFile +) to use my extra
 memory and came out with a couple of
 games. That was about it.

 Oh yes, Optimized Systems Software
 (bless them) did write a great new
 Basic Language just for me. My
 parents should have done that.  This
 way everyone would have this new
 better Atari Basic Language to use.
 My parents promised to make a new 3
 1/2 inch disk drive just for me.
 They also have been talking about an
 80 column board for me.  But, they
 got busy with my new brother ST and
 I have not seen them. There are ways
 to increase my memory to 320K and
 even more. What am I going to do
 with all that memory, without some
 new software? The Pirates out there
 are not helping me at all.  There
 are some darn good programs out
 there, that are worth the price.  If
 everyone went out and bought a piece
 of software, once in a while, the
 manufacturers would realize I'm
 still around and make some new
 software for me. Maybe, when the
 novelty with my new brother wears
 off, everyone will realize that I'm
 still around. With the proper
 support from my users and the
 manufacturers, I can do a heck of a
 lot and my price is right.  Right
 now, I sure feel like I am on the
 way out.

 I purposely dated this. I hope some
 day soon, I will have to eat my
 words. Will I have to?

 Richard Kovalick April,27,1986 
_____________________________________
XxWhere Can I find???

In this section we will try to help
locate where you can find software,
hardware and whatever else you might
be looking for.

Where can I find AMS???

Advanced Music System is available
from

 LotsaBytes
 15445 Ventura Blvd.
 Suite 10H
 Sherman Oaks, CA 91413

 $14.95 plus 1.95 for handling.
 
-------------------------------------
XxFlase Advertising
 Here is Part 2 in our subject
 about the Advertising in Atari
 Explorer Magazine. If you missed
 our last Zmag issue, We showed 
 you some messages from the SIG*
 Atari base on Compuserve about
 the problems being expirenced
 with the Sourceview Company and
 problems a CIS user has had. We
 did read a message from Scott 
 Brause about liscensing BBCS out
 and we hope to find it for our
 next issue. Here is another 
 message captured by a Syndicate
 BBS user and uploaded for Zmag.


 22-May-86 Sb: SourceView
 Fm: GREG MANUBAY To: Bob Burns

 Bob, sorry I wasn't able to get
 back to you sooner.  SourceView's
 phone number is 415-680-0202.
 Address: 835 Castro Street
          Martinez, CA 94553.

 Incidentally, anybody who has had
 problems with SourceView should
 contact Eric G. Larson, Office of
 the Regional Chief Inspector,
 United Postal Service, San Bruno,
 California 94098-0100
 
 Regards,
    Greg

 We will keep you informed on this
 subject.
-------------------------------------
 XxCustomize DOS
  Submitted By:Marlene Kovacs
 From May 1986 Family Computing

 THERE ARE A FEW POKE COMMANDS TO
 CUSTOMIZE DOS 2.0S OR DOS 2.5.
 NORMALLY, ATARI DOS LETS YOU OPEN
 ONLY THREE DISK FILES AT A TIME, IF
 YOU POKE 1801 WITH A NUMBER FROM 1
 TO 7, YOU CAN DECREASE OR INCREASE
 THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FILES YOU CAN
 OPEN CONCURRENTLY.  HERE'S A RELATED
 TIP: 128 BYTES OF RAM IS
 AUTOMATICALLY RESERVED FOR EACH
 FILE.  TO SAVE MEMORY, SET THIS
 MAXIMUM TO REFLECT ONLY THE NUMBER
 OF CONCURRENT FILES YOUR PROGRAM
 WILL ACTUALLY USE.

 DOS VERIFIES (READS BACK AND CHECKS)
 EACH BYTE OFDATA IT WRITES TO DISK.
 THIS SLOWS DOWN SAVES ENORMOUSLY.
 TO ALMOST DOUBLE THE SPEED OF SAVES,
 TURN OFF THE "WRITE-WITH-VERIFY"
 FEATURE BY POKEING 1913 WITH VALUE
 80.  THOUGH THERE MAY BE A FEW
 PROBLEMS USING DOS WITHOUT VERIFY,
 NOTE THAT THIS MODIFICATION WILL
 MAKE DISK WRITES LESS RELIABLE THAN
 THEY WERE BEFORE.

 ONCE YOU'VE CHANGED DOS FEATURES, BE
 SURE TO WRITE A COPY OF YOUR
 MODIFIED DOS TO A NEW DISK BY TYPING
 DOS AND CHOOSING OPTION H  (WRITE
 DOS FILES) FROM THE DOS MENU.  LABEL
 THE NEW DOS DISK CAREFULLY.

 IF YOU'RE A DOS 3 USER, YOU CAN MAKE
 THE ABOVE DOS MODIFICATIONS BY
 TYPING DOS, SELECTING MENU OPTION I
 (INITIALIZE DISK), AND INITIALIZING
 A BOOTABLE DISK LIKE THIS: ENTER A Y
 AT THE MODIFY FMS PARAMETERS?
 PROMPT.  THREE FURTHER PROMPTS WILL
 FOLLOW, PERMITTING YOU TO ENTER
 INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU WISH TO
 MODIFY DOS BEFORE WRITING IT TO YOUR
 DISK.  DON'T CHANGE THE ADDRESS OF
 THE FMS(FILE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM)
 BUFFERS.  CHANGE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER
 OF CONCURRENTLY OPEN FILES BY ADDING
 THE NEW MAXIMUM(FROM 1 TO 7) TOTHE
 NUMBER OF DISK DRIVES AND ENTERING
 THIS SUM AT THE SECOND PROMPT.  TURN
 OFF (WRITE WITH VERIFY) BY ENTERING
 N AT THE THIRD PROMPT.

XxSoftware Review
 HACKER Reviewed by:Joe Kuffner

 LOGON PLEASE:
 After opening this software package,
 popping the disk into the drive
 and booting HACKER.PRG...voila,
 those infamous two words of the
 computerese dialect.  What now?
 Your hopes of gaining access into
 the World Trade Center, or
 unleashing your wisdom onto an
 unsuspecting ATM at your local bank,
 are dashed!  Alas, the grim reality
 of logging onto the terminal faces
 you.
      What's the password?

 You dash for the instruction manual
 that comes with the program.
 Within three seconds you realize
 that there are no instuctions except
 on how to load this program into
 seven different computer systems. 
 Amazing,    it seems, that the
 password isn't printed on those
 pages - anywhere!
 A thousand ideas dance through your
 head. All of the possibilities
 seem equally rational.  Steve
 Cartwright wrote this program. Let's
 try his name as the password.  No
 success... Invalid Syntax is the
 computer response.  How about
 Activision... Failure.  A hundred
 more ideas - Let's be clever. Who's
 the president of Activision, Inc.?
 ... Failure.
 Thoughts rush to ordering the Hints
 package from Activision, but you
 decide to try one more time. 
 Invalid again!  You're about to be
 logged off the system.  5-4-3... --
 Hold on a second -- a computer
 malfunction -- You're In!
 As can be seen from the
 introduction, this is no ordinary
 game program.  In front of you lies
 a program like no other.  For this
 alone, Activision is to be commended
 for originality.  But wait, it gets
 better from here.  It is your
 mission to break into the computer
 system and...
 Without getting into the program
 details [for certainly, this is
 the most enjoyable part of this
 game], this review will attempt to
 provide you with enlightenment and
 encouragement in doing whatever it
 is you're trying to do [yet another
 good idea in game programming -
 keeping your goal a mystery].
 Having devoted many nights of
 "hacking" to this program, I found
 it to have just the right
 combination of frustration and
 challenge.  Enough of each of these
 elements to keep me coming back for
 more, night after night.
 The game screens use many of the
 ST's features, including the mouse
 [without drop-down menus], adequate
 sound effects, smooth animation and
 colorful graphics.  I personally
 found the constant whirring of the
 disk drive somewhat irritating, but
 at 3:00 a.m. everything is!
 Hacker is what I describe as a
 linear adventure.  That is, all of
 the tools that you need to solve a
 puzzle have been presented to you
 prior to encountering it. For this
 reason, this is an excellent game
 for those of you who don't
 necessarily have alot of experience
 playing adventure type games.  Yet,
 because of the mystery as to the
 purpose of breaking into the
 computer system, it is no less
 difficult for avid and experienced
 adventurers.
 Through the course of adventuring,
 you will most certainly encounter
 puzzles and twists of logic that
 will stump you.  Heck, that is why
 the program is called HACKER.  Be
 warned ... you'll have to write down
 anything and everything that you
 think important.  And, if you want
 to finish this game - keep a map. 
 Equally important is how you compile
 all the information in front of you.
 I found it particularly useful to
 keep a logic chart of all the
 possibilities and impossibilities. 
 A logic chart is a means of
 combining two sets of related
 unknowns [for those of you who have
 not yet played HACKER, bear with me
 for all this will be very
 appropriate when you do!].
 Example: Sally Roger Don  Fred
  Blonde  x    Brunette       x
  Gray    o    Bald           x
      z         z             z
          z             z
  where: x - impossible
         o - definite
     blank - possible
         z - logical
 In this example, facts were
 presented indicating that there was
 one blonde, one brunette, one gray
 and one bald person.  There names
 were Sally, Roger, Don, and Fred.
 Sally was not blonde, or bald; Roger
 was not brunette; Don was gray. 
 From this info we were able to
 logically conclude more facts [noted
 by "z" in the logic table].
 As this relates to HACKER, you are
 provided with details of the
 locations of several spies who are
 willing to trade pieces of a
 shredded document for valuables
 which you must attain through your
 travels.
 HACKER cautions you that "....It is
 believed that several spies may
 accept items which other spies will
 require...."   This is where the
 logic chart comes in handy.  Use it
 to determine which items must go to
 which spies (identified by their
 locations).  For example, your chart
 may look something like this:
 FRANCE  INDIA   ENGLAND    ...   ...
 CASH           o       z        z
 CHRONOGRAPH    ?       ?        ?
 CHALET         ?       ?        ?
   .            .       .        .
   .            .       .        .
   .            .       .        .

 I'll leave it to you to fill in the
 table.  Take your time as you play
 -- for errors in your logic chart
 can make these puzzles even more
 difficult.
 It is with this form of reasoning,
 and good hacking that you will be
 able to enjoy the complex puzzles
 that face you on your quest, instead
 of being constantly frustrated by
 them.  In addition to the logic,
 however, in order to  obtain the
 facts necessary to complete the
 logic chart, good old-fashioned
 trial-and-error is required.  After
 all, what would adventuring be
 without it?
 The program is not without humorous
 and suspenseful moments, too.
 This is what keeps your attention. 
 The addition of languages too, is
 unique.  I often felt the need to
 run to the library for translation
 of certain phrases.  However, it is
 not necessary to do so.  The game
 has so many refreshing, new ideas
 that is truly a joy to play - and to
 keep on playing.
 When the adventure is finally
 complete, the finale is worth the
 wait.  I found this game to be one
 of the most creative and inventive
 programs I've ever played and highly
 recommend it to those of you with or
 without the desire of becoming a
 real-life HACKER.  I can't wait
 until a sequel to this great program
 is released.  Good work Activision.

 [One cautionary note for those of
 you who have upgraded your 520ST's
 to 1 meg.  Your program will load,
 but certain graphics, e.g. infrared
 scope, will not activate on the 1
 meg STs.  You must convert your one
 meg machine back to a 512K version
 before you load Hacker.  You can do
 this easily with "MAKE 512", a
 public domain program available on
 CompuServe.   Ed.]

 [Reprinted from the May, 1986 issue
 of CURRENT NOTES: The Newsletter for
 Atari Owners.]
_____________________________________
Zmag/a\zine Issue #3     May 27, 1986
(c)1987 Ron Kovacs Syndicate Services
_____________________________________
Re-Editted June 1987


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