Info-Atari16 Digest         Tue, 11 Jun 91       Volume 91 : Issue 328
 
Today's Topics:
                 Atari selling Taiwan plant (2 msgs)
                             ATonce Plus
                      CANNON Bubble jet printer
                            Cobol for ST ?
         English dox for printing/24pin1.lzh in atari.archive
            Fido is a bad dog (was Re: More than 4 Meg ??)
                            Fonts for MGR?
                       G++ for ST, where again?
              GCC pml Patchlevel 8 -> 9 update required.
                                 LOGO
                                Mint ?
                     More than 4 Meg ?? (2 msgs)
                         Neo Desk 3 (2 msgs)
                           Publishers (II)
             set-up for Practical Peripherals 9600 modem?
                  SF314 and GCR (not quite working)
                    TT/MegaSTE/SLM605/NOROACH.PRG
                      TT/MegaSTE/SLM605 comments
 
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 07:32:30 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve@ar
 izona.edu (Steve Yelvington)
Subject: Atari selling Taiwan plant
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
The Wall Street Journal reports that Atari Corp. is selling its assembly
plant in Taiwan for $60 million (and collecting an unspecified profit on
the transaction) and will shift the work to subcontractors in Taiwan and
Hong Kong. The article quotes an unnamed Atari spokesman as saying that
the company lost $2 million in the first quarter because of problems in
assembling ``a newer product line'' at the Taiwan facility.
 
 ----
 Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, USA / steve@thelake.mn.org
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 13:15:03 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.c
 olumbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixa.cc.columbia.edu!cmm1@arizona.edu
 (Christopher M Mauritz)
Subject: Atari selling Taiwan plant
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <A336533195@thelake.mn.org> steve@thelake.mn.org (Steve Yelvington)
 writes:
>The Wall Street Journal reports that Atari Corp. is selling its assembly
>plant in Taiwan for $60 million (and collecting an unspecified profit on
>the transaction) and will shift the work to subcontractors in Taiwan and
>Hong Kong. The article quotes an unnamed Atari spokesman as saying that
>the company lost $2 million in the first quarter because of problems in
>assembling ``a newer product line'' at the Taiwan facility.
 
Just to play devils advocate for a moment <grin>, do you think they
really sold the plant because of these "assembly problems" or do you
think it was because they needed the cash to buy back some of their
debt?
 
Cheers,
 
Chris
--------------+----------------------------------------------------------
Chris Mauritz | Cuba's *superior* human rights record is only part of the
              | answer; it's superior social conditions are another.
--------------|        -Harel Barzilai-
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Jun 91 05:02:04 GMT
From:
 news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lethe!telly!moore!eastern!egsgate!Uucp@uun
 et.uu.net (Paul Monckton)
Subject: ATonce Plus
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hi,
Would anyone who is successfully using comms software under ATonce emulation
please contact me via email?
thanks,
Paul
 
--
Automatic Disclaimer:
The views expressed above are those of the author alone and may not
represent the views of the IBM PC User Group.
--
"I'm minuspeptic, frasmotic,
 compunctuous even, to have caused you such pericombobulation" .. Black Adder
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 02:51:28 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!diemen!ecc.tased.oz.au!ecc_foley@uunet.uu.net
Subject: CANNON Bubble jet printer
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hello All,
        Does anybody have any experience with the Cannon Bj 10e bubble jet
printer. The reviews I have read say that it is has a very high quality
print out (400 d.p.i) is very cheap ($800 Aust), noisy and slow (110 c.p.i).
It also said tha it wasn't EPSON compatible. Most of my Atari work revolves
around the C-Lab Notator music package, and I am looking for a high
quality printer to use to print out music scores. Has anybody used the
Bj 10 e with an Atari before i.e. does anybody have a printer driver for
it ?
 
        Many Thanks
        Rodney Foley (ECC_FOLEY@ECC.TASED.OZ.AU)
        Elizabeth Computer Center
        Tasmania Australia
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 08:37:26 GMT
From: IFI.UIO.NO!larserio@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (LarsErikOsterud)
Subject: Cobol for ST ?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Anyone know of a Cobol compiler/interpreter for Atari ST
Public Domain, Sharware or Commercial....
 
 Lars-Erik  /  ABK-BBS +47 2132659  /   ____ ______ ________________________
  Osterud  /  larserio@ifi.uio.no  /   /___    /            The norwegian ST
__________/ ______________________/   ____/   /   Klubben,  user association
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 08:30:32 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!bruce!monu0.cc.monash.edu.au!monu6!dwagon@uunet.uu.net
 (Dougal Scott)
Subject: English dox for printing/24pin1.lzh in atari.archive
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Has anyone got an English translation of the German documentation of the
dox for the 24pin dvi printer drivers in the printing subdirectory of
atari.archive? They would be much appreciated.
        Thanx in advance,
                                        Dougal
--
Dougal Scott  - dwagon@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au  Faculty of Computing & Info Tech
Hell hath no fury like a woman born.               Monash University, Caulfield
                             -Admiral Korg                  Victoria, AUSTRALIA
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 16:10:18 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve
 @arizona.edu (Steve Yelvington)
Subject: Fido is a bad dog (was Re: More than 4 Meg ??)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
[In article <SPA.91Jun11134025@alfa.fct.unl.pt>,
     spa@fct.unl.pt (Salvador Pinto Abreu) writes ... ]
 
> Salvador.Pinto.Abreu@f98.n250.z1.FidoNet.Org??? Do I have an alias out
> there? On FidoNet?
>
> Ahhh... News software can _always_ surprise me :-)
> --
> -- Salvador Pinto Abreu               spa@fct.unl.pt
>                               Universidade Nova de Lisboa, PORTUGAL
 
The Fidonet gateway egsgate.fidonet.org is retransmitting old news with
new message-IDs and bogus From: lines.  If you want to file a complaint,
postmaster@f98.n250.z1.fidonet.org or postmaster@egsgate.fidonet.org
should be the right place to send it.
 
Don't expect a prompt, courteous response. The last time I reported an
egsgate problem, I got no answer at all, so I posted a message in
news.admin. The egsgate operator ranted at me for weeks, denying that
there was a problem and accusing me of ill will.
 
It might be more efficient to just install a global kill for Fidonet.
 
 ----
 Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, USA / steve@thelake.mn.org
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 09:15:53 GMT
From:
 munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!mbaker@uunet.uu.net
 (Matthew Baker)
Subject: Fonts for MGR?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Now that I have managed to get MiNT and MGR up and running, I am wondering
where I can get hold of fonts/icons for MGR... and what do I do with them -
I.E. where can I get docs too?
(I assume at flash.bellcore.com - but does anyone have an IP number?)
 
Matthew
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Jun 91 15:51:41 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lethe!telly!moor
 e!eastern!egsgate!Uucp@arizona.edu (Graham Higgins)
Subject: G++ for ST, where again?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
++   A few weeks ago, somebody announced G++ 1.39 (and gcc 1.39) for
++   the ST. It was available from an FTP site in Germany (where else? :-),
++   I think. Anybody remember where it was??
++   Viele Thanks in advance
 
Jan Timm posted:
 
>> There is a port of g++ version 1.39 (and gcc 1.39 too) on
ftp.thp.koeln.de,
>> (134.95.64.1).
 
Graham
======
 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham Higgins                  |  gjh%ghiggins@hpl.hp.co.uk
Hewlett-Packard Labs            |  gjh%ghiggins@hplb.hpl.hp.com
Filton Road, Stoke Gifford      |  gjh%hplb.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
Bristol, U.K.                   |  ...!mcvax!ukc!hplb!gjh
Tel: +44 272 799910 x24014         Fax: +44 272 790554
------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: My opinions above are exactly that, mine and opinions.
------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 14:19:38 GMT
From: otter.hpl.hp.com!hpltoad!ghiggins!gjh@hplabs.hp.com (Graham Higgins)
Subject: GCC pml Patchlevel 8 -> 9 update required.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
The pml sources on A.A. are PatchLevel 8.
 
Diffs to take source from PatchLevel 8 -> 9 are missing from the posted
updates.
 
Anyone got pml sources with patchlevel > 8 ? or 8->9 diffs ?
 
Muchas gracias.
 
Graham
======
 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham Higgins                  |  gjh%ghiggins@hpl.hp.co.uk
Hewlett-Packard Labs            |  gjh%ghiggins@hplb.hpl.hp.com
Filton Road, Stoke Gifford      |  gjh%hplb.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
Bristol, U.K.                   |  ...!mcvax!ukc!hplb!gjh
Tel: +44 272 799910 x24014         Fax: +44 272 790554
------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: My opinions above are exactly that, mine and opinions.
------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Jun 91 10:45:18 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!news-
 server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lethe!telly!moore!eastern!egsgate!Uucp@arizona.
 edu (Roger Sheppard)
Subject: LOGO
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Does any one know if its posible to get Ataries Logo to work with Tos 1.4/1.6
I do get a out of Memory when I try to load a Logo Program/File,
Note: The software does load up on a 1040 ST with Tos 1.4.
Are there any patches to make this work ?
 
 
--
***  Roger W. Sheppard        *    Roger.Sheppard@bbs.actrix.gen.nz  ***
***  85 Donovan Rd          *  *   At least I don't Flicker, not     ***
***  Kapiti New Zealand..    *     like a dying light globe. !       ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 00:41:42 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!atha!aunro!ersys!mforget@arizona.edu
 (Michel Forget)
Subject: Mint ?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Jim_Holt@aprdlgtr.sps.mot.com (Jim Holt) writes:
 
> I have seen quite a few references to MINT in this group.  I
> am curious about what it is ?  Is this something like Unix
> for an ST ?  If so, how/where does one obtain it ?
 
MiNT is a Multi-Tasking program for the Atari ST.  I have tried using it,
but it is difficult unless you have MGR, which is a program that manages
the multi-tasking.  Since I couldn't locate this program, I gave up on
the entire ting.  You need about 2-4 Megs to use it seriously, though.
Or at least that is what I have been told.  1 Meg isn't enough to do
anything useful.  The program (MiNT) is able to Multi-Task TOS and TTP
programs, and keep them running even while a GEM application is running.
It won't multi-task GEM programs, but it will let you run one while other
things are running in the background.  If you have enough memory, and can
locate MGR (or really like command lines) then try to get MiNT.  Once you
get it running, it is supposed to be great...
 
 
<<  ----------------------------------  >>
<<  ersys!mforget@nro.cs.athabascau.ca  >>
<<     mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca     >>
<<            Michel Forget            >
<<  ----------------------------------  >>
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Jun 91 15:36:32 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!news-server.csr
 i.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lethe!telly!moore!eastern!egsgate!Uucp@arizona.edu
 (Graham Higgins)
Subject: More than 4 Meg ??
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
++ Question is, what would you do with more than 4 meg on an ST running TOS
(or
++ MiNT). I've yet to exhaust 4 meg (even with GCC, MGR, and BASH. Emacs
coming
++ soon... :-)
 
Try CScheme --- it takes 2.5 Mb (itself!) just to see the intro text. If you
actually want to *do* anything (even in 4Mb) you have to forget about MGR, et
al. and run it direct from the DeskTop (gasp).
 
Graham
======
 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham Higgins                  |  gjh%ghiggins@hpl.hp.co.uk
Hewlett-Packard Labs            |  gjh%ghiggins@hplb.hpl.hp.com
Filton Road, Stoke Gifford      |  gjh%hplb.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
Bristol, U.K.                   |  ...!mcvax!ukc!hplb!gjh
Tel: +44 272 799910 x24014         Fax: +44 272 790554
------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: My opinions above are exactly that, mine and opinions.
------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 13:40:25 GMT
From: mcsun!inesc!unl!unl!spa@uunet.uu.net (Salvador Pinto Abreu)
Subject: More than 4 Meg ??
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Salvador.Pinto.Abreu@f98.n250.z1.FidoNet.Org??? Do I have an alias out
there? On FidoNet?
 
Ahhh... News software can _always_ surprise me :-)
--
-- Salvador Pinto Abreu         spa@fct.unl.pt
                                Universidade Nova de Lisboa, PORTUGAL
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 04:17:18 GMT
From: fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!Azog-Thoth@uunet.uu.net (William Thomas
 Daugustine)
Subject: Neo Desk 3
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I just ordered Neo Desk 3 today (cant recall the publisher) and am
just looking to see if anyone has any opinions on it. It looks pretty
good in the ad (which is why I ordered it:-), but I was looking for
someone who has used it, and has any general observations on it.
 
Ill be running this on a 520ST, and two DS 3.5" floppys, and a colour
monitor (no hard drive, or RAM expansion. _yet_)
 
Thanx
 
Billy D'Augustine
Azog-Thoth@cup.portal.com
 
PS: a question totally unrelated. Is there any way to fake the ST out
when using a colour monitor, into thinking its a monochrome? Id like
to get the high res, but dont wanna have two monitors. I am thinking
maybe dropping or raising a line marked 'monochome detect' that I
see in the pinout.
 
Thanx again
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 15:28:15 GMT
From: ubc-cs!alberta!arcsun.arc.ab.ca!erkamp@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Bob
 Erkamp)
Subject: Neo Desk 3
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <43160@cup.portal.com> Azog-Thoth@cup.portal.com (William Thomas
 Daugustine) writes:
>
>I just ordered Neo Desk 3 today (cant recall the publisher) and am
>just looking to see if anyone has any opinions on it. It looks pretty
>good in the ad (which is why I ordered it:-), but I was looking for
>someone who has used it, and has any general observations on it.
>
 
Well I've had Neodesk 3.0 for quite some time and I find it very useful. It
has keyboard commands for all your normal pop down menus. It is very
custsomizable and has other features to numerous to mention. I use it every day
and find it hard to go back to the normal atari desktop.
A happy customer.
>
>PS: a question totally unrelated. Is there any way to fake the ST out
>when using a colour monitor, into thinking its a monochrome? Id like
>to get the high res, but dont wanna have two monitors. I am thinking
>maybe dropping or raising a line marked 'monochome detect' that I
>see in the pinout.
>
There is a autoboot program whose name escapes me at this time at atari.archive
either COLOREMU or MOMOEMU (something like that). That does this quite well.
I've only encountered a few mono programs that don't work with this emulator.
The catch is the screen resolution is obviously not as good and the response of
the mouse movement is also slower.
 
Bob
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Jun 91 14:38:20 GMT
From:
 news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!lethe!telly!moore!eastern!egsgate!Uucp@uun
 et.uu.net (Jack W. Wine)
Subject: Publishers (II)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Jun01.162956.1057@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us
(Stephen Jacobs) writes:
>
>1)Atari Corp. has finally cleared away the wreckage of the Federated
disaster.
 
Last year's online mags indicated how it significantly depleted Atari of
monetary reserves and probably checked ST development for a long time.  I
think the best time to evaluate Atari's prospects will be fall '91/spring '92,
 
when they reveal how the ST line will evolve.
 
The June '91 AtariUser stated that Atari Israel will hire 600 workers, mostly
comprised of engineers.  Oy, with 600 engineers, Atari must be developing
some-
thing!
 
All the computer companies are struggling thru the recession and Atari seems
to be weathering it pretty well.  Since becoming downsized, they seem to be
more responsive, even with less capital compared to their competitors.  I
don't know of other top executives participating in online conferences with
the public, so it shows Atari is willing to listen.  I'm not sure if it would
be possible for them to get on an Internet MUD or IRC, but it would be nice.
 
Jack
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 14:06:54 GMT
From: comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!Roger.Sheppard@uunet.uu.net (Roger Sheppard)
Subject: set-up for Practical Peripherals 9600 modem?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Jun10.200056.29446@chinet.chi.il.us> saj@chinet.chi.il.us
 (Stephen Jacobs) writes:
> Over the weekend, I got a Practical Peripherals V.32 V.42 V.42bis modem (at
> a warehouse sale: wholesale on these babies appears to be about $400).  Works
> just fine, thank-you on my ST so far.  I remember some discussion about flow
> control (or lack of it) with the ST's serial port.  Modems like this were 3
> times as expensive back then, so I didn't save the messages.  What do I have
> to do?  What might go wrong?  How do I deal with problems?  All this
> specifically relating to flow control and a fast modem with data compression.
>                                    Steve       saj@chinet.chi.il.us
 
Well from what I know, there have been a lot of Problems with RTS/CTS
flow control with all the Atari range, there are a few Fix programs
for this.
The other problem is runing the serial port faster than 19.2 kbs, this
was to do with the clocking options to the MC68901, if the * 16 clock
option is not on, you don't have the receive data transition resynch
logic enabled, the * 1 clock option is stated just for synch use only.
It could be posible to clock the chip faster, but have not looked at
the Timer 'D' settings.
 
There have been postings from Atari About this, I do have 2 doc files
but don't remember what was in them..
 
 
 
--
***  Roger W. Sheppard        *    Roger.Sheppard@bbs.actrix.gen.nz  ***
***  85 Donovan Rd          *  *   At least I don't Flicker, not     ***
***  Kapiti New Zealand..    *     like a dying light globe. !       ***
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 08:33:01 GMT
From: fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!CharlieBrown@uunet.uu.net (Charles F
 Schieber)
Subject: SF314 and GCR (not quite working)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I would like to buy the GCR.Can you send EMail or leave message how I can
reach you.Perhaps you can send it C.O.D.Do you have the instruction Book also
?
Charles F Schieber(Charlie Brown)Portal
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 18:54:04 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!think.com!cass.ma02.bull.com!know!troot@ar
 izona.edu
Subject: TT/MegaSTE/SLM605/NOROACH.PRG
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
One netter asked about the MIPS on the TT. It's like the Mac commercial
says, it's not how many MIPs but how useful the machine is. I have an ST at
home and a TT at work. I also support PC users at work (they have COMPAQs).
Both my ST and the TT make the COMPAQs and WINDOWS 3 look like real
kludges. The COMPAQ users are always asking "Why is everything so SLOW!".
 
You HAVE to experience WINDOWS 3 on a PC just to see how cumbersome and
slow this is.
 
As for price comparisons; a TT with 4 megs and VGA monitor is under $3000
Canadian dollars. A COMPAQ 386/33 with VGA is just under $5000. The TT
looks like a good buy to me! Oh yeah, both have 50 meg drives.
 
Another netter asked why the MegaSTE and TT take so long to boot; this is
discussed in the manual. The quick fix is to hit the spacebar about 10
seconds after powering up. The other fix is to have a boot floppy with
NOROACH (PD from Atari). I use the latter and have a 15 second delay set
for the NOROACH pgm. Works great! Later in this posting I have included
noroach.doc and noroach.prg (UUencoded).
 
Alyre Chiasson from UNB asked about Ataris and lasers. I have an HPLJII on
my TT at work and an Atari SLM605 on my MegaST at home. The absolutely
FASTEST thing going on the planet is CALAMUS on an ST or TT and printing to
an Atari laser. Forget what people tell you if they do not work with both
the HPLJII and the Atari laser on a day-to-day basis. For sheer speed,
NOTHING can outperform the Atari laser. I am ordering a utility from a
company in Germany. It will let me print to the SLM605 under Spectre
emulation. This combo outguns the Mac to an Apple Laserwriter. All you have
to do is try printing to an HPLJ under Spectre and you'll wish you had gone
for the Atari laser. The HPLJ via the parallel or serial port printing MAC
stuff is useless unless you add a postscript cartridge. By the time you do
that, it's a lot more expensive than the Atari laser (which sells for $1299
in some places in Canada).
 
======= NOROACH.DOC ======
 
NOROACH - TT/MegaSTE boot delay setup and virus guard
Copyright = 1991, Atari Corporation
All Rights Reserved
 
NOROACH allows you to set the length of time TOS will wait before
trying to boot from the hard disk.  It also has the useful side
effect of guarding against floppy disk viruses.
 
                          Why NOROACH?
 
Mega STE and TT TOS have a feature that allows time for your hard disks
to spin up before it tries to boot from them.  The reason this is
important in these machines is that you have no way to power up the
internal hard disk and let it come up to speed before you turn the
computer on.  For various technical reasons, it is impractical for TOS
to ask the hard disk if it's ready--some hard disks won't respond
correctly while they are warming up, and some hard disks will even lock
up if you try to talk to them before they're ready!
 
For those reasons, TOS waits after a cold boot (power on, or
Control-Alternate-Right Shift-Delete) for 90 seconds, or until you hit
any key, before it tries to boot a hard disk.  Since most hard disks
are ready earlier than that, you may find yourself hitting a key or
going to get a cup of coffee every time you turn on your Mega STE or TT.
If you use a NOROACH boot disk, your computer will be ready when you
are.
 
                        Virus Protection
 
A NOROACH boot disk will flash an icon in the upper right hand corner
of the screen when you boot your system.  When you see the icon, you
know that the time delay has been set up.  The icon also lets you know
that your boot disk has no boot sector virus on it.  If your boot disk
doesn't flash an icon on the screen, then it has been infected by
a floppy disk virus!  If this happens to you, use one of the many
fine virus killer programs available for the ST to find out if any of
your other floppies are infected.  I recommend George Woodside's
excellent VKILLER program.
 
A side note: because VKILLER doesn't know about NOROACH boot disks, if
you use it on one, it will tell you that the disk is "questionable."
If you have any doubt whether your NOROACH boot disk is infected or
not, just run NOROACH again and write a new boot sector.  You can
prevent infection from ever happening if you ALWAYS keep your NOROACH
boot disk write protected.
 
                      Making a Boot Disk
 
To create a NOROACH boot disk, put a formatted, non-write-protected
disk in drive A.  It is important not to use a disk (such as a game
disk) which you would normally boot from the floppy.  NOROACH works by
writing a boot sector to the disk, and this will destroy the boot loader
of any floppy based, boot loaded game.
 
Run NOROACH.PRG.  The dialog it presents allows you to set the time
delay for your NOROACH boot disk, and to optionally load a custom icon
and set its color.  There is also a "?" button in the upper right hand
corner of the dialog that will display a short explanation of how NOROACH
works.  Once you have set the options to your liking, click on the
"Write Boot Sector" button.
 
That's all there is to it!  Once you have created a NOROACH boot disk,
you should write protect it so that it can not be infected by a floppy
virus.  Whenever you boot with your NOROACH disk in drive A, your TT or
Mega STE hard disk will boot without you having to hit a key.
 
                           Trouble?
 
If you have problems loading an icon, it may be that the file you're
trying to load is not the right kind of icon file.  NOROACH reads Gem
Icon Definition files such as those created by ICED or Degas Elite.
Several custom icons for you to use are included with NOROACH.  Several of
these icons can also be added to your DESKICON.RSC file, if you are
familiar with the Atari Resource Construction Set and know how to add
icons to a resource file.  Rumor has it that Double Click Software is
also working on a tool that will make it easy for you to snazz up your
TT or Mega STE desktop with icons galore.
 
If you make the mistake of setting the boot delay too fast, and find
that your system isn't recognizing the hard disk, just boot without your
NOROACH disk in drive A, and install a new boot sector with a longer
time delay.
 
You'll find the answers to any questions you may have about NOROACH in
the ST RoundTable on GEnie.  Leave a message in Category 14 of the ST
Bulletin Board (M475;1 to get there, or use ST Aladdin!) and you'll find
lots of people there, including the author, willing to help you.
 
  Ken Badertscher
  Atari Corp. System Software Engine
  February 5, 1991
 
====== NOROACH.PRG (UUencoded) ======
 
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end
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Jun 91 18:54:00 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!cass.m
 a02.bull.com!know!troot@arizona.edu
Subject: TT/MegaSTE/SLM605 comments
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
One netter asked about the MIPS on the TT. It's like the Mac commercial
says, it's not how many MIPs but how useful the machine is. I have an ST at
home and a TT at work. I also support PC users at work (they have COMPAQs).
Both my ST and the TT make the COMPAQs and WINDOWS 3 look like real
kludges. The COMPAQ users are always asking "Why is everything so SLOW!".
 
You HAVE to experience WINDOWS 3 on a PC just to see how cumbersome and
slow this is.
 
As for price comparisons; a TT with 4 megs and VGA monitor is under $3000
Canadian dollars. A COMPAQ 386/33 with VGA is just under $5000. The TT
looks like a good buy to me! Oh yeah, both have 50 meg drives.
 
Another netter asked why the MegaSTE and TT take so long to boot; this is
discussed in the manual. The quick fix is to hit the spacebar about 10
seconds after powering up. The other fix is to have a boot floppy with
NOROACH (PD from Atari). I use the latter and have a 15 second delay set
for the NOROACH pgm. Works great!
 
Alyre Chiasson from UNB asked about Ataris and lasers. I have an HPLJII on
my TT at work and an Atari SLM605 on my MegaST at home. The absolutely
FASTEST thing going on the planet is CALAMUS on an ST or TT and printing to
an Atari laser. Forget what people tell you if they do not work with both
the HPLJII and the Atari laser on a day-to-day basis. For sheer speed,
NOTHING can outperform the Atari laser. I am ordering a utility from a
company in Germany. It will let me print to the SLM605 under Spectre
emulation. This combo outguns the Mac to an Apple Laserwriter. All you have
to do is try printing to an HPLJ under Spectre and you'll wish you had gone
for the Atari laser. The HPLJ via the parallel or serial port printing MAC
stuff is useless unless you add a postscript cartridge. By the time you do
that, it's a lot more expensive than the Atari laser (which sells for $1299
in some places in Canada).
 
------------------------------
 
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************