Info-Atari16 Digest Mon, 9 Sep 91 Volume 91 : Issue 474 Today's Topics: AT-ONCE 386sx Atari Israeli factory, bankruptcy? Atari Monitor Problem... Atari ST stuff for sale pt1 Atari ST stuff for sale pt2 dead sc1224 monitor DOs and DON'Ts about desk Help! Strange Hard drive problems. Internal Clock Looking for term program... (2 msgs) LZH files (2 msgs) More bugs in The Vault 3.00 Welcome to the Info-Atari16 Digest. The configuration for the automatic cross-posting to/from Usenet is getting closer, but still getting thrashed out. Please send notifications about broken digests or bogus messages to Info-Atari16-Request@NAUCSE.CSE.NAU.EDU. Please send requests for un/subscription and other administrivia to Info-Atari16-Request, *NOT* Info-Atari16. Requests that go to the list instead of the moderators are likely to be lost or ignored. If you want to unsubscribe, and you're receiving the digest indirectly from someplace (usually a BITNET host) that redistributes it, please contact the redistributor, not us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 9 Sep 91 15:48:13 GMT From: IFI.UIO.NO!larserio@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (LarsErikOsterud) Subject: AT-ONCE 386sx To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu From: johnj@echo.philips.nl (John Janssen) Subject: Re: MSDOS emulator with 386 I got quit some request so I brought the brochure with me. It is in German, and I *try* to translate it (note that I am not German myself). Words between double quotes ("xxxx") are left in GErman. Words between single quotes ('xxxx') are quoted in the brochure aswell. v386 will stand for vortex ATonce-386SX. The text of the brochhure follows: ..................................................................... Vortex ATonce-386SX 386 emulation for the Atari Mega STE - 32 bit CMOS 80386SX 16MHz CPU - NORTON SI of 15.6 with vortex FAST-RAM (without: SI=12.3) - Windows 3.0 runs in "erweiterten" 386-mode - ATonce-386SX uses the Cache Ram of the MEGA STE - Optional place for 512kB vortex FAST RAM. - Optional place for 80387SX-16 co-processor. v386 presents with 1 MB RAM up to 704 kB DOS basic memory and dependent on the memory of the computer upto 3 MB memory available as extended/expanded memory. The (optional) 512kB vortex FAST-RAM are 4 RAMs 514256-70ns (sockets available on the printed circuit board). Norton SI factor 12.3 -15.6 (MIPS-Test 148% - 184%). Grafic modes: EGA/VGA monochrome-graphic (as far as the mega STE supports) or CGA, Hercules, Olivetti and Toshiba T3100. Nice DOS-Font editor vortex Fontmaster and accesory vortex Hyperswitch. Handles hard/removable disk, 360kB/720kB/1.44MB floppy drives. Supports serial, parallel interface, Mouse and clock. Emulates Atari laserprinter, sound and the CMOS ram. No soldering required, fits in the 68000 socket (VMEsocket remains free). The package contains systemdisk with emulation- and installation sw. Standard configuration: without 80387,68000,vortex FASTram (empty sockets are available on the printed circuit board). ................................................................. so far the brochure: As I recall, it did run MSDOS 5.0 It did fit on a nice spot within the MEGA STE. Special price on the "Messe" was 695 DM (if I remember correctly). The address: VORTEX COMPUTERSYSTEME GMBH Falterstrasse 51-53 D-7101 Flein Germany Telephone from within Germany: 07131 - 59 72-0 Outside germany add international numbers and skip first zero. pfff, that's it. Disclaimer: I can have made typo errors or misinterprete things. -- John Janssen Email: johnj@echo.philips.nl The Netherlands Work: +31 40 756588 Atari Mega STE, MIDI, C-lab Notator and Unitor. Home: +31 77 513177 Astro -Birth/Place/Date/Time you > you.doc ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 01:06:40 GMT From: tellab5!chinet!saj@uunet.uu.net (Stephen Jacobs) Subject: Atari Israeli factory, bankruptcy? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1908@mwca.UUCP> bill@mwca.UUCP (Bill Sheppard) writes: >I thought this might be of some general interest (don't kill the messenger!): > > >"Meanwhile, a new twist further casts the deal in doubt - a rumor that Atari >will file for bankruptcy. >"[Israeli] Treasury officials said Sunday that an investigation by the >accountant-general showed the computer giant is close to bankruptcy - placing >doubt on whether the government will receive any returns from its generous >package of grants and tax breaks to the factory." >... >"Investment analysts in the Bay Area who follow Atari stock were entirely >unaware of the Israeli Treasury report that Atari may go belly-up; Lee Isgur, >an analyst at Volte and Welty and Co. laughed at the possibility - which he >considered absurd - of Atari folding. >"'If it were true, then their financial statement [released in early August] >would be fallacious and they would be in jail,' said Isgur." There are some interesting points here which are worth kicking around. The first is that Lee Isgur was an unfortunate choice as an expert, since he's an old Atari fan, and I believe he is or was a fairly big stockholder. The next is that while Atari is clearly sick, the assets (on paper) are so much greater than the liabilities (on paper) that bankruptcy seems out of the question. Basically, after the Federated deal collapsed, Atari was financially a burnt-out shell. Now that it's generally back on its feet (although a lot smaller), it would be silly to ask for court protection. But there's a VERY interesting complication: Atari's second-biggest stock- holder, and a major creditor, is Warner Communications (or Time-Warner...it can get confusing keeping up with company names sometimes), a company that's in VERY SERIOUS trouble. That probably has a lot to do with Atari's bond repurchases in the last year: Warner needed cash now, rather than more cash later. If Warner's position in Atari was turned over to trustees, interesting (and not necessarily pleasant) things might happen. Were Atari to file for bankruptcy any time soon, not only would the recent financial statement look like fraud, the bond repurchases would look like looting of the assets by insiders. The courts frown on that, too. So given that the really nasty work of the last couple years is over, and that a bankruptcy would invite multiple legal problems, I think we'll have Atari to kick around for a couple more years, at least. Steve saj@chinet.chi.il.us ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 91 15:30:38 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu. edu!uicvm.uic.edu!u43610@arizona.edu Subject: Atari Monitor Problem... To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I recently purchased an Atari ST with a monochrom monitor.. All seems well 70% of the time, the other part of the time, the display does not get sent to the C RT... I would turn on the system and the screen will remain blank. Sound is se nt to the monitor, yet as said, no display.. Any ideas.. By the way, I need t o hit the unit a couple times for the display to come back on... - In addition, Can anyone reccomend a good PD/Shareware Term program for the ST ( 512K) that does a good VT100.. My unix box likes VT100, and all I have is the b asic VT52 and an ADM31a -- Piss poor. - Thanks for any help... - Ken. U43610@uicvm.uic.edu ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 16:55:04 GMT From: news.larc.nasa.gov!air12.larc.nasa.gov!dmk@uunet.uu.net Subject: Atari ST stuff for sale pt1 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu OK netters, this is the big Atari ST stuff sale of the decade! Most of this stuff has been sitting around unused for a while, so it's time to move it out. First some conditions. I don't know if this stuff runs with TOS 1.0, 1.4, or 2.0, some of it is pretty old so it might not work with newer OS. NO GUARANTIES! Second, I pay all shipping charges, except COD. Please add $3.00 if you want it shipped COD. Finally, I have a special half price offer. You pay full price on the most expensive item, and half price on all other stuff for that order (that's how I pay for the shipping). Software: Games: Q-Ball Mindscape $10 A 3-D version of pool (billards). Balls are suspended in space, so determining the correct angle for the cue ball is quite a challenge. Road Racer Mindscape $10 This is a sort of real time Car Wars game. You ride around town in a automobile with armor and guns. Get out of car to enter buildings and deal with mutants. Shadow of Beast Psygnosis $15 Move left, move right, jump, kick, etc. Good graphics, to hard for me. Sinbad Cinemaware $15 An adventure/strategy game. Beautiful graphics. Just didn't have the time to play a whole game. Skyfox Electronic Arts $10 I don't remember much about this one. Flight Sim I think. Space Quest Sierra $15 Silly/funny adventure game. Played it all the way through. Star Raiders Atari $10 A classic! I may have trouble finding the docs for this one. Tass Times in Tone Town Activision $10 A bizarre adventure game in an alternate reality. This one was tough enough that I needed a hit book and couldn't find one. Temple of Apshai Trilogy Epyx $10 Another classic! I think I had trouble running this with TOS 1.4 Time Bandit Michtron $15 Another classic! Several games in one as you move to different worlds on the timescape. I may have trouble locating docs for this too. Top Gun Thunder Mountain $10 Grab a buddy and duke it out in the skies. Graphics stink but game play is very fast. Into the Eagle's Nest Mindscape $10 Sort of a Castle Wolfenstein for those who remember. Make your way through a Nazi fort, grabbing weapons and shooting baddies. (continued in Atari ST stuff for sale pt2) Daniel M. Koppen / Internet: dmk@air12.larc.nasa.gov NASA / LaRC \ 128.155.18.12 Hampton, VA. / Everything posted is my own personal opinion! ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 16:56:43 GMT From: news.larc.nasa.gov!air12.larc.nasa.gov!dmk@uunet.uu.net Subject: Atari ST stuff for sale pt2 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu (continued from Atari ST stuff for sale pt1) Major Motion Michtron $10 Drive your super-spy car down the road, picking up weapons and shooting those nasties. Mindshadow Activision $10 A graphic adventure game. I could never get into it. Ogre Origin $15 A computerized version of the Steve Jackson board game. I enjoy playing this with another player, but the computer opponent was too tough for me. Phantasie SSI $15 An Ultima-like adventure game Phantasie II SSI $15 Same as above. Articfox Electronic Arts $10 Pilot a super battle tank in the frozen waste. A little fast for me. Airball Microdeal $10 An odd sort of 3-D adventure. You are a balloon that rolls, bounces and otherwise moves through a set of rooms. Look-out don't get punctured. Bard's Tale Electronic Arts $15 Wander through a town in this real time 3-D graphic adventure. Blacklamp Rainbird $10 I may be missing some docs on this. I could never figure out what it was about. Much like Mario Brothers I think. Borrowed Time Activision $10 Another graphic adventure. Defender of the Crown Mindscape $15 Much like Sinbad. Dive Bomber US Gold $15 I like this one. Sort of a F-15 type of game, but more arcadish. Double Dragon Melbourne House $10 If you don't know what this is, you don't want it. Falcon v1.1 with Mission 1 Spectrum Holobyte $20 This is rated as one of the best flight sim's Super Huey Cosmi $10 Helecopter flight sim. Never played it. Battle Chess Interplay $15 This chess pieces duke it out when they land on each other. Play a pretty good game of chess, too. Pinball Wizard Accolade $20 Design and play your own pinball machines. Sub Battle Epyx $10 Submarine warfare. I have Red Storm Rising and don't need this. Tracker Rainbird $15 3-D warfare. Fly a ship down a maze of tunnels to get to the center. I loved this game, but it stopped working when I went to TOS 1.4 (continued in Atari ST stuff for sale pt3) Daniel M. Koppen / Internet: dmk@air12.larc.nasa.gov NASA / LaRC \ 128.155.18.12 Hampton, VA. / Everything posted is my own personal opinion! ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 91 23:43:10 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!m.cs.uiuc.edu!vela!ws u-cs!wsu-eng.eng.wayne.edu!soderg@arizona.edu (Jason Sodergren) Subject: dead sc1224 monitor To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I recently acquired a dead sc1224; the B+ voltage in this thing is around 55V, and the 12v and 24v supplies are around 6 and 8v respectively. Can anyone tell me the correct B+ voltage? Also, has anyone got a service manual they'd like to part with? -- /-------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | soderg@ss0.eng.wayne.edu (Jason Sodergren) voice:313-972-5932 | | 'word falling- photo falling- calling partisans of all nations- | \____breakthrough in grey room - towers, open fire' -w.s.burroughs________/ ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 91 17:58:00 GMT From: math.fu-berlin.de!ira.uka.de!smurf.sub.org!artcom0!hb.maus.de!hh.maus.de!Hayo_S chmidt@uunet.uu.net (Hayo Schmidt) Subject: DOs and DON'Ts about desk To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Steve Yelvington steve @ thelake.mn.org (Do, 29.08.91 19:31) answered SY>[In article <1991Aug29.094514.16169@newcastle.ac.uk>, SY> D.M.Johnson@newcastle.ac.uk (Dave Johnson) writes ... ] SY> SY> > Could some please give me an list of the dos and don'ts of writing SY> > desktop accs, in order that I can start writing interesting acc without SY> > having to go through all the hassle of learning the very basics the hard SY> > way .. SY>.. Additions are welcomed. So... DO -- Use wind_update()-sequences (carefully), when drawing on the screen. DON'T: -- Close or delete windows, after getting the AC_CLOSE message. -- If you 'must' allocate memory dynamically, assume that it is gone after receiving AC_CLOSE. But don't forget to Mfree() it - on the other hand, you must also assume, that it is not gone. You'll never know... :-( -- Change ("steal") vectors. When there is a resolution change, the ACC is gone but the changed vector is still there. -- Accessories should not install cookies (but may use already installed...) | Hayo Schmidt Grotiusweg 1 D-2000 Hamburg 55 (Germany) | | E-Mail (MausNet): Hayo_Schmidt@hh.maus.de | ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 12:09:07 GMT From: noao!ncar!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.uka.de!fauern!faui 43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!csbrod@arizona.edu (Claus Brod) Subject: Help! Strange Hard drive problems. To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu silvert@cs.dal.ca (Bill Silvert) writes: >I've just started having wierd hard-drive problems and am hoping that >someone can help me diagnose them. These are the symptoms: You've been bitten by the 40 folder GEMDOS bug. Use FOLDRxxx to increase the internal memory for GEMDOS buffers, or, better still, get TOS 1.04 or a higher version. --- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2, Things. Take. Time. D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, Germany (Piet Hein) csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de Claus_Brod@wue.maus.de ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 11:16:23 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!icdoc!tmp@uunet.uu.net (Trevor Peacock) Subject: Internal Clock To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1991Sep07.121604.1337@actrix.gen.nz> Roger.Sheppard@actrix.gen.nz (Roger Sheppard) writes: >In article <67@oasis.icl.co.uk> jas@oasis.icl.co.uk (Jason Morris) writes: >> >> Can anyone recommend a good internal clock for an STe? I've seen the external >> Forget-Me-Clock II which is quite nice, but I'd prefer something a little less >> intrusive. >> Any opinions/ideas gratefully accepted, and prices (pref.UK) would be >> appreciated. >> >> Thanks in advance, >> Jason Morris. > >Well I would like to get one of those Datel , Key Board ones, 24 Pounds, >at least that don't use up the Cartridge Port and can be used when you are not >runing your hard drive, Plus they don't need software to drive it.. >-- >*** Roger W. Sheppard * Roger.Sheppard@bbs.actrix.gen.nz *** >*** 85 Donovan Rd * * GEnie. R.SHEPPARD5 *** >*** Kapiti At least I don't Flicker, *** >*** New Zealand.. * not like a dying light globe *** I purchased one of these keyboard clocks, although it was not made by Datel, and found that all it does is to keep the keyboard processor in standby mode while the ST is powered down. This would be fine, except that in my case, the batteries gave out after about a week or so without the ST being powered up for much time. I would suggest that you enquire about the length of time that the clock will run without the ST being powered up before buying one of these. In the end, I bought a Dallas Semiconductor DS1216E smartwatch which consists of a socket which fits between one of the ROMs and its socket. Once this is in place you can forget it - all it needs is a small auto folder program to fetch the time from the smartwatch and set the system clock. One warning though, there is very little room between the ROMs and PSU in some models of the ST, so fitting it may be a problem (I got around this when I blew my PSU up and had to fit an external one 8~) The program and some installation details are held at atari.archive.umich.edu in the file atari/utilities/smrtwtch.lzh Cheers, Trev.. -- Trevor Peacock, Comms Officer, Dept of Computing, Imperial College,| Affix 180 Queen's Gate, London SW7 2BZ. Telephone: 071-589-5111 ext 5052.| stamp JANET:tmp@uk.ac.ic.doc UUCP:tmp@icdoc.UUCP or ..!ukc!icdoc!tmp | here DARPA:tmp@doc.ic.ac.uk or tmp%uk.ac.ic.doc@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk | ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 01:49:10 GMT From: @oddjob.uchicago.edu (Andrew C. Stoffel) Subject: Looking for term program... To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1991Sep08.101351.29749@actrix.gen.nz> Roger.Sheppard@actrix.gen.nz (Roger Sheppard) writes: > >Antic use to advertise a Kermit Option for Flash, but I don't know >if its posible to still get it .. >-- >*** Roger W. Sheppard * Roger.Sheppard@bbs.actrix.gen.nz *** I bought a copy of it BEFORE I found out about Uniterm. It's an ACC & also can act as a sort of mini-BBS. I wasn't too impressed with the kermit end & never tried the other. It's kermit wasn't very reliable when talking to a Vax. And since Flash could only be a vt52.... I MUCH prefer Uniterm. -Andy- -- |"The Snark WAS a Boojum, you see!" |Good : acs@kepler.unh.edu | |"Reality !?! Isn't that something |Better : ANDYS@psc.plymouth.edu | | you sprinkle on ice ??" |Best : oddjob@oz.plymouth.edu | |This is a banana ),This is your brain on bananas ~>~, Get the picture?| ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 13:38:25 GMT From: noao!ncar!asuvax!ukma!tulane!samsung!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cs.columbia.edu!cunix f.cc.columbia.edu!cunixb.cc.columbia.edu!cmm1@arizona.edu (Christopher M Mauritz) Subject: Looking for term program... To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <30955@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> EINSTEIN%oak.decnet@pine.circa.ufl.edu writes: >Hello out in ST-netland! I own a 1040 ST, and just purchased a modem, but I >don't have any term software. Can anyone > >a) tell me what kind of commercial software is the best, or >b) tell me an ftp site where I can obtain some software. > >I'm looking for something that can emulate VT200 or better, and ANSI emulation. >Maybe even Zmodem. 8) If anyone has ANY information, please E-mail it to me! >A thousand thanks... > Uniterm is definitely the best term program for the ST, bar none. 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: 9 Sep 91 13:29:14 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!edcastle!spider!raft.spider.co.uk!peterw@uunet.uu.net (Peter Woodhouse) Subject: LZH files To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu After looking at the binaries avaiable in comp.binaries.atari.static, can someone please enlighten me about the 'lzh' files. What do I do with these files? Peter Woodhouse PS. Apologies if this is a daft question! -- Spider Systems Limited E-mail: peterw@spider.co.uk Spider Park, Stanwell Street Phone : +44 31 554 9424 Edinburgh, Scotland ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 16:25:49 GMT From: noao!ncar!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!rjast1@arizona.edu (Robert J Anisko) Subject: LZH files To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1991Sep9.132914.24260@spider.co.uk> peterw@spider.co.uk (Peter Woodhouse) writes: >After looking at the binaries avaiable in comp.binaries.atari.static, >can someone please enlighten me about the 'lzh' files. What do I do with >these files? > >Peter Woodhouse > >PS. Apologies if this is a daft question! > Daft? (drat, where's my dictionary? :-) Anyways, LZH files are similar to ARC files in that they are merely compressed files. To uncompress them, I would advise getting at least 2 programs: LZH11321 and UnLZH172 (these may in fact be LZH'ed - look for a program called LHARC.TTP or similar filename). The reason for recommending two files os that there are at least 2 variations of LZH which sometimes are not compatible with the other one (there is a program called LHARC120D or something similiar - I forget the filename) that I think can uncompress just about any of them (I thinkl LZH11321 can as well if I'm not mistaken)). Anyways, once you get one of the LHARC programs, it works basically the same way as ARC. So to uncompress a file from GEM, double click on LHARC.TTP (or whatever) and at the command line enter "X filename [files]" where "filename" is the LZH file and optionally [files] are which files you want to see. Also, to view a LZH file, at the command line type "L filename". If you are working from a CLI (command line interface, kinda like a DOS prompt, you can type directly "LHARC X filename [files]" to extract and "LHARC L filename" to view. Or just hit return at the command line to see options available... Hope this makes sense... Robert Anisko rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 91 16:18:01 GMT From: noao!ncar!asuvax!ukma!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!yale.ed u!cs.yale.edu!fischer-robert@arizona.edu (Robert Fischer) Subject: More bugs in The Vault 3.00 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I have found some more bugs in The Vault 3.00 which I distributed: * The release date reads "June 14, 1991", and it should read "July 14, 1991". * More serious, the bell which rings periodically when The Vault is waiting for a new disk is not being called quite correctly. Every call of the bell-ringing code can potentially crash the system. Thanks to Michael Fischer, we have eliminated this bug in a Beta version. Until the release version comes out, set the "Ring Interval" to 0 in order to prevent the bell from ringing and thus the bug. --- Bob -- fischer-robert@cs.yale.edu (Bob Fischer) ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************