Volume 1, Issue 33 Atari Online News, Etc. October 15, 1999 Published and Copyright (c) 1999 All Rights Reserved Atari Online News, Etc. A-ONE Online Magazine Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor Atari Online News, Etc. Staff Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking" Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile" Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips With Contributions by: Carl Forhan Fred Horvat Benjamin Smith Roy Goring To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com and your address will be added to the distribution list. To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to subscribe from. To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the following sites: http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm http://www.icwhen.com/aone/ http://a1mag.atari.org Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi! http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari =~=~=~= A-ONE #0133 10/15/99 ~ Windows 2000 Delayed! ~ People Are Talking! ~ DonkeyKong 64! ~ Voice Mail On Net Soon ~ User Group Meeting News~ Free Monitors! ~ Medical Records Online ~ No More Newspapers? ~ Songbird Update! ~ Intellivision Classics ~ Chip Size Limited? ~ Knockout Kings! -* Yahoo! Puts Computers In Cabs *- -* PacMan World 20th Anniversary - PSX *- -* Apple and CompuServe Extend Rebate Program *- =~=~=~= ->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""""""" Well, there all kinds of interesting things going on these days in the computing world. First we have computers in hotel rooms, bars, clubs, planes, and now taxicabs! If someone comes up with the idea to put computers in restrooms, I just might consider moving to some remote island in the tropics! Have we become that dependent on computers that we need them in cabs? Will newspapers and magazines become dinosaurs, replaced by electronic form? Seems like it's possible. Although somehow I can't picture too many people spreading out their computer at the table, having their morning coffee or tea and breakfast! Some things just won't change... How about asking for, and receiving, medical advice on the internet? Would you? Apparently there are enough people who do that there's a major concern about who is being asked. There's an ongoing plan to "validate" doctors online so people seeking information are getting it from "reliable" sources. The list goes on; I seem to have hit a wild week for interesting stories! Technology is terrific, but how far do we go before we reach the levels of 'going a tad too far'! Until next time... Submissions to AtariNews Dear Atari fans: This is just a quick reminder that anyone can submit Atari-related news items to atari@onelist.com. The list moderators will then approve or deny the post as appropriate. Note the term "news items" indicates new products available on Atari platforms, recently unearthed Atari prototypes, significant updates to an Atari "business" or shareware website, links to previews/reviews of upcoming Atari-related games, and so on. Items that will not usually be approved (primarily to keep the volume of posts down to a reasonable level as AtariNews is currently) are updates to fan web sites, personal trade/sale lists, etc. Any questions, just ask. We want AtariNews to provide you with coverage for all newsworthy Atari-related topics. Sincerely, The Moderators ->A-ONE User Group Notes! """"""""""""""""""""""" Atari Meeting in Portland, Oregon. USA Benjamin Smith Please direct all replies through E-Mail at bensmith@teleport.com or atari@benjamin.net. If you have an Atari and live in Portland, Oregon. U.S.A. or vicinity, you are cordially invited to attend a Meeting of the Portland Atari Club. You don't have to be a member to attend. We meet the 2nd Tuesday of each Month. Our Next meeting will be Tuesday, October 12th, 7 pm at the Pizza Baron at 2604 S.E 122nd Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Get together with other Atarians. Make friends, meet new people, maybe find an old friend. Eat Pizza, drink Pop or Beer in a decorative atmosphere. Bring your family to a family friendly place. For more info: http://pac.pdxweb.net For more information or directions, please call our Vice President Ben Smith at (503)256-9974 See you there! White Rose Atari Group Meeting Date Stephen Barszczak The next meeting of the White Rose Atari Group will be held at: 4 Langdale Street Elland Nr Halifax On the 31st of October 1999 This will be the final meeting this year apart from the get together for the ACC 99 Show at the Bingley Hall in Stafford on Saturday the 13th of November 1999 where transport may be arranged for anyone who would like to go. Come to the next meeting to arrange a lift down, or Telephone one of the numbers below. Anyone wanting directions or other information about the group can, Telephone myself on 01274 412192 Or write to....... W.R.A.G. 3 Scholemoor Lane Lideget Green BD7 2RN Or Telephone Adrian on 01484 721694..... Leave a message on the answer machine if out, or you can write to...... W.R.A.G. c/o Adrian Haigh 1 Vale Street Brighouse HD6 1TR Or by Netmail on, FidoNet 2:250/303.0 2:250/303.1 Nest 90:107/206.0 90:107/207.0 Fan 95:110/202.0 95:110/203.0 Or By Email wrag@thedruid.demon.co.uk stephen@wrag.freeserve.co.uk WRAG@blackflag.zetnet.co.uk October CACUG Meeting The October 18, meeting of CACUG (Cleveland Atari Classics User Group) will be open to all Atari platforms. It will be held at the Peoples Community Church, at 631 North Rocky River Drive in Berea, Ohio at 7:30PM. All are welcome to attend. Topic of discussion will be of our June 2000 Cleveland Classics Show and Swap Meet. Thank you, Martin Quinones President CACUG For more info or directions please contact Fred Horvat: fmh@netzero.net} or Jim Krych: jwkrych@n2net.net} Wessex Atari Group Meeting From: Roy Goring Hi All, The next meeting of WAG is on Saturday 23/10/99 at Whitchurch Fire Station, Hampshire For more details and directions go to http://www.incontrolinternet.co.uk/wag/ See you all there :-) Yours Roy =~=~=~= PEOPLE ARE TALKING compiled by Joe Mirando jmirando@portone.com Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Another week has slipped by us and there really aren't that many more ahead of us before the millennium menace rears it's ugly head. I'm not talking about all the computers in the world shutting down, jetliners falling out of the sky, or ATMs swallowing your hard-earned funds without a trace. No sir (or ma'am), I'm talking about the foolishness that worrying about such things can cause. You've seen it in car commercials, in magazine ads, and in catalogs... "Get this now and be safe when everything goes to hell on January first"... or something to that effect. Sure, you need to be aware of the fact that your PC (if you have one) could give you problems. But please don't go to the extreme and install a bomb shelter, stockpile small arms, or bury your life savings under that old oak tree. Of course, there is always a chance that I'm wrong and the world really will go to hell in a hand basket. With all the hype about Y2K though, I doubt that it will be anything major. As I mentioned earlier, PCs are vulnerable to Y2K problems. The programs they run, the operating systems they use, and even the BIOS chips that tell PCs what to do before they know that there's an operating system all can be prone to problems due to the shortsightedness of a very large portion of the computer world. If you're worried about these kinds of problems, just do what I'm planning to do when January first rolls around... USE YOUR ATARI! That's right. The good old Atari ST is immune to a good many of the problems that other platforms face. The operating system (TOS) uses a different system to calculate the date than PCs do, and that keeps Y2K from being a major bummer like on that other platform. In addition to that, most programs on the ST don't really care what the date is. And as far as BIOS chips go?? STs don't need them. So there, Mr. Gates. And an even better bet to stay away from Y2K problems would be to pull out that old Atari 8 bit. Ha ha, wouldn't it be the ultimate backhand to the PC world if the only way to compute after December thirty-first would be with an Atari 800?? It's not likely, I know. But it suits my twisted sense of humor. Well, let's get on with all the news that is news in the NewsGroups. From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup Ted Parrett asks about surfing the 'net with CAB: "I have just installed Cab 2.7 and ask if anyone can advise which Falcon OVL I should be using with this version of CAB. I an currently using v1.3100. I'm quite disappointed with Cab 2.7 as I still find sites where I can't save or print the pages. This seems to happen with frame type pages and sometimes with PDF downloads. Another problem is that when going back CAB will sometimes go back more than one step I also note a carry over of a problem from 2.5 in that when I do save a page or download a file the SAVE FILE dialog box gets corrupted regarding the filename although in most cases the file downloads OK..." Robert Schaffner tells Ted: "I don't know if that's a problem of the cab ovl. Try cab ovl from oliver booklage, latest release is 5.58, works fine here. Gordy Campbell jumps in and asks: "Do you know whether Oliver Booklages' Cab.ovl works correctly with cookies yet?" Djordje Vukovic adds his thoughts: "I have the same, or very similar, problem occasionally with CAB 2.6- but not always. When I download a file, the file-selector for specifying location of received file sometimes does not work correctly- nothing is visible when I type in the filename field. The characters are received anyway, although invisible, and the file lands where it should. This is with RAM-loaded TOS 2.06, STiNG 1.15 and Booklage's CAB.OVL on a Mega ST." John Logan asks about Phenix: "I wonder if there is any general agreement as to how the Phenix will fit into the Atari scene? I understand from its website that it is considered a new computer with a new operating system which will run Atari programs by emulation. Having said that, there also seems to be an implication that it is a Falcon clone (just as the Hades is considered to be a TT clone). I don't have any need for music output, video etc (at least at present) but I was intrigued to read that a voice recognition laboratory in Denmark had been involved. If all the audio subsystems, DSP etc could be used in a really accurate voice recognition system then I would be interested. I have tried ViaVoice on a peecee at work and have great difficulty in getting it to recognize 'Yours sincerely.' Is it by and large going to go to musicians or will there be general applications?" Jo Even Skarstein tells John: "It will fit nicely into the vapourware-category, together with other neat things like the Microbox, Hawk or Barracuda. Centek/Class 4 is the European equivalent to Wizztronics." That's a bit of an unfair swipe at Wizztronics as far as I'm concerned. There are a few others that are more deserving of that statement. Jm "Gene" asks: "Does anyone know if MagicPC will work with a Cyrel or amd-k6 processor. My assumption would be that it does but I am not sure. I'm also considering buying gemulator with mac roms." In the battle of the single name post, "Jim" tells Gene: "MagicPC works with AMD-K6 cpu's. I'm use it on a K-6 400 overclocked to 450mhz and it works fine. I think you mean Cyrix, Cyrel made Atari hardware boards." On the subject of viewing and printing Adobe Acrobat PDF documents, Bob King tells us: "To butt in, I run GEMGS on my Falcon. The only PDF I haven't got to decode/display (full colour)/print is the german DALayoutTC Manual and that is faulty as reported by Adobe Acrobat. If you like I will send you my complete package, bearing in mind you have to set paths and you may have to set the envir. variable." Carlo Pitt asks about emulating an ST on a PC: "I 'm trying winSTon..... it's a good emulator, but have read that it is possible to run on modern PCs, ST emulators, that run very fast, and have fantastic graphics (for the Atari ST family) like 640x400 with 16 colours or more. Help me." Joel Chappel tells Carlos "WinSTon is a Windows 95 ST emulator. It's very easy to install, but it's by far not the best emulator, because it's slow and many ST progs won't run on it. You should try TosBox and PacifiST. Those are MS-DOS programs (but of course they run under Win95/98)." Jeff Armstrong asks about TT RAM: "I recently purchased a great new TT system and I had a simple question. I opened up the HD case on the side to check the HD type and found a daughterboard inside directly beneath the HD. The daughterboard is copyrighted by Atari and has the model number C300727-001 REV 1. The chips look like they're probably memory chips and one single large controller chip is also present. Upon reading some FAQs and web pages, I came to the conclusion that this is a TT RAM board. Am I Correct? Now, when I boot the system, it reports having 4 meg ST RAM but no TT RAM. Is the computer not detecting the daughterboard or something? I apologize for my lack of experience (this is my first high-end Atari)." Don Shoengarth tells Jeff: "The TT ram board is on the left side of the TT mother board. The ram board that is on the left side is for the ST ram. The part number you give I have nothing that matched that number. My TT ram board has a part number CA400312. This board uses sipps or simms. It depends on the board. My ST ram board has a part number CA401059." "Brian" asks about one of Atari's specialty chips: "What is the AJAX chip??? I'm new to a lot of the ST stuff, so please enlighten me." Oliver Schildmann tells Brian: "The Ajax chip is the successor of the original ST floppy controller. It allows you to connect and use 1.44 MB floppies." Lars Joergen Helbo asks about the particulars of running a bare bones system: "Recently I got an A/D-converter-card for the serial interface from Conrad Electronics in Germany. Now I got the idea that the old Mega ST1 could be the ideal computer for this card, e.g. as the center in an alarm-system. The advantages of the ST are obvious, it has a very stable ROM-based OS, it has enough RAM, it has no (power-consuming) harddisk and the applications could be made with the GFA basic-compiler and started from the Auto-folder. So everything looks perfect. Only problem is that I would of course like to turn off the monitor, in fact I would like to remove both monitor, keyboard and mouse. As I said I have not done anything on the Atari for the last 4-5 years, so it is pretty remote in my memory. Can anybody recall a solution that would allow me to turn off or remove the monitor." John Logan tells Lars: "The only restriction that I know of is that the computer reboots if you disconnect a ST High monitor. This is to prevent damage to other monitors from the frequencies used. There is a hardware device to detect this. Therefore either boot with a Medium/Low monitor or don't use any (i.e. use a self booting program from floppy)." Robert Schaffner adds: "The keyboard must be connected, but you can lock it with an kew switch. If you remove the monitor while the machine is running resets the machine, build an interface that switch the monitor on if you got an alarm. Otherwise it's off. Don't forget the service switch. I don't know if you like that, its my idea for your problem." Toram "The Shadow" asks about connecting an Atari to a Linux machine: "I want to connect my Falcon to my Linux workstation so I can use the linux box as a gateway to the internet. Can I use STing to handle the network connection through the serial (modem 2) port on the falcon? Or is there a way to use the LAN port on the falcon? All help is welcome..." Jo Even Skarstein tells Toram: "Yes you can. You can use the LAN-port as well, but unless you need the serial port for something else it's not worth it. They're equally fast, but you'll need a special cable for the LAN-port (RS422<->RS232)." Well folks, that's it for this time around. Have yourself a good week; and bring some of that Y2K survival gear back to the store and buy yourself something really useful - like another Atari! Until next time, keep your ears open and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING =~=~=~= ->In This Week's Gaming Section - Pac-Man 20th Anniversary! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" BattleTanks! Knockout Kings 2000! Grand Theft Auto 2!! Donkey Kong 64! Intellivision Classics On PSX! And much more! ->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Wow! Pac-Man is 20 years old already! I'd better not reminisce, I'll date myself (and age even more!). Activision is releasing a bunch of classics from the Intellivision for the PlayStation? I remember some of those games from yesteryear too! My wife used to kick my butt playing baseball on that console system! Ever realize how much the gaming industry realizes the value of these classic games? Donkey Kong is coming out for the Nintendo 64, a new version of Pac-Man for the PSX. And all of the previous "oldies" for various platforms! The classics are the 'in' thing, and timeless! Until next time... =~=~=~= ->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Pac Is Back and He's Turning 20 in `Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary' -- An All-New 3-D Action Adventure Game The Legendary Mr. T and Verne ``Mini Me" Troyer of ``Austin Powers" Fame Co-Star With Pac-Man in TV Commercial for Namco's Newest Game Title Starting Tuesday, Pac-Man is ``munching" his way onto retail shelves in ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary," the new 3-D adventure game from Namco Hometek Inc. Namco enlisted pop culture personalities Mr. T from the 1980s network sitcom ``A-Team" and Verne Troyer, who played ``Mini Me" in the 1999 summer blockbuster ``Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me," to help introduce fans to the latest Pac-Man video game adventure. The pair joined Pac-Man in the filming of the television commercial for ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary," which premieres nationwide Oct. 18. ``Pac-Man has been a pop culture phenomenon since his introduction 20 years ago," said Mike Fischer, director of marketing for Namco Hometek. ``For the new commercial, we wanted to connect Pac's enduring appeal with a fellow legend of the `80s and a hot celebrity of the moment, which is why Mr. T and Verne Troyer were the perfect co-stars." In the commercial, Pac-Man is moving up to a whole new world to celebrate his new 3-D adventure: Beverly Hills! Here he finds himself surrounded by the likes of such Hollywood celebrities as the ``Mr. Ts" (``T" and Troyer). Decked out in his trademark gold jewelry and mohawk, Mr. T bids good day to his 36-inch-tall next-door neighbor, Verne Troyer, whom he affectionately calls ``Itty Bitty," as the two check their morning mail. Out of nowhere, an ``Inky & Blinky Remodeling" van zooms into frame, and sinks start flying. As the dust settles, the ``Ts" discover that Pac-Man has remodeled the house across the street. The shocked pair greets their new neighbor, and Mr. T grumbles, ``Just what I need, another little bald guy." During the down time at the ad shoot, Mr. T was chomping power pellets in ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary" when he said, ``I pity the fool who doesn't play `Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary.' The kids are gonna dig it, but the little guy needs a mohawk and some gold chains." Movie-style special effects were used in the making of the commercial to incorporate Pac-Man as a virtual actor alongside his celebrity co-stars. The 30-second spot by San Fransisco-based advertising agency Darien & Kilburg begins airing Oct. 18 on network, cable and syndication, including Nickelodeon Network, Fox Family Channel, TNT, ABC, Cartoon Network and other national broadcast outlets. The game that originally swept through pizza parlors and arcades in 1980 has been updated with new environments and challenges. While avoiding the infamous blue ghosts Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde, gamers must master advanced talents in ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary" including operating helivators, rev rolling, butt bouncing and more. In addition to the new Quest Mode and Maze Mode, Namco has kept the original arcade version with Classic Mode for the nostalgic at heart. By successfully navigating six unique worlds of action-adventure in ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary," gamers help Pac-Man locate keys to cages where his friends are being held hostage. By the final level, Pac-Man has collected all six keys to rescue Ms. Pac-Man and meets his ultimate foe, Toc-Man, a maniacal robot that is the evil alter-ego of Pac-Man. ``Pac-Man World 20th Anniversary" is available nationwide Oct. 15, exclusively for the PlayStation game console, at a suggested retail price of $39.95. Donkey Kong Hits the Road With National ``Beast Is Back" Tour Nintendo Travels to 15 U.S. Cities Showcasing Donkey Kong 64 Search for Nation's Best Ape Call Begins The beast is back! Donkey Kong, the king of the videogame jungle, is swinging into a town near you this fall. On October 9, Nintendo of America Inc. unleashes its nationwide tour for Donkey Kong 64, one of the biggest games for the Nintendo 64 -- the only entertainment system capable of handling him. The national ``Beast Is Back" tour invites thousands of fans to play Donkey Kong 64 before the game officially launches on November 22. A customized 34-foot-truck equipped with 12 N64 consoles will visit 15 U.S. ``jungles" nationwide from October 9 through November 22 including Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Cleveland, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Seattle. The truck's exterior features 3-D graphics of Donkey Kong, with scenes from the forthcoming game. Consumers can play Donkey Kong 64, and have a chance to win T-shirts, Donkey Kong music CDs and games. Fans can check out www.donkeykong64.com for a complete update on tour dates and locations. ``The 'Beast Is Back' tour is just one of the many marketing initiatives supporting the launch of Donkey Kong 64. The size of the tour alone proves he's back -- bigger and better than ever," says Peter Main, Nintendo's executive vice president, sales and marketing. ``The anticipation surrounding this title is through the roof, which is why we're offering fans a chance to catch the beast early at key locales." The tour kicks off on October 9 at the Philadelphia CollegeFest, a free concert featuring performances by Sugar Ray and Luscious Jackson. Nintendo also will launch a national contest that day to find the best ``Ape Call" through call-in radio promotions in all 15 cities, culminating in Seattle with the announcement of the winner, who will receive an original vintage Donkey Kong arcade unit. The ``Beast Is Back" tour is part of a $12 million marketing and advertising campaign by Nintendo to promote Donkey Kong 64, which is expected to be the hottest selling game of the holiday season, and one of 40 new titles available for the N64. The ``Beast Is Back" tour will promote Donkey Kong 64's pre-sell campaign which officially starts October 24 at major retailers. In addition to the game's release, Nintendo will release a limited edition Donkey Kong 64 hardware bundle, featuring a transparent ``jungle green" N64 console, controller, an Expansion Pak(tm) and a banana yellow Donkey Kong 64 game pak. The bundle launches November 22 for a suggested retail price of $129.95. The game with the Expansion Pak will be available for a suggested retail price of $69.95. Donkey Kong 64, developed by U.K.-based Rare Ltd., features massive, full 3-D environments and stunning graphics that push the N64 to its fullest potential. Players will be able to use familiar faces like Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong®, and new characters Tiny, Chunky and Lanky. Each has unique abilities that need to be tapped to progress through the game. Activision Turns Back the Clock and Revives 30 Classic Intellivision Titles Intellivision Classics for the PlayStation Game Console Bring Video Gaming of the '80s Back to Life Following on the heels of the nostalgic hit Activision Classics, Activision, Inc. gets ready to stock the shelves with good old fashioned video gaming fun with Intellivision Classics for the PlayStation game console. Gamers take a trip back to the '80s with this compilation that features perfectly emulated platform versions of 30 of the best selling Intellivision games including Football, Star Strike and Space Battle. Intellivision Classics will be available the week of October 11, 1999 in more than 15,000 retail outlets throughout the United States and Canada with a suggested retail price of $29.99. ``For a dollar a game, Intellivision Classics offers players the chance to bring to their PlayStations some of the best-loved, best-selling games from the popular 1980s Intellivision home console system," stated Mitch Lasky, executive vice president, Activision Studios. ``Like Activision Classics, we expect Intellivision Classics to be a huge success allowing gamers to either relive the old days of video gaming, or see what they missed the first time around with perfect conversions of the original games. With the use of emulation technology, each game featured in Intellivision Classics looks and plays exactly as it did on the original Intellivision console. Players can rocket through asteroid storms and alien attacks in Astrosmash, smack a long drive to bring the runners home in Baseball, and conquer battlefields in the full-throttle warfare of Armor Battle. A special ``video history" section includes interviews with some of the original programmers and designers. The Intellivision system was one of the most successful in the early '80s, with more than 3 million sold and over 100 games released. Intellivision Classics also includes such favorites as Space Armada, Auto Racing, Night Stalker, Pinball, Sub Hunt, Hockey and Stadium Mud Buggies. 3DO Releases the BattleTanx: Global Assault Game For Nintendo 64 The 3DO Company Tuesday announced the release of the BattleTanx: Global Assault game for the Nintendo 64. The sequel to the immensely popular BattleTanx features new and improved effects for more realistic mayhem, 24 completely new levels, more tanks, new play modes, and more cities as the combat takes on global proportions. The original BattleTanx proved to be a hit at both retail and rental outlets, and the BattleTanx: Global Assault game promises more of the pulse-pounding action that made the original a blast. With a multimillion dollar marketing campaign, including aggressive television advertising scheduled to run through the holiday buying season, the BattleTanx: Global Assault game is poised to top the success of its predecessor. The BattleTanx: Global Assault game's graphically superior environment features beautifully enhanced rendered pyrotechnics with hyper-real explosions, fire, and smoke effects that include pieces raining down from destroyed buildings. The game achieves up to 30 frames-per-second action in single player mode for non-stop thrills. The new storyline takes players to cities in the U.S. and Europe, where they do battle with international gangs and wreak havoc on famous landmarks in Paris, London and Berlin, including the Eiffel Tower and the Brandenburg Gate. City environments are completely destructible for maximum mayhem! The game will also feature the popular four-player multiplayer and family modes of the original. In addition to deathmatch and a variety of capture the flag styles of play, multiplayer games include a cooperative option for more strategic excitement. Players may compete against other players or against the computer. Simplified family mode and intuitive controls mean that anyone can jump into the fun quickly and easily. Of its leading titles, the BattleTanx game has the youngest customer base, and the Company has received high praise from users for making the game easy for families to play together. ``Our goal with the BattleTanx: Global Assault game is to bring people more of what's most fun: all-out multiplayer chaos that's quick and accessible," said Trip Hawkins, chairman and CEO of The 3DO Company. ``Whether you're an expert gamer or you've never held a controller before, anyone can jump right in and enjoy it." Players may choose from 12 different tanks, including the new Hover Tank and a tank that flips from side to side. The enhanced arsenal includes a 3D guided missile and new power ups like the Bouncing Betty mine. With 24 completely new levels players are in for hours of tank mayhem. Infogrames North America Scores With Striker Pro 2000 -- First Soccer Game for Sega's Dreamcast Stunning Graphics and Life-Like Action Put Gamers at the Center of a World-Class Soccer Match ``Gooaaall!" Gamers will feel the adrenaline rush of a professional soccer match. Infogrames, a leading publisher and developer of video game software, announced Monday Striker Pro 2000, a highly realistic soccer game that features authentic teams, players, stadiums and sounds that immerse gamers into a complete soccer experience. Striker Pro 2000, developed by Rage Software, will be the first soccer game for the new Sega Dreamcast console and will be available for both the PlayStation game console and the Dreamcast in February 2000. ``Our goal with Striker Pro 2000 was to recreate the feeling of actually playing soccer -- from the visuals of the players and stadium locations to the sounds of the crowd to the actual game play," said Steve Allison, director of marketing for sports and racing titles at Infogrames North America. ``The strategy and tactics that are successful in Striker Pro 2000 are exactly the same as the ones used by professional teams in actual games." Striker Pro 2000's broad list of features provide new challenges and experiences for gamers as they progress and become more skilled: -- 200 player moves -- Super-skilled Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed with the guidance of Ruud Gullitt, former Dutch footballer-of-the-year and former Football Association player Glenn Roeder -- 9,000 frames of motion-captured animation -- Nine game modes -- Build your skills in five initial game modes then pass certification to reach four additional modes. -- 44 European Club teams, all European National Teams and more than 30 non-European teams. Become certified to unlock the U.S. soccer team. -- Ability to create your own leagues or competitions -- attempt to guide your team to a world championship. -- Personalize your favorite team's kit (uniform patterns and design): uniform, shorts, socks. A key part of Striker Pro 2000's realism is its high graphical quality. With 9,000 frames of motion-captured animation and 30 frames-per-second game speed, Striker Pro 2000 delivers fluid, crisp player and AI movements. The graphical capabilities of the new Dreamcast console are fully utilized with: -- Higher resolution textures, including Team Kits -- Stadium models with more polygons -- Improved in-game menus -- Realistic grass and pitch markings -- TV-style pop-up text -- More accurate ball physics -- More replay camera angles -- Realistic crowd movements and reactions In addition to visual realism, Striker Pro 2000 replicates several gameplay aspects of world class soccer. Just like an actual soccer game, Striker Pro 2000 is played in 'real-time' with no dead time when the ball is out of play. The player can take advantage of getting a corner kick off quickly before the defense has a chance to fully set up. The new AI better simulates how real soccer players react and play, requiring the same skills of the gamer. The result is a very fast pace with the focus on playing instead of managing the game. Commentary by English coaches Jonathan Pearce and Ron Atkinson, along with action-specific crowd noise further enhance the experience. Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s Rockstar Games Division Announces its GTA2 has Gone Gold and Will Ship Worldwide on October 22 Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s Rockstar Games division announced Wednesday that its GTA2, the eagerly anticipated sequel to its Grand Theft Auto has gone gold and will ship for the Sony PlayStation and PC worldwide on October 22. Separately, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto for the Nintendo Game Boy Color has begun manufacturing and will ship in Europe on October 22 and in North America as scheduled in November. GTA2 was developed by the Company's recently acquired DMA Design Ltd. subsidiary. Grand Theft Auto for the Nintendo Game Boy Color was developed by the Company's Tarantula subsidiary. Sam Houser, President of Rockstar Games stated, ``Both Rockstar and DMA are thrilled to be bringing GTA2 to the world for the Christmas season. To date we have received extremely positive international consumer and trade press response for GTA2 and we are confident we have created a worthy successor to Grand Theft Auto." Electronic Arts Ships Knockout Kings 2000 For The Nintendo 64 Electronic Arts Tuesday announced that it has shipped Knockout Kings 2000 on the Nintendo 64 video game system. Knockout Kings 2000 is the only video game that features boxing legends Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Evander Holyfield. New to the game this year is heavyweight Joe Frazier, who teamed with Ali to create some of the most memorable fights of all time. ``Nobody could ever move like me, or punch like me" said former heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. ``I look at myself in Knockout Kings 2000 and I like what I see. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." Last year's Knockout Kings on the PlayStation became the best selling boxing video game in the history of the industry, according to TRSTS Video Game Report, published by the NPD group. Knockout Kings 2000 ships on the PlayStation and Game Boy® Color later this fall. Knockout Kings 2000 has the market cornered on boxers and allows fans of the ``sweet science" to play as the most famous fighters in history. The stunning roll call of boxers includes Muhammad Ali, Alexis Arguello, Eric ``Butterbean" Esch, Oba Carr, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Duran, Joe Frazier, ``Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Kevin Kelley, Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis, Angel Manfredy, Floyd Mayweather, ``Sugar" Shane Mosley, Sean O'Grady, Aaron Pryor, Ike ``Bazooka" Quartey, David Reid, Danny Romero, Leon Spinks, David Tua, Fernando Vargas and Pernell ``Sweet Pea" Whitaker. Each boxer's style, strength, weight, height, speed, reach and stamina are factored into the artificial intelligence to ensure a realistic boxing experience. Fight enthusiasts can compete as or against these legends as they vie for the championship belt in light-, middle- and heavyweight classes. Improved speed and control make the game's responsiveness and fluidity second-to-none. An interactive training mode helps the user learn a boxer's moves and perfect his technique in the gym before he gets in the ring. An enhanced ``create-a-boxer" feature allows the user to create a boxer with specific fighting skills and a very distinctive look. With the ability to choose hair style and color, facial hair style and color, trunks, height, weight, shoes, gloves, nickname, signature moves, and other attributes, the create a boxer feature enables a user to customize a boxer however they desire. New face wrap technology makes the boxers in the game look totally authentic. Visual effects throughout the game enhance the fighting action, such as punch trails that track the path of a blow as it lands on an opponent's face or body. An all new music soundtrack sets the tone as boxers enter the ring, and new sound effects bring the grit of boxing to the user as he hears not only the blows landed by the boxers, but also the cheers and taunts of the crowd. ``Knockout Kings 2000 has an incredible lineup of boxers, but it is the gameplay that puts it over the top," said Michael Pole, vice president and executive in charge of production, Electronic Arts. ``When you fight Muhammad Ali against Joe Frazier, or Sugar Ray Leonard against Marvin Hagler, you become totally immersed in the action. The fighters look and move just like their real life counterparts. Muhammad Ali is the greatest fighter of all time. We had to do him justice with this game, and we did." Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley worked closely with EA SPORTS as consultants on the game to ensure the authenticity of the fighting action. All three were motion captured as they executed hundreds of moves that they would use in a real fight. The movements of the boxers were then digitized into the game to bring the cyber boxers to life. Famous referee Mills Lane worked with EA SPORTS on the game to give his expert opinion on the strengths and weakness of current and past fighters. The broadcasting element of Knockout Kings 2000 helps immerse the user in the boxing experience. Jimmy Lennon, Jr, makes ring announcements and introduces the fighters. Sean O'Grady and Al Albert provide play-by-play commentary, and Lane gives the boxers pre-fight instructions. Knockout Kings 2000 appeals to gamers who enjoy over-the-top arcade action with a slugfest mode of play, as well as a career mode that enables a gamer to enjoy a more realistic fighting experience. In slugfest mode it is possible to go toe-to-toe for one fight with no rules and no refs. Punches and player movements are exaggerated to create an extreme style of boxing action, such as having a boxer do a backflip on the way to the canvas when he is knocked down. Career mode rewards boxers for excellent performances including combinations, superpunches, knockdowns and knockouts over multiple fights on the way to the championship. =~=~=~= ->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr! """"""""""""""""""" Important Jaguar Pre-order Update Jaguar fans, don't delay! Now is the time to pre-order the four upcoming Jaguar games brought to you by Songbird Productions. Thanks to all the fans who have already mailed in their pre-orders; Songbird appreciates your business. The following games will be published by Songbird Productions in the 1999 and 2000 timeframe: Pre-order Retail Title Date Price Price ------------------------------------------------- Skyhammer 12/20/99 $69.95 $79.95 Soccer Kid 02/07/99 $69.95 $74.95 Hyper Force 03/20/99 $69.95 $74.95 Protector 05/08/99 $69.95 $74.95 Information on all the above games can be found on the Songbird web site at http://songbird.atari.org. Release dates subject to change without prior notice. Due to an increase in component cost and the overall uncertainty of producing and selling a large quantity of cartridges, Songbird is raising the retail price on all upcoming Jaguar games after the pre-order period expires (Oct 31st). This is all the more reason to place your pre-order now and get these new games at the best possible price. Please note that any customer who pre-orders the games and postmarks his pre-order by November 1st is guaranteed to receive all pre-ordered games at the special discounted pricing. Any orders received that are postmarked after November 1st will be at the full retail price. Songbird appreciates the faithful fans who pre-order new games, and guarantees that the pricing will not change for those who pre-order. Plus, check out the full press release on http://songbird.atari.org and see how you can receive up to $20 in Songbird coupons with your qualifying pre-order! Sincerely, Carl Forhan Songbird Productions http://songbird.atari.org =~=~=~= A-ONE's Headline News The Latest in Computer Technology News Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Intel Scientist Sees Chip Size, Design Limits After 30 years of progress in the quest to make cheaper and faster computers, an Intel researcher said scientists may have reached the limit of their ability to scale down a silicon transistor crucial to the technology revolution, The New York Times reported Saturday. Citing an article in the journal Science, the Times reported that Paul Packan, a scientist with Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, said semiconductor engineers have not found ways around basic physical limits beyond the generation of silicon chips that will begin to appear next year. Packan called the apparent impasse ``the most difficult challenge the semiconductor industry has ever faced." ``These fundamental issues have not previously limited the scaling of transistors," Packan wrote in the Sept. 24 issue of Science. ``There are currently no known solutions to these problems." For more than 30 years, the computer industry has relied on a phenomenon known as Moore's Law, named after Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, which was the basic force underlying the computer revolution and the rise of the Internet, the Times said. The law held that as transistors were scaled ever smaller -- doubling in capacity about every 18 months -- computer performance rose and the cost of computer technology dropped. It had been assumed that the progress would hold for at least another decade. Packan said the next step along Moore's Law's progression would be to develop transistors that are composed of fewer than 100 atoms -- beyond the ability of semiconductor engineers to control. Executives at Intel cautioned against seeing the problem as insurmountable, adding they were confident answers could be found. But Dennis Allison, a Silicon Valley physicist and computer designer, told the Times, ``The fact that this warning comes from Intel's process group is really significant. This says that they see actual limits." If the miniaturization process for silicon-based transistors is halted, hopes for continued progress would have to be based on new materials, new transistor designs and advances like molecular computing, the Times reported. Packan's report will be echoed by researchers from the University of Glasgow in a paper to be presented in December at a conference in Washington, the Times reported. Language Startup Takes Open-source Route Open-source EDA takes a leap forward as CynApps, a system-level design language startup founded by EDA veteran John Sanguinetti, makes its Cynlib C++ class library freely available from a company Web site. CynApps has also revealed that it is close to announcing a C++-to-Verilog compiler for synthesis tools. "We want to promote Cynlib as a standard," said Sanguinetti. "If we put it out in the normal way, and licensed it for a fee, people would say they could do the same thing and do their own. Some would succeed, and we'd fragment the industry." CynApps does, of course, need to make money, and the company intends to do so by building and selling a "hardware design environment for C++," Sanguinetti said. In late September, the company plans to roll out a compiler that will bridge the gap between C++ and the Verilog subset needed for synthesis. CynApps may, however, be heading for competition with Synopsys in the C++ arena. According to reports in the E-Mail Synopsys User's Group, Synopsys privately demonstrated a C/C++ synthesis environment called "Scenery" at the Design Automation Conference in June. Brian Barrera, strategic marketing director for system-level design at Synopsys, declined to comment directly on Scenery, but he reiterated Synopsys' viewpoint that C++ is the "only realistic candidate" for a system-level design language. Cynlib, announced in June, is a class library that lets users describe hardware features in C++. It includes a fast, cycle-accurate simulation kernel, making it possible to simulate down to the register-transfer level using nothing more than Cynlib and the free GNU C++ compiler. The startup's open-source approach claims endorsements from several companies, including Magma Design Automation, SureFire Verification, Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems. SureFire itself has had a successful experience with its open-source Verilog EMACS editor. The company also makes a Verilog preprocessor available at from its site. Cynlib will be made available under terms very similar to the Netscape Mozilla Public License model, Sanguinetti said. Under these terms, users can download, use and modify the source code as they see fit. Users cannot modify the class library and resell it, but they can use it to build models that are compiled and sold. Those terms are very close to the GNU Public License, Sanguinetti said, although they go a little further by allowing users to link proprietary code with the library. Apple and CompuServe Announce Extension of Rebate Program Agreement is First Opportunity for Mac Users to Join the Value Revolution Led by CompuServe Now Available in CompUSA and J & R ComputerWorld Stores Apple and CompuServe, the value leader in Internet access and subsidiary of America Online, Inc., recently announced an extension of the successful retail rebate program designed to make getting online with Apple computers easier and more affordable. Beginning in November, Apple and CompuServe will introduce the first rebate offer made available to Mac users. Consumers who sign up for CompuServe for the Mac will receive a rebate in connection with the purchase of a Macintosh computer. The rebate applies to Macs purchased at CompUSA and J & R ComputerWorld and are an extension of the ongoing and successful rebate program--available through the holiday shopping season--already in place with these stores. "AOL and Apple are celebrating a decade of partnership together in which AOL has always been a premium Internet service choice for Mac users. Now CompuServe joins the family. CompuServe's rebate program with Apple marks the first time that Mac users can take advantage of our rebate program, and we are excited to bring new value to consumers who love their Macs and want CompuServe's robust content to help them manage their lives," said Audrey Weil, AOL SVP and General Manager of CompuServe. "We are glad to be working with CompuServe to make Macs more affordable than ever," said Mitch Mandich, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Sales. "90% of our iMac users join the Internet, so we know the rebate program with CompuServe Internet access will be a real winner among our audience." Voice Mail on Net Coming Soon Voice mail on the Internet? E-mail over the phone? Both are emerging, as the line separating phones and computers continues to blur. New products and services will let callers leave messages as e-mail attachments or check e-mail by phone. ``We think voice is going to be the next wave of the Internet," said Judy Radlinsky, spokeswoman for General Magic, which featured both services at the Internet World conference that ended Friday. Jfax.com and eFax.com are among the other companies offering voice e-mail. Some of the services have been available for a few months; others were introduced at the show this week. Callers use a special number to leave a voice message, and it pops up as an e-mail. Recipients can listen to messages from the computer or by phone. One drawback: they need separate numbers. Regular voice mail services offered by phone companies automatically transfer unanswered or busy calls to the voice mail system. With Internet-based services, callers must make a second call, or recipients must subscribe to a call-forwarding service from the phone company. Jfax and eFax also offer services that translate faxes to e-mail. ``The idea is you're a moving target," said Josh Mailman, an eFax product demonstrator. ``The easier you can be found, capture and get your information, the better." Internet World, a five-day conference sponsored by publishers of Internet World magazine, brings together Internet companies ranging from Microsoft Corp. to the smallest startups. The show is now in its seventh year. The show's offerings largely targeted other internet companies, but a handful of products were designed specifically for consumers or business travelers. Ancestry.com Inc., for instance, offers databases with 400 million names to help people trace their family roots. Handspring Inc. and Palm Computing Inc. also showed off their latest handheld organizers. The Internal Revenue Service had a presence as well, handing out brochures on electronic filing of tax returns and giving away CD-ROMs featuring forms and publications for tax year 1998. No matter that returns were due April 15. Several services targeted the growing e-commerce business. Some help companies set up online retail operations. Others offer digital cash systems that let buyers shop from different merchants without having to enter a credit card number each time. Microsoft Looks Ahead To Paper-Free Publishing By the year 2006, electronic news kiosks will allow people to download newspapers and magazines onto electronic reading devices. By the year 2010, the devices will be lightweight, have flexible screens and run off 24-hour batteries. By the year 2018, the newspaper on paper could become extinct. The future is electronic, the past is paper -- that is the message delivered at the world's biggest book fair by Dick Brass, vice-president of technology development at Microsoft. He speaks with the fervor of an electronic crusader selling the Microsoft Reader, a new piece of software that allows files formatted for print to be displayed or downloaded on a printer. He even uses the Reader to read in bed at night without disturbing his wife. Thursday, Microsoft announced that it is joining forces with Penguin Books, a unit of Pearson Plc, to put out a 1,000-strong series of classic books on Microsoft Reader which will be available early next year in English and later on in other languages. Two other deals were also clinched with Italian publisher Mondadori Editore Spa and the Paris-based Editions 00h00.com, one of Europe's leading online publishers, both adopting the Microsoft Reader. Microsoft boasts that its Reader device ``brings to the screen exactly what we all love about books: clean, crisp type, traditional lay-out and an uncluttered format." Brass, proudly waving his hand-held computer with a screen full of sharp and clear text, said that a book now costing $30 could cost $5 on the computer ``because now you pay for the paper, for the ink, for the transport and the books sent back unsold." He sees the Microsoft Reader as a major boon to the Third World because it would boost literacy. Every village would be able to afford its own electronic library, he said. There is nothing ironic about Brass singing the praises of the electronic Microsoft Reader at the world's biggest book fair, which has attracted 6,600 publishers from 115 countries. One in four of the exhibitors offers electronic publications. The industry, given a boost by the sharp rise of online book sales through companies like Amazon.com, sees the Internet as a friend and not a foe. As a sign of changing times at the fair, Microsoft announced a new $100,000 literary award to ``promote excellence in the eBook industry." Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said in a statement: ``We are delighted to be able to recognize and celebrate achievement in writing. ``The widespread availability of great electronic titles will not only help the young eBook industry, it will also help encourage literacy and the love of reading, learning and knowledge." Whatever new inventions may beckon on the horizon in the next millennium, publishers still feel the book has its place. As Frankfurt Book Fair chairman Hubertus Schenkel said: "The fascination of reading a book cannot be replaced by a laptop, most certainly not on the beach or on a cozy evening." Yahoo! To Put Computers in Taxis San Franciscans can now hail a cab - and a computer. Internet company Yahoo! has brokered a deal with Luxor Cab Co. to bring online cabs to the streets. The cabs come equipped with a two-and-a-half-pound laptop nestled between two armrests in the front seat and a modem attached to the dash. The computer plugs into the cab's cigarette lighter. The agreement with the cab company lasts four months, and Yahoo hopes that's long enough for riders to get hooked on the technology. Yahoo is considering increasing the number of Internet taxis after the four-month trial, or expanding the technology to another city. AT&T, HP Offer Internet Access Plan Via Brio PCs Purchasers of Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP Brio personal computers can receive Internet access through AT&T Corp.'s AT&T WorldNet Service under a plan unveiled Tuesday by the two companies. Under the plan, Brio customers will receive free Internet connection for one month, six electronic-mail accounts and AT&T's 24-hour online and phone support. Fees for AT&T's Internet connection services range from $9.95 per month for 10 hours of access to $21.95 per month for unlimited access. Access can be obtained through HP's new HP Brio Center, which gives small and medium-sized businesses a package of services, from initial connections to creating a Web site and online store. AT&T WorldNet Service will be integrated into the HP Brio Internet Center for simplified registration. The relationship with AT&T follows other alliances HP has formed for the HP Brio Internet Center, including deals with Netscape Communications Corp., Trellix Corp. and Prodigy Business Solutions. The HP Brio Internet Center is sold as part of all new HP Brio PCs. Microsoft Admits Browser Security Hole Microsoft today acknowledged a security problem with its Web browser that could let a malicious Web site operator rifle through visitors' files. Like many browser security problems, this one has to do with scripting technology, which lets a Web site execute actions on a user's computer without the user's interaction. Scripting languages like Netscape Communications' JavaScript or Microsoft's VBScript and JScript give the visiting computer a "script" to follow, instructing it to launch a new window or scroll text across the screen. For security reasons, browsers typically restrict the kinds of things a Web site can do with scripts. But in this case, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.0 browser fails to restrict scripts when they are executed from within smaller windows within a Web site called frames. The command at issue here is the "document.execCommand," according to Microsoft. In a security alert, Microsoft said it was working on a patch that would implement tighter security checks within frames. The patch is not yet available. The security hole is typical of the type regularly reported by Bulgarian bug hunter Georgi Guninski. Guninski, who first reported this bug, has reported many others in browsers from both Microsoft and America Online's Netscape unit. Pending a fix, Microsoft is recommending that users disable Active Scripting in IE 5's Internet Zone, a categorization within the browser's security system that includes most Web sites. Users should add sites they trust not to execute malicious content on their computers to the Trusted Zone, Microsoft said, adding that Microsoft should be among these sites if users want to download the patch when it becomes available. Microsoft stressed that someone exploiting this attack could only read files, not change or delete them. Windows 2000 Now Likely To Ship In February Microsoft Corp. marketing will take one on the chin and wait until February of next year to launch Windows 2000, the company's flagship product. The Redmond, Wash., company is telling partners it will take a deliberate approach to launch rather than try to rush the launch into the end of this year just to save face, according to several sources. (Speaking at the GartnerGroup's Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Microsoft President Steve Ballmer said the company is in no rush to ship the OS until it's "absolutely, positively right.") Microsoft also will conduct a Windows 2000 launch planning event in conjunction with its partners in late October, where the company will map out in detail its delivery and launch plans for the product, according to partners. Microsoft officials, who have repeatedly promised shipment by the end of this year, would not confirm or deny any timing issues regarding the shipment of Windows 2000. However, a Windows 2000 trade show in San Francisco has been slated for February and is likely to provide the venue for the OS's launch, sources said. Microsoft officials maintain the product will release to manufacture, or RTM, this year -- sources say December 5 is the latest target -- and therefore Windows 2000 would technically ship this year, even though users won't have the software in hand for six to eight weeks after RTM. But even Microsoft seems resigned to the idea that, given year 2000 issues, shipping a product at the end of this year is not an ideal strategy. "I joke and tell [CEO] Bill [Gates] that this is the worst time in the last couple hundred years to ship a new software product," said Brian Valentine, vice president of Microsoft's Business and Enterprise Division and head of Windows 2000 development under Senior Vice President Jim Allchin. But quality issues and development delays also seem to be playing a part in putting off the launch to February. Sources say a third release candidate, originally slated for October, has slipped to November. And application compatibility, an issue that has dogged the product all year, is still about 15 percent shy of where Microsoft wants it, according to Valentine. Users, for the most part, aren't fazed by the timing. Most have no plans for serious deployments until at least the end of next year - regardless of whether they purchase the product early in the year. Even Rapid Deployment Partners with deployment success stories are taking careful steps with portions of what many observers say is more than just an upgrade. "In our environment, we haven't done much with Active Directory services yet, and we're just now planning to migrate our domain controller to Windows 2000," said Jason Lochhead, vice president of research and development at Data Return Corp., an RDP in Dallas founded by three former Microsoft employees. Data Return's application hosting business is running on Windows 2000 with some Windows NT 4.0 mixed in. "I felt like I had a good grasp on Active Directory, and even then it's daunting," Lochhead said. Also daunting to users will be the amount of conflicting information regarding the cost of upgrading to Windows 2000. Giga Information Group this week released Windows 2000 research claiming that the benefits of migrating to Windows 2000 outweigh the costs. Giga based its findings on its Total Economic Impact metric, which measures cost alongside benefits, flexibility and risk. Giga found that installing or upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional will cost approximately $970 to $1,640 per desktop system. Installing or upgrading to Windows 2000 Server -- once the product has been stabilized -- will cost approximately $107 per client for a typical network of 5,000 users. For an enterprise with 5,000 users, the total expected cost of upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional and Server would be approximately $1,077 to $1,747 per user even if an organization replaces all of its desktop hardware. Those findings run counter to a study published by the GartnerGroup, whose analysts said fewer than 30 percent of enterprises will adopt the first iteration of Windows 2000 and cited much higher deployment costs. Broadscape To Give Away Free 19-Inch PC Monitors First came ``free" PC's. Now we have ``free" PC accessories. Hoping to thrust privately-held Broadscape.com into the online advertising world, the New Orleans-based company said Tuesday it would give away 100,000 19-inch color PC monitors. The six-month old company plans to build an ``electronic marketing network" based on the complimentary distribution. Broadscape said it signed a ``multi-million dollar" partnership with CMGI Inc. affiliate MyWay.com, under which MyWay would provide content, including the Altavista search engine, for a co-branded start page. A wave of ``Free PC" offers led to a sharp rise in computer sales at stores this past summer, just when a seasonal lull might have been expected to hit, according to PC Data Inc. The ``free" PCs were offered mostly by upstart companies, like ePCdirect.com. But market leaders like Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. also got into the game, offering big rebates on PCs when a buyer signed up for as many as three years of Internet service. Like the PC deals, the monitor plan has a price. Applicants must exchange information, like income level and personal interests. Once the monitor is attached, Broadscape's ``always on top" software triggers ads that stream across the screen when users are online. However, when disconnected from the Internet, the messaging frame is inactive, allowing complete use of the entire screen, which is larger than the 17-inch and 15-inch monitors owned by most PC-users. Broadscape chief executive Anthony Salvaggio said the deal differed from ``free" PC offers by halting the ads when a user was offline and that it did not oblige anyone to subscribe to an Internet service provider. ``We wanted to have something that is technologically trouble free," he told Reuters. ``(ISP deals) are too complicated. This way we don't have to worry about people getting busy signals." Broadscape expects in March 2000 to start shipping the first 100,000 monitors, which will be built and serviced by KDS, a unit of Korea Data Systems. ``We can become part of the advertising network and we can start with the first 100,000 monitors," said Salvaggio, who noted that a private investor had committed $5 million toward the program. Salvaggio said more than 9,000 applications had already been taken at its web site, www.broadscape.com. Intel, AMA Develop MD Verification Intel Corp. and the American Medical Association said Tuesday they are developing an online system to verify that people who dispense medical advice via the Web are indeed doctors. Such a system will be crucial, participants said, for the next wave of Internet health care applications, which could let doctors share lab results and diagnose patients electronically. Engineers designed the system to verify doctors' credentials and prevent pranksters from impersonating a physician. The system will also be able to verify patients' identities to protect sensitive medical records. The system, unveiled at a daylong Intel conference on Internet health care, is expected to be in place early next year. ``Today, there's no effective way for online services to know Dr. Jones is in fact Dr. Jones," said Charles E. Saunders, medical director for Healtheon, a Web health company that signed up for the new services. Alan Greene, a pediatrician who runs the Web site drgreene.com, said he has heard of a few pranks. A visitor to an online chat room once gave a cancer patient advice on alternative treatment options, only to say afterward that the exchange was a joke. ``When people go looking for information online, it's usually a topic they are concerned about," Greene said. ``If they get misinformation, it can be dangerous." The system verifies only an individual's identity, not the site's content. Richard Corlin, speaker of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association, acknowledges that a separate system must be developed to sort out good and bad medical information. The Intel system will require doctors using a participating Web site to register for a digital certificate, akin to an online health card. Intel computers will check the registration information against the American Medical Association's database of 900,000 doctors. Patients ultimately will have to register as well to get private records. Intel, AMA To Put Patient Records Online Intel has teamed up with the American Medical Association to provide physicians and consumers software that will allow them to securely access and exchange patient records online. The alliance, as earlier reported by CNET News.com and announced today at Intel's Internet Health Day event in New York, will focus on creating so-called digital credentials that Intel and the AMA plan to eventually distribute to health Web sites, physicians, and consumers. Digital credentials are a piece of encrypted software that helps verify a person's identity to Web sites. Intel also announced that it has created a new Internet Authentication Services unit to develop these credential services. Health care has the potential to be a huge online industry, and companies such as Healtheon and Medquist already have entered the space. But many privacy experts regard health information as being among the most sensitive information that can be distributed, requiring companies to safeguard that data. Digital credentials like those developed by Intel help ensure that only authorized physicians, insurers, and consumers can access a patient's medical transcripts or other health records. "If you're buying a book online, it's not critical that I know your ID," said Mariah Scott, manager for Intel's authentication services unit. "If you're talking about accessing your health records online, you really need to know that this is a physician," Scott said. The deal also serves two key strategic aims for Intel. Earlier this year, the company launched an Internet services division as part of its expanded mission to provide the "building blocks" to the Internet economy. Today's deal gives a boost to that effort. Company executives from CEO Craig Barrett on down have also been touting the importance of business-to-business e-commerce, as well as Intel's desire to play a major role in its development. Intel is not alone in developing authentication software. VeriSign, Network Associates, and Entrust, among other companies, are involved in developing digital certificates that verify a user's identity. But much of the digital certificate effort to date has centered on financial transactions. Intel said that Healtheon-WebMD and Franklin Health have all signed on to use the new software. Physicians will be able to use digital credentials to store and view patient charts through MedQuist, and consumers will be able to use them to update their health information on WellMed's WellRecord. Scott said Intel already is prototyping the authentication service with a small group of physicians from the AMA and is beta-testing it with Healtheon-WebMD and WellMed. She said the company plans to fully bring out the service early next year. Physicians will be able to obtain a digital credential through the AMA, Scott said; although Intel and the AMA are still deciding on the mechanics of the enrollment process. Intel also is planning to extend its authentication services into other Internet and e-commerce areas, Scott said. "Our first focus is health care, but we think these authentication services are applicable to a number of other businesses," she said. =~=~=~= Atari Online News, Etc.is a weekly publication covering the entire Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for profit publications only under the following terms: articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of request. Send requests to: dpj@delphi.com No issue of Atari Online News, Etc. may be included on any commercial media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service or internet site, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without the expressed consent or permission from the Publisher or Editor of Atari Online News, Etc. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.