|||||| |||||| || || |||||| |||||| || || ||| || || || || ||| |||| |||||| || |||| Your || || || || ||| || || |||||| |||||| || || |||||| |||||| GEnieLamp Computing || |||||| || || |||||| RoundTable || || || ||| ||| || || || |||||| |||||||| |||||| RESOURCE! || || || || || || || ||||| || || || || || ~ WELCOME TO GEnieLamp Atari ~ """""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ Historical Perspectives ~ ~ A Visit to the LAW Roundtable ~ ~ Corporate America and Windows 95 ~ ~ Reviews of Load Aladdin 2 and Take-Off ~ ~ Monthly Review of New Library Uploads ~ ~ Monthly Analysis of High Tech Stocks ~ ~ Online Communications & the Changing Nature of Friendship ~ ~ Opposing Viewpoints Column: "Third On The Block" ~ ~ Floppy Drive Replacement - Do It Yourself Instructions ~ ~ Jaguar News ~ Humor Online ~ Press Releases ~ and More!! ~ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// GEnieLamp Atari ~ A T/TalkNET Publication ~ Vol.6, Issue 84 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Publisher.................................................John F. Peters Editor...............................................Sheldon H. Winick \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// ~ GEnieLamp IBM ~ GEnieLamp Atari ~ GEnieLamp PowerPC ~ ~ GEnieLamp A2Pro ~ GEnieLamp Macintosh ~ GEnieLamp TX2 ~ ~ GEnieLamp Windows ~ GEnieLamp A2 ~ LiveWire (ASCII) ~ ~ Member Of The Digital Publishing Association ~ GE Mail: GENIELAMP Internet: genielamp@genie.com ////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ >>> WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ATARI ROUNDTABLE? <<< """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ~ September 1995 ~ THE EDITOR'S DESK ....... [FRM] ONLINE LIBRARY .......... [OLB] Notes From My Desktop [*] Files, Files & More Files DEALER VIEWPOINT ........ [DLR] COMPUTERS AND INVESTING . [CAI] Historical Perspectives [*] High Tech Stock Review AROUND AND ABOUT GENIE .. [AAG] ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS ... [TAO] The LAW Roundtable Changing Nature of Friendship HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HMR] OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS ..... [OVP] Legal Brief Third On The Block CLAW MARKS .............. [CMK] QUESTION CORNER ......... [QCR] Two New Games and a Book Floppy Drive Replacement WINDOWS 95 .............. [W95] JAGUAR NEWS ............. [JNW] Headache for Corporate Mgrs. Message from Ted Hoff MEL'S MANOR ............. [MEL] PRESS RELEASE ........... [SFG] [*] Load Aladdin 2 S.F. Giants Community Fund LITTLE GEMS ............. [LGM] CATNIPS ................. [CT2] [*] Take-Off Jaguar Tidbits (95.08.28) CATNIPS ................. [CNP] SEARCH ME ............... [OPF] Jaguar Tidbits (95.08.23) Online Puzzle Fun LOG OFF ................. [LGF] GenieLamp Information [IDX]""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" READING GEnieLamp GEnieLamp has incorporated a unique indexing system """"""""""""""""" to help make reading the magazine easier. To utilize this system, load GEnieLamp into any ASCII word processor or text editor. In the index you will find the following example: HUMOR ONLINE ............ [HUM] GEnie Fun & Games. To read this article, set your find or search command to [HUM]. If you want to scan all of the articles, search for [EOA]. [EOF] will take you to the last page, whereas [IDX] will bring you back to the index. TX2 FORMAT What are you missing when reading the ASCII version of """""""""" GEnie Lamp? EXCITEMENT! Whenever you see a [*] in the index or in the article header, that indicates that the article contains TX2 graphics and/or pictures. To see the graphics, you will need the following files: COLRnnnn.ZIP GEnie Lamp in TX2 format w/Color graphics. MONOnnnn.ZIP GEnie Lamp in TX2 format w/Monochrome graphics. MINI_TX2.LZH Mini-version of TX2 Viewer (File #20441). ABOUT GEnie GEnie's monthly fee is $8.95 which gives you up to four """"""""""" hours of non-prime time access to most GEnie services, such as software downloads, bulletin boards, GE Mail, an Internet mail gateway, and chat lines. GEnie's non-prime time connect rate is $3.00. To sign up for GEnie service, call (with modem) 1-800-638-8369 in the USA or 1-800-387-8330 in Canada. Upon connection type HHH. Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: JOINGENIE and hit RETURN. When you get the prompt asking for the signup/offer code, type: DSD524 and hit RETURN. The system will then prompt you for your information. Need more information? Call GEnie's customer service line (voice) at 1-800-638-9636. SPECIAL OFFER FOR GEnieLamp READERS! If you sign onto GEnie using the """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" method outlined above you will receive $50.00 worth of credit. Want more? Your first month charge of $8.95 will be waived! Now there are no excuses! GET GEnieLamp ON THE NET! Now you can get your GEnieLamp issues from """"""""""""""""""""""""" the Internet. If you use a web browser, connect to "gopher://gopher.genie.com/11/magazines". When using a gopher program, connect to "gopher.genie.com" and then choose item 7 (Magazines and Newsletters from GEnie's RoundTables). *** GET INTO THE LAMP! *** """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" [EOA] [FRM]////////////////////////////// THE EDITOR'S DESK / ///////////////////////////////// Notes From My Desktop """"""""""""""""""""" by Sheldon H. Winick [GELAMP.ST] Summer is rapidly winding down and the Fall season is once again just around the corner. Is it just me or does time seem to be speeding up the older we get? What a summer its been. The hurricane season over here on the East coast continues to be a wild one. The storms continue to be lined up like a railroad train between the east coast of the U.S. and the northwest coast of Africa. I can't remember seeing such an active hurricane season since I was a kid growing up in the early 50's. The high tech electronics industry has also been extremely active as of late. The home entertainment industry is once again getting crowded with consumer options as more companies enter the gaming market. Atari continues to hold onto their technological lead with their 64-bit Jaguar system, but they are also continuing to be outdone in the marketplace by less capable systems marketed by far more capable manufacturers. August 24th was the much heralded release date for Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system software. It was also Atari's official release date for the Jaguar CD-ROM. Microsoft's release was accompanied with incredible media hype, huge advertising campaign, and an abundance of product on dealer shelves. Atari's Jaguar CD-ROM release, on the other hand, turned out to be more like a fizzle, with Atari claiming full success in meeting their release (shipping) date by shipping a handful of demo/evaluation units to selected parties only, but delaying shipping product to distributors and dealers for consumer sales. The reason given was that they underestimated the demand and decided it would be better to wait until they were ready to fill all orders before shipping any. Unfortunately, Atari chose to wait until the actual day of their announced product release before telling dealers and distributors that they would not be shipping any consumer product, which created yet another round of controversy concerning Atari's marketing prowess. Anyway, the NEXT projected actual shipping date for the Jaguar CD-ROM has been announced by Atari as being September 11th. We should keep in mind that mid-September is also the scheduled release date for Sony's new Playstation entertainment system. Which do you think will get the most media attention, dealer support and consumer sales? As for Atari's aging computer line, software continues to be the big news as there never seems to be a shortage of excellent programs and utilities to make our Atari computers ever more enjoyable and productive. This month, our staff editors Mel Motogawa and Al Fasoldt review Load Aladdin 2 and Take-Off with in-depth reviews. Mel's Online Library column provides an overview of a host of last month's new entries to the Atari Library on GEnie. Lloyd Pulley takes you for a visit to GEnie's LAW Library, along with some very interesting legal humor, particularly the Legal Brief that follows his 'Around and About GEnie' column. Our 'Opposing Viewpoints' column features an interesting perspective on used Atari equipment, written by Lee Benjamin. Phil Shapiro's 'Thinking About Online Communications' continues with an installment focusing on the changing nature of friendship. Tim Steed takes a closer look at two new games and a book for the Atari Jaguar in his 'Claw Marks' column. Al Fasoldt takes a look at Windows 95 as it relates to corporate America. Sandy Wolf takes provides his monthly analysis of the high tech stock industry. Chris and Wayne Ketner outline the ins and outs of replacing a bad floppy drive. We have Jaguar news direct from Atari. Scott Garrigus' 'Search Me' column provides you with another monthly puzzle to challenge your mind. And, even I was inspired enought by all the recent commotion in the computer marketplace to write one more installment of my 'Dealer Viewpoint' column. Which brings us to a good starting point for this month's Lamp. Happy reading. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / I find the Atari platform just fine and dandy for me. / / I make money from DTP and short run printing and find / / the Atari ideal for that. / / / /////////////////////////////////////// P.WALDING /////// [EOA] [DLR]////////////////////////////// DEALER VIEWPOINT / ///////////////////////////////// Historical Perspectives """"""""""""""""""""""" by Sheldon Winick [GELAMP.ST] Well, I had said I was going to retire this column several months ago when I took over the Editor position of GEnieLamp/Atari, but there has been so much happening in the computer marketplace recently, I felt inspired to write (at least) one more column. August 24th was the big day for high profile product releases. Microsoft finally rolled out Windows 95 for public consumption, and Atari finally rolled out their CD-ROM accessory for the 64-bit Jaguar Multimedia Entertainment System. Both products have received a great deal of pre-production publicity and hype, and both were released considerably later than originally announced by their respective companies. That's about where the comparison stops, however. Just about everyone living on this planet has heard about Windows 95; it's safe to assume that the large majority of this planet's population probably doesn't even know that Atari is still even in business. Looking back at the early days of personal computing in the late 70's, Atari was there at the forefront. Pong can probably be credited as one of the earliest successful consumer oriented computer products, followed soon by Atari's extremely successful 2600 game machine. That early computer power rapidly evolved into Atari's first home computer, the Atari 400, followed almost immediately by its big brother, the Atari 800. These systems were truly revolutionary in that they came equipped with onboard color graphics and stereo sound; this at a time when the rest of the personal computer industry was struggling along without either. The closest thing to sound in most other systems was limited to a few beeps and squeeks, which as it turned out, became the 'industry standard' for over a decade! Of the other early home systems, the others which offered color and sound were Radio Shacks Color Computer and the Commodore 64. The early business systems were led by Radio Shack's TRS80 systems and the early Apple computers, along with a host of CP/M-based machines by various manufacturers. For those of you who either don't remember back that far or are too young to remember, CP/M was the first disk-based operating system that was openly marketed with the concept of becoming an 'industry standard' among various manufacturers. CP/M, which stands for Control Program for Microcomputers, was developed by Digital Research, and by 1981, had become adopted by the large majority of business oriented microcomputer manufacturers. Even Radio Shacks TRS80 systems were based on a variation of CP/M. For a while, it appeared that Digital Research had a lock on making CP/M the true industry standard, especially when Xerox became the first truly major manufacturer to enter the microcomputer market when they rolled out their Xerox 820 in 1981, along with CP/M as its operating system. IBM's Personal Computer, the IBM PC, still hadn't been completed, and at that time, IBM was still involved in negotiations with Digital Research to use CP/M as well. For whatever reason, those negotiations broke down, and IBM decided to develop their own operating system. That's where a very young programmer named Bill Gates came into the picture. IBM hired him to develop an operating system similar to CP/M, and agreed to allow him to retain the rights to the system and market it to other manufacturers in an attempt to make IT the industry standard. As it turned out, this was the beginning of the 'open architecture' approach to personal computing that enabled the industry to grow to where it is today. Mr. Gates' MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) was the result of that effort. As it turned out, it was almost identical to CP/M in its user interface and command structure. Of course, by the time that it was finished, Digital Research was rolling out their next generation operating system, CP/M-86, which was far superior to both CP/M and MS-DOS. But the tide had already turned, and the MS-DOS bandwagon was already rolling, leaving a host of far superior hardware and software in its wake. The marketing prowess of IBM totally overran Xerox's feeble attempts, and the open architecture approach that IBM took attracted much of the rest of the industry to follow. Radio Shack soon abandoned their own platform and became a clone manufacturer, as did most everyone else in the industry. Only Commodore, Apple and Atari managed to survive as major independent closed architecture personal computer systems. While the IBM/MS-DOS bandwagon was attracting huge numbers of new computer users to the user-unfriendly, slow and clunky command-line systems through excellent marketing programs, Commodore, Apple and Atari continued to develop new and exciting graphic-based systems. While Bill Gates was busy making MS-DOS continually bigger and more complicated, Xerox was developing one of the first true graphics-based systems, their Xerox Star. Digital Research was developing their GEM operating system (Graphic Environment Manager), upon which the Apple Macintosh and Atari ST were based. But even before those systems made their debut, Apple had already rolled out their Apple III, which offered greater potential computing power than most everything else then in the marketplace. Unfortunately, Apple was unable to attract much development for that system, and without software, it was obviously of no value to anyone. The Apple Lisa was rolled out with great fanfare; even MORE computing power that definitely leapfrogged the industry, but it too was doomed to failure, primarily because it was priced way out of the realm of most microcomputer buyers' budgets. Apple went back to the drawing board, took the Lisa's concepts and stripped out the color and other bells and whistles, and out came the Macintosh. Instant success! Here was a user-friendly personal computer, easy to learn and fun to use. About the same time, Commodore was rolling out their Amiga, and Atari their ST. These were also user friendly systems, the Atari much more so than the Amiga, but the main difference was that both Atari and Commodore had managed to leave in all the bells and whistles, including excellent color graphics and sound, and still bring their systems to market at an affordable price. The Amiga's color graphics proved to be an excellent platform for color video graphics applications, and as it turned out, the Amiga dominated that niche market through most of the late 80's and early 90's. The Atari ST, with its built-in MIDI interface, quickly became the 'industry standard' for musical applications. That niche market was one of Atari's strongholds for much of that same period. The Atari ST also became a favorite throughout Europe, where its 'Power Without the Price' was fully appreciated. For whatever reason, Atari chose to concentrate nearly all its marketing efforts overseas, and its American market was primarily limited to a small core of dedicated users who knew about Atari and were willing to search out a dealer who supported the platform. Throughout Europe, the Atari systems also became a major contender in the desktop publishing arena. In America, the Macintosh became the dominant player in that market, and held that position for many years. One thing that all these graphic-based platforms had in common was that their architecture was based around Motorola's 68000-series processors. While the IBM and MS-DOS based systems were built around the less powerful Intel processors that had no intrinsic graphical ability, the Motorola processors offered full graphical capabilities, without the need to add all kinds of supplemental graphical upgrade boards to get that capability. Motorola's processors also were not handicapped with the rediculous memory limitations that were inherent on the Intel platform. Those differences were readily apparent when comparing the size difference between the big-case IBM/compatible systems (space for all those necessary 'upgrades' just to make them work) and the compact desktop cases of the Macintosh, Amiga and Atari ST systems. But the mass appeal of the clone market quickly made it the dominant platform and the industry standard. The large installed base of IBM/clone users attracted a continually larger share of development as well, both hardware and software. Unfortunately, the clunky design of the hardware and operating system software made those systems slow and difficult to use for most users. Microsoft responded with frequent 'upgrades' to its MS/DOS operating systems and finally rolled out 'Windows' with much fanfare, claiming to have invented a better way to do personal computing -- with a mouse and its pseudo-graphical interface. In reality, it was merely a graphical user interface loaded on top of DOS, which caused even more slowdown in the processing speed. The early releases of Windows were clearly feeble attempts to copy the superior GEM systems that had been used by Apple Macintosh and the Atari ST since 1985. In any event, the larger, more complex operating systems from Microsoft continually demanded faster and more powerful hardware in order for them to operate acceptably, and new technology hardware was continually the solution for overcoming deficiencies in the operating system software. Now we have Windows 95, a complete replacement for DOS and Windows. While previous Microsoft operating system software was limited to 16-bit architecture, Windows 95 finally offers a true 32-bit operating system to match the 32-bit hardware that has been standard for years. Of course, a 32-bit operating system is nothing new to Atari owners, who have been using one for years. That simple fact is one of the primary reasons why software has always run so much faster on the Atari platform, despite the fact that the specs on the processor speed always sounded slow compared to the higher numbers on the DOS clones. In addition to its 32-bit capability, Windows 95 offers a much cleaner, more user friendly graphical interface (something we've always had on the Atari ST systems), the ability to install program icons directly on the desktop screen (something Atari has offered since '91), and true plug and play installation of peripherals (something the Atari ST line has always had). Of course, Windows 95 does go beyond those basic 'catch-up' features. With the large majority of the world's computer users apparantly committed to the Intel/Microsoft platform, it is nice to see that Microsft is finally heading in the same user-friendly directions that Atari and Apple introduced a decade earlier. The Intel/Microsoft bandwagon has clearly become the current industry standard. Commodore called it quits last year, and Atari chose to withdraw from the personal computer market to concentrate solely on home game systems shortly thereafter. Even Apple Macintosh sales are apparantly slipping as the Intel/Microsoft bandwagon is continually gaining even more momentum with the rollout of Windows 95 to take better advantage of the Intel Pentium processor. In an attempt to counter this monopolistic bandwagon, Apple, IBM and Motorola formed an alliance a few years ago, to develop a next generation system based around Motorola's Power PC processor. Apple rolled out its first generation Power PC systems last year, but IBM's Power PC systems have been held up by delays in completion of their new Power PC OS/2 operating system. Industry gurus seem to agree that Motorola's Power PC is clearly superior to Intel's Pentium, but even Motorola's 68000 series chips held a technological advantage over their Intel contemporaries. With Microsoft's rollout of Windows 95 before IBM could complete it's Power PC OS/2 system, it appears that the Microsoft/Intel steamroller will continue to gain even more momentum. Meanwhile, Atari's move to the home entertainment system brought their technological prowess to a market that was dominated by technologically arthritic systems. Christmas '93 saw Atari's rollout of the first 64-bit home entertainment system, the Atari Jaguar. Atari had technologically leapfrogged the home entertainment industry, much as they had the personal computer industry so many years earlier. But once again, they have allowed that technological advantage to slip away without taking full advantage of their potential. Now, almost 2 years later, the Jaguar still only has around 30 games released so far, and the highly touted CD-ROM accessory which was promised as a 'soon to be released' item when the Jag was released in 1993, is just now finally making its way to the marketplace. Other players are also now coming into the high end home entertainment marketplace, and Atari will no longer have that market all to themselves. How well Atari can cope with the competition from larger, better funded manufacturers who are also attracting better interest from the press, developers and dealers, has yet to be seen. However, Atari's track record in such instances has not been good. One point cannot be denied, however, and that is the fact that Atari has always provided its customer base with excellently designed hardware that clearly has the potential to outperform its contemporary competition. The Jaguar is no exception, and the just released Jaguar CD-ROM accessory will open up even more possibilities for future excellence. Sheldon (Editor - GEnieLamp/Atari) (Computer STudio - Asheville, NC) ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Atari under Sam Tramiel has historically made mostly / / wrong decisions..... I have to believe that Sam has / / learned something and won't blow this great chance. / / / //////////////////////////////////// ICDINC (Tom) /////// [EOA] [AAG]////////////////////////////// AROUND AND ABOUT GENIE / ///////////////////////////////// The LAW Roundtable """""""""""""""""" by Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. [LEPULLEY] These two guys, George and Harry, set out in a Hot Air balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean. After 37 hours in the air, George says "Harry, we better lose some altitude so we can see where we are". Harry lets out some of the hot air in the balloon, and the balloon descends to below the cloud cover. George says, "I still can't tell where we are, lets ask that guy on the ground". So Harry yells down to the man "Hey, could you tell us where we are?". The man on the ground yells back, "You're in a balloon, 100 feet up in the air". George turns to Harry and says "That man must be a lawyer". Harry says "How can you tell?". George replies, "Because the advice he gave us is 100% accurate, and totally useless". But not all lawyers' advice is totally useless. In fact, if you log onto the LAW Roundtable (RT) on GEnie, you'll find a lot of useful advice available to you. Advice, opinions and general information abound in this RT. What are some of the things talked about in the LAW RT and how can they help you? Are you disabled or do you feel that you've been a victim of sexual harassment? If so, 'Law and Social Issues' category (Cat) is where to head. Maybe you think your employer has wrongfully discharged you. Go straight to the 'Labor and Management Law' Cat. Someone there might be able to help you or at least be able to point you in the proper direction to get some help. Are you buying a piece of property and need to know what to look out for (legally)? Check in the 'Real Estate Law' Cat and see what they have to say. Is someone you know getting a divorce or has questions about child support or child custody? Ask in the 'Family Law' Cat and see if someone can't help you. That's not all that's available. The LAW RT also has areas devoted to 'Corporate, Securities & Business Law', 'Entertainment Law (Film, TV, Music, Books, Sports, and the Arts)', 'Constitutional Law', 'Criminal Law and Justice', 'Medical and Health Care Law', 'Tax Law', 'Intellectual Property Law (Copyright/Patent/Trademark)' and 'Wills, Trusts, and Estates' - just to name a few. Are you going to law school or thinking of becoming a paralegal? There's others in the LAW RT doing the same thing, so there's plenty of people to give you support and advice if you need it. For you lawyers, the LAW RT even has a special Cat. devoted only to lawyers. This is where you can ask your peers professional questions (ones that shouldn't be asked in front of the general public) and get their answers and advice. I admit that I'm an O.J. Simpson trial addict. So the LAW RT is the place I head each day so I can keep up with what's going on. The LAW RT has one entire Cat. devoted just to the O.J. Simpson trial. It's frequented by attorneys - both defense and prosecution - people who are experts in blood testing, and many others in the law enforcement field (LEO's). Unlike many other RT's that I've been in that had areas devoted to the O.J. Simpson trial, this Cat. has a wide variety of opinions and theories. You'll find all sort of people in the LAW RT. As I said earlier, there's defense and prosecuting attorneys, attorney's who deal in bankruptcy, in family issues, etc. Plus, there's attorney's from all over the country who hang out in the LAW RT. It isn't only attorneys who hang out in the LAW RT, there are also other LEO's available - police officers, on occassion some judges, and others connected to the law and law enforcement. But unlike some other LAW areas I've been in (on other systems), the non-law person is very welcome to voice his opinions in the LAW RT. You don't have to be an attorney to say, "So what you're telling me is, if the Law = Justice, it's purely accidental". I'd say that a high percentage of the people who take part in the LAW RT are non-lawyers (my guess would be 30-40% - at least). One of the many things I enjoy about the LAW RT is that the lawyers on it don't take themselves too seriously. They have one Topic that's devoted entirely to lawyer jokes. "AFTER YOU HANG AROUND A WHILE, YOU That's where I got the intro LEARN THAT LAWYERS ARE 'REAL PEOPLE', joke to my column. It was JUST LIKE YOU AND ME." It was posted in the LAW RT by Jim Peabody.] After you hang around a while, you learn that lawyers are 'real people', just like you and me. An attorney phoned the governor just after midnight, insisting that he must speak to him regarding a matter of extreme urgency. An aide eventually agreed to wake the governor. "So what is it?" the governor screamed into the phone. "Well Governor," said the attorney, "Judge Williams just died, and I want to take his place." The governor responded immediately, "It's all right with me if it's all right with the undertaker." (Courtesy of Claire W., LAW RT sysop) Every Tuesday evening at 10pm EST the LAW RT has a Real Time Conference (RTC). This is where you can speak with other people in the RTC in real time (just like on the phone) to other members of the RT. Last week (August 22) the conference was on 'The DEATH PENALTY' - "I the death penalty a deterrent to criminals? Is it needed or useful? Does the death penalty violate the 8th amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. And of course - is it FAIR? Would Susan Smith have gotten the death penalty if she were male? If she were black?" One thing that I feel that I need emphasise (and I'll quote from the LAW RT's logon to make my point)... The LAW RoundTable is not a replacement for professional legal advice. It is a forum for discussion of legal issues and principles only. No one may rely on information posted here as legal advice. Moreover, the law changes over time (sometimes rapidly), therefore, it is important that a person with a specific legal question consult an attorney familiar with the area of law in question..." State, county and local laws can vary from area to area, so what applies in Louisiana might not apply in California or New York. Also, an attorney licensed in New York is greatly limited (legally) in what he can tell a person living in Colorado (where he doesn't have a license). But many times they can give you valuable general advice that can help you a lot. [Twice they've been able to help me on a couple of legal problems that I've had.] To get to the LAW RT, simply do a 'M 570' (Move to area 570). If you're using Aladdin, simply add that number (those numbers) to your RT configuration. [EOA] [HMR]////////////////////////////// HUMOR ONLINE / ///////////////////////////////// Legal Brief """"""""""" (Author Unknown) In The United States District Court Southwestern District Tempe, Arizona Case No. B19293 Judge Joan Kujava, Presiding Wile E. Coyote, Plaintiff vs. Acme Company, Defendant Opening statement of Mr. Harold Schoff, attorney for Mr. Coyote: My client, Mr. Wile E. Coyote, a resident of Arizona and contiguous states, does hearby bring suit for damages against the Acme Company, manufacturer and retail distributor of assorted merchandise, incorporated in Delaware and doing business in every state, district, and territory. Mr. Coyote seeks compensation for personal injuries, loss of business income, and mental suffering caused as a direct result of the actions and/or gross negligence of said company, under Title 15 of the United States Code Chapter 47, section 2072, subsection (a), relating to product liability. Mr. Coyote states that on eighty-five separate occasions, he has purchased of the Acme Company (hereinafter, "Defendant"), through that company's mail order department, certain products which did cause him bodily injury due to defects in manufacture or improper cautionary labelling. Sales slips made out to Mr. Coyote as proof of purchase are at present in the possession of the Court, marked Exhibit A. Such injuries sustained by Mr. Coyote have temporarily restricted his ability to make a living in the profession of predator. Mr. Coyote is self-employed and thus not eligible for Workmen's Compensation. Mr. Coyote states that on December 13th, he received of Defendant via parcel post one Acme Rocket Sled. The intention of Mr. Coyote was to use the Rocket sled to aid him in pursuit of his prey. Upon receipt of the Rocket Sled, Mr. Coyote removed it from its wooden shipping crate and sighting his prey in the distance, activated the ignition. As Mr. Coyote gripped the handlebars, the Rocket Sled accelerated with such sudden and precipitate force as to stretch Mr. Coyote's forelimbs to a length of fifteen feet. Subsequently, the rest of Mr. Coyote's body shot forward with a violent jolt, causing severe strain to his back and neck and placing him unexpectedly astride the Rocket Sled. Disappearing over the horizon at such speed as to leave a diminishing jet trail along its path, the Rocket Sled soon brought Mr. Coyote abreast of his prey. At that moment, the animal he was pursuing veered sharply to the right. Mr. Coyote vigorously attempted to follow this maneuver but was unable to, due to poor design and engineering on the Rocket Sled and a faulty or nonexistent steering system. Shortly thereafter, the unchecked progress of the Rocket Sled led it and Mr. Coyote into collision with the side of a mesa. Paragraph One of the Report of Attending Physician (Exhibit B), prepared by Dr. Ernst Grosscup, M.D., D.O., details the multiple fractures, contusions, and tissue damage suffered by Mr. Coyote as a result of this collision. Repair of the injuries required a full bandage around the head (excluding the ears), a neck brace, and full or partial casts on all four legs. Hampered by these injuries, Mr. Coyote was nevertheless obliged to support himself. With this in mind, he purchased of Defendant as an aid to mobility one pair of Acme Rocket Skates. When he attempted to use this product, however, he became involved in an accident remarkably similar to that which occurred with the Rocket Sled. Again, Defendant sold over the counter, without caveat, a product which attached powerful jet engines (in this case, two) to inadequate vehicles, with little or no provision for passenger safety. Encumbered by his heavy casts, Mr. Coyote lost control of the Rocket Skates soon after strapping them on, and collided with a roadside billboard so violently as to leave a hole in the shape of his full silhouette. Mr. Coyote states that on occasions too numerous to list in this document he has suffered mishaps with explosives purchased of Defendant: the Acme "Little Giant" Firecracker, the Acme Self-Guided Aerial Bomb, etc. (For a full listing, see the Acme Mail Order Explosives Catalog and attached deposition, entered in evidence as Exhibit C.) Indeed, it is safe to say that not once has an explosive purchased of Defendant by Mr. Coyote performed in an expected manner. To cite just one example: At the expense of much time and personal effort, Mr. Coyote constructed around the outer rim of a butte a wooden trough beginning at the top of the butte and spiralling downward around it to some few feet above a black X painted on the desert floor. The trough was designed in such a way that a spherical explosive of the type sold by Defendant would roll easily and swiftly down to the point of detonation indicated by the X. Mr. Coyote placed a generous pile of birdseed directly on the X, and then, carrying the spherical Acme Bomb (Catalog #78) climbed to the top of the butte. Mr. Coyote's prey, seeing the birdseed, approached, and Mr. Coyote proceeded to light the fuse. In an instant, the fuse burned down to the stem, causing the bomb to detonate. In addition to reducing all Mr. Coyote's careful preparations to naught, the premature detonation of Defendant's product resulted in the following disfigurements to Mr. Coyote: 1. Severe singeing of the hair on the head, neck, and muzzle. 2. Sooty discoloration. 3. Fracture of the left ear at the stem, causing the ear to dangle in the aftershock with a creaking noise. 4. Full or partial combustion of whiskers, producing kinking, frazzling, and ashy disintegration. 5. Radical widening of the eyes, due to brow and lid charring. We come now to the Acme Spring-Powered Shoes. The remains of a pair of these purchased by Mr. Coyote on June 23rd are Plaintiff's Exhibit D. Selected fragments have been shipped to the metallurgical laboratories of the University of California at Santa Barbara for analysis, but to date, no explanation has been found for this product's sudden and extreme malfunction. As advertised by Defendant, this product is simplicity itself: two wood- and- metal sandals, each attached to milled-steel springs of high tensile strength and compressed in a tightly coiled position by a cocking device with a lanyard release. Mr. Coyote believed that this product would enable him to pounce upon his prey in the initial moments of the chase, when swift reflexes are at a premium. To increase the shoes' thrusting power still further, Mr. Coyote affixed them by their bottoms to the side of a large boulder. Adjacent to the boulder was a path which Mr. Coyote's prey was known to frequent. Mr. Coyote put his hind feet in the wood-and-metal sandals and crouched in readiness, his right forepaw holding firmly to the lanyard release. Within a short time, Mr. Coyote's prey did indeed appear on the path coming toward him. Unsuspecting, the prey stopped near Mr. Coyote, well within range of the springs at full extension. Mr. Coyote gauged the distance with care and proceeded to pull the lanyard release. At this point, Defendant's product should have thrust Mr. Coyote forward and away from the boulder. Instead, for reasons yet unknown, the Acme Spring-Powered Shoes thrust the boulder away from Mr. Coyote. As the intended prey looked on unharmed, Mr. Coyote hung suspended in the air. Then the twin springs recoiled, bringing Mr. Coyote to a violent feet-first collision with the boulder, the full weight of his head and forequarters falling upon his lower extremities. The force of this impact then caused the springs to rebound, whereupon Mr. Coyote was thrust skyward. A second recoil and collision followed. The boulder, meanwhile, which was roughly ovoid in shape, had begun to bounce down a hillside, the coiling and recoiling of the springs adding to its velocity. At each bounce, Mr. Coyote came into contact with the boulder, or the boulder came into contact with Mr. Coyote, or both came into contact with the ground. As the grade was a long one, this process continued for some time. The sequence of collisions resulted in systemic physical damage to Mr. Coyote, viz, flattening of the cranium, sideways displacement of the tongue, reduction of length of legs and upper body, and compression of vertebrae from base of tail to head. Repetition of blows along a vertical axis produced a series of regular horizontal folds in Mr. Coyote's body tissues, a rare and painful condition which caused Mr. Coyote to expand upward and contract downward alternately as he walked, and to emit an offkey, accordion-like wheezing with every step. The distracting and embarrassing nature of this symptom has been a major impediment to Mr. Coyote's pursuit of a normal social life. As the court is no doubt aware, Defendant has a virtual monopoly of manufacture and sale of goods required by Mr. Coyote's work. It is our contention that Defendant has used its market advantage to the detriment of the consumer of such specialized products as itching powder, giant kites, Burmese tiger traps, anvils, and two- hundred-foot-long rubber bands. Much as he has come to mistrust Defendant's products, Mr. Coyote has no other domestic source of supply to which to turn. One can only wonder what our trading partners in Western Europe and Japan would make of such a situation, where a giant company is allowed to victimize the consumer in the most reckless and wrongful manner over and over again. Mr. Coyote respectfully requests that the Court regard these larger economic implications and assess punitive damages in the amount of seventeen million dollars. In addition, Mr. Coyote seeks actual damages (missed meals, medical expenses, days lost from professional occupation) of one million dollars; general damages (mental suffering, injury to reputation) of twenty million dollars; and attorney's fees of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. By awarding Mr. Coyote the full amount, this Court will censure Defendant, its directors, officers, shareholders, successors, and assigns, in the only language they understand, and reaffirm the right of the individual predator to equal protection under the law. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Ignoring GEnie is a poor choice for any Atari / / business person, of course, but there is no rule to / / say they _have_ to be here. / / / ///////////////////////////////////////// ST.MUSE /////// [CMK]////////////////////////////// CLAW MARKS / ///////////////////////////////// Two New Games and a Book """""""""""""""""""""""" by Tim Steed [T.STEED1] Welcome to another installment of Claw Marks! Last time we took a gander at some of the upcoming titles from Atari and other publishers. A lot of those titles are progressing nicely, and I hope to tell you more about them as time draws near for their release. Of particular note are Rayman, BattleSphere, and Primal Rage, as well as Ultra Vortek (formerly Ultra Vortex) and the big item itself, the Jaguar CD. But this month, I want to take a look at three recent releases for our trusty, fun-loving cat. Well, two games and a book. That's right, the Jag now has it's very own book out, called "Atari Jaguar Official Gamer's Guide" (referred to as Jag OGG, or JOGG for short). JAGUAR OFFICIAL GAMER'S GUIDE """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" The Jag OGG is a 246 page hint book for many of the current Jaguar games. The games it covers are: Alien Vs. Predator Brutal Sports Football Bubsy Cannon Fodder Cybermorph Doom Dragon: Bruce Lee Story Flashback Hover Strike Iron Soldier Kasumi Ninja Raiden Rayman (preview) Tempest 2000 Theme Park Trevor McFur Wolfenstein 3D Zool 2 This guide, written by Zach Meston and Douglas Arnold, and published by Sandwich Island Publishing, supplies the Jaguar fan with details about all of the above games, from how to finish them, strategy suggestions, and even some cheats. The info on the various games seems about as up to date as it gets. Various maps (like Alien Vs. Predator, for example), though not in color, are VERY sharp and clear (wish I had these several months ago), and the screen-shots are very good. Each game section has a drawing of an Atari joypad showing what each of the keys do. The book also includes a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question file) for Jeff Minter's upcoming Defender 2000, plus, there is also a FAQ for the now-delayed Fight For Life (more on this later). Lastly, there is a design-dossier presented by AEO's Travis Guy which includes an interview with the 'father of the Jaguar', John Mathieson. John knows just how 64-bit our cat is, and he goes into detail telling us about it. Next time your 3DO friend accuses you of having a 16-bit machine, ask him to read this! After this section, there is an interview with the Yakster himself, Jeff Minter, and then later, an interview with Andrew Whittaker, one of the programmers for the mega-hit "Alien Vs. Predator." Lastly, there is a BIG GEnie ad, listing some of the available Jaguar topics here on GEnie. All in all, the book was well worth the price of admission, $16.95. The author-info in the back was great, as was the Rayman preview, but the real meat is the cheat-section/hint-section, where you can find some help with the 17th level of Doom, the Pandora's Box mission in Iron Soldier, or the 8th mission in Cannon Fodder. If you are having a hard time with ANY of these games, or want to check some cheat-codes for your favorite, definitely give this book a look. PINBALL FANTASIES FLIPS INTO ACTION! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" As most of you might know, Pinball Fantasies is out. This great Jaguar adaptation comes as close to the real thing as you can without owing your own pinball machine, and it saves a lot of space, too! Four tables are included, four of the best from the PC version of Pinball Fantasies. The music is good, and graphics are clean and crisp. The screen does give a slight feeling of claustrophobia, but you quickly get used to it the more you play. Up to eight players can play by using controller #1. Each table has a different theme, different music, and different strategies. The four tables are called Partyland, with an amusement-park theme; Speed Devils, with a drive-fast-car theme; Billion Dollar Gameshow with a 'Price is Right' theme, and Stones N' Bones, a creepy graveyard theme. Stones N' Bones was my favorite, from board set-up to music (plus, it was the only one I beat my wife on!). The main competition coming for Pinball Fantasies is a game called 'Ruiner', but from what I've seen of it, it won't be as good as Pinball Fantasies, at least facially. Ruiner has some very nice tables, but the graphics seemed blurry and pushed together, almost 'dirty'. We will see when it comes out just which title is the pinball player's best choice. Right now, I'd give Pinball Fantasies a B, a B+ if you like pinball games. SUPER BURN-OUT BURNS ITS WAY INTO STORES! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Also recently released is Super Burn-Out, a real-world motorcycle racing game. There are no pipes or chains to beat other drivers with, and there aren't any jumps that shoot you to the moon and back, this is REAL racing, folks. With various tracks and even night-driving with headlights and everything, the only thing I didn't feel were bugs in my teeth. The graphics are very pretty, the road looks quite real, and your bike even leaves skid marks when you peel-out. The bike itself is acceptable, my only complaint being that with the big black rear tire, it just sticks out like a big black spot. Other than that, no complaints. The terrain is beautiful, and even wipe-outs are nice to watch. The music doesn't stir the soul or bring tears to your eyes, it's just 'there'. Control is very nice, no 'Checkered Flag Syndrome' here. Two player mode is real nice, with a split-screen view with one player's bike on the top of the screen, the other on the bottom. With the size of the bike and information panels, the screen, especially for the player on the top part of the screen, is really cramped. Overall, another very solid title. Watching the speed and smoothness of this game definitely proves to me that 'Need for Speed' or 'Daytona' COULD be done on the Jag. I'd give this title a B+, with an A- to race/motorcycle fans. It's as good as any arcade motorcycle racer gets! NEWS, INFO, RUMORS.... """""""""""""""""""""" Only a few bits of info to pass on, and then I'll let you get back to your normal GEnie activities... Flashback has recently arrived in stores along with White Men Can't Jump, which includes the 4-Player Team Tap adaptor. Could the drought be over? It could be, but one of the games we can't count on seeing soon is Fight For Life. Recently, an Atari employee stated that, due to advances in Jaguar development tools, the current Fight For Life has been suspended, so don't start looking for a polygon fighter ala Virtua Fighter or Toh Shin Den until sometime next year. Until then, we'll have to be content with Ultra Vortek from Beyond Games, and Primal Rage from TWI. To be honest, I think I can 'suffer' with Primal Rage for several months, or with Ultra Vortek for easily as long! Atari, take your time with FFL, we'll have plenty of other fighters... At a recent Atari show in Indianapolis, Indiana, 4-Play was showing off the latest incarnation of BattleSphere. Some of the attendees were quoted as saying that they thought BattleSphere was finished! 4-Play members are quick to add that they have a lot more cool stuff to add before it goes to production, HOPEFULLY late September, early October. This is definitely a title to watch for. And what about that pesky CD player for the Jag? Will it ever be out? Atari's official release date was August 24th, which happens to be the same release date as MicroSoft's Windows 95. Could there be some meaning to this? Is it coincidental? Will Windows 95 work on the Jag? Who knows! Expected titles to be out at release include Dragon's Lair, Myst, and Creature Shock, followed shortly by Demolition Man, Battlemorph, and others. Some titles I am looking forward to include Varuna's Forces and Highlander. The CD is supposed to come with Blue Lightning, Vid Grid, the Tempest 2000 soundtrack, VLM, and a Myst demo CD! Expected price is $149.99. Well, that about raps it up for this month. Next month, if I'm REALLY lucky, I'll be able to supply you with my first impressions of the Jaguar CD. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me at one of the various addresses below. I hope you enjoy what the GEnieLamp.Atari edition can provide for you, and I hope you will join us again next month. For now, Jag on! CompuServe: 76123,3037 GEnie: T.STEED1 AOL: OTRTimS Internet: otrtims@aol.com t.steed1@genie.geis.com [EOA] [W95]////////////////////////////// WINDOWS 95 / ///////////////////////////////// A Headache for Corporate Computer Managers """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] Copyright (c) 1995 by Al Fasoldt. All rights reserved. The introduction of Windows 95 made a lot of PC users happy. It's one of the most advanced operating systems for personal computers ever developed. But corporate computer managers all over North America haven't been joining in the cheers. To many of them, Windows 95 is a headache that won't go away. Faced with the unprecedented marketing hype that Microsoft has created for its new software, PC users in hundreds of thousands of offices will be asking the one question corporate information-system managers don't want to hear: If I can upgrade my home PC to Windows 95, why can't I get it on my office computer? In many small offices and in some larger ones, the changeover is already under way. As the main software that allows an IBM-compatible computer to perform all its complicated tasks, Windows 95 is expected to be immensely popular. But computer professionals have been telling the industry's trade journals that most corporate sites won't be switching over soon. The reasons? There are four: - Windows 95 requires more computer memory and, usually, more disk space. Upgrading each PC could cost from $400 to $1,200 for these two hardware items alone. - Windows 95 is so different from the current version of Windows that retraining will be needed for all employees. Microsoft says Windows 95 can be learned in 20 minutes, but apparently no one - not even Microsoft's own experts - believes this. - Windows 95 is so easy to install that employees who hear that their company is about to change over are likely to do it on their own. This sort of under-the-table switchover makes computer managers nervous because they would be forced either to remove the new software (at a cost in employee relations) or to begin supporting the newer Windows before they were ready. It's a lose-lose proposition. - Windows 95 makes connecting with other computers - in the office or around the world - as simple as clicking a mouse button. Computer managers worry that office PCs equipped with Windows 95 will be much more vulnerable to computer viruses than PCs are now. They are also concerned that PC users will find this built-in networking an invitation to cruise the Internet while they should be working. Microsoft had little choice in making Windows 95 different from Windows 3.1 and 3.11, the two older consumer versions of Windows. The older versions are flawed in the way they handle computer memory, and were designed with an odd, difficult-to-understand interface - the part of the software that users have to deal with to get anything done. But old habits are like old shoes, comfortable even when they are scuffy and out of style. Training corporate PC users to make use of the new features of Windows 95 is likely to take a couple of hours per employee just for the initial session. Computer managers need their own training, too, of course. Add the continuing job of support for users who have questions and problems and you've described a major and costly project for companies that are trying to cut expenses in a difficult economy. This will be compounded with personnel issues if employees decide to install Windows 95 themselves, without official permission. This may seem innocuous to employees - after all, they're doing something that should make them more productive - but it represents anarchy to information-system managers. A standardized office system is their minimum goal, and they are likely to view unauthorized installations of Windows 95 as threats to their authority. But what many of these these managers say they worry about most is the easy-to-travel expressway for computer data - and therefore computer viruses and hacker intrusions - that Windows 95 provides for all users. Even when all the personnel and training issues have been settled, the easy-entry problem will not go away. PCs can be fitted out with anti-virus software, but surveys have shown that most users and most computer managers haven't taken that step. Security against hackers is much more difficult to provide. Basically, if a PC is able to connect easily with another system, a hacker can get around any passwords or other security measures without a problem. Some computer managers say it may be a year before they switch - if they do at all. An alternative to Windows 95 is also being developed by Microsoft. It's Windows NT, which has been available in one form or another for a couple of years. A new version to be released soon will be just as easy to install as Windows 95 but will be much more powerful. And it will be very secure against intrusion. Windows NT is more expensive than Windows 95 and requires even more memory and disk space, but its benefits are already attracting attention in offices, universities and corporate sites. Microsoft is even advising companies to consider Windows NT instead of Windows 95. It has nothing to lose. Either way, it gains a customer. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Don't be sad that you own an Atari and not a / / "mainstream" computer. I own a PC-compatible, with / / all the trimmings. And yet, I keep finding myself / / booting up the Falcon or the Amiga 1200 instead. / / Some people just don't know what they are missing. / / In fact, I really pity the folks that are out there / / that don't know about the Atari's...... / / / ////////////////////////////////////// T.MILLERII /////// [EOA] [MEL]////////////////////////////// MEL'S MANOR / ///////////////////////////////// [*] Load Aladdin 2 """""""""""""""""" by Mel Motogawa [M.MOTOGAWA] ST Aladdin certainly has been a boon for ST users. Where would we be without this handy tool for accessing GEnie and the ST Roundtable? Having used PC Aladdin for some time, I can vouch for the fact that ST Aladdin has many features coveted by the PC crowd. ST Aladdin makes getting on/off GEnie a fast and painless experience, which is important when the clock is running. For some time Load Aladdin has been helping ST users wring even more performance out of ST Aladdin and now a new exciting version has just been released. Load Aladdin 2 is a powerful demoware program by Keith Gerdes of Trace Technologies. Demoware means you can try before you buy and the modest price charged for it belies its great power. Why Load Aladdin?: """""""""""""""""" "But I thought ST Aladdin worked just fine?" you may be wondering. Well, take a gander at some of Load Aladdin 2's features. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) If you own a Falcon, Load Aladdin is the only way to use ST Aladdin on it due to the way the serial port is accessed in ST Aladdin. MegaSTe and TT owners can also have access to the extra serial ports on their machines. Another font can be used in the Terminal screen when ST Aladdin is doing a pass. I can't believe how this livens up my online sessions after staring at the system font for so many years. The VDI text mode, in conjunction with your screen accelerator, can result in speedier text output to the screen in Terminal mode. I always wondered why my screen accelerator didn't affect ST Aladdin's Terminal mode text, but now it can in a big way. You can set the DTE rate, the speed your computer talks to your modem, much higher than ST Aladdin's 9600 baud limit. Flow control is also adjustable, which is handy for those higher baud rates. You have the option of determining whether you want to use the TOS serial port routines or ST Aladdin's direct hardware access. The blitter chip can be turned off, which allows more trouble free sessions when accessing via higher modem speeds. An online session can automatically be terminated after 1-9 minutes of idle time, user-definable. This has often saved my wallet when GEnie faltered while I was away from the helm. Otherwise, I would be getting charged for online time while ST Aladdin was waiting for GEnie to come through. If you've ever been startled by the sound effects Aladdin uses to signal the end of a file download and such, you can change the volume of these in Load Aladdin. The main Alad.prg program can now be crunched way down in size via Squish 2 (executable compressor from Trace Technologies). Earlier versions of Load Aladdin didn't allow squishing of Alad.prg. A Run button completes the old Save-and-Run, so you can try a configuration out before saving it as a default. All Things Having Been Heard: """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Load Aladdin is painless to set up, simple to use, very reasonably priced and you can try before you buy with the demo version which allows 5 minutes of online time (also the .cfg file isn't maintained). And a very serious plus in Load Aladdin's favor is the fact that it is being actively developed on this side of the pond. After reading the docs, I'm dazzled at all the 'smarts' in Load Aladdin. It keeps tabs on a staggering amount of serial port and online activity to make your online sessions with ST Aladdin as quick and painless as possible. Check out the demo archive (files #36792 & 36765) and don't forget to read the very verbose and helpful doc file which also lists the price for new users and upgraders. Load Aladdin and ST Aladdin are a true 'dream team' that no ST user should be without. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Living out of your truck!?! How are you making the / / jump to the Information Superhighway from there? :) / / / //////////////////////////////////// L.W.BENJAMIN /////// [EOA] [LGM]////////////////////////////// LITTLE GEMS / ///////////////////////////////// [*] Take-Off for a New Launch Pad """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] Copyright (c) 1995 by Al Fasoldt. All rights reserved. I am sometimes asked by my PC-user friends why I prefer computing on my TT. I spell out the usual list of advantages -- ease of use, powerful interface, competent multitasking using MagiC and Geneva, far better control of memory, plug-and-play hard drives and a dozen other things -- but the reply I usually get has nothing to do with my 10-Best List. It has to do with software. Somehow, Atari users have fostered a belief among sympathetic non-Atarians that we are missing out on all the real goodies in the software derby. Sure, we don't have a graphically based online World Wide Web browser (but we're coming close, as we'll see next month), and we don't have a bank-by-computer program that works with our North American banking system. (There are German Atari programs that work fine with European banks, however.) And we're slow in getting software that integrates with graphics and sounds on CD-ROMs. But in one area, Atari software is among the best in the world. We have an outstanding array of utilities -- too many in some categories, perhaps, but only in the sense of being coddled by an embarrassment of riches. That's a good way to describe the freeware program I'm highlighting this month. It's a powerful additions to any Atari system, yet simple enough to learn in a few minutes. And, of course, it's available here in the GEnie Atari Roundtable libraries. This freeware gem is Take-Off 2, a program launcher that can be run as a program or a desk accessory. It was written by Thomas Klein and Oliver Scheel of Germany. Although the last update was released in 1993, Take-Off 2 lacks nothing in its support for multitasking and in its ability to work with all TOS and TOS-clone operating systems. (It's file number 30443, TAKEOFF.LZH, in the ST RT libraries.) (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) When Take-Off 2 opens, it displays a list of up to 16 items. It has a second menu page of up to 16 items that automatically opens if you hold either shift key while clicking on the Take-Off 2 entry in the Desk Menu. (You can also switch to the second page by shift-clicking on the "About Take-Off..." entry at the top of its display once it is open; shift-clicking again toggles the first page back into view.) As soon as the Take-Off 2 window opens, your mouse pointer jumps to the item on the list closest to your pointer's previous location. You can move through the vertical list with your mouse or your your arrow keys. Clicking the mouse button or pressing Return runs the highlighted program. A second instance of Take-Off itself can be one of the items on the list, if you'd like to create a nested system of launchers. A control-click on any entry, blank or not, opens Take-Off's configuration dialog. From there, you can type in the path and name of a program or you can click in the entry field to open the system item selector. If you check a box at the right for TTP (or GTP) programs, Take-Off 2 will ask for a parameter before it runs the programs. Another field lets you enter parameters that will automatically be passed to the program -- a facility that adds so much functionality that I'll cover it separately below. Take-Off 2 fills in The filename of the program in yet another field, but you can (and should) type in an alias of your choice, so that an actual description for each item, of up to 16 characters, will appear in the drop-down lists. (Instead of WORKS.APP, you can have Take-Off display "Atari Works," and, instead of ALAD.PRG, you can have it show "Aladdin," for example.) (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) A single click at the bottom of either page lets you save Take-Off's configuration or load a new setup. You can have as many different setups as you want, but the one that Take-Off 2 will load automatically must be named TAKEOFF.INF. Take-Off is smart enough to save and load its configuration files from the same path it was run from, a boon to all users who keep their desk accessories in a folder. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) Take-Off 2 works transparently with the increasingly popular AV Protocol, which allows programs to communicate in the background with each other and with the desktop -- assuming that you are using an AV-compatible desktop, of course. (Ease, Thing, Gemini and the next release of NeoDesk 4 all support this protocol.) This means you can manipulate the Take-Off accessory as if it were a program, by placing an icon for Take-Off on the desktop and opening it by double-clicking on the icon -- or, as I have done, you can pop open the Take-Off window by pressing a hotkey at the desktop. (Most modern desktops let you assign hotkeys to programs, and these can be assigned to running-but-closed accessories under an AV-compatible desktop also.) So, to invoke Take-Off, I press the F1 key. Because of another clever feature of the AV Protocol, this F1 desktop macro can be activated even when the desktop is not visible (when it's not the top application, in other words), as long as another AV-compatible program or accessory is on top. Properly written AV-compatible software is designed to pass "foreign" keystrokes on to the desktop. (ST-Guide is the best example of this, and there are many others. If I press F1 while working with ST-Guide, Take-Off's window appears. The F1 hotkey "falls through" ST-Guide and is acted on by the desktop.) But the best aspect of Take-Off may be the way you can associate data files such as texts or other documents with programs through the configuration dialog. Other multitasking launchers can do this also, and at least one -- TraceTech's immensely powerful FlexMenu -- can even replace most of the functions of the desktop. But Take-Off 2 holds its own in ease of use. You just set the parameter and you're done. Users who have not used this approach might appreciate a short digression. Let's suppose you'd like to create a launch menu that would let you edit some of your favorite configuration files -- ones for Pinhead or Warp 9 or a desktop, that kind of thing. This is usually done with a text editor, not a word processor, and my favorite is STeno. We'll use STeno as the example. You could create a launch item among the 16 in each page for STeno. Click on that item, and STeno runs. Then you'd be able to drop down the STeno "File" menu and load the configuration file you want to edit. But that's the long way around. A much classier way is to select STeno as the program and the configuration file of your choice as the parameter. You'd then give that entry a sensible name -- something like "Edit Desktop" -- so that the label would match the actual task. You could do the same thing for your daily To-Do list; select the text editor as the program and your To-Do list as the parameter, then type in "Reminders" as the alias. You can get a lot fancier. One of my Take-Off entries is labeled "Font selection," but it actually launches ASSIGN.PRG, a freeware ASSIGN.SYS editor and GEM font displayer. The parameter is "C:\ASSIGN.SYS," which keeps ASSIGN.PRG from opening the item selector to ask for the location of the ASSIGN.SYS file each time it runs. Another entry is labeled "Thesaurus." It does NOT run a thesaurus program. Instead, it runs one of my fastest text-display programs with an electronic copy of Roget's Thesaurus as the parameter. (One of my programs will open a 4-megabyte text file in five or six seconds.) You are limited only by your ingenuity. Now, back to our regularly scheduled topic. Because Take-Off 2 provides a simple way to specify parameters for programs, it is much more than a launcher; it is a small data-management system. We're usually much too interested in launching programs when we should be concerned with handling data -- after all, your Uncle Mike doesn't care how your letter was written as long as he hears from you now and then -- and that's just what Take-Off 2 can do when you spend the few minutes needed to set up each page of its menus. There are other little touches that show how well Take-off 2 has been programmed. If you open Take-Off with a hotkey, it appears not at the upper left of the screen (as it does when you open it the standard way) but at your mouse-pointer's position on the screen. (A tip to Ease users: A minor bug in the way Ease sends AV messages keeps Ease from supporting this feature unless you give Take-Off 2 a single spacebar character -- a space -- as the parameter.) Take-Off 2 also lets you change its configuration with a text editor, if you're more comfortable working that way. And multiple Take-Offs can be run from different folders, each one storing its own configuration separately. Take-Off 2 uses about 31 kilobytes of memory, a typical amount for a relatively simple utility. That shouldn't be a drawback on even the oldest of STs. But Take-Off's memory is given back to the system if you choose to run it as a program or if you want to maintain maximum system speed by loading as few desk accessories as possible. (DAs are always running, and this can slow your computer down a bit.) More powerful launchers are available commercially. FlexMenu is the ranking champ, working perfectly with the Geneva multitasking system and with regular TOS, and a Geneva-specific launcher with many features is being released by Gribnif. But among freeware and shareware launchers that operate under a multitasking system, you can't do better than Take-Off 2. [EOA] [CNP]////////////////////////////// CATNIPS / ///////////////////////////////// Jaguar Tidbits (95.08.23) """"""""""""""""""""""""" by Don Thomas [ATARI] It's here! D-Day! No, I'm not talking about WinEver '95. I'm talking about the Jaguar CD-ROM. This morning, Ted Hoff gathered us together and was grinning big time as he verified that the final pack-ins were being delivered and the boxes would roll off the packout lines just as predicted. Ted feels a peripheral as important as the CD-ROM should be blessed by the retail buyers by sending the first units off the line to their attention. Another batch will be shipped ahead of his arrival to New York to host a formal press presentation next week. In the past four weeks, orders from retailers for the CD-ROM have exploded and Atari will ship in quantity as soon as ample quantities of the complete packouts have been amassed. Unlike some of our software releases in the past when only preorders "THE CD-ROM SHOULD BE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE are fulfilled, Ted is WITHIN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS!" demanding that delivery schedules to retailers are timed to be equitable and as fair as possible. The CD-ROM should be available nationwide within just a couple of weeks! Yea! FlipOut! will be shipping this Friday. I think it will be a surprise hit. We will see. New Jaguar Book Contest from Atari Explorer Online.... """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" It has a black glossy cover, with peering yellow eyes. It's full of cool stuff. It even includes a few AEO interviews. Now =you= can win an author signed copy of Sandwich Islands' "Atari Jaguar Official Gamer's Guide." How? Atari Explorer Online Magazine is holding a contest, of sorts. It's the "AEO 'Read Between The Lines'" contest. It's easy to enter, and you could win a copy of the book that shows (among other things): [ ] Just WHERE that darn Motion Tracker in Alien Vs. Predator is located. [ ] How to lower the drawbridge over the Big Pit O'Acid in Level 3 of Doom. [ ] Exactly the path needed to complete the final level of Zool 2. [ ] Cheats, Codes and Funny Captioned Fotos of eighteen Jaguar games. How to Enter.... """""""""""""""" E-Mail a tip about a Jaguar game to AEO before Midnight CDT (UTC-5) August 31, 1995. (Please put the word "Contest" in the subject line!! AEO regularly receives dozens of EMails every day, and it would make the sorting job easier!) =Any= tip for =any= Jaguar game will suffice. (Don't know any tips? Make one up! This contest is well named.) Two tips will be selected in a random drawing of all entered tips. The winning entries will be notified, and their entries will be published in the next issue of AEO, due out the weekend of September 2, 1995. All submissions will be considered the property of Subspace Publishers, and may be used in future issues of Atari Explorer Online Magazine. Void where prohibited. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Get those tips in NOW! KIDSCOM... """""""""" Hey if you're a kid or know any kids between the ages of 8 to 14 years of age AND they have access to Web Domains within the wonderful world of the Internet, tell them about KIDSCOM. KIDSCOM is a new wholesome way kids can learn, participate in surveys, exchange ideas on the "Graffiti Wall" and even win prizes. To visit KIDSCOM, steer your Web Browser to http:\\www.kidscom.com. KIDSCOM currently includes Jaguar news including screen shots AND soon, kids can win cool Jaguar stuff too! Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands... """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Kristine Chambers tells me that "Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands" (the CD descendent) looks really good. For you audiophiles, the left/right stereo has been corrected and there's a whole bunch of exciting new improvements over the cart-based game that is available now. Kristine said I could share some of them with you... In the new CD version, there are full motion video sequences including a real cool intro, between mission scenes and an exciting end-of-game reward. There are 10 entirely new missions and 2 brand new terrain types. A new rendering engine allows lighting effects on the texture mapped terrain as well as more efficient overall coding and animated terrain textures. There are high-resolution terrain textures for new missions and a new control panel so the user can customize flying physics of the craft. Gamers will discover improved flying with smoother movement physics and there will be CD quality music during gameplay. "Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands" will be available by the end of September according to Kristine. Based on what she tells me, the new game will be a natural for those who love the cart based game and it will offer a lot of appeal for those who felt the original game may have been a bit hard to control. Get on the presell lists now! I know it's off topic, but my wife treated me to an unusual get-a-way this past weekend. On Friday, she drove us to Wine Country (Napa Valley, CA) and we checked in to what I later learned was one of the region's highest rated Bed & Breakfast (Foothill House). On Saturday she rolled me out of bed at 4:30 a.m. to take a hot air balloon ride at dawn across the valley. There is no effective way to describe the beauty, courtesies and pleasures of where we stayed or the nice times we had, so I won't even try. Let me just tell you to book the best bed & breakfast in Calistoga, call 800/942-6933. Insist on the Quail's Roost cottage for at least two nights. You can also have them book reservations at any one of the nicest nearby restaurants for dinner. There are several. If you go all out and want the best balloon ride, call 707/944-4408. Tell them you want to ride the balloon named "Lucy" and you want it piloted by "Sonoma Bob". Feel free to tell them that Don and Lynn Thomas promised the time of your life! Stay tuned for a lot more Jaguar-related news coming soon. There are some exciting releases scheduled for the upcoming weeks. BTW, we know it may be frustrating if you're anxiously waiting for the CD-ROM. This long awaited peripheral is being distributed very carefully so that as our retailers and the gamers receive quality merchandise that passes stringent Quality Assurance tests rather than simply loading them in overnight sacks for the sake of just being fast. I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to get my hands on one too... I never did get to finish any of the games I started at E3. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote ////////////////////////////////// / / / Actually, its times like this that make _ME_ think / / that Atari has more lives than the proverbial cat. / / 'No matter what it does', there are STILL all these / / fine folks around who still care! ;-) / / / ////////////////////////////////////// GELAMP.ST /////// [EOA] [OLB]////////////////////////////// ONLINE LIBRARY / ///////////////////////////////// [*] Files, Files & More Files! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Mel Motogawa [M.MOTOGAWA] This month is a telecommunicator's delight. An update of the ever popular terminal program Flash 2 has hit the scene with a demo landing in the ST Roundtable File Library. Joining it is a demo of the hot Load Aladdin 2. A beta Web browser, an HTML browser, a QWK reader and a bbs program are just some of the other telecom specific files you can find online. Any comments of my own are shown within double asterisks "**...**" after the file description, in the ASCII GEnie Lamp version, and also in italics in the TX2 version. (If you haven't experienced reading the Lamp in TX2 format, why not download the TX2 file viewer (file #20441) by David Holmes? You may be surprised at the versatility and power of this program, above and beyond viewing TX2 Lamp issues.) #36601 OCTOPS65.ZIP 762496 Octopus v0.65, the premier Atari BBS program. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Octopus can be ran as a TOS or GEM program. As a GEM program it is multitasking & multiline friendly. Due to the GEM interface, even singletasking systems can enjoy some multitasking benefits, such as updating a caller or working in an ACC while a caller is online, none the wiser. Octopus is written with networking in mind (though certainly optional), and supports such popular programs as Semper, JetMail and LED. QWK support is built-in. The script language provides power for expert users, while still remaining friendly for novice users. Too many features to list here! Check it out! #36612 OCR14A.LZH 293632 This is the latest version of OCR, version 1.4a. """"""""""""""""""""""""" Includes RSC file translations in several languages including English. Please note that I am representing this program in the United States and Canada. Please contact me if you want to register. #36614 CDPLR13A.LZH 96512 CD-Player V1.3. An audio CD-Player for ATARI """""""""""""""""""""""""" ST/STE/TT/Falcon. Contains both German, English, and Spanish files. System requirements: * Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon * CD-ROM drive (must support audio commands) * CD-ROM driver for MetaDOS (must support audio commands) Use latest Questor's LZH to extract. Note: Sysop unable to verify operation of this file. #36615 525V211E.LZH 52608 FIVE TO FIVE Version 2.11, released July 1995. """""""""""""""""""""""""" English version. Five to Five is a program to convert various sound file types, as used on different computer systems. Some packing algorithms and the following file types are currently supported by 525: DVSM (ATARI Falcon 'WinRec'), AVR (ATARI), HSN (ATARI 'CrazySounds'), FORTUNE (ATARI Falcon 'Fortune'), SND, AU (Sun, Mac, NeXT), WAV (PC), AIFF (Mac, ATARI (Cubase)), and Raw data. Use latest Questor's LZH to extract. #36636 SYSTEM.TOS 2068 This is a mini-system configuration program that I """"""""""""""""""""""" wrote as part of a Programmer's RTC exercise. It reports various things about your ST/TT/F030. Not nearly as complete as PROFILE, but it works. Mike Allen ST HelpDesk Sysop. Written: Monday, July 24, 1995 SysOp note: This file is not compressed. #36642 HD_ONOFF.LZH 1152 This is a little program that can be used to """"""""""""""""""""""""" turn on/off any IDE or SCSI hard drives connected to your system. This is the GFA Basic source code in .LST format. I believe that it only works with the XHDI drivers. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36643 KIVI141A.LZH 105088 This is the latest version of the Kivi QWK """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Reader program. This is version 1.41a and just released on 07/19/95. There was a bug in version 1.41 as to where the program hanged if you loaded a new packet and there was an old packet in the work directory. Note that this bug only happened on some of the Atari computers. As always, contact me if you want to register this program. This is one of the ones that I represent here in the U.S. and Canada. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36644 HTML094.LZH 112896 This is version 0.93 of the HTML Browser for """""""""""""""""""""""""" your Atari ST, TT, Falcon, Medusa, Eagle, or MagiC-Mac system. Using HTML-Browser you'll be able to browse HTML files off-line. Currently you'll have to download the HTML files, or read them directly from CD-ROM, because HTML-Browser has no on-line capability. This is also another program that I am the Rep of here in the U.S. and Canada. So please contact me for anything about it. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36676 LASCAN31.LZH 53120 This is Lace-Scan v3.10. This group of """""""""""""""""""""""""" programs is a complete replacement for the Overscan set of programs. Please note that you still need the Overscan hardware modification to use this software. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36688 PYSGHM15.LZH 21632 This is Pysgham, version 1.50, released July """""""""""""""""""""""""" 1995. Pysgham will also add sort of virtual drives to your machine but unlike RAM disks the new drives will correspond to folders in other real drives. Up to eight different drives of this kind might be installed at once by Pysgham. You can also turn Write Verify On or Off for each drive and you can also write-protect the drives. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36689 PARALLAX.LZH 123648 Parallax Painter is a three dimensional """"""""""""""""""""""""""" platform game. It features smooth multi-directional triple layered parallax scrolling, with scaling graphics and the ability to jump between layers, in maps up to 15 layers deep. The game also features stunning 4 channel digitised music, even whilst you play!. With 7 different soundtracks, 3 Stunning different modes of play, a one player mode, plus 2 multi player modes for double the action. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36691 THIN059E.LZH 348544 This is the latest version of Thing, v0.59. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" And also the English version. :-} Enjoy... Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) #36693 WINCOM15.LZH 238976 This is the latest version of WinCom, v1.50. """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Just released. Please note that this is in German. This demo (which needs re-enabling every 30 minutes) gives MagiC many of the hotkey features of Geneva. Should run on MagiCMac, but not tested. Please use the latest version of Quester's LZH to extract. #36700 DPACCAN1.ZIP 9472 This is a listing captured August 2, 1995, from """"""""""""""""""""""""" the Datapac Information Service, showing all the Canadian "DATAPAC 3101 (ASYNC/ITI) IN-DIAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS", in alphabetical order By City. #36702 EUROPEAN.LZH 7936 Here is the updated listing of all the European """"""""""""""""""""""""" programs that I am currently the North American representative for. I list the program, GEnie file number, file size, system requirements, brief description, and the registration amount. Coming in ST-Guide format shortly. #36704 CHK_OFLS.LZH 2432 Users of MenuInfo, the oustanding multipurpose """"""""""""""""""""""""" freeware system utility (which can show dozens of system parameters in addition to the date and time), now have a way to set up MenuInfo to show the number and presence of open files in their systems. CHK_OFLS is a small, copyrighted freeware auto-folder program that is used by MenuInfo to determine which files are open at any time. Kobold also uses CHK_OFLS to keep track of open files. MenuInfo is available in the ST RT libraries. Use LHarc or the LHarc-Shell to extract. #36707 BKIT161E.ZIP 90240 BoxKite v1.61e (English), as well as the """""""""""""""""""""""""" English Manual. The manual translation was done by Lorant Oswald and Howard Carson of The Toronto Atari Federation. BoxKite is a superb replacement File Selector with a host of well designed features. It is resizable(!), non-modal, and offers somewhat more flexibility than Selectric. Very nice and very compatible. Also uses AES 4 if its available. Terrific Shareware. #36711 LEDSW_30.LZH 10496 Improved hotkey switch for users of LED-Panel """""""""""""""""""""""""" version 3.0. Allows you to turn the display on and off at any time without running LEDPANEL's configuration program. Includes assembly source and an installation program that lets you redefine the switch key combination. Use latest Quester's LZH to extract. #36716 AVAL_376.LZH 476160 This update, released 07/28/95 has a few bug """"""""""""""""""""""""""" fixes over the previous version. AVALON v3.76 is an alternative shell to the well known "Tiny-Shell" for BINKLEY and SEMPER. AVALON supports up to six different point setups and as many different poll sessions; furthermore, file requests are improved and a little CLI is implemented that allows you to run batchfiles within a session setup. At the moment, AVALON works with any version of BINKLEY and SEMPER. Note: Sysop unable to verify operation of this file. #36717 GEOCAD.LZH 340608 This is GEO-Cad, a Cartography program. Runs on """"""""""""""""""""""""" all Atari computers, includes a program for the people that have a FPU installed. Works best if you have 1-Meg of RAM or more. Please note that the program and docs are in German. Use latest Questor's LZH to extract. #36736 MTWDEMO.LZH (LH5) 118400 This is an updated demo which runs for 10 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" minutes at a time before dying. You can do anything that the actual MultiWriter program does EXCEPT saving or printing to disk. Try changing on-screen text sizes, configuring in different languages (Spanish, German), or importing Atari WordPerfect 4.2 files, 1st Word, Word Writer ST, ST Writer or ASCII files. B.Noonan @ Medical Designs Software #36738 LTMF130E.LZH 38144 Let'em Fly!, version 1.30, released July 15, """""""""""""""""""""""""" 1995. With `Let 'em Fly!' in your AUTO-Folder, many normal GEM dialogs are movable with many new features. Furthermore these dialogs can be handled by using the keyboard shortcuts `Let 'em Fly!' offers, so that there is no need to keep swapping between keyboard and mouse. There are many more features!. Let'em Fly! works on all Atari ST/STe/TT/Falcon computers in all resolutions, including TruColor. MultiTOS is supported also. #36739 2IN1140E.LZH 149632 This is the 2-in-1 Archive Shell program, """"""""""""""""""""""""""" version 1.40 in English. A very good archive shell for all the different types of archiver programs available for your Atari. #36741 STDB12.LZH 64768 STDB, version 1.2, released 01/01/95. Special """""""""""""""""""""""" Database for Diabetics. STDB has been primarily designed for use by people suffering from Insulin-Dependant Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) who use multiple pen injections in conjunction with background insulin. Keeps track of the following in daily records: blood glucose concentrations, Insulin doseage and the time the glucose level/Insulin was taken. Also has a graphical display of this data. #36742 CRP.LZH 15616 Atari-Crypt-O-Conv. This tool transfers ASCII-Text """"""""""""""""""""" into strange characters from the ATARI system font. Nevertheless you will be able to read it, unless this very font is installed. #36743 SNATCHER.LZH 4992 The Supreme Screen Snatcher, version 1.2. The """"""""""""""""""""""""" Supreme Screen Snatcher is a memory-resident utility that allows you to temporarily 'jam' the ST and then save the currently displayed screen to disk. It also allows you to search through the memory, looking for other screens or even sprites, fonts etc. The Snatcher will also allow you to change the scanrate. #36764 GEMHEXED.LZH 32768 Windowed hex editor lets you create, """""""""""""""""""""""""" manipulate, and view files of any format. Edit in hex and direct ASCII key modes; also search/replace, cut/copy/paste between windows via memory or disk (save and merge blocks), etc. A serious tool for anyone who ever needs to examine or edit file contents at the dirt level. Freeware by Mark Slagell, based on XXED by Jim Charlton. #36765 LAV2DEMO.ZIP 21504 Demo version of Load Aladdin v2 from TraceTech. """""""""""""""""""""""""" Upgrade is available. { 5 minute online connect limit and LOADALAD.CFG is not maintained. } Value-added enhancement for ST Aladdin. Useful for _ALL_ Atari computers. Run Aladdin on the Falcon, and access the extra serial ports on the MSTe and TT. Utilize accessories or programs that access the serial port when Aladdin is running. Save money: includes 'Line Guard', don't sit idle online wasting money! v2: SprintNet script fix, port access method (BIOS/Chip), use VDI in Terminal mode (No/Yes), turn Blitter Off (No/Yes), sound effects volume, alternate fonts, >19200 DTE rates on SCC ports. #36767 FLS300D.LZH 120064 This is a demo of our all-new Flash II version """""""""""""""""""""""""" 3.00. The new version is fully multitasking capable. It now contains 2 separate editors and a host of new features. The demo is fully functional but limits you to 50 minutes online time and 50K file size per transfer. Some save functions are also disabled. The demo runs in all medium and high resolutions on all Atari ST, STe, TT030 and Falcon computers. Please use the latest version of Questor LZH to extract this file. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) #36771 ST-GUI14.LZH 280192 This is the latest version of ST-Guide that I """"""""""""""""""""""""""" have been able to find. It is dated 08/02/95. Everything is in german, including the new compiler version, but I have converted the ST-Guide program to English for your enjoyment. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) #36775 RECIPE51.LZH 98048 The Recipe Box is a complete meal management """""""""""""""""""""""""" system with a full featured recipe database, grocery list planner, and calendar/meal planner. Features include large capacity, powerful searching, multiple import/export formats, user definable interface, text storage capabilities, high quality printouts, and more... ST/TT/Falcon with hard drive, 1 Meg RAM, Speedo GDOS is recommended. This DEMO version is fully operational, but is limited to 60 recipes. Version 5.1 adds transfer code for versions 3.x and 4.x, and adds index printing. Use latest Questor's LZH to extract. #36786 CDWEBPGS.ZIP 887296 Another First from Computer Direct, Canada's """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Atari Specialists! Now everyone can view our web pages, even if they don't have access to the Internet and the World Wide Web! Use HTML Browser, a seperate file available here, on GEnie, HTML094.LZH, to view these pages on an Atari computer. This file contains both the text and the graphics. A seperate file, CDWEBPGT.ZIP, with just the text and another seperate file, CDWEBPGG.ZIP, with just the graphics is available as well. These pages will be updated as we update our Web pages, and the new files will be uploaded here. Use latest ST-ZIP to extract. #36792 LA2DMO2P.ZIP 4736 [release 2, 08/14/95, *DEMO* version]. The """"""""""""""""""""""""" included PRG file replaces the PRG found in LAV2DEMO.ZIP, file #36765. release 2 fixes the logon crash when using the option: 'Port access method - Chip' NOTE: The "U#=" script fix is not available in 'Chip' mode. Please use the latest version of ST Zip to extract. #36795 GEM_WEB.LZH 39680 This is a copy of the beta version of the new """"""""""""""""""""""""" GEM Web Browser that wil allow Atari users to cash in on the World Wide Web phenomena! Finally, it appears as though we will have an on-line graphical web browser! Enjoy! Chris @ Computer Direct Please use the latest version of Questor LZH to extract this file. SYSOP NOTE->Tested and run offline with TOS 1.04, MONO and TOS 4.04, 640X480 256 color. NEEDS GDOS TO RUN !!!!!! (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) #36796 TC_TST64.LZH 70400 This is an update to the T-Cache program. """""""""""""""""""""""""" T-Cache is a Hard-Drive caching program that is highly configurable. What's new in version 6.4 ? - Number of Write-Accesses caused by flushing minimized. - Background-DMA with MagiC 3 and HDD>=4 is possible. 6.3 hangs. - Up to 32 virtual drives should be possible but is not supported by the ACC. Both English and German versions in this archive. Please use the latest version of Questor LZH to extract this file. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Atari has learned from their mistakes... they've / / learned how to make the same mistake that much better / / each time.:) / / / /////////////////////////////////////////// REALM /////// [EOA] [CAI]////////////////////////////// COMPUTERS AND INVESTING / ///////////////////////////////// [*] Monthly Review of High Tech Stocks """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Sanford E. Wolf [S.WOLF4] Introduction """""""""""" Because of deadline constraints this month, I'll spare you any of my longer winded commentary. "Just the facts, ma'am." There is no doubt that excitment is growing, and the next few days may be most dramatic ones. MicroSoft """"""""" Last month, we looked at the MicroSoft chart and noted some evident weakness (a similar situation applied to Intel, as was noted). It was pointed out that the major gap which opened on July 18, associated with unusually heavy volume, was a likely signal that the good times might be over for these 2 stocks. Both stocks made mighty efforts to close their gaps, but both failed -- MSFT just barely. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) The MSFT chart shows how it is now right on the edge of what might be a substantial breakdown. If it breaks through the line shown, a decline to the low 70's is not out of the question. As I write this on Monday night, after the first full weekend of 'Windows 95' sales, MSFT is sitting right on that line, having fallen over 4% during the day. Intel is in much the same position tonight. What will tomorrow bring? IBM """ Last month, we noted that IBM seemed to be undergoing some persistent distributive selling, even as the price continued to rise to new highs. The way to see this in the chart is to compare the trend of prices with that of volume. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) Since February, it is clear that over every 10 or 15 day period that the price trended upward, the volume was decreasing. On most days when the price fluctuated downward, it did so accompanied by increased volume. That is one good signature that distribution is going on. The result, most often, is a good sized "correction" in the price. Indeed, the price fell from 114 to 101, a 12% drop, during the last 7 trading days. IBM is also sitting just above its 6 month upward trend line as I write this. What will the next few days bring? BTW, a serious breakdown is not necessarily in the cards, but the odds seem to favor some further decline. Atari """"" Well, Atari devotees have good reason to be good and frustrated, even angry, these days. The one bright light on the distant horizon, for over a year, has been the CD attachment for the Jaguar. After repeated delays of the release date, originally announced for about a year ago, the final, final release date was supposed to be August 24, but it was on that very day last week that Atari chose to announce a further delay until September 11. Oh well. However, the ATC chart has assumed the status of a learning vehicle, an interesting demonstration of the power of the chart. (Editors Note: A graphic appears in the TX2 versions of GEnieLamp) As you can see, ATC has been in a horizontal trading range between 2_1/2 and 3_1/2 since March. Last month we noted that the price was right at the top of that range, but that a long term downtrending line of resistance had just entered the trading range, intersecting the price precisely at the top, and might frustrate any quick breakout. It was suggested that, if ATC could manage to break upward through the downtrend line and the upper boundary of the trading range, an interesting bounce might result. Well, that downtrend line, dating back to the wonderful peak of November 3, 1993 (we showed the entire line last month) and effectively stopping the sharp rally of November, 1994, as seen on the chart, is clearly showing its power to push the price down. Just look! It even seems a bit eerie. How did the chart know, starting nearly 2 years ago, that it would need this particular downtrend line to drive the price down precisely in a manner to allow "fundamentalists" to point to the CD fiasco of August, 1995, as the reason? Or, put another way, how did the chart know, last November, that it had to stop that rally precisely at that price, on that day, in order to be able to construct this particular downtrend line which is so obviously controlling the price behavior today? Anyway, the same observation applies as did last month. If the price can break through this strong resistance, a nice bounce might come along. Go! Go! ATC! CODA """" Well, I wish I had another day or three to see how these "cliff hangers" turn out. But the Editor is going on a long Labor Day weekend, and this is the only article lacking for the September edition. Thus, a somewhat truncated article. These GEnieLamp magazines are getting better and better, and receiving wider distribution. The staff deserves its vacations. Next month's charts should be very interesting. Happy holiday to all. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / I think television is better when it's turned off! / / / /////////////////////////////////////// A.FASOLDT /////// [EOA] [TAO]//////////////////////////////////// THINKING ABOUT ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS / /////////////////////////////////////// Online Communications and the Changing Nature of Friendship """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] Online communication is transforming how human beings interact with one another. The nature of the medium is such that it helps people connect with others of similar interest. So if you're interested in fly fishing and you live in Calgary, Alberta, online communications allows you to easily make contact with other fly fishing aficionados in other parts of the world. But say your interest in fly fishing centers around a particular aspect of the sport. Suppose that your interest in fly fishing centers around building your own lures out of natural material. You have nothing to say to fly fishing fans who don't build their own lures. And you have even less to say to fly fishing fans who build their lures out of man-made materials (heaven forbid). The Internet allows you to zero in on just those people who share your own particular interest. Without the Internet, you would have to settle for putting up with fly fishing enthusiasts in your own neighborhood. The locals may or may not be people you'd like to spend a lot of time with. It's a good thing when people connect with others who share their interests. Society is formed by a web of individual human bonds. The more individual bonds there are, the stronger the fabric of society. And every connection between human beings opens up new possibilities, new opportunities. Is it not true that every advance ever made grew out of the interaction between two (or more) human beings? Conversely, it would be fair to saythat there is no human being alive now (or alive ever) who created something meaningful and lasting entirely on their own. But what is really intriguing is that the nature of friendship is changing. Friendship used to be a predominantly social thing. The new friendship blurs the boundary between friends and colleagues. A year or two ago I had an experience which got me thinking about the nature of online friendships (o-friendships). The small software company I run had a news story written about it in Newsbytes, the online news service for international computer news. It just so happened that this Newsbytes story contained a fairly significant factual error. This error was brought to my attention by an o-friend of mine who happened to spot the story an hour after it had been posted online. Within two hours of the story being made public I was able to explain the mistake to the reporter who wrote the story. Newsbytes posted a formal correction the next day. What this experience taught me is the value of having o-friends looking out for your own interests. The modern day world is far too complex for any individual to pay attention to all its myriad aspects. But the more o-friends you have, the greater are the chances that you will be clued in to something that's of interest to you. Instead of having just one pair of eyes, online communications allows you to have a hundred pairs of eyes. The extra pairs of eyes come in handy, I've come to learn. People watch out for each other in brand new ways out here. And since every friendship is based on mutuality, every act of friendship begets another act of friendship. Mutuality is rife in the online world. It's rife and it's flourishing and it's coming soon to a disk drive near you. Remember the quaint old days when friends were people you used to spend time with in person? Sure those friendships were great. There's no denying that face-to-face friendships (ftf friendships) have a certain esthetic appeal. But online friendships have far more promise in the larger scheme of things, precisely because they allow a bond to be formed based on genuine shared interest, rather than on a blurred blend of geographic proximity and general shared interest. Online communication magnifies the benefits of friendship. The more people you know online, the more opportunities you will have to benefit from their particular knowledge and "THE MORE PEOPLE YOU KNOW ONLINE, THE MORE expertise. If it's true OPPORTUNITIES YOU WILL HAVE TO BENEFIT FROM that the more online THEIR PARTICULAR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE." contacts you have, the greater the overall benefits in your life, then it's just one extra step of logic to say that online communications tends to make people more sociable, more extroverted. There can be no denying that technology itself is changing how we relate to one another. The effects of these changes are becoming increasingly apparent in the world around us. Phil Shapiro (The author takes a keen interest in the psychological and social dimensions of online communications. This essay is one of 26 think piece essays in the "Thinking About Online Communications" series. Feedback is invited at: pshapiro@aol.com) ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / As long as the Atari can run the music software that / / I use, it's a keeper. / / / /////////////////////////////////////// H.SMITH12 /////// [EOA] [OVP]////////////////////////////// OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS / ///////////////////////////////// Third On The Block """""""""""""""""" by Lee W. Benjamin [L.W.BENJAMIN] Third On The Block - Getting by on a limited budget in the Atari World I am an Atari enthusiast. I've had an ST in one form or another for over six years now and with a house and family to look after, I haven't always been able to just go out and buy what I wanted or even what I needed. For example, there was the time I had a power supply go out in my 1040ST. I looked at the prices for a replacement power supply and just about choked. Over seventy dollars (at the time) for a dinky little, low capacity power supply. I figured I could do better. The key to this quest was to use all available resources. With a trip to a local electronics supply house and another to a used computer dealer I soon had a power supply for the ST, total cost about $30. Now, naturally this included some compromises. The power supply is from a PC XT and sits on the floor next to the table due to its size, but it works. The point? There are a lot more resources for the Atarian out there than you might think at first, sometimes you've just gotta go looking for them. With many Atarians shifting to the PC or Mac there are opportunities to find lots of Atari hardware and software at bargain basement prices. You can choose to deal with individuals or with professionals. The key is to keep your eyes open and to learn enough to know what might be useful to you. As with all computer purchases think about what you want to do with your computer and adjust your "shopping filter" accordingly. Another consideration is that I'm not a "first on the block" person. Sure I'd like to have all the latest stuff, but I'd like to see if it works first and I usually can't afford the introductory price for the latest wizz-bang program or peripheral. Sometimes I'll purchase stuff that's been around and around again, thus the title of this article. Now, I may offend some with my views of the used market; it could be viewed as vulturism on my part and could be seen as depriving retailers of business as well. That's simply not the case. The fact is that by purchasing equipment from those who are moving on we're giving these programs and peripherals new life and getting an opportunity to use some things that we probably wouldn't have purchased otherwise. In fact some retailers welcome this behavior as they often take trade-ins of older equipment that's in good shape to encourage sales of "the latest and greatest" items. This stock of good used equipment can then be re-sold at reasonable prices to those who tend to come in and browse, but blanch at the prices of the new stuff. A good example of the value of being the third on the block is my CD-ROM drive. I am the proud owner of one of the oldest, slowest CD-ROM drives around: an Atari CDAR-504. I'm the third or fourth owner of this unit. Atari introduced them in 1987, uh, well sorta. They built a few and showed them at COMDEX and tried to get some Atari Specific CD-ROM software developed by selling some units to developers at reasonable prices. Unfortunately it turned into a "chicken and the egg" problem; the software never came and Atari never released the CDAR-504 (or the later CDAR-505) for public purchase in this country. By knowing what I was interested in and watching the message bases and library files on GEnie I located one of these rare beauties. I found the "Current Notes" CD-ROM on a close out sale for $10. After getting the CDAR-504 running with MetaDOS, I then had the distinct pleasure of connecting up with Roger Burrows of Anodyne Software who was, at the time, thinking of writing a replacement for MetaDOS and was looking for beta testers. Thus ExtenDOS was born. I don't claim any credit for ExtenDOS, but even Roger agrees that I was helpful in debugging the early versions and ensuring CDAR-504 compatibility. Thanks for a great product, Roger! The purchase of used and close-out equipment and software can also lead to additional sales for the "new" market. My purchase of the CDAR-504 has led to the purchase of several of the new Atari specific CD-ROMs that have appeared along with some PC CD-ROMs of clipart, text and pictures. None of these purchases of new software would have happened if I hadn't kept my eyes open for a good deal on a CD-ROM drive. Similar deals can now be had with many PC owners updating to 3x and 4x (speed) CD-ROM drives, their older 2x drives can be had at bargain prices. If the CDAR-504 ever dies, I'll be looking at them myself. Caveat Emptor. The Romans had a phrase for it, "Let the buyer beware". """""""""""""" When purchasing used equipment or software from individuals you can usually apply the same principles that you'd use if you were purchasing from a store. Ask yourself these questions: Does the seller seem to know what they're talking about? Does the seller seem to be open and honest about what they're selling? Will they let you pay with a check? Will they ship COD or even before you send money? Who pays for shipping? What about insuring the shipment? What if you buy a piece of equipment and it doesn't work when you get it? Can you delay payment until you get it and test it out? You have to decide which of these questions are important to you and which ones you can compromise on. Naturally there are many more questions that can be answered. Use your good judgement; if the situation makes you nervous there may be a good reason and you shouldn't commit yourself to anything that you can't afford to lose outright if a major problem develops. Remember, if you treat people fairly they'll usually do the same in return. Good luck. Now, I've talked about a few of my successes, but not a lot about how I found them. I looked and I listened. On-line there are many opportunities for finding used equipment. On GEnie you can browse through the message bases in the Atari area and those areas which contain Atari related items, but are outside of the Atari SIG. For example Lexicor (Nova boards and graphic software) has a topic in the Graphics RT and SoftLogic (PageSteam) has their own RT. Both have topics for used equipment and most any discussion can easily diverge to the availability of used hardware and software. Don't overlook local bulletin boards either. If you have a local board that supports the Atari, or even one that doesn't, you'll usually find a used equipment section. Remember there are many printers, modems, hard drives and monitors that can be used by the Atari computers available from the PC and Mac worlds. Keep your ears open in the Atari specific topics and learn what PC/Mac equipment can be used by the ST/TT/Falcon. An overheard casual mention of an extra monitor on-line can be turned into an opportunity with a simple e-mail message. Don't forget those local computer shows, flea markets and yard sales either. These have been a great source of joysticks and CD-ROMs for me. In addition to your own attentiveness on-line there are opportunities in the file areas of GEnie and your local bulletin board. Many people will make up a list of hardware/software that they no longer want and post a small message on GEnie or a local BBS. These lists, though sometimes cryptic and lacking good contact information, can be a treasure trove of "GEM"s for your larder. There are even companies that specialize in the used Atari market. One of the oldest and best is CeeJay Software which posts a list of used hardware and software to GEnie regularly. Carey Cates (C.CATES in GEnie mail) keeps his eyes open and purchases mounds of used Atari hardware and software and then makes it available by posting his CeeJay Software lists to GEnie. He'll even keep an eye open for that special item that you want, if it isn't listed in his current list. Just drop him a note via GEnie. Even places that don't put up lists often have used equipment to offer. Check out the ads in ST Informer Magazine and you'll often find an e-mail address. Drop them a note asking about the availability of used equipment along with an idea of the kind of things you're looking for and you might be surprised at the positive response you get and the rock bottom prices available. About Copyrights. Most software that gets into the commercial channels are """"""""""""""""" copyrighted. Many contain copyright notices that spell out the rights of the seller and the first buyer. Most of these notices don't address the rights of the second or third purchaser. In general as long as you make sure you're getting ORIGINAL diskettes and an ORIGINAL manual, you're safe. Some software companies even encourage you to contact them when you buy used software and will allow you to transfer ownership to get you the right to buy updates if available. If in doubt, write to the company. Check the manual carefully and you might even be able to do it all via e-mail. I hope that this article helps you to expand the variety of things that you do with your computer by showing you how to find the opportunities available in the used hardware and software market. You can investigate desktop publishing, graphics, sound and video capture, CD-ROMs, programming and many other applications that you were interested in, but just don't have the cash to spend on the latest and greatest hardware and software. It's almost a "try before you buy" situation in that you may be able to spend a little to find out if you're _REALLY_ interested in an area before you go out and spend big bucks on something and then have your interest wane. Just remember the following: o Keep your eyes open, and listen to what's being available. o Have fun! You don't have to buy anything you don't really want. o With a little caution you can experience "safe shopping". o Look everywhere, some bargains show up in unlikely places. Happy Atari Computing! Take Care, Lee B. (L.W.BENJAMIN@GEnie.com) Editor's Note: Lee is the Newsletter Editor of the Middle Georgia Atari User's Group (MGAUG) ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / I'll continue to voice my opinions, whatever they may / / be, and I hope you will continue to voice yours. / / / /////////////////////////////////////// A.FASOLDT /////// [EOA] [QCR]////////////////////////////// QUESTION CORNER / ///////////////////////////////// Floppy Drive Replacement """""""""""""""""""""""" by Chris and Wayne Ketner [C.KETNER] Question: """"""""" My floppy drive is not working right. When I put in a disk, it will give me the directory of that disk. But if I put in another disk it gives me the directory of the previous disk. Answer: """"""" This is a common problem. Sometimes it is simple to fix. If you are lucky, all that needs to be done is to run a disk cleaner to clean the heads. More often however, the problem is not so simple. If you run a disk cleaner and the problem does not clear up, then most likely the problem is in the circuitry. There is a disk change line that checks the disk when it is put in to see if it is a new disk, or if the same one has been put back in. If this line is damaged, the disk drive no longer knows how to determine if the disk has been changed. The best way to fix this is to replace the drive. If you decide to do this you will need to decide if you are going to do it yourself or if you would rather take it to a repair shop. Taking it to the repair shop is of course the easiest option, but it is also the most expensive. Changing the disk drive yourself is not a difficult task, but does take time and care. The most important thing to remember is to always make sure that the power is off. Removing the power cord is the easiest way of making sure of this, but you will lose your ground potential. One of the biggest worries in dealing with the internals of computers is the problem of static electricity. Your body acts as a conductor of this static electricity. If you have ever walked across a carpeted floor in the winter time and then touched a "ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOLS YOU WILL person or something metal NEED IF YOU DECIDE TO DO YOUR OWN REPAIR and you received a light IS TO HAVE AN ANTISTATIC WRIST STRAP." shock then you have experienced static electricity. This same shock that feels fairly weak to you can destroy your computers internals. One of the most important tools you will need if you decide to do your own repair is to have an antistatic wrist strap. You can usually get cheap throwaway ones at most computer stores where you get your replacement drive. If your computer is the desktop type, the first thing you need to do is to move the monitor off of the top of the computer. If you have the tower type of system, then pull it out where you can work on it. Look for the screws holding on the cover. These are usually found either on the back of the computer or on the sides. Remove these screws. Remove the cover. Place the wrist strap of your antistatic wrist strap on your wrist. Then place the other end in contact with the metal of the computer frame. Do not place this end in contact with any of the electronics. Next, locate the drive that you are replacing. Remove the cables on the rear of the drive. One of these is the power cable. It has four wires going into a white plastic connector. The other cable is usually a wide ribbon cable. This is the data carrier that goes to the disk drive controller. Both cables should be carefully pulled straight back from their connectors on the drive. Next remove the screws on the sides of the drive. Slide the drive out of the case and place to the side. << Editor's Note: If you connect your antistatic wrist grounding >> << strap onto the metal frame of the computer, you will lose most >> << of its grounding potential if you disconnect the power cord >> << from the back of the computer. When working on Atari systems, >> << or other computers with a plastic case, the grounding strap >> << should be plugged directly into the ground connection of an >> << electric outlet -- AFTER you have determined that the outlet >> << is properly wired and contains no shorts! >> Then, you will need to prepare the new drive. If there are any rail guides or special mounts on the old drive, remove them and place them on the new drive. (If your new drive is of a different size than the old one, you may need to obtain mounting hardware for the new drive that will fit your cabinet.) Make sure when handling the new drive to not touch the heads or the circuit board. Before sliding the new drive into place, look at the connector where the ribbon cable goes. Look for pin number 1. Remember this orientation when placing the drive in the case so that you know which way to place the cable. When you have the new drive ready, slide it into place and replace the screws. Then connect the ribbon cable. The side of the ribbon cable that has the red stripe should be placed on the side that pin 1 is on. Plug the ribbon cable in and then plug in the power cable. If you can do so safely at this point it is a good idea to test the computer before closing it back up. Remove your wrist strap and turn the computer on. Test the new drive to make sure it works. If it does not work, then most likely the ribbon cable is on backwards. Turn off the power and remove the cable, turn it over and plug it back in. Turn the computer back on and test again. After making sure that everything works, turn the computer back off. Replace the cover and screws and put everything back where it belongs. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / Ted Hoff is in command at Atari. Ted Hoff has a / / tough and possibly impossible task ahead of him, that / / is save Atari from itself and prevent it from / / becoming irrelevant. / / / /////////////////////////////////////// S.LEGRAND /////// [EOA] [JNW]////////////////////////////// JAGUAR NEWS / ///////////////////////////////// A message from Mr. Ted Hoff, President Atari North America """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" A couple weeks back, I sent out a public response to the on-line concerns and confusion I was hearing about "Fight For Life". I want you to know that I appreciate the megabytes of feedback everyone sent back through the channels. You helped reassure me that I was hearing you properly from the beginning and the decision to reexamine the "Fight For Life" project was a good one. Now that I have been with Atari for a short while, I find myself very glad I came on board with my sleeves already rolled up. The people I counseled with told me that consumers were concerned about very specific aspects of Atari development and support. I was told Atari Jaguar users were happy, but they were also hungry and I realized that one of my highest priorities was to set the table. I have now taken a hard look under the hood and I can tell you I agree. The Atari engine needs a tune-up. On the other hand, I found a lot of high-quality polished steel and we have a heck of a lot going for us. Of course all the improvements we need to make will not all happen overnight. I know you've all heard this before, but we continue to need a bit more of your valued patience. I hope everyone realizes I cannot share everything I am working on, but I do feel obligated to stay in touch with our most faithful users. Please allow me to share some of the things I am working on. Not too long ago, Atari hosted a media day at Atari which turned out being a fun and very worthwhile event. It was an opportunity to speak directly to the gaming industry's most prominent media personalities, grant them unusual interviews, offer them previews and answer their questions. I am sure you have read about the event in one of the on-line publications already. Based on that success and addressing my eagerness to entice more publications to cover the Jaguar, Ron Beltramo and our PR agency are helping me to arrange a big media presentation next month. The decision to provide the Team Tap peripheral with "White Men Can't Jump" seems to very popular. I will be looking hard at similar ways to give our loyal gamers great stuff like that in the future. Please check this title out. Don Thomas just sent out a CATnips with an accumulation of kudos collected from all the major on-line services. Look for the latest on-line publications for reprints of that lengthy file. We have just updated our snail mail list again and we have very definite plans to use it soon so watch your mailbox. I have heard from retailers telling me their customers are walking in to stores with the postcards in hand so I know they seem to be working. I think you'll see that entire campaign become more frequent and improve as we integrate the mechanism into our routine. We are taking a hard look at exploiting the growth of the Internet to provide more timely news, unprecedented levels of support and access to our company. I think we have a really cool company and I want people to experience that with us. You should all realize that right now is a very critical 4th quarter planning time. There's the CD-ROM and a lot of software tumbling out of the factories fast. To do it right, we are discussing specific strategies with key retailers to accommodate their marketing plans. Some brand new local and national retailers are coming on board... names you've been telling us need to carry the Jaguar. Don Thomas has been persistent with me with a request to let him know as soon as we can make announcements. I've promised him I will keep him informed. By the way, the Jaguar CD-ROM is still scheduled to begin shipping on August 24th. I know there were once a lot of debates about VidGrid (which just so happens to be a lot of fun), but "Blue Lightning" and the "Tempest 2000" Soundtrack will also be tossed in the mix. On top of that, I've seen to it that a playable Demo of "Myst" is included. The "Myst" demo will help highlight visual aspects of the complete CD-ROM/Jaguar 64 system that are nothing less than astounding. The software which adds up to over $100 value is all part of the CD-ROM package. I am going to make an effort to regularly issue a statement like this to keep people up-to-date. I'm sure you understand I cannot answer everyone's questions individually, but I don't want to be moving forward without knowing how you feel. Make sure your forum/roundtable/topic SysOps collect your questions and forward them to Don Thomas [75300.1267@compuserve.com]. If he cannot answer the question right away, I'll see what I can do to answer it for everyone. Finally, it is most important to once again say "thanks". I want you to know that your word-of-mouth support of the Atari product line is valued very much. --Ted Hoff President, North America Operations Atari Corporation ///// GEnie Quick_Quote /////////////////////////////////// / / / My son loves all of his Jaguar games and his friends / / would rather play his system than their Segas, / / Nintendos and Game Boys. / / / /////////////////////////////////////////// ST.LOU /////// [EOA] [SFG]////////////////////////////// PRESS RELEASE / ///////////////////////////////// ATARI CORPORATION GOES TO BAT FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS COMMUNITY FUND """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Contact: Jessie Nagel or Jennifer Hansen Dorf & Stanton Communication, Inc. 310/479-4997 or 810/444-6663 SUNNYVALE (August 1, 1995) -- On Saturday, August 12, Atari Corporation will donate $10,500 to the San Francisco Giants Community Fund. With over 300 Atari Corporation employees and their families in attendance, Sam Tramiel, President and C.E.O. of Atari Corporation, will present the donation to Giants' third baseman Matt Williams as the team faces the Chicago Cubs at Candlestick Park. Last year, Atari Corporation committed to donate $250 for every home run Matt Williams hit. Williams met Atari Corporation's challenge, hitting forty-two home runs, and raising a grand total of $10,500 for the Giants Community Fund. "Atari Corporation is a proud supporter of the Giants Community Fund. It is a vital organization, as it champions key programs for all ages," comments Atari Corporation President Sam Tramiel. The San Francisco Giants Community Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of local communities through the funding of the Jr. Giants Baseball Program and other charitable endeavors. In 1994, the Junior Giants program, which focuses on self-esteem training, ethics and teamwork, served nearly 5,000 children in more than 50 communities. Since its inception in 1991, the San Francisco Giants Fund has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to non-profit organizations throughout Northern California. Recipients of the 1995 grant awards include Golden Gate Senior Services, Friends of Recreation and Parks, Hospice of Marin, and the San Francisco Consortium for Elder Abuse Prevention. For over 20 years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with high-quality value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation, located in Sunnyvale, CA, markets Jaguar, the only American-made advanced 64-Bit entertainment system. ///// GEnie Quick_Quote ////////////////////////////////// / / / But, we have also heard of the demise of Atari for / / as long (or longer), yet they remain in business, / / developing and producing products that are, more / / often than not, ahead of their time. / / / //////////////////////////////////////// M.POCHE /////// [EOA] [CT2]////////////////////////////// CATNIPS / ///////////////////////////////// Jaguar Tidbits (95.08.28) """"""""""""""""""""""""" by Don Thomas [ATARI] A very dear friend of mine used to tell me every once in a while, "I buy you books and I buy you books and all you do is read the covers". I don't know if that's an adaptation of some great movie quote or otherwise from some memorable play, but I remember it was definitely something she used to try to drill in my head. If I became enriched by the words at all, I understand them to mean, "Don't you get it!?" My friend did buy me a lot of proverbial books... lesson plans if you will... figurative blueprints of brick wall head pounding in which I could carry with me in some figurative form. I don't know if it was based more on being ignorant or simply obstinate, but I often didn't read the books she bought me. I would read the covers and because I knew the title, the author and maybe the publisher, I felt I knew everything there was to know inside of them also. For a very long time, Atari has been promising a CD-ROM for your Jaguar. In that time a lot of things had changed except for one... we never seemingly got any closer to putting the CD-ROM on the market. Although at trade shows and on specialty store videos, Atari has shown some very impressive CD-based game footage, the CD-ROM peripheral seemed to many like a book without any pages. In little more than 8 weeks, Mr. Ted Hoff has stepped into a very challenging role at Atari Corporation. While Ted continues to access the condition and value of all the poetic books of business Atari has placed before him to read and act upon, he is making decisions which everyone I know at Atari applaud. One such decision is that the CD-ROM has been supposedly "ready" and "promised" for an incredibly long period of time. Ted figured if Microsoft can finally release Windows '95 after 1 or two years, then Atari can start shipping the CD-ROM on that date too. Based on that decision to start shipping on the 24th, a lot of actions had to be implemented. Final tests and final decisions... final sign-offs and final orders. Although, tainted by a one word spelling error on the back of one of the pack-in software packages, the entire project finally came together within about 5 weeks. This, after Ted's predecessors took forever and a distant day. On August 24th, 1995, the first packed-out batch of Jaguar 64 CD-ROMs rolled off the factory lines with everything packaged together, including a $100 value software ensemble. The book is entitled "Ted's Promise to Start Shipping CD-ROM's on August 24th". It contains pages and pages of a distribution plan so that retailers get the product equitably (especially considering unexpected new orders placed by retailers impressed by the progress being made since Ted arrived at Atari). The pages of the book even detail a formal plan to launch to the press within the first week of September in New York. Somehow, amidst all this hoopla, some people appear to have expected CD-ROMs to already be on store shelves for resale by 9 am on Thursday, August 24th. To all those valued customers (including the one whom sent me a message containing profanity for me and my family to enjoy), I am certain your anxious desire for the new peripheral will be well rewarded within a couple of weeks. I think most of you know by now that the first batch of CD-ROMs were shipped so that the store buyers, distributors and members of the press received their units right away. Shipments since August 24th are being distributed so that all our retailers will have sufficient quantities to fill preorders and stock their shelves during the week of September 11th. In fact, notifications announcing this strategy were express mailed or faxed to stores the day after Atari released the first batch. It is my opinion that Ted has made a wise decision to treat the CD-ROM release more carefully than a standard software release. Keeping some quantity within the distribution channel until enough have been packed out will enable retailers to feel like they are being shipped fairly and that customers who have waited a long time for their preorders do not hear their friends getting unites from other stores first. There's nothing I can do for the people who like to argue or try to sabotage our launch with opinions in difference to Ted's strategies. But to those who have been patient for so long, the message for you is that the wait is virtually over. The CD-ROM is a complete package and the only thing standing in the way of you having one is a couple weeks to make sure no one unfairly gets one before you do. I expect to get my hands on a copy of FlipOut! tomorrow so I can look at it """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" and tell you what I've found after extended play. It arrived in Atari's warehouse late Friday and began shipping today (8/28/95). I think a lot of you who liked the "Pac-Man", "Centipede", "Klax" and "Tetris" games will love FlipOut! Please send me feedback and tell me what you think. Look for reduced screen images of this game on CompuServe, GEnie and CATscan [209/239-1552]. Ted Hoff and Ron Beltramo will be in New York early next week armed with a """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" full schedule of appointments to "meet the press". The topics will be Atari's newest technologies, release of the CD-ROM and the best next generation gaming value there is.... oh, did I say Jaguar?! Planned meetings include Fortune, Popular Science & Forbes, et al. Look for a press release dated August 29 announcing Atari's signed deal """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" with Atomix; a powerful Hollywood graphics, animation and Web Domain house. More details to follow. The Jaguar Roundtable on GEnie will be hosting a live conference with Ted """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Hoff, Ron Beltramo and Laury Scott as guests on Wednesday, September 13 at 6PM (Pacific). Be there or be square. Stop by the Roundtable by typing JAGUAR at any system prompt for more information. I'll leave you with a tip. If you've been following STReport, you may like """""""""""""""""""""""""" to look at their newest graphics-based edition which has been publishing for a few weeks now in concert with their text-based edition. Special viewers are required, but the visual appeal is outstanding INCLUDING the newly enhanced Jaguar section. Check it out! [EOA] [OPF]////////////////////////////// SEARCH_ME / ///////////////////////////////// Online Puzzle Fun """"""""""""""""" by Scott R. Garrigus [S.GARRIGUS] Just last month a new action game was released for the PC CD-ROM market by GameTek called CyberBykes. It's a futuristic motorcycle battle game in which you must fight the World Treaty Organization, the military arm of the Central Government, because of their take-over of several major cities. Why am I telling you about this one particular game? Well, it just so happens that some of the music for the title was composed by yours truely and I thought you might want to take a listen. One tune in particular is the background music playing during the Paris mission. No, I'm not getting any money if/when you buy a copy. I've already been paid for my services. I just thought you might be interested and I also needed a subject for this month's puzzle. ;-) CyberBykes """""""""" ACTION S F E S R G M U S I C W N L M ARMOR O N U L G G Q B X A I E E I O BATTLE E A O T T U K Y B T E Z L F T CDROM T U C P U T U K O I R I K T O CYBERBYKES M V C T A R A J Z C T I S N R FUTURISTIC X T I S I E I B L A A E T B C GAMETEK W U Q R E O W S R G K A G Q Y MILITARY N H D P T R N Y T Y X G Y A C MISSILES O V U X J U C U B I A K R R L MISSION I O D C S D A R H M C M M T E MOTORCYCLE S Y I Q R U E L E S O T K O L RESCUE S Q R O F B H T W R T R A L X SRGMUSIC I X M J Y Q E G L F U T E Q F VIRTUAL M R F C P K G Y K H T F Q M O WEAPONS V U I P M I S S I L E S E M F [*][*][*] GIVE UP? You will find the answers in the LOG OFF column at the end of """""""" the magazine. This puzzle was created with a shareware program called Word Search Puzzle Maker by Impact D. Publishing. [EOA] [LGF]/////////////////////////////// LOG OFF // ////////////////////////////////// GEnieLamp Information """"""""""""""""""""" o COMMENTS: Contacting GEnieLamp o GEnieLamp STAFF: Who Are We? GEnieLamp Information GEnieLamp is published on the 1st of every month """"""""""""""""""""" on GEnie page 515. You can also find GEnieLamp on the main menus in the following computing RoundTables. RoundTable Keyword GEnie Page RoundTable Keyword GEnie Page """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" DigiPub DIGIPUB 1395 Atari ST ST 475 Macintosh MAC 605 IBM PC IBMPC 615 Apple II A2 645 Apple II Dev. A2PRO 530 Macintosh Dev. MACPRO 480 Geoworks GEOWORKS 1050 BBS BBS 610 CE Software CESOFTWARE 1005 Mini/Mainframe MAINFRAME 1145 Programming PROGRAMMING 1445 Data Comm. 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To leave comments, suggestions or just to say hi, you can contact us in the DigiPub RoundTable (M1395) or send GE Mail to John Peters at [GENIELAMP] on page 200. o If you would like to meet the GEnieLamp staff "live" we meet every Wednesday night in the Digi*Pub Real-Time Conference at 9:00 EDT (M1395;2). o The Digital Publishing RoundTable is for people who are interested in pursuing publication of their work electronically on GEnie or via disk-based media. For those looking for online publications, the DigiPub Software Libraries offer online magazines, newsletters, short-stories, poetry and other various text oriented articles for downloading to your computer. Also available are writers' tools and 'Hyper-utilties' for text presentation on most computer systems. In the DigiPub Bulletin Board you can converse with people in the digital publishing industry, meet editors from some of the top electronic publications and get hints and tips on how to go about publishing your own digital book. The DigiPub RoundTable is the official online service for the Digital Publishing Association. To get there type DIGIPUB or M1395 at any GEnie prompt. >>> GEnieLamp STAFF <<< """"""""""""""""""""""" GEnieLamp o John Peters [GENIELAMP] Publisher """"""""" o Mike White [MWHITE] Managing Editor APPLE II o Doug Cuff [EDITOR.A2] EDITOR """""""" o Gina E. Saikin [A2.GENA] A2 Staff Writer o Charlie Hartley [A2.CHARLIE] A2 Staff Writer A2Pro o Tim Buchheim [A2PRO.GELAMP] EDITOR """"" ATARI o Sheldon H. Winick [GELAMP.ST] ATARI EDITOR """"" o Bruce Smith [B.SMITH123] EDITOR/TX2 o Mel Motogawa [M.MOTOGAWA] Atari Staff Writer o Richard Brown [R.BROWN30] Atari Staff Writer o Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] Atari Staff Writer o Timothy V. Steed [T.STEED1] Atari Staff Writer o Lloyd E. Pulley [LEPULLEY] Atari Staff Writer o Michael J. Hebert [ST.PAPA] Atari Staff Writer IBM o Sharon La Gue [SHARON.LAMP] IBM EDITOR """ o Tika Carr [LAMP.MM] MULTIMEDIA EDITOR o Susan M. English [S.ENGLISH1] Multimedia Graphics Artist o Bob Connors [DR.BOB] IBM Staff Writer o Wayne & Chris Ketner[C.KETNER] IBM Staff Writers MACINTOSH o Richard Vega [GELAMP.MAC] MACINTOSH EDITOR """"""""" o Tom Trinko [T.TRINKO] Mac Staff Writer o Bret Fledderjohn [FLEDDERJOHN] Mac Staff Writer o Ricky J. Vega [GELAMP.MAC] Mac Staff Writer POWER PC o Ben Soulon [BEN.GELAMP] POWER PC EDITOR """""""" o Eric Shepherd [SHEPPY] Power PC Staff Writer WINDOWS o Bruce Maples [GELAMP.WIN] EDITOR """"""" o Marlene Gaberel [M.GABEREL1] Windows Staff Writer o Tika Carr [LAMP.MM] Windows Staff Writer ETC. o Jim Lubin [J.LUBIN] Add Aladdin Scripts """" o Scott Garrigus [S.GARRIGUS] Search-ME! o Mike White [MWHITE] (oo) / DigiPub SysOp o John Peters [GENIELAMP] DigiPub SysOp o Al Fasoldt [A.FASOLDT] Contributing Columnist o Phil Shapiro [P.SHAPIRO1] Contributing Columnist o Sandy Wolf [S.WOLF4] Contributing Columnist >>> SEARCH_ME! ANSWERS <<< """""""""""""""""""""""""" ACTION S F E S R G M U S I C . . . M ARMOR . N U L . . . . . . . . . I O BATTLE E A O T T . . . . . . . L . T CDROM . U C P U T . . . . . I . . O CYBERBYKES . V C T A R A . . . T . S . R FUTURISTIC . . I S I E I B . A . E . . C GAMETEK . . . R E O W S R . K . . . Y MILITARY N . . . T R N Y T Y . G . A C MISSILES O . . . . U C . B I A . R . L MISSION I . . . . D A R . M C M . . E MOTORCYCLE S . . . R . E L E . O . . . . RESCUE S . . O . B . T . R . . . . . SRGMUSIC I . M . Y . E . . . . . . . . VIRTUAL M . . C . K . . . . . . . . . WEAPONS . . . . M I S S I L E S . . . \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\//////////////////////////////////// Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent opinions of GEnie Information Services, GEnieLamp Online Magazines, or T/TalkNet Online Publishing. Bulletin board messages are reprinted verbatim, and are included in this publi- cation with permission from GEnie Information Services and the source RoundTable. GEnie Information Services, GEnieLamp Online Magazines, and T/TalkNet Publishing do not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any information included herein. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy. Material published in this edition may be reprinted under the fol- lowing terms only. Reprint permission granted, unless otherwise noted, to registered computer user groups and not for profit publications. All articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of each article reprinted. Please include the fol- lowing at the end of all reprints: \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////// The preceeding article is reprinted courtesy of GEnieLamp Online Magazine. (c) Copyright 1995 T/TalkNET Publishing and GEnie Infor- mation Services. Join GEnie now and receive $50.00 worth of online credit. To join GEnie, set your modem to 2400 baud (or less) and half duplex (local echo). Have the modem dial 1-800-638-8369. When you get a CONNECT message, type HHH. At the U#= prompt, type: JOINGENIE and hit the RETURN key. When you get the prompt asking for the signup code, type DSD524 and hit RETURN. GEnie will then prompt you for your signup information. For more information call (voice) 1-800-638-9636. ////////////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ [EOF]