ST REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE Monday, JUNE 06, 1988 Vol II No. 38 =========== APEInc., P.O. BOX 74, Middlesex, N.J. 08846-0074 PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Ron Kovacs R.F.Mariano ======================================================= ST REPORT EDITOR: Thomas Rex Reade Headquarters Bulletin Boards ST Report North ST Report Central ST Report South 201-968-8148 216-784-0574 904-786-4176 ------------------------------------ CONTENTS ======== * From the Editor's Desk.............* All about GDOS and more......... * Star NX 1000 Review................* Word Perfect Conference-DELPHI.. * My Own Headaches...................* ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL.......... * CIS a Total Facelift...............* A Temper Tantrum................ * Microsoft Upgrades MAC Wares.......* The Founder of ATARI is Back.... ========================================================================= Serving you on: Comp-u-serve - Delphi - GEnie ========================================================================= From the Editor's Desk: The rumor mill is hard at work these days, seems Chuck Babbitt has left Atari...if such is the case it seems to me we have lost another refreshing breath of fresh air amid all the hot air and confusion. After having met him at Atlanta, I was left with the impression He would truly get things on the right track. Perhaps he was too truthful with the Atari userbase and third party folks. Not knowing if he is really gone or not, and if he has, the real reasons why he left, we are left in the typical abyss of non-information Atari is so famous for. I certainly want this company to be the number one company because I will always feel they have produced a powerhouse of a computer and can only see bigger and better things come from it. It seems to me though, that attitude of Atari is wild and disorganized.. they show up where they are not supposed to be, the dep't heads in Atari are NOT totally in touch with one another, they have defective and bad sounding answering machines in use, they have NO set policy for true customer relations. (Everybody gets a different deal) and worst of all, their marketing methods are atrocious. Atari truly has a fine product in the ST, but for goodness' sake let's get the show on the road! Another year is slipping by us and still, the US public hardly knows ATARI other than an ARCADE GAME COMPANY. Some of the sharpest folks in the business are at ATARI now, and still they are hampered by the guy who STILL calls ALL the shots. NEW leadership may be the only way to allow Atari to grow in the USA! Personally, I am waiting for the day ......For, in my opinion, only then will Atari become the power in the computing industry it justly deserves to be... Rex ------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE JUDGES LIST =============== Service Name ------- ---------- CIS Ron Luks CIS Dan Rhea CIS Mike Schoenbach Delphi Clayton Walnum Delphi Charles Bachand Delphi Maurice Molineux GEnie Darlah Hudson GEnie Fred Beckman GEnie Sandy Wilson ST-Report Official Contest Rules ================================ No purchase necessary. Deadline for consideration in this contest is midnight August 31, 1988. Winners will be annouced in ST-Report on September 12, 1988. We guarantee to award all prizes. The prize list will be announced during the contest. All readers are eligible to enter except employees of APEInc. Publishing, CompuServe, GEnie, Delphi and their immediate families. This contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. We are not responsible for lost, mis-marked, or delayed art/work. All submissions must be drawn with any Atari ST drawing program. All submissions must be drawn by the original artist. Copyrighted art work will not be accepted. All submissions become the property of APEInc. All submissions must be uploaded to specified BBS systems by the deadline date. All systems have time and date stamping capability. Any entry dated after 8/31/88 will be void from the contest. Art Work Requirements --------------------- All art work considered for this contest must be drawn with any Atari ST drawing program. Any person submitting art work must leave an address, telephone number, and drawing program used. Artwork must contain the following: ST-REPORT The winning entry will be used at a later date for a newsletter or magazine cover. Where to Send ------------- All art work may be uploaded to the following systems. Syndicate BBS (201) 968-8148 Bounty ST BBS (904) 786-4176 Entries by mail are also permitted. Be sure to use a 3.5 floppy S/S! You may send to: ST-Report Logo Contest Post Office Box 74 Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0074 (Please include your name, address and telephone number) Updates ------- This contest will update uploading areas every two weeks. Contest rules will not be changed, but judges may be added during the run of the contest. Current judge listing will be published next week. This contest commences May 2, 1988 and will end Midnight August 31, 1988. If you have any questions, Please leave email on the services at the following addresses: CompuServe: 71777,2140 GEnie : ST-REPORT : R.KOVACS DELPHI : RONKOVACS The Source: BDG793 Rules and Regulations: 1). Use any full color program written exclusively for the ST to draw your own personal design of an ST-Report logo. 2). Art work ported over from any other computer is void. 3). No X-rated art work will be accepted. 4). Winners will be announced by mail, email, phone call or equivalent on or before September 12, 1988. 5). Judges decisions are final. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GDOS ============================================= by Douglas N. Wheeler What is GDOS? GDOS is an extension to GEM which adds new capabilities to your ST. Originally, GDOS was intended to be an integral part of GEM, but due to time restraints, had to be left out. Atari is now offering GDOS to registered developers at a cost of $500 per application using GDOS (it doesn't cost anything to look, except for the cost of becoming a developer). Three Primary Advantages of GDOS 1. The ability to use multiple fonts in various point sizes on the screen, printer, and other output devices. 2. Allows the creation of metafiles, which are standardized files intended to be usable by many different applications. This allows files created in one file to be usable in another. 3. Support for various output devices with resolutions up to 32,767 x 32,767 (including emulation of this resolution on the screen). This allows graphics to be printed at the highest resolution of the output device. How to use GDOS In theory, using GDOS is as simple as putting GDOS.PRG in your AUTO folder and booting the computer. In practice, though, a series of conditions must be met. The most important of these conditions is that there must be a valid ASSIGN.SYS file present in the root directory of the boot disk. The following is a typical ASSIGN.SYS file. PATH=C:\GDOS.SYS ; 01p SCREEN.SYS ; default screen ; 02p SCREEN.SYS ; low resolution ATSS10.FNT ; fonts ATSS12.FNT ATSS18.FNT ATSS24.FNT ATTP10.FNT ATTR10.FNT ATTR12.FNT ATTR18.FNT ATTR24.FNT ; 03p SCREEN.SYS ; medium resolution ATSS10CG.FNT ATSS12CG.FNT ATSS18CG.FNT ATSS24CG.FNT ATTP10CG.FNT ATTR10CG.FNT ATTR12CG.FNT ATTR18CG.FNT ATTR24CG.FNT ; 04p SCREEN.SYS ; high resolution ATSS10.FNT ATSS12.FNT ATSS18.FNT ATSS24.FNT ATTP10.FNT ATTR10.FNT ATTR12.FNT ATTR18.FNT ATTR24.FNT ; 21 FX80.SYS ; Epson 9-pin dot-matrix printer ATSS10EP.FNT ATSS12EP.FNT ATSS18EP.FNT ATSS24EP.FNT ATTP10EP.FNT ATTR10EP.FNT ATTR12EP.FNT ATTR18EP.FNT ATTR24EP.FNT ; 31r META.SYS ; metafile driver ATSS10MF.FNT ATSS12MF.FNT ATSS18MF.FNT ATSS24MF.FNT ATTP10MF.FNT ATTR10MF.FNT ATTR12MF.FNT ATTR18MF.FNT ATTR24MF.FNT As you can see, I have divided the file into distinct groups. The first line of the ASSIGN.SYS file is use to tell GDOS where the fonts and device drivers are located. This line must always start with PATH= which is followed by a pathname of up to 64 characters locating the fonts and drivers, Following the path identifying line is the list of device drivers and their associated fonts. Each group is composed of four parts. First is a number representing the type of device: 01-10 Screen drivers 11-20 Plotter drivers 21-30 Printer drivers 31-40 Metafile drivers The Atari has four built-in Device Drivers 01 Default screen (used when an application doesn't care about the screen resolution) 02 Low resolution screen 03 Medium resolution screen 04 High resolution screen Immediately following the device number may be a "load flag" of either "p" or "r". A "p" indicates that the device driver is "p"ermanent and does not need to be loaded by GDOS. Because the ST has it's screen drivers built into ROM, there will be a "p" after devices 01-04. An "r" indicates that the device driver should be kept "r"esident, causing GDOS to load the device driver immediately. If a load flag is not present, GDOS will only load the device driver when an application opens (accesses) that device. After the device number and load flag is the filename of the device driver as it appears in the disk directory. In the case of ROM-resident drivers, the filename is only a place-holder (but must be present). Keep in mind that the device driver must be in the folder specified in the path line. On the lines following those three items is a list of fonts associated with that device (again, these are the filenames as they appear in the indicated path of the disk). You may have noticed a few lines with semicolons (;) in them. GDOS will treat any text on a line to the right of a semicolon as a comment and will ignore it. Editing/Creating ASSIGN.SYS Now, why would you want to change your ASSIGN.SYS file? Well, if you have just one program which uses GDOS, and you are happy with the fonts you have, then there is no reason to change it. But, now that GDOS is beginning to be accepted on the ST, many of us are acquiring a collection of GDOS applications and fonts. By editing or creating a new ASSIGN.SYS, you could create a "universal" ASSIGN.SYS and font/driver folder to be used with all of these programs! Luckily, the ASSIGN.SYS file is a standard text (ASCII) file which may be edited with most text editors and word processors. The only requirement is that the file not contain any formatting codes. This can usually be accomplished in a word processor by turning document mode off, or selecting "Save as text" (check your word processor manual for exact instructions for doing this). If you are using a text editor, such as MicroEmacs or Tempus, all you have to do is save the file. Starting at the top, the first thing you may want to change is the PATH= line at the beginning of the ASSIGN.SYS file. By changing this line, you can put your fonts and printer drivers on another disk or hard drive partition (instead of your boot disk). If you are using floppies, keep in mind that this directory (folder) must be present when an application accesses any of the GDOS devices. Also, to speed booting, this directory should be present when GDOS is loaded. Recommended Configurations of Disk Drives One floppy drive: ----------------- Boot disk (drive A) with: AUTO folder containing GDOS.PRG GDOS.SYS folder containing the fonts and drivers ASSIGN.SYS with PATH=A:\GDOS.SYS Any GDOS application(s) (you may wish to create separate boot disks for each GDOS application) Two floppy drives: ------------------ Boot disk (drive A) with: AUTO folder containing GDOS.PRG ASSIGN.SYS with PATH=B:\GDOS.SYS Font/driver disk (drive B) with: GDOS.SYS folder containing fonts and drivers Application disk (drive A after booting GDOS) with: Any GDOS application(s) (you may wish to create separate application disks for each GDOS application) Hard drive (booting from floppy): --------------------------------- Boot disk (drive A) with: AUTO folder containing hard drive boot program and GDOS.PRG ASSIGN.SYS with PATH=C:\GDOS.SYS Hard drive partition C with: GDOS.SYS folder containing fonts and drivers Any hard drive partition with: Any GDOS application(s) (may be on any partition) Hard drive (autobooting): ------------------------- Hard drive partition C with: AUTO folder containing GDOS.PRG GDOS.SYS folder containing fonts and drivers ASSIGN.SYS with PATH=C:\GDOS.SYS Any hard drive partition with: Any GDOS application(s) (may be on any partition) Of course, these are only suggestions, and other configurations may be better for different applications. Hopefully you should now be able to create other set-ups without too much difficulty. There are a few "musts" that have to be observed: GDOS.PRG must be in the AUTO folder of the boot disk. ASSIGN.SYS must be in the root directory of the boot disk. The PATH = line in the ASSIGN.SYS file must contain the complete pathname of the folder containing the fonts and drivers. The fonts and drivers must be in the right place when an application or tries to open a device. A Bit about Fonts One question about GDOS fonts that people ask is, "when are the fonts loaded?" Many people are under the impression that all the fonts are loaded when GDOS is initially loaded. This is not true (and cannot be done). An "r" load flag in the ASSIGN.SYS file will cause GDOS to load only the device driver, not the fonts. Fonts are loaded only after an application opens a device and asks for the fonts to be loaded. At that time, GDOS will attempt to load all the fonts for that device. If there is an error (can't find the file, not enough memory, etc.) GDOS will skip over that font and continue with the next one. When an application is through with the fonts, it can "unload" the fonts to free up that memory. Another fact that many people don't understand is that the font filename is irrelevant to GDOS. Each font has a "header" consisting of various parameters, some of these are: point size, font name, and a font ID which is used to identify fonts of the same type (i.e. all swiss fonts have the same ID). Another thing to note is that GDOS does not handle line spacing, this is handled by the application regardless of the actual size of a given font. Some programs use the point size to determine line spacing, and others use the actual height of the font (yes, the point size can be set different from the actual size). For those of you creating your own fonts (with GEMFED or FONTZ!), you must assign a unique font ID (from 0 to 32,767) to each of your fonts, and all font of the same type (i.e. Times), but of different size, must have the same ID. Another thing you must know when creating your own fonts, is the resolution of the devices you are creating the fonts for. The following is a list of most of the currently available devices and their resolution. Low resolution screen 45 x 45 (horizontal dpi x vertical dpi) Medium resolution screen 90 x 45 High resolution screen 90 x 90 9-pin dot-matrix printer 120 x 144 24-pin printer 180 x 180 or 360 x 360 (NEC P-series only) Laser printer 150 x 150 (some) or 300 x 300 As you can see, most of these devices have square (round) pixels. This allows for sideways printing using the same fonts as for vertical (normal) printing. A notable exception to this is with the 9-pin dot-matrix printers, which will distort characters when printing them sideways. Different drivers (from different companies) handle this problem differently: they either ignore the fact (and print distorted characters sideways), or they print the left and right sides of a horizontal page on two separate vertical pages, which must then be taped together. The first method is the easier (and faster) of the two, but the second method will produce correct characters, and the taping isn't too bad if you are going to photocopy the final product. It would be possible to create separate fonts for sideways printing. but so far this has not been done. Also, Epson printers (and 100% compatibles) have a 144 x 144 dpi (double plotter) mode which could be utilized. This would not only allow non-distorted sideways printing, but offers slightly higher resolution in the horizontal axis. Font filenames As I stated earlier, font filenames are not used by GDOS, but to us humans, consistent filenames can greatly simplify things. With the official release of GDOS (late last year), Atari adopted a standardized way of naming font files. Here I will explain Atari's idea and add a few extensions A font filename like ATSS10EP.FNT may look meaningless to someone who doesn't know how the filename was derived, but is, in fact, very functional. The first and second characters (AT) indicates the creator/distributor of the font (in this case Atari). Atari has suggested that these characters be "AT" for all fonts used on the Atari, this seems meaningless to me, as I don't have any fonts for any other computers on my ST disks. (Why would I?) I feel these two characters can be put to better use to specify the creator/distributor. The third and fourth characters (SS) identify the type style (in this case Sans Serif). These should be unique to a particular rendition of a specific typeface. The fifth and sixth characters (10) specify the point size of the font. This should be the point size as printed on the device the font was designed for, not the pixel height. Also, sizes less than 10 should have a leading zero (i.e. 06) to maintain the overall structure. The seventh and eighth characters (EP) specify the device for which the font was designed (in this case the Epson 9-pin driver). If there are no seventh and eighth characters, the font is assumed to be for the high-resolution screen. The filename extender on all fonts will be .FNT. Although not many companies/individuals have produced fonts for the ST (yet), I would like to recommend that all font filenames follow the following format to avoid confusion. A Suggestion for Standard Identifiers Creator/Distributor: AT - Atari MG - Migraph TW - Timeworks NC - Neocept Typestyles: SS - Sans Serif (Atari's Swiss) TR - Times Roman (Atari's Dutch) TP - Typewriter (Atari) DB - Dingbats (Timeworks' Bullets) DL - Drury Lane (Timeworks) MA - Madison (Timeworks) RK - Rockface (Timeworks) RA - Ravinia (Timeworks) CL - Camelot (Neocept) Device: MG (or none) - Monochrome graphics (high/low resolution screen) CG - Color graphics (medium resolution screen) EP - Epson 9-pin dot-matrix printer (120 x 144) NB - Star NB-24 24-pin dot-matrix printer (180 x 180) NC - NEC C-series 24-pin dot-matrix printer (360 x 360) LQ - Epson 24 pin dot-matrix printer (all) LL - low resolution laser printer (150 x 150) LS - standard laser printer (300 x 300) In many cases, the creator/distributor is not important, in which case the first four characters can be used for the typestyle. You will also notice that I have listed typestyles from various companies, I have done this because I recommend that you rename all of the font you currently have to match the above conventions, this will save you a lot of confusion in the future when you may have ten times as many fonts. One thing to note if you create a master ASSIGN.SYS file, is that although the Timeworks Swiss and Dutch fonts are different from Atari's, they use the same font IDs. GDOS could get very confused if you have two fonts with the same ID and point size. My personal recommendation is to replace Timeworks' Swiss and Dutch fonts in the 10, 12, 18, and 24 point sizes with the ones from Atari, I feel these are much more professional and true to the original Helvetica and Times Roman typefaces. Metafiles Metafiles are (in theory) ideal files which can be exchanged between different GDOS applications. Metafiles are those files with a .GEM extender. Metafiles are "ideal" in the respect that they are resolution independent. They are simply instructions for the computer to recreate a page on any output device at that device's highest resolution. This is accomplished by storing commands for drawing lines, circles, rectangles, text, etc., unlike most picture files (.NEO, PI?, etc.) which store the dots making up an image. Unfortunately, metafiles are not 100% standard yet. This results in programs not being able to read metafiles created by another application. Technically, the fault lies with the program trying to load the metafile, not the creator. Many different parameters may be present in the header of a metafile, but only a few of these are required. Unfortunately, many applications expect some of the optional parameters to be there and can't load the file correctly if they don't exist. Currently Easy-Draw (version 2.3) is the most capable of the available GDOS applications, and can read just about any metafile. Some of the more recent GDOS applications are allowing the use of GEM image files (those ending in .IMG). These are bit-mapped images similar to those created by the various ST paint programs (but without the screen size and resolution limitations). As is the case with other paint files, these images may be jagged or blocky when printed on a high resolution device. A very important fact about images in metafiles is that the metafile does not actually contain a copy of the image. The metafile only contains the filename of the image on disk. This means that you must not remove the disk containing an image while the metafile is being printed, and everytime you print that metafile, the image must be in the same disk (or you will have to change your file). If GDOS can't find the image, it will just skip over it. Be warned. Miscellaneous Comments If you are using the Timeworks Desktop Publisher ST (TDTP), you must run the FONTWID.APP program each time you modify the ASSIGN.SYS file. Another important fact is that the relative widths of the Timeworks fonts are not the same for different devices. What this means is that if you create a document with TDTP installed for use with an Epson 9-pin printer, then load the file into TDTP installed for use with a laser printer, the text will be re-flowed. This may result in different column breaks, lost text, extra white space, etc. The best solution to this problem is to create the document with a TDTP installed for the device which will create the final copy. Another idea is to use Atari's fonts (if you have them, they are not public domain), as the relative sizes between devices is very close (there still may be a few differences, but can be fixed readily). For those of you who have seen a lot of DEGAS Elite GDOS fonts floating around, don't get too excited. For those to print properly (even blocky), you must have matching printer fonts for the screen fonts. GEMFED or FONTZ! greatly simplify this process, but if you intend to create a complete set of fonts in four or five sizes, you will have a lot of work ahead of you. Anyone creating fonts for the general public (either commercial or PD), try to remember that not everyone is using the same kind of monitor or printer you are. If at all possible, create fonts for all the devices I have listed above. Another thing I didn't mention are metafile fonts. These are not really fonts, but merely width tables designed to keep correct character spacing in a file when used with different GDOS applications. In most cases, you can eliminate metafile fonts without any loss of quality. Glossary Device (Graphics Device) - Anything used to create some form of output, usually on a video screen or printed on paper or film. Device Driver - A computer program used to control a device as specified by a "master" application. Font - A typeface of a given style and point size. GDOS - Graphics Device Operating System; an extension to the Atari ST's operating system allowing for the use of various fonts and graphics devices. GEM - Graphics Environment Manager; the portion of the ST's operating system which is responsible for most of the visual aspects of the ST. Header - A portion of a file (usually at the beginning) containing various parameters describing the file. Line Spacing - The distance between successive line of text, usually measured in points. Pixel - Picture element; a single dot, usually one of many used to create a complete image on a video screen or printed on paper or film. Point - A typographical unit of measure; approximately 1/72". Copyrights, Trademarks, Etc. This document is copyright 1988 by Douglas N. Wheeler Any questions or comments about this document can be directed to me: Douglas N. Wheeler PSC 3 Box 6096 Travis AFB, CA 94535 (707) 437-3786 GEnie address D.N.WHEELER. This document mentions several commercial/copyrighted products. In each case, it is to be understood that the names are trademarks of their respective companies and are used here only as references. I am in no-way connected, either through employment or otherwise, to any of these companies. I cannot be held responsible for any damages resulting from the use or misuse of the information contained in this document. This document was created for the purpose of providing information, it is up to the reader to accept responsibility for the results of the use of this information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ STAR NX-1000 COLOR PRINTER ========================== By: Brett Talbot FEATURES: SPEED: 144cps draft/33cps NLQ. COMPATIBILITY: EPSON LX-800/FX/MX or IBM Proprinter II. FONTS: 8 NLQ - Courier,Sanserif,Orator(2) + italic fonts. 5cpi to 20cpi in NLQ. Double and Quad width & height. COLOR: 7 in text/ over 400 in graphics dump. PAPER FEED: Rear push tractor with paper park for semiautomatic single sheet loading. CONTROLS: Full controls on front for 16 functions. PRICE: $319. list / $230 to $280 discount. MANUFACTURER: Star Micronics America Inc. The NX-1000 is the next step in the ongoing evolution of the Star printers. Like its Gemini/SG-10 cousins the NX-1000 retains full Epson compatibility with innumerable features and an attractive price. The NX interfaces with the ST without necessity to reset any DIP switches. Most Epson, Star, or Gemini print drivers already function with the NX. The front LED controls for font pitch and type styles are indeed welcome. The four buttons have 14 other functions when two or three buttons are pressed at once. This is my third Star printer, and seems even sturdier than my other reliable Star printers. The push type tractor feed is very welcome now that I don't have to waste a sheet of paper every time I print! Single sheet paper can be inserted into the printer with the tractor paper still in the machine with the paper park function. Line spacing is very accurate, there are no gaps between lines when printing graphics. The NLQ type styles are excellent. The old Star SG-10 had one NLQ font, and the only special effect available was underlining. Any text feature that can be implemented in any one of the four NLQ fonts. Courier is the fanciest font, and is similar to a nice typewriter. The Sanserif font looks very similar to the font used on draft text. Orator is larger than the others, and has two styles: In the first, lower case letters are shown as small upper case. This is very readable, as is the Orator with true lower case. Orator with true lower case looks funny because it does not have true descenders. It has seven colors that may be used in text mode at any time. If your word processor does not support some or all of your printer's codes, some are available using a text command imbedded in double parenthesis. This is a good way to activate color in a word processor such as ST WRITER or Word Writer ST. In graphics, over 400 colors may be printed using an Epson JX-80c printer driver. Colors come out clean and sharp, except that users must avoid making dark color printouts. This will wear out the ribbon and the colors come out uneven. I find myself modifying pictures in DEGAS before printing. I lighten the colors and change black backgrounds to white. Graphics print quickly in Black, and speed seems reasonable in Color. Color mode requires that the print head changes color three times, and passes over the picture three times as well. The NX-1000 now has logic seeking graphic printing, where the print head passes only over parts of the picture to be printed. The 8k RAM buffer holds two to four pages of text, and is great if using a modem. The buffer may be turned off and transformed into a storage space for downloadable draft and NLQ characters. The NX-1000's streamlined appearance is much different from the older models, being a brownish grey instead of that white, the smaller size is perfect for a tight space situation such as a dorm. The printer weight is only about 10 pounds, compared to the traditional 25, and has the Centronics port on the side! Current printer owners will concede that a rear port can cause many paper jams. Comparing the NX-1000 to an older model is like comparing a Ford Taurus to a Chrysler K-car! The sticker on the front of the color NX-1000 has red, blue and yellow stripes that I think look junky. I understand that they needed to make it look different from the non-color NX-1000, but they selected terrible colors. One reason for buying Star printers in the first place was because they took underwood style ribbons. They cost about two dollars and you can flip them to use the second side. Star has switched to cartridges that cost about $7 for black and $11 for color. Another change is the manual, it is much clearer and comes with several color reference cards and command summaries. The manual no longer suffers from translated-from-Japanese-itis either! When compared to other models, such as Panasonic, Okidata, Epson, and others, I found the NX-1000 to stack up well with the competition. It has NLQ fonts (that are REALLY different), good overall features, and is less expensive. The monochrome NX-1000 can be had for about 70 or 80 dollars less, but I find color more attractive for the small difference in price. Some printers like the Panasonic 1092i-II are about 50cps faster, but the NX-1000 is fast enough for me and does everything I want without hassle. I can whole heartedly recommend the NX-1000 over other printer in the $300 and under price range. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WORD PERFECT CONFERENCE OF 05/31/88 DELPHI ========================================== Attendees: ---------- ANALOG2 - Moderator JEFFWILSON - Jeff Wilson of WPCorp. MORTIMER GORDYR DOCTORP CFJ PIOTR REXREADE HCALLESIS MARVR RDGRABLE STARWALKER GRG MADMODIFIER BRG ------------------------------------------------- ANALOG2> Well, it's 5 after... might as well start. Formal rules are in force. Please ? (after my opening statement.. ahem) when you have a question. First off, thanks to Jeff for joining us tonite. All attendees will receive a free copy of WP for coming by.... NO, ONLY KIDDING! We all know the trouble WP went through at first but it appears that they have gotten by that. Is that true, Jeff? JEFFWILSON> Yes, the program is quite solid now, and essentially everyone that has a copy is much more pleased with it than before. ANALOG2> Good... it's nice to have a major force in software development supporting the ST. One more question, then I'll open to the floor for with ?... How happy is WP with the ST market? Is there the plan to keep supporting it? JEFFWILSON> We are committed to supporting the ST marketplace. The US sales haven't been as high as we would have hoped, but we are expanding into the foreign ST markets, which should keep the income sufficient to keep us in the black while we work on additional software projects for the ST. ANALOG2> Great... again, a major software dev. is a good thing for what appears to be a struggling computer like the ST.... Rex, you've got the floor. REXREADE> Hi Jeff , Actually, I have 2 ?s, First, with the recent personnel rearrangements what effect will it have on the future releases and timetables for WP; and the second ? is what are your experiences with the cooperation level of Atari and its practices towards developers JEFFWILSON> There has been some restructuring in Atari development, as we have been evaluating our current software, the ST marketplace, and where we want to go. There will be some changes in the release dates of current projects; they will probably be pushed back somewhat. However, the net result is that we will be able to provide more software of a higher quality than we were able to provide before the reorganization. Therefore, I see it as a very positive change, despite the delays. Now, on to the second question. Right now, Atari seems very interested in working with us. I don't know if we've been singled out in that regard, but the new Atari Computer _does_ seem to want to turn the company around and work with developers much more closely than has been done in the past. It looks good. REXREADE> Does that mean Mr. Babbit and Co. or the Atari developer section? JEFFWILSON> Yes, that is exactly what I mean, Rex (Charles Babbitt & co.) REXREADE> That is good news..as long as they are not interfered with.. ANALOG2> Ok. Quick personal observation... Do you see any other majors coming on the ST bus? JEFFWILSON> I really don't think WP's presence in the ST market will influence other major developers. In fact, the roasting we took when we first released just may make them look again. ANALOG2> Pete, your turn. PIOTR> First let me say that your customer support should be the standard for the industry - outstanding. My question is: What are the new projects that you have for the ST? JEFFWILSON> Thanks, Pete. I'll pass the compliment along to those who deserve it. We are hoping to make the complete and integrated line of WPCorp. products out on the ST. Some of these include DataPerfect, PlanPerfect, Library, an improved version of WordPerfect, and many more goodies! ANALOG2> Any dates on those, Jeff, can you say? PIOTR> Excellent - you have one customer sold! JEFFWILSON> Because of the reorganization, dates are very hard at this point. ANALOG2> Understood... Charles? CFJ> Is there eventually going to be a version of Word Perfect that supports GDOS, with all of its attendant headaches and problems? ANALOG2> You mean GLF GDOS (hehe). JEFFWILSON> Our next version of WordPerfect will support fonts and graphics, but I'm still not sure of how to approach the GDOS problem. There will probably be support for GDOS in the next version of WP, but I highly doubt you will be locked into it. CFJ> Hmmm. We should talk. A partner and I have a much nicer GDOS that you might be interested in. ANALOG2> You might want to talk to Charles about his GLF GDOS... seems that a good plan would be to package the new WP with his "working" GDOS. . anyway, Rex, you're on. JEFFWILSON> Yes, Charles. I'd be interested. I'm still looking. REXREADE> How do you feel about the "news release" about what the new roms "will do" and the methods they are planning on using to "test" them in the field. JEFFWILSON>Are you referring to the TOS enhancement,Rex? REXREADE> Yes, Jeff the one recently announced. JEFFWILSON> If it can get a better quality OS in the hands of the ST owners quickly, I'm all for it. The ROM upgrades can be too expensive, but 30 kB isn't bad for a better TOS. ANALOG2> Follow up, Rex? REXREADE> I agree, but my concern is, have they sent you a set to check? JEFFWILSON> As far as I know, there are no copies available yet. REXREADE> They state they have sent it to their subsidiaries whomever they are.... does anyone know who these may be? ANALOG2> I think that means their worldwide companies. REXREADE> I don't think so ANALOG2> Ok, Pete. Your question. PIOTR> Is WP Corp. doing anything with CD-ROM technology? JEFFWILSON> We're really not approaching the new hardware yet. ANALOG2> Rex. REXREADE> I asked about the roms. They have sent it out, but NOBODY has seen it, I was wondering if you have or if anybody knows who has them besides what was said in the release JEFFWILSON> I would like to see it. I don't know of any developer who has actually received a copy, though. ANALOG2> Pete... go ahead. PIOTR> What steps has WP taken to combat pirate boards? (I have a few you might be interested in.). JEFFWILSON> We are in the process, with other developers, of tracking down these offensive BBS systems. Things are still in the works, but I really think something's going to happen this time. PIOTR> Where do I send the information I have? ANALOG2> Is that under the auspices of the SPA? CFJ> Great!... sorry to break in REXREADE> To Quote: "local keyboard, and American text", not worldwide as I see it. JEFFWILSON> Leave me private mail, or call me. Our legal counsel is in charge of the SPA's anti-piracy board, and our executive VP is chairman of the SPA. It's almost difficult not to have them involved with what we do. PIOTR> I'll have a bunch of fun stuff for you by this weekend! JEFFWILSON> Thanks, Pete. ANALOG2> I'll interject here for those here and those who read this to contact the SPA with pirate BBS numbers if you know of them to keep the ST a viable computer. Off the soap box and on to Gordy. GORDYR> Have you considered a Military discount like the school one? JEFFWILSON> I really don't have any say in those matters, but I will bring it up to our marketing department. There has been a lot of interest in military and user group discounts, and so it is possible that something is already in the works. I'll make sure the words gets where it needs to be. GORDYR> Thanks ANALOG2> Great news... Charles. You're on. CFJ> OK, I want to ask a mundane programming question... why did you decide not to use the standard GEM file selector in WP? JEFFWILSON> For the same reason that we re-wrote many of the standard GEM interface calls. We had problems with GEM functioning properly with WP up in all it's glory (it worked fine when WP was still a small application in the testing stages, but broke down as WP increased in size). Additionally, we wanted to provide multiple methods of interface that would be best suited to a given need that a person might have. Make sense? CFJ> I sure know what you're talking about! The glitches in GEM if stacked end on end, would reach all the way to the moon and back! JEFFWILSON> Here, here!!!!! ANALOG2> Rex, your question. REXREADE> About piracy, how do you feel about the business of renting software and will we see some real action in the enforcement of law in that direction? JEFFWILSON> I hope so. Just because piracy is conducted from what you would expect is a legitimate business is no reason to turn our backs. In fact, we are already looking into several cases of software rental. Just reading a copyright should make a dealer afraid to rent..... (anyone's copyright!) REXREADE> We have a dealer in town, who allows trade-in software, what about that? JEFFWILSON> That's a little trickier. If they return all copies of the program, it could potentially be ok. If they keep copies, it's just piracy in another guise. REXREADE> I would NEVER believe they would turn in ALL copies. ANALOG2> Pete, you're on. PIOTR> Just out of curiosity, how is WP's Amiga market doing compared to the ST? JEFFWILSON> The Amiga version of WP has consistently outsold the Atari WP by a fairly good margin. PIOTR> I'm surprised! ANALOG2> Oh, well... we'll keep trying. Phillip, go ahead. DOCTORP> Why did you choose to write WP with a graphic interface that is not "ST STANDARD" in usage if that exists ( eg - using RETURN to switch fields in dialog boxes)? It confuses many of my office staff as they go between different applications! JEFFWILSON> But you hit the nail on the head. What is the standard? And should we intentionally limit the abilities of our software just because GEM is incapable of a sophisticated interface? The ST market wants to be more Mac-like, but the input methods we use are styled after the Mac inputs people want, but don't seem to accept as standard Atari. What can we do? DOCTORP>I guess STANDARD is what is limited by the GEM interface. But from using different programs, I agree with your approach. JEFFWILSON>Then we won't be standard. Ever. DOCTORP> I was just trying to figure out how to answer that question when asked by my office staff. JEFFWILSON> It's not an easy question. It's like the GDOS question. REXREADE> Thank you, Jeff. May I be the first to say thanks a bunch for super fine word processor deluxe and thanks for your time tonight! JEFFWILSON> You're welcome. We try, and will continue to do the same. ANALOG2> I'd like to add my thanks to Jeff for his time, and most of all thank Word Perfect for putting their piece of work in the ST pie. CFJ> Me 3. ANALOG2>Thanks to all of you for attending. JEFFWILSON> Wait until we get the whole pie together! It would appear that WORD PERFECT Corp. is firmly entrenched in the ST market, this is good news as they are now following up on the "keystroke" compatibility theme outlined by Jeff Wilson. This means all their programs, Mac, IBM, Amiga or ST, will allow product files of the programs to be inter-changeable. This folks, is very good for all the computer users as "CROSS COMPATIBILITY" is the key to the door of the future. ED ************************************************************************* IMPORTANT NOTICE! ----------------- As a reader of ST Report Magazine, you are entitled to take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. For only $29.95 ($20 off the standard membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscription to DELPHI, a copy of the 500-page "DELPHI: The Official Guide," and a credit equal to one free evening hour at standard connect rates. Signing up with DELPHI ---------------------- Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI services via a local phone call. Join--- DELPHI -------------- 1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps, dial 576-2981). 2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI. 3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT. For more information, call DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005, or at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S. DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Massachusetts. ************************************************************************** MY OWN HEADACHES ================ By Bob Rosendale After reading a newsletter article entitled "Headache #69" in the Michigan Atari Magazine, I decided to compile my own list of headaches and some possible cures. PD is nothing but Junk ---------------------- I don't know how many times I have heard this during the last five years of operating my Atari computers. Public domain comes in all kinds of functions, colors and sounds. There is Freeware, Shareware and of course the newest variety, Begware. How many have used the term programs done by Keith Ledbetter, Trent Dudley or Matt Singer? How many have used the various archiver programs such as ARC SHELL, MAGIC SHADOW, SCRUNCH, CRUNCH, the list goes on and on. How many have collections of picture files done with Neochrome or Degas and view them with a slideshow program? How many have Music Studio, Music Construction Set or converted AMS music files and the various players? There are dozens of other utilities, applications, desk accessories and even games too numerous to go into at this point and most keep getting worked on and improved. Support these programmers and developers with your feedback and financial support. Public domain gives us programs, IF NOTHING ELSE, while we try and save our pennies for the HIGH-priced stuff. My Computer is BETTER than your Computer ----------------------------------------- What started out as a friendly rivalry has grown into a battle for others. If you have ever seen Commodore Kill and/or Apple Kill demos on the 8-bit machines, you can tell they were done with humor instead of hatred. Every type of machine, not just computers, have their own specific advantages or limitations. Look at the number of styles of automobiles, radios, stereos, even toasters. My suggestion to anyone that needs to continue this line of thinking and can't convince others that computing is a worthwhile hobby, no matter what computer they may choose, should find another hobby like sand collecting or cistron decoding. I use an IBM clone at work and my Atari ST at home, I can not even start to compare the two. The clone does not have a graphics card and my ST doesn't have Word Star. Piracy will Kill the Atari --------------------------- I have added this to my headache list because every article written about it, in national publications, reinforces this "idea" to the WHOLE computer industry, not just the prospective software developers, that there is a "severe" problem with "ALL" Atari users. But yet the same magazines that carry the Atari epitaph carry advertisements about who's products "back-up" protected programs so "users won't damage their original disk". This problem is industry wide, but during the last several years it is the Atari userbase that is getting all the flak. Pick up any computer magazine and check out the ads. For example, in the July 1988 issue of COMPUTE!'s Gazette for Commodore users there are 4 separate ads (two companies even have a mini battle going) for backup "systems". One, in particular, has a full page color ad for a cartridge called the "Replay IV", all someone has to do is "just press a button at any point and make a complete backup of any "*" memory resident program to tape or disk". Finding the other "*" on the page proclaims "In our most recent test we were unable to find any program that AR4 could not cope with". Yet COMPUTE! ST has met its demise because of being "unprofitable". If you still have your copies of the last several issues of COMPUTE! ST, read the editorials and see for yourself why it died. Complaining about Atari complainers ----------------------------------- DRAM prices, ROM upgrades, Disk drives, Vaporware, Laser printers, user group support, retailer support, developer support, and even mail order supplies have been some subjects of interest lately. Complainers have been targeted in a number of editorials, teleconferencing sessions and even messages on the commercial services. I, as a CASH paying consumer, have the right to complain or even investigate why something is not up to date, doesn't meet my expectations, or even throws a whole string of "bombs" across my screen. BUT if I do take a course of action and complain, I am handed someone else's set of values and am preached at to "just be thankful for what you already have". I have voiced some opinions in some of the online message bases and then read several days later about what my opinion really SHOULD HAVE BEEN! That really Sux! I really do recommend that you get involved in anyway you can with your computer, if not in your usergroup then with letter writing or even attending some of the online conferences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL ====================== LATEST DEPARTURES: CHUCK BABBITT RICHARD FRICK Are no longer with Atari according to our sources..... Atari is SHOWING THE PORTABLE ST AT LAS VEGAS COMDEX AT THIS TIME.... We know they were not supposed to be there but they are.... Atari is reconsidering it's posture on (A) Advertising in the USA, co-op and national network (B) Mail Order Sales [except flagship products]. Atari has contracted with a familiar name, N. Bushnell [Axlon Products] he is the REAL Mr. Atari, he started the whole shibang and will be producing carts for Atari...on a contract basis......interesting? Atari, for all intents and purposes was shutdown by a warehouse inventory...seems it was in such a mess that they had to reorganize the warehouse then take the inventory, during this time NO new units or PARTs were shipped at all. tsk tsk... By The Way, did you know....If you bought a late model (Blit Ready) 1040ST ST, 6 weeks ago or so and found it to be defective, you can send it in to be exchanged for another and if out of warranty, pay 125.00 for another?..That's not bad...HERE IS THE CATCH! You run the risk of getting back an ST (working) of early vintage (NOT BLIT READY)..seems they have no way of telling which is what in the warehouse or, is it that they dont want to be stuck with a bunch of old ST's? Make sense to you? Not me! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ New CompuServe Forum Software ============================= SIG Software Version 4D(7) Compiled by Ron Kovacs The result of the Forum Product redesign is improved menus and navigational commands, yet the overall functionality of the forums remains the same. The new Forum Product will highlight the message board, conferencing and libraries. Ambiguous commands have been eliminated and global commands with consistent meanings have been implemented. User attention is now focused on the information content and less on the software product. Terminology Changes ------------------- o Leaving a message has been changed to COMPOSING a message. o Storing a message has been changed to POSTING a message. o Message Subtopics have been changed to Message Sections. o Data Library has been changed to Library. o Bulletin has been changed to Announcement o The Short Bulletin has been renamed to the News Flash Announcement. o The Regular Bulletin as been renamed to the General Announcement. o Read Marked has been changed to Read Waiting. The number of waiting messages will be displayed in paranthesis next to the menu option. Function Menu Changes --------------------- o This menu has been reorganized. Now, Instructions is the first item on the menu. When instructions is selected, you can now get a summary of the various options in a Forum by selecting the item from the Instructions Menu. Help and Instruction Changes ---------------------------- o A member can also obtain the complete HELP facility, a Forum Reference Card and the Forum Users Guide from the Instructions Menu. Message Changes --------------- o Leaving and Reading Messages has been combined into one option, MESSAGES, off the Functions Menu. o The CHANGE age selection menu has been added to the MESSAGES menu. This allows a member to change the way they read messages. o A member now has the ability to read messages starting from a particular date, which they specify. o A member can now read messages by SELECTing a message section and then by selecting the subjects which they want to read in that particular message section. The number of subjects and messages available in each section are displayed next to each section name. Library Changes --------------- o DEScription has been removed from the Library menu, but is still available. Conferencing Changes -------------------- o The number of forum members participating in a Conference is now displayed next to the menu option. Options Changes --------------- o The OPTIONS menu has been divided into 2 different sections, the Forum Options and the Messages Options. o Under the OPTIONS menu, a choice of INITIAL menu/prompt has been added. This option will give a member the ability to choose which area of the Forum they would like to access when they first enter the Forum. You have the option of choosing Functions, Messages, Libraries, or Conferencing. Announcement Changes -------------------- o The Messages Announcement has been added to the Announcements Menu. The Announcement should contain Hot Topics being discussed on the Message Board. Description Changes ------------------- o A descriptions menu will now be available form the Functions, Messages, Conferencing, and Libraries Menu. This will give a member the ability to obtain a description of each of the available sections of messages, libraries, and conference rooms. Miscellaneous Changes --------------------- o All capitalized menu options can be abbreviated to the first 3 letters. o The miscellaneous commands of WHO, UST, and SEND can be entered at any menu prompt in the forum. CBX Version 4D(40) ------------------ o A member is now required to enter the Conference room number they wish to enter to conference. Public and special access to the Conference rooms will be determined by the Sysop. FORUM PRODUCT REDESIGN ---------------------- INTRODUCTION ------------ The forum product has been one of the most successful products we have, yet it receives a lot of criticism. It has been considered hard to learn, filled with confusing commands, and overall one of the most intimidating products available for subscribers. The forum software product contains a great deal of power and functionality, attainable by cryptic and less than intuitive commands. The success of forums is largely attributed to the information content. Subscribers and Sysops are responsible for adding valuable content. Thus it is our intent to highlight the content of the forums and push the software and its interface into the background. This will require change and change is never easy. We have not, nor will we, take a cavalier attitude toward the experienced user. However we must also consider the next generation of users and cannot risk the growth and future of the Service on an intimidating, puzzling, and hard-to-learn product. We cannot hold on to the current interface just for some who have fought and struggled to gain expertise while we turn away large numbers of subscribers due to confusion and intimidation. It neither benefits us nor you. With these thoughts in mind, we established the goals. OUR GOALS --------- 1. To reduce ambiguity and confusing command syntax. 2. To reduce repetitious menus and focus on content, not commands. 3. To reduce the number of characters transmitted. 4. To become more consistent with other CIS product command structures. BASIS FOR CHANGE ---------------- We base our changes on a year of research. This research is ongoing and will continue to shape the Forum product in years to come. The research includes feedback from subscriber and non-subscriber focus groups, subscriber comments to customer service, comments from forum sysops and others. THE IMPROVED PRODUCT -------------------- The new Forum Product will highlight the message board, conferencing and data libraries. Ambiguous commands will be eliminated and global commands with consistant meanings will be implemented. User attention will focus on the information content and less on the software product. ONGOING SUPPORT --------------- The new Forum product will be available automatically, but the old Forum product can be called up by appending an account id of "OLDF" when logging in, (ie., Userid: 70006,256;OLDF), or by issuing the command "OF" from within the forum. The old forum product will be available for approximately one year to aid experienced subscribers in learning new commands. Command Conversion Table ------------------------ Updated: 04/07/88 by: Mike Schoenbach [76703,4363] Old Forum New Forum Commands Commands Full Command Command Explanation -------- -------- ------------ ------------------- RF REA FOR READ FORWARD Read msgs in forward numerical order RR REA REV READ REVERSE Read messages in reverse order RI REA NUM READ NUMBER Read individual message number only RTN REA NEW READ NEW Read new msgs in thread order RN REA FOR NEW Read new msgs in forward numerical order RS;F REA FRO: READ FROM: Read msgs from name/User ID RS;T REA TO: READ TO: Read msgs to name/User ID RS;S REA SUB: READ SUBJECT: Read msgs with specified subj RM REA WAI READ WAITING Read "waiting" messages RE;### REP ### REPLY ### Reply to message ####. L COM COMPOSE Compose new message B ANN ANNOUNCEMENT Announcement Files CO CON CONFERENCE Enter Conference area DL LIB LIBRARY Enter Library area R MES MESSAGE Enter Message area MD or V MEM MEMBER Enter Member Directory area IN INS INSTRUCTION Enter Instructions area OP OPT OPTION Enter Options area SB NAM NAME View message section names LN NAM NAME View library section names At "Messages !" prompt/menu: ---------------------------- SF SCA FOR SCAN FORWARD Scan msgs in numerical order SR SCA REV SCAN REVERSE Scan msgs in reverse order ST DIS SCA THR PRO SCAN THREAD PROMPT Scan msgs and prompt for disposition QS SCA QUI SCAN QUICK Scan message subjects only QSN SCA QUI NEW SCAN QUICK NEW Scan new msg subjects only At "User Options" prompt/menu: ------------------------------ UM MOD MODE Forum mode (command, menu) SM PAU PAUSE Pause after reading msgs (always, never, to you) CN NAM NAME Change name in Forum PC CHA CHARACTER Specify prompt character ED EDI EDITOR Default message editor (EDIT, LINEDIT) SU SEC SECTION Default message sections to read RE REP REPLIES Reply info (list, count, none) After reading a message: ------------------------ UA COM COMPOSE Compose new message to current msg author RA RER REREAD Re-read current message RE REP REPLY Reply to current message MA MAR MARK Mark current msg for later retrieval RP PAR PARENT Read "Parent" (previous) message RR REA REP READ REPLY Read replies to current msg SK NEX NEXT Read next branch of thread SKALL NEX SUB NEXT SUBJECT Read next thread (skip current) NS SCR SCROLL Do not prompt for read action After composing a message: -------------------------- S POS POST Post message on message board S# POS SEC:# POST SECTION: Post message in specified section SU POS UNF POST UNFORMATTED Post msg the way it currently appears -- do not reformat SU# POS UNF SEC:# Post unformatted in specified section SP POS PRI POST PRIVATE Post message privately C EDI EDIT Edit message MA MAI MAIL Mail message via EasyPlex MU MAI UNF MAIL UNFORMATTED Mail msg via EasyPlex unformatted P PRE PREVIEW Preview current message. P# PRE WID:# PREVIEW WIDTH:# Preview message with specified line width. A CAN CANCEL Cancel current message RA RER REREAD Reread message you are replying to (*) Posts reply as part of same thread. Note: CompuServe will continue to support many of the commands that appear in the left column. Following is a list of the old commands not supported (Grandfathered) in the new menus version: A. Functions Menu B, R, S, STONLY, STDISONL, STONLDIS, QSALL, QSONLY Note: RM = READ WAITING L = COMPOSE B. Read Actions Prompt R, A, SM, C Note: N = NEXT reply C. Post Menu C, P, L, R, I, D, RA WHERE CAN I USE THE NEW FORUM SOFTWARE? The new Forum software is currently available in all BETA TEST Forums (ATARIDEV, IBMCOM, and EPSON) as well as the Free Practice Forum (GO PRACTICE). CAN I USE THE OLD FORUM SOFTWARE IN BETA FORUMS? The old Forum software can be invoked in any of the Beta Forums (including ATARIDEV) by logging on with an ;OLDF appended to your User ID (i.e. User ID: 76703,4363;OLDF) or by typing "OF" at the main "Forum !" prompt. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A TEMPER TANTRUM ================ By T."Rex" Reade For my last 22 years in the business world, one thing that was most perplexing to me was an individual's "temper tantrums". Phsycologists (Shrinks) say an adult who throws temper tantrums is seriously impaired....either mentally or by some chemical imbalance in their system or environment. Over the years, many corporate "BigWigs" have forced the loss of top notch people from within the company because of this mental defect. I have personally observed a few of these "GEMS" myself. One, in particular, stands out quite clearly, we will call him M.B., Meyer, for short. His secretary was always in a semi-comatose state as a result of Meyer's unpredictable personality. (She later admitted, "It was the only way I could keep my sanity and my job!"). Meyer was in his late 60's and about as wide as he was tall, when he was in one of his tirades his face would get as red as a beet and the veins around his temples and in his neck would bulge.....that earned him the nickname of "balloon head"! Meyer was a veritable genius in the real estate business which nobody could deny. He could have made millions more if only he had kept his big mouth shut. His insane temper tantrums blew off more big deals and fine people than any Typhoon ever could come near doing. Today, more than 20 years later, there is another Meyer in our midst. This one is far more dangerous because his temperment will effect not only the highly talented and educated folks in our industry but also thousands of good folks who are involved by having purchased the products Meyer's company has produced. Those of you who have been directly assaulted by this buffoon's temper tantrums can readily sympathize and agree with the accounting here of my experiences and I with yours. For those of you who have never had the good fortune of meeting such a person.....well, maybe in the months to come the Buffoon Club will elect this guy to "Jerk of the Year" and you will know of whom I speak...."God Bless those who have the fortitude to hang in there and keep things going". Please keep the door to the "RUBBER ROOM" open ..................there is another one on the way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- MICROSOFT UPGRADES ITS APPLE SOFTWARE ===================================== SAN FRANCISCO (JUNE 1) UPI - Microsoft Corp. has announced major upgrades of its software for Apple Macintosh computers, aimed at attracting more business customers to the Apple line. "For many years, corporate customers have benefitted from the range of Microsoft business products," Charles Boesenburg, senior vice president of Apple USA, said Tuesday. "Today's products reflect that continued effort to enhance the Macintosh computer's appeal to the business customer." Traditionally, most businesses have chosen IBM and compatible personal computers, but Apple - which uses a different operating system - has been making inroads into IBM's arena. Upgrades for the Apple line included Microsoft Word 4.0, designed to run on any Macintosh and offering new power. The new features of Word 4.0 include capabilities that resemble those offered in page format programs, including Page View, a "WYSIWYG" (what you see is what you get). Editing Environment: Power tables for easy positioning of side-by-side paragraphs, numbers or graphics. Automatic repagination and the ability to move text around anchored or fixed-position objects. Microsoft also announced File 2.0, a faster and easier-to-use version of its popular database program. A set of more than 120 templates has been included to make Microsoft File easier to use with pre-printed forms. Enhanced capability with the Microsoft Word merge facility makes it easier for users to create form letters, mass mailing and mailing labels. The new version of File also supports the color capabilities of the Macintosh II, bringing color to business labels, forms and reports. The company also announced shipment of PowerPoint 2.0 and Microsoft Excel 1.5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATARI FOUNDER RENEWS TIES ========================= SUNNYVALE, Calif. (JUNE 2) UPI - Atari Corp. said Wednesday its founder Nolan Bushnell will renew his ties to the company he created by helping it develop video games for the home entertainment market. Under an "exclusive" agreement disclosed by Sunnyvale-based Atari, Axlon Inc., a maker of toys and coin-operated games, will design and develop "an unspecified number" of video games for two of Atari's three home entertainment systems, called the 2600 and the 7800. Bushnell is chairman of Axlon. He founded the Sunnyvale-based company in 1983 after selling a then-struggling Atari to Warner Communications for $28 million in 1976. "I'm very excited at the prospect of working again in the video game industry, especially with my alma mater, Atari," Bushnell said. "I hope my contribution will add to the strong rebound in the industry." Sales of video games, which slumped beginning in 1982, have recently been rising on renewed consumer demand and a new focus on games of strategy that test wits as well as manual skills. But Atari, which claims 30 percent of the video game market, faces strong foreign competition, including Nintendo of Japan, which currently dominates the U.S. market. Bushnell was one of the pioneers of the video game craze, co-founding Atari in 1972 with an initial investment of $250 and later introducing the popular game "Pong". "PAC-Man," another industry hit, was introduced by Atari in 1981. After selling Atari, Bushnell launched a chain of pizza restaurants and a venture capital company aimed at Silicon Valley entrepreneurs before founding Axlon five years ago. Michael Katz, president of Atari's entertainment electronics division, said Bushnell's "Experience and Expertise will be Invaluable." "We're anxious for the first few games to hit the market later this year" he added. Atari has previously promised to launch 45 new video games in 1988. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-REPORT Issue #38 JUNE 06, 1988 (c)'88 APEInc. All Rights Reserved. Reprint permission granted except where noted in the article. Any reprint must include ST-Report and the author in the credits. Views Presented here are not necessarily those of ST-Report or of the Staff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------