*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original Online ST Magazine" ------------------------------- January 30, 1989 Volume III No.72 ========================================================================== ST Report Online Magazine ½ ------------------------------ Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236 ~ 6672 R.F. Mariano Publisher - Editor _________________________________________ Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST BBS: 904-786-4176 ~ 12-24-96 HST _________________________________________ ** F-NET/FIDOMAIL NODE 350 ** Our support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport¿ and An International list of private BBS systems carrying STReport¿ for their users enjoyment -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Highlights ---------- ~ From the Editor's Desk ~ CPU Report ~ Stonehenge ~ FALCON F-16 Part III ~ Calamus ~ ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL **** MCI and LAW ENFORCEMENT CRACK DOWN ON PHREAKERS! **** ======================================================================== AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ THE SOURCE ======================================================================== From the Editor's Desk: ----------------------- In the course of the past few weeks we have seen a few issues become completely blown out of proportion because of the volatile nature of the subject matter. One area the readers haven't seen and probably never will are the man hours of effort put in by the sysops of the various services, (Darlah Pine, Ron Luks, Clay Walnum etc), in trying desperately to keep the peace and guarantee the flow of accurate information to you, the reader/users. We must agree that all of us owe them a debt of gratitude for the excellent job being done by them in keeping the information as accurate and unbiased as humanly possible. We, at STReport, wish to to take a moment to say thank you to the folks who have expressed their appreciation of the "changes" to STReport. To these folks especially and to everyone; may we assure you that we will endeavor to continue along the lines we have embarked upon and that the articles, reviews and essays will never be a mere "paragraph" and labeled and article. The entire thrust of the "new" STReport is "originality" and we believe we have ourselves on the right track. It is, in our opinion, vital to the userbase to have the very latest news and information provided to them in an unbiased and complete form but the reviews and essays must take all sides of an issue into consideration, not just those of a favored few. With this in mind, we actively encourage your participation in the message bases on the services concerning your impressions of the current events or reviews, Also, we welcome your comments in E-Mail and will, if requested, publish contrasting or opposing views. ************************************************************************* DELPHI INFORMATION SERVICES =========================== 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. ************************************************************************** CPU REPORT ½ ============ Issue #6 By Michael Arthur Remember When: In 1985, the best advice given to a a new ST User was to drop their ST onto a desk from a height of two inches once in a while in order to reseat the chips on the motherboard? CPU INSIGHTS¿ ============= Second Verse....Same as the First? ---------------------------------- In Issue 5 of CPU Report I recall that I mentioned that since that issue was about IBM's MicroChannel, that a discussion about MS-DOS and OS/2 would have to wait until another day. And since I discussed one of IBM's replacements for their existing standards in previous issues, it is only fitting that I discuss IBM's other emerging standard, OS/2, and an alternative that might hinder its success.... When Microsoft introduced MS-DOS in 1981, one of its greatest virtues was its support for an incredible (at that time) 640K of memory, which was more than enough for any reasonable task. At that time, though, Digital Research was offering M/PM, a multitasking version of C/PM, and although it did not catch on, it caused many PC owners to desire that DOS multitasked. And while rumors of a multitasking DOS persisted (often when IBM/Microsoft was about to announce a new version of MS-DOS), nothing became of them. In 1984, these rumors surfaced yet again, when IBM was introducing the IBM PC AT. By this time, as DOS programs had gotten larger and more powerful, 640K of RAM was no longer the large amount of memory it used to be, and PC users began to want support for more memory. This time, IBM fueled the rumors by saying it was developing a new DOS that would fully use the AT's abilities, foremost among which was the new 80286 chip. At that time, QuarterDeck had come out with a program switcher called Desq, and Digital Research was making Concurrent DOS, a program that could multitask DOS programs. Although both programs used a windowing scheme, as Concurrent DOS lacked essential features, and Desq didn't truly multitask, they didn't become predominant. But as time passed on, the "multitasking DOS" rumors were not forfilled. Then, in 1986, Intel developed the 80386 chip, which featured both an MMU chip and a virtual 8086 mode that allowed 8086 programs to multitask. Seeing that the hardware was in place, many began to demand that IBM provide the software to allow PC's to multitask. Thus it was cause for celebration when IBM announced OS/2 along with the PS/2 and MicroChannel in April 2, 1987. Just as promised, it used the 80286 chip's capabilities, supported up to 16 Megabytes of RAM, and most importantly, multitasked. And although it didn't multitask DOS programs, it did have a compatibility box to run them. But after the fanfare, some flaws about OS/2 began to emerge that spoiled the good news. OS/2: Trouble in Paradise Now I am not talking about bugs, or inadequate features. I mean mistakes made in the choice of its features themselves, more commonly known as design flaws. And although OS/2 is a very powerful operating system, with a task-switching algorithm/priority scheme that is more sophisticated than Unix's, a vast array of facilities for InterProcess Communications (or IPC's, which allow tasks, or processes, to communicate with each other), and is, like the MicroChannel, based on previous minicomputer technology, the fatal reality may be that OS/2's foundation itself is not as sound as its many capabilities. Foremost among these design flaws was the decision to support the 80286 chip, instead of the superior 80386 chip. The most obvious reason is that the Virtual 8086 mode would allow a 386-specific OS/2 to multitask both OS/2 and DOS programs at the same time. And as you may know, the current situation (with the DOS Compatibility Box stopping all OS/2 programs while it runs only one DOS program at a time) has not been seen as favorable. One of the other reasons deals with programming for OS/2. The 80286 chip normally can only address 16-bit data segments that are 64K in size. This is often a hindrance to programmers, especially when writing large applications. In comparison, the 80386 chip supports 32-bit data segments that can be 4 Gigabytes in size. Also, one of the main allures of OS/2 was the potential to port minicomputer applications over to it so they could be run with microcomputers, and those programs definitely use data segments larger than 64K.... Another problem with OS/2 is that it is far too large. OS/2 with the Presentation Manager requires 2.5 Megs of RAM just for itself, and since OS/2 programs are likely to be larger and more powerful, an OS/2 system would probably require around 7 Megs of RAM for optimal performance. One corollary to this problem is that as OS/2 itself is large, it is also very slow. Disk access is 50 percent slower in OS/2 than with DOS, and it is apparent that an OS/2 version of a program will tend to be slower than a DOS version of the same program. It seems that either OS/2's algorithms are not that optimized, or that OS/2 itself is simply so large that it slows down the machine. And given the fact that versions of Unix for the 80386 don't slow the CPU down as much as OS/2, maybe it's just that the 80286 isn't capable of providing efficient multitasking.... Around the time that people were discovering the flaws in OS/2, Microsoft Windows was introduced. Immediately IBM Users began wondering when OS/2 would employ Windows, and IBM promised that a windowing OS/2 (now known as the Presentation Manager) would be available soon. But while many IBM Users waited for the Presentation Manager, a few were seeking other ways to obtain a windowing multitasking operating system which would correct the handicaps found in OS/2. OS/2 and DESQview While IBM/Microsoft were developing OS/2, and the IBM industry waited for a multitasking system, a company called Quarterdeck Office Systems continued to improve and modify Desq, their old program switcher, to remedy its deficiencies. When the 80386 chip was made, and IBM did not modify OS/2 so it would support it (and as actual programming on OS/2 did not start until Early 1985, while the 80386 was announced in Early 1986, IBM could have done this), Quarterdeck began to dream of a new Desq, which would not only multitask DOS programs but become almost an operating system unto itself. Ironically, this product became available just a few months before IBM had started shipping OS/2 1.0. The product that emerged, renamed DESQview, was now capable of much more than its predecessor. Not only did it utilize the 80386's virtual mode to support multitasking, but the wizards at Quarterdeck were even able to get it to perform DOS multitasking with the 80286, 8086, and 8088 chips, something which was considered completely impossible. And in addition to this, DESQview only has about 1% of overhead, meaning that it will run DOS programs about as fast as DOS itself, as well as being able to multitask them. Microsoft Windows, on the other hand, takes up over 10 percent overhead for its environment. DESQview also has support for the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification, or LIM EMS 4.0, so that it can handle up to 32 Megs of RAM. And when used with a 80386, DESQview uses the 386's MMU (memory management unit) to provide memory protection, so an "ill-behaved" program doesn't crash or interfere with the system. And seeing that any operating environment, even a DOS multitasker, needs to have third-party support, Quarterdeck designed the DESQview API (Application Program Interface) Toolkit, which allows programmers to directly use DESQview's multitasking capabilities, as well as other things found in a true operating system. The API lets applications use its IPC facilities to exchange data between its own tasks and other DESQview-based programs Also, since DESQview is a text-based windowing system, the API lets programmers access its menuing and windowing routines to design Macintosh-like features into DESQview-specific programs. Also, DESQview supports PharLap's DOS Extender, which allows 386-specific DOS programs to take full advantage of the 32-bit data segments of the 80386, be larger than 640K, and multitask along with normal DOS programs. OS/2, in comparison, does not yet support the features of the 80386.... But even though Desqview has so much going for it, there are a few factors that give OS/2 a great advantage as an operating system in the long run. One is that even though DESQview multitasks current DOS programs, has guidelines to help make future DOS programs more powerful, and will quickly support new technologies, it is working within an aging standard, while OS/2 gives a newer, more sophisticated standard that was built from the ground up for technologies such as multitasking. A good example of this is OS/2's LAN Manager. Because Local Area Networks (or LANs) are becoming very popular, and OS/2 is a single-user operating system, IBM and Microsoft designed a LAN Manager for OS/2 which would handle every aspect of LAN Management, from the sharing of resources and data, to ensuring the LAN's smooth operation. Many LAN Makers are producing handlers to let their networks be controlled by the LAN Manager, and although DESQview will soon support some of the more popular LANs, OS/2's LAN Manager provides the type of comprehensive organization of a Network that only an operating system can perform. Also, DESQview's API, while allowing DOS programs to have some features of OS/2, cannot provide the same type of functionality that OS/2 is capable of, simply because OS/2 was designed from the beginning to support the sophisticated features that future programs will need.... Also, most major DOS companies are making OS/2 products NOW, meaning that it will shortly have a vast software base. In comparison, while major software companies are considering using DESQview's API for their products, DESQview-specific software probably won't be seen until after OS/2 software is readily available. Of course, since DESQview can already multitask DOS software, this might not be that important. But combine all this with the fact that both IBM and Microsoft are putting their united support behind it, and OS/2 has a good chance of being an emerging standard. But ONLY if one of its most grevious handicaps is corrected immediately.... Most of the potential of OS/2 as a replacement for DOS will go unrealized if programmers cannot use new technologies with it, and if users cannot use it with new systems. IBM and Microsoft have announced that they are finally developing a 386-specific version of OS/2 that will take advantage of its capabilities. These included 32-bit data segments, being able to multitask both OS/2 and DOS programs, and using the 80386's special features for faster, more secure multitasking. However, this version of OS/2, which should have been made in the first place, will not be available until Late 1990. And it is reported that Intel is preparing to shortly announce the new 80486 chip, which will replace the 80386 as the state of the art. And assuming that IBM/Microsoft won't do an 80486-specific version of OS/2 until 1991, when Intel will probably be announcing an 80586 chip, it is more than likely that OS/2 will never truly be at the forefront of computer technology, as IBM tries to make it catch up with the status quo of the high end of the market. And as other products (such as DESQview or Unix) will definitely take advantage of new technologies at a quicker pace, OS/2 could be overtaken by a system like Unix. Unless, of course, Big Blue wishes otherwise.... With OS/2, IBM presented the final segment of its plans for the microcomputer of the Nineties. The other two segments, the PS/2 and MicroChannel, have also faced stern criticism and strong competition, partly because of the industry's tendency to be cautious of new technologies. But there are other startling similarities between the MicroChannel's situation and OS/2's. In both cases, IBM offered a powerful new standard which was vastly different from anything in its field, which garnered a great deal of controversy in the IBM world. With the MicroChannel, though, the criticisms were not centered on any inadequacies or faults it had, but on whether the PC world can afford to completely switch to a new standard. OS/2, though, has several deficiencies that hamper its usefulness. And even though it is supposed to be the operating system of the future, its inability to support state of the art products such as the 80386 limits its being feasible in high-end systems, where it would be most useful. Also, unlike the EISA bus, there isn't anything wrong with DESQview, making it a powerful alternative to OS/2. But even though DOS as an operating system will be around for a very long time, the fact is that for high-end users, DOS has already become obsolete. So at least for the high end of the market, a sophisticated operating system such as OS/2 will be needed. And even though Unix is a viable option, the dissention within its own ranks could cause OS/2 to win by default. So is the real issue whether IBM missed the fundamentals with OS/2, forgetting the little things that make a product popular in striving to make a more powerful system, or how seriously did they misjudge the needs of average IBM Users? But ponder, if you will, on these two questions: 1) When referring to all types of computers (whether being micros, minis, or workstations), is this mostly an IBM world that we live in? 2) How DOES the Amiga's Operating system work, anyway? ----======***======---- CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ ======================= Mountain View, CA Hunter Systems Inc. has introduced a new product for ----------------- 68020 Unix systems called XDOS. This software is able to convert the binary code of an MS-DOS program into 68020 binary code that is runnable under the Unix operating system. Houston, TX Motorola's new 68040 chip is almost ready. Features ----------- of the new chip include a built-in floating point unit and 64-bit processing, and speeds of 40 MHZ and above. Motorola plans to begin giving samples of the chip in the Second Quarter of 1989, and to start shipping it in the Fourth Quarter. Cost: $750 to $900 in commercial lots. Ref: 1/16/89 Electronic Buyers News¿ Westlake Village, CA YARC Systems is shipping McCray, a coprocessor card -------------------- that allows the Mac II to run at over 50 MHZ. Using AMD's 29000 processor and 29027 floating point chip, applications can run up to 10 times faster than a normal Mac II. Furthermore, if you installed more than one of the $4295.00 boards in a Mac II, they would work in parallel, further increasing speed. Ontario, Canada ISD Marketing is said to be preparing to ship both --------------- the MS-DOS/GEM and Amiga versions of Calamus by the Second Quarter of 1989. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE STonehenge Atari ST Memory Expansion Alternative. Contact: Ron Schreiner (312) 520-8003 A solid state disk drive for the Atari ST is now available as a kit from RONSAT Technologies Inc. The STonehenge kit, based on an "Application Specific Integrated Circuit" (ASIC), emulates a hard disk by interfacing the ST's DMA port with a block of DRAM. The STonehenge advantages over internal memory expansion include; ability to utilize lower cost 200 nano second DRAM parts; memory expansion in 256KB increments (8 DRAMs/bank); does not depend on the ST's power supply; it's external, you don't take your ST apart; data is preserved even though a ST power cycle. When the kit is fully assembled it provides up to 2 meg of very fast external storage. If you need more than 2 meg, the DMA pass thru feature can be utilized to daisy chain more kits or mechanical hard drives. Software developers will find that STonehenge's speed and after crash data integrity make it a very attractive place to keep their development tools. Animators will enjoy STonehenge's ability to sequence image files at animation rates. The STonehenge kit priced at $169.95 includes; a. STonehenge ASIC, b. Double sided PCB, c. 20MHZ crystal, d. DB-19 connector, e. Documentation, f. Software, g. PGA socket for the ASIC. The Documentation and Software can be ordered separately for $10.00 (refundable with future purchase). The builder of the kit must provide the DRAMs, a 5V 2A power supply, and a few miscellaneous components that are readily available from electronic suppliers. Additional support kits that provide all the components are also available. For more information or to order contact Ron Shreiner at Technologies Inc. Voice: (312) 520-8003 Modem: (312) 520-7812 Orders placed by modem receive a 5% discount. Dial-in (312) 520-7812, hit carriage return until "Login: " is the prompt then enter "info". VISA/MASTER card now accepted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- STR Features¿ ------------ FALCON F-16 =========== Part III by William Y. Baugh Falcon is a fantastic new program from Spectrum Holobyte that incorporates solid 3-D graphics and speed to make the ultimate in flight simulators for the ST. From the start, the game presents the feeling of being enrolled at Top Gun. You start by selecting an appropriate name for yourself in the Duty Roster section, something a new hot-shot pilot would be proud of, then move on to the rank and mission selection. You have five rankings to choose from, the reality level increasing as the ranks get higher. The ranks are, First Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel and Colonel. The First Lieutenant ranking is the training level where you can learn and perform the missions without worrying about running out of weapons or fuel and being shot at or shot down. As Captain, unlike First Lieutenant, you have to worry about fuel and weapons, but the MIG's can only fire their guns, no missiles and SAM's will launch but will not lock on to your plane. As you progress from Major to Lt. Colonel, more and more features are added until the actual feel and problems of flying a F16 are culminated at Colonel level. The missions are well planned and thought out. Difficulty increases as you move down the listing and as your ranking gets higher. The missions range from bombing three buidings 3 miles from your base to taking on one, two and even four MIG's! There are twelve missions in all, each building upon the experience gained from the previous mission. Doing the missions in order is recommended at the beginning to understand each specific weapon and to familiarize yourself with the "lay of the land" as well as your Governments fighter. Training is a must, because the Brass does not take kindly to you crashing one of their "borrowed" jets. Also from this area you may select how many MIG's will be on the screen at one time (from 0-3). This option is great for the novice, since it is bad enough having one MIG on your six, let alone three. From the mission selection area, you procede to the Armament section where you get to meet the ever present, crusty crew chief, Sarge. From Sarge you procure the needed weapons for your mission. Depending upon the ranking and other factors, there may be very few or none of the weapons you desire. The F16 has, as all planes do, a weight limit. This limit effects the selection and amount of weapons you carry on a mission. As stated before, First Lieutenants need not worry about weaponry. You start with an unlimited supply of every weapon available to allow you to concentrate on the missions and the plane with no extraneous concerns. At the higher levels, the distribution of weight becomes critical to the flying abilities of your fighter, so listen to the remarks from Sarge...he's been around much longer than you. Weapons available to you are the M61-A1 Vulcan internal cannon thatis initially armed with 5000 rounds and may be used in air-to-air battles or air-to-ground strafing. Two sidewinders are offered, the AIM 9J and 9L series. Both are heat-seeking missiles, the only difference between the two is that the 9L series are more advanced with filters to screen out other heat sources (such as flares) and need not be fired at the MIG's six. Another missile, the AGM-65B are optically guided missiles with TV cameras in the nose of the missile to aid in locking onto a target. These missiles are used for air-to-ground strikes only. The last two weapons are bombs, the Mk 84 2000lb Drag Bomb and the Durandal Anti-Runway Bomb. Following the weapons are first an ALQ-131 ECM (Electronc Counter Measure) pod that allows the pilot to try and jam the radar of incoming SAM missiles and second, external fuel tanks for extra fuel if it is needed for a long mission. Now for the fun part. After clicking on takeoff from the Armament section, you are presented with the view from the cockpit with the HUD (Heads-up display) prominently displayed in the middle of the screen. The HUD is like another window inside of the cockpit window that aids the pilot in tracking enemy planes, landing, etc. The HUD is one of the most important and functional features of the F16. It displays almost all of the needed information directly in front of the pilot. There are eight different HUD's, each for a specific weapon or the ILS for landing purposes. The primary discretes found in each of the eight HUD's are as follows; airspeed indicator, altimeter, flight path ladder aiming reticle and the heading scale. These functions must be monitored at all times for successfull flying. Below the HUD are the actual gauges such as RPM, attitude indicator and threat warning system. In the center of the screen is the COMED (Combined maps/electronics display). This allows the pilot to view either the radar screen or an overhead map of the entire mission area. Also when using the AGM-65 Mavericks, the optical targeting is shown through the COMED screen. Changing the view from left to right will display more guages such as fuel and warning lights. All of the commands are entered through the keyboard. Actual flying can be accomplished by mouse, joystick or the keyboard. Most people seem to prefer either joystick or keyboard. The mouse is too cumbersome to actually be useful, especially in a dogfight. When the ESC key is pressed, a menu bar appears. From here, all options of the simulator may be chosen. You have the option to either have full landscape down to only having "dots" or no features at all. Sounds may be restricted to just weapon and engine start-up to continuous engine to no sound. Differing training maneuvers may also be selected to get hands on experience or to practice if you are rusty. One of the nicest features of the program is the ability to choose how the fighter is viewed. You have the front, right, left and rear views from the cockpit along with a view from the tower. Also there is an "out of cockpit" view that shows the F16 from the rear. The view may be panned from right to left and also zoomed. The final view is from a satellite that is directly above the plane. This view may also be zoomed. These differing views can give you great detail of an ongoing battle, or just be enjoyed while flying along. Once airborne, the true realism and meticulous programming shines. The 3-D scaling of the mountains, bridges, enemy planes and SAM sites is amazing. There is absolutley no jerking or large scale pixel movement; only smooth and even scrolling. The response of the fighter is smooth and fast. There is no lag time in responding to joystick or keyboard commands. This becomes very important during bombing runs where minute movements are needed to line up properly on to dogfights where every second counts. Every option and control available to an actual pilot is at your disposal. Most of these are weapon oriented and aid greatly in the heat of a dogfight. For example, snapshoot (a line from the reticle that shows where your bullets will hit if fired that instant, this changes with speed and degree of turn) and LCOS (Lead Computing Optical Sight) are available when using the M61-A1. The only minor problem I have found is when using AGM-65 optical aiming system, the computer seeems to have a problem locking on to the specific target. It seems to want to veer off to either side. This causes problems in that you must lock-on and clear the target multiple times while diving at the target, most of the times with a MIG hot on your six. Other than this, the other weaponry is spectacular! Watching an AIM 9L scream towards a MIG, or watching from the rear view a Mk 84 punching craters in the cantilever bridge is very impressive. This is the first simulator I've ever seen that not only does a decent explosion when a target is hit, it actually shows craters in the ground if you missed, pieces of the bridge or building still remaining if the hit was not solid and having MIG's flame all the way to the ground rather than having them dissappear with the initial explosion. These features along with digitized voices for warnings, cautions (a little odd...), pull-up warning and the tower crew add so much to the enjoyment of the game. Unlike Jet (From Sublogic), the only scoring given is on final completion of your mission. Whatever was listed in your mission briefing must have been accomplished and to get the maximum points, you must land safely. I think landing is the most difficult aspect of the entire game. I'll have survived completion of the mission, shot down three MIG's to only end up crashing on the runway or running off the end of it and be court-martialed. Landing with the ILS HUD helps, but on higher levels, you start on your approach only to have a MIG appear on your six. You can't ignore him, so you must engage (if you have the fuel to do so). Once on the ground, selecting "End mission" from the menu will take you to a screen that displays the number of merits and ribbons (if any) that were earned. Also along the bottom are the number of MIG's that you have shot down. The only other problem I have run across is when using SH's code wheel. This is the protection scheme for the game. You have a large stationary wheel, with a smaller inner wheel that turns. On the wheels are icons that you must pair up to get the letter code from one of six boxes. The problem arises when trying to figure out which icon the program is asking for, because the resolution is not the same on the color monitor as on the code wheel. If you choose wrong the first time, you get another chance with another pair of icons. If you inadvertantly choose wrong the program will execute anyway. This isn't apparent until you are flying and suddenly are plastered by a mystery MIG that you can't see or shake. The code wheel isn't too difficult and after playing a few times, it becomes second nature. If you enjoy flight simulators, or haven't even tried one before, this program is for you. The documentation, programming and the shear enjoyment of playing this simulation makes it a must for any ST owner. Check it out, I don't think you'll be dissappointed...and remember, watch your six. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- STR Review¿ ========== CALAMUS ======= A preliminary overview by R.F. Mariano Through the course of the next three weeks we will present an ongoing view of the fantastic features of this "very professional" program. Calamus uses the most advanced programming technology available today. The producers of Calamus have pledged to the userbase a system of continual advancement of the software on almost a daily basis. (Now that is refreshing news!) In fact, ISD has promised the finest kind of support to it's registered users. Until now, in order to produce truly professional looking documents, proposals, handbooks, catalogs and most any type of presentable documents ranging from one to hundreds of pages one was forced to use more than program to accomplish similar results (if at all). Calamus is the answer to obtaining oustanding results without having to resort to using a myriad of different graphics and text processing programs to achieve the "professional" quality appearance all of us desire. Calamus is not copy protected, but each copy of Calamus has a unique and indestructable serial number that is kept on file. When you wish to order additiional fonts for your copy of Calamus, they must be installed against your serial number and that can only be done in house. In contrast to Calamus itself the fonts are protected. They can only be used with the program they were issued against. A registered user may order any number of new fonts from ISD as they become available. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ ====================== > Richfield, MI ***** PHREAKER - HACKER - PIRATE POPPED! ***** ----------- The now infamous Elwood who disrupted a CIS conference has suffered the loss of ALL his computer equipment, records, disks and the BBS he ran (The Crypt) is now defunct. While serving the Search Warrant investigators remarked "we are gonna need a truck"! The Warrant alledges that he was monitored hacking out illegal L/D codes by Michigan Bell for MCI. The seizure of the computer and all the related equipment and materials owned by Elwood is all that has occured, he has not been formally charged in any wrong doing yet. It appears the entire matter came about because of an anonymous tipster or so the Search Warrant declares. > New York, NY **** ATARI STOCK MELLOWS **** ------------ According to the most recent tables available, the rate for the Atari Stock is at 5.25....in my humble opinion, this is the time to buy up a tidy sum. Rumor has it that Garry sold a bunch of his... > Ontario, Canada ***** ISD BROADENS IT'S OFFERING ***** --------------- It looks like ISD Marketing of Ontario Canada, the people who market Calamus, are IMPORTING "Laser Brain" (the Epson FX-80 emulator from Germany) in the next few weeks. It's good to see a company willing to look ahead to the future and support the ST. > Los Angeles, CA **** TOS 1.4 HAS THE HOOKS! **** --------------- When your favorite programmer decides to write a handler to read partitions larger than 16mb, TOS 1.4 (the release version) will be ready for the job. Indirectly, it has been made known that the hooks are in at this time and all the rough edges are being smoothed. > Sunnyvale, CA *** ATARI SEZ: "NOTHING ON TRADE-IN DEALS ...YET" *** ------------- A Rumor has been circulating that Atari is about to begin a trade in program involving 8bit equipment, 800XL, 130XE etc...against the purchase of ST computers. At this point in time, Atari has NEITHER denied nor verified the rumor...our opinion is it would be a terrific promotion and an excellent way to kick off the "1989 - ATARI'S QUEST". Not to mention all the 8 bit gear that will be available for sale "behind the curtain" in the eastern bloc nations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BITS, BAUD RATE, AND BPS Taking the "Mystery" Out of Modem Speeds by Michael A. Banks (Copyright, 1988, Michael A. Banks. All rights reserved.) Modem transmission speed is the source of a lot of confusion, even among informed computer and modem users. The root of the problem is the fact that the terms "baud" and "bits per second" are used interchangeably and indiscriminately. I strongly suspect this is a result of the fact that it's easier to say "baud" than "bits per second," though misinformation has a hand in it, too. If you've found yourself confused by the relationship of bits and baud rate, or if you think that a modem's baud rate is the same as the number of bits or characters it transmits per second, please read this article carefully; I guarantee to clear up the confusion and disabuse you of any false concepts ... Bits per second (bps) Bits per second is a measure of the number of data bits (digital 0's and 1's) transmitted each second in a communications channel. This is sometimes referred to as "bit rate." Individual characters (letters, numbers, etc.), also referred to as bytes, are composed of several bits. While a modem's bit rate is tied to its baud rate, the two are not the same, as explained below. Baud rate Baud rate is a measure of the number of times per second a signal in a communications channel varies, or makes a transition between states (states being frequencies, voltage levels, or phase angles). One baud is one such change. Thus, a 300-baud modem's signal changes state 300 times each second, while a 600- baud modem's signal changes state 600 times per second. This does not necessarily mean that a 300-baud and a 600-baud modem transmit 300 and 600 bits per second, as you'll learn in a few lines. Determining bits per second Depending on the modulation technique used, a modem can transmit one bit--or more or less than one bit--with each baud, or change in state. Or, to put it another way, one change of state can transmit one bit--or more or less than one bit. As I mentioned earlier, the number of bits a modem transmits per second is directly related to the number of bauds that occur each second, but the numbers are not necessarily the same. To illustrate this, first consider a modem with a baud rate of 300, using a transmission technique called FSK (Frequency Shift Keying, in which four different frequencies are turned on and off to represent digital 0 and 1 signals from both modems). When FSK is used, each baud (which is, a gain, a change in state) transmits one bit; only one change in state is required to send a bit. Thus, the modem's bps rate is also 300: 300 bauds per second X 1 bit per baud = 300 bps Similarly, if a modem operating at 1200 baud were to use one change in state to send each bit, that modem's bps rate would be 1200. (There are no 1200 baud modems, by the way; remember that. This is only a demonstrative and hypothetical example.) Now, consider a hypothetical 300-baud modem using a modulation technique that requires two changes in state to send one bit, which can also be viewed as 1/2 bit per baud. Such a modem's bps rate would be 150 bps: 300 bauds per second X 1/2 baud per bit = 150 bps To look at it another way, bits per second can also be obtained by dividing the modem's baud rate by the number of changes in state, or bauds, required to send one bit: 300 baud --------------- = 150 bps 2 bauds per bit Now let's move away from the hypothetical and into reality, as it exists in the world of modulation. First, lest you be misled into thinking that "any 1200 baud modem" should be able to operate at 2400 bps with a two-bits-per- baud modulation technique, remember that I said there are no 1200 baud modems. Medium and high-speed modems use baud rates that are lower than their bps rates. Along with this, however, they use multiple-state modulation to send more than one bit per baud. For example, 1200 bps modems that conform to the Bell 212A standard (which includes most 1200 bps modems used in the U.S.) operate at 300 baud and use a modulation technique called phase modulation that transmits four bits per baud. Such modems are capable of 1200 bps operation, but not 2400 bps because they are not 1200 baud modems; they use a baud rate of 300. So: 300 baud X 4 bits per baud = 1200 bps or 300 baud ------------------ = 1200 bps 1/4 baud per bit Similarly, 2400 bps modems that conform to the CCITT V.22 recommend (virtually all of them) actually use a baud rate of 600 when they operate at 2400 bps. However, they also use a modulation technique that transmits four bits per baud: 600 baud X 4 bits per baud = 2400 bps or 600 baud ------------------ = 2400 bps 1/4 baud per bit Thus, a 1200-bps modem is not a 1200-baud modem, nor is a 2400-bps modem a 2400-baud modem. Now let's take a look at 9600-bps modems. Most of these operate at 2400 bps, but (again) use a modulation technique that yields four bits per baud. Thus: 2400 baud X 4 bits per baud = 9600 bps or 2400 baud ------------------ = 9600 bps 1/4 baud per bit Characters per second (cps) Characters per second is the number of characters (letters, numbers, spaces, and symbols) transmitted over a communications channel in one second. Cps is often the bottom line in rating data transmission speed, and a more convenient way of thinking about data transfer than baud- or bit-rate. Determining the number of characters transmitted per second is easy: simply divide the bps rate by the number of bits per character. You must of course take into account the fact that more than just the bits that make up the binary digit representing a character are transmitted when a character is sent from one system to another. In fact, up to 10 bits may be transmitted for each character during ASCII transfer, whether 7 or 8 data bits are used. This is because what are called start- and stop-bits are added to characters by a sending system to enable the receiving system to determine which groups of bits make up a character. In addition, a system usually adds a parity bit during 7-bit ASCII transmission. (The computer's serial port handles the addition of the extra bits, and all extra bits are stripped out at the receiving end.) So, in asynchronous data communication, the number of bits per character is usually 10 (either 7 data bits, plus a parity bit, plus a start bit and a stop bit, or 8 data bits plus a start bit and a stop bit). Thus: 300 bps ----------------------- = 30 characters per second 10 bits per character 1200 bps ----------------------- = 120 characters per second 10 bits per character 2400 bps ----------------------- = 240 characters per second 10 bits per character Common speeds The most commonly used communications rates for dial up systems (BBSs and online services like CompuServe, DELPHI, and GEnie) are 300, 1200, and 2400 bps. A few older systems-- especially Telex systems communicate at 110 bps, but these are gradually going the way of the dinosaur. 4800 and 9600 bps modems are generally available, but few online services or BBSs accommodate them. This will be changing in the near future, however, with the cost of high-speed modem technology decreasing as the demand for it increases. Modems with even higher bps rates are manufactured (19,200 and up) but these are not used with dial-up systems; the upper limit on asynchronous data transmission via voice-grade telephone lines appears to be 9600 bps. The use of higher transmission rates requires special dedicated lines that are "conditioned" (i.e., shielded from outside interference) as well as expensive modulation and transmission equipment. # If you found this article useful, you may want to pick up a copy of the book from which it was excerpted: THE MODEM REFERENCE by Michael A. Banks Published by Brady Books/Simon & Schuster ISBN # 0-13-586646-4 $19.95 In addition to explaining the technical aspects of modem operation, communications software, data links, and other elements of computer communications, the book provides detailed, illustrated "tours" of major online services such as UNISON, CompuServe, DELPHI, BIX, Dow Jones News/Retrieval, MCI Mail, and others. It also contains information on using packet switching networks and BBSs, as well as dial-up numbers for various networks and BBSs. You'll also find hands-on guides to buying, setting up, using, and troubleshooting computer communications hardware and software. (And the book "supports" all major microcomputer brands.) For more information, contact: Michael A. Banks P.O. Box 312 Milford, OH 45150 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last update 10/30/88 -------- OFFICIAL ST REPORT BBS LIST =========================== This is the OFFICIAL STReport BBS list. This will be updated constantly and published quarterly. Please call and support these systems. If you are not on any of the pay services, call these boards and pass the word. We appreciate each and every BBS listed here and express our sincere thanks for their ongoing support. Reg No. Area Phone Number BBS Name State """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ------------------------------------------------------------ STR001 - 904 786-4176 The Bounty ST BBS Florida STR002 - 216 784-0574 Stairway To Heaven Ohio STR003 - 312 690-3724 Lions Den Chicago STR004 - 609 451-7475 C.C.B.B.S. New Jersey STR005 - 219 223-8107 Manitou BBS Indiana STR006 - 718 648-0947 Dateline BBS New York STR007 - 718 604-3323 New York City BBS New York STR008 - 301 437-9813 Ratcom BBS Maryland STR009 - 916 962-2566 Shadow Haven BBS California STR010 - 918 835-5198 Tektron BBS Oklahoma STR011 - STR012 - 201 298-0161 J.A.C.G. BBS New Jersey STR013 - STR014 - STR015 - 305 747-9196 Alternate Universe Florida STR016 - 813 821-3188 ST Petersburg PO Florida STR017 - 505 897-4306 Asylum BBS New Mexico STR018 - 808 423-3140 Wonderful World of Oz Hawaii STR019 - 219 674-9288 M.O.U.S.E. BBS Indiana STR020 - 404 945-6021 Buford Byte Size Georgia STR021 - 813 726-3449 Harbor Lights BBS Florida STR022 - 912 244-1726 Talisman BBS Georgia STR023 - 617 674-8361 Westport! BBS Mass. STR024 - 817 444-3023 Rivendale BBS Texas STR025 - STR026 - 315 638-8569 The D.E.N. New York STR027 - 505 525-0388 Atari C.A.L.C. New Mexico STR028 - 201 723-0824 Wild West BBS New Jersey STR029 - 216 758-0284 Command Headquarters Ohio STR030 - 707 252-0631 Irata California STR031 - 617 675-8503 S.W.A.T. Mass. STR032 - 703 560-6318 The Ark Virginia STR033 - 615 665-1217 Vanishing Point Tennessee STR034 - 301 967-2207 Orion Connection Maryland STR035 - 207 784-0631 M.A.C.H. BBS Maine STR036 - 516 698-7456 WQNR BBS New York STR037 - 713 923-7392 W.A.S.T.E. BBS Texas STR038 - 504 244-0768 Milliways BBS Louisiana STR039 - 617 586-8840 Lost Byte Mass. STR040 - 303 796-0539 The Vault Colorado STR041 - 404 796-3805 Garden City Oasis Georgia STR042 - 609 939-6247 Satelite BBS New Jersey STR043 - 206 848-3371 The Reef Washington STR044 - 816 761-2190 Elysium BBS Missouri STR045 - 315 454-9612 Atari Hotel New York STR046 - 212 617-0153 The Bunker New York STR047 - 201 247-8252 E.B.B.B.S. New Jersey STR048 - 402 466-5339 Griffon's Nest Nebraska STR049 - 011 494-12997 Kisa Monitron Sweden (46) STR050 - 011 0340-51117 First Star Sweden (46) STR051 - 718 253-8602 Outsiders New York STR052 - 805 773-5907 Hot Rodders California STR053 - 203 776-9723 New Haven BBS Conneticut STR054 - 502 964-2964 Bargain Basement Kentucky STR055 - 609 931-3014 Gateway New Jersey STR056 - 602 846-7357 Network 23 Arizona STR057 - 313 547-0440 Cosmic Stompers Michigan STR058 - 804 379-4156 Midnight Express Virginia STR059 - 314 647-3290 Gateway City BBS Missouri STR060 - 312 457-2219 Bluemoon BBS Illinois STR061 - 617 625-5348 Mall Five Opus Mass. STR062 - 312 430-4234 Runequest BBS Illinois STR063 - 205 772-8526 Bloom County BBS Alabama STR064 - 205 461-7893 H.A.U.G. BBS Alabama STR065 - 812 985-2083 West Terrace BBS Indiana STR066 - 502 778-9846 WAEL Kentucky STR067 - 502 964-2924 Atari Scene Kentucky STR068 - 614 471-8559 ACEC BBS Ohio STR069 - 614 471-9209 Pandora BBS Ohio STR070 - 918 251-5450 Help BBS Oklahoma STR071 - 716 875-7376 Bates Motel New York STR072 - 516 884-4140 Ol' Hackers BBS New York STR073 - 203 443-5200 Phantasmal Alchemy Conneticut STR074 - 402 466-5339 S.T.U.N.N. BBS Nebraska STR075 - 201 929-9351 CoaSTline BBS New Jersey STR076 - 703 665-0087 Infonet BBS Virginia STR077 - 201 388-1676 White House BBS New Jersey STR078 - 616 245-8259 Exte Michigan STR079 - 404 968-4380 Dark Crypt Georgia STR080 - 601 388-3490 C.A.U.U.G. BBS Mississippi STR081 - 601 374-0709 Irata II Mississippi STR082 - 612 522-2687 T.A.I.G. BBS Minnesota STR083 - 219 336-3774 Pipeline BBS Indiana STR084 - STR085 - 808 261-2184 Muskrats Den Hawaii STR086 - 507 60-0530 BugBBS Panama STR087 - 219 875-8205 One Stone BBS Indiana STR088 - STR089 - 305 734-6026 Atari Computer Club Florida STR090 - 216 441-3816 Mega Vision BBS Ohio STR091 - 419 289-8392 Balloon Works Inc Ohio STR092 - STR093 - 011 470-22183 Sorman Information Sweden (46) STR094 - 206 631-8056 Knotts Nook BBS Washington STR095 - 312 889-1240 C.L.A.U.G. BBS Illinois STR096 - 915 757-0788 House of Chance Texas STR097 - 714 653-0447 Thunderbeast California STR098 - 203 445-4094 Spiders Web BBS Conneticut STR099 - 219 693-3485 Acorn BBS Indiana STR100 - 606 271-1466 Missing Link BBS South Dakota STR101 - 704 253-3614 Office BBS No. Carolina STR128 - 805 239-8710 The LookOut BBS California STR129 - 201 286-6189 AtlantiST New Jersey STR130 - 201 271-8765 Great Fire Breather New Jersey STR131 - 918 622-1121 Future City BBS Oklahoma STR132 - 805 872-0377 Home Bace California STR133 - 201 752-9466 Piscataway Express New Jersey STR134 - 718 373-4669 Blue BBS New York STR135 - 216 376-7618 Rubber City Atari Ohio STR136 - 317 243-2177 Dog House BBS Indiana STR137 - 907 338-5005 Public DOmain BBS Alaska STR138 - 309 797-5926 Checkmate BBS Illinois STR139 - 707 437-6366 Elsinore Brewery California STR140 - 602 435-9645 Think Tank Arizona STR141 - 813 823-1471 MegaPlex BBS Florida STR142 - 314 696-3506 AHE***BBS Missouri STR143 - 201 343-1426 Launch Pad BBS New Jersey STR144 - 416 648-8359 19th Hole BBS Ontario, Can. STR146 - 213 631-7328 L.B.C.S. BBS California STR147 - 314 581-3801 Brickyard BBS Missouri STR148 - 215 289-5247 Star Fleet Command Pennsylvania STR149 - 201 938-6906 Starbase I New Jersey STR150 - 805 929-1624 My House California STR151 - STR152 - 816 637-6163 Schwarzer Drache Missouri STR153 - 201 689-4550 Kilroy's Castle New Jersey STR154 - 415 565-9742 Eagle BBS California """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Please help us keep this list up to date, it will be made available on a regular basis for verification. If you have any additions or deletions to make, please let us know at the BOUNTY 904-786-4176 or, in E-Mail to ST Report on any of the major services. Thank you for your continued support! Ralph...... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK'S 'QUOTABLE QUOTE' ============================ Law of Satisfaction =================== "WHAT GOES AROUND........COMES AROUND!!" "1989 - ATARI'S QUEST" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-REPORT¿Issue #72 "Your Independent News Source" January 30, 1989 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of ST Report¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint permission granted, unless noted otherwise. All reprints must include ST Report or CPU Report and the author's name. All information presented herein is believed correct, ST Report or CPU Report, it's editors and staff are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained in this publication. --------------------------------------------------------------------------