SILICON TIMES REPORT ==================== INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ============================= from STR Electronic Publishing Inc. October 14, 1994 No. 1042 ====================================================================== Silicon Times Report International Online Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 R.F. 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""""""""""""""""" - STR INDUSTRY REPORT - MYST A Review - ZEOS Pentium 90 - IBM Buying into Apple! - IBM PPC - 1995 - Primera Pro Overview - German Pirates Nailed! - COREL Champions - WP MAC 3.1 SHIPS! - Mindscape News - People Talking - Jaguar NewsWire! -* TOSHIBA: PENTIUM 75MHZ NOTEBOOK! *- -* IBM INTRO'S OS/2 WARP! *- -* ONLINE PRICE WAR? *- ========================================================================== STReport International Online Magazine The Original * Independent * Online Magazine -* FEATURING WEEKLY *- "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports ========================================================================== STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the ITC/PROWL/USENET/NEST/F-Net/Fido Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-786-4176. 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CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198 You will receive your complimentary time and be online in no time at all! "Enjoy CompuServe's forums; where information is at its very best! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""" The Pentiums are here right along with the PPC and all the earmarks of wonderful things to come. On the PC front, it looks as rosy as it can get. We all know that's relative but the truth is, its brighter and more enjoyable with every passing month. Not to mention the remarkable affordability in the PC world. There are those who'd have you believe that the PC is not the way to go. Also there are those who seemingly delight in telling me I am all wrong when I say the PC is the mainstream. The only platform with a real and genuine future. That is the bottom line folks. Which of the existing platforms has a real and promising future? For me the answer is easy.. the PC platform. A number of recent events lead me to believe this. One of the main reasons being the migrations of major software packages that were formally on other platforms only like Canvas and OFOTO. These two packages alone are veritable powerhouses of productivity and are indeed a fine compliment to any system. You may say it was a simple business decision. I'll agree wholeheartedly. I'd even go further and say the decision makers in those companies have an excellent vision into the future and are preparing now for that future. Sadly enough, I am, as many others are, a former "inhabitant" of a dead platform. It was a wonderful platform. One that many fond memories are and will remain a part of. I do however, see and hear many familiar comments being made by members of the Mac community that sound an awful lot like those I used to hear in the days I called the beginnings of the end on my old platform. Five years from now will tell the tale. I believe the PC platform is where the future is and will be henceforth. The Mac, in my humble opinion, will slowly but surely evolve to the PC way of doing things. The first in a series of articles about the ZEOS Pentium appears in this issue. I'm certain you'll enjoy this adventure as much as I am. Thanks for your support! Ralph.... Of Special Note: ---------------- STReport will be branching out further to Internet's userbase in the very near future. We've received numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide variety of Internet addresses. As a result, we're putting together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wish to receive STReport on a regular basis, and we'll UUENCODE each issue and mail it to you. If you're interested in being added to our mailing list, please, send your requests to either "dpj@delphi.com" or, RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM. Look for mailings to begin by October first. We are also considering a number of Internet ftp sites in which to post our issues for as well. Whatever we can do to make STReport available to you. we'll try it! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! """""""""""""""" Publisher -Editor """""""""""""""""" Ralph F. Mariano Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors """"""""""""""" PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION ---------- ------------- ----------- ------------- R.D. Stevens R. Niles J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson STReport Staff Editors: """"""""""""""""""""""" Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Contributing Correspondents: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Clemens Chin Eric Jerue Ron Deal Mike Barnwell Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: Compuserve................... 70007,4454 Delphi......................... RMARIANO GEnie......................... ST.REPORT BIX............................ RMARIANO FIDONET..................... 1:347/147.3 FNET........................... NODE 350 ITC NET...................... 85:881/253 NEST........................ 90:21/350.0 America Online..................STReport Internet.............RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM IMPORTANT NOTICE ---------------- STReport, with its policy of not accepting any paid advertising, has over the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views, we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers, publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come to expect in each and every issue. The Staff & Editors """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS """"""""""""""""""" IBM/POWER-PC/PC SECTION (I) =========================== Computer Products Update - CPU Report ------------------------ ---------- Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Issue #42 Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. ******* General Computer News ******* ** Online Price War ** Computer network rivals Prodigy and America Online waged a miniwar on prices this week after Prodigy introduced a cheaper membership option and reduced an hourly rate. The Prodigy option, announced Wednesday morning, costs $9.95 a month for five hours of online time and $2.95 for each additional hour. Prodigy previously charged $14.95 a month for unlimited access to most of the network. By Wednesday evening, America Online, which also charges $9.95 for a basic five-hour service, had said it would reduce its rate for additional hours from $3.50 to $2.95. ** Philips to Launch CD-I for PCs ** The compact disc-interactive system, commonly known as CD-I, from Philips Electronics NV will be available for use on personal computers early next year. Reports say that CD-I, only available so far for televisions, is a multimedia game and entertainment system that allows users to manipulate sounds and images. "We are bridging the PC environment by introducing a CD-I card for PCs," said John Hawkins, the Philips executive responsible for CD-I sales. The new CD-I card that will fit into a PC will give users access to software, such as encyclopedias, that have only been available so far in digital form via CD-ROM. Hawkins said that in addition to being more user friendly than CD-ROM, CD-I is also superior for sound and video applications. "CD-I is a plug-and-play system," he said. "Consumers who work with CD-ROM know what pain it is to make the software work." However, Hawkins stressed that CD-I and CD-ROM were not competing systems, noting that CD-ROM is "a productive system" for professional use, while CD-I is intended for home entertainment. "You would want to use CD-ROM if you deal with a whole lot of text or databases such as phone directories," he said. "You would use an encyclopedia on CD-I when it contains a lot of video items." He would not disclose the retail price for which Philips will sell the CD-I card, although Hawkins did say that the Dutch electronics firm would join with other, unnamed firms to produce it. ** Dell Offers Pentiums Under $2,000 ** Word is Dell Computer Corp. is set to introduce a Pentium-based system for corporate customers that starts below $2,000. Reports from Dell say the slimline OptiPlex 560/L, which includes Intel Corp.'s 60Mz Pentium processor, "is the final step in the complete replacement of Dell's corporate desktop lines and is available immedi- ately in the U.S. and Canada starting at $1,970." Also, reports say Dell will offer Intel Corp.'s new 75MHz Pentium with its products as the processor becomes widely available. The OptiPlex 560/L's basic instruction software can be upgraded for customers seeking to take advantage of the Plug and Play features expected to be available with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows95 operating system. ** IBM PowerPC Products Set for '95 ** IBM Chairman/CEO Louis Gerstner says a launch of PC products built around the new PowerPC chip now is likely to take place in the first quarter of next year. Speaking with reporters during a visit to Brussels, Gerstner this week commented, "We've always said it would be a late 1994 event. It now looks likely to be early 1995." The IBM chief is quoted as saying the PowerPC, based on a RISC archi- tecture and jointly developed with Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola, is mainly aimed at the workstation market where it already has been launched. ** Apple Forecasts Higher Earnings ** Apple Computer Inc. announced this week it expects revenues and earnings for the quarter ended Sept. 30 to be higher than expected, causing the stock to once again jump in price. Reports are that strong demand for the entry-level Power Macintosh and PowerBook notebook systems are largely responsible for fourth quarter revenues of approximately $2.50 billion, compared with $2.10 billion a year ago. In addition, the company forecast earnings that should be just over 90 cents a share, compared with earnings of 24 cents a share in the fourth quarter of 1993. Final results for the quarter will be issued on Oct. 17. Apple also said it expects gross margins as a percentage of net sales for the fourth quarter will be slightly above the 26.7% it reported in its third fiscal quarter, ended July 1, and that operating expenses will be slightly less than 20% of net sales. ** Fujitsu Unveils New Tablet PC ** Fujitsu Personal Systems Inc. has introduced the Stylistic 500, a 2.6-pound tablet PC. The computer maker notes that the system's Intel 486DX2-50 microprocessor is the fastest microprocessor ever designed into a tablet computer. Fujitsu says the Stylistic 500 is designed for use in insurance, transportation, utilities, consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, health care and other industries with a mobile workforce. The Stylistic 500 features ATA and Type III PCMCIA slots. Also pro- vided are 4MB of RAM (expandable to 20MB, two lithium-ion battery packs, an infrared serial interface and an 8-inch monochrome screen. The computer supports the DOS 6.2, Windows for Pen Computing, PenDOS and PenRight operating systems. Measuring 7.2 by 10.7 by 1.5 inches, the Stylistic 500 weighs 2.6 pounds with both battery packs installed. The system is scheduled to become available in November. It will sell for $2,795, including a 105MB PCMCIA hard disk, MS-DOS 6.2 and Windows for Pen Computing. The system will also be available without the hard disk and operating system for $2,285. ** AT&T Plans Pentium Notebooks ** AT&T Global Information Systems says it plans to release notebook PCs based on Intel's new 75MHz Pentium microprocessor before year's end. "Intel is an important partner for AT&T Global Information Solutions and we plan to deliver high performance Pentium notebooks by the end of the year," says Rob Howe, worldwide vice president of PC Marketing for AT&T Global Information Solutions. Howe didn't announce any specific product details. Several other PC makers, including Toshiba and Dell Computer have already committed to using the 75MHz Pentium CPU. Many other firms are also expected to jump on the bandwagon. ** IBM Introduces OS/2 Warp ** In a packed Broadway theater in New York City this week, IBM Corp. unveiled its third-generation operating system, OS/2 Warp, that it says will sell at a street price of under $80. Sources say that the new operating system is designed for corporate, small business and home computer users and will be widely available by the end of the month. A version for use with local area networks will begin beta-testing in November. Several computer manufacturers, including Dell and Toshiba, immedi- ately announced plans to include OS/2 Warp with the computers they sell. IBM said the retail price of OS/2 Warp will be $129, but officials said they expect it to sell for less than $80. Another version, called the "fullpack edition," is designed for users without Windows. It will sell for $199 retail with an expected street price of $130. Both editions will be shipped with a "BonusPak" of popular applications including word processing, spreadsheet, database, networking, Internet access and multimedia programs. More than 40 software vendors also announced plans to develop new software titles for OS/2 Warp. ** Toshiba to Have 75MHz Notebook ** The T4900CT, Toshiba America Information Systems Inc.'s first Intel 75MHz Pentium-based notebook, is to be on the market by late next month with a suggested retail price of $7,499. The company is quoted as saying the T4900CT offers a 10.4-inch color TFT active matrix screen, integrated AccuPoint pointing device and a new VL local-bus graphics accelerated video controller to provide multimedia capabilities for graphics/processor-intensive applications. It is built around Intel Corp.'s new 3.3-volt 75MHz Pentium pro- cessor, newly-developed high-speed EDO memory, and high capacity 810MB hard disk drive. ** IBM to Buy Equity Stake in Apple? ** What started out late last week as rumors of an imminent buy-out of Apple Computer by AT&T or Motorola turned into a published article this weekend in the San Francisco Chronicle, asserting that IBM Corp. would either invest in Apple or reach an agreement on a common standard to make each company's computers compatible with one another. True or not - - neither company will confirm the report -- Apple and IBM stock are up. It's reported that representatives from both companies have confirmed that they are talking but will not provide details. Apple CEO Michael Spindler reportedly met with IBM senior vice president James Cannivino three times last week to discuss an IBM equity investment. Wall Street analysts have long insisted that Apple needs to revive its business and loss of market share by finding ways to attract new users. If a single machine standard that would run IBM's OS/2, Apple's Macintosh and Microsoft's Windows operating systems were developed, sales would no doubt jump. Such a standard would also benefit software developers, who would have a greater incentive to write new programs for a bigger potential market. ** N.Y. Architects Honor Autodesk ** The New York Society of Architects has honored Autodesk Inc. with a Special Award in recognition of the company's development of AutoCAD software and other Autodesk CAD (computer-aided design) products. Autodesk is the first computer software company to receive an award from the prestigious organization. The New York Society of Architects, established in 1906, is a not- for-profit organization devoted to the advancement of architecture through education, information and professional development. ** Government Funds Info Highway ** The U.S. federal government this week doled out $24 million to com- munities as large as Chicago and as small as Hall, Montana with its population of 95 people to help them plan or build their own versions of the information superhighway. Reports from Washington, D.C. say that funding was awarded by the Department of Commerce to 90 of the 1,000 applicants. The smallest grant of $3,000 went to Hall, which plans to install a connection to the Internet in its two-room schoolhouse that will provide access for the entire town, including the school's 25 students. The largest grant of $716,883 was awarded to a remote-education pro- ject that will serve 15 of the most sparsely populated states, including Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming. The program will offer six degree or certi- ficate programs, including water quality management and hospitality management. It will be run by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, Colorado. Chicago will use its $415,497 grant to compile home mortgage and lending information available in the metropolitan area into a community computer network. It is hoped that by making such information widely available, discriminatory lending practices will be alleviated. The projects are examples of communications technology "changing the way we provide for our families ... changing the way we educate our children ... and interact with each other," said Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Others receiving grant funds included: --The Native American Public Broadcasting Corp. for a project that will link 500 Indian tribal governments nationwide. --The Carnegie Institute for a project that will link environmental databases of nine science institutions and museums. About $58 million is expected to be awarded next year for similar projects by different groups. ** Sports Illustrated Goes Digital ** Sports Illustrated is coming to CD-ROM. With a century's worth of baseball stats? The best of the football bloopers? A gigabyte of old O.J. Simpson interviews? Well, maybe later. But first, the annual Swimsuit Issue. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, officials with SoftKey International Inc. said the firm is set to sell Windows- based CD-ROM calendars of the best-selling SI issue, with a version for Apple Macintosh to follow soon. And the company says already the $29.95 CD-ROM it has ever published. "Our initial orders from retailers were three times the unit volume we've received from any other CD title," Softkey President Kevin O'Leary said. "We've had lots of calendars -- whales, cards, baseball -- but nothing has come close to the orders we've seen on this one." The CD contains 70 images, "many of them not included in the annual issue, which can be used to create computer or pocket calendars or to print out images on color printers. The calendar is perpetual, meaning a customer needn't buy another one every year." ** Germans Crack Piracy Ring ** Authorities in Dresden, Germany, have arrested three men accused of selling thousands of bootleg copies of Microsoft Corp.'s MS-DOS 6.2 software. Estimates of the value of the illegal software is about $9 million. Police spokesman Lothar Hofner said that between June and August, the trio produced 100,000 complete software packages and illegally copied 400,000 floppy disks. Hofner said authorities searched apartments, offices and warehouses in three German states and Berlin and found production, copying and packaging equipment, as well as 50 PCs, adding the equipment was running around the clock. ________________________________ > Corel Champs! STR Spotlight Top Drawer Stuff! """"""""""""""""""""""""""" COREL CHAMPIONS BIOGRAPHIES Congratulations to the first group of winners of the COREL CHAMPION AWARDS. Below please find a biography of each of the winners for this quarter. Once again, thank-you Mark, Brian, Steve, Jack and Jerry for your hard work in the forum. Mark Alger 73611,2514 ====================== 24-year veteran of the concert industry, working for promoters, venues, etc., as a gopher, office manager, etc. up to 1980, when I came to work at Otto as first an account rep, then designer, finally production person. Otto is the world's leading producer of access control systems for the music touring industry. At Otto have worked in art & type, stripping & platemaking, the pressroom and the bindery. Was production manager from 1981-1986. Since then I swim in calmer waters as the leading sales rep and designer for the entertainment division. Since 1993 have also served as graphics supervisor and systems manager, researching and specifying computer equipment and software buys and configuring and maintaining our computer systems. (It's a small company. ) I write a regular column for Chris Dickman's CorelDRAW Journal on output strategies ... aimed at the small print shop and graphic designers struggling with the realities of DTP and the graphic arts. This year, I contributed an unaccredited article for Rick Altman's _Mastering CorelDRAW 5_, published by Sybex and on the shelves right now. My participation on the CORELAPPS forum began, I think, in a pretty typical manner. I signed on to CIS to get help with problems I was having. I was very surprised to find myself considered an expert, but was quite glad to share that expertise with fellow seekers after knowledge. I have, upon occasion, found myself embroiled in controversy, a position I find somewhat uncomfortable. I am not, however, one to keep my thoughts to myself. Brian L Johnson 100101,3623 ============================ Aged 45, I am married with 2 children (boy and girl, 14 and 15) and 2 cats. I served in the Royal Air Force for 16 years, flying Vulcans, F4s and, latterly, HS125 trainers. When I retired from the service in 1985, I went back to my first love (and academic training) and decided to start a software consultancy business. Amazed at the low quality of many of the local software firms, I resolved to provide an honest service to small businesses. Working from an office on the back of my house-- in a village just south of Lincoln-- I can provide telephone support to firms whilst slaving over my current projects. I work in conjunction with a local printer to produce school brochures, newsletters, posters, company reports, manuals, etc. Books (in particular, translations) and larger technical manuals are generating an increasing amount of business, usually originating in the EU. Naturally, CorelDraw and Ventura have been in my stable since the beginning (v1.01 and v1.2, I think) and I am looking forward to grappling with CV5 in the near future! Several interesting projects lie ahead for Ventura. Most of my non-DTP work involves supplying and installing software to local firms. I provide training and support, in particular, for custom-built database applications and accountancy programs. I teach IT-related subjects at local colleges and also provide a gratis service for several village societies. Despite the high UK phone charges-- the boulders on Britain's Information Superhighway-- I regularly log-on to CIS. It enables me to stay ahead (or at least abreast) of competitors and to meet a broad spectrum of fine people. Of late, my daughter has discovered the Internet and the availability of e-mail fanzines, so my CIS and phone-bills have been steadily rising. Nonetheless, it's nice chatting to you all . Take care. Steve Rindsberg 70711,55 ========================= Steve Rindsberg runs RDP (Rindsberg Digital Photography), a slide imaging service bureau in Cincinnati, Ohio. As you might well imagine, RDP is a Corel Approved Service Bureau, but also handles imaging slides, 4x5's and overhead transparencies from most popular PC and Mac graphics programs. Steve wrote the book on printing from Corel Draw. Well, ok, not *the* book, but *a* book ... Rick Altman's Mastering Corel Draw. Well, ok, not the book, the chapter. But you get the idea. Steve's also a contributing editor for The Cobb Group's "Inside Microsoft PowerPoint". Steve's not particularly imaginative when it comes to blowing his own horn, so that's about all he can think of to say about himself. <> Ahem! That's ALL he can think of to say about himself! <> Steve Jack L. Chalker 72205,613 =========================== Jack L. Chalker is the founder of The Mirage Press, Ltd., a small press publishing company that has been in business since 1961. He got interested in computers when running the night shift computer room at Johns Hopkins University in 1965, and in the late Sixties was involved in setting up what is now called a service bureau in Baltimore that used early computer typesetting and graphics equipment. He has also been an advisor and consultant to others setting up small press book operations, at least a dozen of which are now going in the U.S., and in helping such operations with book design, typography, illustration, and promotion. In the Eighties he concentrated on the PC rather than Mac side of production, since that is what the bulk of his clients began with, and was an early proponent of Postscript on the PC. For the past few years, he has used (and recommended) CorelDraw for advertising and promotional materials and for jacket, type design, and illustration preprocessing. Best known as a science fiction novelist and computer columnist, he is constantly testing and pushing new desktop publishing, graphics, and layout software and hardware. Jerry Sanderson 74660,2213 =========================== I was raised on a farm in western Pennsylvania. Spent several years working as a machinist while taking various courses in electronics. In the mid-70's I landed a job programming for a Univac 9400 (24K memory!) mainframe and in a few months was promoted to Systems Analyst. After two years, I moved on to my ultimate goal (electronics work), and spent the next eleven years as a two-way radio bench and field service technician. Eventually, the self-destructive urge for independence led me to strike out on my on as a self-employed field service tech, working from my home near Harrisburg, Pa. I currently service copiers, fax machines and laser printers in the south-central Pennsylvania area, while my wife and I operate a part-time word processing and DTP business. Two cats, a blind dog and our two boys (4 and 5) are delighted to help us keep the office in a continual state of disarray. Not that we need the help. Editor Note; A Corel Champion is one who cheerfully volunteers to help others through the everyday problems one encounters in all software/hardware adventures. The folks above have gone above and beyond the call. Thanks much folks! ______________________________ > Mindscape Inc. STR Spotlight """""""""""""""""""""""""""" The Software Toolworks, Inc. Becomes Mindscape, Inc. -- New Corporate Name and Logo Underscore Long-Term Commitment to Consumer Market -- Novato, CA -- October 1, 1994 -- After nearly fifteen years in the consumer software industry, The Software Toolworks, Inc. has changed its name to Mindscape, Inc., to more accurately reflect the type of products the company produces and the markets it serves. Simultaneously, Mindscape, Inc. is unveiling a new logo, the result of extensive focus testing and planning. Mindscape is a name familiar to many long-time industry watchers and personal computer software consumers. Acquired by The Software Toolworks in 1990, Mindscape, Inc. has been a leading force in entertainment software for personal computers and video game systems for many years. The Software Toolworks has continued to distribute individual titles under the Mindscape label -- principally its video game cartridges. As company executives began to plan for the future, they grappled with a number of consumer marketing issues, including the name of the company. Numerous surveys of software dealers, store salespeople and end users revealed that while The Software Toolworks was well known and appreciated by its loyal customer base, the name was also considered restrictive. Seeking a name that encompasses the creative, innovative, and entertaining value of its products, management discovered one in its own backyard. "As we expand our place in the consumer software market, the software we produce will continue to set new standards for creativity and innovation," said Bob Lloyd, Chairman and CEO of Mindscape, Inc. "Mindscape products will educate and entertain, broadening users' minds while allowing them to 'escape' at the same time. The name is a perfect fit." A New Look ---------- Once the company had arrived at the decision to adopt a new name, officials began the process of selecting a new logo. Because a logo communicates a great deal about the identity of a company to its customers and associates, great care was taken in the selection of the new image. The new logo, chosen only after extensive nationwide consumer testing, will be used on all future packaging and print materials from Mindscape. An animated sequence featuring the logo is currently being prepared for inclusion in forthcoming software products. A GIF file of the new logo is available in our Software Lirabary. "As companies look forward to the 21st century, they must ask themselves how their customers will interact with their logos," said Julie Wainwright, Mindscape's Vice President of Marketing. "For us, our logo is more than a simple watermark to be used on business cards. Our customers will see our logo -- fully animated -- every time they run one of our programs." Mindscape, Inc. is a leading developer and publisher of consumer software for personal computers and video game systems. Founded in 1980 as The Software Toolworks Ltd., the company was a pioneer of entertainment, educational, and reference software. Market-leading software like The Chessmaster, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing!, The Software Toolworks World Atlas and The Software Toolworks U. S. Atlas, and The San Diego Zoo Presents... The Animals! have established the company's reputation world-wide. Recent hits, including MegaRace, PC/Computing How Multimedia Computers Work, and Merriam-Webster's Family Dictionary have strengthened that reputation. Among Mindscape's strengths are a unique ability to attract strong strategic partners and top multimedia and content providers, the expertise to recognize new opportunities in nascent technologies (including CD-ROM and desktop video), and a worldwide distribution network of OEMs, distributors, catalogs, major chains, resellers, dealers, mass merchandisers, department stores and warehouse clubs. The company was purchased in early 1994 by Pearson plc, an international media group based in London whose other holdings include Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Penguin Books, Thames Television Ltd., The Tussauds Group, satellite broadcaster BSkyB, The Financial Times of London, and a 50% interest in The Economist. Later the same year, the company changed its name to Mindscape to reflect more accurately the types of products it produces and the markets it serves. For more information on Mindscape products or to find a dealer near you, please call (800) 234-3088. _____________________________________ > ZEOS International STR InfoFile A company on the "move upward" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ZEOS INTERNATIONAL, LTD. COMPANY PROFILE ZEOS International provides superior value to customers by (designing, manufacturing, servicing, supporting and marketing high performance, high-quality, affordable personal computers. ZEOS products include PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect), EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) and ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) desktop and notebook computer systems and related hardware. ZEOS computers are based on some of the most advanced and powerful microprocessors available -- currently including Intel's 486SL, SX, DX2, DX4, and Pentium CPUS. In addition to Microsoft DOS, ZEOS systems are compatible with a variety of other operating systems including Novell NetWare, OS/2, UNIX and ZENIX. ZEOS products have earned numerous industry awards for performance, speed, quality and value, making ZEOS one of the top computer companies in the country. To maintain this excellence, ZEOS maintains their own research and development subsidiary PC Tech, and an on-site Novell certification laboratory at their headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ZEOS' award-winning reputation continues with after-the-sale support. In fact, no company has won more PC Magazine Readers' Choice for Service & Reliability awards than ZEOS -- six in all. ZEOS was also one of the first companies to provide 24-hour toll-free technical support. In addition, all ZEOS products are covered by a One Year Limited Warranty and 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee. And many products include Express Parts Replacement. ZEOS markets its systems directly to value-added resellers, businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and the general public primarily through direct-mail and multi-page advertisements in leading PC publications. ZEOS was incorporated in May 1981 and has been a public company since October 1987. The company's stock is listed on the NASDAQ over-the- counter exchange, where it trades under the symbol "ZEOS." **** And now, the first in an eight part series, (hopefully only eight), on what can only be called a "Dream System" with the ZEOS 90Mhz Pentium at the center of everything. Through the course of the series, we shall cover in detail the installation of each of the custom peripherals which are listed below. The Peripheral List: -------------------- A)- 2 1083 Mb Western Digital 31000a Enhanced IDE Hard Drives B)- 1 Teac CDROM CD55a 4x Drive C)- 1 Mitsumi IDE CDROM Drive D)- 1 Archive Viper 250mb SCSI Tape Backup E)- 1 Sound Blaster AWE32 Sound Card w 2mb & Roland SCD-15 Daughter Board. F)- 1 Maxtor 340Mb SCSI Hard Disk G)- 1 Canon IX-4015 SCSI Color Scanner 1200lpi w/ADF H)- 1 Fargo Primera Pro Color Printer 600dpi I)- 1 Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 4P Printer 600dpi J)- MAG Innovision 17F Color Monitor 17" ni K)- 1 USRobotics Dual Standard V.34/V.FC/28.8 External Modem L)- Adaptec 1542cf SCSI Busmaster card & EZ SCSI Software along with a few other items yet to be made mention of. To Begin; --------- When the cabinet was opened for the first time, the clean and very orderly manner in which this machine was assembled was a treat to observe. Of course, the size of the cabinet insured there was plenty of "room to spare". Most importantly, a comment was passed shortly after mention was made that we were looking a ZEOS Pentium over that was somewhat disturbing. The comment went like this in so many words; "The card slots were not able to support large cards in the ZEOS." This is absolutely not true at all. For those of you who are familiar with the AWE32 Sound Card you'll know its a _very_ large card. (Almost the full length of the machine front to back) I installed the AWE32 and had room to spare internally. After the initial shock of seeing just how much faster this machine was than the one we were running, a 486 dx50, the time for real exploration arrived. The mother board is of the highest quality we've seen. Obviously multi-layered and made well. The Cabinet is very well designed, clearly done so with the future in mind as there is as mentioned before, room to spare. The massive heat sink on the Pentium Chip does the job as it is only warm to the touch. The cabinet is supplied with two fans one in the front and one in the rear. The power supply was barely warm to the touch after hours of use. It was at this point the decision was made to commence with the installation of the peripherals. The IDE hard drives had been formatted with Disk Manager in the other machine. So, they had to be reformatted according to the new and much improved CMOS in this machine. After setting the CMOS for the large hard disks and telling it to use it all. we were ready to proceed with the bootup process. The first goodie to go in was the Adaptec 1542cf SCSI Busmaster Card and the installation of the EZSCSI software. The method to the madness was to install the scsi card so the tape backup and the scsi hard disk mechanism could be easily installed, up and running . Why? Easy... the directories for DOS, the tape backup software with the VTOC tables and the other needed utilities were on the scsi hard disk mechanism. You see, there really was plan. A disk was prepared so the system would boot recognizing the needed locations for DOS and the Tape software. Back to the SCSI card's installation. All seemed to go well in fact, the card went right in and the ribbon cables fit perfectly. Now, the moment of truth. Turn the machine on time. Zipping right past the prelims.. the machine started to do the right thing and then went to sleep. With a re-boot and a CTRL A, the Adaptec SCSI card was re-configured for this new speed demon of a machine and now, we see and admire a very clean, immediate boot-up. All it took was an Interrupt change on the scsi card. The floppy disk was in drive "a" and it pointed to everything we needed to get the system up and running. Up and running we were in fine style. The first of seven backup tapes began to feed the system. Next week; the Re-configuration and Software tune-ups. _____________________________ > WITH THE FUTURE IN MIND STR Review """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" The Kids' Computing Corner -------------------------- THE NAME OF THE GAME ==================== by Frank Sereno This past week I received several new programs for evaluation. I need more time to give these titles the in-depth reviews as I have done in the past. These titles will be reviewed fully in the next few issues of the magazine but for now I wish to whet your appetites with brief descriptions. Four titles are from Western Publishing's new Step Ahead software series. These programs all use Bright Star Technologies' patented animation synchronization process so characters have lifelike mouth movements in time with the audio. "ABC with Hickory and Me" features Hickory, an adorable mouse, and Nat, his firefly friend. Fun activities with varying difficulty levels aid children ages three to six in building alphabet skills. "123 with Hickory and Me" features Hickory and Nat at a meadow and small pond. Activities assist children in learning number recognition, counting and other math skills. The remaining two programs are for children ages six to eight. Monker, a blue creature, and Echo, his purple Tribble-like friend, are the hosts in "Monker's Math Factory" and "Monker's Spelling Submarine." Addition and subtraction are learned in "Math Factory" and phonics, spelling, rhyming and word-building skills are taught in "Spelling Submarine." These colorful programs are as entertaining as they are educational. Next up on the list is Optical Data Corporation's "The Wanderoos Go Exploring." Wanderoos are very similar in appearance to kangaroos. Pocket and her twin brother Tails will lead your child on an interactive journey of learning and discovery. This program comes on CD-rom and is filled with hundreds of still-images and QuickTime movies to educate and entertain your child. This program is aimed at children ages three to eight but even adults can have fun tracking, capturing and feeding the six missing wanderoos. The final program awaiting review is T/Maker Company's "Stradiwackius: The Counting Concert." This is a multilingual program using 3-D animation to entertain and educate children about music and counting. The program allows children to build unique instruments by combining various tools. Due to the animations used in this program, it requires at least a fast 486 CPU but a Pentium is recommended. This program is visually and aurally stunning. In the coming weeks I hope to be reviewing several programs from Edmark and a few titles from American Educational Publishing which publishes the new Muppet software line. I will continue to seek and develop relationships with the major educational software publishers to bring you the latest news and reviews. I also wish to spotlight shareware authors and I welcome submissions of press releases and demonstration software. Here's some news of a worthwhile charity. Micrografx is holding its sixth annual Chili for Children Cook-Off Tuesday, November 15 at 6pm at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. This year's festivities are being advertised as the Chili-Willie-Dilly. The chili is prepared by many of the biggest names in the computer industry. The Willie refers to Willie Nelson, who will be giving a concert following the dinner. The dilly is for the rip-roaring armadillo races. The cause is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Tickets are $50 and are available for purchase in the lobby of the Convention Center or the Sands Expo or by calling 1-800-357-7255. Elek-Tek has an interesting offer. They have a bundle of Davidson products called Kid Tools which features Kid CAD, Kid Works 2 and Kid Keys for the low price of $19.99. Until October 31 or while supplies last, they will include a Davidson T-shirt with a purchase of Kid Tools. Call 708-677-7660 to order. Sorry, but Elek-Tek does not ship overseas. Maxis will soon be introducing a junior version of its best-selling SimCity program. Entitled SimTown, this new program is aimed at children ages eight to twelve. Children will build neighborhoods by choosing and placing various building along streets. Price is undetermined at this time. You can contact Maxis at 1-800-336-2947. Sierra has an interesting offer available now through October 31 for owners of IBM compatibles with CD-rom drives and Windows. Three CD-roms contain the anthologies of three of Sierra's most famous graphic adventure series. The King's Quest Anthology contains all six King's Quest adventures, a preview of KQ VII and an interview with Roberta Williams. The Space Quest Anthology contains the five Roger Wilco adventures and an interview of the Two Guys from Andromeda. Finally, the Leisure Suit Larry Anthology includes all five Larry Laffer misadventures along with the Laffer Utilities for Windows, Larry's Pinball Games, Nick's Picks-Larry's Casino Games and a sneak peak at the latest Al Lowe creation, Capitol Punishment. These collections will show the great advances in computer capabilities and interfaces over the past ten years. Individually, the anthologies cost $59.95. Two collections cost $99.95 and all three can be purchased for $129.95. Call 1-800-757-7707 to order. Regarding Leisure Suit Larry, a rumor came through Chicago that Seinfeld's Jason Alexander was under consideration to portray Leisure Suit Larry. Details were not available whether Mr. Alexander would be doing the role for a feature motion picture, for a live-action interactive game or both. Thank you for reading. _____________________________ > MYST STR Review """"""""""""""" M Y S T ======= by Ivan Cockrum 72604,1117 By now you've probably seen and heard plenty of hyperbole regarding Robyn and Rand Miller's new interactive game, MYST. MYST is unique in my memory, in that people are actually going out and buying expensive CD Roms just to play it. When a single piece of software can sell the hardware required to use it, it's gotta be good. In any case, here at last is your chance to find out what it's all about. IN A NUTSHELL ------------- The games begins when you, the player, find a lost MYST linking book. This magical book transports you to the island of MYST, a lush, beautiful land, filled with wonderful structures and picturesque vistas. Immediately, the plot begins. You quickly learn that the inhabitants of the island, Atrus, his wife and two sons are missing. Through the Journals of the Ages, you learn that Atrus has somehow learned the mystical ability to create whole new worlds, or Ages, merely by writing them into existence. However, someone has been destroying the Ages. You must travel to each of the remaining ages, where you will search for clues to discover who is at fault, and what has become of Atrus and his family. To complete the game, you must learn how to use the many strange and mysterious machines left behind by Atrus in each of the Ages. SETTING STANDARDS ----------------- MYST succeeds admirably on many levels. With MYST, the Millers and their team at Cyan have managed to set several new standards for computer gaming. First and most obviously, there's the art. Painstakingly conceived, beautifully rendered, the art in MYST lives up to the full promise of the photo-realistic, 3D graphic age. Every screen in MYST looks like a snapshot of a real place: textures are rich and luxurious, from green grass to knotty pine to cold steel walls; settings have genuine depth, visibility diminishes into the distance; light sources reflect gaily off bright surfaces or create eerie shadows. MYST's art appears real and convincing, and is as attractive as anything ever seen on a computer screen. This compelling quality aids greatly in drawing the player into the game. Then, there's the sound. Unlike in most games, where the sound track is loud and intrusive, and important audible information lost beneath blaring music, MYST's audio mix is clear and level. Never does the music overpower any other aspect of the game, or interfere with spoken voice or sound clues. Where background noise in games usually becomes tedious, the sounds of MYST are pleasant and entirely harmonious with its superb art. I never tired of hearing MYST's background sounds (though there is a convenient option which allows you to turn them off), and rarely had to adjust the volume. Further, the sounds you do hear are delightful and provocative, from the low roar of a crackling fire, to the sweet sounding flow of a gently rushing spring. And sound is not only a background element, it's a source of information. With puzzles based on sound, sound becomes essential in understanding and solving the worlds of MYST. Further, sound *animates* MYST. Background animation in MYST is used sparingly, due to the limitations of technology. Background animation on every screen would eat up inordinate amounts of processor time. But the sounds of MYST are so sparkling, so unobtrusive, they become a form of living animation. Water swirls by in a constant stream in some places, the wind cascades through the trees in others. Insects and reptiles chirp. Everything is alive with movement, even though nothing is moving. MYST also takes advantage of Quicktime to the greatest degree I've ever seen in a game, even though it is used sparingly, as I mentioned earlier. Because MYST runs on a Hypercard engine, moving objects around on screen would have been difficult and tedious for the programmers, so the Millers came up with the ingenious solution of performing ALL actions with Quicktime movies: levers and gears, rising elevators, all Quicktime movies, seamlessly integrated into the existing background art. MYST also contains Quicktime actors, characters who speak to you. They, too, fit flawlessly into their surroundings. As with MYST's sound, these Quicktime movies are technically superior. They are well edited, and rarely do they halt or skip. The Millers have set still another standard, in interactive storytelling. The story of MYST is as compelling and as richly textured as any of the game's fine graphics, and compares favorably with any of Infocom's best text adventure games. The plot is well developed, the characters have great depth and are rich with motive and idiosyncrasies, and the mystery of MYST's missing inhabitants engaging. MYST genuinely draws the player in. While playing, I actually FELT that I was a part of this world. I found myself wondering who I was within the context of the game, where I had been before coming to MYST. And since MYST doesn't presume the gender of the player, the game should be equally appealing to players of both sexes. As adventure games go, MYST is fair, yet challenging. The puzzles are all logical, and involve no leaps of faith. Rather than making you figure out how to use an endless array of meaningless inventory, MYST's puzzles are usually based on learning to use one of Atrus' many machines (all of which could have been inspired by Jules Verne). Traditional adventure game mapping is difficult in MYST, until you realize that the topography of MYST mirrors that of real life. Rather than the usual grid of labeled boxes, I found myself drawing contour maps, with icons indicating each point-of-view I found. If you can see something in the distance, chances are you can get to it in a linear fashion. Also, there are no frustrating, arbitrary boundaries in MYST. Because the Ages of MYST exist as a series of tiny islands, each is bounded by water, which helps preserve the illusion of an endless world. MULTI-MEDIA, BUZZWORD OF THE 90s Finally, what all this adds up to is something of great import. In my opinion, MYST is the first TRUE computer-based, interactive multi-media experience. Forgetting MYST for the moment, let's think about the definition of multi-media. As explained by the computer industry and the media, it basically just means that you can add audio to your boring Persuasion presentation. But let's think about what it really means. A medium is something through which a message is conveyed, including the spoken word, photography, film, painting, etc. Multi-media is the expression of one or more ideas through a multiple of mediums. Adding a rock and roll soundtrack to your high-tech video game isn't multi-media, it's just background noise. The soundtrack doesn't convey any important information. But in MYST, multiple mediums DO join together to convey information. In MYST, there are at least three separate mediums through which information is conveyed, all of which have been mentioned above. First, there's the art. You learn a great deal about MYST by what it looks like. Second, there's the sound. The sounds of MYST aren't just pleasant background noise: they often contain vital clues and solutions to puzzles. Third, there's the story. This can be broken down into two parts: the Journals of the Ages, in which you learn much of MYST's history; and the plot as you experience it. (Theoretically, these could be considered two different mediums, but I'm trying to keep it simple, for the sake of the argument). Each of these mediums are integrated into the whole, synthesized together into a sum that is greater than its parts. WHAT IT ALL MEANS For the many reasons listed above, I truly believe that MYST will become the new standard by which computer games are measured, at least until something better comes along, but isn't that always the case? And MYST *guarantees* that we'll see better, and soon. Now that we have a standard, it won't be long before people come looking to beat it. In any case, if you have a CD Rom and the money to spare, do yourself a favor: get yourself a copy, as soon as possible. If you don't have a CD Rom, well, with prices coming down... ____________________________ > Primera Pro STR FOCUS! Fargo's Primera Pro Color Printer """""""""""""""""""""" PRIMERA PRO =========== For approximately two weeks now, you've read about the "special free sample printout" offer. The printout is from a Fargo Primera Pro color printer. What can be said aboiut a color printer other than it works and works well? I am going to try to tell you what I have found so far. The installation of the Fargo was a breeze. Set it up by inserting the right goodies and paper. (three simple steps) Then plug it in. Connect it to your PC or MAC and pop the driver software disk into your floppy drive and install the software for use on your system. The Windows drivers are fine they worked without so much as a hiccup. I used Corel Draw 5.0e, Aldus Pagemaker 5.0a and Micrografx Picture Publisher 5.0 to put this baby to the test. Needless to say it left me breathless with its performance. There are two major types of output one can set it up for. Dye Sublimation and Wax Transfer. Both are stunning in their clarity. The wax is ideal for every day color work and the Dye sub is perfect for Photo-Realistic output. It'll also do fine monochrome output. The wax output can also be done with special heat resistant paper. Its to be used to do "iron on" custom shirt designs. The colors are vivid and bright. Not even the slightest hint of muddiness. For the price, the Fargo Color printer is a real value. For further information; call Fargo at 1-612-941-9470. Why all the enthusiasm? We simply like the Primera Pro and want as many people as possible to know about it. We have, among other printers, the Fargo Primera Pro and I might add we are quite enthusiastic about this printer's fantastic performance. It does the job real well and is affordable across the boards. From the hobbyist to the corporate giant, the Fargo Primera Pro Color Printer (600dpi) is a necessity not a luxury. The output quality is undeniably top-notch. In fact, in an attempt to assist in having others see the output of such a fine printer that is truely affordable, we offer a free sample printout to anyone requesting such. Look elsewhere in this issue for the details. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY 600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to: STReport's Fargo Printout Offer P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 Folks, this has GOT to be the best yet. Is far superior to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as much as the FARGO Primera Pro. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please, allow at least a one week turn-around) A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo) Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN. Fire up that high-speed modem and head for your favorite GEnie Software Library! Effective October 10, 1994, you'll be able to participate in an open beta test, offering access to GEnie Services at 9600 bps for as little as $5.00 per hour. As a result of an arrangement with Sprint, GEnie will be offering 9600 bps access from almost 300 SprintNet locations. Best of all, this high-speed access will not be subject to high-priced surcharges. The normal $2.00 per hour SprintNet surcharge will apply...even at 9600 bps! This open beta test is expected to run through the end of the year. To find the number of the SprintNet access number nearest you, simply type PHONES at any GEnie menu prompt (or use the "Move To Keyword" option in Genie for Windows and type PHONES). Remember, this rate applies only to 9600 bps access via SprintNet. So be sure to choose the access number showing "9600" in the "Baud Rate" column AND "SprintNet" in the "Network" column. From the "Fine Print" department, please note that the $2.00 per hour surcharge for SprintNet access is applicable even during your initial four hours of monthly usage. So, whether you're into downloading software, reading bulletin boards, or accessing databases, it's about to become cheaper to do it faster! GEnie Information Services copyright (C) 1994 by General Electric Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ___ ___ _____ _______ /___| /___| /_____| /_______/ The Macintosh RoundTable /____|/____| /__/|__| /__/ ________________________ /_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/ /__/|____/|__|________|__/ /__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/____ Managed by SyndiComm /__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/ An Official Forum of the International Computer Users Group *** STReport available in MAC RT *** ASCII TEXT for ALL GEnie users! MAC/APPLE SECTION (II) ====================== John Deegan, Editor (Temp) > WP MAC 3.1 STR InfoFile """"""""""""""""""""""" WORDPERFECT 3.1 THE SECOND POWER MACINTOSH VERSION SECOND VERSION OF WP FOR POWER MACINTOSH NOW AVAILABLE FOR $99 WordPerfect, the Novell Applications Group, has shipped WordPerfect 3.1, the second Power Macintosh version of the world's best-selling word processor. The upgrade adds the QuickCorrect feature, Macintosh Easy Open and a filter for Microsoft Word files, and support for Apple's System 7.5. "Our main goal with version 3.1 was to offer Macintosh users a great deal of added functionality without requiring additional RAM or asking them to buy a machine with a bigger hard drive," said Roger Bell, WordPerfect for Macintosh product marketing director. "WordPerfect users are finding the new features in version 3.1 extremely useful without having to sacrifice additional system resources. While our competition now requires more hard drive space and additional RAM, WordPerfect s hard disk requirement is still only 9MB on a 68K-based Macintosh, 11MB on a Power Macintosh, and the RAM requirements did not change." WordPerfect 3.1 will be available for an suggested introductory retail price of $99 (US) until January 31, 1995. Users of any Macintosh version of WordPerfect can upgrade for a suggested $59 (US). After January, the suggested retail price will be $395 (US) and the upgrade will be $69 (US) Steven Bobker, former editor of MacUser magazine praised WordPerfect's support of Apple's System 7.5. "By supporting the Macintosh Drag Manager, WordPerfect 3.1 makes it easy to drag and drop things into and out of a document. The Drag Manager beats the pants off OLE, and it will continue to increase in functionality as more applications support it." "I have also found WordPerfect's support of the PowerTalk Mailer extremely useful. We run a LocalTalk network here with eight Macs and we've been able to dump all our extraneous mail stuff and mail from directly within WordPerfect," Bobker said. "I really like the QuickCorrect feature," said Michael Erb, a WordPerfect user from Ithaca, New York. "It's nice because I can see it fixing things behind me, but I don't have to think about it. Everyone mistypes words when they are preparing a document in a hurry and QuickCorrect fixes that." System 7.5 Support ------------------ AppleGuide support in WordPerfect provides interactive, online help and coaching capabilities to help users learn how to perform specific word processing tasks and use specific WordPerfect features, including recording macros, inserting graphics and other common tasks. Drag Manager support in WordPerfect 3.1 allows users to drag and drop text or graphics between documents and other applications. Text and graphics can even be dragged out of a document and onto the desktop, where they will reside as clippings files until they are dragged back into a WordPerfect document or another application. QuickDraw GX Printing offers WordPerfect 3.1 users increased printing options and greater printer control with simplified dialog boxes. Users will be able to designate the order of print jobs and change paper size, orientation (landscape or portrait) or scale factor throughout the document on a page-by-page basis. PowerTalk was supported in WordPerfect 3.0. Now that it is part of Apple's standard system and enabled on the Power Macintosh, more users will be able to take advantage of this feature. A PowerTalk button is available on the WordPerfect ToolBar. AppleScript was also supported in version 3.0. AppleScript is a system-level macro language that allows cooperation and communication between multiple applications. Scripts are useful for tasks such as taking data from a spreadsheet, creating a chart, and then pasting it into a WordPerfect document. WordPerfect is a scriptable application, which means that it acts or functions as a target application for Scripts. New Features ------------ QuickCorrect includes more than 130 of the most commonly misspelled words and hundreds more can be added to automatically correct spelling errors on the fly. QuickCorrect can automatically remove extra spaces between words and sentences, capitalize the first letter of a sentence, and insert typeset quality quotation marks. QuickCorrect entries can be added to expand text, such as having initials become a name. WordPerfect 3.1 ships with Macintosh Easy Open to make opening and converting documents into another format as easy as any other basic Macintosh task. Easy Open finds programs on a system that can open a document and lists them for the user. The user can then choose a program that can convert the document using its own internal translation capability, or one that uses specialized translation software. The DataViz compound filter for Microsoft Word 4.0 5.1 also ships with WordPerfect 3.1 to allow WordPerfect users to import and export documents in the Word file format including Word Fast Save files. Improved Merge Data File Options allow users to perform merges using data exported from FileMaker Pro, as well as data from WordPerfect tables. Fat Binary Installer Option. WordPerfect 3.0 currently uses a smart installer to detect whether a user is installing on a Power Macintosh or a 68K-based Macintosh. Version 3.1 will offer a Fat Binary Installer option to install a universal version of the application that contains both binaries and will run on both types of hardware. This increases ease of administering the product from a network. For stand-alone machine installation, WordPerfect will continue to offer a Smart Install option that automatically detects whether a user is installing on a Power Macintosh or a 68K-based Macintosh and installs the appropriate code-base. By providing both of these installation options on a single set of disks, WordPerfect is able to offer a single package that simplifies the purchase and installation process for users. System Requirements ------------------- For Macintosh, WordPerfect 3.1 requires a minimum of a Macintosh Plus, System 6.0.7 or later, 2MB available RAM, and a hard drive with 9MB of free space (complete installation). On the Power Macintosh, WordPerfect 3.1 requires 4.5MB available RAM, System 7.1.2 or later, and a hard drive with 11MB free space (complete installation). For more information, customers can call WordPerfect, the Novell Applications Group at (800) 451-5151. ********************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= STReport International Online Magazine is available every week for your reading pleasure on DELPHI. STReport's readers are invited to join DELPHI and become a part of an extremely friendly community of enthusiastic computer users there. SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI ====================== Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI services via a local phone call JOIN --DELPHI -------------- Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002 then... When connected, press RETURN once or twice and... At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN. DELPHI's 20/20 Advantage Plan 20 Hours for Only $20! ----------------------------- Advantage Members have always enjoyed the lowest DELPHI access rates available. On the new 20/20 Advantage Plan, members receive their first 20 hours of access each month for only $20. If you happen to meet someone online or find some other diversion, don't worry because additional usage is only $1.80 per hour. 20/20 Advantage rates apply for access via SprintNet or Tymnet from within the continental United States during home time or via direct dial around the clock. Home Time is from 6pm to 6am weekdays. Access during business time carries a surcharge of $9 per hour. These rates apply for most services, but note that there are some surcharged areas on DELPHI which are clearly marked with a "$" sign. Who is eligible to take advantage of the plan? Any DELPHI member in good standing. Applications are reviewed and subject to approval by Delphi Internet Services Corporation. It's easy to join. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply online -- at any time -- for membership in the DELPHI 20/20 Advantage Plan. Your membership becomes active at 4 a.m. Eastern Time on the first billing day of the following month. The $20 charge will be billed to you at the beginning of the month to which it applies. Any portion of the 20 hours not used in any month does not carry forward into the next month. Advantage rates may be changed with 30 days notice given online. TRY DELPHI FOR $1 AN HOUR! For a limited time, you can become a trial member of DELPHI, and receive 5 hours of evening and weekend access during this month for only $5. If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end of the calendar month with no further obligation. If you keep your account active, you will automatically be enrolled in DELPHI's 10/4 Basic Plan, where you can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a minimum $10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96. But hurry, this special trial offer will expire soon! To take advantage of this limited offer, use your modem to dial 1-800-365-4636. Press once or twice. When you get the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press again. Then, just answer the questions and within a day or two, you'll officially be a member of DELPHI! DELPHI-It's the BEST Value and getting BETTER all the time! ************************************************************ ATARI/JAG SECTION (III) ======================= Dana Jacobson, Editor > From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""""""""" Well, they keep saying that it can only get better? Bah!! No, I'm not referring to Atari - not this time anyway. My work schedule has been all messed up the past few weeks. With no night supervisor, half of my night staff consisting of vacancies with no end in sight to fill them - I've had to readjust my schedule to try and fill in on that shift! Not bad if it's just occasionally, but the next six weeks or so should prove interesting, to say the least! I have no idea what my superiors will want - night shift, day shift, splits, doubles, and who knows what other combination?! Hopefully, this won't adversely affect our Atari coverage in STReport. Sorry, I'm just cranky from finishing a double shift and deadlines arriving quickly! We've got a lot of interesting STuff for you this week! Along with our regular "People Are Talking" column from Compuserve, we've got a review of the latest version of that workhorse from Migraph: TouchUp, version 2.5, from local South Shore Atari Group member, Rick Keene. Rick is a professional graphics artist who has appeared in the pages of STReport in the past with other items of interest to DTP enthusiasts. He's updated us with details of the latest offering from Migraph. Greg Kopchak updates us with some news of Audio CD Master. Are you an "Othello" player? Well, "Stello" has been updated and we've got a list of the new features for you. Ever consider what kinds of strategies Atari should use? Well, we've got some more to help Atari get a foothold into the 90's! Looking for some specific PD or shareware software? Well, Suzy B's has it all (or close to it!) Make sure to check out their latest offering, in CD-ROM format and supported by Toad Computers. We're also including a little bit of history behind the origin of Suzy B's, just to make it even more interesting! And there's more!! Let's get to it (because I need some sleep!) Until next time... _______________________________ Delphi's Atari Advantage! TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (10/12/94) (1) NEWDESK AND DESKTOP GUIDE *(6) MAGIC SPOOLER 1.09 *(2) HSMODA04 SERIAL PORT ACC *(7) IDEALIST 3.51 (3) PUNT II (8) FALCON UPDATE ISSUE 6 (4) STOMP (9) LJS TERM 2.1 (5) TYPE 1 CONVERTER *(10) PLAYMPEG 0.60 DEMO * = New on list HONORARY TOP 10 The following on-line magazines are always top downloads, frequently out-performing every other file in the databases. STREPORT (Current issue: STREPORT 10.41) ATARI ONLINE (Current issue: AEO: VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12) Look for the above files in the RECENT ARRIVALS database. ________________________________ > Audio CD Update! STR NewsFile! - Audio CD Master 3.3 Ready! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" From It's All Relative's Greg Kopchak: Version 3.3 of Audio CD Master is now ready. If you are a known owner of a Toshiba drive, you will be getting the update free as it fixes some problems with this brand of drive. WHAT'S NEW You can now save your programmed sequences of tracks for future use. Up to 16 tracks from a CD can be programmed for either current use or saved so the same program is available anytime the CD is in the drive. You can select tracks by number from a pop-up menu very similar to the drive selector used in Sound Lab. You can now play a CD from a given track, minute, and second offset. eg. Play track 2 starting 1 minute and 14 seconds into the track. Updates are available for $5.00, postpaid, to all registered users of any previous version of Audio CD Master. Write It's All Relative, 2233 Keeven Lane, Florissant MO 63031. Toshiba owners, leave us e-mail to make sure you are on the free update mailing list. > Stello Upgrade! STR GameFile! - Othello Clone Improved! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Hello everybody. Stello 1.11 othello is out with features such as: - Works under Gem, all Atari computers, all screen resolutions, (x resolution must be at least 640) - Supports Multitos and WINX - Uses multitasking under Multitos - Advanced game-playing algorithms, alfa-beta minimax, iterative deepening, response killer table, saves game tree and uses the zero width minimax modification. - One of the best Othello programs in the world. - Background pictures on the board - Supports english, german, french and danish. - Dialogs in windows - Nice interface (3d buttons and check boxes even under old tos versions, nice line menus) New in Stello 1.11. The endgame search is a little faster and Stello now speaks french. Small bug fixes. More details in the documentation. Stello is a Shareware game. I have uploaded the game to the following ftp sites, in the file STELL111.LZH. ftp.uni-kl.de ftp.uni-paderborn.de sun.rz.tu-clausthal.de and if i ever can make it through the net i will also be at atari.archive.umich.edu Happy Othello playing. Claus J. Pedersen. -/- CompuServe First in Subscribers -/- In the competitive online information services industry where several claim to have the most subscribers, a study by Information & Interactive Services Report places CompuServe squarely at the top of the heap with 2.25 million subscribers in the third quarter of 1994. CompuServe has 1 million more subscribers than its nearest competitor. Reuters reports that the industry newsletter said CompuServe subscriptions rose 12.5 percent during the period, while Prodigy slipped 7.7 percent to 1.2 million and America Online rose 11.1 percent to 1 million. Prodigy is preparing a new design, while Delphi Internet Services Co. and GE Information Services Inc.'s GEnie online service are both overhauling their operations. Delphi has about 120,000 subscribers and GEnie has just 100,000 online. Migraph Releases Touch-Up 2.5! - A Review of the Classic DTP Tool! by Rick Keene Everyone who uses a computer has favorite program or two. It might be work-related, one used with a hobby or just for fun. These favorites are always easy to find on the hard drive and are as welcome as an old friend when they are opened. One of my favorites is Touch-Up, a black and white pixel editor that's been around since 1988. Over the years it has been upgraded for improved performance and now, once again it has been upgraded again. This time to version 2.5. [Editor's note: an upgrade to version 2.52 just arrived in the mail, a few weeks after 2.5 was released] There have been numerous reviews of Touch-Up in the past, so rather than give a review of the whole program, I'd like to cover the upgraded features. Upon opening Touch-Up, everything looks approximately the same except now there is a .5 added to the zoom boxes under the toolbox, and mouse coordinates appear in the upper right hand corner of the screen. (Figure 1). The .5 is a half-size zoom mode that allows a half scale view of the image being worked on. This is helpful when placing clip boxes around an image that was too large for full-size. The mouse coordinates give the position of the mouse cursor during work and can be an aid when placing a lassoed piece of art. These coordinates move to the upper left hand portion of the screen in Lightning mode. Other noticeable changes are the drop down menus. Most functions have keyboard equivalents next to the menu selections. Some have been changed from previous versions of Touch-Up to accommodate the Atari standard of keyboard commands while other features that were only available through the keyboard have been added to the menus. Another change in the look is the 3-D effect available to multi-TOS users on the Falcon and TT. One of the biggest and most used improvements is that you can now scroll around large images with the mouse. To do this you hold down the Control key while holding down the left mouse button and move the mouse in the direction you want to scroll. At first try, I kept overshooting where I wanted to go, but in a very short time I was able to control the speed of the scroll by moving the mouse at an angle to the direction I was moving. Sort of like setting the drag. This has saved time by not having to move the mouse to the scroll bars or the black box under the toolbox to move in small increments. Changes have been made when using the clipboard. Now when you paste an image that has been cut to the clipboard, you get to actually see the upper left hand corner of the art that you are pasting along with the wireframe box. Using the Z key, you can toggle from the upper left corner to the lower left which is an aid in pasting an image past the top edge of the screen, for instance. It is now easier to move an image with the clipbox by holding down the shift key and moving the mouse with the left mouse button pressed. A wireframe of the image is shown and then the art is dropped into place when you let go of the mouse button. The clip box is also placed around the clipped art in the new position. If for any reason you want to move the clipped art, but leave the clipbox behind in the original position, you just need to hold down the alternate key along with the shift key. Re-sizing a clipbox has been made easier by not having to grab the re-size handle on the side of the box. You can now just grab an edge and drag. It works great and is more convenient. In previous versions, when I thought I was grabbing the handle, I was grabbing nothing and ended up creating a new clip box. Grabbing the edge in any zoom mode seems to work easier and more efficiently. I haven't made any unwanted new clip boxes. One of the features that I have missed on a desktop computer imaging program is the ability to remove unwanted spots of different sizes. The "Cleanup" feature under the Process menu is fine for removing unwanted stray black and white pixels, but many times it's like using a Dustbuster when you need a street sweeper. Especially when you scan in an image that you've drawn by hand or a photograph. I figure since a computer is designed to make a task easier to accomplish, it should cheerfully do the grunt work that puts us humans in a bad mood. Version 2.5 now includes the Keene tool found under the Process menu. To "Keene" an image, you place a clip box around the area that has unwanted black or white spots and select Keene. (Figure 2) A dialogue box appears asking you to select black or white spots, and the size of the spots. This could be a minimum of one pixel in size to whatever the largest spot is. Pressing the alternate and K keys, undoes Keening. And yes, I blushingly admit that it was named after me. Touch-Up now has a merge feature which allows you to scan or load two images and merge them together within the program. You can scan or load in the left half of an image and then scan or load in the right half and then merge them into one image. This is a real time-saver, especially if you use a hand-scanner. Other enhancements include progress bars that have been added to features that didn't previously have them and depending on what resolution you're in, they are colored. Atari laser printer owners can now select the ID of their laser printer. I always wanted to print from within Touch-Up rather than use the Outprint program. I usually ended up loading my images into PageStream and printing from there. Cumbersome and time-consuming at best, but at least I didn't have to deal with GDOS. Now I'm able to change the ID of my laser printer and print from within Touch-Up whenever I want. The ID change can be saved with the defaults. The lasso behaves better due to changes in memory management and is able to select larger images. Also, TIFF images load without a problem and a warning box. I can finally relax my return key. Of course there are still things that I would like to see improved and even fixed. The first thing I'd like to fix is the scrolling while using the lasso in Lightning mode. After having lassoed an image, placing it and even hitting the Escape key to clear, the lassoed image will be placed after you finish scrolling with the mouse/Control key combination. Hit Undo before doing anything else or else you will be stuck with an unwanted image being pasted. Speaking of Undo, sometimes it just doesn't work while In Lightning mode. I usually notice it when using the polyline tool. Another noticeable bug was that after printing from within Touch-Up, I closed the program and went into PageStream. After working for awhile I went to print and PageStream printed blank pages. Re-booting remedied the curious situation. These days, there are less "vanilla" Atari computers than ever before, so these glitches may not show up on your machine. As for improvements, the ability to open more than one window at a time comes immediately to mind. Cutting and pasting between files in separate windows is something I've always wanted in Touch-Up. I'd also love to be able to scroll in Fatbits with on-screen arrows and the mouse or with the cursor keys. Aside from those picky little things, Touch-Up is a solid, hard-working program that I use around 50 hours a week or more. In the past 3 years I've produced at least a thousand pages with Touch-Up and my TT. This updated version has already changed the pace of my workday and it's still the program I use most. Even with graphics cards and all the latest color imaging programs, Touch-Up is needed now more than ever. Some of these imaging programs use .img files as masks and they don't have much in the way of drawing tools. They are for enhancing images and photos and therefore don't really require basic drawing tools. I usually create my masks in Touch-Up and then import them for use in Retouche CD. For special color projects, I will either scan my drawing into Touch-Up or draw it in the program. From there, I'll bring it into Retouche CD or TrueImage where I'll do the coloring and the special effects. Of course, Touch-Up still does wonders with black and white desktop publishing. While it doesn't have gradient shadings and hundred of other gimmicky special effects, it allows everyone from the professional illustrator to the DTP novice an abundance of tools that make illustrating fun. And what's important to me is that the finished product doesn't have that computerized look that can cripple an illustration. Touch-Up is still a solid program and an old friend from Migraph, a company that is continuing to support the Atari market after 10 years. And with the improvements in this latest version, I suspect that our friendship will continue for years to come. NEW FROM SUZY B's SOFTWARE: TWO VOLUME CD SET PUBLISHED BY TOAD COMPUTERS! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Suzy B's Software has been collecting and cataloging Atari Public Domain/Shareware programs and files for the past five years. Known for the "Honey of a Deal" they offer their their customers by allowing them to customize the disks they order, Suzy B's now offers, in teamwork with Toad Computers, an even sweeter deal. Their complete software library is being released in a two volume, 11,000 file, 1,300 meg CD collection. These CDs are not not 11,000 files of fluff either. Suzy B's has removed all the outdated versions of programs unless an older version has some specific features that make it useful in and of itself. This library is all the evidence needed to show how busy they've been in combing through the online services throughout the country. Each file is individually described, sometimes with a description reaching over a page (the main catalog is over 3.6 megabytes of ASCII text!). The files are grouped in such ways as to allow you to easily buzz through the CDs. There are 51 separate categories, and each file within a category resides in its own folder, with a catalog description within each folder. Since all of the files are uncompressed, you can run them directly from the CD, saving a lot of hard drive or floppy disk space! What's the cost? Not much at all. You can get our two volume CD for only $69.95, either from Suzy B's Software or through Toad Computers. Now that's "a honey of a deal!" And what do you get when you order this amazing 2 CD set? A double CD jewel case with 2 custom-made CD ROMs packed inside! It's attractively packaged and a must-have for any serious Atari user! It's compatible with all ST computers. ExtenDOS is recommended for accessing the disks and may be purchased from Toad Computers for $19.95. Suzy B's Software 3712 Military Road Niagara Falls, NY 14305 716-298-1986 Toad Computers 570 Ritchie Highway Severna Park, MD 21146 (800) 448-8623 Orders (410) 544-6943 Information ___________________________ And how did Suzy B's get started? What can they do for you? Suzy B's Software..."A Honey of a Deal" Suzy B's Software is buzzing onto the scene of the Public Domain/ Shareware supply services with a difference. Supplying single- or double-sided disks as requested, we will fill the disks full with compressed self-extracting files (compatible with all TOS versions). That in itself gives you a good deal, but Suzy B's goes on to give you what the owner, Susan Burkley, calls "a honey of a deal." She asks, "How many times have you wanted a utility and a game from a P.D. service but had to buy two disks to get them both? With Suzy B's we put your individual selections on a single disk so you can pick and choose and get more of what you want. Do you want a game, a children's program, a picture file or two, the most recent version of ST Writer, and a NASA press release? You can have them all on one disk! All our files are compressed in a self-extracting format to give you even more of what you want. Right now we have about 11,000 files from which to choose--our catalog is over 1,400 pages long--THREE POINT SIX Megabytes of ASCII text, and it keeps growing! It's a lot more work for us, but you get a honey of a deal!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How did Suzy B's Software come about? One day in 1989 Susan and Michael Burkley ordered twenty single-sided disks from a major PD disk supplier. After getting the disks and sorting them and discarding the "stuff" they couldn't use, well, they didn't have much left. And so, an idea was conceived. After nearly two years of work, Suzy B's Software was born. Susan, with the help of her husband, runs Suzy B's Software out of their home. Dividing up the labor between them, Susan runs the administrative end of the business while her Michael combs through the 1000's of online files to bring you the best in Public Domain/Shareware offerings. Susan manages both home and business while Michael is the pastor of the Niagara Presbyterian Church and the author of "The Unabashed Atariophile," an ongoing series of articles in Atari Explorer Online. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To All Shareware Authors (please pass this along!): Suzy B's Software is offering you an opportunity to increase your Shareware registrations. If you will place a brief text description of our service in your software's documentation (see below) we will give a free two disk Suzy B's Software catalog (value $2) _and_ a $3 discount on a Suzy B's Software disk to each person who registers one of your programs. If they register two they will get a total of $6 in credits. Even if a person is just _upgrading_ your software (and if you charge money for the upgrade!) they still get the $3 discount! Please get in touch with us if you wish to participate in this program, or if you wish to get one of our catalogs and see our selection first hand. Maybe we can help each other! Suzy B's Software 3712 Military Road Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14305 U.S.A. phone: 716-298-1986 716-297-8514 Suzy B's carries an ENORMOUS selection of Atari PD/SHAREWARE software as well as having a VERY unique approach to software distribution. Call today for a catalog, I think you'll be pleased! Suzy B's Software puts your individual selections on a disk so you can pick and choose and get more of what you want. Do you want a game, a children's program, a picture file or two, the most recent version of almost any PD Program, and a NASA press release? You can have them all on one disk! Right now they have about 11,000 compressed files from which to choose! With Suzy B's software you get "a honey of a deal!" Good News! Everyone who registers one of my Shareware programs will receive a free two disk Suzy B's Software catalog (value $2) _and_ a $3 credit towards the purchase of a disk from the Suzy B's Software collection. Register two programs, get a $6 credit towards the purchase of two or more disks; register three programs, get a $9 credit towards the purchase of three or more disks...and so on! What if you've already registered, but have an older version of my software? Just upgrade for a fee of $x and you'll still get the Suzy B's discount. Now that sounds like "a Honey of a Deal!" Just include a SASE with your registration fee so that I can mail a certificate of registration back to you for use with Suzy B's. __________________________ Jaguar Section ============== More AvP News!, "Fight For Life"! Toys R Us!, Jaguar vs the 5200? Atari Doom!, BioVision!,and more! > From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! """""""""""""""""""""""""""" It's been an interesting week for Jaguar news. While there are no new games (on store shelves), AvP, for one, will be arriving shortly. I'm confident that we'll hear of other games going into production any day now! Yes, I said confident. Atari has arranged a good deal with Toys R Us and there will be 300 stores carrying the Jaguar shortly. Atari needed to add this popular chain to their growing list of re-sellers; and it will prove to be a successful arrangement. Ever compare the Jaguar to some of Atari's older game console units? Well, STReport Jaguar staffer Dominick Fontana did just that. Check out Dom's article comparing the Jaguar to the 5200. Enough teasing, let's get to the news! Look for reviews of Brutal Sports Football next week, and Alien vs. Predator within the next couple of weeks. And, there will be more great news! Until next time... > Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's """"""""""""""""""""""""""" coming out. Current Available Titles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp. J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $49.99 Atari Corp. J9005 Raiden $49.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp. J9001 Trevor McFur/ Crescent Galaxy $49.99 Atari Corp. J9010 Tempest 2000 $59.95 Llamasoft/Atari Corp. J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $69.95 id/Atari Corp. JA100 Brutal Sports FtBall $69.95 Telegames J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari Corp. Available Soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER CatBox $49.95 ICD CatBox + $69.95 ICD Hardware and Peripherals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER J8001 Jaguar (complete) $249.99 Atari Corp. J8904 Composite Cable $19.95 J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp. J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95 > Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Contact: Diane Carlini/Marivi Lerdo Ron Beltramo Edelman Public Relations Atari Corporation (415) 968-4033 (408) 745-8852 _For Immediate Release_ TOYS-R-US STOCKS UP ON JAGUAR, THE WORLD'S FIRST 64-BIT VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Atari Launches Multi-Million Dollar Marketing Campaign For Jaguar SUNNYVALE, Calif. (October 10, 1994) -- Toys-R-Us isn't waiting until late 1995 to offer 64-bit video game systems in its stores. The retail chain has agreed to stock the award-winning Atari Jaguar in nearly 300 Toys-R-Us stores. The Jaguar is the only 64-bit video game system in the world. "Our competitors want consumers to wait until next Christmas to experience the power of 64-bit video games," said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. "But why should they wait when they can walk into a store and buy the most advanced video game system now?" The Atari Jaguar currently is sold in approximately 3,000 retail outlets across the United States with new accounts continuing to sign up as sales build toward the holiday buying season. Atari certainly isn't waiting for game enthusiasts to discover the Jaguar. On September 12, Atari launched an aggressive, multi-million dollar advertising campaign. The campaign kicked off with a humorous new commercial in which a teacher attempts to explain 64-bit technology to a group of dim-witted video game marketers who can't seem to tell her which of three numbers -- 16, 32 and 64 -- is larger. The advertising schedule includes national cable advertising in addition to programming in 19 of the top spot markets that will deliver more than 300 million targeted media impressions. More than 30 Jaguar game titles are scheduled for release leading up to the holiday season. Expected hits include Alien vs. Predator, Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story, Doom, Troy Aikman Football, Iron Soldier and Kasumi Ninja. Since its release in November 1993, Atari's Jaguar game system has been named the industry's "Best New Game System" (Video Games Magazine), "Best New Hardware System" (Game Informer) and "1993 Technical Achievement of the Year" (DieHard GameFan). The Jaguar is the only video game system manufactured in the United States. Atari Corporation markets interactive multimedia entertainment systems, including Jaguar, the world's only 64-bit system, and the only video game system manufactured in the United States. Atari is headquartered at 1196 Borregas Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94089. # # # Jaguar is a trademark of Atari Corporation. Atari is a registered trademark of Atari Corporation. Other products named may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their owning companies. CATNIPS.... Jaguar Notes from Don Thomas Below is an excerpt from text issued by Atari's PR firm; Edelman Worldwide. It was issued to selected contacts regarding Atari's "Fight For Life" game revealed by Francois recently on the online services. (Thanks to Travis Guy from AEO Magazine who found & forwarded me a copy of this text online and saved me some typing) [routed Oct. 12, 1994] -------------------------------------------------------- TAPING SESSION for new Atari video game. Atari producers are using live Martial Arts experts and BioVision(tm) full motion technology to create the most accurate and realistic Martial Arts fighting game ever made. Thanks to BioVision technology and the Jaguar's 64-bit power, the characters in the "Fight For Life" video game will have fluid and natural motion. At the video shoot, Martial Arts experts will perform the required 250 different moves (attack, defense, collision, moving, etc.) needed for the game's 3D animation. 25 different markers will be attached to each of the Martial Arts experts. Signals from each marker will be picked up by the camera and sent to a central system (monitors will be set up to view this action). The rate of the shooting is an incredible 200 frames per second. All the data will then be processed, adjusted and modified for the Jaguar's 3D engine. Atari has invested in BioVision's advanced production technology to fully utilize the superior power of the Atari Jaguar 64-bit technology. Although BioVision's technology has been used to create other video games, it has never been used to produce 3D games for a system as powerful as the Jaguar 64-bit system. BioVision offers state-of-the-art motion capture service for the Video Game Development and Computer Graphics Animation Industries. BioVision software in conjunction with 3D optical data acquisition system, captures, calculates and animates motion. # # # CATNIPS.... Jaguar Notes from Don Thomas The Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 1995 in Las Vegas will be Friday, January 6 through Monday January 9. Atari's booth is number 6939. The Jaguar 64-Bit Entertainment System Another Look By: Dominick J. Fontana CIS: 74766,2154 STR has already presented a review of the Jaguar console and has taken a few looks at Cybermorph. This article is not intended as a full blown review of the Jaguar console. Instead it will mention the points about the console that have not yet been covered. I was a bit disappointed with the actual physical appearance and outer design of the Jaguar console. I felt it wasn't designed as nicely as the Atari 5200, which was introduced around 1982. The Jaguar is certainly a better piece of hardware than the 5200, but coming twelve years after the 5200's release, I also expected the physical console to be better too. There were features that the 5200 had, that the Jaguar does not. First, the 5200 was much more high tech looking than the Jaguar. The Jaguar is actually a small, somewhat circular, rather odd looking piece of hardware. It is dark grey with the word Jaguar written in red across the top. The sides are sculpted to almost look like wings. It has two controller ports on the front, a power switch and red LED on the top, the RF input, channel select switch, power jack, Video expansion port, and DSP expansion port on the back. The top also has the cartridge slot and a circular groove to accommodate the planned and much ballyhooed CD-ROM drive in the future. The Jaguar comes with the console, external AC power adapter of the wall wart variety, automatic RF switch box, Cybermorph with game manual and controller overlay, and a console manual together with a Jaguar poster that contains hookup instructions on the back. You simply unplug your coaxial antenna from your TV and plug it into the RF box, then plug the RF box into your TV's antenna input. Then you connect the attached cord from the RF box to the Jaguar and set the channel select switch on the console to either channel 3 or 4, depending on which channel does not get reception in your area. (I'll assume channel 3 for this article). Then plug one end of the AC power adapter into the Jaguar and plug the other end into a wall outlet. If your TV doesn't use a coaxial antenna input, then you will need two adapters, which are not included. Turn on your TV and select channel 3. Then insert a cartridge into the console and turn on the power. A title screen will appear and then the game. The RF switching is automatic. When you turn off the power to the Jaguar the TV picture returns automatically and you may select a channel for viewing. This is pretty straightforward stuff. I only mention it to illustrate a point. The setup and operation of the Jaguar is similar to most of today's video games. However, the 5200 had a much better way of doing things and that was twelve years ago. I expected the Jaguar to be as good as the 5200 or better in this regard, but it was not. The 5200 had only one round cable permanently attached to it that ended in an RCA plug. The cable could be neatly wrapped around the base of the unit. There was also a unique RF switch box and a better AC power adapter. The adapter was not a wall wart. It could be placed on the floor and had a long RCA cable coming out of one side of the adapter and an AC power cord coming out of the other side. This meant that the AC power adapter was not plugged directly into the outlet. Just the cord from the adapter was plugged into the outlet. The 5200 RF box was great and I don't know why Atari opted to use a less sophisticated box with the Jaguar. The 5200 RF box carried both the RF signal and the AC power, so you didn't have to plug the AC power cord directly into the 5200. You simply plugged your TV antenna into the RF box and then attached the box to your TV. Then you attached the RCA plug of the AC adapter to the RF box and plugged the AC adapter cord into an outlet. Finally, you connected the attached cable of the 5200 to the RF box and set the channel switch on the back of the 5200. This might sound complicated, but it really isn't. To summarize, with the 5200 you simply plugged one cable from the 5200 to the RF box on your TV. All other connections were made directly to the RF box. Plus the 5200 cable was long and sturdy and could be neatly wrapped around the console's base when not in use. You could keep the 5200 near the sofa in the living room with just one cable coming out of it and it would most likely reach your TV. Turning on the 5200's power would automatically send the RF signal to the TV and turning off the power would return the TV picture. Simple and elegant. Now normally, an automatic RF box can present a problem if you wish to leave a game on, watch some TV, and then return to the game later. The 5200 solved this dilemma by including a Normal/Standby switch on the RF box. In the normal position, it worked as described above. However, in the Standby position it disabled the automatic switching. This meant that the power to the 5200 could still be on, but the RF signal would not be sent to the TV. This allowed you to keep the 5200 turned on indefinitely, to save your place in a game for instance, and watch TV without interference from the 5200. The Jaguar, on the other hand, has no such Normal/Standby switch. This means it is always in automatic switching mode. So if the Jaguar is turned on, you get the Jaguar's signal on your TV and not the TV's signal. You can't watch TV with the Jaguar turned on. As long as the Jaguar is connected to the RF box, you must turn off the Jaguar if you want to watch TV. That means you can't stop your game, watch TV for awhile, and then continue your game. The manual RF boxes are a real nuisance, since you always have to select TV or Game, depending on what you want to view. However, you can keep the game on and watch TV, simply by flipping the switch to TV. Now, the Jaguar's automatic RF box is much nicer than this for normal use, but you have to turn off the power to watch TV. That's why the 5200's automatic RF box was the best of both worlds. You had full automatic switching for normal but you could override it for those times you wanted to keep the 5200's power on and watch TV. Plus the 5200's RF box had built-in Velcro fasteners for fastening it to the back of the TV. The Jaguar's RF box does not have this. I don't mean to belabor the point, but the Jaguar's RF box seemed like a step backward from the technology used 12 years ago with the 5200. Since the Jaguar is supposed to be state of the art, I expected everything about it to be that way, and that included the RF box. There were other amenities that the 5200 had, that the Jaguar does not. The 5200 was a very sleek, high tech looking console that was very sturdy and had a power switch and red LED on the top of the unit. It was black and silver and had 4 controller ports on the front, compared to the Jaguar's 2 ports. It had one long, sturdy cable attached to it and the channel select switch on the back. That was it. The Jaguar requires you to connect the RF cable and the AC power cable to the back of it. The RF cable is connected to the RF box and is very short. The Jaguar could barely extend to the front of my entertainment center, when I originally set it up with the RF box. You would need an RCA adapter cable for the RF cable and an extension cord for the AC adapter, in order to place the Jaguar even a reasonable distance from your TV. It works, but it's a little messy with all those cables. And, as previously mentioned, the 5200 had a better RF box. The 5200 also had a hidden recessed compartment on the top of the console, which was used to store two controllers. The hinged door of the compartment was undetectable and provided a very sleek look. But when you opened the door, you had the convenience of having two controllers handy. The Jaguar has no such storage capability. The 5200 also used overlays, but the cartridges had recesses on the back with slots in order to store the overlays, when not in use. For some reason, the first 4 Jaguar cartridges don't allow you to conveniently store the overlays. Hopefully, this will change in the future. Finally, the 5200 had a covered cartridge slot on the console and the cartridges were also protected. The Jaguar console has its cartridge slot exposed and the first 4 cartridges are also exposed on the bottom. Plus, the back of the Jaguar has the video and audio expansion slots previously mentioned, and they too are exposed to the elements. This is not to say that I don't like the Jaguar, because I do. The items I mentioned are really just convenience features and not directly related to performance. I mention them here because I've never seen these items mentioned before and to provide a different perspective for a review of the Jaguar console. In addition, many of these items can be rectified. Atari has released Composite Video and S-Video cables that can be connected to the Jaguar's Video expansion port, so many people will not even be using the RF box. I am using the Composite cable. The cables are available now. Custom made RGB cables, as well as the other cables, are also available from Redmond Cable in Washington State. If you use one of these cables, then the Video expansion port is no longer exposed. Plus, one company has announced an expansion port box, that will presumably connect to the Jaguar's expansion ports, thereby covering and protecting them. When the CD-ROM unit is released, it will plug into the Jaguar's current cartridge slot and provide its own cartridge slot. If that slot is covered, that will take care of the exposed cartridge slot problem. Finally, future cartridges may be released that are covered on the bottom and that have slots to hold the overlays, and that will take care of the final two problems I mentioned. What's really important about the Jaguar is what is under the hood and whether or not the software takes advantage of it. The Jaguar certainly has a lot of power and is a fine machine. Don't be put off by this article because of the points I made. I was just comparing the Jaguar to the last Atari game machine I owned and the Jaguar is certainly a much better machine than the 5200. They are really rather minor points and once you get everything set up to your liking, these points won't be an issue. I'm sure that dust covers, cartridge storage cases, and other accessories will be released for the Jaguar in due time. I purchased the Jaguar in January 1994 and it is a great machine and I highly recommend it. Now all we have to do is wait for the software that will really showcase the power of the Jaguar and that software is forthcoming shortly. > Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr! """""""""""""""""""""""""" From Compuserve: Fm: David Solomon 76670,622 To: All Here's an interesting conversation I had using the CIS SEN commands just a few minutes ago: Randy Hain - hi david DS: hi there RH: got a jag ? DS: yes, since november '93 ... you? RH: jag. developer DS: Great! What are you working on?? RH: Fight For Life, soon on your screen DS: Hmmm, I haven't heard of that... are you free to describe it? RH: was top secret until now.I am coming from Japan.I was working on the arcade version of Virtua Fighter for Sega ... DS: "..." Whoa - no kidding!!?? RH: no no kidding.so far the game is 1000 polygon/frame.20 frames/second.texture map. and other top secret stuff DS: That would be a **major** winner for the Jag... have you announced it yet to the Jag forum(s)? RH: no not yet. The press conference is for next thursday.with CNN,discovery channel,channel 4,channel 40, game pro,next generation... DS: Well your secret is safe with me... RH: by the way I am french. My name is Francois. DS: I won't say a thing, Francois.. ! RH: it's no more a secret. the first article was on a french magazine last month. DS: Well, you should post it here, you'll *really* make everyone happy...! RH: Their opinion : faster,better than Virtua Fighter for the saturn RH: I like to speak with users time to time. But I am to lassy to post anything.But go ahead, you free to report whatever I tell you DS: ok, will do RH: (What's about my English ?) DS: your English is great. one mistake "lassy" = "lazy" :) RH: Thanks, spelling is not that easy. The game must be available for the next CES in L.V. DS: Winter CES in January? RH: YES DS: Well, I'll put a post together of our conversation ... RH: 8 characters.3 boss.Want the story line? DS: Yes- please, what's the story line? RH: All of my poor characters are dead (you got a boxer, a ninja, an exotic dancer, an arabian fighter, a ex-marines, a chinese, a dock worker) Unfortunately they are in the hell. There is a way out. Each year, you got a tournament in the hell, where the winner can encounter the devil's son. the price of a victory here is a life, a new life. Welcome to Fight For Life DS: Those characters sound great... I like the "getting out of hell" theme RH: [ I forgot Sarah, ex psychopate (???)] DS: psychopate = psychopath RH: thanks. I got to go. Must brush up the version for next week DS: okay, thank you!! take care!! In a message correcting one of David's assumptions: Sorry my name is not Randy, I am Francois, and the name of my game is Fight For Life, not Virtua Fighters.... And more on Fight for Life from Atari's Bill Rehbock: A couple of things... The name of the game is "Fight For Life" Eight Characters (plus a few more :-) in Eight Different Backgrounds Some texture mapping on the characters (facial features, clothing details, etc.), but mostly high-frame-rate polygons. True-color backgrounds Awesome soundtrack by Joe Vitale Very cool camera tracking system, much more variance than Virtua Fighters. Advance replay system that looks fantastic. Latest-generation Silicon Graphics motion capture that we are doing in conjunction with Biovision. ...and some secret stuff :-) The game is an Atari in-house project. I am the Executive Producer, J. Patton is the Producer, and Francois is the Project Lead. 3D models and artwork are being done by a team in Chicago. Story... You and several others that have led less-than-stellar lives find yourselves dead. Not quite committed yet, though. Somebody does want to give you a break though and allows all of you to have one last tournament and give the winner a second chance to Life on Earth to redeem themselves. The fights progress, but there is an unexpected contestant at the end... Stay tuned, -Bill Rehbock @ Atari From Steven Bernhard regarding recent AvP review comments: Just received the latest issue of Gamefan. They have a final review of AvP and give it 98's across the board. This is each reviewers comments. "What an absolute buttkickin' game AVP is! A couple of years ago (when I saw the movies) I would have never imagined playing a game this good. If this is how Atari treats big license, than every big movie should go directly to the Jag! Great sound, great graphics, great control... GREAT GAME!" "AVP is not a walk through, 3-D shoot 'em-up. I'm so happy! I've waited six months, so I wanted a long game. Well, I got not one, but three! You have to think and map in AVP or you WILL die...cool. I can't believe this is a 16 meg cart." "AVP is the best 3-D action game that I have ever played. It has more strategy then Doom, and the graphics are second to none. I cannot believe how well the movies are represented here. From the sound to the look of the characters and backgrounds this is what a movie port should look like. The Jag has proven itself. This is only a 16-meg cart! Imagine the future!" Also no "Let The Games Begin" or even the AVP ad. They have been replaced by the new Kasumi Ninja two page ad, a one page Doom and a one page Checkered Flag ad. Steve, Gameware Express There has been some disappointment regarding id software's dropping modem support for Doom on the Jaguar. Atari's Bill Rehbock offers some insight to that decision, and some looks into the upcoming game: Jag DOOM does support two-console networking, and yes, the need to ship before Christmas outweighs the need for the modem. Don't forget, ID also wrote Wolfenstein for Jaguar in the middle of the DOOM project. Cool stuff in Jag-DOOM: 23 levels (plus secret level) 16-bit true color, not 256 so the shading down the hallways looks eerier than you've ever seen before, and there's no "color swim" as you cruise down hall-ways as in other version. Lighting effects in the pulsating lighting zones look outstanding also. Very responsive two-console play using ICD's CatBox (we also are planning to have inexpensive cables available from Atari, too.) Wait until you see how fast your buddy can try to run away from you :-) All of the original, complete animations of the monsters, with side-views, back views, etc. Many tweaked levels to make things different than the PC, as well as a couple of unique Jaguar areas. -Bill Rehbock @ Atari ___________________________________________ > ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" PEOPLE... ARE TALKING ===================== On CompuServe ------------- compiled by Joe Mirando 73637,2262 Hidi ho good neighbors. It's that time again. As I sit here, typing on my Stacy, I am amazed at the amount of activity here in the Atari Forums on CompuServe. Let's be honest: Atari effectively went out of the computer business a year ago. That's a year without producing computers (okay, they produced a few TTs for Jaguar development, but they didn't last long and weren't advertised). And through all these months without machines being manufactured, interest has remained high in these wonderful machines. Of course the level of activity isn't the highest it's ever been, but it's still pretty good. So let's take a look... From the Atari Computing Forums =============================== Paul Peeraerts tells us about his mouse problem: "From time to time, when I move the mouse of my Atari away from me, the pointer goes down instead of up. This lasts for about five minutes (until I'm getting used to moving the mouse in the "wrong" way) and then everything is all right again. Some one told me, that this is caused by a virus. Has someone experienced this same thing?" Sysop Bob Retelle tells Paul: "Yes... that is the effect of a known virus on the ST. You should use a virus checker/killer on all your disks as soon as possible..!" Dazzz Smith tells Paul: "Yeah it sounds like the Ghost virus or green goblin, basically after so many copies the virus inverts the mouse movements. On of the earlier virus killers should handle it no problem, try searching the libs here with keyword VIRUS. You will need to go through ALL of your floppies though, and be careful of using it on disks that autoboot! In the meantime I suggest you do a coldboot of the machine (i.e. Power it down) before using a disk." Paul tells Dazzz and Bob: "Thank you very much for the warning, Dazzz! I have checked all my floppy disks and 90 % of them had the "Inverse mouse virus" and 5 % the "Key virus". I had never checked my disks before, thinking that those things never happen to me... I have "desinfected" all my disks now and until now my mouse behaves properly. But what about my hard disk? Could it be infected by one of those viruses too? I didn't find a program in the library to desinfect hard disks. Thanks again for the big help!" Dazzz replies: "Well the inverse mouse one isnt a problem for the Hard disk, the key virus I dont know about i'm afraid. There are very few Virus's on the ATari that do affect Hard drives, however if you want to be sure then you need to get an up to date virus killer that will tell you about them." Sysop Bob adds: "As Dazzz indicated, those two viruses you found on your disks are floppy disk viruses.. they can't infect your hard drive. In fact, even though there has been talk of "link viruses" which CAN infect hard drives for years, I still don't remember hearing of any reliably reported instances of anyone really being infected. Be sure to check any floppy disks that come into your computer from outside sources, even commercial disks, before you boot from them.. and keep the write protect tab open on any disks you can, to protect against re-infections." Carl Barron adds this bit of info: "ORA in their ultimate virus killer docs, describe at least 10 existing link viri, and what they do. Docs are at my other location... Be warned , self booting disks will be detected as containing viri, by many virus checkers, of course, since they use the boot sector to load the program, they better not be disinfected, or infected by an existing virus. Cold boot with blank, [unformatted is even safer! diskett in the drive.] If you have an hd, this will work. Also no diskette in the drive and no hard dsk might produce no icons, as no block devices are found on boot up." Sysop Bob tells Carl: "I've read about the link-viruses from Europe too.. but have you ever heard of a single instance of anyone really seeing one..? I'm not saying it can't or won't happen, only that in all the time I've been watching the Atari scene, I haven't seen it." Carl tells Bob: "So far, I have not seen a link virus! [Thank goodness!!] When I do I will tell EVERYONE!!!" Dazzz adds: "Link virus's dont seem to have spread very far (Thankfully) but they do exist, I know there were at least 3 in existance as far back as 3 years ago." Ken Goodwin posts: "I'm trying to locate a product called Video Key. Does anyone have one they would like to sell, or know where I can pick one up, price, etc.?" Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Ken: "If I remember correctly Video Key allowed your Atari ST to generate composite video output so it could be taped on a VCR or output to an NTSC style monitor. The prices way back when were around $70 or so. You might try Toad Computers they seem to have almost everything Atari these days." Ken also asks: "I am trying to convert some clip art files with the extension CGM. These are for an IBM platform, but I need to convert them to Atari. I tried using Gemview, but it would not recognise the file. Any suggestions?" Nathan Potechin tells Ken: "CGM (Computer Graphic Metafile) is most easily converted on your IBM using programs such as Hijaak or Debabelizer and converting the files to something the Atari will recognize, such as a standard GEM Metafile. I am not aware of any program on the Atari that recognizes CGM straight away although I don't claim to know all programs and might have missed hearing about one." Jeff Mumma asks: "Is there any program for the Atari ST that serves as a front end to CompuServe? For example, my friend with an IBM clone uses WinSim, and on GEnie I use Aladdin. Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated, as I am new to CompuServe and feeling sort of "out there" since I don't have a PC or a Mac." Sysop Jim Ness tells Jeff: "Try my QuickCIS package, available as QWKCIS.PRG in Library 2 here. It's not as extensive as Aladdin, but has essentially the same purpose." Through the Internet, Brian Roland posts: "I'd like to see Atari shoot for some new horizions... Atari does have some good archives of past research laying around, that with a tiny bit of working them up to the current times and beyond could give them some leverage into two very powerful markets. One being virtual reality systems. Perhaps a good place they can gain some immediate ground is in the low end Personal Computer market. There are millions of people out there who would love to have a simple PC, yet don't require anything any more powerful than an ST. Not everyone cares about, and even fewer people need the power and punch of a Pentium or Power PC. The current trend in software is to make it VERY MEMORY, CPU TIME, and HARD DRIVE hungry. Atari proved years back that their systems could do very amazing things with a mere one megabyte of RAM and a CPU that tops out at 8mhz. They got creative and found ways to directly access the memory...bypassing the CPU unless it was absolutly necessary. Of all the machines made to date...it is hard to argue against ATARI beig the best at hardware efficency, and laying out a good OS that allows programers to milk that machine for all it's worth with minimal fuss. With all of this in mind...here are some potential stratageys Atari could take to stay alive while they shoot for getting back into real compitition with the big dawgs. 1> Market what you have! The STe could easily be sold at a good profit complete with a monitor and small hard drive for less than $500.00 a pop if produced in large enough quanities. But it must be pushed as a HOME COMPUTER. Stress exactly what the system CAN DO right now...and not what it might to TOMORROW. How many of you ask the car salesman, "Can I upgrade my Grand Am to a Bonniville when I get the money?" Believe me...there is a market for this type of system...people simply have to be offered an opportunity to buy it. In the entire historyof the PC wars...no company has ever attempted this "Get what you pay for strategy." They've always made a point to stick in a bug here and there, in hopes of moving tommorows product, be it a new machine, or a $5.00 fix. 2> Assimilate a list of tasks you want the system to perform flawlessly and efficently. Get the word out, "Hey...this is a job you need done, and this is a job this system can do...today...right now." Most people buy a product with these things in mind. 1. What do I need this tool to do? 2. How much money do I have to spend on it? Would you buy a $16,000.00 Snap Tight tool kit complete with a hydrolic wrench when all you really need s a $4.00 3/4" socket, a $15.00 hammer, and a few screwdrivers? I didn't think so. Would you buy a 6 car garage for these tools if you only planed to use them on one car? No, I didn't think so. Well...that's what the current PC market is asking you to do. Buy our machine that has more room than you need...and our package deals are going to force you to buy tools you don't need in the form of sloppily written Operating systems and software which are guaranteed to suck up over half of your hard drive space! 3> Worship your dealer There is no better way to move a product than keeping the people who stock your products happy. The best example I can offer for this concept is little company built in a wood shop in Meridian, Mississippi. Peavey Electronics...they haven't always made the BEST of the BEST products throughout their history, and they haven't ever bought multi-million dollar TV spots...but they kept the goods rolling by remaining loyal to their dealers, and assureing them an attractive share of the profits. They keep the tools small and seperate, so that they can fit in almost anyones budget, yet still turn a good profit for the retailers who choose to carry them. The Asian giants laughed so hard at Hartley Peavey, that they fell on their back sides...and just kept funneling their overpriced overkill products (with no choices per budget on options) through the pennys per sale warehouse market. Peavey still remains loyal to their dealers to this day...and they are now a very successful GIANT in the industry. For this very reason...you will rarely ever walk into a music store that carries Peavey products...and not have unquestioned local support. Furthermore...dealers really PUSH Peavey because they are such a pleasure to deal with...and the balance sheet shows that even with extremely competetive prices...the retailer makes a handsome profit. 4> Refer to point 3> There are a number of ways to market yourself. The big boys are aimed at high priced media methods. Shooting for 1 in every 5 people who are foolish enough to buy what they don't need...just because a flashy commercial or news article makes them want it. It works well, because they reach billions of people, and they mass distribute via warehouse for pennys per copy." Jon Sanford adds his own thoughts: "Once I got my hands on a 16Mhz MegaSTe I don't like to use the 8Mhz ST as much as I used to." John Amsler adds: "Someone in Atari's shoes...who has little money for media and mass marketing can still make a very healthy and profitable go for a share of the market, which can rapidly grow into big time contenters. Atari can not afford to pertend it is IBM or Apple...and snub off small buissness as a distribution method. For peanuts, on the corprate scale, Atari can send out reps and sell their ideas on the local level by winning the love and support of small and medium retail dealers. Next, they should keep constant communication with these dealers...waiting on them hand and foot...helping them advertise loaly...person to person...mouth to ear. They should go out of their way to help these dealers train technicians for quality in house support...and do everything in their power to help fatten the wallets of these dealers. If you were in the market for a new PC... And there was a place nearby where you could go to take a few systems for a test drive. I'm almost positive you'd do it! If you liked what you saw... and the dealer had a reputation for prompt and quality service... I'm pretty confident you'd look no further...and give the local guy...who will soon become a personal correspondant and friend, your buissness. If that weren't enough...upon seeing his price is just right for your budget, and the tool will get the job done quickly and efficently...I'm pretty sure you'd buy it then. Still not sold? This guy sponsers your son's little league team as well...I've yet to see BIG BLUE directly affect many communities unlesthere happened to be a plant in town. This ancient, but almost forgotten approach to good buissness not only puts desperately needed dollars in the accounts of a dwindling corperation, it also puts a number of "Be You Own Boss" type of jobs out in the economy. It opens the arena for Enterpenures that aren't on Atari's pay roll...technicians that aren't on their pay roll... Advertiseing not on Atari's books... Risks bared by the nation at large... And a strategy that's been tried and proven time and time again. 5> Try as they may...Mass Media will never outsell the efforts of hard working individuals...people...people trying to make a good honest go in life...with the courage to risk a little on the line of a trusted profit source. Atari could become one of these sources...people would buy it! And people would benifit from it! For those of you who have forgotten... Atari once held many of these notions dear to heart. I can remember when there was an atari machine of some sort in every other house on the block, and dealerships of all shapes and sizes scattered in towns and cities of very diverse natures. I also remember dealers who were proud to be associated with Atari...and enthuastic about showing you what the machines could do...and even more enthused to sell you one. Then one day...they all took down the Atari Signs from their windows...and sighed in disguest as they said, "It was a wonderful machine...and I loved selling them, but Atari refuses to keep me stocked to potential." I once even heard an Ex-Atari dealer say, "I'm selling them as fast as they'll ship them to me, but I can't continue to deal with them any longer when they refuse to answer my Faxes, Letters, and questions about technical problems...my coustomers deserve better than this...and if it means going to less effiecent and more expensive machines...then I will." The list goes on...and I've even seen some of the snide reports that Atari would eventualy send in response when dealers would simply ask, "Why?" They also managed to alienate some of the industry's finest engineers and designers...and turn down scores of brilliant programers who simply asked for an affordable development kit for independent enterprise. The list of disappointments goes on and on...and progressively worse. You've made your mistakes Atari...it's time to get back to the basics and win back your most valuable asset...people. You've got highly marketable products...and potential to someday make another day-view on the innovative scene...but it's a long hard haul...and it's got to start all over...from the ground up. The way I see it...Atari's relationships with people should be top priority for now...as that is the least expensive to begin altering, and the most benifical in the long run. As much as I love my Atari STe...I must admit...Atari has no buissness seeking top minds and developing top notch machines until they learn to manage what they already have. I wish them luck... And I'll stand by my Atari STe tooth and nail until the day it refuses to complete a task I need done...and when that day comes...unless Atari has at least tried to work up to it's potential...I'm afraid I'll be buying a Mac or PC. From there...the decision will be mostly influenced by the demonstrations I recieve of both the machine, and the proven service of a local dealer. The first guy that shows me a machine that impresses me, does what I want it to do on demand, and gives me the best support and price, thats what I'll buy...and who I'll buy it from. I really don't care who makes it, and what gadgets the tech heads argue is the best...when I walk in the store, I'm ready to buy...not waste time shoping my valuable work and leisure time away. That's how I was sold my ST...and that's how I'll be sold my next computer. By a person...not a 5,000 page book of ad's...not a TV commercial, and most definately, not a colour flyer boasting a neatly packaged system thru Amercian Express." Jon Sanford adds: "There is another Strategy which can sell Atari Computers. A store is not necessary anymore. All that is required is an enthuastic individual like Frank at CyberTech in Santa Fe, NM (505) 474-2861. He is keeping my Atari intrest alive & well by having a large catalogue & delivers what I order in less than a week, To my door! He is Knowledgable and our phone conversations are very usefull. A full line of Atari Computers is still avaliable. Software is still being upgraded. But face the reality that people who can see thru the mass market hype are rare. When you say Atari most people won't know what your talking about. Don't feel bad because your smarter than average." Well folks, that's about it for this week. There's lots more info where this came from, so why not just dial up to CompuServe and listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > A "Quotable Quote" "A True Sign of the Times" """"""""""""""""" "A WOMAN'S PLACE IS.... IN COMMAND!" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > DEALER CLASSIFIED LIST STR InfoFile * Dealer Listings * """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" --------------- ABCO Incorporated ================= P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 Est. 1985 1-904-783-3319 1994 Fall SPECIALS NOW IN EFFECT! --------------------- ABCO manufactures custom storage devices! TEN PERCENT OFF (10%) with this ad (clip) INTEL 32 BIT 486/66, VLB w/Math CoProcessor 8MB ram upgradable to 64MB 1MB SVGA VESA VIDEO CARD Sound Blaster Compatible Stereo Sound Card DOS 6.2 - Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Included 256K CACHE - 1.44 FLOPPY Drive, Mouse & 101 deluxe Keyboard 340MB IDE hd - 2 SERIAL, 1 PARALLEL, 1 GAME PORTS 250W POWER SUPPLY TOWER SYSTEM - 14" SVGA 1024x768, NI 28dpi Monitor 66Mhz, S&H Incl 1295.00 - 595.00 with order, Checks OK, balance COD Other higher powered packages available or, design your own! 90Mhz - Pentium Call for value added pricing! Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail =====******===== Syquest Removable 200mb 449.95 SCSI Drives(Priced Right!) All Size Platters Available 200mb (84.95) One Platter included with each Drive free! Bernoulli! Call for Prices! Diamond Computer High Speed Video Cards w/1-2mb VRAM Greatly Enhances Windows SPEED and EFFICIENCY Diamond High Performance Sonic Sound Cards Available Soundblaster Cards and compatibles 8 & 16 bit Creative Technologies' Sound Blaster 16 SCSI & Sound Blaster * AWE 32 * SUPER Sound Card Media Vision Line - True Multi-Media IDE Super IO cards & 16550 UART 2 & 4 Port Cards SCSI ADAPTER CARDS & SCANNERS COLOR & MonoChrome Call: 904-783-3319 Anytime, Voice Mail """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" COMPUTER STUDIO =============== WESTGATE SHOPPING CENTER 40 Westgate Parkway -Suite D Asheville, NC 28806 1-800-253-0201 Orders Only 1-704-251-0201 Information FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" EAST HARTFORD COMPUTER ====================== 202 Roberts St. East Hartford CT. 06108 1-203-528-4448 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" MEGABYTE COMPUTERS ================== 907 Mebourne Hurst, TX 76053 1-817-589-2950 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" SAN JOSE COMPUTER ================= 1278 Alma Court San Jose, CA. 95112 1-408-995-5080 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" CompuSeller West ================ 220-1/2 W. Main St. St. Charles, IL., 60174 Ph. (708) 513-5220 FULL LINE COMPUTER DEALER """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" (DEALERS; to be listed here FREE OF CHARGE, drop us a line in Email.) """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport International Online Magazine -* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *- AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 70,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STR Online! "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" October 14, 1994 Since 1987 copyright (c) 1994 All Rights Reserved No.1042 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International Online Magazine. 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