*---== CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" _____________________________________ featuring STReport Online Magazine¿ """""""""""""""""""""""" December 22, 1989 Vol III No.119 ======================================================================= CPU NewsWire Online Magazine¿ __________________________ Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205 ~ 6672 R.F. Mariano Publisher - Editor _________________________________________ Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST/14.4 FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT _________________________________________ ** F-NET NODE 350 ** 500mb Online ** Our support BBS carries ALL issues of CPU/STR Newswire and An International list of private BBS systems carrying STReport for their users enjoyment __________________________________________________________________ > Issue: #119 CPU Newswire¿ The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------ - The Editor's Podium - CPU REPORT - Hisoft C - Insite Flopticals * 20mb * - HOLIDAY CHEER!! - WAACE/Fall '90 - CPU CONFIDENTIAL ---===*** MICROTYME WINS GOLDEN FUJI AWARD! ***===--- ---====** LYNX BEING DELIVERED BY SEARS! **====--- --==** 20MB 3.5" FLOPPIES ARE REAL! **==-- ========================================================================== CPU NEWSWIRE "Only UP-TO-DATE News and Information" -* FEATURING *- Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports ========================================================================== CPU/STR's support BBS, NODE # 350 invites systems using Forem ST BBS to participate in Forem BBS's F-Net mail network. Or, Please call # 350 direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging ideas about the Atari ST computers through an excellent International ST Mail Network. ========================================================================== AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ========================================================================== > The Editor's Podium¿ The Holidays...a wonderful time of the year!! Its great being able to renew friendships that may have strained somewhat during the year. Along with the holiday cheer comes the fact that this time of year marks the advent of a "new beginning"; the imminent arrival of a new decade 1990. And along with the new decade comes fantastic new products and ideas for more. Many, we have never even dreamed of, will be a reality in this decade.. Ah yes, 1990 - the NEW decade. Will this the beginning of Atari's new direction? Will we see the advertising and promotion so gloriously evasive for the past few years? Certainly all the goodwill generated at Comdex/Fall '89 will not be laid to waste by the "powers to be". At the least, it would be gratifying to see the Atari 16/32 bit computer lines gain in notoriety and prominence in the States through adequate advertising. Most distressing to see the darn "revolving door" still in operation. Good luck to you Mike in your future endeavors. We notice that the market has been called depressed and all sorts of other 'less than encouraging' names. Strange, we have not found that to be the case. The bottom line is there are new products coming out from Atari and a host of third party manufacturers, some of which are dramatic improvements over existing hardware and software offerings. We have been allowed to preview a number of new and innovative products in both areas and will present comprehensive overviews of these goodies, when permitted, through out the course of the new year. In the meantime, back to the wekkend before us. Please, for goodness' sake enjoy the holidays to the fullest extent but don't drink and drive. Even if you disagree with some of our opinions, we still need you as a reader and do value our association. Assign a designated driver if you are going party hearty. Here's wishing a wonderful holiday season to all, Ralph... ps; many thanks to all those who sent greeting cards, we stopped counting at 283! *********************************************************************** NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME to the Readers of; CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE¿ featuring STReport Online Magazine¿ """""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY! Call any of the St Report Official BBS numbers (Listed Above) or Leave E-mail to St.Report - R.Mariano Be sure to include your full mailing address so your Compuserve kit can be immediately mailed to you! NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE *********************************************************************** > CPU REPORT¿ ========== Issue # 46 ---------- by Michael Arthur Remember When.... Thomas Rattigan, a former PepsiCo executive, became President of Commodore in 1986, and when a year later, he was "dismissed" by chairman Irving Gould, being removed by force from Commodore's headquarters by security guards in the process, or when Max Toy resigned from being President of Commodore in the Spring of 1989, after lasting for 2 years? CPU Systems Roundup¿ XII ======================== Hisoft C Interpreter 2.0: BASIC Necessities with the Luxury of C ----------------------------------------------------------------- Part II As a solution to the problems normally associated with C Programming and C Compilers, and to make the C Language more accessible to beginning programmers, Michtron is now selling a program called the Hisoft C Interpreter. Developed by Loriciels, a French ST Software firm, Hisoft C 2.0 provides many virtues of BASIC programming to the C Language. Instead of having to link/compile a program to run it, Hisoft C lets you just run it in the same manner BASIC Interpreters allow you to run BASIC programs without compiling them. Hisoft C can also trap Syntax and Semantic errors found in C programs, as well as Cherry Bombs caused by more disastrous programming flaws. It also provides descriptions of these errors when they occur. But while Hisoft C has many benefits of BASIC, it still provides the full power of the C Language. Hisoft C has a library of 460 functions, supporting the standard Kerningham & Ritchie (K&R) implementation of C, the standard Unix C Library, and GEM's AES/VDI libraries. Hisoft C also supports some of the functions shown in the draft ANSI C Standard. Since the ANSI C Standard will soon be completed, full ANSI C Support will be found in a future update of Hisoft C. In Part I of this review (in CPU Report #38), Hisoft C's features and capabilities have been described, in order to take a closer look at Michtron's innovative new software development tool. In this segment, the C Tutorial in the Hisoft C Manual is explored in depth, in order to both judge its usefulness as a tool for learning C, and how the quality of its manual itself contributes to Hisoft C as a software development tool. Overview of the Hisoft C Tutorial --------------------------------- Hisoft C 2.0 comes with a 330 page spiral-bound manual, which is divided into a section on Using Hisoft C itself, and a 260 page Introduction to C. The first section, described in Part I of this review, describes how to use Hisoft C's text editor and Interpreter in a concise and complete manner. The Second Section of this Manual, Introduction to the C Language, is designed as a Tutorial for beginning programmers to get acquainted with the C language. However, as it makes comparisons to the BASIC language, you do need to know the fundamental concepts of programming, like loops, variables, etc., in order to get the full benefit of this C Tutorial. It describes much of the basic foundation of the C Language, describing its syntax, how variables are created and used, and about functions (a group of statements or commands), the core of the C Language. It also discusses integers and numeric operators, functions, and types in the C language, and generally covers everything that a person who knows BASIC would need to know to become minimally proficient in the C Language. The Hisoft C Tutorial WON'T give a person who only knows BASIC the ability to write their own version of Unix for the Atari ST using the C Language, but it does teach such a programmer enough to make the more complex facets of the C Language comprehensible. In order to help this process along, this Tutorial has a number of exercises and sample problems, which gives the beginning programmer some valuable practice, and brings the crucial factor of an interactive environment to it. By the way, just as in School, it is necessary to do your exercises if you want to understand the subject.... Section 3 of the Hisoft C Manual has an Introduction to GEM. Since this C Tutorial is aimed at the beginning programmer, this section describes the GEM Toolbox Functions that Hisoft C has available to make it easier to program in GEM. These functions do make it easier for a person to use GEM effectively in their programs, and they do adhere pretty well to standard GEM conventions. Also, all of the standard GEM Library functions are available in the manual, making it a lot easier for a beginner who has studied Hisoft C's GEM Functions to comprehend the "real thing". And since very little documentation on GEM is "user friendly" towards beginners, this is a great accomplishment. However, the Introduction to GEM does not describe how to make or use GEM Resource files, so if a person would have to buy a book on GEM to learn this facet of the ST's graphical user interface. But Hisoft C's GEM functions do make it possible to write a GEM program without a resource file, so it is left for programmers who want to do more sophisticated and involved work with GEM to learn about resource files. As a proof that one can write a complete GEM application using just Hisoft C's GEM Functions, the Introduction to GEM goes into detail about how a GEM application is structured, and how to write a GEM application. This "Tutorial on GEM" is definitely recommended for learning about GEM, from the programmer's standpoint.... Everything You ever Wanted to Know about C Library Functions ------------------------------------------------------------ Section 4 of the Hisoft C Manual gives an in-depth description of the 460 Functions available with Hisoft C. The first part of this section gives a list of these functions, listing them according to the C Libraries Hisoft C supports. Here is a list of the C Libraries included in Hisoft C along with examples of the C Functions they provide: - Hisoft C Library (examples: init_box, open_window) - ANSI C File Handling Routines (ex: fopen, stdout) - ANSI C Mathematical Functions (ex: cos, rand) - UNIX C Functions (ex: mkdir, getcwd) - GEMDOS Functions (ex: Dfree, Bconstat) - GEM AES Functions (ex: evnt_multi, fsel_input) - GEM VDI Functions (ex: v_opnvwk, v_pieslice) - Memory Functions (ex: malloc, free) - String Functions (ex: strcpy, strchr) - Numeric/ASCII Character Functions (ex: toascii, isgraph) The second part of this Section gives a concise description of each of Hisoft C's 460 Functions, showing the name and library of the function, the function's syntax, the types of parameters used by the function, and a description of what the function does. Icons are also placed at the bottom of some of these descriptions, which give extra information about these functions. Exercise Answers, Error Messages, and a C Language Reference ------------------------------------------------------------ I mentioned before that the C Tutorial had sample exercises that one could do, in order to ensure comprehension of that section. Appendix A of the Manual gives sample answers for each of the 14 Exercises, along with an explanation of how the program works. While the answers given aren't the only possible answers, they should help those who are "stuck" at a certain point, or want to know how to make their C source code more efficient. Appendix B is a C Language Reference, which discusses the foundation of the C language itself. It describes the format and use of identifiers (variables) in C, and the other lexicographic elements of the C Language, including the types of constants (integer, floating point, character, and string) in the C language. It also talks about how to insert comments into your source code, and lists the keywords of the C language. One section talks about the use of Pre-Processors, and another gives a descriptive list of all the Operators (such as +, -, ++, or >>), and Variable types in the C language, and describes some statements (ex: if else, while, or goto) in the C language which weren't explained in the Tutorial. The C Language Reference contains a LOT more than what I've listed here, and is a VERY valuable aid for gaining a full understanding of the C language.... Appendix C gives a detailed description of each of Hisoft C's Error Messages. When a syntax or semantic Error occurs, Hisoft C displays a Dialog Box listing the error, and giving an Error Number. Appendix C lists these errors according to the error number placed on the Dialog Box, so you can get more information about them by looking them up in this section of the Manual. Porting Tips, Further Reading on C and GEM, and The End ------------------------------------------------------- Even though C is a relatively standardized language, there are still many deviations from the K&R standard for C, which makes porting a C program written on one version of C more difficult. While this will be solved with the ANSI C standard, Appendix D of the Hisoft C manual gives some advice on how to port programs back and forth between Hisoft C and a C Compiler (such as Mark Williams or Laser C), so as to compile the programs written in Hisoft C. Hisoft C interpreted programs are tokenized (or formatted) in a special way, so one has to convert a Hisoft C program to ASCII before using it in a regular C Compiler. However, there are difficulties in porting programs that were written on other C compilers, via porting them to Hisoft C, because of the non-standard deviations and extensions that many C compilers use nowadays..... Appendix E of the Hisoft C Manual suggests some good books for doing some further reading on the intricacies of the C Language. It also suggests some books on programming for the Atari ST, some of which are invaluable for writing good programs for the ST. Finally, the Hisoft C Manual's Index is pretty decent, providing enough reference words to find most anything one would want to look up.... This manual is an excellent guide to Hisoft C, describing its functions and abilities in a concise and simple (not to mention nicely typeset) manner. It is a superb translation of Loriciels' original French manual, and is a superlative example of what ST software manuals SHOULD be like. While Hisoft C can fit in 512K of RAM, at least 1 Meg of RAM is required to get any substantial programming done. It runs on all ST's, and can run with either Color or Monochrome. Hisoft C 2.0 is suited for many levels of C programming: One, as a comfortable tool for learning the C Language, which shields beginners from some of its harshness so they can explore the world of C without some trepidation. Now, not even Hisoft C can promise to protect beginners from the Realities of C, but it can stave off most of the obstacles which keep programmers from blindly rejecting this powerful language. It can also serve as a more efficient software development environment for expert programmers, as it provides many of the comforts of a C Compiler package without many of the difficulties. ST Programmers could write software programs in Hisoft C, and then port/compile it with any ST C Compiler. Hisoft C 2.0 has MUCH potential, as it fixes many of the dire needs in C Programming, and as it fulfills the capabilities expected of such a revolutionary concept.... CPU INSIGHTS¿ ============ Xerox Sues Apple for $150 Million: Is Mac Finder a Xerox Clone? ---------------------------------------------------------------- For years, while Apple waged legal battles over the issue of Graphical User Interfaces, first with Digital Research, and then with Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, one of the most prevalent comments in the computer industry has been that Xerox would one day sue Apple Corporation, since Xerox's Palo Alto Research Laboratories had originally pioneered work into graphical user interfaces, developing the Xerox Star GUI. Recently, Xerox turned that comment into reality, by slapping a lawsuit against Apple, charging that the System Software for Apple's computers have used segments of the Star graphical user interface without a licence. In this part of the suit, Xerox asks that Apple's copyright registrations for the User Interface portions of the Lisa and Macintosh be revoked. Xerox also claims that Apple has "received royalties, licensing fees, and other benefits in excess of $100 million dollars" because of its graphical user interface that should belong to Xerox. This part of the lawsuit will try to get Apple to pay $150 million dollars in penalties.... Apple copyrighted the Lisa and Macintosh in 1983 and 1984. But while Xerox originally copyrighted the Star graphical user interface in 1981, it has only recently launched a vigorous licensing campaign. Since May 1989, it has gotten several companies, such as Metaphor Systems and Sun Microsystems, to license the Star user interface. Even though neither company uses the Star user interface itself, they effectively said that their efforts in GUI's were a derivative of the "look and feel" of the Xerox Star.... Xerox says that it took such a long time to file this lawsuit because of recent modifications to the US copyright laws. Xerox has also said that the suit charges that the GUI portion of Apple's System Software was a derivative work of the Xerox Star, and that Apple "intentionally and purposefully concealed" this. Meaning that Xerox's suit is NOT totally based on copyright infringement, but Copyright Misrepresentation. And while Xerox may be able to win a suit charging copyright infringement, it would be interesting to see if they could win a case that is partly based on charges of fraud.... Interestingly, Apple says that Xerox's lawsuit isn't valid, and that it confuses the idea of a graphical user interface, which Xerox may or may not have invented, with the implementation of that idea. However, Apple is also saying that they won't experience the same superb increase in revenue in 1990 that they did in 1989, and that they are cancelling a grandiose holiday advertising campaign planned for this season. Given that they also haven't started to ship their Macintosh Portables in great quantity, due to a lack of LCD screens, this indicates that the management at Apple Corporation will not have too Merry a Christmas.... But ponder, if you will, these questions: 1) If Xerox wins this suit, will the agreement that Apple and Digital Research made in 1984 (which limited GEM's User Interface functionality) be invalid, enabling Atari to modify the ST's version of GEM to include things like submenus, or having more than 4 windows open at one time? 2) What, if any, are the implications of the vigor in which Xerox has pursued efforts to get companies to license its Xerox Star graphical user interface? 3) What happens if Xerox loses this lawsuit, and Apple is able to successfully stave off their claims? CPU STATUS REPORT¿ ================= Armonk, NY IBM Scientists have recently shown that high-speed ---------- streams of electrons can be focused and directed through layers of gallium arsenide, in a way similar to how superconductors can focus and direct electrical currents. However, one similarity between this technique and superconductor technology is that at the present time, this technique only functions at around 450 degrees below zero.... With this new technology, computer circuitry could manipulate electrons to perform computations, just as they now use electrical currents. Resulting in MUCH denser circuitry which would be much faster, and just as efficient as circuitry made out of superconductor material. While IBM has not currently developed any concrete application for this technique, it could eventually revolutionize electronic circuitry.... Torrance, CA Ashton Tate is developing a new version of DBase IV ------------ in the form of a "core program" which can be ported quickly to any Graphical User Interface. This technique, used by AutoDesk for years, involves building an "application kernel", which has the basic code of the program, but has hooks for utilizing Menus, Windows, and other elements of a GUI. Ashton-Tate plans to use this "application kernel" to develop versions of DBase IV for Microsoft Windows, Presentation Manager, Open Look, OSF/Motif, X/Windows, and the Macintosh. In addition to these GUI's, they plan to port DBase IV to the NeXT Computer, using the NextStep GUI.... Brussels, Belgium The European Economic Community (EEC) has agreed to ----------------- abolish regulations in Europe banning privately-funded telecommunications-related services, like fax bureaus, Value-added Networks (or VANs), and E-Mail services. While telephone and telex industries will still be under control of European governments, companies will be able to provide E-Mail, Fax, and national VANs on April 1990. However, international VANs, which would make European Online Services modeled after Compuserve or GEnie feasible, won't be allowed until April 1993. Also, EEC Member Countries whose telecommunications networks are badly outdated, like Spain and Italy, will be allowed to not implement this policy for up to six years, so as to smooth the transition process.... Cupertino, CA Apple's upcoming System 7.0 will reportedly take up ------------- around 2.5 Megs of RAM when it is released next year, and require a hard disk. It seems that this release of the Mac's System Software is now 2.8 Megabytes large, and even with their efforts to rewrite its source code to be more efficient.... Also, Microsoft has announced that it will use Apple's new Outline Font Technology (called Royal Fonts) in OS/2 Presentation Manager. This was done in response to Apple's licensing their new Postscript clone interpreter for use in future Laserwriter printers.... __________________________________________________________________ > Insite 20mb Floppies CPU/STR Tech Notes¿ The RIGHT Idea! ======================================= 20mb FLOPPY DRIVES by INSITE ============================ by R.F. Mariano The new kid on the block,, the "Floptical"(R) Drives feature over 20mb of formatted capacity with controller and SCSI supporting the common command set (CCS), soft formatting, error checking and correction (ECC), and defect mapping. Additionally, variable mode offers FULL READ AND WRITE DOWNWARD COMPATIBILITY with current 3.5 720k and 1.44mb formatted diskettes. This all results in the lowest cost per mb of formatted data storage on a 20mb storage media coupled with full read and write compatibility with current low capacity diskettes. The I325 and I325VM Floptical Drives are a combination of the best of both worlds, those of the mass storage, fixed disk and those of the widespread and commonly in use 3.5 floppy disk. The combination of these two in device allows the Insite drives to achieve high storage capacities using the inexpensive, 3.5" removable magnetic media. The optical system in the carriage assembly detects grooves embedded in the diskette media and convert the images to electronic signals which are used for servo tracking information. The magnetic data is written on the land area between any two adjacent grooves. The closed loop servo holds the magnetic heads precisely and infallibly on track. Precise track alignment is accomplished electronically assuring total interchangability between diskettes. The read and write heads for the I325 have a magnetic gap for the R/W of 1250 TPI data on Floptical Diskettes. Data tracks on each of two disk surfaces are accessed concurrently. The Insite floptical diskette is a 3.5" type double sided high density diskette. Servo tracks are optically encoded into the surface of the diskette. This enables the drive's R/W heads thru a closed loop servo, to follow very high density magnetic tracks. The optical servo tracks are indelible and not vulnerable to erasure as with magnetic encoded servo schemes. The care and handling of the Floptical diskette is the same as for any 3.5" diskette. The user is required to data format the Floptical disk before it can be used for data storage. Pre data formatted disks are available for those users who do not wish to format media. The Floptical diskette features a slide switch allowing for write protection and when inserted in a normal 3.5" drive it is automatically write protected. This device is definitely an integral part of the new wave of fine products in the computing community. POWER REQUIREMENTS OF THE INSITE 20MB FLOPPY DRIVE: +12VDC +05VDC The drive uses no more power than an ordinary floppy drive and uses the same power connector as most drives and hard disks (AMP P/N 350078-4) _______________ / O O O O \ | 4 3 2 1 | ------------------- VALUE PIN +12VDC 1 GND 2 GND 3 +05VDC 4 The SCSI connector for the Insite drive is a 50 conductor connector which consists of two rows of 25 male pins on 100 mil centers. In other words the standard 50 conductor ribbon cable is perfect. ____________________________________________________________ > HOLIDAY CHEER CPU/STR Feature¿ A very special time of the year! ============================= WORDS OF SINCERE WARMTH & HOLIDAY GREETINGS """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > GEnie Atari RT CPU/STR Spotlight¿ Holiday wishes from Darlah... ================================ My Holiday Message ================== by Darlah J. Pine The holidays....such a time of year and different to many. I could talk to you about the commercial aspect of the holiday but truly that is not the holiday to me. The holiday, to me lends me the time to reflect on the years events and those that have given without a second thought nor expected anything in return. This is what the holiday spirit is about. The holiday spirit is with us throughout the year. The holiday just gives us the opportunity to tell those that are in our thoughts how we feel. GEnie has allowed me to have a connection with many people from all sorts of backgrounds. It has allowed me to see the willingness to give and help out. It brings great warmth when I reflect over the past year. I have not only been blessed with an excellent staff that tends to go the extra mile but I have been allowed to have a connection with Atari, the developers and the people who call this service for information. They are what makes this all work so well. Sandy Wilson, Fred Beckman, Jeff Williams, Darryl May, and John Kennedy all have their own uniqueness but the similarity is their dedication and their sincerity with genuine caring. I find that doesn't stop with my staff but it shows quite evident in the many developers we have online. Most of them show up daily to troubleshoot problems, lend help and answer questions where it is needed. Atari has numerous dedicated online people like John Townsend, Bob Brodie, Dan McNamee, Ken Badertscher, Cary Gee, Jim Tittsler, Mark Jansen, Elizabeth Shook, Allan Pratt to name just a few. They take their jobs seriously and I am impressed that they care so much. It gives me a realization that things are coming together at Atari and happening. Without the caring, it could never become a reality. Now the people that call online to obtain information, these are the folks that I can't describe just how much warmth I feel when I see them helping others online. They call in time after time to share. To me, this type of sharing is the holiday spirit that lasts 365 days a year. It is the best kind. Avid enthusiasts taking ones precious time to share and learn. Thoughts of what a family means cross through my mind. I guess you could call us a family of sorts. It is quite a nice thought that I am feeling as I write this. It is amazing to me just how far GEnie has evolved. I remember almost hearing the echoes of an empty service sometime ago. I remember the phone call from John DeMar telling me I MUST log on to this service. It was so new it felt like the paint was still trying to dry. It didn't take too long to start the constant increase in users logging on. Along with the users, the developers and Atari came. Such memories and most of them fond ones. I feel lucky to have so many sensational people touch my life each in their own way. I very rarely get a chance to say how I feel about all of you. I hope you know this is directed at you. Thank you for being here. Each and every single one of you have made my life much richer. I hope the holidays bring you the very best for you and yours. For those of you that find the holidays hard to deal with, if you feel you need a connection, log on and notify one of us. We will be here off and on throughout the holidays. I know after putting 50 million things together without any one item having real directions, you might be frazzled. I know how you feel, I am just thinking about the stereo cabinet I have to work on and become frazzled. My special thanks to Ralph Mariano for giving me the opportunity and the medium to tell all of you how I feel. If you drink, don't drive. Try to stay warm for the holidays. Here's hoping all your hopes and dreams come true. If having my fingers crossed helps, I will do it and even throw in the toes. Be good... >> Darlah J Pine GEnie Atari Sysop Manager > CIS HOLIDAY CHEER CPU/STR Spotlight¿ Best wishes from CIS and Ron Luks =================================== by Ron Luks To the valued members of the ATARI Forums on CompuServe: ======================================================== During the hectic hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we'd like to pause for a moment to express our thanks for your loyal and enthusiastic support throughout the past year, and in fact the past decade. Rather than suffer through another one of those year end/decade end summaries that seem to be appearing in every issue of PEOPLE magazine or on every Radio and TV news show, describing the trials and tribulations of the ATARI market in years past, we'd like to focus on the months ahead as the ATARI community enters one of the most exciting periods we've ever seen. From the online viewpoint, I'm pleased to announce that CompuServe will be starting the new decade by making its host/micro interface available very soon. The current ASCII based interface will continue to be available but a new desktop-based method of accessing this information network is in the very last stages of development. This 4 year project will soon allow you to participate in the ATARI Forums by clicking on your mouse and accessing a series of pull down menus to read messages or download library files. We're very excited about this new interface and will be providing more details as the new year unfolds. The ATARI Forums themselves will be almost doubling in size and scope, too. Already in the works are new forums and online products to support the new PORTFOLIO and 68030-based TT computer. We will be adding more active vendors from the ATARI community to our vendor support crew. This is just a small hint of the great things to come. One thing will not change in the years ahead and that's the huge debt owed to all of our members. These are your forums. At this time of year, the sysops receive many letters of thanks and while we appreciate each and every kind word, we never forget for a moment that sysops alone don't make a forum. Its the endless stream of new submissions, messages and discussions that are the very foundation of this forum. Basically, a sysops role is to manage the "online shell" that we call a forum. Its the membership that actually provides the news and programs we've all come to enjoy. Our thanks go out to the people that MAKE and REPORT the news and programs we're happy to provide for everyone through this medium. From myself and the entire sysop and vendor support team, we'd like to wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year! Sysop* Ron Luks Bill Aycock Dave Groves Keith Joins Don LeBow Charles McGuinness Bob Puff David Ramsden Dan Rhea Mike Schoenbach > Atari Corp. CPU/STR Spotlight¿ Best Wishes from Atari and Bob Brodie ============================= Of Friendship and Goodwill At this time of year, we all look forward to a chance to exchange holiday greetings with those that we hold dear, and those whose patronage we have enjoyed over time. So, I am grateful that CPU/STR Newswire has given me this chance to greet the large Atari Community. There are many that we owe so much to! To the online services that help spread programs and information, GEnie, CompuServe, Delphi, BIX, and their sysops and staffs. To the developers, the innovative minds that make products that put Atari computers into action, and make Atari computers do things that we had not even dreamed of. To the many user groups, with their dedicated officers, editors, librarians and sysops, that provide a large portion of support to Atari users everywhere. To the journalists, for their insights, critiques, and invaluable distribution of information. And of course, to the end users, our many customers, that use and enjoy Atari computers, and the many related products. May this season of joy be filled with happiness for you and yours! And with the coming of the New Year, and a new decade, may you have all the success that you deserve, and all your days filled with joy! Thank you for your patronage, and we look forward to the 1990's with much anticipation. We trust that we will again have the opportunity to provide you with more Atari solutions to your computing needs. As we look to the coming of the new decade, your needs are foremost in our minds. In the words of Ralph Mariano, "Thanks for your support!" Happy Holidays to one and all, Bob Brodie Manager of User Group Services Atari (U.S.) Corporation ___________________________________________________________ > Dealer Ethics CPU/STR PROBE Jeff William's replies..... =========================== Thank you for still respecting me despite your disagreement with my reaction to the dealer article in #117. But somewhere, we are not connecting, I suspect. Your response, which appears in issue #118, to the message I posted, seems to suggest a naivete on my part and maybe even a suggestion that I might be biased on the issue, since you make a point of mentioning that I work with an ST dealer part-time. I know this wasn't your intention, Ralph, but this is the way it came across. As you are well aware, this is one of the problems of a communciations medium such as this one. What we mean to say and what we appear to say do not always come together as we would hope. The bottom line, Ralph, is I still respect you. *** Jeff, we are connecting and quite clearly, and true while the bottomn line is the well being of all the good dealers, there has to be some exposure to the 'grapeshot' when the matter 'hits' the fan. I responded to the article with the current facts about the current pricing promotion being offered by Atari to its general dealer base, which is not what was reflected in the article in question. I did not go into quantities and dealer costs as this is not appropriate, which John Townsend has rightly observed in another topic of the RT. *** As in most situations in the compuiter industry we now see where the absolute volatility of the 'facts' leave us both in somewhat of a lurch...except for one point. The lowball and gouge artists will still be there if we all dont do something about them. This includes the users too. Patronizing a dealer who is busy cutting everyone's throats doesn't help the situation at all. Some responses to a few specific items in your latest article: >> "The bottom line price [of $299.95 -JW-] presented was stated at the SPA conference as a goal being sought." I didn't question the veracity of this statement. I have read it also. If read carefully, my message noted that this goal has not been achieved by Atari yet. Their current offer to the general dealer base is as I stated in my message: Buy "xx" number of 520ST's and get reduced pricing, allowing for the sale of the systems at $399.95 (Atari's suggested price). Before anyone goes nuts about the suggested price, the price is not enforced by Atari. A dealer can sell for more or less, depending upon the dealer. But at no time has Atari communicated to the general dealer base a goal of $299.95 in their current suggested price structure for the 520ST. Maybe it's coming. I hope it is. But it hasn't been made available to the general dealer base yet. The point here is that regardless of what was announced at the SPA meeting, it hasn't come to fruition yet. The dealers cannot be held accountable for this, which the article seemed to suggest -to me-. *** The deal you have mind is dead for all intents and purposes. In fact so is the one I mentioned as there are no more 520 machines. >> "Please remember, one dealer does not the nation make." My point exactly, Ralph. I was trying to make this point to the generality of the article in #117. While the article may have been intended to highlight perceived unfair pricing by -some- dealers, it came across -to me- as a blanket indictment against all dealers charging more than $299.95 for a 520ST. *** Frankly the 'in general mentioning of those dealers who are not doing the right thing' is the only safe way to mention them. Of course, we mentioned J & R in NYC , did you miss that one? The reason it was mentioned is because we have the discount mail order catalog in our possession. Maybe some dealers who buy in very big quantities can get pricing from Atari that allows them to put a $299.95 price tag on a 520ST and make a reasonable profit on sales of the units. It has been stated online by someone (I'm sorry, I don't remember by whom) from Atari that Atari does make special pricing for big volume orders. This is reasonable. For all I know, Atari may negotiate special prices for certain dealers under certain conditions, but that still doesn't make the $299.95 dealer price available to those dealers who can't or don't deal in such quantities or have a special arrangement with Atari. *** Here, you cite a basic fact of life in the business world, there are quantity discounts, so what. It is my belief that the discounts are offered by the manufacturer to give the dealer a few more bux in the pocket, to offset unexpected expenses in customer service. Passing it on to the customers kills his competition and ultimately the product line. The proper ancillary support for the product becomes virtually non- existant. IE; J & R and NO SERVICE! Even Atari's $399.95 suggested retail price on the 520ST special is contingent upon the purchase of a certain quantity of ST's. Now, we can be cold-hearted and say that these dealers should just bite the bullet and price their 520ST stock at $399.95 even though they are not getting any price breaks from Atari by not placing orders for the minimum number of 520ST's that Atari requires. What this attitude doesn't take into account is that there are many "Mom and Pop"-type of dealers who provide good pricing, good support, hardware service, and a large selection of ST software products. These dealers, offering fair prices, good support, good service, and good products, should be encouraged and supported. The article in question didn't take these type of dealers into account and seemed intended to generate mistrust and suspicion against this kind of dealer, along with the big fish who get better pricing on their volume orders. Remember, one dealer does not the entire dealer profile make. *** Many Mom & Pop dealers? WHERE? And you are right one dealer does not the profile make but thats in both directions. Perhaps the bigger volumn dealers should subsidize the small dealer? Or perhaps Atari? Lets get real here. Business is business, a "run what you brung" affair, this is totally non-debatable. In my humble opinion, we point out the unscrupulous practices and made sure it was made known it was being perped by a FEW not many dealers. Would you rather the practices went on? At no time did I try to blow off the possibility of dealers who may be price gouging. I'm sure they exist. The instances you cite of unnamed dealers who sell used monitors for $500 are one thing. Point them out if you feel inclined to do so. But please don't lump all dealers into that category just because they may be selling ST systems at or just below Atari's suggested retail price for those ST systems based upon the pricing they are getting from Atari. This is the only thing I was trying to accomplish with my original message. And from a phone conversation I had with you earlier this week, I understand that you have since come across facts substantiating the claims I made in my original post. *** If you are so sure they exist you point them out and handle the resultant lawsuits. The 500.00 monitors, once again, are used JVC SC1224 units. This has happend in Florida, Virginia, DC and in the N.E. that we know of so far. Its amazing how quick it is demanded "Name 'Em". Dream on, the bad practices can be focused upon but to name names is pure lunacy. It is up to all of us to make sure the (users) know what to look for so they can recognize a slick operation and thus avoid it. This whole problem, Ralph, came about as a result of your well-meaning desire to inform and protect the ST consumers from the unscrupulous dealers that do indeed exist out there. But you've fallen victim to the old problem that has dogged you in the past. You tend to avoid specific references when you go on one of your well-intentioned crusades. So, unless the reader is tuned to some 'inside' references that you may make, the reader either doesn't know what the heck you're talking about or they get the wrong impression about the subject matter and the parties involved. The latter is what is occuring as a result of your article in issue #117. Respectfully, Jeff Williams *** I haven't been patronized in a long time, thanks for the attention. There is really no problem. As Joe Friday said facts, just the facts. Truth is these things are happening and must be dealt with. For now, the best thig to do is expose the practices and hope those involved cease these activities. You did however, you miss the point entirely in your Lancelot defense of the dealer image. I have no problem with that at all. Nothing is dogging me my friend, it dogs those who seem to be blinded 'by the light' of their own self righteousness. You again omit the fact that J & R is mentioned. The bottom line is there are gouge artists and lowball artists out there calling themselves "fine upstanding dealers". In my book, they are killing the business as sure as if they were using a 45 for a cash register. And... I plan to turn up the heat under these snake oil operations. P.S. There's one other mistake in your response in #118. I'm not -that- young! *** Sure you are! I am pushing 49 and still feel like a 27 year old! You are to be commended for your saying it like you see it! Thanks much for attention and please, if you should come across a dealer you feel deserves the "GOLDEN FUJI AWARD" let us know. And.. tell us of the 'other types' of dealers also. Merry Christmas, Ralph..... This message expresses the opinions of the author (Jeff Williams). It is not necessarily that of GEnie, the Atari ST Roundtable, or anyone who happens to employ the author. To add to the info; all paragraphs prefixed by *** are by Ralph Mariano like you couldn't tell ____________________________________________________ > GOLDEN FUJI AWARD CPU/STR FOCUS¿ =============================== MICROTYME a division of micro peripherals inc. Has won the "GOLDEN FUJI AWARD" The Golden Fuji Award is presented to these fine folks for the wonderful and glowing reports we have received from cutomers, users and in fact casual shoppers (phone) about the courteous, professional people at Microtyme and moreimportantly the manner in which they seemed to go out of their way to provide satisfaction and service. Microtyme carries a full and complete selection of computer for the Atari all out Atari enthusiast. The owner of Microtyme advises us that we should let every one know, there are no more 520stf in the Atari warehouse and it is doubtfull the will be any more. With eighteen employees to serve you this firm offer the 'personal service' often found only in the largest of firms. Founded in 1984, the company has shown a constant positive growth record. With sales posted this year in the 2.5 - 5m bracket and the possiblity of franchises being offered, one could easily say this is a positive, healthy, growing concern. At this time they are concentrating on the IBM and MAC clone markets along with full support for the entire Atari computer product line. Microtyme is located at: 4049 MARSHALL ROAD DAYTON, OHIO 45429 Service and Inquiries Ordering Hotline 1-513-294-6236 1-800-255-5835 FAX line 1-513-294-6732 CPU Newswire has often castigated certain dealers for the behavior of a few and as a result, we have received a few complaints from the good dealers or their representatives. Oddly enough, at Microtyme, they agreed with our report that the gouge tactics of certain dealers has an extremely deletrious effect on the entire dealer base. And should be publicized. ____________________________________________________ > AUA CPU/STR Spotlight¿ Atari User's Association - Alive and Well! ===================== The Userbase Grows! =================== Season's Greetings to all Atari Users ===================================== This is an open letter to all Atari ST users concerning the status of the Atari User's Association. As you may know, the AUA has seen some rough times this year. Many of you may be under the belief that the AUA is no longer functioning or that the AUA was a gimmick and a "strategic marketing plan." The good news is that the AUA is alive and well. But first, let me try to explain what happened over the course of the last 8 months. The Atari User's Association, or the AUA, was founded by Robert J. Guadagno in early 1989 in order to unite the Atari Community into one functional organization. Mr. Guadagno found that he could no longer devote the time necessary to make the AUA a strong and powerful unit, so he asked the Atari Elite, Inc. of Pittsburgh if they could take over the AUA and pick up where he left off. The Atari Elite gladly accepted the offer, and the AUA was re-born. Now, granted, the AUA suffered some very serious set backs during the year. However, with the new blood of the Atari Elite, the outlook of the AUA is very promising indeed! So, the AUA is now being sponsored by the Atari Elite. Your next question may be, "Who are the Atari Elite?" The Atari Elite, Inc. is the first and largest non-profit ST organization out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They were founded in 1985, and today remain one of the largest ST usergroups in North America. With over 300 members, the Atari Elite provides an excellent backing for the AUA and it's endeavors. I believe that the AUA will benefit from the voice of the Atari Elite, and that the AUA membership will be offered much more than was originally planed back in April. Mr. Guadagno's goal when he founded the AUA was to unite the entire ST community into one strong voice. That is still my goal. I plan to devote a lot of time making contact with manufacturers, dealers, developers, and users in order to make the AUA a common word in the vocabulary of the ST community. I have already made contact with 2 gentlemen in West Germany who have enthusiastically offered to spread the word of the AUA to our European friends. I plan on bringing you word of the AUA over FIDO net and Crossnet on our nation's ST BBS's. I will also be on GEnie and Compuserve as well as Usenet. And last but not least, you will hear news of the AUA here in ST Report. Hopefully, I will have your support as well and am asking you spread the word of the AUA. Through the AUA, YOUR voice will be heard. YOU will have a word in what the AUA does. YOU will be able to support the Atari ST computers with thousands of other ST users. The AUA will give YOU the backing that you need. I have a stack of applications sitting here in front of me from the people who joined the AUA back in April, 1989. I am currently working on entering all of that data into a database. (Ok, I lied, my wife is doing all of the typing...) At this time, the Atari Elite Board of Directors and myself are trying to decide how to handle all of the people who sent in their applications to this point. In the next month or so, each and every one of you will be contacted by mail and will be given more information about the AUA and it's future. For those of you who did not send in your application, I will be posting a new application in the next week or so on the communication networks and here in CPU/STR Newswire. I encourage you to read all of the accompanying literature and join in this massive move to unite the ST community. Now, on to membership rates. Originally, the AUA membership was FREE. However, with that membership, you really got nothing in return. Under the Atari Elite, Inc., the AUA has a little more capital and hopes to bring you many benefits. For this reason, we are going to offer three membership packages and hopefully you will find one that meets your pocketbook budget. You can spend nothing or no more than $15.00 depending on what type of involvement you want in the AUA. I am confident that you will find one of the membership packages to suit you needs. I will bring you more details on the packages and benefits in a few days since there are still many bugs to iron out and I want to offer you a quality membership to the AUA. In conclusion (finally!), I would like to call this "The New Beginning," however, this has already been used by our friends in Hollywood. I will say this -- The Atari User's Association promises to be a success with the help of the entire ST community. There are over 2,000,000 ST users in the world and that number grows each day. I am confident that we can get thousands or hundreds of thousands ("Billions and Billions" -- Carl Sagan) ST users to participate in the AUA. An AUA with thousands of members will be able to influence software developers. We will be able to influence Atari Corp. We will make new friends and spread the good word about Atari Computers. And last but not least, we will be a united computer community with one voice to the Atari world. Always Atari, Derek C. Signorini AUA Coordinator P.S. - I can be reached on GEnie as DC.SIGNORINI, on Compuserve at 72327,1060 and on the Crossnet and FIDO as DC SIGNORINI. I encourage your feedback to this letter and any suggestions you want to make to better the AUA. ________________________________________________________________ > Atari Stock ~ CPU/STR¿ ====================== THE TICKERTAPE ============== by Michael Arthur Atari Stock dropped 1/8 of a point on Monday, and stayed the same on Tuesday. On Wednesday it dropped by 1/8 point, and rose 3/8 of a point on Thursday. Finishing up the week at 9 1/2 points, Atari stock is down 1/8 points from the last report. Apple Stock is down 3 points from Friday, Dec. 8, 1989. Commodore Stock is down 3/4 of a point from 12/08/89. IBM Stock is down 1 7/8 points from 12/08/89. Stock Report for Week of 12/11/89 to 12/15/89 _________________________________________________________________________ STock| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Reprt|Last Chg. |Last Chg.|Last Chg. |Last Chg. |Last Chg. | -----|-------------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------| Atari|9 1/2 - 1/8|9 1/2 .00|9 3/8 - 1/8|9 3/4 + 3/8|9 1/2 - 1/4| | | | | | 67,300 Sls | -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------| CBM |10 3/4 - 1/4|10 1/2 -1/4|10 5/8 + 1/8|10 3/4 + 1/8|10 1/4 - 1/2| | | | | | 267,800 Sls | -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------| Apple|39 1/4 +2 1/2|36 -3 1/4| 36 .00|34 7/8 -1 1/8|33 3/4 -1 1/8| | | | | |4,626,500 Sls| -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------| IBM |96 1/8 - 3/4| 97 +7/8|95 7/8 -1 1/4|95 1/8 - 3/4| 95 - 1/8| | | | | |3,043,400 Sls| -----'-------------------------------------------------------------------' 'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day. 'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation. IBM and Apple were two of the Most Active stocks on Wall Street for this week.... Editor Note; Glenn Gorman, who used to put our stock market report together for us has handed the duties over to our young friend, Micheal Arthur. Hope you'all enjoy Mike's efforts. ___________________________________________________________ > CPU CONFIDENTIAL¿ Sayin' it Like it is... ================ - Sunnyvale CA. ******* 2 CHIP TOS 1.4 SHIPPING ******* ------------ Yes AT LAST, they are shipping. Atari just began shipping them to dealers. The part number is CA400407, cost is the same: suggested list of $99. These are masked roms, so you should have no problems with cartridge based products like Spectre GCR. - Toronto, Canada ****** STE SHIPPING IN CANADA ****** --------------- Today, Atari Canada said that the STE has been shipping in Canada. In talking to Toronto dealers, only 2 or 3 of them have STE's in stock! The supply problem should be solved soon and they then should have an ample flow of STE machines available. Contacting Savetech immediately after talking to Atari Canada, and they had only one left! They said they "had brought in a large quantity of STE's, and now they had only one left!" All in one day folks, THIS BABY IS SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES! Also mentioned was the fact that they were not given the opportunity to open one for demonstration purposes. Additionally, Compu-world had none, but they will get more in. So will Compu-place and Compu-store. The Compu-center branch will receive their order within a week. - New York City, N.Y. ***** COMMODORE AD CAMPAIGN RESULTS MINIMAL ***** ----------------- According to inside sources, CBM is, so far, highly disappointed with the results of its highly touted ad campaign which reportedly has cost closer to 17 million with ancillary expenses figured in. Cited was the dismal 10% sales increase overall and the projected 15-18% for the best part of the holiday season. (that's in new orders, not withstanding existing inventory)... - Washington, D.C. ****** ST GETS SMALLTALK 80 ****** -------------- Smalltalk-80 is available for the ST, but there does not seem to be any way to get the thing here in the U.S. After calling Parc Place Systems, it does not seem likely we will see it in the USA. ..YET.. ___________________________________________________________ > VMEBUS CPU/STR OnLine¿ Solid information from FNET ===================== Conf : Atari Technical Msg# : 2243 Lines: Extended Read: 1 Sent : Dec 14, 1989 at 7:15 PM To : CHARLES MEDLEY From : LEN LOGTERMAN at Node 141-BLAST-Bloomington, IN Subj : Re: <2049> VmeBus In message 141/5/2821, CHARLES MEDLEY asks: I saw something that claimed that the IBP "industrial Mega STs" were Mega 2 computers with retrofits for VmeBus capability in a new case. I wonder, if VmeBus is indeed able to be put on the Mega, could this modification be done to essentially enhance the Mega ST's abilities? Answer: ------ The VME bus is a non-proprietary bus with a very high bandwidth, something like 20MBytes/sec. It was originally developed by Motorola, Phillips, and Signetics (I think). As a consequence of Motorola's involvement the bus is considered "native" to the 68xxx series, or vice versa. There are now some 80x86 processor boards for it, though, and some RISC processors. The bus specifications include a 16 bit and a 32 bit configuration depending on the number of connectors. There is a P1 and a P2 connector. 32 bit capability requires the addition of the P2 connector. The main advantage of using the bus is that there is a potload of manufacturers out there making all kinds of process I/O boards, not to mention communications and various high powered co-processors for matrix math, image processing, FFTs, etc. If the manufacturer followed the bus design specifications, you can mix and match different I/O boards and they will all play together. This is not child's play, however and most boards cost more than a complete ST system. Some of the SUN workstations and other UNIX systems have been configured around the VME bus, but mostly it has been used for real-time process control on the factory floor. If you had enough money and could get your hands on some software you could build yourself a system with all the capabilities of a NEXT computer using the VME bus as a base. LEN LOGTERMAN __________________________________________________________ > LYNX A WINNER! CPU/STR OnLine¿ The FNET shines! ============================= Conf : Atari ST/Mega Msg# : 3544 Lines: Extended Read: 1 Sent : Dec 13, 1989 at 8:21 PM To : ANY AND ALL From : DAVE LOCKWOOD at THE CONTROL ROOM ST! 14.4K HST Subj : LYNX I got my Lynx today. (Well, a Christmas present for someone else) That is something else...A real color screen 16 out of 4096 colors. I'd guess the resolution at about 160x100 or so...I have no way to know for sure. It looks great, it sounds great, and it makes gameboy look sick. The cartridges are about the same dimension as the battery cover on a Walkman, and just as thin. They have to be putting at least 128K worth of code onto 'em for the games they've got. I bought the Lynx itself, and one cartridge "Electro Cop". It comes with "California Games", and it also comes with an adaptor. The single built in controller works well, and it works for leftys too. Just press two buttons, and the screen (and controller) flips for left-handed play. I was a little disappointed by the fact that the brightness need to be changed for different viewing angles, and someone standing in front of you while you play wouldn't be able to see the game. I plugged it into my stereo (via the earphone jack) and the sound makes me wish the ST had a "real" soundchip. I didn't get to test the multi-player capability, but I understand that the only limit to the number of players that can be daisy-chained together is whatever is built into the games. Apparently, all players have to connect and power up their units within seven seconds. "so, like, you have to be quick". I still don't know how long the 6 AA batteries last, but it can't be as bad as my CZ101 that sucks 6 D cells dry in 5 hours. I'm certainly going to put some use on this baby before I wrap it up and ship it to CA. Nintendo, eat your heart out. Dave _______________________________________________________ > WAACE/Fall'90 CPU/STR SHOW NEWS¿ WAACE, Showcase of the East =============================== WAACE AtariFest/Fall '90 The AtariFest planning team of the Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts is busy working to make the 1990 event the best ever. THE DATES AND SITE FOR 1990 HAVE BEEN SET: 6 AND 7 OCTOBER, 1990 AT: THE SHERATON RESTON IN RESTON, VA. This modern, attractive conference facility offers plenty of nicely arranged space for exhibits, demonstrations, seminars, and hospitality. Pricing for vendor space is being determined, and arrangements for setup are being made with a professional exhibit firm. Conducting the show in a hotel will allow longer show hours on the two days and increased opportunities for demonstrations and seminars. Exhibitors and out of town visitors will find the in-hotel location far more comfortable and convenient. The decision to use commercial space was partly determined by the end of our partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Adult and Community Education and partly by our own desire to afford vendors and visitors a better show. Potential exhibitors should expect to receive information packets during February. We will need financial commitments from participants soon thereafter in order to conduct a suitable promotional campaign. This change of approach will bring the cost of the WAACE show more into line with similar Atari shows. In order to keep costs within reason we will need strong support from the entire Atari community. We are making this announcement at such an early date in order to give everyone a chance to organize their schedules. We hope that all of you will help us to make this event an enjoyable experience for all East Coast Atarians. Further information on this subject can be obtained by contacting the WAACE Chairman; Mr. John D. Barnes 301-652-0667 GEMail to J.D.BARNES. Watch for new contact names in mid January. ___________________________________________________________ > Hard Drive Info CPU/STR InfoFile¿ Affordable Mass Storage ================================ NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!! ============================ ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC. P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672 Est. 1985 _________________________________________ Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT _________________________________________ HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET _____________________________________ All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s). ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE (you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!) (all cables and connectors installed) RUGGED SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS * ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS * 32mb #SG32238 549.00 42mb #SG44710 619.00 51mb #SGN4951 629.00 65mb #SG60101 689.00 80mb #SGN296 729.00 100mb #SG84011D 949.00 130mb #SG1244D 1099.00 145mb #SG3A421 1110.00 170mb #SGT41776 1389.00 260mb #SG1244Q 2169.00 320mb #SGN7788Q 3295.00 Listed above are a sampling of the systems available. Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations (over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited) ***** CHRISTMAS SPECIALS ARE NOW IN EFFECT! ***** *** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms *** ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> MAGIC SAC - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR LARGER units are available - (special order only) * Removable Media Devices NOW Available (44mb) Syquest 555 * * SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICES * EXTRA CARTRIDGES: 97.95 (anytime) * SYQUEST 44MB (#555) REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE * - SYQUEST 44 MB removable media drive - ICD ST Host Adapter - ICD Mass Storage Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable - Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply (1) 44 MB Syquest Cart. Completely Assembled and READY TO RUN! ONLY $869.00 We would offer floppy drives.. but Computer Shopper has 'em at the right price. And.. you can plug 'em right into our cabinets and power supplies. Low-Boy OR Standard Case (designed with room for another 3.5 OR 5.25" drive) They're made for user expansion! TRUE UPGRADE-ABILITY! * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT * SPECIALLY PRICED $1529.00 * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS * - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives - 50mb SQG51 $1299.00 30mb SQG38 $1219.00 65mb SQG09 $1339.00 85mb SQG96 $1399.00 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets - ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *- (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE) Quantity & Usergroup Discounts Available! _________________________________________ DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED! Personal and Company Checks are accepted. ORDER YOURS TODAY! 904-783-3319 9am - 8pm EDT _______________________________________________________________ > A "Quotable Quote"¿ ================= "Slogans do not report the news........CPU/STR NEWSWIRE DOES!!" FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS!! ... A moment of truth "The pen is mightier than the sword.. ...and does a much better job that a mirror!!" ...Eloquent words of wisdom "HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPU/STR¿ "Your Independent News Source" December 22, 1989 16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1989 Vol. III ~ Issue #119 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors, staff, CPU NEWSWIRE¿ CPU/STR¿ or CPU Report¿ . Reprint permission is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. All reprints must include CPU NEWSWIRE¿, CPU/STR¿ or CPU Report¿ and the author's name. All information presented herein is believed correct, the editors and staff are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein. --------------------------------------------------------------------------