*---== CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" _____________________________________ featuring STReport Online Magazine """""""""""""""""""""""" December 29, 1989 Vol III No.120 ======================================================================= CPU NewsWire Online Magazine½ __________________________ 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: #120 CPU Newswire¿ The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------ - The Editor's Podium - CPU REPORT - 9600 Baud Explained - Blitz or BLITZED? - COPIERS, All Good? - DUAL STANDARD MODEMS - UIS III - CPU/STR NewsWire --==* FCC REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE? *==-- --==** ARCSHELL 2.1 FULLY SUPPORTS LHARC & ARC 6.02 **==-- --==* JIM TAGGART LEAVES ANTIC *==-- ========================================================================== CPU NEWSWIRE¿ "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¿ Here we are at the end of another year.... still enjoying the Atari computers we have and looking forward to a great beginning to the 1990s. At CPU Newswire, we feel this issue is like a kick-off into the new decade. I know, next week is actually the new year but if you look at it this way, next week's issue will reflect work begun last week! Perhaps we will all pull together a little more in this new decade, I certainly hope and pray for this. After all, this is the decade during which Atari Corp., as a formidable Computer design and manufacturing facility, will mature and (by all present indications) prosper. The STE is a blockbuster success in any language, abroad and to the North. From the reports we are receiving, this baby is on its way to breaking all Atari's previous sales records in the computer area. Then, we have the highly anticipated Stacy which, when it hits the shelves will not have time to be opened and demo'ed to anyone.. this portable has all the earmarks of staying "sold out" for the first six months of its general availability. The LYNX .. well this "Animal" is, without a doubt, the neatest goodie to varoom down the pike in a long, long time. Atari has a sure fire winner in the LYNX. YUP! I was one of the doubting Thomas types but after receiving mine and seeing the responses from 'spectators' (family, friends, folks at the mall, etc.) all that can be said is; The Lynx will simply DOMINATE the Game Machine market for quite some time to come. Charles Johnson, has gone and done it again... >WHAT A GUY!< He has just released Arcshell 2.1 which fully supports both LHarc and ARC 6.02. As most of you know, the Arc 6.02 will do folders automatically instead of us having to do them individually and adding them to an arcfile. Many thanks to you Charles, your support of the ST marketplace is simply mahvalous! Thanks again. At this time, allow all of us at STR Publishing to wish each and every one of you a wonderful and prosperous New Year. May all your goals be reached and your successes be equally satisfying. Thanks for your terrific support!!! Ralph........ ps; Please.... don't drink and drive. ********************************************************************** :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type XJM11877,GEnie and hit RETURN. The system will prompt you for your information. THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW ___________________________________________ The Roundtable is an area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate. There are three main sections to the Roundtable: the Bulletin Board, the Software Library and the Real Time Conference area. The Bulletin Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety of Topics, organized under several Categories. These messages are all Open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private messages). If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to someone else's question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it. The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files that are available to all Roundtable members. You can 'download' any of these files to your own computer system by using a Terminal Program which uses the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method. You can also share your favorite Public Domain programs and files with other Roundtable members by 'uploading' them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so you are encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow. The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members may get together and 'talk' in 'real-time'. You can participate in organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open COnference, or simply join in on an impromptu chat session. Unlike posting messages or Mail for other members to read at some later time, everyone in the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can respond to you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'. ********************************************************************** > CPU REPORT¿ ========== Issue # 47 ---------- by Michael Arthur Remember When.... In August 1988, Wordstar launched a big advertising campaign to announce a version of Wordstar for the Macintosh, and when legal disputes between Wordstar Inc. and the product's developer wiped out plans for such a Mac word processor, or when Xerox shipped a prototype version of Ventura Publisher for the Macintosh to Beta-testers, so as to judge its marketing feasibility, and found that Pagemaker had already gained a tight stranglehold on the Mac DTP market? CPU INSIGHTS¿ ============= ATARI'S FUTURE: THE MYTH OF THE YEAR OF THE ATARI ST ===================================================== Early on in 1989, after realizing that Atari's future was in danger because of its actions of 1988, Sam Tramiel endeavored to undertake a daring campaign of both recapturing the gains the Atari ST had made in 1985-1987, setting the stage for Atari's products to become standards wherever they reached, and restoring much of the Atari Userbase's earlier respect for Atari in the process. This campaign was known as "Atari's Quest", and was supposed to make 1989 "The Year of the Atari ST." However, as we all know, engineering the resurgence of the ST was to be a FAR greater task than anyone had expected, as Sam's earlier goal of setting this into motion by Early Summer was not to be met. But while the flawed actions of a few in Atari R&D caused endless delays in the STacy and Atari STE meeting FCC Specifications, Atari's development of the Portfolio was a tremendous step in giving it a good reputation in the "serious" computer industry. And as Atari began to deliver the Lynx to the market, many began to wonder if Atari meant that 1989 would be the "Year of Atari Corp.", instead of the "Year of the Atari ST's Resurgence". But with the Atari STE, STacy Laptop, and 68030 TT all holding great promise for 1990, it seems that 1990 may truly be the "Year of the Atari ST." Since new products don't necessarily make for a computer standard, we need to analyze what Atari has done in 1989 to set the stage for such a thing to occur, and what Atari SHOULD do to finally bring about the "Year of the Atari ST." So as 1989 draws to a close, let us take a look at some of the many components that can bring good fortune to the long-suffering US ST Userbase.... ST Upgrades and the Case for a Mega STE --------------------------------------- As promises of the 68030 TT and STacy entered the minds of the US ST Userbase, the question of Computer upgrades became an important issue among the ST Online Community. Since Apple and IBM had maintained upgrades in the past which were both profitable to them and their userbase, many wondered why Atari would not also do this. However, Atari maintained that it would not be profitable for them to do so. Given that the 68030 TT and STacy's minimum price is $2500.00, it would be most beneficial if current ST Users were able to trade in their computers for a reduced price on these systems. Surprisingly, an Atari upgrade policy is not only feasible, but potentially profitable if it applied to the 68030 TT and STacy, for these reasons: o Atari could take the computers obtained through this upgrade policy and sell them to the Educational Community. Since any software made to use the STE's capabilities will also be made to utilize the current ST's abilities, the need for the STE (as opposed to the old ST) may not be as pertinent as believed by a certain few at Atari. And contrary to the beliefs of a few, this would not only get rid of Atari's worldwide inventory of old ST's completely, but would provide ST's to schools at a price inexpensive enough to make the Educational Community take notice of the ST's capabilities. Meaning that they will buy STE's once they see the benefit of the old ST's.... o Since Atari probably will sell STacy's to dealers for $1000 to $1250.00, Atari could make a healthy profit even if it discounted the price of the STacy and 68030 TT below the list price. But if existing ST Users are willing to pay Atari more to upgrade their current computers to the 68030 TT and STacy, then it would be in the best interests of Atari to make such an upgrade policy avilable, since the customer would be saving money and replacing his/her "old" computer in the process. o Atari would "convert" the ST Userbase to the Atari STE and TT more quickly, meaning that good software would be developed for them a LOT faster than otherwise possible.... Since this policy could hurt dealers, one way to reconcile Atari's committment to ST dealers with a desire to implement an ST Upgrade policy would be to have ST Dealers implement their own policies for trading in old computers for STacys and 68030 TT's, and for Atari to buy back these old STs from Dealers at a low cost. Atari could then either resell ST's through Mail Order, donate them to a worthy charity to get tons of free publicity, or some other useful purpose. In addition, a good upgrade policy would help soothe the bitterness of the US ST Userbase, so Atari has everything to gain by implementing an ST Upgrade Policy which would help both Dealers, the ST Userbase, and Atari itself.... 1989 saw Atari Research and Development become involved in two faux pas situations for the Atari ST line. One, the Atari STE and TT's graphics capabilities, which have been discussed previously. However, the second may have pernicious consequences in store for the future. The Atari STE was designed as a significant upgrade to the low/middle end of the Atari ST line, with heightened expandability and a more open architecture. In this form, it is doing quite well, as the STE has become a major success in Germany, England, France, Scandinavia, Canada, and the rest of the world. However, while Atari added SIMM Slots for easy RAM Expansion, and a Surface Mount 68000 which will make hardware products like Turbo 16 and PC Ditto II easier to install, Atari is sinking its Flagship in the process.... When the Mega ST was introduced, Sam Tramiel called it the Flagship of the Atari ST Line, having an Expansion Slot and added RAM. But Atari is now making 2 Meg and 4 Meg versions of the STE which come in a 1040 ST case. Meaning that the Mega ST's expansion slot (and also, logically, the Mega ST) has now been abandoned by Atari. Given that the Mega ST itself was designed for added expandability, having a case that would support SIMM slots, an expansion slot, an internal hard drive, and hardware products like Turbo 16 without having major problems being accepted by the FCC, it seems that if Atari were to discontinue the 2080 and 4160 STE, and to replace them with a Mega 2 STE and a Mega 4 STE, that not only would the Atari STE line become a resounding success among the current US ST userbase, but that the STE would replace the Atari ST completely. Which is what it was designed to do.... Atari ST Support in the US.... ------------------------------ One of the objectives of "Atari's Quest", as outlined by Sam Tramiel, was to repair the enormous damage that Atari had done to User Groups, Dealers, Developers, and the Atari ST Userbase in 1988. Thanks to both the formation of the AAD (Association of Atari Developers), and the wise actions of Atari's Charles Cherry, prospects for ST Developer support have never been brighter. In the User Group Arena, Atari has allowed Bob Brodie to revitalize the forlorn state of ST User Groups. Resulting in that both Atari Developers and User Groups are getting more attention from Atari.... However, the state of Atari ST Dealers has (amazingly) deteriorated even worse than in 1988. As one ST Developer put it, ST Dealers faced the "Brunt of the Year of Atari", as Atari continued its deleterious actions towards its greatest asset. Resulting in that there are now no ST Dealers in New York City, one of the largest cities on Earth, and that there are few ST Dealers within reach of the US ST Userbase. Atari has stated that it will solve this troubing dilemma, and all are hopeful in this regard. One direction that Atari could take as a step towards ameliorating the plight of ST Dealers is to provide each Dealer with a number of Incentives which would not only bring more Dealerships to the ST Line, but a LOT more revenue (and profit) to Atari US. Among these Incentives would be: o Quick participation in Advertising efforts for Dealers who purchase a certain amount of ST's. For example, if a Dealer were to buy 15 - 20 ST's within a three-month period, then that dealer could direct a number of advertising efforts (such as magazine ads or a couple of TV ads for the ST) by Atari in his region. Since Atari has already produced a series of TV ads for the ST, and has gotten offers from prominent marketing firms like Chiat-Day (who made ads which boosted the Macintosh in its "early days") to produce print and magazine ads for the Atari ST, there is no problem in either having the capability or the revenue for ST Advertisements. This suggestion would give Atari a clear direction and purpose for all ST Advertisements, and would not only help sell the computers that the Dealer bought from Atari, but would generate enough interest in the Atari ST for the Dealer to buy MANY more ST's from Atari. This would mean added revenue for both Atari and the Atari Dealer, and would expand the ST Userbase quite well.... Allowing Atari ST Dealers sell significant numbers of Atari STs to businesses and Higher Education, in response to the successful efforts of Atari Dealers to sell the Atari ST Line to large organizations, schools, and universities. Apple Corp. got its first big start through the educational market, and the Apple II line (which provides a billion dollars a year for Apple) has sold well in the Educational community. Since the Atari ST provides far greater benefits than the Apple II, why couldn't Atari make the Atari ST line just as successful in the Educational Community as the Apple II was for Apple? And why couldn't Atari work with ST Dealers in both making the presentations necessary to get the ST Line into schools, and in providing sales and service to these schools? This would provide great profit for both ST Dealers and Atari Corporation itself. And what greater incentive is there for business besides profit? In 1989, the Atari ST Userbase was also "left to its own devices", as superb third party software like Pagestream, DynaCadd, Spectre GCR, and the Turbo 16 Accelerator provided most of the progress and improvement in the US ST situation. Much of the US ST Userbase ended up switching to IBM machines, Macintoshes, or Amigas, and the ST Users who didn't choose this route lost the "diehard" enthusiasm which used to be the hallmark of the Atarian. Atari's Quest to make 1989 the "Year of Atari" did generate some hope in the US ST Userbase, but they have yet to see the Atari ST mentioned in computer columns like Jerry Pournelle's, and have yet to see signs of an "Atari ST Advertising campaign" to generate any interest in the Atari ST. And as promises of 1989 being "The Year of the Atari ST" ring as hollow in their minds, the US ST Userbase is indicating that 1990 MUST become the time for Atari to make the ST Line popular in the US. And the Clock is Ticking.... CPU Systems Roundup¿ XVIII ========================== Trojan Horses, Mass Mailings, and an AIDS Virus Tutorial -------------------------------------------------------- Recently, several thousand IBM Users received a disk labeled, "AIDS Information - An Introductory Diskette," from a company calling itself the PC Cyborg Corporation. Some businesses and corporations, including Chase Manhattan Bank, and several IBM User Groups had also obtained this disk, which said it was a Database on the AIDS disease. Interestingly enough, not only did the disk give false information, saying that Intravenous Drug users had a "low risk" rating (for catching AIDS) in one segment, but this disk also contained a dangerous Trojan Horse program, designed to do its damage on the 90th time the User rebooted his system after running the AIDS Disk. The AIDS disk contained an installation program which would place the various data files on a hard drive. However, it also edited the AUTOEXEC.BAT startup file, adding an incremental counter to keep track of the number of times the victim system was rebooted. Once it reached 90,000 this message would be displayed: "The software lease for this computer has expired. If you wish to use this computer, you must renew the software lease. For further information turn on the printer and press return." Afterwards, it would print this message: ---------------------------------------- "If you are reading this message, then your software lease from PC Cyborg Corporation has expired. Renew the software lease before using this computer again. Warning: Do not attempt to use this computer until you have renewed your software lease. Use the information below for renewal." Dear Customer: It is time to pay for your software lease from PC Cyborg Corporation. Complete the INVOICE and attach payment for the lease option of your choice. If you don't use the printed INVOICE, then be sure to refer to the important reference numbers below in all correspondence. In return you will receive: - a renewal software package with easy-to-follow, complete instructions - an automatic, self-installing diskette that anyone can apply in minutes. (The AIDS program was specifically designed to be so bothersome that you HAD to use the Installation Program....) After this surprising tidbit, this note would print: ---------------------------------------------------- The price of 365 user applications is US $189. The price of a lease for the lifetime of your hard disk is US $378. You must enclose a bankers draft, cashier's check or international money order payable to PC CYBORG CORPORATION for the full amount of $189 or $378 with your order. Include your name, company, address, city, state, country, zip or postal code. Mail your order to: PC Cyborg Corporation P.O. Box 871744 Panama 7, Panama. Of course, not only is the address phony, but the "PC Cyborg Corporation" does not exist. After this document is printed, the following warning appears: "Please wait thirty minutes during this operation. Do not turn off the computer since this will damage your system. You will be given instruction later. A flashing hard disk access light means WAIT!!!!!" After crunching away at the unsuspecting user's hard drive for 30 - 90 minutes, all data on a user's hard drive is scrambled, apparently destroyed. But investigators have discovered that filenames in the hard disk's FAT (or File Allocation Table) are actually encrypted, and the actual files are given hidden attributes. In the meanwhile, the program has also created a file called CYBORG.EXE, and several hidden subdirectories, which seem to contain a database.... It turns out that CYBORG.EXE contains a list of the hard disk directory structure before the FAT was encrypted. Meaning that if you delete the hidden directories, and replace the encrypted FAT with the listing in the CYBORG.EXE file, that a system can be recovered INTACT. Of course, by then the PC User may have already reformatted his/her hard drive. Hard drive backups probably wouldn't help in this case, since the Trojan Horse program waits so long before activating.... Much of the code in the AIDS Diskette's .EXE files is encrypted, and it seems that the Trojan Horse program does a number of things to keep it from being detected or examined. The good news in this situation is that PC Business World quickly developed an "antidote" program called AIDS out, which automatically restores an infected hard drive.... The person who sent this AIDS Diskette used mailing lists from several magazines, including PC Business World. Since PCBW's mailing list alone costs $1200.00, and given that it is estimated that several thousand PC Users worldwide were the targets of this mailing, it seems that the people who perpretrated this deed literally spent tens of thousands of dollars to make it a reality.... But ponder, if you will, these questions: 1) What are other ways in which someone could spread a virus to the broadest possible number of users, and how can the computer industry defend itself against those avenues of infection? 2) What would a forward-thinking business in Atari Corp.'s position do to make 1990 "The Year of the Atari ST?" CPU STATUS REPORT¿ ================== Menlo Park, CA Emerald City Software recently introduced TypeAlign, a -------------- desk accessory which can manipulate fonts in many ways, supporting effects like rotation, skewing, kerning, or shadowing. It also allows one to draw a line, arc, or any other type of curve, and then place a block of text onto the line's path, so the text follows the contours of the curve. However, TypeAlign requires Adobe Type Manager to function. Adobe Type Manager is a utility which intercepts calls for Quickdraw fonts, and displays the requested type and size from a Postscript outline font. ATM also can allow these fonts to be printed using a non-Postscript printer, resulting in printed text of a much higher quality than before. It also has the potential to print Postscript graphics. Cost: $100.00.... Adobe Type Manager functions transparently, is compatible with all well-behaved Mac applications, and (unlike System 7.0, which has outline fonts) runs in 1 Meg of RAM. Adobe Systems has sold over 100,000 copies of ATM since it was released in October.... Cambridge, MA The Open Systems Foundation, an organization funded by ------------- several Unix vendors to develop a new Unix standard, has announced that they may use the Mach OS (currently used in the NeXT System) as the foundation for OSF/1, their new systems software platform, instead of using A/IX, IBM's version of Unix. Mach provides better data security measures, inherent support for multiprocessing, and compatibility with Berkeley Unix. But given that IBM's support of the OSF was partly based on the OSF's use of A/IX, and that much of the OSF's credibility depends on OSF/1 shipping by the announced date of July 1990.... Tokyo, Japan Japan's Agency of Industrial Science and Technology ------------ recently developed a computer which uses 26,000 Josephson Junctions, allowing it to perform 1 billion computations per second, and to use a thousandth of the power consumption rate of current supercomputers. The Josephson Junction, developed at IBM in the Early 1970s, is a type of chip which relies on compressing superconductive material in such a way that electrons "tunnel" from one conducting surface to another using quantum physics. Josephson junctions now function at temperatures near absolute zero. Interestingly enough, research done as part of IBM's failed efforts in the 1970s to develop Josephson chips was later used in scientific discoveries which resulted in several new IBM Nobel Laureates.... Fremont, CA NeXT Inc. has indicated that a color display for its ----------- computer may not be available until Late 1990. NeXT is developing a 32-bit Color Board which uses a custom chipset and graphics accelerator to display 16 million colors at the same time. It is speculated that this will use the NeXT's current 1120*832 resolution, and that NeXT will be using the Renderman specification for 3-D graphics, which was developed by Pixar Inc., a company owned by Steve Jobs.... Aldus Pagemaker, Adobe Illustrator, and Lotus 1-2-3 are currently being developed for the NeXT Computer, and Informix is planning to port their Wingz spreadsheet (which, on the Mac II, provides color presentation graphics) to NextStep. Also, 3 1/2 inch and 5 1/4 inch versions of the DaynaFile disk drive are being developed for the NeXT, which will allow it to read/write to MS-DOS, Macintosh, and Unix disks.... _______________________________________________________________ > FCC RIPOFF CPU/STR NewsPlus¿ The FCC, represents the people? =========================== MOBILIZE! ========= Two years ago, the FCC tried and FAILED (with your help and letters of protest) to institute regulations that would impose additional costs on modem users for data communications. Now, they are at it again. A new regulation that the FCC is quietly working on will directly affect you as the user of a computer and modem. The FCC proposes that users of modems should pay extra charges for use of the public telephone network which carry their data. In addition, computer network services such as GEnie, CompuServ, Tymnet, & Telenet would be charged as much as $6.00 per hour per user for use of the public telephone network. These charges would very likely be passed on to the subscribers. THE MONEY IS TO BE COLLECTED AND GIVEN TO AT&T IN AN EFFORT TO RAISE FUNDS LOST TO DEREGULATION. Jim Eason of KGO newstalk radio (San Francisco, Ca) commented on the proposal during his afternoon radio program during which, he said he learned of the new regulation in an article in the New York Times. Jim took the time to gather the addresses which are given below. HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD DO (NOW!) -------------------------------- 1- Pass this information on. Find other BBS's that are not carrying this information. Upload the ASCII text into a public message on the BBS, and also upload the file itself so others can easily get a copy to pass along. 2- Print out three copies of the letter which follows (or write your own) and send a signed copy to each of the following: Chairman of the FCC 1919 M Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Chairman, Senate Communications Subcommittee SH-227 Hart Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Chairman, House Telecommunications Subcommittee B-331 Rayburn Building Washington, D.C. 20515 HERE, WE PRESENT THE SUGGESTED TEXT OF THE LETTER TO SEND ========================================================= Dear Sir, Please allow me to express my displeasure with the FCC proposal which would authorize a surcharge for the use of modems on the telephone network. This regulation is nothing less than an attempt to restrict the free exchange of information among the growing number of computer users. Calls placed using modems require no special telephone company equipment, and users of modems pay the phone company for use of the network in the form of a monthly bill. In short, a modem call is the same as a voice call and therefore should not be subject to any additional regulation. Sincerely, [your name, address and signature] It is important that you act now. The bureaucrats already have it in their heads that modem users should subsidize the phone companies, (the wealthiest corporations known to man)! And are now soliciting and listening to public comment. Please stand up and make it clear that we will not stand for any government restriction on the free exchange of information. Thanks for your help. Editor Note: Folks, this is a very sore issue with this reporter, having had a amateur radio operator's license for almost 20 years and a 1st class radio operator's license for almost the same length of time... I feel my dealings with the FCC over the years give me some semblance of 'experience' with this Federal "BOONDOGGLE". Example: After three years of intense study and high tuition, (RCA Institute) the examination for the First Class Radiotelephone Operator License and its accompanying endorsements, Radar, Sonar etc.. was obtained. Only now, we find that a scant few years later, the FCC discontinued the license & exam because BIG BUSINESS found that too many people were having difficulty passing the tests and the industry needed these people as workers. Solution? discontinue the test and license requirement.... Example: CB Radio, ah yes, ..what a headache it was to the commission in its early days. They established PURAC in DC, another govt committee responsible to the FCC in the 60s. PURAC was supposed to recommend various solutions to the problems of TVI, overpowered stations and licensing of CB Radio operators. PURAC was as useful to the both the CBers and the FCC as a good dose of the trots! The FCC placed little or no value on the findings of PURAC and soon the lack of respect coming from the lifers working at the FCC was as caustic as one could possibly imagine. I know, I was on that committee. The bottom line here was that the FCC proved to be useless in the curtailment of TVI and/or getting the CBers licensed. Solution? Stop 'in the field enforcement' and licensing.... For your info.... Research the past, if you will, through all the appointed FCC members since WW II, and see if ANY of them were qualified to make judgment calls and vote on the state of communications nationwide in the USA. They are responsible for the delay in high performance, high density, TV and many other progressive technological advancements. In the case of the TV scan rates it was a combination of over protectionism and catering to the US TV Manufacturers. These appointees have characteristically supported BIG BUSINESS since the end of the war. They have, literally speaking, forgotten the little people, the every day guys (you and I). THIS FOLKS, IS THE REAL REVOLUTION and it effects ALL computer users not just those in the Atari arena. A loud and clear message must be sent to Washington D.C. We had all better sound the alarms and react swiftly to this sneak attack on our wallets and future. Remember carefully what the FCC said the last time they were "embarrassed" by the large amount of mail received decrying this very same issue that the FCC now resurrects. They said ... SINCE THE NETWORK SERVICES PROVIDE THE INFORMATION SHARING FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, WE THEREFORE DECLINE TO ADVISE POSITIVELY FOR THE MOTIONS BEFORE THE COMMISSION. In so many words two years ago, they managed to fill the air with much bureaucratic gobbly-gook when they should have said "the general public shot the motion down." Well, the new administration, Bush, Quayle & Co. are now trying to push this very same action through again for AT&T. No doubt, if this gets the full brunt of the negative reaction it deserves from the public, the FCC members will have to pay attention and drop this cause. If however, you the users and general public, allow this to slip through due to complacency, a very large percentage of online users will disappear. And the govt will have successfully pulled another large flap of wool over the public's eyes in favor of big business. Don't believe me? Check out the FDA (chicken & salmonella issues) and a few other alleged 'WATCHDOG COMMITTEES' they have literally been rendered almost completely impotent. Thus, serving big business' best interests. If you think the US Govt hasn't been pro big business for the last 15 years.... ask yourself this question; what ever became of the Sherman Anti-Trust Laws??? Take a good look at the size of Beatrice, ConAgra, Bechtold, Pennzoil to name just a few monoliths as food for thought. Better yet what is Bush's relationship to Pennzoil? BE ADVISED ---------- If this motion goes through, another avenue of "Free Speech and Expression" will cost a small fortune to maintain. Thus, limiting it to only those either capable of paying or those subsidized by special interest groups and ...you guessed it! Big Business!! Characteristically, the FCC is and has been, a "plum" for the President since the end of WW II. Every administration has used the offices of this agency to place those individuals who helped the new president get elected in one way or another. A fine example of patronage if ever there was one. There has not been a need to limit or curtail the use of radio equipment since that time (WW II). Sure there are those that will say the FCC controls the morality of TV and radio shows... WE say baloney! OF NOTE ------- THE ONLY FUNCTION THEY (THE FCC) SEEM TO DO WELL IS CATER TO THE GIANT CORPORATIONS (AT&T) THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REGULATE! Easily, we can all realize the financial gain AT&T will have if this action by the FCC is FORCED through. Where, in any way, is the best interests of the people of the United States of America being cared for and served by the FCC's actions in this cause? If anyone can show how the FCC is doing the right thing in promoting this action for a second time, I say show me! ______________________________________________________________ > Copiers CPU/STR Review¿ Copying devices are they ok? ====================== The DISCOVERY CARTRIDGE from "HAPPY COMPUTERS" The SYNCHRO EXPRESS from "COAST TO COAST TECHNOLOGIES" The DUPLITWIX BLITZ from "1ST STOP COMPUTERS" By Leon T. Jordan Are they all that they claim to be??????? Well, I have all three and I can tell you this now, one stands heads and shoulders above the rest. Lets take them in the order which they appear above. The first one of the three to be released to the public was the Discovery Cartridge, from "Happy Computers". I got in on the ground floor with this one, I was one of the one's who ordered in advance of it's release to the public. I did this because I also have my 8-bit 130XE and 1050 drive, which has the Happy drive modification on it. It was fast and would back up all or most of the software I use. Some would only run on a Happy drive, but I could live with that since I only had one drive anyway. But enough of the old 8-bit happy, lets get to the new Happy Discovery Cartridge. Well after a long wait I can't remember if it was 1 or 2 years that is, it finally came in the mail with a nice little letter of apologies for taking so long. No sweat all I wanted to do was test this baby out. I mean this was to be the answer to my back up prayers. After reading the hook up documentation which was all on the disk that came with the hardware for copying, I hooked it up to my 520ST (1meg) and put the disk in the drive and booted the system. I then grabbed a disk I wanted to back up and started to copy. Instantly I could see this Happy, definitely did not have the same WARP speed the old Happy had. This sucker is as slow as molasses in the winter time. But it did copy the disk and I no longer had to use my master disk. Great! But be ready to sit down and read a book or something. Well it's not really that slow but it is slow, and by using the different copy parameters you can copy any disk except those with physical damage as a means of protection. What more can I say. CAUTION IF YOU GET AND USE THE DISCOVERY CARTRIDGE ,DO NOT TURN YOUR COMPUTER OFF WITH THE DISK STILL IN IT. For some reason unknown to me turning the computer off while the Discovery Cartridge is still hooked up will cause the drive to write junk to your disk, and could keep the copy from working. Happy Computers is well aware of this problem. The Discovery Cartridge plugs into the computers cartridge slot and into the drive connector. Your drive plugs into the Discovery Cartridge. The Discovery Cartridge has a lot of other options also, but they deal with other things that I don't feel have to do with it's ability to copy disk. It will also copy disk from other computers, IBM, Amiga, and Apple, and Mac. You can also create your own copy parameters to use with it, if you have the skill. But it does work and it works well, I only wish it was faster. The Discovery Cartridge with just the basic package will cost you around $188.00. As you add other options the price goes up. You may find it cheaper thru some mail order stores. Next, we take a look at the SYNCHRO EXPRESS COPIER from Coast to Coast Technologies. and the Duplitwix Blitz Copier from 1St Stop Computers. I'm doing these two together because the are almost the same. The only real difference I can see is that the Express has what they call a custom LSI chip installed which is supposed to make it copy better. The basic hook up is about the same in that the both work by plugging into the printer port, and both require two drives. The Blitz copier comes with the hook up cable and software needed to run it. You could at one time find the software and a diagram of how to make your own cable on GEnie under Blitz copier. The Synchro Express comes with a cartridge which plugs into your printer port and a short cable (about 6 in.) you plug into the drive connection in the rear of your computer. Both of these copiers say they are fast, and will copy almost everything. The Blitz copier even says it will copy things the Discovery Cartridge can't. While the Express says don't be mislead by outrageous claims for " Nibbler " programs. I've tested them both and one thing I have to say is, as for speed they both leave the Discovery Cartridge in the dust at the starting line. They are very fast, they both read and write at the same time. In other words, when they are done reading the disk they are done writing the copy. Express says it can copy a double sided disk in 44 seconds and by George I think it will. The Express also says they had 100% success in their recent test they were unable to find a single program the Express couldn't backup. I don't know what programs ether of these two companies did there test on, but I found programs nether of them would copy and that ProCopy would. I also found a few the Express would copy and Blitz would not. They both copy a lot of programs, but they are not all they are billed to be as for as I'm concerned. The Synchro Express sells for $69.99 from Coast to Coast Technologies. You can get The DupliTwix Blitz for $44.00 from 1st Stop Computers. One more thing the Express was made to work with an internal drive, as drive A but will work with an external drive, as drive A but it's really inconvenient. Coast to Coast Technologies is aware of the problem and are working to correct it. In summary; I must say "you pay for what you get", and the only copier I found that did in fact copy all programs tested is the Discovery Cartridge from Happy Computers. It cost more money but at least it will do what they say it will and that's a lot more than I can say for the others. Of course, this is my opinion, check it out for yourself, and I think you'll find the same thing I did. "You pay for what you get." If you have any questions on these three copiers leave me E-Mail on GEnie under LTJ. You can write me at Leon T. Jordan 540 Ledora Circle Anchorage, AK. 99515. Thanks for taking the time to read this as you can see I'm not a pro at this. As a matter of fact this is my first one. I hope it will give you a little more information to go with before you buy. They all work some just better than others. ______________________________________________________ > Blitz or Blitzed? CPU/STR OnLine¿ A rose, is a rose, is a rose.. ================================= Conf : Atari 16/32 Bit Msg# : 4748 Lines: 11 Read: 1 Sent : Dec 25, 1989 at 12:27 PM To : RALPH, STReport NODE # 350 From : JIM MITCHELL at Crash ST Subj : Re: <4714> Copiers In reply to: > Is there any truth to the statement that the Blitz cable will, after three or four backups of the original eventually munch the original? There is some truth to the rumor. You just have it backwards. After 3 or 4 generations, you can no longer copy the copy. It reduces it use a as a pirating tool therefore. To make it more clear, a copy of the original will work, a copy of a copy will work, a copy of a copy of a copy probably will not work, and a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy is garbage. It does not matter if it is unprotected or not. Editor: Although at first glance, the degradation of a copy looks like a true anti piracy tool and more than likely is. However, after a second and more thorough look at the situation, this is (IMHO) not nice. To purchase a product labeled as a copier of EVERYTHING and not see anywhere in the advertisements that this bugger has a built in degrader is the pits. Once again, folks ..its caveat emptor! I make this statement not to say that the degrader should not be there, but the sellers should prominently display this fact to the potential buyer. The advertising should tell all that this "feature" exists. __________________________________________________________ > LYNX ONLINE CPU/STR OnLine¿ FNET BUZZING ABOUT LYNX! ========================== Below, we present a few of the high energy posts about the Lynx. Silverthorn writes: OOOOOOHH the LYNX! I'm very anxious to get my hands on that little wonder. Two of my cousins went all the way to New York to pick up a pair. To see it, is to want it. It's a simple as that. Silverthorn ROBERT DEN HARTIGH writes: Well I went shopping on Boxing day (big mistake) and kept on tripping over kids sitting outside computer and toy stores playing with Game Boys! I doubt if we'll see the Lynx any time soon in Canada and by that time Nintendo will have the market wrapped up. Atari will have to do a little advertising and they might be able to be the machine for next Christmas, as long as no one else comes along. Rob // Ralph, SysOp Node 350 writes: You may think Nintendo will have the market wrapped up but let me tell you this the LYNX is HOT! I have one and by golly it is the superior game machine on the market worldwide.... bar none. The moment the Lynx becomes available there, the other game machines will be put down and the LYNX picked up and used exclusively. The Lynx, at this time, is so much better than any of the other offerings in the game machine market. ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO OWN THE GAMEBOY, THEY WILL GO RIGHT OUT AND BUY A LYNX. You can quote me on that one my friend. Ralph.... Editor Note: We decided to present this information about the Lynx because it is literally taking the country by storm! In fact we predict it will surpass any of Atari's expectations, sales wise, by the end of April 1990. The Lynx is far ahead of the competition there is no comparison to anything available to the user. Here and now, the LYNX offers more bang for the buck than any other game machine offered. __________________________________________________________ > Stock Market ~ CPU NewsWire¿ =========================== THE TICKERTAPE ============== by Michael Arthur Concept by Glenn Gorman Atari Stock went down 3/4 of a point on Monday, and stayed even on Tuesday. Stock information for Wednesday was not found. Atari Stock went up 1/8 of a point on Friday. Finishing up the week at 8 7/8 points, Atari stock is down 5/8 of a point from the last report. Apple Stock is up 2 3/4 points from Friday, Dec. 15, 1989. Commodore Stock is down 1/4 of a point from 12/15/89. IBM Stock is up 3/8 of a point from 12/15/89. Stock Report for Week of 12/18/89 to 12/21/89 _________________________________________________________________________ STock| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Last Friday | Reprt|Last Chg. |Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg.|Last Chg. | -----|-------------|-------------|------------|------------|-------------| Atari|8 3/4 -3/4 |8 3/4 ... | ----- |8 3/4 |8 7/8 + 1/8| | | | | | 47,200 Sls | -----|-------------+-------------+------------+------------+-------------| CBM |10 1/4 ... | 10 - 1/4 | ----- | 10 |10 1/8 + 1/8| | | | | | 885,000 Sls | -----|-------------+-------------+------------+------------+-------------| Apple|34 3/4 + 1 | 35 + 1/4 |35 3/4 +3/4|36 1/4 +1/2|36 1/2 - 1/4| | | | | |4,626,500 Sls| -----|-------------+-------------+------------+------------+-------------| IBM |93 3/8 -1 1/8|94 3/4 +1 1/8|94 5/8 -1/8|95 1/8 +1/2|95 3/8 + 1/4| | | | | |1,005,100 Sls| -----'-------------------------------------------------------------------' 'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day. 'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation. The '-----' indicates that information on those stocks was not found for that day. _________________________________________________________ > TOS 1.4 CPU/STR InfoFile¿ An overview.... ========================= TOS 1.4 -> "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" ====================================== by Chas. Medley Status Disk Magazine As most of you know by now, Atari has released a new version of TOS, known as TOS 1.4 or Rainbow TOS. The basic look and feel of GEM remains the same. However, several new features have been added and, reportedly, many old bugs have been fixed. In addition, several functions have been rewritten to be more efficient. Performance ----------- I will begin with a description of the major new features. At the time of this writing I still have not received official 1.4 docs from Atari so it is possible there are some additional features I don't know about. o Clicking on Desktop Info reveals a new dialog box with copywrite dates of 1985 - 1989, as well as the Fuji symbol in animated color (cycling,)in med and low rez. o Show info will allow the renaming of a folder. This performs a true rename, not merely a copy and delete. Universal Item Selector III, supports this feature directly. o Show info on a folder will display its size in bytes and count the number of files and sub-directories it contains. o Copying or deleting displays the file and folder names as it copies or deletes. This is great for those times when something goes wrong, as you will know exactly how far you got before the problem occurred. o Copying floppies now uses all available memory so disk swapping may no longer be necessary for one drive systems. o You can now move (copy & delete) files by holding down the control key when dragging a file. o You can install an application so that it auto-runs at boot-up time. You have to have a new desktop after installing it for this feature to work. A new line, beginning with the letter Z, is written to the DESKTOP.INF specifying the path of the program to auto-run. o The file selector now displays drive buttons for all active drives, A-P. A couple of annoying bugs/features have been fixed. Hitting carriage return at the path line will NOT cause an immediate exit, and changing the wildcard will not result in TOS changing it to *.*. o INSTALL is now the default for installing a drive icon. o Applications can be removed (de-installed). o Some screen redraws seem to be slower, particularly the dial directory dialog box within FLASH. QINDEX still reports 100% functions. o TOS provides warm and cold boots from the keyboard. Control-Alternate-Delete performs a warm boot. Control-Alternate-(right)Shift-Delete performs a cold boot. A cold boot takes an extra second or so while memory is cleared. There are sill times when the machine has crashed badly enough to require you to completely power down, but it is generally more reliable than previous keyboard boot programs available on the ST, including RESTART and HOTKEY. o The 40 folder limit is fixed but there is still a limit, just very far away. You should still use FOLDRXXX to increase the limit, so presumably, the default limit is fewer than 999 folders. o FATSPEED/DISKFREE/etc. are no longer needed as the FAT search speed has been greatly increased. Software Compatibility (partial list) ------------------------------------- Tests were performed on a Mega ST, with a Multisync monitor and hard drive. All the special application hardware put to use worked properly including the Tweety Board, the JRI4096C color board and Stereo-Tek glasses. TITLE TYPE TITLE TYPE AEGIS ANIMATOR 2.11 - Comm OK. AIRBALL - Comm OK. ALL ABOARD - Comm OK. ANTI ALIASER (da) - Comm OK. ANTIBOMB 1.2 - PD OK. ARC 6.02 - Share OK. ARCSHELL 2.0 - Share OK. ART & FILM DIRECTOR - Comm OK. ART GALLERY 2.0 (da) - Comm OK. ATHENA II 1.9 - Comm OK. BACKUP 1.2 - Share OK. BAAL - Comm OK. BALANCE OF POWER - Comm OK. BALLISTIX - Comm OK. BIGSCREEN (tsr) - PD OK. BLOOD MONEY - Comm OK. BLOODWYCH - Comm OK. BUREAUCRACY - Comm OK. CAD 3D 2.03 - Comm OK. CAPTAIN BLOOD - Comm OK. CHRONO QUEST - Comm OK. CHAOS STRIKES BACK - Comm OK. CORNERMAN - Comm OK. CRIMSON CROWN - Comm OK. CYBER CONTROL (da) - Comm OK. CYBER PAINT 2.0 - Comm OK. CYBER SCUPLT - Comm OK. CYBER TEXTURE 1.0 - Comm OK. DC EXTRACT (da) - Comm OK. DCFORMAT - Share OK. DCRAMIT - Comm OK. DCSQUISH - Comm OK. DEGAS ELITE - Comm OK. DEVPAC ST - Comm OK. DISK DOCTOR - Comm OK. DUNGEON MASTER - Comm OK. EASYDRAW 3.00 - Comm OK. EASY-TOOLS (da) - Comm OK. EMACS 3.975 - PD OK. EXPERT OPINION - Comm OK. FALCON 1.0 - Comm OK. FALCON 1.1 - Comm OK. FALCON MISSION DISK - Comm OK. FINANCIAL CALCULATOR - Comm OK. FIRST WORD 1.03 - Comm OK. FLASH 1.6 - Comm OK. FLIGHT SIMULATOR - Comm OK. FONT TRICKS 2 (da) - Comm OK. G+PLUS 1.3 (da & tsr) - Comm OK. GENESIS 1.0 - Comm OK. GOLD RUSH - Comm OK. GRIDIRON - Comm OK. HARDBALL - Comm OK. HISOFT BASIC 1.23 - Comm OK. HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE etc. - Comm OK. HOTWIRE (tsr) - Comm OK. HOTWIRE (prg) - Comm OK. ISS - Comm OK. KULT - Comm OK. LEGEND OF DJEL - Comm OK. MANUAL MAKER 2.20 - Share OK. MAPS & LEGENDS 3.05 - Comm OK. MAXPAK (da) - Comm OK. MENACE - Comm OK. MIDI MAZE - Comm OK. MIND SHADOOW - Comm OK. MOONMIST - Comm OK. MULTI-DESK - Comm OK. MUSIC STUDIO - Comm OK. NEWBELL (tsr) - PD OK. OBLITERATOR - Comm OK. OOP TOPOS - Comm OK. PACK2 - Share OK. PAGE FLIPPER (da) - Comm* OK. PAGESTREAM 1.80 - Comm OK. THE PAWN - Comm OK. PC-DITTO I 3.01 - Comm OK. PHANTASIE I - Comm OK. PHANTASIE II - Comm OK. POPULOUS - Comm OK. PRIME TIME - Comm OK. PROSEPRO FORTRAN - Comm OK. QUICK ST 1.6d - Share OK. RATEHD - PD OK. RED STORM RISING - Comm OK. REVOLVER - Comm OK. REZRENDER - Comm* OK. SANTA PARAVIA etc. - Comm OK. SCREEN OPERATOR (da) - Comm* OK. SHADOW - Comm OK. SHADOWGATE - Comm OK. SILENT SERVICE - Comm OK. SPECTRUM 512 1.01 - Comm OK. STALKER 2.03 - Comm OK. STATUS DISK MAGAZINE - Comm OK. SUNDOG - Comm OK. SUPERBOOT 5.5 - Share OK. SUPER CONDUCTOR - Comm OK. TANGLEWOOD - Comm OK. TDI MODULA 2 - Comm OK. TETRIS - Comm OK. THUNDER 1.2 (da & prg)- Comm OK. TIMELINK 2.0 - Comm OK. TOUCH UP 1.56 - Comm OK. TRANSYLVANIA - Comm OK. TRIVIAL PURSUIT - Comm OK. TURBO ST 1.6 (da) - Comm OK. UIS III - Comm OK. UNISPEC 1.1 (da) - Comm OK. VIDI ST 1.25 - Comm OK. VKILLER 2.2 - PD OK. WORD PERFECT - Comm OK. ZERODISK - Comm OK. ZORK TRILOGY - Comm OK. Legend: da = desk accessory Comm = commercial tsr = auto boot program Share = shareware prg (or blank) = program PD = public domain * indicates a commercial program published by an ST magazine ___________________________________________________________ > UIS III CPU/STR InfoFile¿ UIS III a brief overview.... ======================== ctsy GEnie RT UNIVERSAL ITEM SELECTOR III =========================== by Ed Otey I think it's time to make sure that everyone understands exactly what we've been discussing. UIS III has several ways of displaying file names in the medium and high rez mode (only one way in low-rez). In medium-rez, you can display your text in LARGE (normal screen font) or SMALL mode. Large mode allows for 12 filenames to be listed up and down (vertically) and Small allows for 16 filenames. There are three other sub-modes for each of these..... 1) The '12 Mode' - This just displays 12 filenames and extensions vertically - i.e. ANGORA.IMG (in the SMALL mode, 16 file- names/extensions are shown). In this mode, UIS III only uses about 1/2 of the screen (in medium rez). This allows you to move UIS around the screen (if you so choose) and keep it out of your way. This is real nice with the Moniterm monitors. (NOTE: You can move UIS around the screen in any of it's modes) 2) The '12W Mode' - This displays 12/16 filenames/extensions/date /time vertically - i.e. ANGORA.IMG 20431 11-17-89 10:09 pm. In this mode, UIS uses about 80% of the screen but shows you more information. (NOTE: This is _my_ preferred way of having it configured.) 3) The '36 Mode' - This displays 12/16 filenames/extensions in 3 columns across (4 columns in the Small mode). The names are listed horizontally (see example) but still scroll vertically. So you'd have either 12x3 or 16x4 files showing on the screen at one time. High-rez has all of the above modes but instead of having the 16 file- names vertically in the Small mode, it has 32 filenames. So in the '36 Mode', you'd have 36x3 or 36x4 filenames showing. The following is two examples of the '36 Mode'. The first is how UIS handles it's sort, the second is how some folks would rather see it. EXAMPLE1: angora.img animals1.img animals2.img animals3.img /\ arcaeop.img avocett.img baboon1.img baboon2.img barn_owl.img bat1.img beagle_1.img beagle_2.img \/ EXAMPLE2: angora.img animals3.img baboon1.img bat1.img /\ animals1.img arcaeop.img baboon2.img beagle_1.img animals2.img avocett.img barn_owl.img beagle_2.img \/ One reason that Chris made the sort the way he did is to make it easier to 'lasso' files. Let's say that you wanted to move all of the files from ANGORA.IMG to BABOON2.IMG. As you can see, it would be very simple with the sort going horizontally. But with the sort going vertically (up and down), you'd have to lasso three different columns separately. Yes, I'm sure he could make the lasso go up/down and across columns, but that would take more code. And Chris has tried to keep his code as small as possible (less than 30k) so that UIS III wouldn't tie up too much memory even on a 512k machine. BTW, one nice feature that Chris added was to expand the lasso. Have you ever had 15 files to move on the normal Item Selector? If so, you know that you can only lasso 9 of them (I believe that's the number, it's been a while since I used the normal Item Selector _grin_). So you have to lasso 9, copy/move them to another area, come back and lasso the next 6 and copy/move them to another area. With UIS III, the lasso now scrolls up and down just like the scroll bar. So you could start at the first file and just move the lasso down...when it hits the bottom of the screen, it just keeps scrolling downward (just as if you were moving the scroll bar down). So you can copy/move as many files as you want very easily. (NOTE: the lasso will also scroll upward.) You say "Well, that's nice but why don't I just use the *.* in the SELECTION LINE?". What happens if you want to move some folders along with the files, the "*.*" won't work with them. What happens if you only want to move some of the files on a directory, the "*.*" will move all of them. This is a feature that grows on you, at first you don't think you'll use it much but after a while you won't know how to do without it. Well, that'll do it for today. If you have any further questions on any of the new features of UIS III, Ron or I are on here almost every day, so feel free to ask. Just remember, I'm kinda wordy. To order your copy of Universal Item Selector III Call: Universal Item Selector III version 3.0 Copyright 1989 Application & Design Software Grants Pass, OR 1-503-476-0071 _________________________________________________________ > 9600 BAUD CPU/STR InfoFile¿ The real info..... ========================== Not long ago, many data communicators thought that dial-up modem manufacturers had pushed transmission speeds to the limit with the introduction of 2400 bit per second (bps) modems. Recently, however, several manufacturers have creatively combined relatively mature techniques of data transmission with newer technology and have introduced 9600 bps modems. Unfortunately, a widely accepted standard for full duplex 9600 bps transmission as defined by the International Consultative Committee for Telegraphy and Telephony (CCITT) does not yet exist (the CCITT is currently considering proposals for a new 9600 bps dial-up standard). This means that today's 9600 bps modems do not offer cross-manufacturer compatibility. The CCITT HAS endorsed a half duplex and a full duplex 9600 bps standard, but to date implementations of these relatively flexible standards have been proprietary, i.e., even the "standardized" modems from different manufacturers are not compatible. All this means that modem users who want to enjoy the dream speed of 9600 bps must weigh the pros and cons of each 9600 bps technique before committing to a particular 9600 bps design. This paper was written in an effort to provide typical modem users with enough technical information and insight that they will be able to consider the new 9600 bps modems from the position of an educated consumer and not have to rely on information gleaned from sales brochures and advertisements. It should be noted that the author, Wes Cowell, is an employee of USRobotics. THE ROAD TO 9600 ================ High speed data communications via the dial-up phone network is limited by the available phone line bandwidth and by random channel impairments. Just as the diameter of a pipe limits its liquid flow capacity, so does the telephone channel bandwidth limit its data flow capacity. The roughly 3000-Hz available in the telephone bandwidth poses few problems for 300 bps modems, which only use about one fifth of the bandwidth. A full duplex 1200 bps modem requires about half the available bandwidth, transmitting simultaneously in both directions at 600 baud and using phase modulation to signal two data bits per baud. "Baud rate" is actually a measure of signals per second. Because each signal can represent more than one bit, the baud rate and bps rate of a modem are not necessarilly the same. In the case of 1200 bps modems, their baud rate is actually 600 (signals per second) and each signal represents two data bits. By multiplying signals per second with the number of bits represented by each signal one determines the bps rate: 600 signals per second X 2 bits per signal = 1200 bps. In moving up to 2400 bps, modem designers decided not to use more bandwidth, but to increase speed through a new signalling scheme known as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). In QAM, each signal represents four data bits. Both 1200 bps and 2400 bps modems use the same 600 baud rate, but each 1200 bps signal carries two data bits, while each 2400 bps signal carries four data bits: 600 signals per second X 4 bits per signal = 2400 bps. A technique known as adaptive equalization enables 2400 bps modems to adapt to phone line impairments call-by-call. Essentially, if the modem is experiencing problems with a noisy line, it looks for a "sweet spot" in the bandwidth and attempts to avoid troublesome frequencies. This technique makes 2400 bps modems more tolerant of line noise than their 1200 bps counterparts that use compromise equalization.... (a one-size-fits-all approach). While these advanced modulation and equalization techniques in 2400 bps modems provide for double the data rate of 1200 bps modems, they also result in a design at least four times more complex than 1200 bps modems. Which brings us to the problem of designing a 9600 bps modem. Jumping to 9600 from 2400 bps is several orders of magnitude more complicated than going to 2400 from 1200 bps. Telephone network characteristics make it highly unlikely that success will be had in extending the "data signal alphabet" (number of bits represented by each signal) beyond four bits per signal. Instead, modem designers must increase the bandwidth that is to carry the signal, and this presents a very big problem. In fact, at speeds of 4800 bps (1200 signals per second), the transmit and receive channels must be expanded to the point where they actually begin to overlap. A 9600 bps "band" requires roughly 90 percent of the available bandwidth, making it impossible to have two-way communication without the bands interfering with each other. A helpful analogy to the problem might be to consider a two lane highway: traffic must flow in both directions simultaneously, but to carry more cars per unit of time, highway designers must either increase the number of lanes in each direction or widen the two lanes to accommodate driver error with a margin of safety. Unfortunately, these options are not available to modem designers as the available bandwidth is of a fixed size. With these considerations and limitations in mind, let's examine three basic ways to accomplish full duplex (two-way) 9600 bps communications: echo cancellation, virtual full duplex (achieved by half duplex systems), and asymmetrical frequency division. ECHO-CANCELLATION ================= This method solves the problem of overlapping transmit and receive channels. Each modem's receiver must try to filter out the echo of its own transmitter and concentrate on the other modem's transmit signal. This presents a tremendous computational problem that significantly increases the complexity -- and cost -- of the modem. But it offers what other schemes don't: simultaneous two-way transmission of data at 9600 bps. The CCITT "V.32" recommendation for 9600 bps modems includes echo- cancellation. The transmit and receive bands overlap almost completely, each occupying 90 percent of the available bandwidth. Measured by computations per second and bits of resolution, a V.32 modem is roughly 64 times more complex than a 2400 bps modem. This translates directly into added development and production costs which means that it will be some time before V.32 modems can compete in the high- volume modem market. Despite the fact that V.32 is a recognized standard, it is uneconomical and unnecessarily complex for personal computer datacomm applications that simply don't require simultaneous two-way 9600 bps transmission. HALF DUPLEX SYSTEMS (Virtual Full Duplex) =================== Half duplex solutions devote the entire bandwidth to 9600 bps in one direction at a time, and "ping-pong" the data flow back and forth to simulate full duplex. This is potentially the simplest scheme. Its performance is acceptable in data transfer applications that don't involve user interaction, i.e. file transfers. Even so, advanced error-control protocols that require ACKnowledgments to be sent in response to received data blocks generate a high number of "line reversals" which greatly impair overall data throughput. In short, the benefit of higher speed is so significantly compromised by line reversals in half duplex sessions that the net gain in data throughput may be marginal at best. If users want to operate in an interactive mode, their data must be sent to the remote computer, the data channel must be reversed, and then the data must be echoed back. This process results in significant turn-around delays which can be very frustrating to users. Half duplex modems of this kind are most often based on CCITT recommendation V.29 for half duplex 9600 bps transmission on the dial-up network. V.29 based data pumps used in facsimile systems are available as LSI chip sets, providing a short-cut to modem manufacturers, particularly to companies that don't develop their own modem technologies. But the major problem is that the V.29 modulation scheme has been outdated by the fact that it operates in a half duplex mode and doesn't provide good signal to noise performance. The V.32 recommendation, which operates in a full duplex mode and employs Trellis Coding Modulation offers greater throughput and a greater immunity to channel impairments. To the best of my knowledge, modems employing V.29-based modulation include products from Racal-Vadic, Comspec, Develcon, Gamma Technology, Microcomm, and Electronic Vaults, Inc. (EVI). These modems, however, are NOT mutually signal compatible -- cross-manufacturer compatibility does not exist. Another modem in the half duplex category, but not based on V.29 modulation, is the Telebit Trailblazer (R), which uses a proprietary modulation method. Trailblazer is based on a multi-carrier technique. Conceptually, the transmission channel is divided into many (512), independent, very narrow channels (think of our two-lane highway and imagine it as having 512 very narrow lanes (say, for bicycles) going in one direction and you've got a fair idea of how Trailblazer divides the bandwidth). The main advantage is that no receiver adaptive equalizer is needed because each channel is very narrow compared to the overall channel bandwidth. Further, in the Trailblazer modulation scheme, the modulation rate in each narrow channel can be changed somewhat independently. Trailblazer is different from many other modems in that the decision to fall back to lower speeds is built into the modem protocol, rather than controlled by the user's computer port. It is claimed that in the face of channel impairments, throughput can be adapted gracefully to channel conditions. Traditional modulation systems would have to fall back in larger steps. But there are three inherent MAJOR problems: 1) The turn-around delay is very long compared to conventional modulation techniques because data must be sent in large blocks. A typed character may take several seconds to be echoed back to the system that sent it. As a result, the system fails to achieve the illusion of full duplex and is not really suited to interactive online sessions. 2) The Trailblazer receiver cannot "track" carrier "phase jitter" (phase jitter can be thought of in terms of "phase shift": think of how the whine of a race car goes from higher to lower as it passes the viewer the frequency of the sound is said to be "shifted" or "jittered"). Instead of cancelling out phase jitter (which is commonly encountered on long distance calls) the Trailblazer can only respond by lowering throughput to gain more immunity to phase jitter. 3) The ability to transmit at the maximum rate when subject to channel impairment is considerably less than for conventional modems. There is one notable exception: the multiple channel technique offers extremely good immunity to impulse noise because the impulse energy is distributed over narrow channels. While conventional modems can achieve similar results through special coding or filtering techniques they rarely implement such methods. ASYMMETRICAL FREQUENCY DIVISION =============================== When one considers the nature of most PC datacomm applications, it is realized that most applications are interactive, involving manual (typed) data entry from one end and data file transmission from the other end. Few, if any, PC users can justify using an expensive 9600 bps channel to carry their typed characters when they realize that 300 bps translates to 360 words per minute. Assuming one could type 100 words per minute, even a 100 bps transmission channel would be sufficient. On the other hand, file transfer should take advantage of the tremendous speed of the microprocessor. Serial ports are often set at data rates in excess of 19,000 bps. Considering these inherent characteristics, a communications scheme that incorporated a high speed and a low speed channel would be best suited for most PC datacomm applications. Remembering the highway analogy (higher speeds mean wider lanes), one can see how such a method would grant modem designers a large portion of the available bandwidth for a 9600 bps channel and still leave enough room to accommodate a narrow 300 bps channel without any channel overlap. By utilizing two discreet channels, such a modem would avoid costly, complex echo-cancellation schemes. And, because the channels carry data in both directions simultaneously, the communications link is a true full duplex connection. This means that data entered at one system would be almost instantaneously echoed back -- eliminating the frustrating turn-around delay experienced in half duplex sessions. USRobotics has developed just such a modem. It passes data in one direction using the V.32 modulation technique (a very robust method that is very immune to phone line impairments) but employs only a 300 bps channel in the opposite direction so that the channels do not overlap and echo-cancellation is not necessary. The use of the high-speed channel by the two modems is based on data demand. In most applications, however, "channel swapping" will not be required. For interface elegance, the modems employ a 4K buffer that allow them to perform data rate conversion: sending and receiving speeds remain constant between the modem and the computer -- it is only in between the modems that transmitted and received data run at different speeds. For interactive sessions, users are assigned the low-speed channel while the data sent to them (long mail messages, menus, files, etc.) in the 9600 bps channel. For file transfer sessions, the data blocks that make up a file are sent in the 9600 bps channel while the corresponding ACKnowledgments are returned in the 300 bps channel. An asymmetric frequency division scheme is ideal for file transfer where large data blocks (usually several hundred bytes in length) are transmitted in the high-speed channel and the ACKs (usually only a few bytes in length) are carried in the low-speed channel. If a user switches from an interactive mode to file transfer and then back to interactive mode, the high speed channel is dynamically and automatically assigned to the system with the greatest data demand. A BRIEF COMPARISON ================== Three options exist for data communicators who desire to operate at 9600 bps: 1) V.32-type modems offer a full duplex connection but do so by virtue of echo-cancellation. This technique is so complex, and has proven so difficult to employ, that the cost for such modems will remain prohibitively high and their implementation a delicate task for some time to come. 2) Half duplex modems (either V.29 or multi-carrier) offer 9600 bps but the turn-around delay inherent in half duplex links severely compromise overall throughput. This degradation of throughput, however, can be more than offset by data compression techniques assuming the modems in question support identical compression protocols and are operating on relatively "clean" phone lines. Both half duplex methods suffer disproportionate degradation on "noisy" lines: the V.29 modems must spend more and more time in line reversals as detected data errors increase, and the multi-carrier modems must sacrifice throughput to gain noise immunity. 3) Asymmetrical Frequency Division offers 9600 bps communications in a true full duplex implementation. By efficiently utilizing the available bandwidth, these modems provide users with high speed file transfer capabilities and fast response in interactive sessions. Because the transmit and receive data channels do not overlap, expensive echo-cancelling techniques are unnecessary making these modems economically efficient. IN CONCLUSION ============= Until a widely recognized standard is agreed upon by the standards community, and implemented by several manufacturers, modem buyers must weigh the benefits and detriments of each 9600 bps scheme. V.32 would be best where symmetrical, full duplex, synchronous communication is desired (for example, dial-up HDLC links between multiplexers) and where the user can modify his software to accommodate non-"AT" command-driven modems. V.29 modems would be likely solutions where absolute lowest price is required and conformance to an international standard (in a very limited sense) is desired. Multi-carrier transmission schemes are well-suited to applications that require maximum one-way throughput and where circuit conditions are known to be good. This transmission method is also ideally suited for circuits where immunity to impulse noise is paramount. Users who most often work with one-way file transfers (PC-to-PC) or with real- time applications may opt for an Asymmetrical Frequency Division scheme, which is suited equally well for either application. The elegant approach to the frequency division (avoiding overlapping bandwidths) also allows these modems to present a very economical ratio between dollars and bps. Potential high-speed-modem buyers should also consider the aspects of ease-of- use, ease-of-implementation, and downward compatibility with existing implemented standards (the CCITT's V.22bis for 2400 bps, Bell 212A for 1200 bps, and Bell 103 for 200 bps). POST SCRIPT =========== Many modem users have voiced confusion and consternation about the lack of compatibility between modem manufacturers at speeds greater than 2400 bps. Modem manufacturers have embraced the Bell 212A and 103 standards for 1200 and 300 bps. In these post-divestiture days, however, Bell no longer sets modem standards in the U.S. and hence, U.S. modem manufacturers have turned to the CCITT as a definitive source for standards. The industry-wide acceptance of the CCITT's V.22bis standard for 2400 bps is the best example of this shift. The CCITT recommendations V.29 and V.32 for 9600 bps have not resulted in compatible implementations. It is important to remember that V.29 was originally developed as a four-wire full duplex leased-line modem and has since been adapted by various manufacturers to encompass half duplex dial up applications. Other problems with V.29 are that it compromises transmission speed and is poor for interactive sessions. V.32 is proving to be prohibitively complex and exceptionally difficult to implement (driving development and production costs up). Recognizing the need for an alternative to the V.32 recommendation, the CCITT has requested proposals from modem manufacturers. Presently, two proposals are being considered by the CCITT. One is the multi- carrier scheme developed and sponsored by Telebit. The other is an Asymmetrical Frequency Division scheme developed and sponsored by USRobotics. __________________________________________________________ > DUAL STANDARD MODEMS CPU/STR FOCUS¿ Taking a good look at 'em... ================================== The Courier HST Dual Standard modem combines U.S. Robotics HST asymmetrical full-duplex modulation and CCITT V.32 capability for high- speed flexibility, performance and compatibility. The Courier HST Dual Standard is perfect for data centers that support both PC and mainframe applications, and where synchronous and asynchronous capabilities are required. The Dual Standard includes all major modulation techniques - HST, V.32, V.22 bis, V.22, V.21, Bell 212A and Bell 103 - providing compatibility with the vast installed base of synchronous and asynchronous modems from 300 to 19,200 bps, including all current and previous models of U.S. Robotics Courier HST modem. For typical, asynchronous, PC-style applications such as one- way file transfer, the Dual Standard modem s HST technology provides the fastest error-free transmission available on dial-up circuits. The Dual Standard modem V.32 capability is the versatile solution for applications requiring true full-duplex and/or synchronous transmission, such as host-to-host or micro-to-mainframe comunication, remote LAN bridging, two-wire leased lines, leased line dial backup or high-speed international standards compatibility. In its asymmetrical HST operation, the Dual Standard modem transmits asynchronous data at 9.6, 7.2 and 4.8 Kbps, automatically providing the fastest data rate in response to phone line conditions. In V.32 mode, the Dual Standard modem sends and receives asynchronous or synchronous data at 9.6, 7.2 and 4.8 Kbps. The Dual Standard modem also provides CCITT V.42 compatibility by including MNP Class 1 through 4 error-control protocols. The modem also features MNP Class 5 data compression, effectively boosting its data rates by up to 80 percent when connected to other MNP Class 5 modems. In HST mode, the Dual Standard uses U.S. Robotics asymmetrical full- duplex modulation technique, splitting the phone line bandwidth into non- overlapping high-speed and low-speed channels. The modem automatically assigns the high-speed channel direction based on dataflow demand. The HST technique uses trellis-coded modulation for high-speed, error-free performance. In V.32 mode, the Dual Standard operates simultaneous send and receive frequencies using trellis-coded modulation and echo- concelling. Courier HST Dual Standard is available in external and rackmounted models. The rackmounted version works in U.S. Robotics Rackmount 30 Modular Modem System, which includes a 19-inch-wide chassis for up to 15 modem and interface boards. DESCRIPTION ----------- 7.2 and 4.8 Kbps in V.32 mode, and at 2400, 1200 and 300 bps in either mode. Data Compression - MNP Service Class 5 compression, available at all transmission speeds above 300 bps, increases effective throughput by up to 80 percent. Error Checking - MNP Service Classes 1 through 4 at all speeds above 300 bps (asynchronous transmission only). Hardware/software flow control allows fixed RS-232 rates up to 19.2 Kbps. Asynchronous or synchronous transmission on dial-up or leased lines. Synchronous available in V.32 mode only at all speeds above 300 bps. Auto-dial - asynchronous ("AT" command set), synchronous (nonvolatile RAM). Ease of Use Features: --------------------- Automatic transmission-speed adjustment guarantees highest possible speed under a wide range of conditions. Automatically adapts to the highest data rate supported by the remote modem. Speaker with volume control for audio call-progress monitoring. On-screen and bottom label help summaries. RS232-C pins 2 and 3 (Send and Receive data) switch-reversible for easy use with terminal, computer or printer. Technical Specs: ---------------- Twelve LED front panel indicators. Local analog and digital loopback, and remote digital loopback self- testing. U.S./CCITT answer sequences. Includes power adapter and RJ11C phone cord. Two phone jacks for voice/data communications. Size: 8.3" wide, 12.65" deep, 1.57" tall. Power adapter UL listed, CSA approved. Supply voltage: 115 VAC, 60 Hz, 16 VAC output. SPECIAL FEATURES ---------------- High-Speed Operation - Courier HST Dual Standard offers the most productivity, flexibilty and compatibility. HST mode - High-speed compatibility with all Courier HST modems. V.32 mode - Compatible with all CCITT V.32 standard modems. Trellis-coded modulation in both high-speed modes ensures maximum immunity to telephone network impairments. Non-volatile Random Access Memory (NRAM) - Easily programmable non-volatile memory stores user-defined default configuration. Phone Number Storage - Creates auto dial directory of four frequently called phone numbers. Automatic Dialing - "AT" command dialing and automatic dialing of stored phone number at power on, reset command or when terminal turns on DTR. Synchronous Auto-Dialing - Automatically dials stored phone number, then establishes synchronous data link. Diagnostics - Local and remote loopback testing provides DTE, modem and phone line diagnostic capabilities. COMPATIBILITY ------------- Courier HST-compatible at 9.6, 7.2 and 4.8 Kbps. CCITT V.32 -compatible at 9.6, 7.2 and 4.8 Kbps. CCITT V.22 -bis-compatible at 2400 bps. CCITT V.22 -and Bell 212A-compatible at 1200 bps. CCITT V.21 -and Bell 103-compatible at 300 bps. Uses "AT" auto-dial command set in asynchronous mode. CCITT V.42 -compatible (MNP Class 1-4 error control). MNP Class 5 data compression. FCC, DOC certified. _________________________________________________________ > CPU NEWSWIRE CONFIDENTIAL Sayin' it like it is.... ========================= - Toronto, Canada ***** ATARI IS ON TIME AND TRACK!! ***** ---------------- Yes Bunky, the STE is out finally...actually right on time too! Atari is DEFINITELY improving. A&B Sound also received the NEW PC 5. The 386 machine (20Mhz) with 4MB RAM, a 60 MB HD, and VGA graphics, also the new PCC1424 color VGA monitor...right on Atari, keep it coming!!! - Grass Valley, CA. ***** HAPPY COMPUTERS HAS NEW HOME! ***** ---------------- Happy Computers' expressed the Best Wishes of the Holiday Season to the ST computing community and advises all of its new address and telephone numbers. Happy Computers 12000 Mathis Way Grass Valley, Ca. 95940 1-916-268-3595 voice line 1-916-268-3986 Fax line 1-916-268-9089 Support BBS line - San Francisco, CA. ****** ANTIC LOOSES A PIONEER! ****** ------------------ On a completly amicable basis, Mr. John Taggart, Assoc. Publisher for Antic Magazine, (STart) has tendered his resignation. In seeing this gentleman go on to greener pastures, we can only hope we, in the ST Community, will be fortunate enough to have another, such as he, serving us in the future. In the meantime, good luck, health and fortune to you John, please ...don't forget us. _____________________________________________________________ > 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) ***** After CHRISTMAS SPECIALS ARE 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"¿ ================= "Often copied and mimicked.....NEVER DUPLICATED!" FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS ..CPU/STR NEWSWIRE!! ... The Bottom line -------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPU/STR¿ "Your Independent News Source" December 29, 1989 16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1989 Vol. III ~ Issue #120 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------