*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" _____________________________________ from STR Publishing Inc. """""""""""""""""" August 03, 1990 No.6.31 ======================================================================= STReport 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 ** STR'S owned & operated support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport Online Magazine and An International list of private BBS systems carrying STReport Online Magazine for their users enjoyment __________________________________________________________________ > 08/03/90: STReport¿ #6.31 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------- - The Editor's Desk - CPU Report - CPU MacNews - Neodesk 3 Overview - WAACE Updates - MIST News - Delphi STR Online CO - Cordless Mouse - STR CONFIDENTIAL * GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES NEW NEODESK 3! * * DEVELOPERS MUST RE-APPLY FOR GENIE ACCESS!! * * START CANCELS SEPT. ISSUE! * ========================================================================== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE¿ "Only UP-TO-DATE News and Information" -* FEATURING *- Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports ========================================================================== STReport'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¿ Since its the summer, and most of us take our vacations during this time of year, I too, will be grabbing an extra two days a week for the month of August, Mondays and Tuesdays. This will afford me the long weekends and an opportunity to take some time out to "smell the flowers". On another note Atari is, from what we are told, working feverishly to correct the STe DMA thing so hang in there folks all will be set in a short while. This column is brief this week so we could allow more room to our featured articles and the Delphi Online Conference with yours truly as the guest.. As Always, many thanks for your strong support! Ralph...... Hey Antonio..... Be NICE!! *********************************************************************** > CPU REPORT¿ ========== Issue # 78 by Michael Arthur Remember When.... In May 1976, Gary Kindall copyrighted CP/M, the first industry standard operating system, and started a company called Digital Research in order to further it? Or when, after Intel released the 8086 microchip in June 1978, Digital Research flung many of its resources into making a multitasking version of CP/M, rather than an 8086 version of CP/M, and later ignored the queries of a company called IBM as to licensing CP/M for use on a personal computer that it had under development? CPU Dream Systems¿ VII ====================== Enhanced HAM, Media Engines, and Other Peripherals of Note ---------------------------------------------------------- Change is the only constant in the computer industry. As the capabilities of microcomputers increased during the 1980's, they began to provide the versatility, performance capability, and speed found in the workstation field. In order to survive in the computer industry, microcomputers have had to quickly improve. However, in most instances third-party peripherals are the avenue through which microcomputers' capabilities grow fastest. Therefore, this section features examples of hardware peripherals and computer systems which are both noteworthy as innovations in the computer industry, and are unique in their respective markets. After doing some research, I found a few pieces of hardware that could truly claim to be "Peripherals of Note". Shown in no particular order, here is my list: PERIPHERAL #1: EXPANZ REAL-TIME DATA COMPRESSION BOARD ------------------------------------------------------- InfoChip Systems Inc. is now shipping a data compression board for the IBM PC. Called Expanz, this board increases the storage capacity of any floppy, tape, or hard disk by an average factor of three. It does this by compressing the data on disks in real-time (read: as it is being accessed by DOS). As an extra feature, it also boosts data transfer rates from disk, because the data which is being sent is logically compressed, and takes less time to be sent. The Expanz card compresses most files by a factor of three. However, on CAD or image files it can shrink files by a factor of up to 15. Not unexpectedly, the Expanz Card's compression is least effective on both executable code, and archived files (ARC/LZH/ZOO/SIT/etc. files). In these cases, it registers compression ratios of around 1.3:1.... The Expanz Card intercepts all read/write data requests. If data is to be saved, the card stores it in a 32K Static RAM Cache, and uses a proprietary coprocessor chip to compress the data. It then sends the data to the system's disk controller. If data is to be read, it decompresses the data from the disk before sending it to DOS. The coprocessor is fast enough to handle compression/decompression in real-time (as it is faster than the PC AT's Disk Transfer rates), and as such, the Expanz card is completely transparent to both DOS, and all hard disk controllers.... Interestingly enough, IBM, Compaq, Dell, and MANY other major PC companies are negotiating with InfoChip to use the Expanz technology on future motherboard designs. Also, Novell is working with InfoChip to modify the Expanz technology for LAN fileservers, so that all traffic on a Local Area Network is in compressed format (resulting in MUCH faster data transfer rates for LANs). The Expanz Card fits in an XT 8-bit slot. However, InfoChip also plans to show a MicroChannel-compatible version of the Expanz Card at this year's Fall Comdex. Cost: $200.00. To get more information on the Expanz Card (or if Atari wishes to look into using the Expanz technology in future products), here is InfoChip's Address: InfoChip Systems Inc. 2840 Sam Tomas Expressway Santa Clara, CA 95054 1-408-727-0514 PERIPHERAL #2: MOTOROLA 96002 DSP CHIP - "MEDIA ENGINE" -------------------------------------------------------- Motorola has now introduced a new version of their line of Digital Signal Microprocessors, called the 96002. The 96002 is a 32-bit floating point math chip based on the same architecture begun by Motorola's 56001 24-bit Digital Signal Processor (or DSP) Chip, which is used on the NeXT Computer. Curiously, while many of the NeXT Computer's innovations (like graphical user interfaces for Unix, magneto-optical drives, and Display Postscript-like systems) are gaining much popularity in the computer industry, DSP technology has not gained the same renown, even considering its great capabilities. Digital Signal Processors are designed to serve as coprocessors in applications such as speech synthesis, real-time data acquisition, image processing, or other areas in which digital data sets must be quickly analyzed or manipulated. Digital Signal Processors are also programmable, in order to be able to perform operations on any type of digital data. Running at 33 MHZ, the Motorola 96002 is capable of performing 165 million operations per second, 50 MIPS (million operations per second), and 16.7 MFLOPS (million floating point operations per second). Like the 68040, which can perform integer and floating point operations concurrently, Motorola has designed the 96002 so it can analyze and manipulate several segments of digital data in parallel. One of the applications of this capability is rendering true color (24-bit) color images while simultaneously generating stereo sound. With the current excitement over multimedia, Motorola emphasized the name, "Media Engine" for the 96002. It is hoped that this will both illustrate the varied uses for it, and gain more popularity in the computer industry for Digital Signal Processor technology.... PERIPHERAL #4: HAM-E FOR THE AMIGA (VIDEO BOARD) ------------------------------------------------ Black Belt Systems has introduced a new hardware peripheral for the Amiga, called the HAM-E graphics system. HAM-E is a graphics processor board which provides the Amiga with two new graphics modes, which are: - REG Mode: This mode provides a 320*200 resolution (or 320*400 with interlacing) with 256 displayable colors out of a 24-bit color palette (or 16,776,216 colors). REG Mode has up to 236 usable color registers, for animation application such as color cycling. - HAM-E Mode: This mode is an Extended HAM (Hold-And-Modify) Mode, which can display 262,144 colors at the same time with a 24-bit color palette, at a 320*200 resolution. Here is an excerpt from Black Belt Systems' Press release, further explaining how this is done: -------------------- *** HAM-E Mode: The second mode is the Extended HAM (Hold-And-Modify) mode. This mode provides 236 24-bit color registers in four banks of 59, and full 18 bit HAM capability. You can have 262,144 colors on screen at one time (in exactly the same way "standard" HAM allows you to have 4,096) and instead of having 16 color registers available to enhance "fast-edge" color changes, you have 236, which are accurate to 24 bits (16 million colors). You use this just like you use HAM mode, but you get: (1) More than a quarter-million more simultaneous colors than standard HAM mode (or any "normal" Amiga mode) can provide; (2) You have much better sharp edge color changes because you have 59 immediately available color registers you can use to load the R, G and B guns with no delay or HAM artifacts to a precision of 24 bits (16 million colors); (3) You have the ability to change anywhere in the picture to a new set of 59 color registers - the cost is one pixel that does not change at all from the previous pixel. Obvious "good" places to do that are at the beginning of a scan line, or in an area of an image that is not currently changing (say, the contour of a cheek). Remember, it only takes one pixel and there is no processor overhead involved, no interrupts, no blitter. It's all directly dependant on the pixel data in the image. -------------------- Like the REG Mode, the HAM-E mode is fully compatible with Genlocks and the IFF picture format, as well as supporting full register-based color cycling. Like the Amiga's standard graphics modes, the HAM-E system displays its images inside a standard Amiga window, and acts exactly as if it was designed into the Amiga as standard. As such, the HAM-E's modes can be interlaced, and its images can be accessible via the CPU or blitter chip. However, there is NO CPU or Blitter overhead in maintaining images produced by the HAM-E. Resulting in increased system performance.... Impulse (Turbo Silver CAD program), NewTek (Digipaint), Electronic Arts (DeluxePaint, Deluxe Photo Lab), MicroIllusions (Photon Paint II), and ASDG (Professional ScanLab, ScanLab 100) have expressed interest in supporting the HAM-E system when it is introduced. Meaning that most of the graphics and desktop video applications out for the Amiga will probably support HAM-E when it is introduced.... The HAM-E is plugged into the Amiga via the RGB Port. It has its own RGB port, for connecting a monitor or genlock. It also works with all Amigas, and produces 24-bit RGB output. HAM-E is expected to be shipping before the end of the year. Cost: Around $300.00. If you want more information on the HAM-E Display System, Black Belt Systems can be reached at: Black Belt Systems 398 Johnson Road Glasgow, Montana, 59230 Voice/FAX: 1-406-367-5509 8am to 5pm, Mountain Standard Time. Part I of this series has featured a list of several hardware peripherals in the microcomputer/workstation field which can truly claim to be both uniquely innovative, and noteworthy in their specific marketplaces. In Part II, CPU Report will attempt to compile a list of "Dream Systems", or noteworthy configurations of several microcomputer and workstation systems that could currently be the best in the industry, and shown the individual features which make the system. But just as this issue alone indicates several changes in the structure of the Dream Systems Essay, the hardware peripherals shown above certainly indicate certain trends in the computer industry.... CPU MacNews¿ =========== Adobe Introduces Adobe Type Manager 2.0, Illustrator 3.0 -------------------------------------------------------- Adobe Systems Inc. has recently announced Adobe Type Manager 2.0 for the Macintosh. The new version of ATM is around 2 to 2.5 times as fast at displaying text and printing Postscript text than ATM Version 1.2. Adobe has fixed several bugs in ATM 2.0, which also has marked type quality improvements over ATM 1.2. Adobe Type Manager is a CDEV which intercepts Quickdraw calls and automatically displaying or printing a scaled Postscript version of the requested font. ATM also allows you to print high-quality text on both Postscript-compatible and Quickdraw-based printers. Adobe is including a utility called Font Porter with ATM 2.0, which allows ATM users to install bitmapped screen fonts by simply dragging the suitcase files into the System Folder, instead of using the Font/DA Mover to do so. Adobe Type Manager 2.0 is shipping at Macworld 1990 (on August 8-11, 1990). Cost: $100.00, but Adobe is offering registered ATM Users the option of either upgrading to ATM 2.0 for $20.00, or for receiving both ATM 2.0 and a typeface package from the Adobe Type Library for an additional $40.00.... Adobe has also introduced Version 3.0 of its Adobe Illustrator drawing/design program. Among other things, Illustrator 3.0 features: - Direct, onscreen editing of text, with advanced text handling functions. Before, one had to enter text through a dialog box. - New graphing and charting tools, allowing several types of graphs and charts to be selected (from grouped or stacked bar graphs to line, area, scatter, and pie charts), and then manipulated or customized. Also, charts and graphs can be automatically updated when data is entered or revised. - Better User Interface, making it easier to learn and use. This includes interactive feedback (online help), and enhanced dialog boxes and tool selections. - A completely redesigned version of Adobe Separator, with a better user interface and more detailed access to important Postscript file information. Adobe Separator also allows you to preview color illustrations that are to undergo color separation, and is compatible with Adobe Photoshop files..,. To be demonstrated at MacWorld, it will ship in September 1990, and will be bundled with Adobe Type Manager Version 2.0. Cost: $600.00, but registered Illustrator users can upgrade for $100.00. Also, people who have bought Illustrator 2.0 since July 1, 1990 will get a free upgrade.... > CPU STATUS REPORT¿ ================= - Washington, DC ANTI-COUNTERFEITING BILL MAY MAKE LASER PRINTERS ILLEGAL -------------- The US Senate Banking Committee is now considering a new bill which would make it a crime to own any electronic device which the Treasury Department determines can be used for counterfeiting. The Secret Service, Treasury Department, and other Government agencies have testified that personal computers, scanners, and laser printers have made counterfeiting FAR easier and more effective than before. The Secret Service itself has said that it had seized $75.2 million of counterfeit currency, and that approximately $14 million still passed into this country in 1989. All of these groups are calling for stricter federal control on electronic devices which could make counterfeiting easier.... However, the Software Publishers Association recently testified in order to bring up one point: The bill under question, if passed into law, would make document scanners, microcomputers, laser printers, and several software industries (like image processing) illegal. However, while this bill itself has a bleak fate, similar bills are also pending before Congress.... - Brussels, Belgium EC MEMBERS ABOLISH BORDER CONTROLS FOR PRODUCTS ----------------- Several members of the European Community (EC), including France, Belgium, West Germany, and the Netherlands, have begun to abolish border checks and other border controls between each other, in preparation for the 1992 start of the European open market. This means that consumers will be able to purchase products in countries with the lower VAT (value added tax) rates, all without going through each country's border control bureaucracies. This will also immediately increase market accessibility for many companies with European operations. Interestingly enough, West Germany has the lowest VAT rate in Europe (14 percent). Also, Greece and England have expressed concern about this new system, because of fears about terrorism in the UK, and Greece's fear that their consumers will not wish to buy certain products in their country.... - Washington, DC LOTUS FOUNDER LAUNCHES ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION -------------- Mitch Kapor (Founder of Lotus Corp.) and John Barlow have recently created the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization aimed at both educating the public about computer technology issues (like the difference between a computer hacker and a computer cracker), and serving as a lobbying group in computer technology and telecommunications issues. In forming this group, Kapor stated that there were many issues (both legal and societal) concerning computers and communications technology which have not been dealt with sufficiently, and that there must be a clearer understanding of the uses of such technology. The EFF has also stated the belief that computer technology has caused a sort of "future stock" in today's society.... Steve Wozniak, Mitch Kapor, and several other parties are initially funding the EFF. While the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will try to defend computer users where misunderstanding of technology has caused false legal charges, Kapor emphasizes that the EFF will not be a "hacker defense fund".... - Budapest, Hungary EASTERN EUROPEAN CHARACTER SET STANDARD ESTABLISHED ----------------- Representatives of several Western computer companies (such as IBM, Microsoft, Ashton-Tate, and HP), and software developers from several Warsaw Pact countries have established a single character set for the Eastern European PC market. This character set, known as Latin2, contains all of the Latin alphabet-based special characters specific for Eastern European languages. Interestingly enough, it contains NO Cyrillic characters. Lotus, Aldus, Microsoft, and Ashton-Tate have pledged to port their products to the Eastern European market using the Latin2 standard... Among other things, this means that Atari, Apple, and other computer makers will have a unified standard with which to penetrate the personal computer market in Eastern Europe and the USSR. Also, this step may be the first clear signal that Eastern Europe will soon become a viable market in the computer industry.... *********************************************************************** IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= As a reader of ST Report Online Magazine, you are entitled to take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. For only $29.95 ($20 off the standard membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscription to DELPHI, a copy of the 500-page DELPHI: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE and over $14 worth of free time. NOTE: Special offers can be found in your favorite Atari magazines: START CURRENT NOTES ST INFORMER ATARI INTERFACE MAGAZINE SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI ====================== Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI services via a local phone call. JOIN -- DELPHI -------------- 1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps, dial 576-2981). 2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI. 3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT. For more information, call DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005, or at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S. DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass. *********************************************************************** > STR Delphi Conference STR FOCUS¿ The Editor of STReport interviewed! =============================== DELPHI's ST Advantage presents A Formal Conference with ST Report's Ralph Mariano August 1, 1990 .Gordie> Good evening, and welcome to DELPHI's ST Advantage. Tonight we're pleased to have Ralph Mariano, editor of ST Report, in a formal Conference. Because this is a formal conference, we need to have some rules, so let's get those out of the way first. To keep things under control, we ask that you not "talk" until you've been given the floor by the conference moderator (me). If you would like to ask Ralph a question, signal the moderator by typing a question mark (?). Your name will then be put on a list, and you will be notified when it is your turn to speak. When you have the floor, please keep your questions and comments as brief as is reasonable. We want to keep things moving fast so that everyone gets a chance to participate. When you have finished speaking, signal us by typing GA. Some conference commands that you might find helpful include: /HELP Enter the CO help system. /NAME name To give yourself a CO nickname. /WHO To get a listing of members currently online. Finally, I need to remind everyone that the transcript resulting from this conference is the property of DELPHI. It may be freely reprinted and distributed, but we ask that you wait for the final edited version that will be available soon in the databases. If for some reason, you cannot wait for the edited version, please contact me (BIBLINSKI) immediately, so that I can provide you with the notice that must accompany any reprint of this conference. That out of the way, let's welcome Ralph Mariano. Ralph, do you have any opening remarks you'd like to make? GA .Ralph @ STReport> Hi Everyone, wouldn't you know it now that I have the floor I am speechless! It would most likely be better if we proceeded with the questions... ga .Gordie> Okay, Scott, go ahead. SCOTTJ> Ralph , why did you stop the Atari Apocalypse series in ST Report? .Ralph @ STReport> There were a number of reasons... A)- the reaction (in general from the readers was rather strong both pro and con) We felt that this was not the time to split (divide) the userbase in two or more opposing factions. B)- Atari made some advances about the need for unity with the new fellow from France and we felt he deserved the opportunity to proceed on a positive note. ga SCOTTJ> Why do you have so much faith in this new guy from France? It seems as if there is a new "savior" of Atari hired every other week and then fired soon afterwards. What makes you think the French guy will be different from all the rest. ga .Ralph @ STReport> Well, he is under a rather strong contract. That's for openers and he has a PROVEN track record in SALES and Marketing. Now, if Sam and his brothers let this man do what he does best. Atari will re-emerge as an industry player instead of an 'also - ran.' The man is good. He made Atari France the #1 sales region this past year. The big thing now he has to overcome is the STe disaster... and it is just that... we shall see. This will surely be his acid test. The DMA problem is just blooming now, worldwide. ga .Gordie> Clay, you're next. .Clay> Charles Cherry seemed to have done a good job in pulling together the developer's department at Atari. Do you think his leaving is a bad omen? .Ralph @ STReport> No, but you are correct in your assessment of Cherry's work. Charles was quite good at dealing with people; his apparent problem was with the lack of Atari's standing behind his decisions and promises to developers. Charles was well on the way to solidifying the developer corps. ga .Clay> So he wasn't generally happy with his job at Atari? .Ralph @ STReport> That would be a reasonable assumption... ga .Gordie> Ralph, how much time a week goes into ST Report? Both yours and your staff's? .Ralph @ STReport> That's a good question. At times it seems like an eternity, but it's close to 45-60 hours combined. It's not the hours but the phone bills! At times I feel like the phone is an extension of my ear! ga .Gordie> Does ABCO cover the costs of production? .Ralph @ STReport> Yes it does. And has from day one. ga .Gordie> Seems like it's more a labor of love than anything, then. .Ralph @ STReport> That is correct. Myself and the staff do enjoy putting STReport together every week ga .Gordie> Clay, you're next. .Clay> A while back, ST Report had evolved into something that one could only call controversial. It seemed that every issue raised hackles somewhere. How did you deal with that pressure? And when (or actually why) did you decide to try a new philosophy? GA .Ralph @ STReport> Ok, well, if you mean before STReport became a wholly owned entity of mine, then the planning was not done by me alone and it was a mutually agreed upon plan. After I assumed full control, it became quite apparent that the readers wanted more than sensationalism. It was at that time the decision was made to add quality to the magazine. Controversy is only pressure filled when it is not truthful or if it is overly exaggerated... then it came become an unbearable pressure cooker. Through the all the issues since we became independent, verification has been the law... ga .Gordie> Go for it, Scott! SCOTTJ> Recently , you complained about the editing of ST Report on Usenet by Greg Lindhal. Why were you so upset about it. All he did was take out the ads and some of the junk like CPU Report. Since you have told him not to edit ST Report any more, people on Usenet can no longer get ST Report. .Ralph @ STReport> Quite the contrary, he edited about every other article and editorialized as he went along. We have every one of his "edits" on file and were most upset with the comments he made. After all, STReport is (c) copyrighted. And frankly, CPU Report may not be your cup of tea, but it certainly is NOT junk. That is not what I call CPU Report at all. ga SCOTTJ> Come on , Ralph! CPU Report until recently consisted of nothing but a rewrite of the same basic article! The "dream systems" CPU Report that contained EXACTLY the same info each time it ran, but in a slightly different format. I often wondered if you were using some kind of ELIZA program to write CPU Report. ga .Ralph @ STReport> I am not here to debate you on the merits of a column in STReport. You are entitled to your opinion, but I am not going to get into a debate over a weekly feature that changes each week. ga SCOTTJ> Won't answer my question , huh? .Gordie> Scott, it doesn't matter what the content is, it shouldn't have been changed. That would be like the letter carrier ripping out the basketball stories in your copy of Sports Illustrated, because he personally didn't like B-ball. That's just silly to even try to defend. Okay, Clay, you're up. .Clay> Ralph, what do you estimate is the number of readers who see ST Report each week? .Ralph @ STReport> That is one of the most frequently asked questions. The best we can do is say approx 75-90% of the Atari userbase sees STReport weekly through the major services and the FNET which consists of well over 300 nodes internationally and then the trickle down to individual BBSs from there. ga .Clay> Wow! That's impressive. Do hard-copy versions get distributed somehow to people without modems? ga .Ralph @ STReport> Yes, according to the mail we receive weekly from those without modems, it is a rather high number. The volume of mail the last two weeks about the STe thing has been unreal; we have four stacks of letters now at over 18 inches high each! ga .Clay> Sounds great! .Gordie> Go ahead, Scott. SCOTTJ> What is the problem between you and John Nagy? You were partners in ST Report once. Now it seems that there isn't an issue of ST Report or Znet that goes by in which you two don't snipe at each other. This "download pumping" stuff is a good example. ga .Ralph @ STReport> I was never a partner or an associate of John Nagy's. I WAS a columnist working with Ron Kovacs and then he made me an equal with the original ST Report. I don't believe you have been quite accurate in your assessments, but then it appears you are attempting to get "something" going here. I have no axe to grind with either Nagy or Kovacs. ga SCOTTJ> Then why do keep sniping at each other's magazines? Who cares if one is downloaded more than another. .Ralph @ STReport> That, sir, is an impression you seem to derive, as far as sniping goes. That, too, is in the eyes of the beholder. ga .Gordie> Terry, you're up. .Terry> You have mentioned staff a couple of times, Ralph. Just how many are you? ga .Ralph @ STReport> There are 7 of us. ga .Gordie> I'm curious about the mechanics of it all. How do the various BBS's get ST Report every week? Do you u/l it to them? Or what? .Terry> Sounds like a lot of work for that few. .Gordie> Sorry, Terry, I thought you were done. .Terry> GA .Ralph @ STReport> Aside from the major services like Delphi, the magazine is sent through the FNET in manner not unlike FIDO etc. Terry, it is a lot of work, but when you receive a letter from one of the users thanking you for an article that helped him or delivered a message he had been wanting to say, it all becomes so much easier. Even with the 'heat', there is a great deal of satisfaction in reading the mail and receiving the phone calls saying "thanks" etc... ga .Gordie> Clay? .Clay> As a former editor, I know that putting together an Atari - specific magazine can sometimes be a thankless, even depressing, job. I can't even imagine a weekly deadline and doing it all for free. Do you ever get the urge to say "the hell with it" and leave it all behind? .Ralph @ STReport> hahaha at least twice a day! And then I regain my senses. <> The most important point to be made is... .Clay> :-) .Ralph @ STReport> ...the sheer numbers of folks willing to help. The amount of calls that come in each day from different parts of the country and Europe is amazing. Just today we got five calls from different folks within the 'hallowed' halls of Atari! Many times, we find that the employees want the problems exposed and corrected as much as the customers (userbase) do. It's the folks who call and volunteer info that really help us move right along. ga .Clay> Well, we sure appreciate your continued support of DELPHI. Now if we could only get you to put a sign-up blurb in each issue, like you do for those other systems! .Ralph @ STReport> That... is a distinct possibility! .Clay> Great! .Greg> I'm curious... It seems that there is a lot of hearsay and rumour. Are there things that you WON'T include? If so... what? .Ralph at STReport> Hmm. If so what? Stuff that is impossible to verify. Verification comes in many forms, like hearing about a situation evolving from at least three different reliable sources. This is only part of it. STReport will not release anything not verified. ga .Gordie> Bob, Gotta question? .Robert_T> Just to throw in that Delphi's new rates would be a good time to make it into ST Report. .Clay> Yes, DELPHI keeps getting more and more affordable. .Ralph @ STReport> hahahha nice "insertion" .Clay> (Okay, I'll stop with the sell!) .Ralph @ STReport> Please be sure to include the new rate structure with the transcript of this CO. ga .Clay> Ralph, do you ever get really nasty calls from people at Atari complaining about something in ST Report? .Ralph @ STReport> hahahahahahahahah... It is part of, or as I am told, comes with the territory. But then only one of Atari's people has ever called and been downright nasty. And it was a boss! No, none of the T's. ga .Clay> That was my shovel question: Digging for the dirt! :-) .Ralph @ STReport> You haven't lost your touch!! .Clay> :-) .Robert_T> If this has already been covered earlier sorry: "Can't Znet & STReport peacefully co-exist? .Ralph @ STReport> Robert... Competition is a very healthy thing. I have no problem with STzmagazine at all. ga .Gordie> Ralph, I know you know more than you can speak about, but is there something that gives you a reason to be optimistic about Kenan, or is it just a gut feeling on your part? .Ralph @ STReport> Kenan comes with great credentials and has a rather strong contract. (non-interference) And he is in the process of re - aligning the flow within the company. When one considers what he did in France, against some rather formidable odds... he does appear to be the man of the hour. Now, if only Sam lets him do his thing. Right now the big issue is the STe/DMA headache. ga .Gordie> Ralph, there was a rumor that the reason for the problems was that someone had too many buggy ROMs made, and they don't want to eat the loss. Sound right? .Ralph @ STReport> Close, but its only the tip of the iceberg. The rom thing is easy to overcome but the thing with the DMA port can get expensive. There are rumblings of dealers joining in some kind of legal actions etc... among other things. Atari must come forward and stand good on this issue. It's really the first time a piece of hardware has fallen flat on its face. And if Atari acts quickly enough, nobody will mind, but IF they drag their feet... ga .Gordie> So the rumors about the Euro STe's not having a problem are wrong? .Ralph @ STReport> It seems that after the STe gained type acceptance in the USA by the FCC, STe units worldwide began failing. Look at the pre - FCC STe units that folks have; they work great, aside from the low rez bootup thing. The folks I know, and after speaking with those who bought the early Canadian machines, the apparent conclusion is that the machines after the type acceptance mods are suspect. The early machines are solid. ga .Gordie> Okay. Scott, got another one? SCOTTJ> Just how bad & widespread is the DMA problem with the STE and how come the Europeans, who have had the STE for 6 months longer than the US don't have a problem? Do the US and European machines have the same DMA chip? ga .Ralph @ STReport> Bad and widespread is a conclusion I don't have enough info to make but Atari says it's about 10% of the machines shipped. My last answer, I believe, covers the last part of your question but to repeat, it's seems the only machines giving problems are those shipped after the mods for type acceptance. ga SCOTTJ> I've seen reports on Usenet that Atari changed suppliers on the DMA chips and that if you out one of the "old" DMA chips in a STE, the computer then works fine. The message I saw was from someone in Germany. .Ralph @ STReport> Scott, that's true to an extent but it's because the old DMA chip has a stronger output, but at the same time the newer... SCOTTJ> Do think Atari is doing a little too much cost cutting on the STE in order... .Ralph @ STReport> DMA chip takes advantage of the buffering. I saw those messages too. One machine does not make a production run... ga SCOTTJ> ...to sell them for the lowest price possible? Are they trying too hard to provide "Power without the Price"? ga .Ralph @ STReport> In fact, another was done in Canada that way just a week ago, but still, it does not solve the problem- only sidestep it. As far as the price and cheaply made, no, I do not think for a moment that the quality is not designed into the machine,... SCOTTJ> I'm talking about the company who makes the DMA chip for Atari, not the... .Ralph @ STReport> I do believe that they are frantically working on finding the error and correcting it ASAP. But they must keep the userbase informed better and, of course, make sure that all who bought a machine that falls into the questionable grouping receive extended warranties or exchange privileges. ga SCOTTJ> ... overall quality of the design of the machine. Atari is notorious for ... .Ralph @ STReport> Are we on the same track?? SCOTTJ> ...continually changing suppliers in order to get the lowest possible price. .Ralph @ STReport> Let me know when you are done ga .Ralph @ STReport> Is it my turn?? SCOTTJ> Don't you think that Atari should go back to the original suppliers of DMA chip , even if they have to raise the price of the STE to cover the extra cost? ga .Ralph @ STReport> Scott, three quarters of your questions (since you made sure to ask them in a bunch) have scrolled off my screen, but in all fairness to Atari, most companies have to change suppliers constantly to keep costs down. There is nothing wrong with that. It's good business. ga SCOTTJ> finished/ .Ralph @ STReport> whew! .Gordie> I heard, somewhere, that the author of TOS made an illegal call into the 68000, and because of that there are compatibility problems with doing a TOS for the 68030. And that the author no longer works for Atari. Possibly as a result. ga .Ralph @ STReport> I have heard similar stories but since it was impossible to verify other than the alleged line F stuff, we never covered it in detail. ga .Gordie> I just found it ironic that Atari, the company that rags about programmers making illegal system calls, has that kind of problem. ga .Ralph @ STReport> How about the Maccel program? If you use it, it will slow down file transfers and cause resends of blocks if you are in fixed link mode using flow control. This is a common thing. Many folks have complained that those at Atari seem to feel THEY are stars of some kind and therefore the users should do things to please them. They have yet to realize that they should be very busy trying to please the users at every possible opportunity. Maybe it was Zsa Zsa Gabor who taught them how to win friends and influence people. ga .Gordie> Time is marching on. Anyone have one last question? .Gordie> Okay, then I'll do it. Ralph, if there was any one thing you could change about Atari, what would it be? .Ralph @ STReport> That's easy... the exchange program ... it used to be the jewel of the industry, now its the joke of the century. ga .Gordie> Pardon my confusion. What exchange program? The hardware one? .Ralph @ STReport> Yes, of course, you said one thing. There are many that need changing but the one singular thing at this time is the exchange program. With the lack of abundant dealers, Atari's unrealistic exchange rates for defective or dead goods out of the 90 day warranty period is a really bad thing to do to the users and they (the users) will not forget the gouge taken. ga .Gordie> Any last comments, Ralph? .Ralph @ STReport> One only... As an avid Atari user, and I am sure many of you are... Don't give up on Atari yet! They are still capable of great things in this USA marketplace; they just need better direction. They do respond to mail. It is effective so please, send mail to Atari's leadership, be it Elie, Sam, Jack or the other sons. They respect mail and the power of the pen. Believe me they do. ga .Gordie> Thank you, Ralph, and thanks to all of you who attended. .Ralph @ STReport> Good night All and thanks for having me here tonight. .Gordie> This CO is officially closed! ******************************************************************** Special Announcement ******************************************************************** Beginning September 1, 1990, DELPHI will begin offering a new plan that will save you money! The new plan is called the 20/20 Advantage Plan and it features 20 hours online for just $20 a month! The $20 is a monthly fee that covers your first 20 hours online via direct dial into one of DELPHI's two direct-access lines, or via a special Tymnet 20/20 Access code. It also gets you additional hours at just $1.20 per hour. And you get free access to several services on DELPHI as part of the Advantage Perks. Other telecom services may have additional charges. Canadian Tymnet users have an additional telecom charge. Office Time access (7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekdays) may have an additional charge. And of course, other restrictions may apply. But this is still an amazing deal! For more information, contact DELPHI at 1-800-544-4005 and ask for Member Services. DELPHI- It's getting better all the time! ******************************************************************* > NeoDesk 3 STR FOCUS¿ NeoDesk 3 - The Ultimate Desktop =================== Gribnif Software PRESS RELEASE 8/1/90 For immediate release to PRESS ONLY. Please refer to the separate NEWS RELEASE if you wish to copy the contents word by word. Press Contact: Rick Flashman, President Gribnif Software P.O. Box 350 Hadley, MA 01035 Tel: (413) 584-7887 Fax: (413) 584-2565 GEnie: GRIBNIF GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES NEODESK 3, THE ULTIMATE DESKTOP FOR THE ATARI ST HADLEY, MA (August, 1990) -- Gribnif Software has advanced the state of the art in graphical user interface design with the latest version of their desktop replacement, NeoDesk 3 - The Ultimate Desktop. This new version offers both an easier to use and much more powerful working environment than anything ever offered before for the Atari ST. Its completely graphical approach brings to the Atari a more professional and efficient interface which can compete head on with the best offered by other environments such as the recently introduced Windows 3.0. In making this announcement, Rick Flashman, president of Gribnif Software said "Our goal with NeoDesk 3 was simple, to create the best, efficient, and easy to use desktop that has ever been available on any machine." Dan Wilga, head programmer behind NeoDesk 3, said "NeoDesk 3 is a result of over 9 months of development and it is one of the most ambitious projects of its type anywhere." During the process of development entire sections of the program were rewritten several times in an attempt to gain every extra ounce of performance. NeoDesk 3 incorporates an incredibly impressive array of new and enhanced features as have never been seen before. New features like Desktop Notes , the File Clipboard , Macros, and Split Windows are destined to become new standards in the type of features and capabili- ties that all users expect from their computer. Tricia Metcalf, CEO of Gribnif Software commented "Many of the new features in NeoDesk 3 have never been seen anywhere, but they are very likely to become the type of features that no one can live without!" Gribnif Software is supporting the release of NeoDesk 3 with a massive advertising campaign, aimed at supporting the product and its dealers. "We were very surprised at the large number of dealers who began including NeoDesk will all their ST systems.", Rick Flashman commented. Many dealers report that with NeoDesk on an ST they are able to effectively demonstrate the power of the ST when compared with the graphical interfaces now being offered on other platforms. NeoDesk 3 has a suggested licensing fee of $69.95 and will be available in national distribution by September 1st. European distribu- tion will follow soon afterwards including foreign language versions. NeoDesk , Desktop Notes , and File Clipboard are trademarks of Gribnif Software. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders. ________________________________________________________ > NEODESK 3.0!! STR FOCUS¿ A complete overview of Neodesk 3.0 ======================= Gribnif Software NEWS RELEASE 8/1/90 NeoDesk 3 ---------- The Ultimate Desktop Gribnif Software is proud to announce a brand new version of its best selling program, NeoDesk . The new NeoDesk 3 is a result of almost a full year of extra development. Overview -------- NeoDesk 3 is a complete replacement to the built-in desktop that comes with the Atari ST/TT line of personal computers. It offers many new features, enhancements, and concepts that have never been seen on any other computer before. Mainly, NeoDesk 3 offers both a easier to use and much more powerful working environment. Its completely graphical approach allows users to gain a new level of power, performance, and ease of use which has never been available before. NeoDesk 3 also brings to the Atari a more professional and efficient interface which can compete head on with the best offered by other environments such as the recently introduced Windows 3.0. What's New? ----------- New features in NeoDesk 3 include (but are not limited to): o Split Windows A new Split Window bar lets you split windows so that it can display two different parts of the same directory. This allows you to find files in different parts of the same directory without opening a second window. o File Clipboard A new File Clipboard lets you temporarily keep files in memory while you look for a disk, switch paths, or organize your hard disk. You can think of it as an automatically expanding and shrinking ramdisk which never has to be installed or removed. It consumes about the same space as the total size of the files you put in it while being much faster than any standard ramdisk. This exciting feature elimin- ates 90% of the reasons why most people use a ramdisk. o Desktop Notes What good is a desktop if you can't write on it? Not much, so we are introducing Desktop Notes . Whenever you need to jot down a fast note, phone number, or memo simply write it directly on the NeoDesk desktop itself. These can be saved and loaded at any time. o Independent Windows All windows in NeoDesk 3 are now fully independent. Each window can display icons or text independently of what any other window is displaying. Each window can also have its own "Sort" and "View" menu settings. A special window button lets you toggle a window's display between text and icons. o Background Windows All NeoDesk 3 background windows can be dragged, resized, scrolled, closed, full sized, and manipulated just like any topmost window. You can also manipulate any of the files and folders in a background window, just like the items in a topmost window. o Keep Items Selected You can now keep files and folders that lie outside of the physical window limits selected. You can select a file, scroll the window to another part of the same directory, and then select another file. Both files will remain selected and a special window indicator will tell you that you have files selected off the top or bottom of a window. It is even possible to resize a window an keep your items selected. o Select All Files This new command lets you select all the files and folders in any directory, including items outside of the window boundaries. o Go Directly to Path If you have a multiple folder path displayed in a window, you can double-click on any part of the displayed path. The window will automatically switch to the new selected path. o Duplicate Window A new "duplicate window" button lets you open a second window to the same path of the selected window. Very convenient when working several folders deep. o Folders on Desktop You can now place commonly used folders right on the desktop itself. Opening a folder reveals a window to that path. You can even move or copy items to it. o Macros You can now automate your most common desktop functions. Unlike other approaches used in macros where all the mouse movements are recorded which is both slow and can mess up if you move your windows or files this new macro system records the actual actions you perform. Use it to run programs, delete files, copy/move files, manipulate windows, etc. You can then assign the macros to any keyboard key of your choice. o Low Resolution Support The program now works in all the ST resolutions. A new command allows the user to easily jump between available resolutions. o Icon Editor Also included is a completely brand new Icon Editor which is called right from the desktop menus. This new editor supports multiple icon windows and has a very complete drawing tool set. Several other new features greatly increase its power and potential. o Active Icons NeoDesk 3 now supports Active Icons. Drag any group of files to any program icon and that program is automatically executed with all the selected files as parameters. Many programs already support this feature and many more (including PageStream and WordPerfect) are currently being updated to support it. o "Reorder" Items Mode Ever have to reorder the files in your AUTO folder to match a specific order? What about other directories? Worry no more. A new reorder mode allows you to graphically reorder the files and folders in ANY directory. They are reordered almost instantly while at the same time cleaning up the directory itself. o Print Directory Print a complete directory listing of any window. Optionally it can include the file dates, times, and sizes. You can even have it print the folder contents. o Changing Fonts You can change both the fonts used by NeoDesk 3 (in windows and on the desktop) and the complete system fonts. The included Font Loader lets you change every single system font (in all programs) to any monospaced font of your choice. An included Font Converter makes it easy to convert your Degas and monospaced GEM fonts. o File Search Functions You can find any lost file with the new File Search capabilities. Not only can it search any drives of your choice bit it can also search on any path that you specify. When it finds the file you are looking for it will open a window to that path and scroll it to the file, and select it for you. o NeoDesk Programs Separate NeoDesk Programs can now be run. These are similar to NeoDesk Accessories in that they hook right into NeoDesk itself to take advantage of its many features and capabilities. A new included version of the NeoDesk Recoverable Trashcan will also let you run it as a stand alone NeoDesk Program. o Multiple Resolutions Up to 10 different screen resolutions are supported. NeoDesk 3 will automatically detect and adjust to support any new resolutions. A conversion program lets you convert NeoDesk Information Files to any resolution. o File Ending Control Full control over all program file endings is now offered. You specify what each file ending does and you can even define new ones. o 5 1/4" Drive Support There is now full support for 5 1/4" disk drives. Simply tell NeoDesk which drive letter is a 5 1/4" drive and NeoDesk will automatically slow that drive down to the correct speed required for 5 1/4" drives. It will also let you format 5 1/4" MS-DOS compatible disks. o Install Application You can specify if NeoDesk 3 should always unload itself whenever you run a specific program or remain in memory. For example, you could keep NeoDesk 3 resident all of the time but have it unload for Calamus or other big applications. A new option also lets you specify which method is used by Install Application to run a program. It can either set the path to that of a program (as NeoDesk always has before) or to the path of the data file (as the built-in desktop does). Another feature lets you view which applications you have installed and remove or change them without having to find or select the original program filename. o Disk Formatting All disk formatting and writing (including disk copies) is done backwards. This means that if you start formatting a disk and realize it is the wrong disk you can press the [Undo] key to stop it and probably get most of the disk contents back. You see, the disk directory and most of the disk data is usually stored at the beginning of a disk. By formatting a disk backwards you are given an extra safety margin to abort the format and possibly recover some of the data. o File Templates Up to six file templates are supported at any given time. You select which ones should be used. For example, you could have a single window display all files ending in both ".TXT" and ".DOC". o Higher Compatibility Special code new removes the need for the external Shelfix utility and the Startprg program. NeoDesk 3 also automatically detects MultiDesk and other utilities to make sure there are no problems at boot time. Even previously troublesome programs like CAD-3D 2.0 now work perfectly. o Disk Deleting Whenever you drag a disk icon to the trashcan NeoDesk will erase the entire disk contents by "zeroing" the disk directory and file allocation table. This almost instant process is much faster than deleting the files one by one. Of course, all marked bad sectors are safely kept. o Movable Dialog Boxes All dialog boxes in NeoDesk 3 can be dragged from one location to another just like a window. The new positions are saved whenever you save your desktop configuration. o Minor Enhancements: 1. All drive letters up to "Z" are supported for compatibility with Atari's new MetaDos system. 2. You can independently save your desktop configuration, desktop notes, and macros. 3. New icon attributes let you specify if an icon is only to be used for folders or just for files. Limited color support lets you specify a unique color for each icon and its mask. 4. Degas Compressed pictures can be loaded as desktop backgrounds. 5. You can open any NeoDesk Accessory directly from the keyboard. 6. A caps lock indicator shows when the "CapsLock" has been pressed. 7. The NeoDesk Screen Saver will automatically see the Atari Stacy and turn off the LCD screen whenever the screen saver is invoked. 8. Form Feeds can be sent to the printer right from the menu. 9. You can edit the NeoDesk Volume Name right on the NeoDesk window itself without having to use Show Information. The window will also display the Atari Disk Label if no NeoDesk Volume Name is available. 10. You can specify if all status numbers should be displayed when a program exits, just the negative ones (system errors), or none at all. 11. The NeoDesk "Show File" function can be replaced with any program of your choice. 12. Lowercase letters may be installed on any desktop icon. 13. Improved "Show File" paging control. 15. NeoDesk windows have a special indicator to indicate if any disk has an "executable boot sector". Very useful when looking for a potential virus. 16. You can easily toggle any file's Fast Bit. 14. Plus much more!! What's Old ---------- Of course, NeoDesk still has all the very large number of previous features that have made it such a success. These include: 1. Custom File Icons (different icons for every file). 2. Desktop Icons (put commonly used programs on the desktop). 3. Uses all memory for file copies (no more useless disk swaps). 4. Keyboard equivalents for all desktop menu commands. 5. Executes desktop programs right from the keyboard. 6. Ability to move items from one location to another. 7. Place any Degas or NeoChrome picture right on the desktop. 8. Much faster custom windows which make it easier to find files due to its automatic item wrapping. 9. Replacement control panel with screen saver and corner clock. 10. Printer Queue which can handle up to 10 files at once. 11. Display multiple columns and different text sizes in Show as Text. 12. Much, much more! General Info ------------ NeoDesk 3 fully supports the previously released NeoDesk CLI command line interpreter, the NeoDesk Recoverable Trashcan, and other utilities developed with the NeoDesk Developer's Kit. NeoDesk 3 also includes a complete manual which clearly illustrates the various aspects of this very powerful and easy to use program. Of course, Gribnif Software follows up by offering free technical support and online support on GEnie. Upgrading --------- Registered users of previous versions of NeoDesk may upgrade at special reduced rates. Please contact Gribnif Software directly for upgrade information. Availability ------------ NeoDesk 3 has a suggested licensing fee of $69.95. Order now TOLL FREE and we will ship your order 2nd Day Air free of charge! Visa and MasterCard accepted: 1-800-284-GRIB (4742) NeoDesk 3 is also available through all Atari dealers and major distributors. For more information concerning NeoDesk 3 call or write: Gribnif Software, P.O. Box 350, Hadley, MA 01035, Tel: (413) 584-7887, Fax: (413) 584-2565. Demo Version ------------ A complete demo copy of the program is available for evaluation. You can download it from the online services or order it direct from us for $5. This demo disk will let you see for yourself what makes NeoDesk such a powerful and popular package! Credits ------- NeoDesk , Desktop Notes , and File Clipboard are trademarks of Gribnif Software. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies. _________________________________________________________________ > STE & DMA STR Spotlight¿ What's the story Vern?? ======================= RUSSIAN ROULETTE ATARI STYLE ============================ by R.F. Mariano So, you've owned and operated your hard drive since early 1989 and after you saw the posts from the folks in Canada saying they simply 'loved' their new STe computers you decided to get one. The real clincher was when you saw the STe at the usergroup show and found it humming along showing all those great demos out of a hard drive. Then you found that your favorite third party hardware company ran their support BBS on an STe, so you really felt it was a rock solid performer, a definite 'must have'. You then went out and got one the moment they were available in the USA. THE RUDE AWAKENING Lil ole Bunky didn't even get his STe out of the box when he heard about the developer who lost an entire week's worth of work because his STe had an appetite for 'fat' tables. "An isolated incident!" He tells himself and then continues unpacking the new machine. After all the glancing at the manual etc... he finally gets the machine on the desk and hooked up. His buddy, the guy who bought his old 1040 is here to pick it up, shares his friend's joy at having the newest Atari available. After letting the hard drive come up to speed, he hit the switch and blip, blip the system booted and his ever familiar desktop was in view. He then turned to his buddy and said "well, the 1040 is yours my friend, the STe is working ok. With that, his friend left with the ever faithful 1040ST under his arm. After pouring a cup of coffee, he walked to his desk to admire the new acquisition. The phone rings.. its one of the guys from the club, he says; "hey, you had better get online and read the messages about the new STe computers. Bunky sez ok, and boots his term program and set the dialer to make the call. As he reads the messages his palms are getting sweaty and his knees weak. But then he sez to himself, ah,... look here they say its only about 10% percent of the units. Besides, what about all the folks in Canada and the others who have had no problems with their STe computers. After logging off this service, our friend called another favorite service to see what was happening on that one. He soon found more of the same heartbreaking messages. At this point he decided to log off, shut down and check it out for himself. After logging off, his term program entered the times he was on in his log file, and then asked if he wanted to quit he indicated yes and the program ceased to run and started to go back to the desktop... instead, it went straight to some bombs and a very conspicuous re-boot. After much effort and a bootup from a floppy disk your diagnostic program told you there were two fat tables and that they didn't agree... Hmmm, THE INSIDE TRACK Folks, the above is a depiction of events that have been unfolding for the past few weeks. Information has been flowing in from both the online services and from hard copy letters sent to us via the US Mail. The shame of it all is, there are very few first time owners of Atari computers involved in this problem. The vast majority are those who have been loyal to Atari for quite some time. The shocker is these folks are really upset because they too realize that the quality of the hardware offerings from Atari had been the only area that was virtually foolproof. Now, their comments range from surprise to utter disgust. One letter says, "You'd think they would do everything possible to protect the image of the hardware, they've screwed up everything else!" A FEW THOUGHTS With the rather large number of folks visibly upset, Atari should make every effort to nip this Ste problem in the bud. Or, so one would think, well... such does not seem to be the case. Sure the dealers are eager to swap out a problem unit for another, but what happens when he has no more to swap? How about the guy who suggests that the dealers "burn-in" each STe in order to ensure the buyer gets a good one? Can you visualize a mass mechandizer's clerk giving each STe a trial run or keeping a hard drive on hand to test the STe units on? What about the guy who bought one this past July, and then FIVE (5) months later his wife buys him a Christmas present like a hard drive or any number of other DMA devices???? The "world famous" Atari 90 day warranty is expired will this guy get the boot or will Atari take care of him and the countless others caught in this particular trap? Atari should make it their business to make the serial number run known and then recall all the defective units within that serial number run. After all that's the right thing to do. Many dealers have reported to us that they, because of this problem, are NOT selling the STe computers. Not because they don't care to its because the users already know about the problem and have no clear cut way to go. The most unsettling premise is the ominous silence coming from the crew at Sunnyvale. We are aware the folks at Sunnyvale are working feverishly to find and correct the problem's cause. However for some unknown reason, the simple but effective stabilizing act of keeping the userbase informed has eluded Atari. ___________________________________________________________ > DOOM - GLOOM?? STR OnLine¿ A user saying it like it is.. ========================= ctsy Delphi FORUM>Reply, Add, Read, "?" or Exit> J15958 29-JUL 00:35 General Information What's happened? From: SANZA To: ALL Every Saturday night for the past 2 years I've logged onto DELPHI and read all the new messages in the forum. I've kept pretty quiet for the most part, posting a message only when I needed help with one thing or another. I've always received a quick and friendly response and when people ask me which service is the best, I've always stated that DELPHI was the one that I log onto every week. Lately, it's become more chore than pleasure for all I read is the old "Doom And Gloom". Atari's screwed up and I feel like I'm loosing an old friend. It's not like we haven't seen this before-- We were pretty much in the same ship before the ST came around. The ST was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time but I doubt that the STE or the now infamous TT will be able to pull Atari out of the hole they've dug for themselves. I loved my 8 bit and hadn't even considered moving up into the 16 bit world until I read about the ST. I had paid $1000 for my original 800 sans my Atari 810 disk drive ($325) so upgrading to a faster, more powerfull machine for $800 was no problem at all. It didn't matter that my latest computer (800XL) had cost me just $169 and therefore, technically I was in fact going to a higher priced computer. Besides, this was coming with a disk drive and a monitor! As soon as the ST was released I had one. Since I had upgraded my memory to 1 meg and purchased a second drive (this one double sided) the Mega2 that I considered for close to a year before buying. Now the question is, do I want an STE? No, my mega is only a year old. I'd be losing memory and gaining stereo sound that I would never take the time to hook up to my stereo anyway. Do I want a TT? Actually, yes I do. But the correct question here is, can I afford a TT? In which case the answer is no. I can buy myself a 20Mhz 386 machine for about $2,500 which would include software support that doesn't fade away 5 years later. Then again, inside of 5 years I'll probably be looking for a 32 bit machine, won't I? Well, that depends. My mega is serving me just fine right now, so why am I looking elsewhere? The support just isn't there anymore. I'm still just considering Calamus right now because I'm not sure if I want to spend that $200 on a program for a computer that I may not be using shortly. Atari's last saving grace was a computer that was not only powerful, but AFFORDABLE. The STE is essentially that same computer 5 years later. If anything, it's what the Mega should have been. Besides, if we can't get anyone to program for the ST, who's going to write the programs that take advantage of that stereo sound and expanded color pallet? Without the software support the STE is reduced to a standard ST. As for the TT, it's got power and it's got software, but the software that runs on it also runs on my Mega. Given time the TT may end up with it's own library seperate from the ST series. But I remember only too well the "wait and see" attitudes of the early ST software developers. Until this machine sells in quantity, who will do the programing? Most people can't afford a $2000 computer system. As for those who can, they'll look at Apples and IBMs because they're established names in the computer industry. The TT would sell primarily to those people who already own Atari computers. I fall into this category but plan on taking the software developer's attitude--I'll wait and see what happens before I throw my $2000+ ($3000+?) into the ring. I have no doubt that I'm in good company here. I've defended Atari every step along the way, but now that I've stopped to catch my breath my vision has started to clear. It's a sad and sorry sight to see what's happened to the ST. I just hope that someone over there at Atari is as disappointed as I. Paul Weiss Editor Note: Paul... My heart's with you, I agree completely. You have put into words exactly what many of us have been trying so diligently to say for the last 18 months.... now if only every user sent a copy of your post to Jack and his three young men... it may hit a nerve... ___________________________________________________________ > MIST UPDATES STR SHOW NEWS¿ The MIST show goes on....... ========================== Here's the latest show update... Among the folks scheduled to attend: ASCII Atari St Computers In Indianapolis user group. They will have their PD disks. Co-sponsors of the show along with... BL.A.ST BLoomington Atari ST user group. The other co-sponsor. Atari Corp. Well, they won't actually _be_ here, but they have made available six sets of TOS 1.4, along with AtariWriter 80 for the 8-Bit folks. These items (along with others) will be raffled off at the 'Fest. ($2.00 per ticket) Dorothy Brumleve Critically acclaimed author of KidPrgs, including such hits as KidPainter, and KidPublisher Professional. ...and a real nice lady. (grin) She'll be donating a copy of one of her programs to our raffle. Sterling Kelly Webb Author of Seurat 2.0. A fine drawing program, first seen on one of the STart magazine disks. The new version is now a commercial release. Mr. Webb will be donating a copy of Seurat 2.0 to the raffle. Cal Com A dealer from Kokomo, IN. They will be bringing an extensive collection of software, and maybe some hardware as well. AIM The Atari Interface Magazine. They will be bringing their large collection of PD disks, along with other goodies, I'm sure. Calumet Region UG An Atari user group located in Merrillville, IN. EastSide Atari UG A user group based in Alton, Ill. We will also have a mini Midi-Maze tournament. There is a restaurant and bar at the Inn, so refreshments will be available. This is shaping up to be a real quality event, so make sure that you come on out!! See the press release uploaded previously for more details or... on GEnie: Send e-mail to W.LORING1, or check Cat 11, Topic 14 on FoRem: Send e-mail to William Loring at Node 141. (BL.A.ST) Call the BL.A.ST BBS at (812)332-0573. 2400bps, 24 hours. Write to BL.A.ST at PO Box 1111, Bloomington, IN. 47402 Call me by voice at (812)336-8103. Leave a message if I'm not home, I'll call you back. (the message on the machine is wierd, I know.) ________________________________________________________________ > CORDLESS MOUSE STR Review¿ Practical Solutions Cordless Mouse ========================= PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS CORDLESS MOUSE REVISITED ============================================ by Greg Granger After having my third Atari mouse dying on me in three years, I decided it was about time to find a different type of mouse for my ST. Knowing of the quality of work that Practical Solutions puts into their products, I know that I wouldn't be sorry if I went that route, since I already own the Practical Solutions Monitor Master. I ordered my mouse from a store in Texas, and I think it is almost the best $90 I have invested in my computer. Many times I have griped about how the Atari mouse looks and feels so box-like, but such is not the case for the Cordless Mouse. It is an incredibly sleek piece of workmanship, and the mouse is very responsive and fast. It has a range of 5 feet and 45 degrees from the signal receiver in any direction. The main thing that I like about it is that when you leave it unattended for about 10 minutes, it automatically shuts off the battery power (it runs on 2 "AAA" batteries). For the average user, battery life should last for about 3-4 weeks, depending on how much you use it. They (Practical Solutions) also recommend that you use rechargeable batteries with this mouse, and offer 4 "AAA" batteries and a recharger for an extra $28.75. You also get 2 "AAA" batteries in the box, so it is ready to "plug in & go". So, if you want a mouse that sleek looking, and very responsive, and you don't mind shelling out a little bit of extra money for a mouse, I highly recommend that you take a long look at the Practical Solutions Cordless Mouse. It will be the best investment that you have ever made, and you won't be sorry that you bought it. Practical Solutions 1135 N. Jones Blvd. Tuscon, AZ 85716 _________________________________________________________ > WAACE/'90 STR SHOW NEWS¿ The Premier East Coast Atari Show... ======================= WAACE AtariFest '90 The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts will hold WAACE AtariFest 1990 on October 6 and 7 1990. This event will be the Premier East Coast event for people who are interested in software and hardware for Atari computers. The show will be staged at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Reston, VA. Show hours will be from 10 am to 7 pm on both days. In addition to the shopping bargains available from over thirty vendors there will be a full round of demonstrations, tutorials, and seminars. A banquet on Saturday evening will feature a special speaker on Atari matters and Current Notes Magazine's "Author of the Year" award. Special mixers will cap off the evening's festivities. Approximately 3000 visitors from all over the USA, Canada, and other foreign countries attended the 1989 edition of the show. The Sheraton Reston Hotel is a spacious, attractive facility located in a parklike setting near Washington, DC. The hotel is offering a special room rate of $59 per night plus tax to Fest goers who reserve by August 6th. The hotel room rate includes 2-day passes to the show for room occupants. Call 703-620-9000 for reservations. Be sure to mention AtariFest '90. The WAACE show has established itself as the premier Atari event for East Coast Atari fans. Bob Brodie, Atari Corporation's, goodwill ambassador, has labelled the WAACE show as one of the two "must see" events for Atarians held in the USA. HOTEL INFORMATION The following information was taken from the Sheraton Reston Hotel informational brochure. The Sheraton Reston Hotel has 302 beautifully appointed guest rooms, including 10 executive parlor suites (excellent for hospitality purposes). The conference center and banquet rooms are all located on the ground floor surrounding a large courtyard and outdoor swimming pool. Each multi-purpose room is equipped with individual sound facilities, individual temperature control and conference lighting systems, as well as the capability for closed circuit television. A full line of audio-visual equipment is available. In addition, it provides complimentary shuttle van service to and from Washington Dulles International Airport 24 hours a day , and has free parking for over 900 cars. At the end of a tiring day, enjoy a nice swim in the outdoor pool or a fast game of tennis, volleyball, or basketball. Golf privileges are available across the street adjacent to the Sheraton Reston Hotel. Guests have access to a twin cinema, a full-service bank, and many small shops and restaurants. Scheduled and direct commercial limousine service to and from Washington National Airport. BANQUET INFORMATION The 1990 WAACE AtariFest Banquet will be held at the Sheraton Reston Hotel at 8:00 pm, Saturday, 6 October 1990. The dinner will be a non-smoking event this year. Ample smoking areas will be provided near the dinner area for smoking breaks. The Banquet will be proceeded by a social hour held in the hotel. Dinner will be served at 8:00 pm. The dinner will be followed by the Current Notes Author of the Year Awards presentation and then the featured banquet speaker. This years banquet speaker will come to us from Codehead Software. The banquet will be a sit down dinner this year and a ticket will cost $23.50. Please make checks payable to WAACE. The menu is as follows: Sliced Top Sirloin Merlot OR Chicken Europa Salad with house dressing Vegetable (to be determined) Starch (to be determined) Beverage (choice of ice tea or coffee) The Chicken Europa consists of chicken breast served in a mushroom and brandy sauce. Please specify with your ticket request your choice of entree, beef or chicken. Please send all ticket requests to the WAACE Banquet Coordinator, Johnna Ogden. Johnna's address is, Johnna Ogden WAACE Banquet Coordinator 213 North Lincoln Ave Sterling, VA 22170. Tickets requests are being accepted now. Tickets will be mailed out starting in August. If you have any questions please call Johnna at (703), 450-3992. LOCATION: -------- Situated in the heart of the Washington-Dulles corridor in Fairfax County, Virginia, the Sheraton Reston Hotel is central to business, cultural and tourist attractions. Immediately adjacent to the Washington-Dulles Toll Road and 5 minutes to Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts, the Sheraton is conveniently located 20 minutes from downtown Washington via the Washington-Dulles Toll Road or I-66. Only minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport and the corporate headquarters of major industries and businesses, the Sheraton Reston Hotel is in the hub of Fairfax County's rapidly growing Hi-Tech space-business community. DINING & COCKTAILS: ------------------ Dine in the elegant Derby Restaurant and select from an extensive American menu. For a more casual atmosphere, enjoy the Derby Lounge with entertainment nightly. TELEPHONE NUMBERS: ----------------- Reservations can be made at the Sheraton Reston Hotel by calling voice (703), 620- 9000 or by FAX (703), 860-1594. Remember to ask for the AtariFest rates; $59.00 for a single/double or $66.00 with breakfast buffet, and $66.00 for a triple or quad. ____________________________________________________________ > AUA NEWSBRIEFS STR OnLine¿ Atari Users Association NEWSBRIEFS ========================= REVISION: 073090 The AUA User Group Affiliation Program ====================================== by Derek C. Signorini, AUA Coordinator INTRODUCTION ------------ At last! We were finally able to iron out the details of the AUA User Group Affiliation Program (UGAP, for short) and get it launched. We hope that you will find this outline very helpful and easy to understand so that you can get your usergroup involved in the fastest growing and largest ST user organization in the world! In order for the overall AUA concept to be a success, we will need the participation of both the individual Atari ST user, who we have been targeting up until now, and the Atari ST user groups, who we realize will become the heart and soul of the AUA organization. You already know what the AUA is doing for the individual ST user from the information found elsewhere in this package. Now it is time to discuss how usergroups can benefit by affiliating with the AUA. We will outline the basic concepts of the UGAP and how your usergroup can help to strengthen the Atari ST community far beyond what the AUA is capable of doing alone! ATTAINING AFFILIATION STATUS ---------------------------- In order for a usergroup to attain AUA affiliation status under the UGAP program, the following events must occur: 1. A representative of your usergroup, an officer or spokes person, must fill out the AUA Usergroup Affiliation Application in full and send it to the AUA. 2. Along with this application, we require that you send a copy of your club's newsletter and a one time registration fee of $10.00. 3. We also ask that you provide the AUA with a complete mailing list of your membership which will be used to enroll each and every member of your group in the AUA at no charge so that they can begin to benefit from all the AUA has to offer ST users. AFFILIATION BENEFITS: THE INDIVIDUAL ------------------------------------ Once the affiliation application is processed, you will receive a sample issue of the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter and AUA NewsBriefs Disk Magazine. You will be permitted to make an unlimited amount of copies of both of these publications and provide them to your members to review. You will also receive additional documentation outlining the AUA and its benefits which you can distribute as well. At this time, you will have the opportunity to upgrade your member's status in the AUA if they so wish in order to receive the AUA publications at the special affiliation rate as follows: A. Your members can receive the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter 4 times a year (described as package 2 in the AUA Information package) along with ALL other benefits of the AUA for only $3.50 a year. B. Your members can elect to receive both the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter 4 times a year in addition to receiving the AUA NewsBriefs Disk Magazine 6 times a year as well as ALL other benefits of the AUA for only $11.50 a year. (described as package 3 in the AUA Information package) (NOTE: These rates apply only to those people who are members of your organization provided on the membership list you supply to us when you enroll) All of your members, via the membership list supplied to us when you applied for affiliation, will be enrolled as members in the AUA under the free/non-active membership category and will make them eligible for all benefits described in the AUA Information Package. AFFILIATION BENEFITS: THE USERGROUP ----------------------------------- Once your application is processed and you attain affiliation status, you will be eligible to receive, via a SASE, the complete AUA Usergroup Directory, which will allow your group to correspond with other AUA Affiliated groups. This list is compiled by the AUA and is provided to affiliated groups only. We will also have available a vendor directory and are currently planning a vendor/software catalog that will be made available to your group at a substantial discount. The following is a list of benefits your group can enjoy by attaining affiliation status: * Any affiliated group will have access to the AUA public mailing list. This list can be supplied to you in ASCII delimited format at no charge via SASE and a blank diskette, or you can have the mailing addresses printed on labels at a nominal charge. * Affiliated groups will have free advertising in the AUA NewsBriefs Disk Magazine to advertise PD software, upcoming shows or events, special merchandise, or anything you want the rest of the participating ST community to know. Adds are limited to 2500 Bytes of information stored in ASCII format. In addition, advertising in the AUA NewsBriefs Newsletter, the hardcopy newsletter, will be made available at a nominal rate. * Affiliated groups can participate in the AUA/ST-Exchange Public Domain Software exchange program at no cost. This program, started 2 years ago has been a great success and is a fantastic medium for your group to receive public domain software and to help support authors of shareware and PD software. More information on the ST-Exchange can be found in the AUA Information package. * Any usergroup in UGAP will have access to anti-piracy information the AUA will compile for its members. Our goal is to help the Software Publishers Association (SPA) stamp out piracy in the computer community and help to educate our ST family of the perils of software theft. We will become a leader in the ST community and help to eliminate this problem. CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION -------------------------- We have established that any group wishing to participate as an affiliated group of the AUA must uphold certain responsibilities and conduct themselves in a professional and mature manor. The following rules will apply to affiliation: * Any affiliated group or any member of said usergroup found practicing software piracy will be immediately banned from the Atari Users Association and from the UGAP. * Any affiliated usergroup found to be using AUA information such as the AUA data lists or publications in any manor seen to be damaging to the AUA will be banned from the organization. * Any affiliated usergroup providing false or misleading information to the AUA will be given one warning. If subsequent events occur, this will result in immediate termination from the UGAP. * Any group participating in the UGAP *must* renew their membership once per year or they shall be dropped from the usergroup directory and the UGAP. ORDER OF EVENTS =============== 1. Fill out the application below. If you are asking for active affiliation status, please check the appropriate box and enclose the following: a) an updated mailing list of your members (see above) and b) a one time registration fee of $10.00 made payable to the AUA and mail to the AUA address given. 2. In 4-6 weeks, you will receive your affiliation package and applications for your members to fill out if they wish to receive the AUA publications at the affiliated usergroup rate. You will also receive your sample issues of the publications as well as any new information you will need. 3. During this time, your members, whose names are provided to us on the mailing list, will be enrolled in the AUA. They can then take advantage of any benefits outlined in the AUA information package. ------------------------------- Clip Here ------------------------------- ////////// // // ////////// ** ** ** // // // // // // ** ** ** // // // // // // ** ** ** ////////// // // ////////// ** ** ** // // // // // // *** ** *** // // ////////// // // *** ** *** THE ATARI USERS ASSOCIATION UNITING THE ST COMMUNITY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>USER GROUP MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION ========================================================================= User Group Name:_________________________________________________________ User Group Acronym (if applicable):______________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________________________ City:_________________________ State:_____ Zipcode:______ Country:_______ President's Name:__________________________ Phone:( )________________ President's Address:_____________________________________________________ City:________________________________________ State:_____ ZipCode:______ Meetings Held :_________________________________________________________ Meeting Location:__________________________________City:_________________ Number of members (aprox):__________ Group formed (MM/DD/YY):___/___/___ ========================================================================= BBS Name:_________________________________ Phone:( )_________________ BBS Sysop Name:__________________________ City:_________________________ BBS Software:_____________________________ Baud Range:___________________ BBS FNET node:_____________________ and/or FIDO node:____________________ ========================================================================= Newsletter: Yes ( ) No ( ) If yes, name:________________________________ We want to be on the User Group Contact Listings: Yes ( ) No ( ) We wish to exchange News-letters with other User Groups: Yes( ) No ( ) We Require More Imformation on __________________________________________ ========================================================================= Other Comments:__________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ========================================================================= MEMBERSHIP FEES: [ ] Non-Active AUA Affiliation -- $ NO CHARGE $ (Just places your group on Please Select ONE the AUA mailing list ONLY.) [ ] Active AUA Affiliation -- $ 10.00/once (Enclose user mailing list & copy of your newsletter.) ========================================================================= Mail to: The Atari Users Association UserGroup Affliation Program P.O. Box 123 Canonsburg, PA 15317 Greetings and happy August to all. Hard to believe that 1990 has gone this fast. Summer is almost over, and we will be heading into fall with a full head of steam behind us. My apologies for letting my weekly updates turn into bi-weekly articles and then monthly articles. I have been extremely busy of late, getting internal policies and procedures hammered out for the AUA and working out details of the User Group Affiliation Program. Aside from all of that, yes, Derek has a personal life, and I had to spend some time with the family and friends over this summer season. Now that summer is nearing an end, I will be spending more time indoors and more time at the helm of my ST. Many changes have occurred with the AUA. The changes that have been made are more like additions to our present policies governing the AUA. To begin with, we have finally installed a phone line for AUA use. We want to call it the AUA Hotline, however, hotlines usually entail a person answering 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, both Tony and myself have to sleep, and the AUA can hardly afford to hire someone to answer the phone. So, we compromised, and purchased the next best thing: an answering machine. Now, our answering machine works for minimum wage; does not require lunch or breaks; and never calls off sick. Tony and I would like to think of the answering machine as the secretary we always wanted.... At any rate, the number is: (drum roll) 412-745-8930. This number can be used to reach us concerning information about the AUA, information about membership benefits, or just to fill us in on some good Atari gossip. If you get the machine, leave us a message that includes your name, address, and telephone number and we will get back to you. Next on the agenda. We now have a CATegory on GEnie, #20. Almost 20% of our members are GEnie users, and a Category would provide an excellent workshop for news and information. Tony and I are confident that we will be up and running by mid-August. And, while on the subject of GEnie, we have temporarily discontinued the AUA online conferences held on Sunday evenings until further notice. While we are very happy with the participation, my GEnie bills are going through the roof and I would rather spend the money promoting AUA by calling User Group presidents, BBS's, and developers. The User Group Affiliation Program, or UGAP, has been launched. This program will allow user groups to affiliate with the AUA and to enroll their members in the organization. If you would like information on the UGAP program for your user group, please call us or drop us a line. This program is expected to increase AUA membership to 1500 members by year end. On the subject of membership, here are some quick stats. Membership is up over 600% since January and is increasing an average of 63% each month since April. By the end of August, total AUA membership shall exceed 800 members, a number that makes the AUA the largest ST organization in the world if my sources are correct. As I have in the past, I would like to thank everyone who has joined the AUA up until now, and I encourage those who are considering membership in the AUA to not hesitate. Because of all of the requests we have had, we are offering a special trial pack, or info pack, for only $2.00. We will send you a sample copy of the NewsBriefs Newsletter, NewsBriefs Disk Magazine, and AUA/STX PD Software Demo Diskette. We will also send you all the information you need about the AUA and its benefits. If you are interested in seeing what the AUA offers its contributing members before joining, please send us $2.00, and we will get the disks to you immediately. One of the most exciting events to take place this summer is the AUA merger with the ST-Exchange group. ST-Exchange, or STX, is a PD software exchange program founded by Eric Lambeth which functions primarily as a PD software distribution organization. Members of the STX would send a disk full of PD software to the exchange, and in return, would receive a NEW disk filled with NEW software. Now, members of the AUA can enjoy this benefit, and members of the STX are now enrolled in the AUA. More information on the STX can be obtained by contacting Eric Lambeth on GEnie as E.LAMBETH1 or Compuserve as 72040,56. Or you can contact the AUA. We will be releasing more information as it becomes available concerning this merger. Last but not least. Tony and I will be attending the WAACE show in October. We encourage everyone to attend if possible and show your support for Atari and the WAACE people. The show will be a fantastic outing, and I am sure you will not want to miss it. If you attend, please stop by the AUA booth and say hello! We are looking forward to meeting many people! Yours in Atari, Derek C. Signorini, AUA Coordinator _________________________________________________________________ > STReport CONFIDENTIAL¿ "BLOCKBUSTER ATARI NEWS FIRST!" ===================== - San Francisco, CA. START CANCELS SEPTEMBER ISSUE! ------------------ In an unusual move, Start Magazine has cancelled it Sept.'90 issue. According to our sources, the move is being done to accommodate the addition of the previously separate Antic magazine (Atari 8 bit support). Also, it is reported that Start has acquired the rights to LFP Publishing Co.'s right to the subscriber lists of ST-Log and Analog roughly providing an additional 13,500 subscribers thus bringing Start's subscriber list into the neighborhood of 25,000. The best part is there have been additions to the editorial and artwork departments designed to thoroughly enhance the quality and appearance of Start magazine. Beginning with the Oct '90 issue it will increase in size to 124+ pages packed with up to date information dedicated to the Atari computer enthusiast. Calamus and Outline Art are to be used exclusively to produce the NEW Start magazine from Antic Publishing. Don't miss the first new issue Oct'90!! - Las Vegas, NV PARSEC ACQUISITION UNDER NEGOTIATION ------------- Rio Datel, long a strong supporter of new and innovative products for the ST is involved in in-depth negotiations to provide production of the parsec technology within the USA. "Negotiations are well under way and looking very positive." - San Francisco, CA. IMAGE SYSTEMS & LEXICOR JOIN FORCES! ----------------- Image Systems, where the famous Jay (big screen) Craswell is now, has entered into a joint venture with Lexicor Software in bundling Image Systems' Isac Board and Lexicor's super powerful graphics package for this fall. For further info, please contact Lexicor Software or Image Systems. Further in-depth coverage on the dynamic plans of Lexicor will be carried in STReport in the next few weeks. ______________________________________________________________ > Hard Disks 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) * ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS * * ICD ADVANTAGE+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED * * SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS * 51mb #SGN4951 519.95 65mb #SG60101 649.95 80mb #SGN296 709.95 100mb #SG84011D 839.95 120mb #SGN120FH 989.95 120mb #SG120DD 1128.95 170mb #SGN2962 1369.95 260mb #SG60102 1849.95 WE HAVE A COMPLETE LINE OF 3.5 LOW PROFILE HARD DRIVES for USE IN MEGA ST COMPUTERS AND RELATED CONFIGURATIONS. 20mb #AI020SC 379.95 30mb #AIO3OSC 419.95 50mb #AI050SC 449.95 65mb #AI065SC 499.95 85mb #AI085SC $559.95 >>> ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS <<< (500 - 600k per sec @ 23 -33ms) CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS FROM 30mb @ $419.00! 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PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT * SPECIALLY PRICED $1539.00 * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS * - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives - 50mb SQG51 $1179.00 30mb SQG38 $1099.00 65mb SQG09 $1239.00 85mb SQG96 $1299.00 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE 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) *** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms *** ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR LARGER units are available - (special order only) NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets - Keyboard Custom Cables Call for Info ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *- (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE) QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE! _________________________________________ DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED! please, call for details Personal and Company Checks are accepted. ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY! CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319 Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service 9am - 8pm EDT Tues thru Sat *********************************************************************** 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; STREPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE """""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY! Call any of the STReport Official BBS numbers (Listed Above) or Leave E-mail to STReport - 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 *********************************************************************** > A "Quotable Quote"¿ ================= "YOU CATCH MORE BEES WITH HONEY THAN AN ICEPICK!" ....An old Sicilian Proverb -------------------------------------------------------------------------- STReport¿ "Your Independent News Source" August 03, 1990 16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1990 No.6.31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors, staff, STReport¿ CPU/STR¿ or ST Report¿. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in any way without prior written permission. The contents, at the time of publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors, contributors and/or staff are not responsible for either the use/misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. --------------------------------------------------------------------------