*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" from STR Publishing Inc. """""""""""""""""" April 19, 1991 No.7.16 ========================================================================== STReport International Online Magazine¿ Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205 ~ 6672 R.F. Mariano Publisher - Editor ----------------------------------------- Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST BBS: 904-786-4176 USR/HST DUAL STANDARD FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST ----------------------------------------- ** Fnet 350 * Fido Node 1:112/35 * NeST Node 90:3000/350.0 ** privately owned & operated STReport support BBS ALL issues of STReport International Online Magazine are available along with A worldwide list of private bbs systems carrying STReport __________________________________________________________________ > 04/19/91: STReport #7.16¿ The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------- - The Editor's Desk - CPU REPORT - MAC REPORT - NEW 68000 Chip - Ear Candy - Michigan Bell? - Hayes Pocket Modem - Quantum Pro! - UG BBS - Any Good? - Multi-Gem - PORTFOLIO NEWS - STR Confidential -* ATARI'S MEGA4/50 STE *- -* TALON'S S-CHARGER 286 -> ON THE WAY! *- -* IS IT CLASS A or B? *- ========================================================================== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE¿ The _Number One_ Online Magazine -* FEATURING *- "UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Hot Tips, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports ========================================================================== STReport's support BBS, NODE # 350 invites systems using Forem ST and Turbo Board BBS to participate in the Fido/F-Net Mail Network. Or, call Node 350 direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information relative to the Atari ST computer arena through an excellent International ST Mail Network. All registered F-NET - Crossnet SysOps are welcome to join the STReport Crossnet Conference. The Crossnet Conference Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is # 350. All systems are most welcome to actively participate. Support Atari Computers; Join Today! ========================================================================== AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON: GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ F-NET ========================================================================== > The Editor's Podium Here we are a week after CEPS Spring/91, and most of the Atari com- munity is still charged up over the new software and hardware shown recen- tly in Chicago. The amount of inquiries STReport has received about Avant Vektor and Studio Junior and the other fine products shown has been out- standing. The majority of inquiries were from users wanting to know where and how to purchase these two programs. For the time being, you may call TradeiT in Germany and they will handle your orders and info inquiries, ask for Micheal Wagner. The number for voice; 06071-41089 and for FAX; 06071-41919. Both of these programs ARE ingeniously written and are very powerful, they fill a gap that has long plagued ST DTP enthusiasts. The Mega STe is shipping, the new monitors are shipping, the TT030 is shipping, Atari is getting itself back to the "front and center" posture all of us have long waited for. And what do we hear from "Loyal" Atari dealers on the east coast of the USA?? Gripes.... more gripes and still more! No regional rep, moaning over the fact that Atari computers are available through wholesale distributors, and finally dispersions being cast about other dealers who are involved in alledged "deep discounting". Recently, I heard the screaming and wailing all the way down here in Florida when they found out J&R's $429.00 price for the 1040STe. Oh well! Did someone bring the cheese and crackers? Those guys brought plenty of "whine". The new computers are shipping and that's great news. Folks, please remember that for Atari to excel, they must sell mucho machines and they simply are not going to do this through a few small "loyal" dealers. STReport has noticed that one dealer is very busy setting the pace and a fine example of positive thinking, he has been extolling the wonders of the TT.. He has the right idea, instead of wallowing in lake of salty tears like some of the others, he has tight grip on the reigns of his future and is definitely headed in the right direction. Hats off to this fine Texas dealer, three cheers for the right attitude! The others should only know it takes more effort to squawk, than it does to find a positive note and get with the program. Atari did respond to the knashing of teeth and bellowing of dealers a few years ago, when they took the ST out of wholesale distribution, it almost put Atari out of the computer business! Its sad to see that a few vocal kvetchers are still around. I am confident of one thing, that period in time taught Atari a big lesson and as a result, the one-sided interests of a few dealers will not decide the fate of the entire user- base. Besides, I am sure these "vastly experienced entrepreneurs" will soon find they have not won any friends or influenced people.. The STe power is soon to be in most areas of the country, be sure to check an STe out soon, especially the MEGA4 STe.. its awesome. Actually, its the "baby" TT! Thanks for your solid support! Ralph......... Speaking of beautiful babies...... Compuserve's Head ST Forum Sysop Ron Luks and his lovely wife Dawn have a wonderful little girl to be all bubbly over and brag about. Jennifer Anne Luks was born April 12, 1991 at 9:41pm. Jennifer is a very healthy and robust 7lbs 12oz at birth. Both mother and baby are doing simply mahvalous!! Its the father who is a wreck! Well, not really, folks, Ron is quite proud of his gorgeous baby daughter. Congratulations!! Mazel Tov! TODAY'S NEWS ..TODAY! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > STReport's Staff The regulars and this week's contributors! ================ Publisher - Editor ------------------ Ralph F. Mariano Staff Editors: -------------- Michael Arthur Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. Dana P. Jacobson Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Walter Daniel Oscar Steele Robert Allbritton John Szczepanik Contributing Correspondants: ---------------------------- Michael Lee Richard Covert Roger Stevens Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Ed Krimen Andrew Learner IMPORTANT NOTICE ================ Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: Compuserve.................... 70007,4454 GEnie......................... ST.REPORT Delphi........................ RMARIANO BIX........................... RMARIANO FIDONET....................... 112/35 FNET.......................... NODE 350 NEST.......................... 90:19/350.0 *********************************************************************** NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME to the Readers of; ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE¿ """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY! CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198 You will receive your complimentary time and be online in no time at all! WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (April 19) Forum members and fellow staff of the Atari Forums wish to congratulate SYSOP Ron Luks and his wife Dawn on the birth of their daughter, Jennifer Anne. Jennifer was born on Friday, April 12th at 9:42 PM. Best wishes to the new Mommy and Daddy! DOUBLE CLICK SOFTWARE Double Click has announced the winners of their "Name the software" con- test. Please read CONTST.WIN in LIBRARY 13 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) for details. Also be sure to check out DCTOPR.ARC, DC Topper, another PROGRAM OF THE WEEK from Double Click Software available in LIBRARY 13 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN). DC Topper will automagically top the window under the mouse. Best at the desktop, but can be turned on in programs. NEW UPLOADS POLICY CHANGE Effective immediately, the sysops will adopt the following policy for new uploads to the Atari ST and 8-Bit Forums: All new uploads will be placed ONLY in the NEW UPLOADS LIBRARY for a period of 2-3 weeks. After this time, they will be MOVED to the appropri- ate long term library and deleted from LIB-1. The old policy was to immediately place 2 copies of new files online. One in the NEW UPLOADS LIB and another in the long-term lib, giving users the option to download from either location. This old policy was wasteful of storage and confusing to some members who downloaded both copies thinking they were different versions. We realize that this will require everyone to scan the NEW UPLOADS LIB in addition to the other LIBs when searching for a specific type of file, but this is a temporary problem that will be eliminated when future versions of the CIS software will allow members to scan all files in all LIBS from a single point (a feature that is on the "enhancement" list). ATARI USERS GROUP LISTING Modems are nice, but nothing beats getting together realtime with hometown folks who share your interest! The 1991 list of Registered Atari User Groups is now available in file USERGP.ARC, LIBRARY 1 of the Atari 8-Bit Forum (GO ATARI8). ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM NEWS Don't miss Walter Daniel's FORUM NOTES files in LIBRARY 1 of the Atari Portfolio Forum (GO APORTFOLIO) for news on the latest happenings and events in our online community. THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION "GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM" NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE *********************************************************************** > CPU REPORT ========== Issue #107 ---------- By Michael Arthur Dream Systems IX ================= UNIX MACHINES, RISC WORKSTATIONS, AND 68040 MACS ------------------------------------------------ Change is the only constant in the computer industry. As the capabilities of microcomputers increased during the 1980's, they began to provide the functionality, versatility, and speed of the workstation industry. Unix, for example, was once the domain of workstations and non-IBM minicomputers, but is now competing to become the operating system of the future for the microcomputer industry. However, while microcomputers evolved characteristics of workstations (including cost), many workstation companies began making low-end workstations, in an at- tempt to combine the innovations microcomputers had fostered, such as the idea of graphical user interfaces, with the inherent versatility of works- tation-class machines. RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Circuitry) chips are an offshoot of this development, as their increased speed and use of modern chip technologies gave workstations the power of small mainframes. However, now that conventional CISC (Complex Instruction Set Circuitry) microprocessors, such as the Intel 80486 and Motorola 68040 chips, are as powerful as the best RISC chips, the choice to determine the best microco- mputers only becomes more difficult. In this essay, a list of "Dream Systems", or powerful configurations of current computer systems, has been formed in order to analyze the potential of current computer systems and hardware peripherals. I have chosen not to include variables like operating systems and software in this analysis, and to concentrate on the actual computers' hardware capabilities, the greatest amount of mass storage you could attain, and the best graphics that system could provide. While operating systems and software are a definite factor in a complete computer system, software can generally be easily added or ported to a computer system. As such, the focus of this essay is to "spec out" the best hardware with which one could use a given operating system or software package. Furthermore, since many of the high-end microcomputers featured here are beginning to rival workstations in both performance and price, this essay includes some low-end workstations in its analysis, in order to both study the state of high-end microcomputers as compared to low-end workstations, and to see whether microcomputers can outperform some workstations in certain areas. After doing some research, I found several configurations that could truly claim to be "Dream Systems". Shown in no particular order, here is my list: (Warning: Do not be surprised by the Retail Prices Shown.) System #1: Proteus 486/33 with EISA Expansion Bus --------- Total Cost of System: $13,799.00 (US Currency) This IBM Compatible is a system with a 33 MHZ 80486 chip, 8 Megabytes of RAM onboard, and 8 EISA Expansion Slots. The Proteus also comes with 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB disk drives, a 128K CPU Cache, and a SuperVGA display system as standard equipment. To boost this system's networking capabilities, one could add an ethernet port via 3Com's Etherlink II Card. For this system's disk storage needs, a SmartConnex/EISA Floppy & Hard Disk controller from DTP Inc., and an HP3176 Magneto-Optical Drive made by Hewlett-Packard (which can store 650 Megabytes of data per Remova- ble Cartridge), seems suitable for a Dream System. Another boost to such a system's performance would be InfoChip's Expanz data compression card, which would double the cartridge drive's storage capacity to around 1.3 Gigabytes of data per Cartridge. For video displays: A Hercules Graphics Station Card (with a TI 34010 Graphics Processor and support of the TIGA Graphics Standard) and an NEC Multisync 4D monitor. So with this system, you would have: Proteus 486/33 EISA w/SuperVGA support (Cost: $5700.00) DPT SmartConnex/EISA Disk Controller (Cost: $730.00) Infochip Expanz data compression card (Cost: $200.00) Hewlett Packard 650 Meg Magneto-Optical Drive (Cost: $4300.00) Hercules Graphics Station Card (Cost: $1024.00) 3Com EtherLink Card (Cost: $345.00) NEC Multisync 4D Monitor (Cost: $1500.00) VGA Graphics Resolution: 320x200 with 256 Colors out of 256,000 640x480 with 16 Colors Displayable out of 256,000 SuperVGA Resolutions: 640x480 with 256 Displayable Colors out of 256,000 800x600 with 16 Colors out of 256,000 TIGA Resolutions: 512x480 w/16 Million Displayable Colors 1024x768 with 256 Displayable Colors out of a 16 Million Color Palette System #2: - Macintosh IIci with Radius 68040 Board - --------- Total Cost: $19,086.00 (US Currency) The Macintosh IIci uses a 25 MHZ 68030 with a 25 MHZ 68882 Math Chip, Five Megabytes of RAM (and a 32K CPU Cache), 6 NuBus Expansion Slots, and a 1.44 Meg High Density Disk Drive. It uses the SWIM (San- der-Woz Integrated Machine) Disk Controller chip to allow the Mac to read/write to MS-DOS and OS/2 formatted disks. To boost total memory to 8 Megs of RAM, one would add 3 1-Megabyte SIMM RAM chips. To boost system processing speed, one could add Radius' Rocket Accelerator. It uses a 25 MHZ 68040 chip (which is several times faster than a 25 MHZ 68030 chip), and features a display list processor for speeding up CAD applications. To further improve this system, one could add Mirror Technologies' RM600 Magneto-Optical Drive (which uses 650 Megabyte Removable/Erasable Cartridges like those found for the NeXT Computer), Sigma Designs' DoubleUp data compression board (which can effectively double the capacity of a hard drive), and an Adaptec Nodem Ethernet LAN Interface Unit. Other necessities: An NEC Multisync 4D Monitor, and a SuperMac Spectrum/24 Video Card. The latter lets the Mac have a 1024x768 display with 16 Million colors at the same time, and makes Mac Quickdraw operations display 5 - 10 times faster than before. The former is recommended if the latter is to be made useful. So with this system you would have: Macintosh IIci w/5 Megs of RAM (Cost: $5300.00) Radius Rocket 68040 Accelerator (Cost: $3500.00) 3 sets of 1 Megabyte SIMM Memory Chips (Cost: $156 total) Mirror RM600 Magneto-Optical Cartridge Drive (Cost: $3500.00) Sigma Designs' DoubleUp data compression board (Cost: $230.00) Adaptec Nodem Ethernet Unit (Cost: $500.00) NEC Multisync 4D Color Monitor (Cost: $1400.00) Spectrum/24 III Video Board (Cost: $4500.00) Macintosh II Resolution: 640x400 with 256 Colors out of 16 Million With Spectrum/24 it has: 1024x768, with the ability to simultaneously display 16 Million colors. System #3: Atari TT030/8 with 33 MHZ 68882 Math Chip --------- Total System Cost: $11,000.00 LIST (US Currency) An Atari TT030/8 system features a 33 MHZ 68030 chip with a 33 MHZ 68882 floating point math unit and 8 Megs of RAM onboard. It also has an 80 Meg Hard Disk Drive, an AppleTalk Port, and 1 VME Expansion Slot as standard equipment. To fully use the TT's Graphics capabilities in a Dream System, one would probably wish to have an Atari PPC-1246 Multisync Color Monitor, a Matrix C32 VME Color Board (which supports 800*600 resolution and displaying 256 colors simultaneously out of a 16 million color palette), and an NEC Multisync 4D Monitor for the Matrix board. To boost such a system's storage capacity, one could also add a Hewlett Packard 650 Megabyte Magneto-Optical Cartridge Drive, using an ICD Host Adapter to interface it with the TT. So with this system you would have: Atari TT030/8 with 80 Megabyte Hard Drive (Cost: $3500.00) Atari PPC-1246 Multisync Monitor (Cost: $550.00) Matrix C32 Color Board (Estimated Cost: $1000.00) NEC Multisync 4D Color Monitor (Cost: $1400.00) Hewlett Packard 650 Megabyte Removable Drive (Cost: $4300.00) ICD Hard Disk Host Adapter (Cost: $250.00) (As Rio Datel Computers is in the process of importing the Matrix C32 board from Europe, the cost stated above is only an approximation, and its actual list price in the USA will, more than probably be different.) Atari STe Resolutions: (Supported by TT) 320*200 with 16 displayable colors out of a 4096 color palette 640*200 with 4 Colors out of 4096 640*400 in Monochrome Atari TT Resolutions: 320*480 with 256 Displayable Colors out of 4096 640*480 with 16 Colors out of 4096 1280*960 in Monochrome (with Image Systems' Monitor) Matrix Video Board Resolutions: 800*600 with 256 Displayable Colors out of 16 Million 1280*960 in monochrome (also can display 256 colors in this mode) System #4: MIPS Magnum 3000 with 25 MHZ MIPS R3000 RISC-based Chip --------- Total Cost of System: $18,000.00 (US Currency) MIPS Computer Systems makes the Magnum 3000, which has a 25 MHZ R3000 microprocessor and a 25 MHZ R3010 Math Coprocessor. It has 16 Megabytes of RAM onboard (with separate 32K Instruction and Data Caches), an Ethernet port, and no expansion ports. This system comes with two 200-Megabyte Hard Drives and a 150 Meg Cartridge Tape Backup Drive. The Magnum 3000 has a 1280*1024 resolution, with 256 colors displayable out of a 16 million color palette. Since MIPS also includes a Sony Trinitron Color Monitor, its graphics and storage capabilities are all parts of the complete package. So with this system you would have: MIPS Magnum 3000 (Cost: $18,000.00) Sony Trinitron Monitor (standard) Magnum 3000 Resolution: 1280x1024, with 256 displayable colors out of 16 million. System #5: IBM RISC System/6000 Model 320 with Ethernet Card --------- Total System Cost: $17,000.00 (US Currency) This is a IBM PowerStation 320, with a 20 MHZ P.O.W.E.R chipset, 8 Megs of RAM (and a 32K CPU Cache), 4 "Enhanced MicroChannel" Expansion Slots, and a 240 Megabyte Hard Drive as standard equipment. It also has a Color Graphics Adapter with a Geometry Engine Chip, a bundled color monitor, and a 1.44 Meg Disk Drive. IBM also bundles a 3Com Ethernet Card made for the RS/6000. Like most Unix workstations, the IBM RISC System/6000 is available only as a complete computing package. So with this system you have: IBM RS/6000 PowerStation Model 320 (Cost: $17,000.00) 3Com Ethernet Card (Bundled with System) 240 Megabyte Hard Drive (Bundled with System) Color Graphics Adapter w/Monitor (Bundled with System) RISC System/6000 Resolution: 1280x1024 with 256 Colors out of 16 Million System #6: NeXTCube workstation w/NeXTDimension 24-bit board --------- Total Cost of System: $13,000.00 Made by NeXT Inc., the NeXTCube workstation comes with a 25 MHZ Motorola 68040 Chip having a built-in Math Coprocessor, 8 Megs of RAM onboard, and 4 Expansion Slots as standard. It also comes with a 2.88 Meg Disk Drive, a 256 Meg Magneto-Optical cartridge Drive, and an Ethernet port as standard. To boost its graphics capabilities, one would wish to add the NeXTDimension 32-bit graphics board, which displays 16 million colors simultaneously at a 1120*832 resolution. So with this system you have: NeXTCube system w/8 Megs of RAM (Cost: $10,000.00) NeXTDimension 32-bit color board (Cost: $3000.00) NeXT Resolution: 1120*832 in Monochrome With NeXTDimension Board: 1120*832 with 16 million colors displayable simultaneously Here, the Dream System are graphically shown: Dream Systems List: (Comparison of each Systems' Optimal Features) _________________________________________________________________________ Dream |Main Chips,|MHZ Rate|Data |Expansion|Graphics Displays/ | System |Megs of RAM|(Speed) |Storage | Slots |Best Resolution(s) | -----------|-----------|--------|----------|---------|-------------------| IBM 486 |Intel 80486| 33 MHZ |1 Gigabyte|Four (6) |512*480,16 Million | System |Eight Megs | |Tape Drive|EISA Bus |1024*768,256 Colors| -----------|-----------+--------+----------+---------+-------------------| Mac IIci | 68040 | 25 MHZ |1 Gigabyte| Two (3) |640x400, 256 Colors| System |Eight Megs | |Tape Drive|NuBus |1024x768,16 Million| -----------|-----------+--------+----------+---------+-------------------| Atari TT030|68030/68882| 33 MHZ |650 Meg |Zero (1) |800*600, 256 Colors| System |Eight Megs | |Tape Drive|VME Bus |1280*960,Monochrome| -----------|-----------+--------+----------+---------+-------------------| MIPS Magnum|R3000/R3010| 25 MHZ |400 Meg | None (0)| 1280*1024 | 3000 System| 16 Megs | |Hard Drive| | 256 Colors | -----------|-----------+--------+----------+---------+-------------------| IBM RS/6000| P.O.W.E.R | 20 MHZ |240 Meg |Three (4)| 1280x1024 | System |Eight Megs | |Hard Drive|M-Channel|16 Million (Colors)| -----------|-----------|--------|----------|---------|-------------------| NeXTCube | 68040 | 25 MHZ |256 Meg | Two (4) | 1120*832 | System |Eight Megs | |Tape Drive|NuBus | 16 Million Colors | -----------'-------------------------------------------------------------' In the Data Storage column, Tape stands for removable storage (like Magneto-Optical cartridges or Syquest cartridges), and HD stands for fixed, or hard disk storage. Also, the Expansion Slot Column now measures the number of available expansion slots in each Dream System AFTER installing the various add-in boards in each System Configuration. The number in parentheses is the total number of expansion slots in the system. Dream Systems List: Basic System Performance List _________________________________________________________________________ Dream |Dhrystones |Data Transfer| Linpack |Size of Bus|Size,Type of| System |in VAX MIPS| Rate | MFLOPS |Architectr.| CPU Cache | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| IBM 486 |11-14 MIPS | 33 Megabytes| 1.2 - 1.5| 32 Bits | 128K SRAM | System | | Per Second | MFLOPS | Wide | | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| Mac IIci |10-12 MIPS | 10 Megabytes| N/A | 32 Bits | 32K SRAM | System | | Per Second | | Wide | | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| Atari TT030|5 - 7 MIPS | N/A | N/A | 16/24 Bits| 32K SRAM | System | | | | Wide | | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| MIPS Magnum| 21.3 MIPS | N/A | N/A | 32 Bits | 64K SRAM | 3000 System| | | | Wide | | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| IBM RS/6000| 27.5 MIPS | 40 Megabytes|7.4 MFLOPS| 32 Bits | 32K SRAM | System | | Per Second | | Wide | | -----------|-----------|-------------|----------|-----------|------------| NeXTCube | N/A | 20 Megabytes| N/A | 32 Bits | None on | System | | Per Second | | Wide | Motherboard| -----------'-------------------------------------------------------------' MFLOPS - Million Floating Point math Operations performed Per Second SRAM - Static RAM memory (much faster than DRAM chips) VAX MIPS is a unit of measuring a computer's Integer processing speed. It is equal to approximately 1750 Dhrystones per Second. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= As a reader of STReport 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. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT -------------------- The 20/20 Advantage Plan IS FANTASTIC! 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-ac- cess 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! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS ================= Issue #17 Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. - Buffalo, New York HEART DISEASE DIAGNOSIS ----------------- In an attempt to help cardiologists to diagnose heart disease more accurately, researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo are attempting to develop a new interactive computer vision technique. The research, which is funded by a Biological Research Support Grant, should eventually allow a computer to focus on a specific problem area, namely the heart walls, in a digitized image of an echocardiogram. The hope is that an approach can be developed whereby the computer will automatically trace a moving image of the cardiac wall and make precise measurements of it for analysis. - Austin, Texas NEW LOW-COST CHIP LINE FROM MOTOROLA ------------- Motorola is offering four new low-cost, 32-bit, embedded control micro- pocessors which are based on their current 68000 family of micropro- cessors. The new line will be tailored for applications such as laptop and palmtop computers and laser printers, where manufacturing costs are especially important. To keep the cost low on the new chips, Motorola said it stripped away all of the non-essential functions of the 68000, 68020, 68030 and 68040 processors, which are used in the Apple line of computers. The new chips will range from $2.95 each in quantities of 10,000 to $160 each for the most powerful version of the family. - Stamford, Connecticut IBM FIGHTING A LOOSING BATTLE --------------------- The Gartner Group, an information technology industry research, analysis and consulting firm, predicts that by 1995, Microsoft Windows will have 41% of the new installation market share, while OS/2 will have only 21%, and most of that will be to the large corporate market. Garner Group predicts that IBM will not be successful in its efforts to encourage a majority of users to move to OS/2. Looking at other major vendors, Gartner predicts that Macintosh will have 20 percent of the market in 1995, Unix will have six percent and DOS will hang on to 10 percent of the market versus the 69 percent they have now. Other operating systems will account for two percent. - Peoria, Illinois ELECTRONIC MUSICIANS BLOW OWN HORN ---------------- To help advertise their own talents, a group of electronic musicians have banded together and to produce their own publication, The Computer Musician Coalition, who describe themselves as 'the nation's computer music enthusiasts users group' has introduced 'Ear Candy.' The publication describes electronic music compositions by electronic music artists, and appears to concentrate primarily on instrumentals composed using MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology, although vocal offerings are also listed. Volume One is a 30-page offering, listing at least 18 artists and their works. Most artists have their own page which describes the music on offer, and the individual tape prices, which range from $5 to $20. The descriptions of the music are unique. Sally Daley's 'From Death To Life' is described as "...a fusion of things... contemporary Classical, the Romanticism resembling Mahler, plus a feeling of the beyond which is realized in the sound effects used. Parts of it, especially sections 3 and 5, can be used very well as background for guided meditation." The Ear Candy catalog is available through music and computer stores, and a year subscription is priced at $5 for six issues. A sample issue costs $1 which covers postage and handling. All compositions listed in the catalog can be purchased direct from the Computer Musician Coalition. More information on how to get electronic compositions listed in Ear Candy, or how to order the catalog, can be obtained from Ron Wallace at Computer Musician Coalition, 1024 W.Willcox Ave., Peoria, IL 61604. The telephone number is 309-685-4843. - Lansing, Michigan NEWSPAPER ATTACKS MICHIGAN BELL LOBBYING ----------------- Peter Luke, in an article in the Grand Rapids Press News Service, has charged that Michigan Bell bought itself favorable treatment in the cur- rent rewrite of the state's telecommunications law. The article charges that Bell tripled its campaign contributions in the year before the rewrite started, and that the chairwoman of a House committee reviewing the bill was taking campaign checks from lobbyists the morning of the first hearing. Also, the article alleges that Bell has spent more than $1 million lobbying on the measure, loaning its offices near the state Capitol to lawmakers for receptions, and giving away phones to legislators after they listened to an elaborate sales pitch on the bill. Finally, Bell hired as lobbyists a former aid to governor John Engler, Gail Torreano, and a legislative aide who months earlier helped draft the phone law. - Calgary, Alberta, Canada AMIGA EXPO PLANNED ------------------------ The Amiga Users of Calgary are getting ready to stage the first-ever Amiga Expo on Sunday, May 5 at the Marlboro in Calagary, Canada. The show is scheduled to include an appearance by Commodore Canada (showing CDTV, Unix and multimedia demos), and seminar presentations by profes- sionals who use Amigas. The organizers feel the event should appeal to Amiga enthusiasts and newcomers alike. - Cupertino, California APPLE POSTS A NICE GAIN --------------------- Apple Computer cites a gain of approximately 85% in sales of its popular Macintosh personal computer in its second fiscal quarter, compared to the same quarter a year ago. This lead to net revenues increasing by 19% and earnings per share increasing by 3%. Overseas sales continue to inc- rease with international revenues accounted for 52 percent of total revenues, compared to 47 percent during the second quarter of fiscal 1990. "We have successfully launched Apple on a new course," said John Sculley, chairman and chief executive officer, "While many challenges remain ahead of us, we are addressing them from the most competitive position in our history." - Redmond, Washington FTC WIDENS MICROSOFT INVESTIGATION ------------------- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided to expand the scope of its investigation of Microsoft Corporation. The investigation is based on third-party charges that the giant software firm allegations that Microsoft is monopolizing the market for operating systems, operating environments, computer software and computer peripherals for personal computers. The FTC, which investigates anti-trust and restraint of trade cases, is apparently interested in whether Microsoft was intentionally restricting the functionality and features of future versions of Windows. - Armonk, New York IBM IN THE RED FOR THE FIRST TIME ---------------- For the first time in its corporate history, IBM has posted a loss in revenue of 4.5% for the first quarter of 1991 compared to one year ago. Much of it was due to a 20% loss from its normally profitable Japanese wing. This resulted in an earnings-per-share of only $.93 compared with $1.81 in 1990. __________________________________________________________ > The Flip Side STR Feature "........A different viewpoint" ========================= A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT ================================== by Michael Lee The old saying "in the Springtime, a young mans fancy turns to love" has been replaced with "in the Springtime, a young mans fancy turns to get- ting a hard drive or upgrading his old one" - or maybe, in this new com- puter age, they are the one and the same? Recently, Delphi and CIS have had a lot of discussion about hard drives, upgrading hard drives and problems with hard drives. So this weeks issue will be dominated by hard drive posts. I hope you find them interesting. ---------------- What else is needed to setup a ST hard drive system from scratch besides the bare drive? Answer from Greg Wageman on CIS... You need a Host Adaptor, power supply and case [and cables]...Supra and ICD...both make Host Adaptors that will connect to the Atari DMA (hard disk) port, and output SCSI commands to a 50-pin IDC connector (SCSI 1 standard)...The whole setup will cost you about $220; $90 for a case and power supply, and about $130 for the Host Adaptor. The adaptors sold by the above-named companies come with formatting, partitioning, boot and driver software. From personal experience I think ICD has an edge both in the hardware and software. Supra's product is a little less expensive. (I have one of each.) ---------------- Comments about the new WordFlair II from Matt (BLACKICE) on Delphi... I just got my copy of Wordflair II the other day and wanted to say that it's neat. I had WordUp 3.0 and Flair is by far the better program. I haven't worked it hard enough to find any bugs, but so far it has tun flawlessly. If anybody is interested in a good crossbreed wordprocessor and desktop publisher you might consider the new Wordflair. ---------------- From Gary Gray (Megabyte Plus) on CIS... Just for fun we benchmarked a drawing using DynaCadd on the TT, and the same drawing on AutoCadd on a Sparstation. Guess what killed the Sparcstation? A 4-meg TT with no Fast ram, running the new DynaCadd with FPU support redrew the Survey drawing 3 seconds. An 8-meg TT, running the old Dynacadd without FPU support (with DynaCadd running in fast ram) took 6 seconds. The Sparstation took 14 seconds. The new DynaCadd on a TT with Fast Ram should redraw it in well under 2 seconds, maybe less than one. Autocadd and the SparcStation 18k, The TT and DynaCadd 3.5 K is maybe 14 times faster... ---------------- Bill Repetto with a 1040ST problem on CIS... ...my four year old 1040 ST is giving me the first problems I have experienced with it. It will not boot! I get a TOS error 35 every time I try to start it from disk. I have TOS 1.0 with a single double sided floppy drive... Reply from Bob Retelle (Sysop) on CIS... ...the first thing to try is the old standby of opening up your ST's case and carefully pressing all the socketed IC chips back down into their sockets. This includes all the square special chips, the TOS ROM chips, and anything else that's not soldered down in place. The floppy controller chip in my ST is soldered, but yours might be socketed. Some people recommend gently prying the chips up a little bit before pressing them down (to help clean any oxidization from the contacts), but I usually just give them a gentle push...If that doesn't fix it, it may need a trip to the shop... Reply from Michael D. Mortilla on CIS... ...the culprit maybe an auto program on your disk. You might try boot without the disk in the drive. It will take the ST 45 seconds to "self-boot" and the screen will be blank for that period of time, *but* if the system does boot, you can open the directory on the disk and kill the offending program. I'm not a programmer, but I use the ST a lot. The only time I get TOS 35 errors is when I try to boot a program intended for an IBM (which is why I think you might have an auto boot problem! Reply from Lee (Lexicor Sofware) on CIS... There is yet another possible problem. Your floppy drive may not be up to snuff. You might consider trying to get a new floppy drive. They are cheap, easy to install and if you find the problem elsewhere you will have a backup drive...We have had several older machines fail in exactly this way, TOS error and all. ---------------- Question from Chris Scullion on CIS... Anyone know where I can get a WD1772 chip? It's the floppy disk controller and I need to replace mine. Answer from Bob Retelle (Sysop) on CIS... ...you might try calling Best Electronics to see if they stock the floppy controller chip...their phone number is: (408) 243-6950 Answer from Ron Shue on CIS... You can get them from most mail order electronic houses since that is a industry standard chip. You might try JDR or BG Micro out of Computer Shopper. ---------------- Question from Kenneth A. Webb on CIS... I am trying to determine if an Atari SH205 HD mechanism can be replaced with a larger mechanism (40 - 60 megs).... Answer from Richard Turner on CIS... ...the HD itself can be replaced. My brother...replaced the hard drive in his SH205 with 2 higher capacity drives. The hard drive controller card in the SH205 is a MFM I believe. You can replace the HD itself with any MFM ST-506 HD. The ST-506 designation means any standard IBM type hard drive. My brother is using Seagates I believe. ----------------- Question from Gary Houser on CIS... Where can one get a listing of Names & Addresses of Atari Usergroups? I would like to contact several of them and haven't been able to find a listing anywhere Answer from Hal Dougherty on CIS... Start Magazine has a list of user groups on this month's disk. Answer from Keith Joins (Sysop) on CIS... ...you can also contact Atari directly. Get a hold of Bob Brodie, I am sure he can get you some information. ---------------- Comments about Notator from Brian Campbell on CIS... ...I'll tell you that Notator on the ST platform has about the best timing/resolution in the market, including the dedicated hardware sequencers. Also, it will allow up to 64 simultaneous tracks outputting to up to (I think) 80 separate MIDI channels (with the use of some external stuff), plus allows for interfacing with SMPTE, and even an adaptave groove and manual tempo adjustment, so the computer can follow the band, rather that the undesirable option... ----------------- From Kevin Engler on CIS concerning whether you can use a Seagate ST238R IBM hard drive on a ST... You can use the ST238R with an ST, but not the controller card, simply because it's designed for an IBM's motherboard slots (which the ST doesn't have). You still need a controller, host adapter (I HIGHLY recommend ICD's), and a power supply. Unless you're cash flow situation is really tight, I'd recommend going with a commercial unit. As to which one, they're pretty similar, although you can't beat ICD's support. Check with your local dealer (if you have one). ---------------- How one ST user uses his system (slightly edited). From HGM on Delphi... I'm a college professor and use my ST for most of my work. I connect to a VAX at school via Uniterm, one of the best VT-100 emulators around. I use Word Perfect for my writing (it's quite a good program and the files are portable to the ubiquitious clones). For my records, I use Informer II (really nice database). To keep my grades, I use OPUS (a fairly good spreadsheet). I am also director of a pro- gram and faculty secretary, so I use DTP a fair amount. Mostly I use PAGESTREAM. All of the programs are quite good, the major limitations are imposed by me, not by the hardware or software...DTP takes talent and design ability. I doubt if the top-of-the-line IBM or MAC programs will do more than PAGESTREAM, FLEETSTREET or CALAMUS. I AM sure that the ST programs allow plenty of room to grow. The ads that show people turning out dazzling copy the first time they use the new software with all its bells and whistles is a joke. Kind of like thinking that a new camera will turn you into a great photographer. ...I get more out of my computer, and do more with it than people with 386's and MAC IIs -- mostly because they don't know how to use their computers but knew that they wanted "power." I have fooled around with getting one of the IBM emulators so I could run some of the educational software, but it is easy enough to run that at the school, and the ST/VAX combo that I use is really quite powerful... ---------------- Question from David L. Leon on CIS... Has anyone heard any news on the Acer Multi-sync and the Atari STs? I was just curious if anyone had any positive or negative feedback on it. Answer from Jim Ness (Sysop) on CIS... ...this is second hand, but those who have posted messages regarding the ACER say that it works fine with the ST, but the mono mode is not exceptionally sharp...with the mono mode being just a tad fuzzy, they found it difficult to do any lengthy mono work...Basically, you get what you pay for in multisynchs. The ACER is very reasonably priced. ---------------- Question (compiled) from Ron Luks (Sysop) on CIS... I've been using Supra's auto-booting software for a while without any problems. I've even added a Supra FD-10 (10Mb floppy disk) to my system in addition to the regular HD. Recently, my system does not recognize that one or both of the floppy drives is attached at boot-up. When I try to access them from the desktop, the little box pops up saying that this drive is not active...Rebooting with the ctrl-alt-delete ALWAYS brings every drive on line. Its just the initial powerup sequence that misses these. And it doesn't always happen...I've checked all the cable connections and they are solid...I'm using a MegaST4 with standard TOS 1.2...Does anybody have any thoughts about this? It's annoying to have to powerup twice each morning... Some suggestions from Lee (Lexicor Sofware) on CIS... Do you let your drives warm up a few seconds before booting? I have found that with all the "junk" I run on our computers...ie Matrix card/ISAC/ two color monitors, modems, etc...I will get a boot where the polling of devices sometimes fails. You may just be the victim of cold hardware. There is one other possibility...your HD driver may not be finding the right device ID in the eprom on your floppy controller. It should have its own SCSI ID #. Do you have HDX 4.02? This advanced HD pack has an install utility which will ensure that when you cold boot, the system will poll and recognize all SCSI devices in the chain. Also from Lee (Lexicor Sofware) about a similar problem with Syquest 44 removable media hard drives... ...Generally when adding the removable media (Syquest 44) type HD's the software fails or even corrupts the fixed HD partition C with the usual consequences. To fix this problem you need the most recent HDX 4.0 Atari HD utilities. You will have to install the new HDX software and also install all logical drives. Then the problems you have will go away. Your system will also see the changes in Media but will not tell you so. If you use the ICD HD Utilities then you will get the added benefit of disk change alerts and better partition use. We have had the same problems with each developer who changed over to Removable media systems. The one thing that will never work is to try and run a mixed system of both Surpra/Atari with Syquest HD's at the same time, it is one or the other for now. I understand this will change soon. Keep an eye pealed for an announcement from ICD. ---------------- Until next week..... *********************************************************************** :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN. **** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED **** The system will now prompt you for your information. -> NOW! GENIE STAR SERVICE IS IN EFFECT!! <- GEnie is changing for the better. To make things easier, we're changing the names for each level of service (beginning April 25, 1991). GEnie Star*Services will now be known as GEnie*Basic. We haven't changed the rates. GEnie set the standard for reasonable online pricing when we established our $4.95 flat rate for a wide range of services. The response was over- whelming. We also offered services at other rates. Then, GEnie users like yourself told us they were confused about which services were avail- able at each rate. GEnie*Basic is the new name of the full range of services available at a flat rate of $4.95 per month. (These used to be called Star*Services.) We haven't changed the services available at this rate except to continue to add new ones. GEnie Value is the new name for the services available for $6.00 per hour non-prime time. GEnie$Professional is the new name we apply to the many specialized services available at variable hourly rates. At GEnie, we are always looking for ways to improve our service to users. We think the new names will help clarify our service levels. We're glad you are part of the GEnie family. We hope you will continue to tell us how we can better serve you. GEnie Pricing (effective April 25, 1991) +-------------------------++--------------------------+ | USA || CANADA | -------------+-------------------------||--------------------------+ Monthly | || | Subscription | $4.95/month || $5.95/month | Fee | || | -------------+---------------+---------||--------------+-----------+ Rates | Non-Prime | Prime || Non-Prime | Prime | -------------+---------------+---------||--------------+-----------+ GEnie*Basic | No hourly | $18/hour|| No hourly | $25/hour | Services | Charge* | || Charge* | | -------------|---------------|---------||--------------|-----------+ GEnie Value | $6/hour | $18/hour|| $8/hour | $25/hour | Services | | || | | -------------|---------------|---------||--------------|-----------+ GEnie$Pro- | Prices vary per individual service. These include | Fessional | Charles Schwab Brokerage Service (not available in | Services | Canada), Dow Jones News/Retrieval, Official Airline | | Guides, QuikNews clipping service, Telebase's | | Investment ANALY$T and Telebase's POP-MED. | -------------|-----------------------------------------------------+ Notes: Non-Prime rates apply Monday-Friday, 6 p.m.-8 a.m. local | time, and all day Saturday, Sunday and GEnie holidays. Rates are | for 300, 1200 and 2400 baud access only. Some GEnie services may | not be available outside the United States. Canadian rates are | quoted in Canadian dollars. | | [* In a few areas, there is a $2 per hour remote access surcharge. | Where applicable, this charge applies to all services, including | the user of GEnie*Basic Services in non-prime hours.] | -------------------------------------------------------------------+ *********************************************************************** > MAC REPORT ========== Issue #007 ---------- by Robert Allbritton Sorry that I missed you folks last week, but its that time of year when us college students get quite busy. For the past ten days I have had a major paper or exam due every day of the week, so my brain is about on par with lime Jell-O. As a result, this week will just have news, no review. However, as soon as my schedule permits, I will continue my aim- less blabbering! MacNews *** Apple to use Motorola RISC chip. The hot rumor flying around both Motorola and Apple at the end of this week was that Apple will in fact continue its relationship with Motorola when it begins production of its next generation of computers. Beyond the 68040 Mac seems to lie a future of RISC based UNIX (or A/UX) workstations. Look for public announcements in about 6 months. *** Apple vs. Microsoft lawsuit expands. Apple has added Windows 3.0 to its suit against Microsoft over copyri- ght infringement. This is a significant move because the original suit was based on Windows 2.03, but Apple has always considered Windows 3.0 to be a derivative work of 2.03. This sent a shiver down the spine of Mi- crosoft on the market on Wednesday, and legal experts are saying that Apple could demand much larger than originally expected royalty payments should they win the suit. Apple originally licensed some parts of the Macintosh interface to Microsoft for Windows 1.0. *** New Wireless Networking A few weeks ago, Apple petitioned the FCC to allocate certain parts of the radio spectrum for wireless personal computer networking. On April 11, Dr. David Nagel, Apple VP for Advanced Technology testified before a Senate subcommittee in support of the upcoming Emerging Telecommunications Technologies Act of 1991 that could provide the needed frequencies. This could allow computers to be "wirelessly" networked within 150 feet of one another, truly any portable computer owners dream come true. This legis- lation would benefit all computer makers, not just Apple. *** Profits: some up, some down. While Apple profitability went up to $1.07 per share this quarter (compared to $1.04 per share last year) there was a fair amount of disap- pointment. Most analyst has expected between 1.15 and 1.20 from the California computer company, but overall year earnings expectations have not changed. Other factors mentioned were the runaway success of the Classic, but a failure to have similar significant success with the new Mac LC and the Mac II line. On other notes, Radius, maker of Monitors and Mac accelerators lost $1 Million in the second quarter, while Mac Monitor maker RasterOps made $1.55 million in the third quarter. *** SIMM prices on the rise. After hitting the low price of $25 six weeks ago, 1 Meg SIMM prices seem to be on the rebound. Current pricing from The Chip Merchant has 1 meg SIMMS at $40. On a brighter note, 4 meg SIMMS are now at price parity with their 1 meg cousins. Current pricing for 4 meg SIMMS is now $160. ______________________________________________________ > STR Portfolio News & Information Keeping up to date... ================================ THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ========================= On CompuServe by Walter Daniel 75066,164 Read message #11354 for details of an appearance by the Portfolio on the Lifetime cable-TV network. It will be demonstrated during a program segment on "gadgets." DIP, the British developers of the Portfolio, have announced the Pocket PC-512 in the UK. The machine has more memory, more power, and enhanced built-in software. See message #11378 for more information. Dave Stewart has announced a new version of his Port-a-Sketch program. Details are in message #11319. I've reported in the past of various efforts to get the Turbo Pascal compiler running on the Portfolio. BJ Gleason analyzed version 3.01 and discovered an incompatibility due to the display speed. While the Turbo Pascal compiler can be modified, there's a quicker solution. Call the Setup utility, select Display, select Speed, then choose Fast. The dis- play is now updated more quickly and Turbo Pascal 3.01 should work. With RAM card space at a premium, most Portfolio developers use com- pression programs such as LZEXE to reduce the size of stored files. A newer compression program, PKLITE, has been gaining some converts within the Portfolio community. It is stored in the IBM Utilities Forum as PKLITE103.EXE. News version of existing programs were uploaded this week. INHOCK- 3.WKS is an update of the loan comparison worksheet in library 1. CC3.BAS is version 1.3 of Conversion Calculator, a PBASIC program to perform unit conversions between pounds and kilograms, etc. This new version uses the MENU statement in PBASIC extensively. Chris Burns has updated his Power- BASIC programs for using a Tandy PDD2 disk drive. The command-line utili- ties are in TDUTIL.ZIP; his new file manager is TM2.ZIP. A new PDD2 program was uploaded this week. This program, PDD210.ZIP, is for desktop PCs and is not Portfolio-compatible at this time. _________________________________________________________ > HAYES MODEMS STR InfoFile NEW Hayes Pocket 2400! ========================= HAYES INTRODUCES POCKET EDITION 2400 ==================================== The Ideal Modem for Business Travelers and Palmtop - Laptop Users Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. announced April 1991 availability of Pocket Edition 2400, a 3-ounce, 3-inch long modem designed specifically for the business traveler and the laptop market. Pocket Edition 2400 does not require an electrical outlet, battery pack or a serial port adapter to connect to a laptop or portable computer. Pocket Edition 2400 comes packaged with cables, Smartcom EZ communica- tions software and a carrying case that attaches to any computer carrying case strap. Because the modem runs off the power supplied through the telephone line and the computer's serial port, the need for an electrical outlet or bulky battery pack is eliminated. At an estimated retail price of US$179 and CN$208, Pocket Edition 2400 is more than a modem. It is a complete, cost-effective communications solution for MS-DOS and compatible laptop and portable computers with standard 9-pin RS-232 serial ports. Pocket Edition 2400 provides 2400, 1200 and 300 bps communications. Pocket Edition 2400 also provides a convenient way to send faxes when used in conjunction with an information service such as those offered by AT&T, MCI, US Sprint, CompuServe or GEnie. Users simply call an informa- tion service, send the data to the service via the modem, and the service does the rest. This technique enables the business traveler to save time, energy and money by sending faxes without leaving the hotel room or any other off-site location. "Communications from laptop and portable computers has become an integral part of the business world especially for automating sales forces and supporting off-site employees," said Hayes President Dennis C. Hayes. "Pocket Edition 2400 provides the flexibility and convenience that a laptop or portable user requires at a very competitive price, while still providing the high standard of performance these users expect from a Hayes product." Smartcom EZ is a simple-to-use communications software program that enables users to access PCs and on-line or BBS services. Smartcom EZ provides easy-to-follow menus and phone book entries to store frequently called numbers. This software also provides pre-entered phone book ent- ries for the most popular information services. Keyboard macros, exten- sive on-line help screens and Autotype, which enables users to transfer text files effortlessly, are other features included in Smartcom EZ. The XMODEM protocol allows users to send or receive data files error-free between locations. POCKET EDITION 2400 HOLDS A TWO-YEAR LIMITED PERFORMANCE WARRANTY. Smartcom EZ holds a unique limited 90-day performance warranty. For more information contact Hayes Customer Service at 404/441-1617 in the U.S. or 416/283-2627 in Canada. Best known as the leader in microcomputer modems, Hayes develops, supplies and supports computer communications equipment and software for personal computer and computer communications networks. The company distributes its products through an international network of authorized distributors, dealers, and original equipment manufacturers. HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODUCTS, INC. P.O. Box 105203 Atlanta, Georgia 30348 404/449-8791 ______________________________________________________________ > Quantum Pro STR Feature "..LPS stands for Low Profile Series" ======================= FAST, FASTER AND "HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS" ====================================== or "How to convince your wife you REALLY need that new hard drive." By Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. Recently, I bought a new Quantum ProDrive 105S hard drive to replace my aging, decrepit, Fujitsu M2243AS2 (a 110 meg drive). It was starting to make weird and eerie noises which I interpreted as its death-knell. The Fujitsu was one of the old, full-height 5 1/4" RLL drives (can you say 'boat anchor'?) that was fast for its day, but was a little slow in comparison with todays technology. Not only was it a little slow, it also ran hot (I kept my coffee hot by putting it on top of the drive cabinet) and pulled a lot of juice (each time I turned it on, the lights would dim in a 10 block area). In mathematical terms... NOISES + SLOWNESS + HEAT + ELECTRICAL USAGE = a new Quantum 105S (or at least, that's how I explained it to my wife) My new Quantum 105S was one of the new generation of hard drives, a half-height 3.5" SCSI drive (a little smaller than a 3.5" bare, floppy drive - about 1/8th the size of Fujitsu). It's faster, pulls less power (I can probably pay for the new drive just in electricity savings...I'll say anything to rationalize my new drive and keep my wife happy ), and it runs cooler than the Fujitsu (now I can keep my soda cold). Since it's a SCSI drive, that meant that I no longer had to have a controller card, as that's built into the drive ("See honey, I can sell my Adaptec 4070 controller card, that way the drive won't cost me as much"...Reason #87 in explaining to your wife why you need a new hard drive). So basically, I traded my antique 'Hupmobile' in on a nice new Mustang. I was happy...until someone on one of the on-line services mentioned that he had one of the NEW Quantum LPS105S drives (LPS stands for Low Profile Series) that was even smaller and faster than my "old" Quantum 105S. Then to rub salt into the wound, someone else said that he had seen the Quantum LPS105S advertised in Computer Shopper for only $385, the same price as the Quantum 105S's - I paid $500 for my Quantum 105S just 2-3 months ago (needless to say, I did not tell my wife that the drive had dropped $115 in price in 2-3 months...some things a wife just isn't meant to hear...for my continuing well-being). Needless to say, I had to investigate this. I wanted to make sure the ad wasn't a printers error, so last week I called Griffin Computer, Inc. to inquire about their ad. "Yeap", they said, "we have the new Quantum LPS105S for only $385, how many do you want?". Arrgh!! I was hooked!! (Now how was I going to explain this one to my wife? I don't think she's going to buy "Look honey, it followed me home".) It was time to put Plan B in action! I still had a Seagate 296N (85-meg, half-height 5 1/4" SCSI drive) in my dual hard drive case ("Honey, did you just hear the Seagate make a weird and eerie noise? Do you think whatever was wrong with the Fujitsu was contagious?). Since I had a sucker...oops, I mean 'buyer' for my Seagate 296N, it would only cost me $100-$150 to get 20 more megs and a faster drive ("Honey, Mark will give me $150 and his Seagate 157N for my old, ancient Seagate 296N. Then I can sell Dave, Mark's Seagate 157N for $150 and that way it won't hardly cost anything at all to upgrade."...Guys, if you're wife will buy this story, keep her around no matter what...she's one in a million!!). So I called Griffin Computer back on Tuesday and told them "Send me one...NOW!!!" ("Honey, where did you hide my credit card?"). I also ordered a 3.5" adaptor kit for my 5 1/4" case and had them send the whole thing to me via UPS 2nd Day Air ("See honey how I save money? I could have had it sent Next Day Air but that cost $8 more"). Thursday at 3pm, the UPS man was knocking on my door with a little brown box in his hand. My NEW Quantum LPS105S had arrived!! Needless to say, I wasted no time installing my toy...oops, necessary addition The entire installation only took about an hour (actually, it took over 2 hours, but the "wasted" hour is a source for another article). It took about 10 minutes to take out the Seagate 296N, about 40 minutes to install the 5.25"-to-3.5" converter in the drive bay (if you already have a 3.5" drive in your case, you won't have to do this), and about 10 minutes to hook up the new drive (someone without 5 thumbs on each hand could've done it all in 15-20 minutes, at least that is how long my wife says it would taken her). The only problem that I encountered during the installation was which jumpers on the drive should be removed and which should be kept (there are a total of six sets of jumpers, three to set the SCSI device number and three for some sort of IBM "junk"). Griffin Computers, sent a mini- data sheet with the hard drive, but it assumed I was installing it in a PC and gave me PC defaults (setup for SCSI device 7). Luckily, I had a friend that had a full data sheet for the Quantum 105S. In case you get a Quantum 105S/LPS105S here's how to set up the drives for either SCSI device 0 or 1.... STOCK ST SCSI DEVICE 0 ST SCSI DEVICE 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | | | | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Was the NEW Quantum LPS105S worth it? You bet it was!! (Well, it was to me, my wife still isn't convinced...women sure are stubborn.) It's even smaller and faster than my "old" Quantum 105S (about 1" high) ("Honey, think how fast your Solitaire game will now boot up...I did all of this for you.") and it's so quiet that you almost cannot hear it work. (I understand that Jim Allen of Fast Tech - T-16 fame - bought two of them from Griffin recently.) Speed comparisons based on ICD's Rate Hard Drive v2.04 Device Name Data Rate Av. Access Fujitsu M2243AS2 420K/s 32 ms. Quantum 105S 671K/s 25 ms. Quantum LPS105S 1125K/s 20 ms. Could I recommend Griffin Computers, Inc. to anyone else? You bet I can!! Their sales people were very courteous, polite and professional and kept their "smile" through all of my questions (I couldn't believe that they were selling the Quantum LPS105S for the same price as the Quantum 105S). I was slightly concerned when I first got the Quantum LPS105S because I didn't get a copy of my invoice or credit-card receipt. After calling them about it, I found the reason was they did not run the credit cards through UNTIL the drive shipped (so naturally, they couldn't include the credit card receipt with the drive). I got both the invoice and credit-card receipt the day after I got my drive. Verrrry professional. Griffin Computer, Inc. 6500 NW 12th Ave., Suite 115 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33309 305-771-9055 800-472-4743 Quantum LPS52S 52-meg $240 Quantum LPS105S 110-meg $385 Acknowledgements to: Doug Wheeler of ICD Jim Allen of FastTech Erik Mosier Bill Loring (NOTE: My wife says she would like to talk with all four of the above people, something about a "hit-list".) __________________________________________________________ > STR Spotlight Looking BBS's over, what do they do? ============= TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT........ BULLETIN BOARDS =============== by Dana P. Jacobson I've heard many times from some of my fellow Atarians: "Where do I go for help if I have problems or questions about my ST?" Well, with the rapid decline of Atari dealers nationwide, that question is not always an easy one to answer. It used to be that you could direct anyone to visit his/her local Atari dealer. If the dealer was worth like most I've dealt with in the past, he would have a pretty good idea how to help a poten- tial (or steady) customer. A dealer could explain various hardware and software, and answer at least the basic of questions. From experience, I used to depend on the dealers to recommend software to fit my particular needs. If I needed certain hardware to make my task easier, he also had the answer to that as well. Well folks, it just isn't the same anymore. Many of those dealers who were around when we first got our machines are just not there anymore. So, what do we do now, sell our machines and buy one that has dealers? If you enjoy the ST, then there's a good chance you don't want to change in midstream. Where do we go if there's no dealer easily accessible? In the next couple of issues, I hope to be able to answer that ques- tion in detail. The two most common sources for information other than dealers are bulletin boards and user groups. Both sources require users who share similar ends: to learn more about their chosen machine and its capabilities. To access bulletin boards (BBS), one must have a modem and at least a few numbers of BBSs. There are literally hundreds of bulletin boards in the U.S.; and there's a good chance there's at least one or two within your local area to keep long-distance tolls at a minimum. There are also subscription online services, such as GEnie, Delphi, and Com- puserve. BBSs provide a service to its users by having message bases and, usually, a files section which contains public domain software for you to access. User groups are made up of people who also share your Atari intere- sts. These groups can consist of a small number of people, or large groups, meeting regularly to discuss various topics of interest to provide its members useful information about various aspects of the machine. Some groups are loosely-formed "clubs" and others are larger and more organized. Geographical location will usually determine the size of a user group. Larger cities will usually have more users than small towns, although this is certainly not always the case. Regardless, user groups are an outlet to either complement those areas having a dealer and/or bulletin boards; or being the only outlet for information. For most of you reading this, you most likely have access to BBSs or an online service. How else would you obtain STReport? Well, it's my assumption that many of you don't belong to a user group; nor call other sources other than an online service. I have heard of people who down- load STReport and pass it along, on disk, to other Atari users. So, for those of you who may not be fully aware of the sources available to you, these articles will be important. To those of you who do not take advan- tage of these sources, perhaps these articles may give you some insight to become more involved in whatever is available to you in your local area. Before I go any further, I can just hear you all saying: "What about Atari magazines? Certainly they can provide me with the information I need." Well, like the dealers, Atari-specific magazines are dwindling. And, for those still around (support them!), they cannot usually provide a reader with instant gratification of an answer to specific questions or problems. The magazines are certainly an integral part of our learning experience, and I recommend that you read them. I believe that they can supplement a user's knowledge, but they are certainly limited in what they can provide on a regular basis. Although they come and go as much as the weather changes in New England, bulletin boards and the pay online services are the easiest source for any user to obtain useful information, and quite often very quickly. My attempts to discuss BBSs will be general in nature, as specific details will differ for each BBS. Every BBS has its own "per- sonality"; including users, messages, files, and other relevant offeri- ngs. Different BBS programs allow the SysOp (System Operator) and users to do different things; but in essence, providing similar opportunities for everyone in general. To begin with, a bulletin board usually provides at least two major services for its users: a message base and a files area. A bulletin board is the means for which any number of users can access a computer remotely, via a modem and telephone line by simply dialing the BBS host computer, usually by means of a terminal program. Different BBSs have different means to access certain information, but essentially once you've gained a valid "account", you've entered a new world of computing. Most BBSs have an area set aside for message forums, or bases. Some are broken down by topics to make it easier for users to look for pertinent information. Topics, or SIGs (Special Interest Group- s) can consist of many items. Some will be computer-related, and others will have social connotations. Whatever the topic, it usually makes things easier to find the answer in the correct area when you're searching for information. Once you've gained access to a BBS, it is always wise to get involved in the message bases. There's no "rule" which states that you must be an expert to be active in messages in an area where you might not be an authority. The messages bases are forums for messages. Read them, reply to them, and become involved. Something you 'say' might help someone else. Personally, the message base is the first area I check out whenever I log on to any BBS - that's where _the_ information is to be found. See what each BBS has to offer for a message base so you'll know what potential information is available. These areas are vital to every user who calls! The files section of a BBS is another vital area of any bulletin board system. It is here that you'll find, hopefully, all the latest and best public domain software available to you. It is here that you'll find those files that will help make your computing more easier and enjoyable. All that you'll have to do is choose the files you want to download, and do it. You may not be able to download everything you want at one session, but the files will be there on your next call. A word to the wise: if you're calling a long-distance BBS, choose your downloading wisely; those 5-10 minute downloads add up and those monthly phone bills can skyrocket! To those BBSs which you find beneficial to you with regard to downloads, return the favor and upload some files which you feel may be helpful to other users. It's only right that you give back a little whenever you can. Another thing to remember on any BBS is that the files are supposed to be in the public domain (shareware, freeware, etc.). Commercial software on a BBS is piracy; don't upload commercial software, regardless. If you see a file that appears to be commercial, let the SysOp know as he might not be aware of it. If there's a lot of commercial software available, let someone know. Pirate BBSs are il- legal, and a menace to our computing enjoyment. The online subscription services, such as Delphi, GEnie, and Compuserve, are essentially bulletin boards, but the services that they provide are much more comprehensive than our typical neighborhood BBS. These services have the resources to maintain huge message bases and files sections, not to mention additional areas for information. Each has its benefits, and unless you happen to win the lottery, you'll proba- bly never explore every option available to you. But, once you've become accustomed to the various areas available to you, you can utilize those areas which you find most important to you. These services also carry monthly subscription charges; and some charge for certain services, including downloading files. The benefits of these online services usually make up for the charges you incur, as long as you use your online time wisely. The message bases are immense; and there are many support areas where you'll find Atari developers, and other experts, with online help. The friendly banter is an added plus! I could go on about bulletin boards and online services, enough to fill a novel or two. To do so would deprive you of finding out for yourself what these systems have to offer. Whether you call a local BBS, one across the country, or a pay service - you'll find them to be an invaluable source of information. Even with the (hopeful) return of a nationwide Atari dealer network, the bulletin boards are a major asset to any computer user; and they're here to stay! Next week: A look at the user group. __________________________________________________________ > MEGA4 STE STR FOCUS "Let's see what makes this baby tick!" =================== ATARI'S MEGA4/50 STE ==================== Part I by Ralph Mariano The Atari Mega STe is literally an awesome powerhouse. Wait, I did have plenty of time to operate and observe the TT030 computers in use at CEPS.... Hmmmm it now appears that between the two computers I have caught the wowie zowies.. NOT SO! Let me point out that I have an Adspeed and a T-16 equipped Mega ST in our STR office. And although the TT was 32Mhz, the real meat and potatoes machine for the majority of us is the MEGA STe. This machine is definitely hot! Now, let's get back to the powerhouse quip, you see, the MEGA STe has it all built-in, its a smooth running operating system as opposed to an upgrade that's "hacked" into an older design. That 'hacked' expression is not meant to be derogatory but it does point out that its not a "factory design". The MegaSTe takes some getting used to, but once you're over that the rest is a sheer pleasure. The NEWDESK desktop is a delight... in fact, I am having a ball ex- ploring all the great things it can do. Next week's issue will be more technical than this one, after all the machine is only here so far for one day. Everything you've heard and read about the comfort of the keyboard is true. Its firmer to the feel and has a positive, solid reaction to the keystrokes. The unit, delivered here yesterday, is the 4mb Ram with a 50mb hard drive and its showing very respectable performance numbers. My friends, I can't begin to tell what Captive is like in Stereo with the added colors. I can tell you it is a big step forward. And if I am allowed to "think ahead" for a moment, i can only imagine what Atari's design engineers have in store for us in the future for the VME bus. As soon as it was delivered, we set it up and stood back to admire its "new look", (as in get used to), the different appearance. Once over the newness, a hard drive was assembled and attached to the ascsi port (DMA) with the ICD top of the line host adapter installed. In fact, the out- board hard drive is 200mb Maxtor. The first nicety was found that we did not have to remove any terminating resistor packs when installing the outboard drive. The Mega STe4 is now 250mb strong and it rips right along. Rate hard drive gave us this: 0,0 Seagate - 549ks - 34ms 1,0 Maxtor - 492ks - 23ms Not too shabby...... to say the very least. The next step was to begin preliminary checks with the emulators, we hooked up the Supercharger IBM Emulator and as fast as we could double click on ABIO.TOS we were very busy MS-DOSing our way through the hard drive partitions.. ALL of them. C-J Supercharger works flawlessly with the Mega STe in the 16Mhz.Cache On mode. Next Week we'll check out the MAC/GCR world. The machine has some very impressive stats: 16 MHz 68000 CPU 50 Meg internal hard drive Detachable keyboard Built-in fan Mouse Standard parallel port Blitter chip MIDI In and Out ports 4096 color palette Cartridge port Stereo sound output DMA port SIMM memory Two 9-pin (RS-232) ports TOS 2.05 with NewDesk 8 MHz VME bus Double sided 3.5" floppy drive Standard SCC LAN port For those who must have speed-o-marks, Quindex numbers showed the Mega4STe to be as fast or (in many cases) faster than an AdSpeed OR T-16 equipped Mega4 ST. For all intents and purposes, the Mega4STe outper- forms all the older machines so far. Those users involved in DTP and CAD packages will most certainly enjoy and benefit from the increased speed. The time it takes to ARC/LZH and unARC/LZH files is cut by at least 50%! The Mega/STe is, in STReport's professional opinion, the strongest value in a computer for the home and small business user that Atari has ever designed produced and marketed.... For those of you who are casual- ly involved in DTP and could easily be classified as hobbyists and/or professional computer operators, this machine; the MEGASTe4/50 delivers more BANG for the BUCK than any other Atari, or for that matter, ANY other computer available in its price range. If you are even slightly consider- ing the purchase of a new computer or, thinking of updating your system, make it your business to get this computer. It IS sweet. The machine is well designed in all areas but one, the mouse and joystick ports demand that a right angle connector be used. And the coiled cord for the keyb- oard to CPU connection is somewhat confusing. Why it has a connector on one end only and at the opposite side of the machine, thus forcing the coiled cord to transverse the width of the machine to be inter-connected is a puzzle. Minor aggravations to be sure. The performance of the machine outshines those points by a strong country mile. Next week, we'll get into the interior of the machine and an in-depth look at the Extensible Control Panel and its power. Each week, we will explore a serious program and compare it to our existing equipment. Next week STReport will be done entirely on the Mega4/STe50. Once again, this machine is NICE! __________________________________________________________ > STReport CONFIDENTIAL "ACCURATE ATARI NEWS FIRST!" ===================== - Salona Beach CA. TALON'S SUPERCHARGER 286 -> ON THE WAY! ---------------- Condor Trading Ltd. has announced 286 upgrade in May 1991 for registe- red users. The long awaited 286 upgrades to the SuperCharger IBM emulator will be shipping from the manufacturer in the beginning of May 1991 for registered owners of SuperCharger. Basically, the upgrade will allow the SuperCharger to emulate the AT class of computers. Currently it emulates the slower XT series of machines. The board is equipped with one meg of RAM and is expandable to either 2 or 4 megs by using the easy-to-find SIMM chips. The upgrade is rated at 12 MHz and has a Norton rating of 14 (a 16 MHz processor is an option). The upgrade comes in two configurations. The first fits into the existing case and is fairly easy to install. However, it does not have any expansion slots. The second configuration consists of a new metal case that contains the new 286 board, a built-in power supply, and two extra 16 bit expansion slots. The installation is just as easy as the first configuration. With the expansion slots, users may add expansion boards such as VGA, MODEM, FAX BOARDS, ETC. So now the ST can become a true IBM compatible machine! - San Francisco, CA MULTI-GEM REAL ----------------- The Atari platform has a software multi-tasking system. If a program is written for multi-tasking, it runs while you're executing another program in a different window. This program works very much like multi-finder in the MAC world. Up to 6 programs may be active at the same time as long as no acc's are installed. MULITGEM uses the ACC slots. More should be known very soon as this is coming in from Europe. - Sunnyvale, CA The LYNX Lineup ------------- Available NOW: California Games Blue Lightening Chips Challenge ElectroCop Gates of Zendocon Gauntlet: THe Third Encounter KLAX Rampage RoadBlasters Ms. Pac-Man PaperBoy Robo-Squash Rygar Shanghai Slime World Xenophobe Zarlor Mercenary Coming Soon Ninja Garden Tournament CyberBall Blockout Hard Drivin' Rolling Thunder Hockey NFL Football Stun Runner World Class Soccer Turbo-Sub Vindicators Toki Warbirds Hydra 720 Robotron Scrapyard Dog A.P.B. Casino Pacland BasketBrawl Xybots Golf Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Checkered Flag Viking Child Grid Runner Geo Duel Crystal Mines 2 Fidelity Ultimate Chess Barbarian Body Guard - Sunnyvale, CA FOR THE RECORD........ ------------- Ctsy GEnie Category 14, Topic 14 Message 261 Fri Apr 12, 1991 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari] at 15:08 EDT I have done some checking around here. The Mega STe is still FCC class A, not B. Dan McNamee Atari Softsource Administrator Category 14, Topic 35 Message 269 Fri Apr 12, 1991 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari] at 15:08 EDT I have checked around here and the TT has not yet passed FCC class B, it is still a Class A device. Dan McNamee Atari Softsource Administrator =-=-=-=-=-=-= Bill, The Mega STe is also Class A, not B. The dealer should not have sold you this unit unless it was for use in a business environment, and if they got these units from us (ie, not Canada or elsewhere) then they should have a signed agreement with us stating that they will only sell them to businesses. Dan =-=-=-=-=-=-= Editor Note: While the classifications of the two machines may be "A" rather than "B", one point must be made very clear. Please be mindful that this FCC classification does not, at all, relate to the reliability, performance or sophistication of these fine machines. The TT030 and the MegaSTe are tested by the FCC only for the amount of spurious emissions that may or may not interfere with the performance of a nearby Television. (Compli- ance with the rules and regulations of part 15.) Many of you who were and may still be CBer's will remember part 95... :-) And how you were allowed 5 watts of input to the finals. Of course this severely limited your CB radio's range so.... there were many who employed the use of the "pesky" linear amplifier. Now, with this added power 25 - 1 kw (a gallon), the TVI (TV Interference) was heightened. The FCC had set guidelines for this area also. The thought here is the new machines are 'powerhouses' and thus their shielding and bypass filtration circuitry must be enhanced. And according to our info, this is being done at this very moment. "Ya, 10-4 good buddy, catcha on the flip side. Threes......, We're 10-7." _____________________________________________________ > Hard Disks STR InfoFile TAX TIME SPECIAL OFFERINGS!.... ======================= NEW LOW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!! =============================== >> INCOME TAX REFUND SPECIALS << ** EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! ** 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 ADSCSI+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED * * SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS * WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!< Conventional Shoe Box ADD 35.00 for 4 BAY TURBO Cabinet w/250w PS Model Description Autopark Price ================================================== SGN3038 31Mb 28ms 3.5" Y 419.00 SGN4951 51Mb 28ms 3.5" Y 479.00 SGN6277 65Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 519.00 SGN6177 62Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 549.00 SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 589.00 SGN1098 96mb 25ms 3.5" Y 719.00 SGN2055 105mb 19ms 3.5" Y 889.00 SGN6277 120Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 929.00 SGN1296 168Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 1069.00 SGN4077 230Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 1669.00 ================================================== ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ****** ---- FOR USE IN MEGA, MEGA STe & TT030 SYSTEMS ---- >>>> 96mb SCSI HARD DRIVE Mech 25-28ms 3.5" ...ONLY $349.00!! <<<< 16mhz CPU UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED ABCO is now taking orders for MEGA STe Computers! Call for special Introductory prices! ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ****** >>> ALL ABCO DRIVES ARE HIGH SPEED UNITS <<< (500 - 600k per sec @ 16 - 33ms) CALL FOR SUPER SAVINGS ON ALL OUR OTHER CUSTOM UNITS FROM 30mb 28MS @ $419.00! --==*==-- * SYQUEST 44MB (#555)>> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE * - SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADVANTAGE PLUS H/A - ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable - Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply (1) 44 MB Syquest Cart. WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!< COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN! --->> SPECIAL NOW ONLY __$ 685.00__ <<--- EXTRA CARTS: $ 78.95 DRIVE MECH ONLY: $ 349.95 * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT * SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1329.00 ** * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS * - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives - 50mb SQG51 $ 939.00 30mb SQG38 $ 819.00 65mb SQG09 $ 969.00 85mb SQG96 $1059.00 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!< 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 - AT/PC SPEED - GCR LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations) *>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<* - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets - * SLM 804 Replacement Toner Cartridge Kits $42.95 * Replacement Drums; $183.95 MANY other ATARI related products STOCKED ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *- (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE) WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!< 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 ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION! ____________________________________________________________ > A "Quotable Quote" ================= "HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD SILENCE? ....AND HOW LOUD IT REALLY IS?" Clinton Walker """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport International Online Magazine Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport¿ "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" April 19, 1991 16/32bit Magazine copyright ½ 1987-91 No.7.16 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors, staff, STReport¿ CPU/MAC/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. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""