*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" from STR Publishing Inc. """""""""""""""""" September 20, 1991 No.7.38 ========================================================================== 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 ----------------------------------------- STR East: FNET 350 - The Bounty ST BBS 904-786-4176 STR West: FNET 075 - Bloom County BBS 415-965-9347 STR Canada: FNET 018 - ///Turbo Board Support 416-274-1225 STR Europe: FNET 1031 - <<>> 011-44-296-395-935 __________________________________________________________________ > 09/20/91: STReport #7.38 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------- - The Editor's Desk - CPU REPORT - WAACE UPDATES! - NEW Seagate Drives! - 2.5" Hard Disks! - WARRANTY LONGER? - CODEHEAD NEWS! - GRIBNIF NEWS! - STR Confidential -* EXCLUSIVE! GLENDALE EYEWITNESS REPORT !! *- -* QUANTUM -> 20MB FLOPPY! *- -* TT030 PASSES FCC CLASS 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 BBS systems, worldwide, 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 welcome and invited to actively participate. Support Atari Computers; Join Today! ========================================================================== AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON: GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ F-NET ========================================================================== > The Editor's Podium In many ways the recent show in California has a mixed message to send to the users, developers, dealers and Atari. It appears on the surface that the show was a resounding success. And by all means it was indeed a success. For the folks that exhibited at the show it was a resounding, bar none, success. Now, a few questions.. why was this show so heavily attended? Could it possibly mean the users are starved for exposure to the Atari product line? Is there any truth to the thought that the users had no other real way to see all the new goodies Atari and the developers are offering because of the lack of plentiful dealers? What ever the reason, the fact is the show has a very powerful message to deliver and that is; "Despite itself, Atari has a terrific market just waiting to bury them in cash when and if they get off their collective duffs and deliver!" Keeping that thought in mind, the possibilities for Atari's future boggle the mind. Can you imagine if, for the first time, Atari literally floods the US market with computers. Not a plethora of different models but the inexpensive 1040STe and of course the new fully upgradable MegaSTe thats shipped without a hard drive and is only one mb. But this one is not crippled and is readily upgraded, the electronics are in place and the hardware is ready to fly. What a thought! The 1040STe in the full mass market arena, the MegaSTe in the distribution network, and the TT030 and its relatives in the Atari Business Computer Centers. All selling well with demand insatiably high. Coupled with the premise of the GE Service Center concept, where GE will service Atari products on a worldwide basis plus a longer warranty period Atari would, no doubt, finally be perceived as "growing up" and solidly competing with the 'big boys'. Hah! In reality, given half a chance, there would be NO competition. The Atari hardware is superior to the overall majority in its targeted markets! All one who be left to hear would be the "oohs and aahs." If only the Tramiels would let it fly. It can, it will! If only given the opportunity. WAACE, the Premier East Coast Show, is right around the corner. If you've attended WAACE before, you know the show is "the place to be", if this will be your first time, you are in for "The Atari Experience" of your life. Atarians all over the place, sometimes as far as the eye can see. I'll be there along with a number of our contributing editors waiting to meet and greet the great folks that make up the users in the Atari computer arena. Once again, this is THE PREMIER EAST COAST SHOW! See you there! Thanks for all your great support, Ralph.... TODAY'S NEWS ..TODAY! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > STReport's Staff The regulars and this week's contributors! ================ Publisher - Editor ------------------ Ralph F. Mariano PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION ----------- -------------- ------------ Robert Retelle Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON STReport Staff Editors: ----------------------- Michael Arthur Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. Dana P. Jacobson Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Judith Hamner John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Contributing CorrespondEnts: ---------------------------- Michael Lee Richard Covert Roger Stevens Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Ed Krimen Tim Holt Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Ben Hamilton 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 "REPORTING ABOUT ATARI NOT FOR THEM" *********************************************************************** 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 (September 20) NEW FORUM LIBRARIES ARE COMING! ------------------------------- New Library Software is on the way. Beginning on October 1, CompuServe will be installing this new software in all Forums. Check out the Practice Forum's Library 3 (GO PRACTICE) where you'll find several files designed to familarize you with the coming changes. WIN $25 COMPUSERVE CONNECT-TIME CREDITS We're looking for new and interesting files for the file libraries of Atari ST Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) and the Atari ST Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO). Twice each month, during the months of July, August, and September, the sysops of the Atari Forums will award a $25 CompuServe connect time credi to the individual who uploads the best new file to Library 1 ("NEW UPLOADS"). This $25 credit can be applied to *ANY* service on CompuServe, not just time spent inside the Atari Forums! All uploads to Library 1 ("NEW UPLOADS") will automatically be entered into this promotion. Of course, uploads of files already existant in our libraries do not count. (Although, new versions of previous entries are eligible.) You do not need to be the author of the upload to win, but you MUST have sufficient rights to the program to make it an acceptable upload according to CompuServe operating rules (public domain and shareware programs are acceptable, for example.) In the event of duplicate uploads of the exact same file, the sysops will accept files based upon time of the first uploaded copy. Judging will be done by the sysop staff of the Atari Forums (influenced by comments from the membership, so be sure to let us know which new files you like and why!) One credit will be awarded to the best new upload in ATARIARTS and another for the best new upload in ATARIPRO. Please address any questions to Ron Luks [76703,254] via CompuServe Mail (EMAIL) or a message in any of the Atari Forums. PROGRAM OF THE WEEK FROM DOUBLE CLICK SOFTWARE Do ALERT boxes annoy you? If so, check out Double Click's PROGRAM OF THE WEEK, now available in LIBRARY 13 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN). NEW IN ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM New files from David Stewart are now available in LIBRARY 1 of Atari Portfolio Forum (GO APORTFOLIO). BJ Glason has uploaded a text file (and a converted program) with instructions for modifying Turbo Pascal 3.01 to compile for the Portfolio. Now in LIBRARY 1 of Atari Portfolio Forum (GO APORTFOLIO). THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION "GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM" *********************************************************************** > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS ================= Issue #38 Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. -- Compaq Adds Flexibility Compaq Computer Corp. introduced a line of "modular" personal computers whose major components can be snapped out and replaced as technology advances. Other companies offer PC's with expandable memories and re- movable microprocessors, the 'brains' of the computers. But Compaq says its four new models are the first to allow users to swap nearly all the key components. -- Intel Stock Drops Intel Corp.'s stock plunged nearly 14% this week after the semiconduc- tor maker said it expects lower earnings this quarter than it predicted earlier because of slow sales and weak prices. -- Low Priced Mac and PC PostScript Laser Printer Introduced by The Printer Works The Printer Works has introduced two PostScript laser printers for Mac's and PC's. At $1,295, these are supposedly the lowest priced PostScript laser printers in the industry. According to the company, the LX-29000 handles 4 pages-per-minute, is 300 dpi, uses Microsoft's TrueImage PostScript compatible interpreter, and comes with 35 resident Apple TrueType typefaces. The Printer Works claims the LX-29000 is compatible with non-PostScript applications because it includes resident HP LaserJet printer emulation. Also, the company says the LX-29000 includes 2-meg of ram, 3 MB of read- only memory (ROM) and a 16mhz Advanced Micro Devices' high speed 29000 RISC processor, an IBM PC compatible parallel interface and an AppleTalk interface. The Printer Works sales the LX-29000 directly to the end users and offers a 30-day no-questions-asked guarantee, plus a full year parts and labor warranty free telephone support. Extended and onsite warranties are available through a General Electric service contract. -- Attorney Asks Supreme Court to Review 'WORM' Case The defense attorney for computerist Robert Morris, who admitted loosing a "worm" program into the Internet national computer network in late 1988, has asked the US Supreme Court to review the young man's con- viction. Morris is the first person convicted under the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Observers says that if the Supreme Court decides to review the case, it could clarify some murky areas surrounding break-ins to computer systems of all sorts. -- New Increased Performance 3.5 inch Hard Drives from Seagate This week at the Business Computing Show in London, Seagate Technology unveiled three new 3.5 inch hard drives. According to a company spokes- man, these new drives increase performace without increased power con- sumption. The two ST3600 units comes either as 426mb or 525mb and both also have the company's Wren technology which is also on the ST1480 series. The ST3283 is a low profile unit with a data capacity of 244MB. All three are one-inch high, have an average power consumption of under five watts and combine a 4,500 rpm spindle motor (900 rpm faster than traditional hard drive speeds) with fast SCSI-2 performance. -- Fujitsu Offers New, Fast 300-600 meg Hard Drives Fujitsu has announced three new PC compatible fast SCSI 3.5-inch Win- chester hard disk drives, all part of its M262x family. The drives are available with formatted capacities of 330, 425 and 520 megs. All three have a drive data burst transfer rate of 7.5 megs-per-second on PC-AT drives and 10 megs-per-second on the SCSI drives, a 12ms aver- age psitioning time, a 4,400 rpm spindle motor (800 rpm faster than traditional hard drive speeds), and a 240kb read/write-ahead multi- segment buffer. -- Fujitsu Offers New 2.5 Inch Hard Drives For the Notebook and Laptop Market Fujitsu has announced two new 2.5 inch hard drives for the notebook and laptop computers, both a part of its M263x family. The drives are avail- able with formatted capacities of either 45 or 90 megs. According to the company, the 45-meg drives weigh 175 grams, are 17 mm. high, 100 mm long and 70 mm wide. The 90-meg drives weigh 6.2 ounces, are 0.67-inches high, four-inches long and 2.76 inches wide. Both have a drive data burst transfer rate of 6.3 megs-per-second, an 18 ms average seek time, and average latency of 8.3 ms. -- Wang Unveils New PC Line Wang Laboratories Inc. has announced a new line of PCs intended for selling in retail stores. Wang is hoping for a piece of "the $4 billion market for personal computers used by people working at home". The new machines have suggested retail prices of $1,499 to $4,999 and are powered by versions of Intel Corp.'s 386 and 486 microprocessors. -- 400 Next Workstations go to Osaka University According to Nikkei Computing magazine, Next Computers has sold its largest volume order of 400 Next workstations to Osaka University. The university is planning to use the machines mainly on local area net- works, with the Next computers replacing the IBM mainframes. -- IBM and SAS Institute Recognized as Best Companies for Working Parents IBM Corp. and software designer SAS Institute of Gary, N.C. were the only companies from the computer industry to be recognized in the October issue of Working Mother magazine for their enlightened policies and benefits for working women. The magazine listed 85 companies nationwide that it considered to be the best employers for working parents. The firms were not ranked, but 10, including IBM and SAS Institute, were recognized as being particularly notable in this area. Working Mother's researchers used four basic criteria in reviewing the companies, which included pay, advancement opportunities for women, child care support and benefits, flexible work scheduling, job sharing and allowances for care of elderly parents. All 85 companies on the list protect a woman's job for at least six weeks after childbirth, and more than 2/3's guarantee the job for at least 12 weeks. IBM offers a maternity leave that can extend up to three years as well as opportunities for part-time, homebased work. _______________________________________________________________ > WAACE/Fall'91 STR SHOW NEWS ** THE PREMIER EAST COAST SHOW! ** =========================== WAACE '91 Update ================ 14 September 1991 Even as the masses recover from sunny southern California, the WAACE team keeps plugging away on WAACE '91. The attached list of vendors have committed to being at the show: Codehead Software Phil Comeau Software Current Notes, Inc. D. A. Brumleve Debonair Software eSTeem Inc. FAST Technology Gadgets By Small Gribnif Software ICD ISD Marketing, Inc. JMG Software Intl Inc Joppa Computer Products L & Y Electronics MacDonald Associates Megatype Software Michtron, Inc. Micro Creations Musicode Software RIO Computers Step Ahead Software, Inc. Toad Computers Unicorn Publications WizWorks! WuzTECH/OMNIMON Peripherals Zubair Interfaces, Inc. This list includes the cream of the crop in Atari developers. There are plenty of innovative hardware and software products for everyone to behold (and take home with them). Admission tickets to the show are $7 for one day, $10 for both days, payable at the door. Registered hotel guests and workers receive free admission. The Sheraton Reston Hotel reports a steady stream of people registering. It looks like we are going to have a grand party. Call 703-620-9000 for reservations. Be sure to mention WAACE AtariFest in order to receive the special room rate of $59 per night (plus tax, for a single or double). The rate for 3 or 4 in a room is $66. Vendors will be receiving their final show data in a week or 10 days. WAACE '91 Banquet WAACE offers a party that is open to everyone in the form of a banquet catered by the Sheraton Reston: Menu ==== Pork Loin Vindaloo or Chicken Italia (Marinated Loin of Pork (Baked with oregano and basil, with a Spicy and aromatic finished with a slice of prosciutto Vindaloo Sauce) and a combination of three fine Italian cheeses) Accompanied by fruit cup, garden salad with choice of two dressings, green beans, rice, rolls and butter, beverage, and peach Melba. A cash bar will be available during the dinner. Hotel banquet fare always elicits a few disparaging remarks. These were surprisingly few in number following last year's dinner, so that the Sheraton Reston appears to do better than most in this regard. Tickets are priced at $25.00 per person. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: WAACE Banquet c/o Tom Stoddard 1039 S. Ironwood Rd Sterling, VA, 22170 While some tickets may be available at the show, it is best to reserve ahead to be sure of a seat. The evening's festivities will get underway with a poolside cocktail hour (cash bar) at 7 pm. The banquet will take place at 8 pm. Current Notes magazine will once again surprise everyone with its choice for "Author of the Year". Bill Moes, Dave Small, Andzej Wrotniak, and the Junkyard Pussycat are the past winners of this award. Nathan Potechin of ISD marketing, one of the true statesmen in the Atari developer community, will be our featured speaker. He will recount his experiences in the quest to bring outstanding applications onto the desktops of Atari users. Please, be sure to look for the post-banquet celebration. This one show you DON'T want to miss!! .... R. F. Mariano, STReport Overview of Show...... The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts will sponsor WAACE AtariFest 1991 on October 12 and 13 1991. This event will be the premier East Coast event for people who are interested in software and hardware for Atari computers. The show will again be staged at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Reston, VA. Show hours will be from 10 am to 5 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 2000 visitors from all over the USA, Canada, and other foreign countries attended the 1990 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. This hotel room rate includes passes to the show for room occupants. Call 703-620-9000 for reservations. Be sure to mention AtariFest '91. The number of rooms available at the special rate is limited, so make your reservations early. The price that WAACE will have to pay for the exhibit space is directly tied to the number of hotel rooms that are rented out. If you have any expectation at all of attending the event we would like you to reserve a room for Friday and Saturday nights. The WAACE show has established itself as the premier Atari event for East Coast Atari fans. ST Informer magazine, in its November 1990 issue, awarded the WAACE team its highest marks for their conduct of the 1990 show. WAACE attempts to provide a complete Atari experience for everyone. What Makes a show happen In a couple of recent phone conversations people have started off by asking: "is the WAACE show really going to take place?". I am afraid that these people do not understand what makes a show tick. The first crucial item is solid vendor support, particularly in the form of exciting products. The list given at the top of this document represents the cream of the crop when it comes to Atari-related products. These people have expressed their confidence in us by putting their money on the line. The second thing is the attitude of people towards the event itself. WAACE is more than just an opportunity to buy Atari goods at a cheap price. It is a gathering point for people. We take care to offer interesting entertainment and forums for relaxation during those hours when the show floor is silent. WAACE offers an attractive setting in which people can enjoy themselves. I think it is fair to say that we have established a tone that many people enjoy. The third item is continuity. We have a nucleus of workers who have experienced the little thrills that the Atari world can toss up to distract people. We have been through it before and we know that none of those little items will bring the world to an end. In fact I suspect that it would take some event like the prelude to the second coming to cancel the show this fall. In short, tell everyone you know that WAACE '91 IS GOING TO HAPPEN. We already have enough people coming to make a wonderful party. I am looking forward to seeing all of you there. John Barnes WAACE '91 Vendor Coordinator For additional Information please contact either of the following: General Chairman Vendor Coordinator Charles S. Smeton John D. Barnes P.O. Box 0122 7710 Chatham Rd Columbia, MD 21045-0122 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 GEMail: C.S.SMETON GEMail: J.D.Barnes CIS: 73047,2565 DELPHI: JDBARNES FNET: Charles Smeton, Node 500 Internet: JOHNBARNES@ENH.NIST.GOV _________________________________________________________________ > The Flip Side STR Feature "...a different viewpoint..." ========================= A Little of This, A Little of That ================================== by Michael Lee Now that Atari has officially announced that the TT has passed the FCC class B certification, there'll probably be more people buying TT's. So this week, I have a few TT related posts. Maybe they'll help you. ---------------- According to information from one Atari representative, if you use the TT high rez video mode, the screen saver that's built into the Atari Mouse Accelerator will not work. ---------------- Here's some questions, answers and comments about the TT - Cat 28, Topic 11, Message(s) 67-72 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... Question from B.CONLEY2... I'll be buying a TT soon and have a few questions about the monitor: The Atari color monitor for the TT: 1. Is it interlaced. 2. What's the dot pitch? 3. Is it a standard VG? 4. Would it be wise to get a Super VGA monitor that also does normal VGA? 5. What monitor would you buy, or have you bought for the TT. 6. AND have any of you spent from $300. to $350. for a VGA monitor for the TT and been happy with the results? Answer from Anthony Dipietro... 1. I don't think so. 2. .29 mm 3. Yes, I think it is. 4. Not sure. 5. I've bought the PTC1426 to insure compatibility. I usually buy Atari for that reason. 6. No. Answer from Ron Grant (GXR Systems, Vancouver, B.C.)... I'll expand on Anthony's comments if I may.. 1. Definitely not interlaced. However, most DOS VGA monitors aren't interlaced at the resolutions currently available from the TT, either. It's only at the above SuperVGA resolutions (i.e. higher than 800x600) that people start to talk about interlace vs. non-interlace. To the PTC1426's credit, it's the best VGA monitor I've seen used on the TT. That's because it's got this switch at the back which makes it either think it's a normal VGA monitor, or know that it's con- nected to a TT, and adjust the picture correspondingly. DOS monitors don't have this switch, but many of them do have very good controls to adjust the picture, the NEC 3D among them. I've seen the 3D con- nected, though, and although you can adjust it quite a bit, it's not as good as a PTC1426 which 'knows' the TT. In 'DOS VGA' mode, the PTC1426 is otherwise exactly like your basic, run of the mill, $350 VGA monitor, from what I can tell. It'll do 800x600 (SuperVGA), but not 1024x768 (XGA). 2. Yup. not a bad dot pitch at all. 3. If by SuperVGA you mean 1024x768 (which is now known as XGA), yes, if you have the money to get a non-interlaced, and if you plan on getting one of the high resolution colour boards now coming avail- able. Jay Craswell at Dover Research will expand glowingly on the AlberTT card that will give you 1024x768 in 16 colour mode and plugs right into the VME bus. Available now, isn't it Jay? 5. Otherwise, stay with the PTC, or get the TM194. Now THERE'S a sexy monitor!! (can you tell I still like black and white?) 6. Yes, I sold an NEC GS2A to a client who was quite happy with it. It's well under $300 Canadian, and gave marvellous results in ST High res. And it's a VGA monitor, multisync as well. Oh, sorry, did you mean colour? Nope, haven't seen a cheapie with the TT yet. More comments about the PTC1426 from Gary Gray (Megabyte Plus)... I would also like to comment on the PTC1426 its a dammed fine monitor, Atari has this switch on it for TT or PC mode, I confess I run it all the time in PC mode. Has anybody seen the PTC1426 being used with a Matrix card how does it handle the Matrix at 800x600? BTW the Atari TT color monitor has superb brightness, color saturation, and when its used in the PC position excellent sharpness with very little pincushioning. Also from John Townsend (Atari)... I have seen the PTC1426 in action with a Matrix Card. Quite Impressive. I would highly recommend this combination to anyone. ---------------- From John Townsend (Atari Corp.) - Cat. 18, Topic 20, Message 55 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... I would simply like to say that Atari has Hardware Development being done in Japan, Israel, the US, and probably a few others places I don't know about.. As for Software Development, TOS Systems Software is done and managed exclusively here in Sunnyvale. There aren't any TOS programmers in Germany or any other country. I am not sure why development is done where it is done. Obviously, it is considered to be the best place for it to take place by the people in charge :- ) And Yes, we do have some people in Japan doing some work for us. There is an Atari Japan Corp. based in Tokyo, Japan. TOS Language Versions..According to my information, here are the versions of TOS we have produced: - United States - France (Swiss and German Versions) - United Kingdom - Spain - Italian - Sweden - Switzerland (French and German Versions) - Germany - Turkey - Finland - Norway - Denmark - Saudia Arabia - Holland (Dutch version) ---------------- More helpful Calamus hints from Mike Gater - Cat 16, Topic 9, Message 112 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... When Calamus version 1.09n first showed up in the mail, I was immediately excited about a particular feature: raster text, text that instead of being printed solid black could be printed in any percentage of black between 0% and 100%. Looking back now, its hard to believe that from the start, Calamus simply did not allow the user to define text at a grey-level per- centage. Of course, those of us who used Calamus back then also know that didn't stop us from getting what we wanted. We would simply use shadowed text and set the shadow density to the desired raster per- cent level and move it far enough away from the original text so that the original could be covered with a white box. (ah, the good ol' days...) And now that we have easy access to rasterized text, what more could we ask for? Well, how about rasterized text with a solid black outline? Or a solid white outline for that matter? For anyone who might not already know, this too, is possible in much the same way that rasterized text was possible before it was even a feature...we cheat. Here's how it's done: 1) Create your special type in its very own frame at the point size you want, with the typestyle of your choice, and put it at the desired location. Changes can be made later, but "a firm foundation will forestall frustration". 2) Make a real (physical) copy of the text frame. 3) Change your original to the desired text raster percent if you haven't already, and write down the exact coordinates of the frame position (when the frame is selected click on the coordinates box in the upper right hand corner of the screen and write down the X and Y values - don't forget to press or to exit the coordinates box). 4) Give your copy the same coordinates as your original. 5) Use the magnifying glass icon to query the exact style charac- teristics of your text, and restyle it, adding the Outlined Text option. 6) With the text frame still selected, go to the miscellaneous settings menu and specify the text raster to the desired percent for your outline (if it is not set to that value already) - the value for this example is 100% but could just as easily be 0% or anywhere in between. And while you are still in this menu, also specify the outline thickness, (1 pt is pleasing to the eye). 7) Send the copy behind the original by sending it to the background. You should now have text that appears as outlined text with a raster percent fill on the inside. Advantages: Try it, it looks neat, especially on giant-sized, rotated text. And interestingly enough, with this method you can also have solid black text with a raster percent outline... Disadvantages: If you already have outlined text elsewhere in your document you will have to compromise between the two outline thicknesses as you can only specify one thickness setting for the entire document (dynamic thickness percent works best in these cases). Some comments by Sheldon Winick (Computer Studios) - Cat. 16, Topic 9, Message 113... I use combined outlined, rastered text all the time in headlines (sometimes even with a shadowed effect). There's really no need to mess with frame coordinates for proper placement, though. Try using the clipboard instead. After placing your headline and setting it to the desired raster or outline thickess, copy it to the clipboard; then copy back from the clipboard on top of the original text and change the copy to whatever percentage raster or outline thickness you desire. It's much faster and easier to achieve the desired results that way. ---------------- Some DTP tidbits from Todd (Cherry Fonts) - Cat. 16, Topic 9, Message 127 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... Dennis, technically and historically there are 72.27 (and change) printer's points to the inch and 12 points to a Pica. They weren't really meant to correspond to inches. Since the advent of digital typography, the term 'point' is usually redefined to mean exactly 72.00 points per inch. Different manufacturers choose to follow their favourite standard and they hope nobody complains of discrepancies. From what I know, most of the -digital- world follows the 72 pts./inch version. ---------------- Will Gadget's new SST ('030 board) fit into a regular ST machine? Here is some comments from George Richardson (Merlin Group, Inc.) - Cat. 4, Topic 44, Message 116 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... There are no fewer that 5 different types of "regular" ST machines, none of which have enough space to put a full SST in. Gadgets will have to get one of each of these models for me to look at before I can even *think* about designing such a thing. The STe machines already have the correct hardware for the TOS 2.0X ROMs, so no ROM socketes & circuitry are needed on the SST board, the "regular" ST version needs to fit the ROMs. Plus, people are saying: It needs to have a "George bus" connector. It needs to have a Blitter option. It needs to have the ability to use 4 meg SIMMs. It needs to have a math coprocessor. None of the above things will be on any "regular" ST version that I can design. If you need any of the above (except the Blitter, sheesh!) put your ST into a PC case and buy the Mega SST. ---------------- Until Next Week.... __________________________________________________________ > GLENDALE!! STR SHOW NEWS ** EXCLUSIVE! EYEWITNESS REPORT!! ** ======================== GLENDALE ATARI FEST V5.0 ======================== 14 September 1991 Report by Bob Dean Allow me to begin by saying that I am not a writer, I'm an avid Atari user! This eyewitness report is for the exclusive use of STReport International Online Magazine and the Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Hawaii (ACE-HI) usergroup. Being a long time Atari owner (Beginning with the "400" that had the awful membrane keyboard) stationed in Hawaii since the stone age, I have longed (actually lusted!) to attend an Atari show for a LONG, LONG time. Glendale was no disappointment. The only complaint I could find was the map provided in Atari User Magazine left a lot to be desired, and that's really nothing to gripe about. By 4:00pm Saturday the box office reported over well over 1700 in attendance. And by the show's close there was over 3000 in attendance. Booths were set up in typical conference fashion with developers and vendors on the floor and an Atari Corp's elaborate display up on stage. Here's a list of who/what I found of interest. User Groups in attendance included; Atari Computer Association of Orange County (ACAOC), South Bay Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SBACE), Real Atari Maniacs (RAM), San Diego Atari Computer Enthusiasts (SDACE), NOCCC-ST Sig (Which I think was the North Orange County Computer Club bit I can't swear by that... sorry) I believe that all the user groups were selling their PD disks, SDACE had a great demo running a Mega4 equipped with a Fast Tech T-25 and a JRI floating point Math Co-Pro board connected to a 24" moniterm monitor. One of the clubs was selling Atari ball caps for the bargain price of $3. Vendors and developers in attendance were sufficient to drive an Atarian worth his salt into divorce court. Upgrades were being done onsight by most and orders were being taken by the others. CODEHEAD SOFTWARE was offering MULTIDESK DELUXE for $45 with the upgrade from Multidesk going for $20 (First bite!) they of course, had their entire line of outstanding ST software available at discounted prices. The booth was constantly mobbed. MID CITIES COMPUTERS had a huge display with all sorts of software and hardware at prices low enough to make you cry. GOLDEN IMAGE SCANNER and Touchup for $199, Supra 2400 MNP with Flash for $139.95. TALON TECHNOLOGIES was offering some great specials, $379 for the Acer Monitor (Regular $450) and $150 for the Professional Clip Art Collection (Regular $299). This was one NICE Clipart collection, but unfortunately a little over my budget. THE COMPUTER NETWORK (TCN) had a huge display with a wide variety of Hardware, software, midi gadgets and magazines. They were offering Migraph's Touchup with Scanner for $199 and even had the Mega II STE for $1495.00. FAST TECHNOLOGY's 68030 blazingly fast product, installed in a Mega4ST and conveniently placed between 2 TT's was on display in The Computer Network's booth. This was the very same unit N. Potechin, from ISD MARKETING was demoing CALAMUS SL and DYNACADD on. Editor Note: As of this writing, STR's correspondant was unaware that the Fast Tech 68030 unit in use at Glendale had only a small, highly efficient 4k cache and that all the tests reflected just that. However since then, the same board is now equipped with the IDT production chips and sports a 16k cache (as will all units sold). The 3D Cup demo runs now in the 45 sec bracket instead of 54 seconds! That... is an appreciable gain. GADGETS BY SMALL was there running the SST in all it's glory. Nice to see the Mega get up and run like a bolt of lightning. Mark Booth (STACE on GEnie) was there running Demo's all day. He was proudly wearing his "NO ST Report" Button that he produces, but wouldn't give me one. This impressive but EXPENSIVE hack costs from approx; $599.00 for the base unit + either $200.00 for the 16mhz 68000, (you're now up to a $799.00 ADSpeed), $460.00 for a 16mhz 68000 and 4 Megs of 80ns SIMMS or, $800.00 for a 33 Mhz 68030 with a 68882 and 4 megs of SIMMS. So what you're really looking at here is $1399.00 for the fully configured 33mhz SST. Sorry, but that one ran a little over my show budget too. I would like to thank Dave Small for offering the 15% Military Discount. After all being on active duty in the Navy I know how much discounts like this are meant to help us out and we all, most certainly, appreciate it. Dave gave a seminar downstairs, unfortunately, I missed that one. MICHTRON was there offering some excellent prices on their offerings of goods and have to admit I was surprised (pleasantly) to see them at the show. I hope the new owners bring Michtron back to the level of ST support we were once proud of and enjoyed. ADG Productions had a booth full of assorted Midi-Stuff, sorry folks, I don't do Midi, so I can't give an honest evaluation of what they were offering. They did look quite busy all day, evidently the crowd liked what they saw. MUSIC CODE was offering BLACK JACK PLUS 3 at greatly reduced prices. the advanced version normally going for $89.95 was all the way down to $39.95 and the basic version was half off at $19.95! RIO DATEL Computers was offering the SUPERCHARGER at $400.00 (If you have to run MS-DOS, this is the way to go) and had the Overscan Modification for $90.00. This is an excellent hack that gives you higher resolution in both Monochrome and Color. I've seen this one installed by folks fllowing the directions obtained from the files available on your local BBS. If however, you have an ST with the FM modulator, it's a nightmare to do yourself, buy this upgrade instead. For DTP users, this is a great improvement over the SM124 standard display. Not as good as a Multisynch, but a lot less expensive. DAREK MIHOCKA OF BRANCH ALWAYS SOFTWARE was very busy upgrading users to Quick ST v3. By 1:00pm he had run out of disk labels and was selling the upgrade on blank disks (Upgrade to v3 was $15 moving up from the ADSpeed version). Editor Note; While Darek offers good service and is a sincere developer, the dreaded fear of a virus popped up, it seems the SIGNUM TYPE 1 virus may have crept into the system he was loaned. Those of you who have disks from the Glendale show and in particular those who obtained disks from Darek, should check for the virus and if found, eliminate it. If the disks from Darek are unusable, contact him at 206-885-5893. SLICCWARE was offering their Slick Top program but no one was in their booth when I went through. BEST ELECTRONICS had more gizmos and gadgets then you could imagine, I have to admit though that I was disappointed with their prices ($100 for a Syquest cart???). They seemed to have actually boosted prices for the show unlike their counterparts in attendance. CRAIG HARVEY flew all the way out from Michigan with his fantastic EDHACK and had a new release (v2.21) for Saturday (another bite) He was also showing Metapsychology Primer. At $16.00 for Edhack and $10.00 for Metapsychology this should have been a mandatory purchase booth. Sales looked good here too, Craig said that he just about had the table paid for by 4:00pm Saturday and had Sunday to work on the plane fare. (I did think that $400.00 for a single table was outrageous, here is where Atari could possibly step in and help out the smaller developers) MICRO CREATIONS was showing GIME Term, the graphics display terminal package. If you use a modem, this is another one worth taking a look at. With a little work, telecommunications can take on a whole new look and meaning. ICD had a large booth and was offering ADSpeeds for the incredible LOW price of $225.00, their entire line of HOST ADAPTERS, The TAPE BACKUP unit and some odds and ends for the 8 bit. They, (those working in the booth), confirmed that ICD is phasing out the 8 bit line and are interested in finding an interested buyer to take over and continue support of the 8 bit community. MIKE VEDERMAN OF DOUBLE CLICK SOFTWARE was showing CD Data Diet. If you have a hard drive, this is another one to put on the "absolutely must have list." Expected to ship within a month, DC Data Diet is offered at a very special price of $59.95 until December. The list price will be $74.95. The operation is transparent, fast and quite smooth. The package also includes DC Squish to compress your executable files and save the maximum amount disk space. I highly recommend the all ST widows out there put this Program under the Christmas tree this year. (hint, hint). SCOTT SANDERS OF SDS was showing their Printer Utility Pak at a price inflated to $44.95 for the show (They advertize the same package for $10 less in the current issue of ST Informer). They also had a NewDesk Icon CPX for $19.95. WIZWORKS was represented by Eric Jensen (a local resident), what else can you say about Wizworks??? I wanted everything! MVG was down from $59.95 to $45, Mug Shot from $39.95 to $30, Image Cat from $37.95 to $30. Everything they make is worth having if you have any imagination at all! MCDONALD ASSOCIATES was giving away samples of ST INFORMER (IMHO the best hard copy ST Magazine available) and had their UNIVERSAL NETWORK up and running. Being a Multi-ST family, this one really drew my interest, the operation seemed flawless and the system is a breeze to hook up and install, this one went into the wish list in a high priority position. Connecting 2 ST's will run around $250 and both units will have access to all peripherals. UNIVERSAL ITEM SELECTOR 3.3 was going for $20 (Upgrade was $8.50) and they also had Tax Wizard for $49.49 and G-Print for $29.95. GOODMAN MUSIC had a special on a nice set of Roland Music Speakers. down to $199 from $300. They also had a bunch of Midi STuff that was admittedly over my head. BOB LUNESKI FROM OREGON RESEARCH was selling and upgrading DIAMOND BACK II to version 2.30. Show price was down to $30.00 from the $44.95 retail. Upgrades were $5.00 from version 2.2 and I think $10 from 2.11 or earlier, but I forgot to write that down. If you own a hard drive, buy this product. I've seen or tried all the products out there, and Diamond Back II is clearly superior, in my humble opinion. HAGOP JANOYAN was working the PDC booth selling and upgrading STealth, this new communications program. HagTerm users rest easy, there is an upgrade path for you. My upgrade was $10.00 which included the manual since those of us who bought the users group special in Hawaii never did get our manuals with v4.5. The show price to buy STealth was marked down $10.00 to $29.95. Well, if you've made it this far through the review, you should know that I should have spent the $35.00 at PHIL COMEAU SOFTWARE'S booth for GRAM SLAM GRAMMAR AND STYLE CHECKER (List $39.95). Phil was also showing Grammar Expert for $55.00. Grammar Expert is basically an online test book to assist you in your writing. SOFTLOGIK was there with PAGESTREAM DESK TOP PUBLISHER V2.1, Since I haven't received my copy yet, I can't evaluate this product, but they sure had a bunch of happy campers milling around their table. JMG was showing Hyperlink at $125. Soft Aware had Informer II for $75 (Almost another bite). Dot Brumleve was showing all her great kids programs and offering $10.00 off if you bought 2 or more. COMPO SOFTWARE was showing THAT'S WRITE ($149) and WRITE ON ($69). I ask him to convince me to switch from Word Perfect, If I was out to buy a word processor for the first time and wanted a product I would not have to move up from later on, That's Write would definitely be in the running with Word Perfect, but sorry guys, I wasn't convinced to switch. COMPUTER SAFARI seemed to have "had more fonts then the Library of Congress has books" and they very busy all day. My buddy picked up a font package with something like 130 PageStream 2.1 fonts for $28. They had the Safari Font packs priced at $24.88. RIMIK was there showing DT Paint ($10.00 off) and MULTI-GEM (BIG BITE!). This is one super slick product. Richard Beston was busy all day showing it off a very impressed crowd. Listing at $99.95, the show special was $79.95. The Multi-Gem Utilities were marked from $29.95 to $25 or you could get MultiGem + (Utilities included) marked down from $129.95 to $99.00. The Utilities package is not ready yet, so orders taken will ship in about 2 weeks. Folks purchasing Multi-Gem at the show will also get a free upgrade in about a month. Notes of interest here are that Richard is actively pursuing other developers to hook their programs into Multi-Gem (One line of code), He has already talked to Softlogik about fixing PageStream so we can Multi- Print. Jim Hotz (The Hotz Box) was not showing today but was in Richard's Booth for quite some time discussing the interfacing of Midi applications with Multi-Gem. OMNIMON PERIPHERALS had a large display of assorted hardware, the DEKA was $109.00. The 1.44meg drive (including drive mech) modification was $159.00 and they had $100.00 off the RAINBOW MONITOR, selling it for $499.00. ABU ZUBAIR OF ZUBAIR INTERFACES looked to be doing a brisk business on Ram upgrades, ZClocks (Bite!) and had Zkeys including a keyboard for $119 (Almost couldn't walk away from that one). Several seminars were being offered in the downstairs meeting area, I only had time to attend the first which was James Grunke and Bill Rehbock of Atari. Bill was sporting a "No ST Report" Button provided by the boys at Gadgets and he did most of the talking. (Nice of an Atari guy to advertise for STR). A few of the more exciting highlights from the seminar. The TT HAS PASSED FCC CLASS B CERTIFICATION. Atari fired the test lab they were using and they have hired Robert Joplin (Atari Microsystems of Dallas) as their new FCC expert. He is reportedly touted as being a wizard of FCC certification. Atari is negotiating with General Electric for onsight service of the entire Atari Line. This would include extending the ridiculous 90 day warranty out to an undetermined period and provide WORLD-WIDE Atari repair service and support! Mega STe computers and TT's are on the way and reportedly, they will have the 1.44 meg drives. An upgrade package for current STE/TT owners will be provided for less then $100, ST owners are out of luck there because a 16mhz clock is required (Good news for the Practical Peripherals guys). There is a newly discovered bug in the Newdesk TOS pirate version that has been making the rounds of some of the more unsavory BBS's, oh well, you get what you pay for. (Grin). As far supporting all of us who bought TOS 1.4 with an official software upgrade for TOS to v2.05 Atari does not think we are worth their time and effort. "Spending the time to software upgrade does not make sense". That seems odd, since they have the software on disk to start with... Tos 2.05 should be shipping to dealers within 60-90 (under $100) days and will recognize the old ST's with a hardware hack. The ST Book should be Class B by Christmas! The unit itself comes with either 1 or 4 megs of RAM and a 40 Meg hard drive. With the included battery pack, expect around 10 hours of operation and it will recharge in about 2 hours, running or not! It includes an itty, bitty track ball replacement & 2 buttons, a TOS 2.05 derivative, 640x400 non-backlit supertwist-amatic LCD display, all sorts of ports (Including an expansion port offering every signal a hacker can ask for). All sorts of nifty add ons are planned such as a 2400/9600 internal fax/modem and external 1.44 meg floppy drive (the system has no floppy). Priced at $1800- $2000 depending on configuration. this one looks hot. The bad part is that due to unforseen problems, only 3000 can be expected to be produced before Christmas of which a "couple hundred a month" are marked for US delivery. The stylus is due to start production in "about 3 weeks" and is reported to be in final tooling now. It has the same motherboard as the ST Book, but no hard drive and RAM up to 4 megs. Due to the manner in which the pen interface is incorporated into the system, special versions of software will not be needed for the Atari offering into the market place, this is a major advantage over the competition. Listing around $1200, this one has the potential to take Atari into the mainstream Atari has released its exclusive rights to the Hotz Box, Jimmy is continuing with custom orders and "New Software" is due within 60 days. CD-ROM, the CDAR 505 will require a host adapter, but should be available "soon", the SoftSource CD Rom disk is in it's "Last Pass" and should be mastering within 90 days. List price is set at $29.95 for an enormous amount of PD and demo's, looks like a great option for Sysops. The Aegis Dealer program is under way and progressing nicely with a new "Dealer handbook" and is aimed at building a higher profile for Atari in niche markets (DTP/MIDI). Atari now claims there are 70 Dealers in the AEGIS program capable of selling TT's and over 450 authorized Atari Dealers in the US. Atari "Couldn't be more thrilled" with Lynx sales! The Portfolio is doing very well and is targeted at "Vertical markets" (B of A being one) and Power Basic was released today for $99. On the subject of advertising, I saw some of the best tap dancing I have seen in ages. To put it in a nut shell, Atari feels that Computer and Midi Magazines are where the money should go, expect to see lots of advertising and write ups in personal publishing after Jan 92 . According to Atari, "TV and Radio have no impact." (Hmmmm better not tell Mac & IBM). The revolving doors has swung open to greet the new "Manager of International Sales", I didn't catch her name, but Bill said she has a background in the educational market and is working up a proposal to get Atari into the Educational market (Where they belong IMHO) which would provide discounts to schools. Let's keep an eye on this one... If you want VGA for your STE... Go to a VME vender. What about the rumors of a built in 286/386 ST??? The rumors are true...We have prototypes... No commitments. TT-CDI announced overseas, don't hold your breath Not until the market is better defined, the statement should never have been made. All in all, a very interesting seminar. Who knows how much of what was put out will bear fruit or, stand the test of time. But to Bill's credit, I'll leave the subject with one final quote. When asked what the reason behind the Drive Bay Cover design on the MEGA STE 1 was, he gave the most honest answer I have ever heard stated by ANY corporation for their failures. "Stupidity". Now if every announcement from Sunnyvale was that honest, we wouldn't have much speculation in the Atari community, would we? Then again, Leonard hasn't read this yet. Mike Fulton of Atari Developer Support (GEnie: Mike-Fulton, CIS:75300,1141), was on the stage capably demonstrating the Atari ST Book and sporting a name tag with the No ST Report emblem and "Some things in life must be avoided at all costs". (more advertising!) I regret to report that Bob Brodie had to leave before the show opened due to a personal problem, best wishes Bob, maybe I can catch up to you at COMDEX. Well, that's about it folks, if I left anyone out, I offer my humble apologies. All in all, the Glendale show looks to be a great success in being very well attended with superb developer participation. I would like to thank all the folks who made the effort to participate, I for one, will be back next year! CALL: Ground Zer0 BBS Las Vegas, NV 702-387-3127 300/1200/2400 MNP 2-5 v.42 Editor Note: On behalf of the STR Staff and our readers, we would like to commend John K. Tarpinian for a job well done. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= As a reader of STReport International 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 subscrip- tion 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-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 restric- tions may apply. But this is still an amazing deal! IMPORTANT NOTICE! ================= As a reader of STReport International Online Magazine, you are entitled to take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. DELPHI has waived the sign-up fee! For a limited time, you can join the World's Premier Online Service for FREE! Members can access DELPHI worldwide through hundreds of local access lines. For more information please contact: DELPHI at 1-800-544-4005 and ask for Member Services. DELPHI- It's getting better all the time! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > PAGEASSISTANT STR InfoFile "Our new addition is PageAssistant" ========================== P R E S S R E L E A S E ========================= Introducing........ PageAssistant The Online Companion For PageStream 2.1 At Spar Systems we are dedicated to bringing the Atari user support software for various high-end programs. Our new addition is PageAssistant. This product is an online help companion and tutorial for Soft-Logik's new and powerful PageStream 2.1. We are quite confident that PageStream users, both advanced and beginners, will find our program a welcome addition to their software library. Since its incarnation, the Atari ST line of computers has been an excellent tool for creating documents such as newsletters and brochures. The first full-featured program to open desktop publish- ing on the Atari was Publishing Partner, which was later renamed PageStream. As Atari computer technology becomes more sophisticated, so has this premium page layout program. This is the year of Atari Publishing! With the release of Pagestream 2.1, Atari users can benefit from the addition of color separation, loadable macros for automation of repetitive and complex procedures, plus countless other features. PageAssistant will help to quickly transform the beginner to a full fledged typographer. The user will have immediate access to power tips and step-by-step examples to clarify new concepts. Its straightforward approach, using the overlapping pop-up menu layout will easily guide you through each and every aspect of the PageStream program, feature by feature. Each menu item is followed by manual references to indicate the exact pages in the manual that discuss the feature. As the user progresses with PageAssistant (s)he will find new, tremendously efficient means to creating truly professional documents with PageStream 2.1. Prepare to be come a PageStream Power User! - PageAssistant runs on top of the PageStream 2.1 software, provid- ing fast menu interaction for speedy online command summaries. - Includes a 52 page manual (8.5" x 7") packed with tutorials on how to master the macro command, design textual and graphic effects (such as rotating objects in a circle, place text on a path, etc), layout tutorials and much more. - Tutorial on color separation using the CMYK model. - Adding color to black laser type! - Information on Soft-Logik, CS and PostScript fonts. - Includes complete page referencing to the PageStream 2.1 manual. - Send online summary to printer for hardcopy reference. - Resolution independent! - Includes one PostScript Type 1 font. - Easy installation! - Requires only 75K of memory. Suggested retail price is $49.95 See your local dealer or order from: Spar Systems 381 Autumn Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11208 (718) 235-3169 --- MiGBase coming soon! --- *********************************************************************** :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ To sign up for GEnie service: Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo) Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN. GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and weekend access to more than 100 services including electronic mail, online encyclopedia, shopping, news, entertainment, single-player games, and bulletin boards on leisure and professional subjects. With many other services, including the biggest collection of files to download and the best online games, for only $6 per hour. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Any time during your first month of membership if you are not completely satisfied, just ask for your $4.95 back. ON GENIE... ALADDIN for the Amiga, GEnie's newest Front End is here.......AMIALADDIN Paying for college..Then let us research solutions for you....CASHE Mini/mainframe users, visit your NEW Mini/MainFrame RT........MAINFRAME It's new, it's hot, it's COMPUTE Magazine's RoundTable........COMPUTE The GEnie Info Software Library is here. Type................*LIBRARY Special RTC with Letraset featuring ColorStudio giveaway......DTP BEST of all the Apple II FONTS in the world...................A2 RTC 9/22 - Discuss SOCIALIZED MEDICINE & HEALTH CARE costs....HOSB MIGHT&MAGIC III designer in conference........................SCORPIA Toys and Gifts & Gadgets for your holiday needs...............JCPENNEY Do the software Deal of the Century in........................SOFTCLUB Amazing dictionary of computer jargon in......................JOKE NASA News and mission updates, daily/weekly news, & more in...*SPACE Trying to find ORG, The Official Recreation Guide.............OAG Democratic Presidential Candidate Larry Agran Online In.......*PF IN THE ATARI ST RT CodeHead Software announces two state of the art graphics/DTP applications for the ST and TT -- Avant Vector and Repro Studio! Download file #20894 today for a demonstration version of the Avant Vector -- an incredible vector graphics editor and bit-image auto-tracer! Here is your chance to WIN free online time. Read all about it! Check out file #20927 in Library 21. **** ST Aladdin version 1.30 released 9-8-91**** NEW Custom Pass options added NEW Stay online default option Now available from the ST Aladdin RT, page 1000 GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission *********************************************************************** > CODEHEAD NEWS!! STR InfoFile AVANT VECTOR PRICE REDUCTION! ============================ For immediate release CodeHeadQuarters Thursday, September 19, 1991 ---------------------------- CODEHEAD SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES AVANT VECTOR PRICE REDUCTION! Your comments about the price of the EPS version of Avant Vector (known as Avant Plot) have been heard! Avant Vector is the Rolls Royce of vector tracing/editing programs -- and now we're able to bring it you for Toyota prices! Through extensive discussions with our European contacts, and with new information about taxes and import duties, we've been able to manage a price reduction of $300 for Avant Plot. This version includes EPS importing/exporting, and professional plotting/cutting features. The new pricing is: Avant Vector ...... $495 Avant Plot ........ $895 And until December 31, 1991, we have special introductory prices: Avant Vector ...... $445 Avant Plot ........ $845 To order your copy of the premiere vector graphics package for Atari computers, contact: CodeHead Software PO Box 74090 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Tel (213) 386-5735 Fax (213) 386-5789 ________________________________________________________ > MULTI-DESK DELUXE! STR InfoFile MultiDesk Deluxe, a major upgrade! =============================== For immediate release CodeHeadQuarters Thursday, September 19, 1991 ---------------------------- CodeHead Software Announces MultiDesk Deluxe -------------------------------------------- Thanks For The Memory! CodeHead Software is now shipping MultiDesk Deluxe, a major upgrade for their very popular desk accessory loader/unloader. In the past, the main drawbacks to MultiDesk were that it could eat up a lot of memory because all your DAs had to be loaded at once, and that you couldn't load or unload DAs while running a program. This new version of MultiDesk transcends both those limitations in one leap! MultiDesk was the first program to break through the GEM barrier of six desk accessories. The new version now lets you load and unload DAs "on the fly," at any time, even while running a program. While MultiDesk Deluxe still supports the old-style "resident" DAs, it now also allows "nonresident" DAs (known as MDXs) which are loaded only when you select them and wiped from memory when you close them. All nonresident DAs share the same memory space, giving you access to many more DAs and freeing up more memory for use by applications. This approach (inspired by Atari's new Extensible Control Panel) also lets you boot up faster, since only the names of the DAs need to be read from disk. A breakthrough technique called "delta vector snapshotting" allows MultiDesk Deluxe to load and unload nonresident DAs even in programs that take over the ST's interrupt vectors, without fear of crashing the system. And MultiDesk Deluxe's new "reserve buffer" lets you open DAs that need to allocate memory even in programs that try to grab all available memory for themselves. In contrast to Atari's Extensible Control Panel (which requires its "CPX modules" to be specially written and puts severe limits on their functionality), MultiDesk Deluxe works with almost all existing ST desk accessories; no modifications to the DAs or special coding techniques are required. It is compatible with all models of ST, STe, and TT computers. MultiDesk Deluxe is available now, and retails for $49.95. Current owners of MultiDesk can upgrade to the latest version for $20.00, which includes a brand new rewritten manual, now packaged in a 3-ring binder. For more information, contact: CodeHead Software PO Box 74090 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Tel (213) 386-5735 Fax (213) 386-5789 After you get MultiDesk Deluxe, you too will be singing... "Thanks For The Memory!" __________________________________________________ > STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard" ============= STReport's MailBag ================== The troops are getting restless will Atari react positively? Or will we once again see... vindictive reactions. In the past two weeks there has been are large number of letters posted concerning the various degrees of dissatisfaction being felt by loyal Atari Users. These are but a few.. from CIS...... #: 28900 S17/Community Square 12-Sep-91 08:20:38 Sb: I-EEE and St Fm: Cj 74176,3204 To: Bob Brodie and all Dear Mr. Brodie. I realize that, as of late, Atari has had a less than admirable record in the USA for listening to customers, however this letter to you is not to debate that issue, but to toss yet another idea at Atari with the purpose of selling computers. Atari found itself a nice niche when they chose to incorporate MIDI connectors as standard on all Sts. There is another niche market Atari can capture if they choose to do so, the benefits are obvious. If Atari is really looking for an new market, why don't they explore adding an "INDUSTRY STANDARD" I-EEE (Hp-IB) connector/bus to the St line. You see I work for a fortune 500 company that is heavily involved in government (defense dept.) design, testing, and production. Currently, all our Test equipment workstations are HP (Hewlett Packard) series 300 and above. We are constantly searching for a less expensive means of controlling our test sets equipment. Mr. Brodie, I wouldn't dare be so presumptuous as to try to tell the Tramiels how to run their business. (although others have tried) But this market has been virtually untouched by anyone except Hp. And it cries out for a low cost controller. I believe incorporation of the I-EEE connector (with the appropriate OS routines, would increase your sales dramatically, and remove the "game machine" image from your excellent computer line. After all isn't increasing sales what its all about ? However Mr. Brodie I must caution you, If Atari chooses to explore this area there, can be no room for mistakes, such as, weak DMA chips folder problems, etc. With literally millions of dollars of equipment and data on the line there can be no room for error. I can attest to you once a manufacturer has sullied his reputation with an unreliable product, most companies are extremely reluctant to purchase that manufacturer's equipment again, no matter how good that product may or may not be. Please feel free to use any or all parts of this letter as you see fit, or contact me at any time. Thank you, Claude J. Mitchell 74176.3204 from Delphi FORUM>Reply, Add, Read, "?" or Exit> J30659 16-SEP 02:36 General Information RE: hey.. too much bashing! (Re: Msg 30615) From: DDOVERTON It's no use suggesting even a modicum of tolerance for Atari to most Atari users. Any sort of objectivity regarding Atari is nearly impossible to expect. What other company has had bad press predicting its demise for nearly 6 years. When I first read the Delphi forum, every other comment was "Atari will be dead by the end of '90." It has declined, but ain't dead yet. I would argue with Mr. Barnes about what is politically correct in Atariland. The correct view is morbidity. Liking your ST is akin to being a card-carrying liberal [g] And along with overwhelming despair regarding Atari comes resounding glorification of other platforms. Notice the incessant VGA references. Personally, I hate DOS and find Windows wanting. Paint a dog with 256 colors and it's still a dog. [g] [ducking the numerous responses to that one.] I once argued about Apple's over-rated support, to which I was informed Apple would introduce a low-cost, lighter Mac portable within 6 months due to user demand. Have you got yours yet? I feel this all revolves around cutting-edge envy. We all want "the best." 1985 technology is passe. The TT suffers from an identity crisis If you need to do what the vast majority of home users do with computers, present ST soft/hardware will do it easily and nicely. If you need it for work, buy a clone. If you're rich, buy a Mac II. In 5 years all of the aforementioned computers will be trailing-edge. I apologize for such a fragmented message. I'm no fan of Atari Corp., and I see the end of the ST just like everyone else. Now, who is lamenting the death of the XT or AT? Why aren't Apple fans dogging them for producing the Classic, instead of buying them by the handful? Because those machines do the job for them, same as the ST. Mac may have a helluva lot more software, but there's More? Also, a helluva lot of bad software. End of diatribe. dale from Delphi FORUM>Reply, Add, Read, "?" or Exit> J30647 15-SEP 19:49 General Information RE: hey.. too much bashing! (Re: Msg 30615) From: WAYNEDUNHAM Normally I would agree with you and I'm usually an optimist. However I can't help but remember the old saying "Screw me once shame on you, screw me twice, shame on ME". Well what about the # of times we loyal Atarians have been screwed? Just take a look at Atari's track record..... TT at least 3 years late CD rom also 3 or more years late (and I still haven't seen one actually working, but have seen one at a show) The numerous modifications Atari has made to motherboards to keep users from upgrading memory and other features easily on their own. The most famous of these is the infamous Mega 'Mutha" boards where the traces for the second 2 megs of memory were intentionally left off the motherboards forcing users to wait for aftermarket memory upgrades to become available. I was lucky and had one of the first Mega II's with the traces still there and upgraded my own to 4 megs with some cheap memory chips and capacitors. Everyone wanted TT 's to be made available without HD's so we could put our own mech's together at a better performance and price than Atari could offer. Gee they listened and gave us that model, but did their DAMDEST to force us into using THEIR Hd setup when/if we decided to get an HD for a TT. They made a 'special' cover to the non-hd TT's that wouldn't allow you to put an HD in without buying a new cover or hacking up the one you had. Naturally they only sell the new cover with THEIR Hd kit. An advertising budget of $0 a year for over 5 years. Shall I go on? Hmmm maybe George Steinbrenner will buy Atari. At least then we'd have a WORLD CLASS Butthead instead of virtual unknowns at the helm of our favorite company. I LOVE my Atari computer, but LOATH their corporate (mis) management and complete ignorance to the end users plight. And that's just what they've done to us directly as end users, shall we start discussing their attitudes, lack of support and reason with respect to the developers that they've driven away? On the positive side they've given us an extremely powerful computer system with great price/performance. However the power of the Atari computer has not even been scratched and unfortunately probably never will be. Wayne from GEnie Category 14, Topic 31 Message 113 Wed Sep 04, 1991 D.KERR1 [Drew] at 20:07 EDT Atari folks: I just had a pitiful experience today calling Atari for technical assistance. I am having problems with my Laser Printer 605. I called the customer service number, which I understand now incorporates Technical Assistance. I received voice mail. I hit the #1 on my telephone and was presented with three options, none of which was technical assistance. I called back again -- voice mail said that if I wanted an operator, to just wait a few moments. Well, moments turned into minutes, several minutes to be exact, and no operator! I called several times, hitting "O" in hopes that would reach an operator. But nobody picked up. Now the day is over and my questions were not answered. I didn't even speak with a live human being to direct me. This is a perfect example of non-existant customer support and the horrors of an unnecessarily complicated voice mail system. Drew Kerr Got a comment or two about Atari?? Pro or Con, send 'em in! ______________________________________________________________ > THE CRYSTAL BALL STR FOCUS Oh Noooooo! ITS BACK!! ========================== Ah yes...... the "INFAMOUS CRYSTAL BALL" This time though, its all questions. Questions based on real events or quirky expressions that will, no doubt, come back to haunt the originators. The "Mystery knicknames within Atari" To whom do they belong? - WHO IS.... - Mr. PotatoHead? - Mr. Cabbagebrain? - Mr. Camelbreath? And you thought OUR knicknames were uncharitable toward certain folks at Atari??? ______________________________________________________ > GRIBNIF NEWS! STR InfoFile --- ARABESQUE PROFESSIONAL --- ========================== Gribnif Software is proud to announce its latest release into the North American Atari software market: ******************************* ** ** ** Arabesque Professional ** ** ====================== ** ** ** ******************************* A complete BITMAP and VECTOR illustration software. Developed in conjunction with Shift Computer Software, this program offers a new standard in image editing for desktop publishing. It allows you to create, import, and save graphics in the two standard formats: BITMAP and VECTOR. A BITMAP graphic contains the exact information you see, composed of its individual dots (also known as pixels). Programs like Touch-Up usually handle this type of graphic. A VECTOR graphic contains a description of all the shapes in the image. Because all the objects in a vector image are calculated, you can get a much higher degree of detail using this method. Programs like Easy Draw usually handle this type of graphic. General Features ================ o Easy to use, icon-driven, pop-up menus o Edit up to 20 pages in memory o Draw points, lines, Bezier polygons (2D or 3D), B-Splines, circles, ellipses, arcs, and rectangles (with or without rounded corners) in Bitmap or Vector mode. o Choose from various line end-styles, thicknesses, patterns, etc. o Use any of 108 different patters, or edit your own, or use any block o Special block operations (rectangle or arbitrary shape) include: cut & paste, mirror, rotate, bend, increase contrast, invert, contour, smooth, pattern, enlarge, save/load. o Output to 9- and 24-pin dot matrix, and Atari and HP laser printers (includes its own fast printer drivers). o All functions operate very rapidly in magnification mode. o Support for Calamus Outline CVG files o A full UNDO feature o Complete illustrated manual o Load various image types including IFF, IMG, NeoChrome, Doodle, Degas, and Arabesque's own compressed formats. o Configurable "spray can" feature o Converts vector graphics to bit images (with gray scaling options) File Formats ============ In BITMAP mode: Arabesque supports Degas, Stad, GEM IMG, IFF and Arabesque's own advanced ABM file format. In VECTOR mode: Arabesque supports GEM/3, Calamus CVG, and Arabesque's own advanced AOB file format. System Requirements =================== Arabesque Professional works on all Atari ST & TT systems and supports large screen displays. It requires at least 1 megabyte of memory and a monochrome monitor. Pricing & Release Information ============================= Arabesque Professional carries a suggested retail of $199.95. It is scheduled for release in early November, 1991. Call us for additional information. Gribnif Software P.O. Box 350 Hadley, MA 01035 Tel: (413) 584-7887 Fax: (413) 584-2565 _________________________________________________________ > BOXES! STR FOCUS "My new Atari came in a box..." ================ Boxes! ====== by Tim Holt ACCEPT of El Paso Sometimes I wonder whether or not some companies actually have any idea what goes on in the real world, or whether they just listen to some, "off the wall", Gallup poll to get the "pulse" of a situation. Think of all the corporate blunders you have heard of over the years: The NEW Coke. Does anybody drink that stuff? Several years ago, Chevrolet introduced the Nova automobile in Mexico, and could not understand why the heck it didn't sell. Turns out that "No va" in spanish means: Does not go. Nice car, bad name. When Pepsi introduced it's slogan "The Choice of a New Generation" in China, it was translated into "Pepsi:It will bring back to life your dead relatives". Good drink, bad slogan. The most recent example of this type of corporate blunder happened right here in El Paso. We have a grocery store by the name of Skaggs. When they decided to change their name to "Jewel Osco", no one asked what osco meant in spanish, which is what most people in El Paso speak. Seems that osco, or the pronunciation of that, means "nauseated feeling". Great name for a supermarket, eh! So, what the heck does all this have to do with computers? Well, I was thinking about corporate blunders when I was trying to decide what computer to buy. Seems that my faithful workhorse 1040 ST decided that it was time to go to computer heaven, and I needed a new one. What to get...what to get. Well, to make a long story short, I ended up with a Mega STe/4, which I am quite happy with, which runs my Spectre GCR just fine thank you, so this article will NOT be a "WHY I SWITCHED COMPUTERS EVEN THOUGH I LOVE-ATARI" type of article. This article has to do with boxes. My new Atari came in a box. No surprise there. Since I work in a school however, I get to see all the neat new stuff that comes down the pike for education, and all the boxes that they come in. My school recently was sent two new Macintosh LC computers, so I got a chance to compare my Atari box to the Mac boxes. Now I know that this seems really trivial, but first impressions mean a lot to some people, and the first impression that most people get from their computer is the box that it comes in. Here is the tale of two boxes: Apple sends all of it's computer in thick, and I mean thick, cardboard boxes that a student of mine that weighs 100 pounds could easily stand on without crushing it.(I tested this theory and it worked.) Outside, the color Apple logo, and a reproduced picture of the computer adorn all sides of the box. Also, there was a plastic packet that invited the new owner to update to System 7. Clean, crisp, bright. This box said "You are the owner of a proud computer". Atari sent my new computer in a medium weight cardboard box that was stamped "Taiwan" on the side, "Port of Los Angeles" on the other side, was crushed on one side, and had a tear about 8 inches long where it looked like Edward Scissorhands was the longshoreman who unloaded the computer off the boat. The color was the color of a paper sack, the picture of the Mega STe/4 (the finest home computer on the market today, as all of those at Atari will tell you) was what looked like a line drawing done for a clip art publication. It wasn't even a picture of the computer. This box did nothing to inspire confidence on the part of the owner. Is this a proud computer from a proud company? One could not tell from the box. When you open up the Mac box, by removing packing tape, and then staples, the first thing that hits you in the face is a "Welcome to Your Macintosh" type pamphlet that introduces the buyer to the computer. The computer is packed in white Styrofoam, which matches the box, and all the literature is done in white as well.A white box labeled "cables" or something to that effect tells the user that something important is in another smaller box. What we have here is the impression that whoever designed the big box worked with the people that designed the packing, who worked with the people that designed the instructions. A proud computer. This gives the new owner a subliminal idea that this company has it's act together, whether it does or not. When you open up the Atari box,by removing a few staples, a yellowish foam-like substance that is covered in a blue plastic faces you. The computer is covered in blue plastic, the keyboard is covered in clear plastic. UNDERNEATH the computer, is the instruction booklet. No "Welcome to Atari", no "Thanks for buying the computer". Just instructions and a warranty. Another unlabeled cardboard box contained the cables and such.(I will grant that the foam is very good for shipping, and my computer was unblemished.) However, the entire packaging looked like it was done by committee. Box, foam, plastic, and instructions looked like completely different people did them. A proud computer company? The packaging didn't imply this at all. A confused computer company? Well, you be the judge. Inside the Mac box, was a thank you note for buying the computer. And, along with the thank you note, was a postcard that the buyer could send in for one of three gifts: A mouse pad with the Apple logo on it, a t-shirt with the Apple Logo on it, or a free subscription to a Macintosh specific magazine. Granted, these aren't gifts that would put Apple out of business, but they ARE gifts non the less. A free t-shirt is a free t-shirt. A very nice symbol on the part of the company that lets the buyer know that "Hey, we realize that you just dumped a ton of money on this thing, here is a token of our appreciation." Inside the Atari box, nothing of the sort. Which made me wonder: How much skin off the noses of the big brass would it be if they would offer a free subscription to Atari Explorer, or a free mouse pad? Not a whole lot I think, and I also believe that the all important "bottom line" wouldn't suffer too much. A few thousand free subscriptions to the Explorer couldn't hurt advertising in that rag too much, and a few thousand t-shirts that say "Atarians are Mega lovers" or something like that, would be pretty good free advertising. You think Apple minds if a few thousand people are walking around downtown L.A. or New York with Apple T-shirts? Or some college student wears a free Apple t-shirt to his marketing class? Heck no! Free advertising for the cost of a few t-shirts. Not a bad deal. And the owner of the new computer feels good that this big old computer giant gave him something for free! That my friend, is marketing at it's best. So, draw your own conclusions about boxes. I am reminded of a dandruff commercial which says something about making a first impression. Once the first impression is made, it is made, you can't take it back. And something so simple as a box, and instructions shouldn't make a bad impression. My Mega box did. I don't care if Atari is not as rich as Apple. I was the one that spent the money, I am the one that needs to be impressed. The customer comes first, every time. Period. Corporate box blunder? Well, sometimes it is just the smallest detail that separates a sale from a non sale. Atari bashing? Hardly. I just spent $1700.00 on their hardware. Please, think of this as just another suggestion Sam. __________________________________________________ > STReport CONFIDENTIAL "ATARI NEWS FIRST!" ===================== - Milpitas, CA QUANTUM TO MARKET 20MB FLOPPY! ------------ Seems Quantum found a way to pack 21.4-Megabytes on a 3.5" disk. The downside is; the system doesn't format disks itself, they are purchased, pre-formatted, @ $20.00 each. The mechanism is targeteed to retail under one thousand dollars. Insight revisited? - San Diego, CA SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE DISMAYED WITH ST ------------- from GEnie Category 9, Topic 28 Message 84 Fri Sep 13, 1991 HOLOBYTE [No.19] at 00:59 EDT Dear Mr. Stollman: I'm sorry that my comments here were misinterpreted, but in actuality my remarks about Atari ST Flight of the Intruder sales in the United States is not the main problem. Although, of course, we wish that all Atari ST FOTI sales in the United States were the American rather than the European version, in the long run it's irrelevant. To be blunt, we would not even be doing Flight of the Intruder or any of the FALCON Mission Disks if it were not for European sales. Only sales overseas can provide the dollars necessary for program development of ST programs. Now the problem is that the market seems to be weakening for the Atari ST even overseas. Our developers are starting to look long and hard at how profitable it is to come out with ST games. If it becomes not worth their while, then we will not see ST games from even them. And, to be honest, the cost of testing, distributing and marketing of the last 2 ST games we published outweighted the sales of those 2 games. No.19 ------------ from CIS #: 28930 S2/Games 14-Sep-91 03:13:44 Sb: #28901-Flight of the Intruder Fm: Spectrum HoloByte 76004,2144 To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454 Dear Ralph: Personally (and this is just my opinion), I believe that the American market for the Atari ST is dying because no new machines are being bought. I think it was Neil Harris (maybe it was someone else) who told me that almost all software is bought within the first 6 months. Or at least most of your software. Well, if no one has been buying machines for the last 2 years, then you're not going to sell a lot of programs because there aren't any new users. I found out today that we have sold less than 500 copies in the United States from first release until the end of August. That's not enough :-( No.19 from GEnie Category 9, Topic 28 Message 92 Mon Sep 16, 1991 HOLOBYTE [No.19] at 06:15 EDT Dear DF: Yep, we're forging ahead with our simulations on the IBM side -- including FALCON 3.0 and then Avenger A-10 followed by our simulation of the AH-64 Apache helicopter. No.19 ------------ Category 9, Topic 28 Message 93 Mon Sep 16, 1991 HOLOBYTE [No.19] at 06:19 EDT Dear Chip: Thanks for the compliments! We too are saddened at the lack of sales for Atari ST products as I'm sure we're not the only company facing this. Anyway, Flight of the Intruder is compatible with any ST that doesn't have TOS 2.02 or higher. If I remember correctly, your STE will be fine. The American version will run from the hard drive since it uses manual-based copy protection. I've heard that the European version will also run from the hard drive if you change a filename and have the original floppy disk in the drive when you boot. You can get the American version if you look for it at the store if you make sure you see Spectrum HoloByte's name and address on the box. If you see Mirrorsoft and England, then it's the overseas version :-) If you're buying via mail order, I guess I'd ask the salesperson. Well, we did throw in a cool A-6 Intruder patch with the postcard offer. Please understand that we usually don't offer new programs at discounted prices in order not to compete with our dealers. No.19 - Sunnyvale, CA PSSS'T, HEY MAN, WHY BLUE JEANS? ------------- According to our "SuperSnoop", there is an individual 'out there' who is very busy developing a reputation for being rather 'too relaxed' about the "whole affair". A number of the others in the same area and higher up are becoming quite peeved at the blue jeans and playing of online games during the regular business day. Hmmm, the more things change, the more they remain the same. _______________________________________________________ > Hard Disks STR InfoFile ***** ABCO '91 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!< Deluxe 2 bay Cabinet w/65w auto-switching PS TIME PROVEN to be the most reliable! Model Description Autopark Price ================================================== SGN4951 51Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 479.00 SGN6277 65Mb 28ms 5.25" Y 519.00 SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 549.00 SGN2055 105mb 12ms 3.5" Y 649.00 SGN6277 120Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 789.00 SGN1296 170Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 1019.00 ================================================== FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00 ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAIALABLE Call for Info! PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only! 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PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT * SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1019.00 ** Includes TWO cartridges! * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS * - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives - 50mb SQG51 $ 819.00 85mb SQG96 $ 1019.00 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 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 * * Toner Starter Kits $59.95 * * 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" STReport's Editorial "Cartoon" ================== "A man's greatness can be measured by his enemies... If he has no enemies, he is apt to be in the same predicament in regard to friends..." .... a wise and prudent observer """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport International Online Magazine Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" September 20, 1991 16/32bit Magazine copyright 1987-91 No.7.38 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff, PCReport, STReport, AMReport, MCReport. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. 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