*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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                                   from
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 October 23, 1992                                                   No.8.42
 ==========================================================================

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                               R.F. Mariano
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 > 10/23/92 STR 842    "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
   """"""""""""""""
     - The Editor's Desk      - CPU Report        - PORTFOLIO NEWS
     - PERFORMA vs FALCON     - Trace Tech.       - TEC Mega ships!
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     - COLOR IMGs EXPLAINED   - CANADIANS IRKED!  - STR Confidential

                 -* THE REVOLVING DOOR - ALIVE & WELL! *-
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                  ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
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                WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (October 23)

 Be  sure  to  download  file  TOSPAT.LZH  from  LIBRARY  6  of  the  Atari
 Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO).  This archive contains a text file, from
 John Townsend, listing the various TOS revisions and the patches  that are
 appropriate  for  each.  In  addition,  the  patch  files  themselves  are
 included.  Contains:  Folderxxx,  CACHExxx,  POOLFIX3,  POOLFIX4,  STEFIX,
 SERPTCH, SERAILFX, and MACCEL3.  

 (Note: POOLFIX4  and SERIALFX are not from Atari, but may correct behavior
 the Atari patches do not.)

 NEW IN ATARI 8-BIT FORUM!

 TEXTPRO fans rejoice.  A  beta  of  the  long  awaited  Version  5  is now
 available for  testing.   Please see  messages #20900 & 20901 in the Atari
 8-Bit Forum (GO ATARI8) for more information!

 LYNX USERS IN ATARI 8-BIT FORUM!

 Just a reminder to LYNX users that message section 16 and LIBRARY 16 (both
 named LYNX) of the Atari 8-Bit Forum are devoted to this gaming unit!

 FAVORITE FILES...

 Be included  in CompuServe Magazine!  Please read and respond to message #
 34449 in the Atari ST Arts  Forum (GO  ATARIARTS) regarding  your favorite
 Forum files!

 NEW SYSOP INFORMATION FROM SUPRA

 Revised  information  and  order  form  for sysop purchase plan offered by
 Supra for  their SupraFaxModem  V32 and  V32bis.   Download file SYSOP.TXT
 from LIBRARY 15 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN).

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                          HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
                OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION

            "GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"



  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



 > From the Editor's Desk             "Saying it like it is!"
   """"""""""""""""""""""

     Speaking of  priorities and special treatment.... the big question for
 the last three weeks has been "Why have the Codeheads been left out in the
 cold?"  The double speak rhetorical answers we've been noting are not only
 depressingly familiar, they're still ridiculous!   Application vs Utility.
 The  nerve  of  some  people.    When  one  can stand still and watch this
 marketplace pulse positive and  negative  with  regularity,  it  becomes a
 simple  deduction,  even  for  the  neophyte,  its alive but in deep, deep
 trouble.  When Atari's "braintrust" allows itself to be smoke  screened by
 the emotions,  politics and  head games of its underlings there is no room
 left for reason and good common sense.  We've stated this before and we'll
 continue to say it again and again and again.

                    "When the Codehead name comes up....
         its synonymous with solid support, innovative creativity
                                    and
                       impeccable public relations."

      Hmmm  come  to  think  of  it,  not  even Atari can stack up to those
 accolades.  Seriously though, the  Codeheads  certainly  deserve  each and
 every one of those pats on the back without reserve.
   
     Why, oh  why is  Atari appearing  to be  stabbing the Codeheads in the
 back?  Why was the decision to give a Falcon to other  developers who only
 import  products  from  Europe?    Meanwhile the Codeheads not only import
 products from  Europe, both  hardware and  top notch  software, they WRITE
 modules  and  support  code  for  those products.  Codehead's expertise in
 understanding and tweaking code to get  the very  best performance  out of
 Tos is  above and  beyond reproach.  Whomever made the decision to exclude
 the Codeheads from obtaining a Falcon early on made a decision that's

                                  B.A.D.

                         [B]raindead [A]s [D]ecided
    
     The time is now at hand  to rectify  a terrible  wrong.   Atari simply
 must cut through all the rhetorical effluvient their information person is
 using as excuses and get a Falcon to the Codeheads forthwith.   After all,
 its only the right thing to do. 
   
     On another  note... its  been noticed elsewhere that STReport is, once
 again, the object of Mr. Brodie's  public  verbalization.    While  we are
 elated to  see him  not "forgetting"  us, it  sad to  see his energies are
 still devoted to his, less than masterful, crusade of dis-information.  In
 any case, thanks for the mention Bob.
   
     Atari's new  Falcon certainly  does hold hope for the future of Atari.
 The machine is quite the "gizmo", its sure to dazzle even the snazziest of
 households  and  gamesters.    The  Falcon030 portrays the most affordable
 multimedia computer soon to be on the market today.  It'll be  nice to see
 this bird arrive in time to make the Christmas rush a real rush.
   
             Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine




                           THE STORM IS BREWING!


  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""





  STReport's Staff                      DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
  """"""""""""""""

                            Publisher - Editor
                            """"""""""""""""""
                             Ralph F. Mariano


          PC DIVISION         AMIGA DIVISION           MAC DIVISION
          -----------         --------------           ------------
          Roger D. Stevens    Charles Hill             R. ALBRITTON


  STReport Staff Editors:
  """""""""""""""""""""""
          Lloyd E. Pulley Sr. Dana P. Jacobson         Michael Arthur
          Lucien Oppler       Brad Martin              Judith Hamner
          John Szczepanik     Dan Stidham              Joseph Mirando
                    Steve Spivey        Doyle C. Helms

  Contributing Correspondents:
  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
          Michael Lee         Richard Covert           John Deegan
          Brian Converse      Oliver Steinmeier        Tim Holt
          Andrew Learner      Norman Boucher           Harry Steele
          Ben Hamilton        Neil Bradley             Eric Jerue
          Ron Deal            Robert Dean              Ed Westhusing
          James Nolan         Vernon W. Smith          Bruno Puglia
                              Clemens Chin


                             IMPORTANT NOTICE
                             """"""""""""""""
      Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
                              via E-Mail to:

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  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                "There is no comparison!  The Atari Falcon
                   is far superior to the PC platform."
                                                       Sam Tramiel, 08/92
  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""




 > CPU STATUS REPORT                  LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS 
   =================
  
    Issue #43



    Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.



  -- Accolade Wins Against Sega
  
 A federal appeals court has ruled Accolade Inc. of San Jose, Calif., had 
 the right to disassemble competitor Sega Enterprises Ltd.'s video game 
 machine to figure out how to make games that could run on it.

 Calling this "a major decision on computer copyright law," Washington 
 Post reporter John Burgess quotes Accolade supporters as saying the 
 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco will 
 promote competition by making it easier for small companies to create 
 products that work with big companies' machines.

 A Sega spokesman declined comment, pending full examination of the 
 decision. Sega's supporters include IBM and Intel Corp., opposed by 
 generally smaller companies that use "open" publicly available technical 
 standards.
  
  

  -- Modem Market Reaching $2.75 Billion
  
 A new study predicts sales in the U.S. modem market will rise from $1.6 
 billion last year to $2.75 billion in 1998, for an 8% compound annual 
 growth rate.

 A statement from Market Intelligence researchers of Mountain View, 
 Calif., says the modem market is "paced by smaller sizes and higher 
 speeds" and estimates, "Unit sales will nearly quadruple between 1991 
 and 1998, from 4.5 million to 17 million respectively per year, as 
 smaller pocket-sized modems surge."

 Estimates in the report, called "Modem Markets: Survival of the 
 Fastest," include:

 -:- Pocket-sized modem sales will grow from $146 million in 1991 to $887 
 million by 1998, when they will account for nearly a third of total 
 dial-up modem revenues.

 -:- Very-high-speed modems operating at over 9600 bits per second will 
 grow the fastest, from less than 4 percent of the market in 1991 to an 
 estimated 57 percent by 1998.

 -:- High-speed modems operating at 9600 bits per second, increasingly 
 the modem standard, also will expand from 27 percent of the market in 
 1991 to 43 percent by 1996.

 -:- And, "Although medium-speed modems operating from 1200 to 4800 bits 
 per second were the market's largest segment in 1991, with 42 percent of 
 sales, and represent the largest installed base, their sales will soon 
 decline dramatically and slip into insignificance late in the decade, 
 accounting for less than 1 percent of market revenues by 1998."

 -:- Leased and private-line modems "face a similar fate," the report 
 says, "from 63 percent of the market in 1988, they had already declined 
 to 26 percent by 1991 and are projected at barely over 1 percent by 
 1998."

 -:- Fax capability will become an increasingly standard modem feature. 
 Many new high-speed modems will support features like remote network 
 access, Ethernet/Token Ring compatibility, modem-sharing and advanced 
 security. By 1998, digital modems will become the norm, in line with the 
 trend of telecommunications networks to digital structures.
  
  

  -- Compaq Cuts System Prices
  
 Compaq Computer Corp. has cut $100 or more off suggested prices of 13 
 selected models of its Compaq ProLinea, Compaq Deskpro/i, Compaq 
 Contura, Compaq LTE Lite and Compaq portable PCs.  The cheapest Compaq 
 ProLinea desktop PC now carries a list price of $799, down from $899.



  -- IBM Unveils "Valuepoint" PC
  
 To compete in the low-end market, IBM this week launched four models of 
 a new system called ValuePoint, PCs priced starting at $1,299, including 
 a color monitor. Look for the ValuePoint units to go up against those 
 from Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp. and AST Research Inc.

 The entry-level ValuePoint model is powered with a beefed version of 
 Intel Corp.'s 386SX, which Ziegler notes also is in Compaq's cheapest 
 ProLinea. The IBM system has an 80MB hard drive.



  -- Fujitsu Releases 1.8 Inch Optical Disc
  
 Fujitsu has developed an extremely small optical magnetic disc 1.8-
 inches in diameter, or half the size of a regular credit card.

 Fujitsu, which is aiming the disc at the multimedia device market, 
 reports that its optical disc is covered with a cartridge the size of 5 
 x 5 cm. The current version can store 60 megabytes of data, but Fujitsu 
 plans to make the final version store up to 128 megabytes, or the 
 equivalent of 100 floppy disks. Fujitsu's optical disc is much smaller 
 than one made by Japan Victor which is 2.5-inches.



  -- Toshiba Releases World's First 16-megabit Flash Memory

 Toshiba has announced plans to release a 16 megabit flash memory chip. 
 The Japanese technology giant claims that this will be the first 
 commercial product of its type.

 Japanese experts predict that flash memory will take over from magnetic 
 memory in the very near future, so any company that gets its flash 
 memory chips to market faster than the competition should succeed.

 Toshiba plans to release the 16 megabit chipset by the end of the year 
 with a retail price of 15,000 yen ($125). This price is expected to fall 
 to a third (5,000 yen), once the company starts producing the chips in 
 volume, however.

 To put matters in perspective, Intel has been selling a 4 megabit flash 
 memory chip for $50. Toshiba's equivalent costs $20. Toshiba officials 
 say they want to get this price down to $10 a chip in the very near 
 future.

 Flash memories come in the form of semiconductor chip, which is 
 different from current magnetic disk memory. With these flash memories, 
 the size of personal computers can get drastically smaller.

 Also, the flash memories are expected to replace the hard disks in the 
 PCs of the future. Toshiba is aiming to get electronic still-cameras to 
 market in a short space of time, as well as new products for the 
 notebook and pocket computer market.



  -- Apple Computer Ships System 7.1, Quicktime 1.5

 The long - awaited Macintosh operating system update -- System 7.1 -- 
 with the new Quicktime 1.5 multimedia extensions is now shipping, Apple 
 Computer has announced.





        ___________________________________________________________




 > ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine          The wires are a hummin'!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                           PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
                           =====================


 On CompuServe
 -------------

 compiled by Joe Mirando





     Well folks, another week has come and gone.  And with each day,
 someone asks a question about their ST.  And, at least on CompuServe, for
 every question that is asked there is at least one answer.  Let's listen
 in on some of the things going on.



 From The Atari Productivity Forum
 =================================


 Bob Ledbetter posts:


     "This may not be the place for this, if so yell at me.  However...    
     My son has a Lynx (the hand-held game machine) and over the week-end
     things started acting really wierd.  For no apparent reason it will
     only play the BMX game and then the little on the bike just sits at
     the Starting Line trying to do a wheelie.  No control over anything
     except you can make him move forward, but nothing else.  Cannot change
     to another game on the cartridge either.  This is the only cartridge
     he has for it, so...I'm wondering if the cartridge itself has somehow
     been damaged.  That doesn't make sense -- to me, at least -- as
     everything was working fine, and then, in the middle of playing the
     BMX game it started behaving like this.  Any ideas???"


 Sysop Don LeBow answers:


     "Did you try cleaning the contacts on the card? That'd be the place to
     start. Do try to see if you can borrow another cart from someone and
     see if it does the same thing.

     If worse comes to worst, you can send it in to Atari Corp. for repair
     ... not sure on the charge."


 Bob replies to Don:


     "Thanx for the help.  It was dirty contacts.  The ole pencil eraser
     cleaning trick did the job.  Thanx for the tip!!!"


 Mark Kapeluck asks about a problem he's having with un-compressing an LZH
 file:


     "I have downloaded the file "ICONS.LZH" twice and in both cases gotten
     crc errors when trying to uncompress it. I have no problems otherwise
     with the unlzh15.prg."


 Sysop Keith Joins tells Mark:


     "You need to update your LZH utility program to one that handles the
     newer lh5 compression.  Look in library 4 and get LHARC.TTP and that
     should handle things."


 Meanwhile, as part of a continuing conversation about the sound sampling
 capabilities of the FALCON030, Mark Kelling posts:


     "Just because you have a DSP capable of full CD sound quality there is
     no reason it HAS to run at that rate.  You can choose a lower sample
     rate and use less bits.  The original ST could play sampled sounds and
     do so very well with only a VERY cheap sound chip.  A demo of this is
     something called TREK Sounds.  This was a collection of samples of
     Star Trek sound effects, music and dialog which would play very well
     on the ST.  A sample of Kirk saying "To boldly go ..." is the largest
     at about 5-7 seconds and is only 32K bytes. (I still have it if anyone
     is interested!)

   Let's do a little re calculation of the figures you gave. You wrote:

     "DSP Recording at 44.1KHz in 16-bit costs 10Mb a minute!!!"

     OK, lets go with an 8 bit sample.  Sonic quality would not be that
     much degraded.  I speak from experience, my brother is a musician and
     has quite a few 8 bit sampler keyboards as well as one [expensive!] 16
     bit.  The sample quality depends more on the quality and clarity of
     the original sound than the bits used.  Using 8 bits halves the
     required storage so that puts us at 5Mb/min.

     Well, why do we need 44.1KHz samples?  True, CD quality sound is nice
     but the average game sounds are in a much lower frequency range than
     that provided by such a fast sample.  (Just for info: We have to
     sample at 2X the highest frequency we expect to record.)  We can go
     with a 22.05KHz to halve our space requirements again bringing us to
     2.5Mb/min.  If we are handling a large number of lower frequency
     sounds: large engines running, wind noise, characters grunting etc. we
     can sample these at 12KHz and halve storage again giving 1.25Mb/min. 
     This is quite sufficient since most sounds could be reused/combined to
     produce a wide variety of effects. Also, music could be looped in such
     a way that only a few seconds would provide enough background sound
     for an entire scene.

     Using lower sample times and less bits would free time up in the DSP
     for it to do decompression of the sampled sound if needed.  So sound
     from a DSP is quite within range of current game manufacturers, the
     hard part is getting them to program for it!"


 When asked about what hard drive mechanism was best, Tom Mynar posted:


     "My vote is for Fujitsu, they are real fast and have a 5 year
     warranty.  I picked up a real nice drive from East Coast Electronics
     (in Texas, 713-821-8366, in Penn 215-431-1527).  I bought a 520mb for
     $966, it can transfer as fast as my ICD Advantage can take it, I think
     even faster.  I don't have their ad in front of me, but I bet the
     80/100+ mb drives are correspondingly priced (the other prices I had
     on the 520 were 1095, 1150)."


 Albert Dayes of Atari Explorer Magazine, a regular fountain of knowledge
 about our favorite computer and all related things, replies to Tom:


     "I heard that if you don't buy the drive direct from Fujitsu you don't
     get the 5 year warranty.  Have you heard anything about that?  There
     was a discussion about warranty periods on hard drives in the IBM
     hardware forum."


 Tom tells Albert:


     "I have an invoice from the dealer, which states "5 year manufacturer
     warranty.  I have also received similar information from Hard Drives
     International.  However, in California, the laws state that all I have
     to prove is that I bought it as an end user - the warranty holds.
     Nice to be in CA."


 From the "Who the heck came up with that name?" category, people are
 talking about the latest advancement in data storage technology. After
 being asked if someone was making up non-sense names Sysop Bob Retelle
 posts:


     "Yup, "floptical" is a real word all right.. it was just invented
     recently, so you know it's gotta be real..!  Actually, I just read a
     little bit about these interesting little technological gems.. 
     they're a "hybrid" between regular old magnetic recording floppy
     disks, like you have in your ST, and laser disks like a CD-ROM drive..

     The drive uses a regular magnetic read/write recording head, but
     instead of relying on a stepper motor and information recorded
     magnetically on the disk to position the head, there's a laser which
     reads the track information from the disk surface, and positions the
     head far more precisely.  The laser does not read or write the data on
     the disk, it only reads the pre-written track position info.  This
     lets the head write in far narrower tracks than a normal floppy disk,
     which allows a lot more tracks to be written side by side...  thus a
     LOT more info can be recorded on each floppy...  something like 20
     Megabytes.. (on a floppy!)

     The magical thing about the drives is that they can ALSO read (hmm..
     but I don't recall whether they can WRITE) a normal 720K or 1.44 Meg
     floppy disk too.  And to top it all off, the disks themselves are
     rather inexpensive when you consider they each hold 20Megs.  Now.. I
     want to see how much a regular hard drive could hold if they used
     laser positioning in one of THOSE..!"


 Albert Dayes tells Bob:


     "Flopticals can read and WRITE 720K, 1.44meg and 21meg floppy disks." 
     Bob, getting psyched about this news, posts:   "All right..!  That
     makes them even better than I thought, Albert...


 James Port asks Bob Retelle:

     "How fast are they Bob?  Like hard drives?  More like floppies? 
     Somewhere in between?  Definitely sounds like an interesting gizmo.  I
     guess the media would have to come pre-formatted then, yes?  Does this
     drive up the media price?  What kind of a price tag does the drive
     carry?"


 Bob answers:


     "James, I believe the flopticals are more on the order of floppy drive
     access times than hard drives, since they're in effect just more
     precise floppies..  but as Albert mentioned, I haven't looked at
     access times..  The disks themselves are special, so of course they're
     more expensive (wish I could remember more details..), but I'd think
     you'd be able to format them yourself.  I'm going to a have to look
     into these more closely..  It seems we're seeing a lot of new
     technologies, and new applications for existing ones, all the time.."





 From The Atari ST Arts Forum
 ============================



 If you are an avid game player, there is most likely no device for your
 computer that's as important to you as your trusty joystick.  Phil Payzant
 posts:


     "This seems like as good a place as any to butt in with a question of
     my own.  I have been playing FS-II, FOTI, F-19 and more recently
     MicroProse's Grand Prix, as well as several other flying/driving games
     that require simultaneous joystick and keyboard use.  I'm on my fourth
     (different) joystick, and still haven't found one that I consider
     satisfactory.  Ideally, I'd like one that clamps to the table (as
     opposed to the suction cups that always let go at a crucial moment)
     but my dealer isn't aware of any on the market.  I also really wish
     Atari had provided for analog joysticks, but I guess there's no way
     around that.  Anyway, I'd appreciate any suggestions for or comments
     about preferred models of joystick."


 Sysop Bob Retelle (I still remember those Aardvark games for my T/S 1000,
 Bob) tells Phil:


     "There was a review of a joystick clamping device in an issue of AIM
     some time ago..  The device clamps to the table edge, then clamps the
     joystick to itself.  I'll see if I can dig up that issue for more
     details..."


 Pat Augustine tells Phil:


     "Actually, I'm in kind of the same boat myself! My favorite joystick
     is the Epyx 500XJ (the "ergonomic" one). But since Epyx folded their
     tent, I've been unable to buy them. I have one left that is still
     working, and when it gives up, I guess I'll have to go back to my
     second favorite, Suncom's Slick Stick (which, by the way, is shaped
     perfectly for that clamping device Bob mentioned).  For FOTI (back
     when I could fly it <g>) I used the Gravis Mousestick, which has a
     nice base to it. My computer desk is a REAL desk, with a center
     drawer, that I put the MouseStick in, and slide mostly closed. It does
     a great job of holding the MouseStick for me, and the MouseStick makes
     FOTI a real dream to fly (though it's not quite as nice in other
     games)."


 Bob adds:


     "Pat, speaking of "flying" your computer, I was in a computer store
     yesterday and saw the latest in, er.. "joysticks" for flight
     simulators.. It was an airplane control yoke style controller, like
     you've probably seen before, but this one was a lot larger than most,
     with buttons all over it, and it even had an "artificial horizon"  
     "instrument"  in the center...  I almost felt like I had to radio in
     for clearance just to walk past the thing..!"


 Pat tells Bob:


     "I think I've seen that one! That artificial horizon sure is cute,
     isn't it?  Too bad none of those things work on the ST line. But then
     again, after looking at the prices, I'm kind of GLAD none of them work
     on the ST!"


 Phil posts:


     "Thanks for your comments.  What makes a Gravis Mousestick different
     from other joysticks? I've never seen one, although I note several
     people here use them.  As for FOTI, you ought to be able to get a good
     deal on a used ST, and it would be worth it for FOTI alone!"


 Pat tells Phil:


     "The Gravis MouseStick is not just a joystick, but a MOUSE in Joystick
     clothing. It LOOKS like a joystick, but it sends MOUSE signals, so you
     get analog input rather than digital (not just "left" but how MUCH
     "left"). Makes more much smoother flying, and feels better in your
     hands than the mouse does. It will also work in joystick mode, but I
     prefer a tighter joystick for real joystick wiggling, so the Gravis
     stays in Mouse mode all the time.   Please note that Gravis makes a
     plain joystick that looks similar to the Mousestick that does NOT have
     those features, but does have the large base and nice feel that the
     Mousestick provides. The joystick is red/black and the MouseStick is
     grey."


 John Damiano joins in the conversation:


     "I have a Gravis Mousestick which I love.  It seems to work ok with
     most everything.  Its very smooth and you can customize the response."


 Jim Linton jumps into the discussion and tells Phil:


     "I have used the Kraft 4 way 8 way Maze master for years even with the
     old 8-bit Atari computers, can't be beat. You can block out the diag.
     for maze games like Pac Man or you can use them with games like Grand
     Prix. The are also fairly cheap at about 12-13 dollars, hope this
     helps."




 From the Atari Vendors Forum
 ============================



 Duane Keenan tells us:


     "My new TT has developed a strange bug: One click chooses the program,
     but a double-click only starts to load the pr program.  It takes a
     third click to get the program (any program) loaded completely. It
     also seems to require 3 clicks to quit. Could the CPX or Control panel
     have gotten messed-up? Also, I can't delete a folder... trying to
     change the status between read only & read/write is impossible- both
     selections are grayed-out. Any hints?"


 Sysop Ron Luks posts:

     "Those are REALLY odd problems, and (unfortunately for you) this is
     the first time we've heard of either of them.  I think your best
     answers would come directly from Atari Corp and they don't regularly
     monitor this forum as much as the AtariPro forum. I'd suggest you
     re-post this message in Ataripro directed to Mike Fulton or John
     Townsend or Dan Macnamee."


 Brian Gockley of ST Informer Magazine tells Duane:


     "A lot of problems on the TT & MegaSTe derive from conflicts or errors
     in the Newdesk.INF file. Try renaming it INX, rebooting and seeing if
     your problem is gone."


 Dick Paddock posts:


     "If you haven't tried this, I suggest you change the double-click
     rate. This can cause two to appear as one, or vice versa."


 Pat Augustine asks:


     "Is there a way to use ESDI drives on the ST? I may have an
     opportunity to pick up some fairly large ESDI drives (300MB) for next
     to nothing and was wondering."


 Tom Mynar tells Pat:


     "Someone asked this question awhile back and I believe the response
     was that you have to use their older software.  Plus the SCSI==>ESDI
     controller boards.  Unless you can get it so cheap that buying a large
     power supply is offset, it might not be as good a deal as it looks. 
     If they are large (8") old drives, they probably have a short lifespan
     left."


 Pat tells Tom:


     "Thanks for the feedback. The price could still be right (FREE! my
     company may be throwing them away, but maybe not). I wonder where one
     would get a SCSI-->ESDI board?"


 Albert Dayes tells Pat:


     "You can try selling the ESDI drive in the IBM hardware forum since
     they sell hard drives over there. (GO IBMHW)"




     Well friends and neighbors, it's time for me to wrap this up.  Tune in
 again next week and listen to what they say when...

                            People are talking



  ***********************************************************************

                             IMPORTANT NOTICE!
                             =================

     STReport International  Online Magazine is available every week in the
 ST Advantage on DELPHI.  STReport readers are  invited to  join DELPHI and
 become a part of the friendly community of Atari enthusiasts there.


                          SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
                          ======================
       Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
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                              JOIN -- DELPHI
                              --------------

                Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
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                When connected, press RETURN once or twice
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               At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN.

     DELPHI's Basic  Plan offers  access for  only $6.00  per hour, for any
 baud rate.  The $5.95 monthly fee includes your first hour online.

     If you spend more than 200 minutes online  a month,  you'll save money
 by enrolling  in DELPHI's optional 20/20 Advantage Plan.   You'll enjoy up
 to 20 hours online each month  for  the  ridiculously  low  price  of just
 $20.00!  And if you go over that 20 hours, the rate goes up to only $1.20,
 still 1/5th the price of other services. 

     There is no signup fee for joining the Basic Plan.  There is a  fee of
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     These connect rates apply for access  via Tymnet  or SprintNet (within
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   For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005

 DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.

                         :IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
                     DELPHI INTRODUCES THE 10/4 PLAN.
     Effective July 1, 1992, all Basic Plan members will be upgraded to the
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 Effective July 1, 1992, you may access DELPHI  via SprintNet  beginning at
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                        Try DELPHI for $1 an hour!

     For a limited time, you can  become  a  trial  member  of  DELPHI, and
 receive 5  hours of  evening and weekend access during this month for only
 $5.  If you're not satisfied, simply cancel your account before the end of
 the calendar  month with  no further obligation.  If you keep your account
 active, you will automatically  be enrolled  in DELPHI's  10/4 Basic Plan,
 where you  can use up to 4 weekend and evening hours a month for a minimum
 $10 monthly charge, with additional hours available at $3.96.   But hurry,
 this special  trial offer  will expire  soon!   To take  advantage of this
 limited offer, use your modem to  dial 1-800-365-4636.   Press  <RET> once
 or twice.   When  you get  the Password: prompt, type IP26 and press <RET>
 again.  Then, just answer the questions and  within a  day or  two, you'll
 officially be a member of DELPHI!  

                       TOP TEN DOWNLOADS (10/21/92)
                       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
                               STREPORT 8.41
                         NEW SWEDISH MONO EMULATOR
                                  DROIDS
                               PAULA20D.LZH
                          CINDY CRAWFORD SPECTRUM
                               SILKMOUSE 2.6
                               GEMDOS MANUAL
                                CYBERNETIX
                             MEGA DEPACK V.20
                               POWERDOS 1.2
                                                                         
     All of  the above  files can  be found in the RECENT ARRIVALS database
     for at least one week after  the posting  of this  list.   Please Note
     that in  the case  of online magazines, only the most current issue in
     the database at the time of this compilation is considered for the Top
     10 list.  Also, for all files, a submission is eligible for the Top 10
     list for only four weeks after its original uploading.          


                 DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!



  ***********************************************************************





 > FALCON vs PERFORMA STR FOCUS!       Comparing the two...
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""




                  A BRIEF COMPARISON; FALCON vs PERFORMA
                  ======================================



 by K. E. Baum


     I just recently stopped by STAPLES(an office supply Super store) here
 in southeastern PA, and was greeted by a large banner announcing the
 arrival of APPLE's Performa line.  This is APPLE's new low cost line of
 computers that will be sold in several different department stores
 including SEARS.  Anyway, I just couldn't resist a comparison with Atari's
 new and current offerings, as well as a 486 clone.  (Please feel free to
 correct me if I have any facts wrong)

            (Apple Performa)             (Atari)          (Laser) 
 model :  200      400      600      Falcon  Mega/STE   486SX/25
 PROC  :  68030    68030    68030     68030   68000       80486
 SPEED :  16MHZ    16MHZ    32MHZ     16MHZ   16MHZ       25MHZ
 MEMORY:
  stock:   4Mb     4Mb     4Mb       4Mb     4Mb         4Mb
    max:  10Mb    10mb    64Mb      14Mb     4Mb         N/A

 DISPLAY:
 max res:512x342 640x480  640x480  640x480  640x400    800x600
 #colors:   1      256    256/32K  256/64K  2/4/16      256

 SOUND:
 max res :  8bit    8bit     8bit    16bit     8bit      beep
 max rate: 22khz   22khz    22khz    50khz    50khz      boop
 channels:  1       1        1        8        4         chirp

 STORAGE:
 #-floppy:1-1.44  1-1.44    1-1.44   1-1.44   1-1.44  1-1.44,1-1.2
 hard disk: 80Mb    80Mb     160Mb    65Mb     48Mb     100Mb

 EXPANSION
 SLOTS:      0    1PDS   3NuBus/1Ac 1PDS/Cart 1VME/Cart    5?

 SOFTWARE:
 O/S:     Sys 7.1  Sys 7.1  Sys 7.1  TOS 4?  TOS 2.6 DOS 5\Win 3.1
 other:                         see below

 PRICE:
 list:     $$$      $$$       $$$    $1399     N/A      N/A
 retail:  $1300    $1450      N/A     N/A     $1100    $1500

 Notes
 =====
      All Performa's come with the following software:Symantec Greatworks,
 an integrated WP/DB/spreadsheet/charting/paint/draw/telecom program.
 Teleware M.Y.O.B., a checkbook/cardfile program At Ease, a System 7
 extension for children and novice users.

      Also the Performa 400 and up come with T/Maker ClickArt, a collection
 of clipart.  The # of colors on the Perform 600 are listed as 256/32K. The
 Performa 600 can only display 256 colors. However there is another model,
 the Performa 600CD, which is the same as the 600 with the addition of a CD
 Rom drive and the ability to display 32K colors.

      The Performa 200 includes a 9" monochrome Monitor(It's a MAC Classic
 II with a new name). The Performa 400(it's a MAC LC II really)& 600
 require the Performa Display($350) or Performa Display Plus($$more). 
    
      The Laser 486 also comes with Microsoft Works for Windows and the
 price INCLUDES a .28 SUPER VGA MONITOR! 

      The Atari Falcon is reported to come with a couple of Games, Audio
 management & recording software and utility programs. The Mega\STE comes
 with Hard drive utilities & CPX's. The Atari Falcon is the only computer
 here that I know features a DSP chip & port.   Since all Performa's come
 with 4Mb as their base,I only listed Atari's with 4Mb configurations.





  ***********************************************************************

                    :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 Announcements (FREE)       

  1. If you use American Express to pay your GEnie bill............
  2. October 26th, Page 945, Something Completely Different........HYW
  3. Play GEnie's Football Pool and be a...........................PRO
  4. Discuss the crisis up North in a FREE RTC on 10/26 in.........CANADA
  5. RTC 10/25: How SMALL BUSINESS benefits from BARTER............HOSB
  6. The Adventure Continues: KING'S QUEST 6  ONLY $51.97 at.......EXPRESS
  7. Get a JUMP on HOLIDAY SHOPPING. FREE Catalogs at..............LANDSEND
  8. STEVE BARNES, Sunday the 25th at 8 Eastern in the.............SFRT
  9. Read this - or miss the HOT ACTION in.........................SOFTCLUB
 10. 700+ Small Business Center addresses now online in...........DIRECTORY
 11. Questions answered immediately in the NEW Mac HelpDesk........MAC
 12. Synthetic KALE contest, only on the...........................PSRT
 13. Don't be a turkey; get your Thanksgiving clipart at...........WP
 14. Compaq, Tandy, Toshiba - which notebook to get; help is at....LAPTOPS
 15. Handymen and Wannabees - Have we got a place for you..........*HOME


 Atari ST RT
 -----------
 Wednesday, Oct. 28 , 10:00 pm EST
 ---------------------------------
     Purple Mountain Computers Inc will be highlighting their products. 
     Talk with Darek Mihocka about GEMULATOR; Don Crano about STEALTH PMC;
     and Oscar Steele about Floptical drives and PMC 's other products.

 Of Special Note:
 ----------------
     All RTC attendees for that night will receive a DISCOUNT on GEMULATOR
     and STEALTH from PMC!


 Last Week's Top Downloaded Programs/Utilities:
 ----------------------------------------------
 26105 DOUBLE2.LZH              X S.JOHNSON10  921012    2688    220   2
       Desc: STE screen height doubler - v2.0
 26080 AUTOSRT4.ARC             X EFS          921010   10112    196   2
       Desc: Version 4.1 of autosort.
 26081 BLITZ_13.LZH             X E.MONACO     921010   27648    137   2
       Desc: Latest Version!!!
 26126 CHOICE10.LZH             X T.MCCOMB     921013   21248    134  18
       Desc: A new PD Font- Choice10 Type1/CFN!
 26094 STR_VIEW.LZH             X E.GOODMAN1   921011   14720    121   2
       Desc: Digital Media's STReport Viewer
 26079 WRTBT504.ARC             X EFS          921010   22272    115   2
       Desc: Version 5.04 of writeboot.
 26137 C_SANTA.ARC              X J.KOCHER1    921014   85248    114   8
       Desc: arcade Santa game/great graphics
  
         GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
            Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission

  ***********************************************************************






 > The Flip Side STR Feature    ".... a different viewpoint..."
   """""""""""""""""""""""""




                    A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT
                    ==================================



 by Michael Lee


 One of the things that I find the most difficult about writing this 
 column is the ST Roundtable on Genie.  There is so much ST information 
 available there, that it becomes tricky to decide what to use and what 
 not to use.  Now that my column only comes out every-other-week, it's 
 become even more difficult. I just went through over 2 megs of posts to 
 put this column together.  Since I try to keep my column down to 18-25k, 
 you can see that I can only use 1/100th of what is available.

                    (Sung to the tune of Green Acres)
   
                     "Geeee Neee is the place to be,
                      If you want info on your ST."
  
 All of this week's posts are from the ST Roundtable on Genie.

                             ----------------

 Want to know how to upgrade your Warp 9 or QuickST? - From John Eidsvoog 
 (CodeHead Technologies) - Cat. 32, Topic 8, Cat. 32...
  
   Current Warp 9 information as of October 17, 1992 is as follows:

                     Latest version: 3.73
                      Release notes: 3.70
                       Retail price: $44.95
   Update from Quick ST or Turbo ST: $30 plus $3 shipping
       Update from Warp 9 3.50-3.61: $15 (no shipping)

   Version 3.70 added the new modular screensaver, Extend-O-Save (as well 
   as other new features). For more information about this upgrade, see 
   file #25744 W9EXTEND.TXT or read about it in the Warp 9 topic.

                             ----------------

 About the TEAC upgrade from John Eidsvoog (CodeHead Technologies) - Cat. 
 32, Topic 30, Msg. 140...
  
   For some time now we've been selling an improved version of the TEC 
   specially designed for the Mega Bus, but we've never formally 
   announced it.

   The TEC Mega lists for the same price as the TEC Bus Bridge that we 
   formerly carried -- $155. The advantage of the TEC Mega is that it is 
   all contained on one board. This board contains the Mega Bus connector 
   AND has a "through" connector! This means that it will no longer tie 
   up your bus and another board can easily be plugged into the TEC 
   Mega's connector.

   The TOS chips reside right on the TEC Mega and the only other connec-
   tions that need to be made are two wires which have "pins" on them and 
   get pushed into two of the holes in the ROM socket.

   Installation is even easier than it was before. Simply pop out your 
   ROM chips, plug the TEC Mega into the bus, and push the two wires into 
   their proper locations.

     ------------------------------------------
     |    ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::    |  <--bus connector
     |  ---------------   ====PAL====         |
     |  |  Even Chip  |                       |
     |  ---------------                       |
     |  ---------------   ---==---            |
     |  |  Odd Chip   |                       |
     |  ---------------                       |
     ------------------------------------------

   It's a very clean design because there are no more ribbon cables and 
   it doesn't tie up the bus. Installing the TOS switching option is also 
   much easier because you no longer need to piggyback a socket on top of 
   your ROM chip.

   We'll have the new TEC Mega boards (as well as the standards and CPU 
   versions) at the WAACE show this weekend. Supplies will be limited, so 
   if you're interested, come early. If you've been waiting to get the 
   speed, usefulness and functionality of TOS 2.06, wait no longer. It 
   couldn't be easier.

                             ----------------

 Want to upgrade your Calligrapher Pro to Calligrapher Gold? - From John 
 Eidsvoog (CodeHead Technologies) - Cat. 32, Topic 32, Msg. 101...
  
   The update from Calligrapher Professional to Gold is called the Gold 
   Extension. It retails for $100 and can be purchased through your 
   dealer or directly from us. If you buy it from a dealer, send us your 
   original UK disks and the Extension's registration card and we'll send 
   you a complete set of the Gold disks. I'm not sure if the Gold 
   Extension disk is capable of updating a UK Pro to a US Gold. If you 
   get the Extension from us, once again send us your UK disks so we can 
   send you a complete set of disks.

   We also offer "lateral" upgrades from UK Pro to US Pro, or UK Gold to 
   US Gold, for $30. Those with UK versions do not have PostScript 
   support and can get our version and support for $30.

                             ----------------

 From Keith Gerdes (Trace Technologies) - Cat. 2, Topic 12, Msg. 1 - from 
 the ST Roundtable on Genie...
  
                      --------------------------
                      ||                      ||
                      ||  Introducing         ||
                      ||  Trace Technologies  ||
                      ||                      ||
                      ||  A Press Release     ||
                      ||  October 12, 1992    ||
                      ||                      ||
                      --------------------------

   Trace Technologies is owned and operated by Keith Gerdes. You may be 
   familiar with Keith's commitment -since 1986- to the Atari ST com-
   munity through his commercial and PD endeavors - including Data Diet, 
   Squish, STuffer and other fine utilities; many of which were distrib-
   uted by or in association with Double Click Software.

   The first new software package to be distributed by TraceTech is Data 
   Rescue- 'the complete data recovery solution'. Data Rescue is on 
   schedule for a November 1992 release. Look for a demo to be uploaded 
   shortly after this press release.

   And TraceTech is the new distributor and point of customer support for 
   Data Diet. I want to thank DC for nudging me out of their "nest", 
   giving me the opportunity to fly on my own. Version 2 is scheduled to 
   ship in December 1992 as both an upgrade to current owners and as a 
   new package- product announcement with full details in November. Also, 
   please watch your online service for any change regarding the Data 
   Diet support area.

   TraceTech looks forward to serving the ST userbase by producing the 
   advanced software you've come to expect while striving for excellence 
   in support.

   Oh, by the way, a glimpse into the first half of 1993 yields at least 
   two more new products!

   "Just call me the new old kid on the block..." :^)

   Contact methods:

   Mail
   Trace Technologies
   PO Box 711403
   Houston, TX 77271-1403

   Phone
   (713) 771-8332  [weekdays 1PM-5PM Central Time]

   Online
   GEnie: K.GERDES

                              ----------------

 Info on The Newdesk Editor CPX - from REALM - Cat. 2, Topic 39, Msg. 
 156...
  
   ...The number I reached him on was 1-800-237-4737. His tech support 
   line is 1-310-595-9114, although no one called me back. Might as well 
   do the address too...

    Software Development Systems
    996 Redondo Ave. #404
    Long Beach, CA 90804

                             ----------------

 From Dave Nutkins (HiSoft) - Cat. 3, Topic 3, Msg. 76...
  
   HighSpeed Pascal version 1.6 for the Atari available.

   This version adds the following features over version 1.5:

   * support for Line Debugging and global variable names for use with 
     Mon from Devpac 3

   * support for the TT's math co-processor. The new FPU code will also   
     take advantage of the co-processor on the Falcon030 if fitted.

   * further improved compatibility with Turbo Pascal 5.0

   * VDI arrays are larger

   This will be available from Oregon Research Associates soon. If you 
   want to upgrade urgently from version 1.5, then you can order directly 
   from us by returning your master disks with payment of 7.50 pounds.

                             ----------------

 You want to connect your Sega up to your SC1224 monitor? - Cat. 4, Topic 
 8, Msg. 6 & 9...
  
 From Jeff Wiles...

   Raymond Cable does make cables to connect a SC1224 to a Sega and the 
   price is around $35. I had them make me one about 8 months ago but it 
   didn't work for me. They told me I was the first one that couldn't get 
   the two to work together and they refunded my money so it's worth a 
   shot. Very good people to deal with and your money back if it doesn't 
   work.

 From Barry Reeves...
  
   When I called Sega they gave me the number to _Redmond_ Cable 
   (206)882-2009. They are right here in Washington state although there 
   is also a Tennessee number, (615)478-5760.

                             ---------------

 Some interesting Desk Jet information - Cat. 4, Topic 9, Msg. 62 & 74...
  
 From Mike Valent...

                    *Color printing from ANY DeskJet*

   P.S, Inc. does refills and alternately can provide DJ cartridges 
   filled with ink of various colors. I've recently received cyan, yellow 
   and magenta cartridges and have been experimenting with four-pass 
   four-color C-Y-M-K printing from Calamus SL.  While the procedure of 
   changing cartridges and refeeding the sheet of paper through the four 
   color printing cycles takes a bit of time and effort, the results 
   really look great!

 More from Anna Mason (Atari Advantage)...
  
   P.S. Inc will take your empty ink cartridges and refill them with 
   colored ink. They give excellent service, too. You can write them for 
   information and an order form at:

   P.S. Inc.
   317 Booye Terrace
   Northfield, NJ 08225

   Their phone #'s are:

   (609) 645-1888
   FAX (609) 641-5235

                              ----------------

 From Cat. 4, Topic 10, Msgs 30 - 31...
  
 Question from Bob Morrow...
  
   Anyone know if I can simply take a 1.44 MB floppy and a new floppy 
   controller and drop them into my STe/TOS 2.06 without any problems? I 
   may have to cut the case, but that's not a big deal.

 Answer from Tom McComb...
  
   No you can't. You need additional support circuitry.

                              ----------------

 Questions and answers about the ISAC Card - Cat. 4, Topic 28, Msgs. 163-
 170...
  
 Question from Jim Ness...
  
   Are there any op system incompatibilities with the ISAC card? Does it 
   work okay on TOS text screens, giving more columns and rows? And, also 
   with GEM windows, etc?

   Does Warp 9 help the speed?

 Answer from Jim Allen (Fast Tech)...
  
   The ISAC is $299, available at Dover or through myself.

   Yes Jim, it is very very compatible, TOS text screens have more 
   rows/columns, GEM windows are bigger, etc.

   Warp9 not only helps it's CRITICAL!! There are so many more bits 
   moving around that the better code in Warp9 is a godsend.

   ISAC uses the same memory structure...pixel encoding/bit interleaving 
   ...that the video on the motherboard uses. So it has a leg up over the 
   other color boards in the compatibility dept.

   Any monitor that can do 1024x768 at 60Hz non-interlaced should be a 
   good partner for the ISAC card.

 Another question from Charlie Townsley (sysop)...
  
   ...Is the ISAC a VME card for the MSTE or so I have to get the AlberTT 
   for that? Or would the AlberTT not work either?

 Answer from Jim...
  
   The ISAC is for MegaST computers. The AlberTT is for MegaSTE and TT 
   computers.

 Question from K.SCHAFER4...
  
   Is the AlbertTT card $299 also? I haven't been able to get any info 
   from anyone. (mebbe Aladdin is eating my mail)

 Answer from Jim...
  
   Last I heard the AlberTT was $500+, I don't know where it stands now, 
   will try to find out.

                             ----------------

 Want to build your own "Mutant ST" - Cat. 4, Topic 36, Msgs. 119-121...
  
 Question from David Vasileff...
  
   ...Suppose that I have a PC XT case w/PS. What can I do to transform 
   it into a hard drive/second floppy case for my good ol' 1040STf?
  
   What I have in mind is to buy a host adapter and a hard drive 
   mechanism. I need help in picking out the right adapter/mechanism, and 
   any cabling that I need to pick up as well. I don't know what cables I 
   already have in the case, so it won't help to ask. Can I put in a 3.5" 
   hard drive? Or should it be 5.25? Do I have to mount stuff in there 
   and secure it somehow, or can it just kind of sit in there?

   Please note that I've never owned a hard drive, so you can throw in 
   any 'every hard drive owner should know' info if relevant.

 Answer from Norm Weinress...
  
   Yes you can, and I have already done it. The only cable that wasn't 
   easily available was one for connecting the 3.5" floppies. I had to 
   make that myself.  The XT case and power supply will work fine. I used 
   an ICD host adapter and SCSI hard drives. The cable to connect them is 
   a standard one used in all the PC's. The cable from the host adapter 
   to the ST is supplied by ICD.

   The floppies have a connector for 34-pin ribbon cables. I had to use a 
   cable for ST floppies, with the strange 14-pin connectors, and cut off 
   one end and attach it to a 34-pin connector. Not easy and not for the 
   beginner. Maybe you could get an Atari store to do it for you. I also 
   had to change some jumpers inside the Atari so it would expect both 
   floppies to be external. Again, a shop is your best bet for that.

 Another answer from Ron (Atari Explorer)...
  
   Fair warning -- brewing your own can become expensive if you make a 
   mistake and become pretty frustrating if things don't work. You may 
   need some "hands & eyeballs on site" kinda help. The extra $100 to get 
   a packaged and tested unit is worth considering. A great option is 
   ICD's new Link adaptor that allows you to use standard SCSI 
   (Macintosh, etc.) drives. But, if you enjoy doing things yourself, 
   it's not all that bad.

   I'd recommend an ICD host adaptor and 3.5" SCSI hard drive combo. This 
   will give you to most reliable long term data storage solution. A 
   Syquest drive is worth considering also.  Syquests are SCSI 5.25" 
   removable cartridge drives and in all other ways act like a fast hard 
   drive. They can be used for backups or you can set up different 
   emulation cartridges to be used as needed.

   Initial investment is a little high but you can then add 44/88 meg 
   cartridges as needed at $60/$100 a shot.

   My view of an ideal combination is a relatively small fast SCSI drive 
   (50 meg are pretty cheap now) and a Syquest. A floppy would fit in one 
   bay, the Syquest would another bay and the hard drive could be 
   stuck inside after you remove the PC mother board.

   Best Electronics may be able to help you with a floppy cable:

             Best Electronics
             2021 The Alameda Suite 290
             San Jose, California  95126
             408-243-6950

   If you don't like drilling holes, a mounting trick that can be used if 
   you do not plan on moving the enclosure around a lot is to use servo 
   tape to mount the drives to the bottom of the case (hope nobody laughs 
   at me too hard here :- ). Servo tape can be bought at most hobby shops 
   that sell radio control equipment.

   Servo tape is a rubberized double sided tape which does a good job of 
   isolating noise and vibration along with holding things down (as in 
   taking a RC/10 straight into a railroad tie at 30mph and having 
   everything fly off the car but the radio gear stuck down with the 
   servo tape :-) You can peel the tape up and clean things off with 
   lighter fluid if you change your mind or want to rearrange things.

                             ----------------

 From Chet Walters (WizWorks) - Cat. 7, Topic 13, Msg. 82...
  
        ========================================================= 
               NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WIZWORKS!
        MA HUBBARD'S CUPBOARD and Assorted (not sordid) Utilities 
                                $19.95 
        =========================================================

   MA HUBBARD'S CUPBOARD Designed as an extension to TOS 2.06, NEODESK, 
   TT TOS, HotWire and ANY program that let's you execute another program 
   from within (Dr. Bob's MVG, FLASH, HYPERLINK). Instant access to 
   twenty programs in a twinkling! 100% Assembly! Uses only 30K! Swap any 
   number of menus in and out while using only that 30K! Access to 
   hundreds of programs. Make it as complicated or as simple as you like. 
   Make nice menus for the kid's game disks. Command lines fully (and 
   conveniently) supported. Easy "chaining" for batch-like automation. 
   Screen blanker capability (use those included or write your own) and 
   date/time display. Single click/single key launches.

   NOTE: Why was Ma Hubbard's even written with all those program 
   launcher menu programs and alternate desktops already out there? 
   Because all the other one's are OVERKILL! Ma Hubbard's, though it can 
   serve as such, is not intended for use as a "replacement" desktop. It 
   is intended as a supplement to existing launchers and desktops. 
   Enhancement, not replacement is the order of the day with Ma Hubbard's 
   without the overkill complications and memory hungry madness.

   FSEL EXEC Put this as an icon on your desktop in TOS 2.06 or NEO DESK 
   and you can run a program using the file selector or call up UIS III as 
   a utility. A 100% assembly teeny tiny 1.5K program that won't suck 
   memory from the program that you execute from it.

   TT PRINT OR SAVE Use the ALT/HELP keys on ANY ST or TT to save your 
   screen to disk or print it on your HP LASER compatible printer 
   (DeskJets too). Works in all ST and TT resolutions with grey scaling 
   for prints of 16 color screens. Prints in three sizes and landscape. 
   Works fine on big screen monochrome and other non-standard sized 16 
   color screens!

   FUJIMAUS This one's a HOOT! Your mouse pointer looks where it's going! 
   It goes to sleep if you don't move it for a while. As it sleeps, it 
   will look around to see where the heck you have gone to! Your ST busy 
   bee also becomes animated ticking clock! Great fun! Also included is a 
   rotating or rainbow FUJI symbol to decorate your desktop. All 100% 
   assembly and interrupt driven to be cross compatible with nearly 
   everything. Conflicts with FEW programs on the ST or TT. Fully 
   configurable for your tastes. Use what you like, don't what you don't.

   SUPER FLAGS A super fast super convenient BATCH flag setter for 
   executables that will let you set the FASTLOAD, TT RAM, PROTECTED 
   MEMORY and other bits in program headers. Can set/unset a single 
   program, only one path full, or every program on every drive that's 
   hooked to your system! No more hunt and peck! Lets you set the 
   FASTLOAD bits on PageStream's executable modules for really fast 
   running of PageStream with little effort on your part.

   IMG TO ICON Convert any bi-level IMG file to a Degas compatible ICN 
   file.

   MA HUBBARD'S GAME - For ST low res or ST high res. Takes any DEGAS 
   picture and makes a 31 tile sliding block puzzle out of it. Can you 
   slide them into the right places? Easy, medium and hard. A real 
   challenge (for you cheaters, there's a "cheat" mode).

   All this with Ma Hubbard's CupBoard, plus more for only $19.95!


   
        ========================================================= 
                NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM WIZWORKS!
                      Ladies Purdy and Ugliee!
                       Mug Shot! Data disk #3 
                              $19.95 
        =========================================================

   The long awaited ladies disk for Mug Shot! TWO complete .MGS files!

   Uglieee! George Fenton, who brought you the wild and crazy guys in 
   MadToons, has been having some strange nightmares. He's put them on 
   disk for you to customize as you will with Mug Shot! Make likenesses 
   of your mother- in-law, your spinster aunt, or even the lady behind 
   the counter at K- mart who won't give you a refund because you forgot 
   your receipt!

   Purdy! Classic beauties! In direct contrast to the ladies above, you 
   can make your dream girl right in your own home. Who said the ST 
   wasn't sexy!

    ===================================================================

   Only $1.00 shipping and handling per order (except Tray).

   WizWorks! PO Box 45 Girard, OH 44420

   We are not listing our phone number. Since it has been necessary to 
   work a "day" job to survive as WizWorks, we cannot always answer the 
   phone on a regular basis. We would prefer that you mail your orders. 
   The reason being that you will get our answer machine more than likely 
   and we will have to call you back several times and it will be hard to 
   make a connection. Plus, it will up our phone bill as it will yours, 
   and we cannot afford a large phone bill right now. Please mail us a 
   check, money order or send us your MasterCard/VISA number and 
   expiration date. Please give us a full address too. Don't worry, 
   you'll get same day service on mailed in orders and there will be no 
   delay. Sorry, but that's the reality of the market.

                             ----------------

 From John Trautschold (Missionware Software) - Cat. 8, Topic 2, Msg.
 142...
  
  /*----------- Important Notice from Missionware Software -----------*/

   Hi everyone... Just wanted to post a quick notice regarding upgrades 
   from 2.0 to 2.01...

   I'm going to be out of town on business for two weeks beginning next 
   Monday, October 26. I'll be returning on November 6. Although regular 
   orders will continue to be shipped while I'm gone, I won't be able to 
   do any upgrades until I return. Therefore, if you send in your disk 
   for upgrade and it doesn't get returned promptly, please don't panic! 
   We'll get them turned around as soon as we get back. If you could 
   spread the word around a bit about this, I'd appreciate it.

   BTW, although I'll be out of town during this period, I will be 
   traveling with my trusty old Stacy and will continue to communicate 
   with all of you via GEnie. I may not be able to get on daily, but I'll 
   do the best I can.

   Thanks for your understanding. As you know, Missionware Software 
   prides itself on customer support and we regret not being able to 
   handle all of your needs during this period. Unfortunately, business 
   is business, so...

                             ----------------

 From John Snyder (Cali-Co) - Cat. 9, Topic 16, Msg. 1 & 3...
  
   On October 30 1992, Cali-Co. will be releasing Mah Jong solitaire 3.0 
   for the Atari ST.

   This is a solitaire game in which the tiles are removed by pairs, the 
   object being to remove all the tiles from the playing board.

   Owners of Mah-Jong Solitaire 2.x can obtain a copy of 3.0 for the 
   modest sum of $10 plus the original 2.x disk. Mah-Jong Solitaire 3.0 
   can be ordered directly from Cali-Co for $39.95, or from local 
   dealers. Dealer enquiries are welcome.

   Note: Cali-Co uses minimalistic recycled and recyclable packaging 
   with the intent to be environmentally friendly. Hopefully, this will 
   encourage other corporations to help reduce packaging waste.

   ...There is a sound effect that the user can turn off or on.  As in 
   previous versions of Mah Jong, 3.0 provides Controls for customizing 
   the "Look and Feel" of the game play.

   Sorry about no music, but we don't really have a development system 
   for coming up with and then incorporating "Real" music into our 
   products. If anyone out there has any suggestions... I'd LOVE to hear 
   them! I have had success using PD .MOD players with 3.0 , but I have 
   never seen a system for making such files or incorporating them into 
   ones programs.

                             ----------------

 From ZENOBOT - Cat. 9, Topic 17, Msg. 5...

   Oxford Softworks, makers of fine computerized board games, is planning 
   to release an ST version of Omar Sharif's Bridge, which is already out 
   in MS/DOS format and distributed by Interplay US.

   Interplay wouldn't carry the ST version, of course, so it would be an 
   import and under Oxford Softworks' name.

                             ----------------

 About the LINK - Cat. 14, Topic 9, Msgs 70-71...
  
 Question from Ron Kohorn...
  
   ...What is the difference between the LINK and a host adapter or is 
   the LINK just a type of adaptor. Also when a hard drive has a clock, 
   is it in the host adaptor or the drive itself.
   
 Answer from Doug Wheeler (ICD)...
  
   The Link is simply a very small external host adapter (it's the size 
   of a cable connector). If a hard drive has a clock, it is on the host 
   adapter, not the drive itself.

                             ----------------
  
 What speed of SIMMS should you use - Cat. 14, Topic 14, Msgs. 10-12...
  
 Question from Brian Harvey (sysop)...
  
   Am I correct that some MEGA STEs had 80 ns SIMMS, while others have 70 
   ns? Is it clearly written on the SIMMS? Is it in secret code? Do I 
   need a Capt Crunch decoder to understand the code?

   The reason I am asking is that I can get a friend to buy me some 70 ns 
   SIMMS but I do not want to buy them unless they are the right size. (I 
   need to upgrade my MEGA STE from two to four megs.)

 Answer from Sheldon Winick (Computer Studio)...
  
   The last two numbers on the SIMMs represent the speed (i.e. If the 
   last two numbers printed on the chips is 10, the speed is 100ns). 
   Anything faster than 120ns will work just fine. Most of the factory 
   installed SIMMs that Atari uses are either 100ns or 120ns, although I 
   think you'll find that most of us dealers normally carry faster SIMMs 
   as they're currently readily available and nearly the same price as 
   the slower SIMMs (it just makes good business sense to carry products 
   that have a larger market appeal to minimize stocking requirements).

   One recommendation I will make however, is to try to keep all the 
   SIMMs in your machine the same speed, as some machines tend to give 
   some rather 'funky' video displays when different speed SIMMs are 
   installed. But in any event, 120ns or faster is all that you will 
   need.

                             ----------------
  
 About MultiMedia - Cat. 25, Topic 10, Msgs. 6-7...
  
 From Ringo (Lexicor)...
  
   Has anyone else seen/read "Computer Pictures" magazine, it is an 
   excellent magazine that covers MultiMedia products. It is by-monthly 
   at a price of $8.00 Phone 914-328-9157.

   Now this one of the key magazines that ATARI should place Ads. It is 
   also very clear that the current growing area in computers is the 3D 
   animation industry. The faster the machines the easier is to render an 
   animation. Software applications are now in the works and ATARI needs 
   this market.

   Some of the Key components for multimedia & computer animation 
   software is the Graphics Tablet, it was made very clear in this 
   publication that a tablet with a pen is more flexible than the mouse. 
   3D animation rendering, high quality Film retouching/image processing 
   applications are a must have for graphic professionals and DTP users.

   Lexicor has made computer animation much easier for users and current 
   plans are to provide all ATARI users with the best graphics programs 
   possible. That is why Lexicor is working on Phoenix 512 and other 
   applications.

   This program works will all ST/e/Mega/MegaSTe/TT/Falcon systems and 
   provide a very flexible system that will render files in a large 
   number of resolutions with using colors palettes from 512 to 16.8 
   million!

   Graphical communication is the next step for computers, Sony and many 
   others are working on this.

   So the graphics machine "ATARI" needs this applications and Lexicor 
   Software is ready to provide this for all ATARI users.

 From Ed Krimen...
  
   There are a few computer graphics/multimedia/imaging/video industry 
   publications that Atari could advertise in. In addition to Computer 
   Pictures, there's Computer Graphics World, which is really slick. 
   There's also AV Video, and then TV Technology which is mainly 
   broadcast-oriented, but I have seen many Amiga references in there 
   before. New Media which was mentioned here before is new and is also 
   good.

   Actually, Computer Pictures can be sent to you free, as well as the 
   others (except for Computer Graphics World). I don't pay for any of 
   them. I've never paid for Computer Pictures. I even get reminders for 
   free subscriptions to it. In fact, I haven't received one for a long 
   while, so it's about time I give them a call. :^)

   They list an 800 number in the Mar/Apr issue. It says, "Then pass this 
   copy of Computer Pictures along to a colleague to read, or if you want 
   to keep it for yourself, give us a call on 1-800-800-5474 and ask us 
   to send a copy to your colleague."

                              ----------------

 Until next week.....



       _____________________________________________________________






 > COLOR IMAGES EXPLAINED STR InfoFile        In depth explanations
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""




                         UNDERSTANDING COLOR IMGS
                         ========================




 A novel by Dr. Bob


 27 September 1992


 IMG file formats, bi-level and color
 ------------------------------------

 The IMG standard from DRI is composed of a file header and encoded (or not
 encoded) bit-image data. 

 Bi-level, or monochrome, IMGs have a very straight forward and efficient
 storage method. In fact, the compression ratio is about the best around
 for non-LZW compression (GIFs and some TIFFs use LZW to achieve quite a
 great compression ratio).
  
 Bi-level IMGs have been in widespread use for quite a while but with the
 advent of color video systems, the IMG standard has become bogged down. 
 This is due, primarily, to the vagueness in the description of the IMG
 file format concerning  storage of the color data (both the color palette
 and the color bit image itself).

 Since GEM has taken a rather backseat position in the computing world
 today, it is doubtful that DRI will assist in clarifying the issue.

 And since it can be said that ATARI is the last real GEM strong hold in
 the computing world (being that the ST's operating system is designed in
 its entirety around GEM), it would seem a rather natural step that they
 (Atari) take some step or steps to either publish a standard or at least a
 suggestion for a standard for color IMG graphics.

 Alas, this has not happened. In all the seven years since the ST came into
 being, no color IMG format has gelled into a standard.

 Several vendors have designed both legal and illegal variations of the IMG
 standard in order to support color but in the end, all that has come into
 being is incompatibility.


 This document will describe four different renditions of color IMG
 formats (variations on a theme, you might say). A fifth, which has been
 discovered but not yet dissected, will be appended at a later date.

 Names will be given to discern one version from another. These names are
 not intended to detract from anyone's rights or give any privileges to
 anyone, but simply to keep some clarity amidst the confusion.
  

 First we'll examine the normal bi-level IMG format to give us a basis for
 later comparison.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 GLOSSARY insert:

 BI-LEVEL: Two colors. Usually meant to be black and white (B/W).
           This is often called monochrome although 'monochrome' can
           also imply shades of grey. Bi-Level is a more accurate 
           description of the black-n-white imagery we're concerned
           with in this document.

 TOKEN:    Used in uncompressing a file. A code, usually only a byte,
           that indicates the start of a compression scheme.
           For IMGs, there are four different tokens:
           $80=Bit-string, $00=Pattern-run, $00+$ff=VRC (note: two bytes)
           and there is Solid-run which is any other value not listed
           above.

 WORD:     A 16-bit value, taking up two bytes of space. The order 
           is Motorola Hi-Lo. (on other systems, the order may be
           reversed to lo-hi)

           Sample:  256 = hex $0100  $01,$00
                    128 = hex $0080  $00,$80


 DRI:      Abbreviation of Digitial Research Inc., the owner of
           GEM (Graphic Environment Manager) and its parts
           such as AES, VDI etc      
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


 The standard DRI IMG file header is comprised of eight (8) words:

                word offset  typical   description
                --------------------------------------
                 0    $00     $0001    IMG version
                 1    $02     $0008    Header length *
                 2    $04     $0001    Number of planes
                 3    $06     $0002    Pattern def len
                 4    $08     $0055    Microns width
                 5    $0A     $0055    Microns height
                 6    $0C     $0280    Image width
                 7    $0E     $0190    Image height
                --------------------------------------
  
  Let's examine each of these.
  
 IMG version:

 This denotes the version of the IMG file format.  It is always one (1), by
 DRI's specification. No other IMG version has ever been designed (or
 authorized) see: XIMG also


 HEADER length:
  
 This is, slightly, a misnomer since it alludes to the LENGTH of the
 header.  It is actually the number of WORDS in the header, so it may be
 more accurate to term this: HEADER COUNT

 All bi-level images have an 8 in this word, meaning that there are 8 words
 in the header.  The value found here for color images will vary depending
 mainly on the size of the palette and also the particular color IMG
 rendition.

 note:  since the palette is stored within the header of the IMG
        file, HEADER COUNT includes the palette data as well as
        the standard header.
        
        Close attention must be paid to this word when working
        with color IMG files since it is the only way we have
        to determine the start of the image data.
        With bi-level IMGs it was safe to assume that all IMG
        file headers were fixed at 8 words. An assumption like
        this can be dangerous when working with color IMGs.
        Always determine the header length from this word.
        
               the start of the image is found using:
        
              IMAGE_START = Filestart + (HEADER_LEN*2)



 Number of PLANES:

 This is, as it seems, the number of planes in the image.  Bi-level (mono)
 images have, of course, only one plane.

 This word also dictates, as one would assume, the number of colors in the
 image. An image with 4 planes has 16 colors and an image with 8 planes has
 256 colors.

                NUMBER COLORS =  2^PLANES.


 PATTERN DEFINITION length:
  
 This word is only of importance for one of the compression techniques in
 the IMG specification from DRI.  Some authors may use it and some may not.

 It specifies the size of patterns for the token PATTERN-RUN, and is
 usually either one (1) or two (2) but can, in all legality, be ANY number.
 You'll find, however, that it is usually an EVEN number when it's higher
 than 1.

 A 1 means that the pattern to be duplicated is one byte in length or
 8-bits. A 2 means the pattern is two bytes wide, 4 means it is four bytes
 wide and so on.


 MICRONS, words 4 and 5:

 MICRONS denote the actual size of the pixels.  They can be teeny tiny dots
 or they can be huge. Many authors may choose to ignore this (and many do)
 since it is common practice to treat one dot as one video pixel.  Also of
 interest here is the fact that both WIDTH and HEIGHT are specified.  This
 means that the pixels may not necessarily be square (equal in width and
 height).  This is often the case when the image is based on a particular
 video resolution such as Atari/ST Medium resolution or the PC's 2-color
 resolution or any other resolution where the aspect is not 1:1 (the TT's
 low rez comes to mind also).

                     DPI = (25,500/MICRONS)
                     MICRONS = (25,500/DPI)

                      85 MICRONS = 300 DPI
                     255 MICRONS = 100 DPI
        


 And finally, image WIDTH and HEIGHT: words 6 and 7.  Width is specified in
 number of pixels and height, of course, is the number of lines (or
 rasters).

 Although the width is stated in number of pixels, the image only stores
 whole bytes. If the image WIDTH is 633 pixels then 80 bytes are stored. 79
 full bytes and one last byte of which only 1 bit contains any information.
 The other 7 bits are not valid image data and may be blank, filled or
 totally garbage.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------


                A note on IMG compression methods:
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  
 Although this document does not go into detail on the different
 compression methods used, there are some details which are important and
 that are not mentioned or not clearly stated in the normal channels.

 All and any compression ends at each raster boundary. In other
 words: each raster is compressed individually.  Pattern runs, byte
 strings, bit runs all end at the end of each raster. Each new raster, if
 compressed, starts a fresh compression sequence. There is no overrun from
 one raster to another.

 Although it up to the author which compression functions to use, it is
 necessary for an IMG reader to expect a VRC function (even though one
 particular IMG may or may not contain one).  Always assume that an absence
 of any VRC (or VRC=0) is the same as VRC=1.  This will avoid confusion. 
 Since a VRC of 1 does NOT mean to repeat the raster 1 time but means only
 to write the raster once.

 Actually, a VRC code of 1 (one) is completely unnecessary in any IMG.  If
 this is encountered it is probably due to a fluke in the authors encoding
 technique and/or a lack of clarity in his/her source of IMG documentation.

 This is not to say that a VRC of 1 is in any way illegal.  Quite the
 contrary, it is completely legal; just not a necessity. 

 -----------------------------------------------------------------


                    *** COLOR IMG FORMAT VARIATIONS ***
  
   
 It can be said that there is only one IMG format in existence.  While this
 is technically true, it is more a case of semantics than an actual
 real-life truth.

 If there were only one IMG format then there should be no compatibility
 problems with any color IMG file and any application that attempts to
 access that color IMG file.   Sadly, that is not the case. While there may
 be only one FORMAT, there is certainly an abundance of color 'dialects'. 
 Each of which is just different enough to cause woes to the end user.


  
             What can be so difficult in establishing
                  a standard color IMG format?


                The main areas of contention are:
  
              1) color palette, what type of system
              2) arrangement of the bit image planes

           A third item has arisen due to the existence
                   of the different 'dialects'

              3) How to discern one type of color
                 IMG file from another.

            -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -


                      1) COLOR PALETTE:
                         a) where
                         b) what kind

 DRI specified no particular method for storing the color palette.  Nor did
 they say where it should be stored.

                          A) where
  
 Every color 'dialect' design has, quite curiously, chosen the best method
 as to where to store the palette data. It is placed directly after the
 normal file header and the HEADER LENGTH word is adjusted to include this
 palette data.

               Conclusion:  no problem here.


                          B) kind of color

 HOW should the palette be stored? This question arises since the ST
 community has for a long time used and has grown accustomed to the fixed
 size files of DEGAS, TINY and NEO.  When authors then started to design
 color IMGs they naturally carried over some of their learning, namely the
 palette. 

 These DEGAS, TINY and NEO files used a palette that is similar to the
 palettes of other computer systems but with the Atari ST specific word
 sized colors.  This is commonly called a 'hardware' or, in the ST
 community, the 'XBIOS' style of palette.

 Since we're working with DRI's IMG file format, it is natural to assume
 that the color palette also be stored as a DRI standard may or might be.
 So, other authors decided to, instead, store the palette as the VDI
 portion of GEM would expect it.

 Both methods have their advantages.  The XBIOS method lends itself to easy
 porting of other file formats since it is directly hardware oriented and
 can be efficiently and quickly converted to VDI colors.  The VDI method,
 while portable with a little extra effort, does not require any
 modification for use in a VDI environment.

              Conclusion: incompatible palettes.


                     2) BIT IMAGE PLANES

 Due to DRI's vague documentation, no clear method has been established as
 to how to store the color bit image data and seems to be totally open to
 each authors interpretation.

 Some have chosen to store each plane of data in its entirety and separate
 from another, while other authors decided to interleave rasters of each
 plane.
 Once again, each method has advantages and disadvantages. Somehow, it
 would not be surprising to soon find yet a third method appear that stores
 each pixel in its entirety (like GIF files) or even a fourth method that
 stores the plane data in a direct ST video layout (like DEGAS, TINY, NEO).

             Conclusion:  incompatible bit-image
   
 If it is true, then, that there exists only one IMG format then it must
 also be true that the IMG format is, indeed, incompatible with itself.

  
 -------------------------------------------------------------------

  Here, then, are four of the color IMG dialects currently in use.

  We'll label them:
                         NOSIG,  HYPERPAINT,  XIMG  and  STTT.
  

 NOSIG is an archaic dialect that is limited to 16 colors.  We call it
 NOSIG because it contains no signature or no means by which to determine
 exactly what dialect this file may be. 

 We say it is fixed to only 16 colors because, 1) no 256 color IMGs of this
 sort have been seen and, 2) one must _assume_ that any 8-plane form would
 follow the same procedures as a four plane file.

 SIGNATURE: none
 PALETTE  : XBIOS (fixed at 16 colors)
 BITIMAGE : separate planes



 HYPERPAINT is an IMG format with a twist. A noted graphic editor will also
 create these files when used on an STe (using the STe's higher color
 capacity).

 SIGNATURE: word $0080 precedes palette
 PALETTE  : XBIOS
 BITIMAGE : interleaved raster planes


 XIMG is called such since it stores that ascii text, "XIMG", as a
 signature in the file header.  

 note: XIMG states an img version of 2

 SIGNATURE: long "XIMG" precedes palette
 PALETTE  : VDI style
 BITIMAGE : separate planes


 STTT is called such since it stores that ascii text, "STTT", as a
 signature in the file header.

 SIGNATURE: long "STTT" precedes palette
 PALETTE  : XBIOS
 BITIMAGE : separate planes


                  Legend for following chart:
                           A) NOSIG
                           B) HYPERPAINT
                           C) XIMG
                           D) STTT



  Sample/Typical IMG file headers for 4 plane/ 16 color IMG file:
  

 offset  description      A         B         C         D
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
   0     imgver           1         1         2         1
   2     hedlen          24        25        59        27
   4     planes           4         4         4         4
   6     patdef           2         2         1         1
   8     micwid       $0294     $022C     $022C     $0116
  10     michgt       $02DF     $022C     $022C     $0116
  12     imgwid           _         _         _         _
  14     imghgt           _         _         _         _
  - - - - - -                 
  16                    pal     $0080      "XI"      "ST"
  18                              pal      "MG"      "TT"
  20                                     $0000      $0010
  22                                       pal        pal
  24          
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
  notes:
  
     the image width and height are not shown as these will be
     totally dependent upon the particular image in the file.
     'pal' denotes where the palette begins in the header.

     a 256 color IMG header is very similar.  PLANES will be 8 
     and the value in 'hedlen' will be larger to encompass the
     larger color palette.

     The value in the header's headlength will always contain at
     least an eight since the IMG must have at least the 8 normal
     header words. Additional words will be added to this sum for
     the palette and any signature word or long.

     VDI   palette: 3 words per color (1 for each of R,G,B)
     XBIOS palette: 1 word per color. 
  
     For a  16 color VDI palette  :  48 words
     For a  16 color XBIOS palette:  16 words
     For a 256 color VDI palette  : 768 words
     For a 256 color XBIOS palette: 256 words
  
     Different variations of color IMGs may also include a signature
     which is also counted in the HEADER LENGTH word.
  
  
  
  
                              NOSIG

 off descrp     A
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  0  imgver     1  always 1, as per DRI specs
  2  hedlen    24  24 words = 8 normal + 16 color
  4  planes     4  four planes
  6  patdef     2  
  8  micwid $0294   38 DPI
 10  michgt $02DF   34 DPI
 12  imgwid     _
 14  imghgt     _
 - - - - - -  
 16           the palette begins here and is 16 words in the
              XBIOS format (1 word per palette entry)
              immediately following the palette is the bitimage
              with each plane stored in its entirety.


 notes:    none
              
 problems: Since no signature exists, one must _assume_ that any
           4-plane IMG file is actually this format.

 possible:
 solution: Check for all other variants first. If the other
           tests fail then assume that the IMG is this type.


      """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

  
                            HYPERPAINT

 off descrp     B
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  0  imgver     1  always 1, as per DRI specs
  2  hedlen    25  8 normal + 16 colors + 1 signature
  4  planes     4  four planes
  6  patdef     2  
  8  micwid $022C   45 DPI
 10  michgt $022C   45 DPI
 12  imgwid     _
 14  imghgt     _
 - - - - - -  
 16         $0080 (128) this is the only signature of this
              dialect.
 18         the palette begins here and is 16 words in the
            XBIOS format (1 word per palette entry)
            immediately following the palette is the bitimage
            stored as 4 rasters (one from each plane) inter-
            leaved.

 notes:     The order of the rasters are inverted! Plane-0 is
            the last raster in each group. In a four-plane IMG,
            the order of the rasters is: planes 3,2,1,0
              
 problems:  The simple signature is misleading since the NOSIG
            variant expects the palette to begin here, may easily
            mistake the $0080 signature word to be the first
            color of the palette.
            Since these two dialects, NOSIG and HYPERPAINT, are
            very different in plane layout, you'll find that a
            wrong choice of dialect will result in a totally
            trashed picture.
          

 possible:
 solution:  The possibility of $0080 being the first palette
            entry is slim (but still probable). "Best Guess"
            is all that can be said here.
            
          
 ===============================================================


                              XIMG

 off descrp     C
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  0  imgver     2  NOTE THIS!! 
  2  hedlen    59  8 normal + (16 colors *3) + 3 signature
  4  planes     4  four planes
  6  patdef     1
  8  micwid $022C   45 DPI
 10  michgt $022C   45 DPI
 12  imgwid     _
 14  imghgt     _
 - - - - - -  
 16         "XIMG" signature (4 bytes)
 20         $0000  zero word 
 22         the palette begins here. It holds 3 words per color
            in the VDI format of 0-1000.
            ( 16 colors =  48 words)
            (256 colors = 768 words)
            immediately following the palette is the bitimage
            stored as separate planes.

 notes:     none
            
            
              
 problems:  Eight plane images may appear a bit unwieldy but
            innovative coding can easily clear this hurdle.

 possible:  Keep a pointer to the image buffer start and
 solution:  weave the image into the proper planes as you
            uncompress it.

      """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                              STTT

 off descrp     D
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
  0  imgver     1  as per DRI specs
  2  hedlen    27  8 normal + 16 colors + 3 signature
  4  planes     4  four planes
  6  patdef     1
  8  micwid $0116   90 DPI
 10  michgt $0116   90 DPI
 12  imgwid     _
 14  imghgt     _
 - - - - - -  
 16         "STTT" signature (4 bytes)
 20         $0010  palette count (or the number of colors)
 22         the palette begins here and is in XBIOS form
            (1 word per palette entry)
            ( 16 colors =  16 words)
            (256 colors = 256 words)
            immediately following the palette is the bitimage
            stored as separate planes.

 notes:     the 'palette count' word is a good redundancy check
            
            
              
 problems:  Eight plane images may appear a bit unwieldy but
            innovative coding can easily clear this hurdle.

 possible:  Keep a pointer to the image buffer start and
 solution:  weave the image into the proper planes as you
            uncompress it.




      ______________________________________________________________




 > SAME OLD POLITICS? STR FOCUS!            SOFTWARE SELLS HARDWARE!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""



                          What Are Applications?
                                    or
                   Should The CodeHeads Have a Falcon?
  


 Compiled by Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
             Senior Staff Editor
                for STReport
  
 Recently there's been quite a bit of controversy on all of the major on-
 line networks about whether Atari should put CodeHead Technology at the 
 top of the Falcon list to receive a Falcon 030.  The following are two 
 posts from the ST Roundtable on Genie (Category 32, Topic 11, Posts #96 
 and 109) discussing this subject.
  
 STReport feels that after you read the CodeHead's response, you'll agree 
 with us that the CodeHead's have taken the high-road in this discussion.
  
                             ----------------
  
   From OUTRIDER -
  
   Like others, I've gotten kind of angry about the Code-Heads not being 
   among the first to get a Falcon. I posted messages in AtariNet to Bob 
   Brodie from both Charles and John, as well as my own message, all 
   expressing displeasure over this situation, and asked WHY.  Here is 
   Bob's response:

   -----8<-----
   
   Atari ST Computers / Atari Explorer, #96 of 101
   Date: 20 Oct 92 23:13:00
   From: Bob Brodie of 51:1/13.706
   To: Terry May
   Subj: CodeHeads Falconless - Why?

   In reply to:
  
    >Can you please explain why CodeHead Technologies, arguably the most
    >respected, most liked, and most important developer for the Atari
    >platform has been unable to secure a Falcon030 for development?
  
   Sure...they don't write ANY applications. The CodeHeads (whom I regard 
   as personal friends) are creators of some of the most wonderful util-
   ity software on the market. I personally own almost every piece of 
   software that they have written. Maxifile, MultiDesk, HotWire, G+Plus, 
   Code Keys, Warp 9 are all wonderful products.
  
   None of them by themselves gives people a reason to purchase an Atari 
   Falcon030. They * enhance * the performance of the Atari Computer, via 
   various means.
  
   With all due respect, none of the applications that CodeHead is pre-
   sently selling is created by them. The TEC Board is imported from 
   Germany. Calligrapher is from the UK. Avant Vector is from Germany, 
   MegaPaint is from Germany. NONE of those applications has been created 
   by CodeHead Technologies.
  
   We've been asking them to create applications for several years now. 
   They've not produced a single one. While I share your sentiment that 
   they are well respected, liked, and revered, I cannot share your view 
   of their importance. DMC, the makers of Calamus S/L is important. 
   SoftLogik, the creators of PageStream is important. Digitial Arts, the 
   creators of Retouche is important.  Digitial F/X. creators of a 
   terrific direct to disk recording system is important. Dr. T's is 
   important.  Steinberg, creators of Cubase is important. All of these 
   developers give people a reason to choose an Atari Computer because of 
   an application. CodeHead does not.
  
   Please do not take this as a flame to CodeHead. It's not. You asked 
   why they don't have an Atari Falcon030 yet. This is why...no flame 
   intended. If they have some application up their sleeve, they should 
   fill us in on it. Again, I consider the CodeHeads to be personal 
   friends. They know why they don't have a Falcon.

    --- FiFo V2.1o [IOSmail 0.89] 
    # Origin: FNET #706: Z*Net Golden Gate - California 
    * Origin: * 51:1/13.0@Atarinet.ftn Z*Net News Service 908-968-8148 
    (51:1/13.706)
  
   -----8<-----

   And in reply to a message I posted from GSCOTT-MOORE, also expressing 
   displeasure at the CodeHeads being Falconless (although it's addressed 
   to me, it's actually to GSCOTT-MOORE):

   -----8<-----
   
   Atari ST Computers / Atari Explorer, #99 of 101
   Date: 20 Oct 92 23:14:00
   From: Bob Brodie of 51:1/13.706
   To: Terry May
   Subj: CodeHeads Falconless - Part 3
   
   In reply to:
   
    >Where the heck do I forward this message where someone will know how
    >I feel about this idiocy?  I am really miffed that you guys aren't
    >4 months into the machine and both hailing it's glories and
    >RECTIFYING AND OPTIMIZING ITS DEFICIENCIES!  What the heck are
    >"utility" programmers for anyway?

   OK, so you found someplace to forward it to. :)
  
   In answer to what the heck are "utility" programmers for anyway...Good 
   question. They are to enhance the applications and the system software 
   on a computer. In the rest of the message it was fairly clear to me 
   that the author hasn't seen the NewDesktop yet. If he really wants to 
   give CodeHead more business, he should buy a TEC Board from them. 
   (smile)
  
   Don't get me wrong, they write great stuff. And they will get a 
   Falcon. AFTER applications programmers.
  
   PS- ST Report is a less than credible source. Please don't quote them 
   in this conference any more...all it ever brings us is trouble. Thanks 
   for understanding.

   --- FiFo V2.1o [IOSmail 0.89]
   # Origin: FNET #706: Z*Net Golden Gate - California
   * Origin: * 51:1/13.0@Atarinet.ftn Z*Net News Service 908-968-8148
   (51:1/13.706)

   -----8<-----
   
   There were other responses to my query, from U.S. users and overseas 
   users alike, all very much supportive of the CodeHeads and their quest 
   for a Falcon, and their importance to the Atari community.
  
   I felt Bob's answer was very honest and straightforward, but it didn't 
   change my opinion much. I think loyal developers who command an 
   equally loyal following deserve the same loyalty from Atari.
  
  
 Response from John Eidsvoog at CodeHead Technologies -
  
   The quest of CodeHead Technologies to obtain access to a Falcon has 
   drawn much attention lately across the Atari community. Discussions 
   about the reasons why we've been unable to get a Falcon are pointless 
   and only serve to divide an already small group of Atari enthusiasts 
   at a time when we should all be working together toward salvaging the 
   remains of the Atari market.
  
   The parallels between the Atari market and the United States of 
   America are remarkable. Both institutions were once great but have 
   faltered over the last few years as a result of misguided management. 
   Luckily, we can do something about the state of the nation by casting 
   our votes for those we feel can best reverse the decline we've 
   experienced. But in the case of Atari, we have less control. As Atari 
   enthusiasts, we're very limited in what we can do to help. Voicing our 
   concerns will have no effect if no one is listening. The trick is to 
   get someone to listen. As to how that can be done, I have no idea. 
   History has taught us that Atari's direction is unswayed by the advice 
   of its customers.
  
   At CodeHead Technologies we've always been quite independent in our 
   development needs, not requiring much of anything from Atari except 
   new machines when they were released. Our support for Atari computers 
   has been steadfast over the years, unswayed by the opinions and degree 
   of respect we receive from Atari management. While we may not agree 
   with the habitual misdirection of Atari's marketing efforts, we have 
   continued to try our best to provide our customers (and theirs) with 
   the best software possible.
  
   In turn, we expect nothing from Atari but a fair shake. All we desire 
   is that nothing impede our abilities to assure our customers of 
   compatibility between our software and the hardware on which they'd 
   like to use it.
  
   There seems to be a need by many to place software into predefined 
   slots of either "applications" or "utilities". When Bob Brodie was 
   asked why CodeHead has been unable to secure a Falcon030 for 
   development, he responded "they don't write ANY applications." While 
   it's true that much of the software we write is utility software, we 
   consider at least two of our creations, HotWire and MaxiFile, to be 
   _applications_. They provide us with a solid base from which to 
   operate our computers. We could not be nearly as productive as we are 
   without the use of HotWire for software development and daily 
   operation of our computers as we fill orders, do DTP work, graphics, 
   and on-line support. And MaxiFile is acclaimed by many as one of the 
   best tools for use on _any_ platform. Who's going to ask Norton when 
   they're going to write some "real applications"?
  
   Perhaps the best argument I can make is in relation to Atari's idea 
   that applications are what sell computers, not utilities. I don't 
   think anyone will dispute the fact that there is one piece of software 
   that is responsible for an unprecedented surge in the sales of IBM-
   compatible computers and clones in the last couple of years. That 
   piece of software is Microsoft Windows. Whatever one's individual 
   impressions are about Windows as a usable tool, there's no denying 
   that it has single-handedly been responsible for a revolution in the 
   popularity of MS-DOS machines. It has turned these clumsy command-line 
   driven machines into user-friendly machines to which those who are not 
   computer-literate can relate.
  
   So the question is, which slot does Windows fall into? Is it a 
   utility? If so, how could it possibly be responsible for selling all 
   those millions of machines? Is it an application? If so, why aren't 
   HotWire and MaxiFile considered applications?
  
   But let's ignore this flaw in logic and assume that CodeHead has NOT 
   written any applications. Bob said, "We've been asking them to create 
   applications for several years now. They've not produced a single 
   one". We've answered this question over and over but apparently it 
   hasn't sunk in. Before we invest man-years in the development of a 
   major application, we need to have some assurance that we'll be able 
   to sell more than a thousand copies. We keep waiting, and the Atari 
   market keeps dwindling. No intelligent businessman is going to simply 
   pour money down a black hole.
  
   You see, we've been asking Atari to sell computers for several years 
   now! There has not been a significant number of NEW Atari customers 
   for several years, and this makes it impossible to sell significant 
   numbers of software applications.
  
   So you may be asking, "why is it that other developers are able to 
   write major applications for Atari computers?" Let's examine the 
   developers who are "important" in the eyes of Atari. Every one of them 
   is either based in Europe, where there used to be a healthy market, or 
   strongly entrenched in other platforms (like the Mac, PC, or Amiga) 
   where they can make enough money to take a gamble on porting their 
   software to the Atari (or continuing to simply maintain it).
  
   German Atari developers: DMC, Digital Arts, TradeiT, etc.
  
   MIDI developers heavy into other platforms: Dr. T, Steinberg, Digital 
              F/X, C-Lab.

   SoftLogik: Making most of its current income from the Amiga market, 
              but trying desperately to continuing supporting Atari.

   Where does this all leave CodeHead? We are indisputably the most 
   prolific and most respected Atari-only developer in the US.

   What does that get us? The respect of our customers.

           John Eidsvoog  /|\  Member of the IAAD
   CodeHead Technologies  \|/  Serving the Atari Community
  


      ______________________________________________________________




 > STReport CONFIDENTIAL    "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
   """""""""""""""""""""




 - Sunnyvale CA                       REVOLVING DOOR ALIVE & WELL!
   ------------
   
     The latest victims of Atari's  infamous  "Revolving  Door"  are Bernie
 Stollar who  was going  to revolutionize and upgrade Atari's communicative
 skills.  Bernie, originally from the  Village Voice  in NYC,  has departed
 from the hallowed halls of Atari after only a short stay.
   
     Then comes Alwin Stumph the newly appointed head of Atari Europe.  The
 various Atari subsidiaries  in  Europe  were  consolidated  under Stumph's
 Atari Germany.   Stumph, long regarded as _the_ main thrust behind Atari's
 successes in Europe leaves shortly after it was  revealed the construction
 costs of  the new  German facilities were just shy of ten million dollars.
 While unavailable for comment, it is rumored his  departure may  be linked
 to  the  now  obvious  "late  delivery  dates"  of  the  new Atari Falcons
 earmarked for Europe.




 - Rockville, MD.      GENIE'S ST RT HOSTS NOVELTY "LIVE" HONG KONG CONF.
   --------------
   
     In a precedent setting  "real time"  environment, the  ST RT  on GEnie
 held an  online conference  originating at the GEIS Head Office in the Far
 East's jewel of the Orient, Hong  Kong.   A first  for GEnie,  the novelty
 conference was  enjoyed by  all in attendance. (approx 15 users)  A number
 of prices were made mention of  in relation  to USA  prices, ie.,  4mb STe
 $150.00 US  ea., Lynx  games are  $4.00 US  ea.,  Not bad, considering the
 exchange rates, but.. when one adds in the air fare etc..



 - Boca Raton, FL            CIS ATARI AREA SEARCHES FOR MIDI SYSOP
   --------------

 Due to  changing priorities  and interests,  our MIDI  expert, John Davis,
 has informed  me that  he is  no longer  able to  devote adequate time and
 energies to the job  of AtariArts  Forum MIDI  Sysop.   Rather than  do an
 incomplete job, John has suggested that we ought to find someone with more
 time to handle the task, especially with the upcoming introduction  of the
 Falcon.

 Therefore, effective  immediately, I will begin accepting applications for
 the job of MIDI/Music specialist  for  the  AtariArts  forum.   Applicants
 should respond  via EMAIL  to Ron  Luks 76703,254 between now and November
 10th.  Include  your  qualifications  in  the  area  of  Midi/Music,  your
 familiarity with the CompuServe Forum software, and any ideas for building
 up the Midi/Music activity (messages and  library files)  in the AtariArts
 Forum.

 Job responsibilities  will include;  posting and  replying to messages and
 user questions in the  Midi/Music  message  section  and  previewing files
 uploaded  to  the  Midi/Music  library.    You will be furnished with free
 access to the Atari Forums upon acceptance and after a  brief time period,
 a system-wide free user ID.

    Please include  a phone number (daytime preferred, but evening phone is
 okay) so that we can talk in realtime.

     Ron Luks - 76703,254
     Manager, Atari Forums on CompuServe

     


 - Winona, MN            NEW SYSLAW BOOK:  MASSIVELY REVISED AND EXPANDED!
   ----------

 SysLaw, Second Edition:

                 THE LEGAL GUIDE FOR ONLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS

 by Lance Rose, Esq., and Jonathan Wallace, Esq.

 SysLaw provides BBS sysops,  network moderators  and other  online service
 providers with  basic information on their rights and responsibilities, in
 a form that non-lawyers  can easily  understand. Subjects  covered include
 the  First  Amendment,  copyrights  and  trademarks,  the  user agreement,
 negligence, privacy, criminal  law,  searches  and  seizures,  viruses and
 adult materials. 

 SysLaw  not  only  explains  the  laws,  it gives detailed advice enabling
 system operators to create the desired balance of  user services, freedom,
 and protection from risk on their systems.

                         SysLaw is available from:
                           PC Information Group
                       800-321-8285 or 507 452-2824
                            1126 East Broadway
                             Winona, MN 55987
                 You may order by credit card or by mail.
    Price is $34.95 plus $3.00 shipping and (if applicable) sales tax.
             Price is subject to change after January 1, 1993.
                For additional information please contact:
                Publisher Brian Blackledge at 800-321-8285.




 - Cupertino, CA                    APPLE OFFERS THE "EASY WAY"
   -------------
   
     The Easy Way; Apple USA offers creative financing and special software
 package deals that include applications  to  run  IBM  compatible personal
 computer (PC)  software on the Macintosh and for data exchange with PCs to
 businesses.  The emphasis  placed  in  the  direct  mailout  literature is
 toward  the  purchase  of  a  Macintosh IIsi.  Financing choices include a
 lease to businesses with  no  money  down,  no  security  deposit,  and no
 payments for  30+ days.   A  "90 day same as cash" plan on a purchase of a
 Macintosh and software or peripherals purchased at the  same time  via the
 Apple Credit  Card is  also offered  along with a unique trade-in/exchange
 program where Apple will accept used Apple, IBM, and Compaq computers with
 a minimum  cumulative trade-in/exchange  value of $1,000 credit toward the
 purchase of a new  Macintosh.   Excellent software  package deals  such as
 Lotus 1-2-3 for Macintosh, Wordperfect for Macintosh, Universal SoftPC and
 AccessPC is offered to Macintosh computer buyers for the discount price of
 $399.00   The SoftPC and AccessPC software products are specifically aimed
 toward allowing Macintosh users to run  PC software  programs and exchange
 data with PC users via floppy disks.



 - San Diego, CA              "MYSTERY ORDER" OF 25,000 FALCONS PENDING?
   -------------
   
     According to  our sources,  the _may_  be a  twenty five thousand unit
 order of Falcons in the works.  Although the originator of the PO is being
 kept  under  wraps,  its  alleged  to  be  a strong 'blue chip' purchaser.
 Further its been reported  the order  is hinged  on a  solid delivery time
 table and  will, more  than likely,  contain a  clause known  as a penalty
 clause.   This  could  very  well  be  the  beginning  bell  heralding the
 successful journey of the Falcon for Atari.



 - Glendale Ca.                    ATARI USER MOVES TO NEW LOCATION
   ------------

     Ask  for  your  FREE  copy  of AtariUser, every month at participating
 computer stores, music stores, and user groups, or subscribe now  for home
 delivery.  Subscriptions are now only $15 for one year (12 issues), or $25
 for rush First Class Delivery.  Foreign delivery  is $30  a year.   Credit
 card orders are accepted by phone, and sample copies are $2 by mail.

          Contact AtariUser at their NEW address and phone numbers
          --------------------------------------------------------

                            AtariUser Magazine
                   249 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 332
                            Glendale, CA 91203
                     Telephone/Voicemail: 818-246-6277
                             FAX: 818-242-2129
                             GENIE: ATARIUSER


        __________________________________________________________





 > STR Mail Call             "...a place for the readers to be heard"
   """""""""""""


                            STReport's MailBag
                            """"""""""""""""""


                    Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
                    -----------------------------------


 From FNET/USENET; CANADIANS IRKED!

 Atari USA examples
 Nntp-Posting-Host: cc4.crl.aecl.ca
 Organization: AECL RESEARCH
 Date: Tue Oct 20 09:02:09 EDT 1992

 -In article <19OCT92.08565967@cc4.crl.aecl.ca- csullogg@cc4.crl.aecl.ca 
 -writes: Now that Atari Canada has died, I have to deal with Atari USA. 
 -The situation has gone from poor to awful. My only impression of Atari 
 -USA is that the corporation is, on the whole, suicidal. I thought I had 
 -communication problems with Toronto; hell, things look rosy compared 
 -with Sunnyvale.

 -Care to describe some of your experiences with Atari USA?


 When Atari Canada closed its office, I called Sunnyvale. It took 5 calls
 before someone was named to handle my inquiries; Barbara Benson. I Fax'ed
 her the details of an order that I had placed with Atari Canada just
 before it closed its office (TT, Portfolios). Barbara Fax'ed me that she
 would look after my order and that it would take about a week to process.
 Her FAX was on August 13th. The TT came in the last week of September, the
 portfolios arrived last week. Incidentally, I spoke with Shirley Taylor
 about the order and twice I was told that the Portfolios had been shipped.
 On the third call to Sunnyvale re: the Portfolios, the order was FINALLY
 shipped.

 I ordered a TT030/4/50; a TT/2/50 was shipped. I called Sunnyvale and was
 told a 4 meg TT RAM board was also being shipped. It arrived about 4 days
 after the TT. The client has a 32 meg TT RAM board and wanted 4 megs of ST
 RAM. I have asked for an RA number for the TT RAM and as yet have not
 received one.

 The invoice came in for the TT and I Fax'ed Atari USA to ask if the
 invoice was in US or CDN dollars. That was last week; still no reply. If
 it is in US dollars, the price of the TT030/2/50 will be $CDN 165 higher
 than the TT030/4/50 that Atari Canada quoted me. Now that I have had to
 supply 2 megs of ST RAM out of my inventory, I will end up losing money on
 the sale (my cost is now higher than retail and I have dozens of calls and
 FAX charges piled up from trying to get the order completed).

 This whole interaction with Sunnyvale has been a disaster. I even Fax'ed
 Sam Tramiel and asked him to tell his Canadian market rep to get on the
 job. I have asked if I could get ONE FALCON to demo and I have yet to
 receive either a yes or a no.

 So, have things gone from poor to awful, you bet! I'll repeat what I
 Fax'ed to Sam Tramiel. I jump through hoops for my clients; any one who
 wants to market a product that has inherent weaknesses (low visibility
 of Atari makes marketing hard) has do work hard to sell. I expect
 Atari USA to treat its clients (its dealers) with respect and to do
 whatever it takes to keep product flowing to them. If I quit Atari sales,
 I still have a good income to live on. If Atari USA folds, you guys will
 be looking for work!!

 C'mon, get it together and make it tolerable for me to sell Atari
 products.

                              Atari Enthusiast and Ticked-off Reseller

                    ---A reply message to the above---

     I've spoken to three of the Toronto dealers and without fail they are
 ALL reporting the same problems!  I was actually encouraged that Atari
 Canada were shutting down, as the type of operation was costing Atari
 money; BUT I expected they would leave an intact sales/marketing force.

     Now, this is turning into an UNMITIGATED DISASTER!!  Toronto is one of
 the top four markets in North America (L.A., Chicago and N.Y. being the
 others), there is a strong (for Atari) user base and dealers can't get
 stock, or can only get it at prices that are completely irrational, given
 the market here.  WAKE UP ATARI - PLEASE!!!!!  Don't lose the market share
 you have, here.



 From GEnie's ST RT

 John Eidsvoog of the Codeheads clears the air.... but the _hurt_ is still
 very evident over the "NO FALCON FOR THE CODEHEADS" debacle.

 Category 32,  Topic 31
 Message 69        Tue Oct 13, 1992
 J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead]       at 11:11 EDT
  
 Rod Martin,

   >...but I won't press.

 Wow, is that what you call "not pressing"?

     It sounds like you've now accepted the re-explanation of my original
 comment, but you're not going to believe that Charles's comment meant
 anything other than that we're leaving the Atari market.  (And please
 don't take that last sentence out of context and say the CodeHeads said
 "we're leaving the Atari market".)

     Charles said "Maybe they're trying to tell us something.  Maybe we
 should listen."  That's all he said.  It's quite clear.  He didn't see
 "we're leaving the Atari market".  He didn't say "that's it, we're fed
 up...we're outta here".  He didn't say "we're not gonna take it any more". 
 He said exactly what he said.

     I don't know if it's a GEnie problem, or a general problem in reading
 comprehension, but it really starts getting bothersome how many times
 people put their own interpretation on statements that are made in plain
 English.  Both Charles and I are well skilled in the English language and
 when we make statements, we expect them to be taken literally.  No
 translation is necessary.  Occasionally, we may make a mistake in getting
 our message across, but we always try to rectify it.

     Admittedly, Charles's statement may have been vague, but the most I
 could make of what he said at face value is that it is some sort of
 threat.  Maybe he's trying to scare Atari into respecting us as a real,
 professional software company, worthy of their support.

     As to how you can jump to the conclusion that this means we're leaving
 the Atari market, I don't know.

     Once again, please DO NOT take any of the numerous quotes and
 statements in this message out of context.  WE ARE NOT LEAVING THE ATARI
 MARKET.  I'm at a loss as to how I can make that any more clear.

 John

  ------------


 Loyal Codehead Fans upset....

 Category 32,  Topic 31
 Message 74        Tue Oct 13, 1992
 LYRE                         at 23:38 EDT
  
 Rob,

     BTW, the ST Aladdin program is currently at version 1.50.  I haven't
 checked to see if W9 fonts operate correctly or not.  I'll get back to
 you.

 Codeheads,

     I know that this might seem trivial, but have you thought about doing
 a survey?  Why not ask in the various (ha ha) Atari publications that
 *all* the readers reply to it.  Make it a reader reply type thing, no
 postage necessary (your chances of getting a response are better).

 This might help to sway Atari in regards to obtaining a Falcon.

     After all, if alienating a software vendor who is supporting 90% (or
 whatever it happens to be) of Atari's market so that they can not provide
 product for a computer that might very well be a "Do or Die" situation for
 Atari (that's my assumption, not necessarily true) then they are _causing_
 the potential failure of their own business.  But then, that is not
 exactly "news" now is it?
                                                  Lyre




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 > ABCO SPECIALS! STR InfoFile      * NEW 1992 Prices!  MORE Products! *
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""        -------------------------------



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                Model      Description    Autopark    Price
            ==================================================
                SQN1096      83mb  3.5"      Y       419.00
                SQN2055     120mb  3.5"      Y       574.95
                SQN1296     213mb  3.5"      Y       739.00
                SQN4055     340mb  3.5"      Y      1210.00
            ==================================================
             Standard "Shoebox Cabinet style is also available

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                     NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE
                     """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
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         - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -

         ** 50mb SQG51S   $759.00     105mb SQG105S    $959.00 **
                  Or, YOUR choice of Hard Disk Mechanism!

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                ABCO is EXPANDING!!  CALL FOR INFORMATION!

                   SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!




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