*---== STReport International Online Magazine ==---*
                  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
                                   from
                              STR Publishing 
                              """"""""""""""


 January 15, 1993                                                   No.9.03
 ==========================================================================

                  STReport International Online Magazine
                          Post Office Box   6672
                          Jacksonville,  Florida
                               32205 ~ 6672
  
                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 -----------------------------------------
                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EST

                        Support BBS Network System
                            * THE BOUNTY BBS *
                        * TURBO BOARD BBS SYSTEM *
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              1200 - 19.2bps V.32 - 42 bis 16.8 Dual Standard
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                 -----------------------------------------
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          FNET. 350 : The Bounty *<Home of STR>*...1-904-786-4176
          FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
   _____________________________________________________________________


 > 01/15/93 STR 903    "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
   """"""""""""""""
     - The Editor's Desk      - CPU Report        - PORTFOLIO NEWS
     - MULTITOS FOR ALL!      - 2 GBYTE HD SHIPS  - CPU THIEVES NABBED!
     - FALCON OVERHEATS?      - TOWER CASES       - CODEHEAD NEWS!
     - FBI & SYSOPS TRIAL     - INSTALLING 2.06   - STR Confidential

                   -* FALCON TO SHIP W/BUNDLED WARES! *-
                       -* ATARI CORP. & NAMM '93 *-
               -* ITS MID-JANUARY '93 -> FALCON030 - RSN! *-


 ==========================================================================
                  STReport International Online Magazine
               The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
                          -* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
                "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
     Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
 ==========================================================================
 STReport's BBS, The Bounty, invites BBS systems, worldwide, to participate
 in the  Fido/NEST/Atari F-Net  Mail Network.   You  may also  call our BBS
 direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information
 relative  to  all  computers,  worldwide,  through  the  use  of excellent
 International Networking Systems.  SysOps, worldwide, are quite welcome to
 join the STReport International Conferences.  The Crossnet Code is #34813,
 and the  "Lead Node" is # 350.  All BBS systems are welcome and invited to
 actively participate.  Support your favorite computers;  Join Today!
 ==========================================================================
              CIS ~ GENIE ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ FNET ~ NEST
               EURONET ~ CIX ~ CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET
 ==========================================================================

                               =============
                             * ATARI EDITION *
                               =============


     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME

                              to the Readers of;
  
                  ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
                  """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"

                         NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!

               CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198

                 You will receive your complimentary time
                                   and 
                       be online in no time at all!

                WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (January 15)

 MONOCHROME .GIF VIEWER

 Download file MGIF40.LZH from LIBRARY  14  of  the  Atari  Arts  Forum (GO
 ATARIARTS)  for  version  4.0  of  the  MONOCHROME  viewer  for GIF files.
 Includes several general improvements and faster display.

 SORRY! ON YOUR ATARI ST...

 Download file SORRY3.LZH from  LIBRARY  2  of  the  Atari  Arts  Forum (GO
 ATARIARTS) for the computer version of the board
 game Sorry!

 NEW VERSION OF B/STAT!

 Download file  BSTAT4.LZH from  LIBRARY 5  of the Atari Productivity Forum
 (GO  ATARIPRO)  for  version  2.44  of  B/STAT.    B/STAT  is  a shareware
 statistical  analysis  and  business  graphics    program.   It requires a
 minimum of 1 meg of memory and a double sided drive.  B/STAT can  use GDOS
 if installed but does not require it.

 EMPLOYEE SCHEDULING PROGRAM

 Atari Explorer  Magazine has  uploaded file ON_SCH.ARC to LIBRARY 5 of the
 Atari Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO).    This  program  is  a monochrome
 employee scheduling program.

 NEW IN ATARI VENDORS FORUM (GO ATARIVEN)!

 ICD has  just made available their latest Host Adapter software.  Look for
 the file NEWHST.LZH in Library 7,  ICD, Inc.   This  file inlcudes ICDBOOT
 6.0.7, ICDFMT 6.06, HDUTIL 5.03 and other utilities.

 NEW IN ATARI 8-BIT FORUM (GO ATARI8)

 Now available!   A  demo of the eagerly awaited MAZE OF AGDAGON, the first
 multiplayer, multi computer, 3-D  maze  game  for  the  8-bit.    From the
 creative minds  of Chuck  Steinman and Jeff Potter, you won't want to miss
 this one!  File AGDEMO.ARC in LIB 10 [Games]

 Lynxsters unite!  Message section 16 and LIB 16 (both named LYNX) are what
 you're looking for.  Issue #2 of The Atari Gaming Gazette is now available
 for download!  Pick up the latest Lynx news, views, and hot  tips from the
 ultimate Lynx  source.  Available in both ARC and LZH format: AGG_02.ARC &
 AGG_02.LZH in LIB 16.

 Is Crime taking a Bite out of YOU, in the  form of  a certain  Count??  If
 so, check  out Tom McComb's hints for DRACULA THE UNDEAD.  File DRACUL.TXT
 in LIB 16. Don't forget your notebook...

 NEW FILES IN PORTFOLIO FORUM (GO APORTFOLIO)

 SYSOP*BJ Gleason has merged a wealth of new files to  our forum libraries.
 Read the  message base  for descriptions or use the command BRO LIB:ALL to
 see these latest offerings.  Some are priceless!!!!

                  THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
                          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!"
   """"""""""""""""""""""

     Only a  week after  the details  of the  Class B  certification of the
 Falcon030  became  fully  known  ...  NOW,  the wait now becomes even more
 frantic.   Or, so  it would  seem.   Users from  all over  the country are
 asking the big question;  When?  I am inclined to believe Atari this time.
 March is about the time we will begin  to see  the Falcon  appearing.  Its
 not that far away timewise.  After all we've all waited this long already.
 :-)
   
     The  users  are  very  concerned  about  Atari  and  its  performance,
 elsewhere in  this issue  we carry  a series of messages that indicate the
 users' concerns.  They are not bashing Atari but are _genuinely_ concerned
 because they do wish to see Atari and the Falcon series a big success.  

     STReport is  constructing a database comprised of our readers.  Please
 take a moment and drop us a note in email letting us know who you are.
   
                 Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine





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



  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:
  """""""""""""""""""""""
          Dana P. Jacobson    Michael Arthur           John Deegan
          Lucien Oppler       Brad Martin              Judith Hamner
          John Szczepanik     Dan Stidham              Joseph Mirando
                    Steve Spivey        Doyle C. Helms

                     Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor Emeritus

  Contributing Correspondents:
  """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
          Michael Lee         Richard Covert           Scott Birch
          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:

                    Compuserve.................... 70007,4454
                    Delphi........................ RMARIANO
                    BIX........................... RMARIANO
                    FIDONET....................... 112/35
                    FNET.......................... NODE 350
                    NEST.......................... 90:21/350.0
                    GEnie......................... ST-REPORT


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

                      STR'S "BELIEVE IT?  OR.. WHAT?"
                    <>###############################<>

                "There is no comparison!  The Atari Falcon
                   is far superior to the PC platform."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "My new office, which has a better view than my old one, is so far
     quite satisfactory. And Richard Miller is in my old office.  The
     Forbes article was a mish-mash and misconstrued article full of half
     truths.  We are anxiously awaiting the release of the Atari Falcon to
     bring us back to the forefront.  The article has given us some laughs,
     but otherwise has not affected us."

                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


          "As I said before, all marketing announcements will be made at
          Duesseldorf.  I will not comment on future models of the Falcon.

                 WE ARE TALKING TODAY ABOUT A MACHINE.....
                    WHICH WILL BE SHIPPING NEXT WEEK."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "I've just returned from Asia, where I saw the first Atari Falcon
     production coming off the lines.  Let's hope this new offering will
     make it in North America.  I know that the specs are great."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


     "We have not yet even given the machine to the FCC.  And we are only
     applying for Class B approval.  According to our "experts", it should
     pass Class B."

                                                  Sam Tramiel, 08/92


            "......  We are not working for Wall Street but to
        make money for our shareholders and only think long term."


                                                  Sam Tramiel, 11/92

 psssst.
              FYI.... The Shareholder's equity is fine.... NOT!

                    The Stock is hovering around $1.12 

                    CHRISTMAS '92 has COME and GONE...
                          FALCONS    ....anyone?

                 By the Way.... Does the Falcon work well
                   with any of the SLM Laser Printers??



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



 > CPU STATUS REPORT                 LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS 
   =================


  
  
                  Computer Products Update - CPU Report
                  ------------------------   ----------
                 Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
  
                                Issue #02
  
                             By: John Deegan
  

                             NEWS FROM ATARI
  
    FALCON030'S NOT UP TO SNUFF - According to Bob Brodie, Atari's Direc-
 tor of Communications, too many Falcon030's have been failing to pass 
 diagnostic tests.  Mr. Brodie says that Sam Tramiel is very upset with 
 the sub-contractor responsible for the production of these machines and 
 that Sam feels the failure rate is completely unacceptable. The sub-
 contractor has also had problems meeting production quotas.
  
    Mr. Brodie said that Sam Tramiel was to meet with representatives 
 from the sub-contractor this week to discuss resolving these problems. 
 No matter what the outcome of this meeting, Atari hopes to contract with 
 another factory to help produce the Falcon030's.
  
    Until this situation is resolved, Atari expects the Falcon030's to 
 only be available in small quantities until March of this year.

    IS THERE A DESIGN FLAW? - in a related story, according to an unnamed 
 source, the original Falcon030 had a design flaw in the placement of the 
 cooling fan that could cause over-heating problems.
  
    FALCON030 TO SHIP WITH 8 APPLICATIONS - When the Falcon030 finally 
 starts to ship in volume, it will be bundled with 8 applications. Accor-
 ding to Mr. Brodie, the bundle will include Audio Fun Machine, Falcon 
 D2D - a direct to disk recorder, System Audio Manager, ProCalc - a full 
 scientific calendar, Talking Clock, CalAppt - a calendar/rolodex type of 
 utility, and a couple of games - BreakOut and LandMines.
  
    MULTITOS STILL IN BETA - Bob Brodie said the recent beta version of 
 MultiTOS went out to developers before Christmas. While the current beta 
 version is fairly stable, a few bugs are still popping up on occasion. 
 Mr. Brodie found one himself last week.  The TOS group is confident that 
 a shippable version of MultiTOS will be available in the very near fut-
 ure. The installation program is now being prepared.
  
    MULTITOS FOR ALL - Mr. Brodie also confirmed that Multi-TOS will be 
 made available for all Atari 680x0 computers, not just the 68030's.  It 
 is still unknown how Atari will distribute MultiTOS and what the price 
 will be. Some are hoping that there will be no charge for MultiTOS.
  
    SPEEDOGDOS ALMOST READY - SpeedoGDOS, the scalable font replacement 
 for GDOS/FontGDOS/FSM GDOS is also almost ready for distribution. Cus-
 tomers who need more Speedo fonts than are provided by Atari, will be 
 able to call an 800 phone number and order more fonts.  Pricing for 
 SpeedoGOS is unknown at this time.
  
    NAME CHANGE FOR CONCIERGE - First it was ST Sutra, then Concierge, 
 and now it's called 'Atari Works'. Atari Works is a fully integrated 
 data base, word processor, and spread sheet with a spell-checker and 
 thesaurus included with the program. It is still going through the 
 testing stage with improvements being focused in the database portion of 
 the program. Pricing for Atari Works is expected to be in the $100 
 range.


                 NEWS FROM THE REST OF THE COMPUTER WORLD

  
    FUJITSU BEATS COMPETITION WITH TWO GIG HARD DRIVE - Getting a head-
 start on its competition, Fujitsu has started shipping its M2564 hard 
 drive, a 5.25" form factor unit with a formatted capacity of two giga-
 bytes (2,000 megabytes).
  
    The company says the drive has one of the highest sustained media 
 data rates in the industry at 4.75 megabytes-per-second and an average 
 seek time of 12 milliseconds. The M2564 has a MTBF (mean-time-between-
 failures) of 300,000 power on hours, one of the best in the computer 
 industry.
  
  
    INKJET PRINTERS OVERTAKING LASER PRINTERS - While only holding 10% of 
 the total printer market last year, inkjet printers are expected to 
 catch up to, if not pass, laser printer sales as soon as next year.
  
    International Data Corp. (IDC), says ease of use, along with lower 
 costs, are two major factors in more and more consumers going with the 
 inkjet printer over the laser. Small businesses and consumers like the 
 lower initial and upkeep costs of the inkjet printers and its sophis-
 ticated output and are expected to make the market for inkjets to in-
 crease.
  
  
    TANDY TO CLOSE 100 RETAIL STORES - Tandy Corp. is set to spin off its 
 computer and electronic manufacturing operations into a separate company 
 and to close 100 of the 413 retail outlets that form its brand name re-
 tail group. The stores that will be closed are likely to be McDuff 
 Supercenters in major metropolitan areas and possibly Video Concepts and 
 the Edge in Electronics.
  
    The restructuring is not expected to affect Tandy's 7,000 Radio Shack 
 neighborhood stores. Two other Tandy-owned stores -- Computer City and 
 Incredible City -- are likely to be expanded.
  
  
    JAPANESE TO STUDY HEALTH OF VIDEO GAME PLAYERS - Following complaints 
 from parents, the Japanese health authorities are setting up a study in-
 to how video games affect the physical and mental health of children. 
 One out of two households in Japan owns at least one video game.

    In a related story, Britain has launched an inquiry into reports that 
 children may suffer epileptic fits from computer games. The British 
 government move came after newspaper reports that two boys in Cardiff 
 had suffered fits while playing computer games.


    COMPUTER THEFT RING CRACKED - Thirteen men, ranging in age from 18 to 
 30, were arrested last week when the San Jose, Calif., the FBI and local 
 authorities broke up a gang of alleged computer equipment thieves that 
 possibly was involved in a string of home robberies.  The men, all from 
 cities in the greater San Francisco Bay area, allegedly were part of a 
 loosely organized gang, authorities said.



     ________________________________________________________________




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



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


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

 compiled by Joe Mirando

 Editor Note; Joe had a system crash this past week and lost the majority
 of his data, we're trying to fill in a little for him.  He does it all so
 much better.  :-)

 #: 36027 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     07-Jan-93  01:31:13
 Sb: #36023-#LYNX promo problem
 Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
 To: Dazzz Smith 70374,2241 (X)

 I don't know enough about the Jaguar to respond with any intelligence.

 In the States, the consumer is easily "bought" by promotions and the
 almighty ad dollar. It has succeeded to convince consumers to buy VHS over
 BETA, Nintendo over Sega and GameBoy over Lynx. Learned consumers can
 easily argue the wisdom of all those choices.

 Sega and Nintendo are very popular here in the console game markets.
 Nintendo leads notably with Sega, then NEC. Neo Geo romanced us for a
 short while, but somehow never absorbed enough bucks from their high
 priced units to snowball any promotion for themselves.

 I enjoy relaxing with electronic/video games, but please don't think I am
 any game market expert. I simply observe retail activity.


 #: 36030 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     07-Jan-93  07:36:37
 Sb: #36027-#LYNX promo problem
 Fm: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454
 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X)

 Your observations are very much similar to those made by the vast majority
 of Atari enthusiasts.  Advertising is bought by the "almighty ad dollar". 
 Advertising rules in this country and the world for that matter.  How a
 dog like the gameboy can outsell the Lynx is a prime example of the power
 of advertising.  I agree with you.

 Happy New Year to you and yours!

             Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine

 #: 36112 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     11-Jan-93  23:36:59
 Sb: #36030-#LYNX promo problem
 Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
 To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454 (X)

 Of course, you know as well as I, that the other companies have other
 contemporary products to finance those big ad campaigns. The 2600, 7800
 and 5200 don't quite carry the weight anymore.

 That will change soon.


 #: 36129 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     12-Jan-93  07:37:49
 Sb: #36112-#LYNX promo problem
 Fm: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454
 To: Don Thomas 75300,1267 (X)

 You are quite right.  However, when company whigs make it known that there
 is 50 mil 'in the bank' and that 'all is well' along with the promise of
 "new, secret plans" for the miraculous recovery.  I begin to recall
 history's lessons about recovery and secrets.

 They would be far better served if they took the energies and resources
 they waste on the politics, head games and vendettas and added them to
 fighting to bring about a successful recovery.  The goofy games simply go
 on.  Why?  Don't _they_ realize most all who are watching also realize the
 foolishness of it all?

 Cripes.... if _we all_ didn't care we wouldn't be here at all.  When OH
 WHEN are they aver going to learn from their mistakes?  This year as
 infantile as it is is beginning to play like previous years. Promise after
 promise, delay after delay, blame this one, blame that blame anything but
 don't blame us.

             Ralph @ STReport International Online Magazine


 #: 36216 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     15-Jan-93  00:42:10
 Sb: #36129-LYNX promo problem
 Fm: Don Thomas 75300,1267
 To: STReport - Ralph 70007,4454

 Ralph, as you know, I try VERY hard NOT to play those games. I've never
 liked them in any company I've ever worked for and it exists in them all
 to some degree or another.

 I personally think it would be unwise to invest in a "$50M" advertising
 campaign right now. Even IBM is experiencing overspending backlashes right
 now and I believe Atari is pretty prepared to be where we need to be when
 the next generation of "technology" is ready to be unleashed.

 I remember being a dedicated and spirited Atari User on the outside
 looking in and I vividly recall all those times I felt I knew all the
 answers. Truth is, I could never have manipulated my own money or anyone
 elses in the ways Atari has to survive tough times AND be in a strong
 position with new product. If I had been running things or if most anyone
 I know for that matter, Atari Users today wouldn't have anyone to yell and
 scream at. If I was so convinced otherwise, I suppose I'd be running my
 own computer company.

 Keep up the good work and continue to let Atari Users know about the good
 stuff as well as the bad. It's the only way our definitions of "UTOPIA"
 will ever be realized.

  Don Thomas
  Atari Computer Corporation




    ___________________________________________________________________





 > UK TOWER CASES STR InfoFile        Custom Cases for the ST Line
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""



                     CUSTOMS CASES AND GOODIES GALORE!
                     =================================


 ctsy CIS Atari Fora

 Posted in a message From: Tim Rule 100135,2013

     In the UK, Atari Workshop supply a range of tower cases for all STs,
 Megas, TTs etc.  The cases are specifically designed for the ST, giving
 access to all ports and even including such things as a time delay on
 powering up the hard drive (necessary for many ST hard drives).  But the
 case is only the start of it.  Atari Workshop market a wide range of
 graphics cards, fax cards, accelerators etc. which can all be brought
 together into their cases and interfacing system.  They also market a VME
 bus addition for STs without a VME bus.

     They are a very innovative company but their catalogue doesn't explain
 things very well.

 Contact them in the UK on:

                 +44 0753 832212, or fax +44 0753 830344.

 The address is:

                      Brandt Fernandes (Europe) Ltd.
                          Windsor Business Centre
                             Vansittart Estate
                              Windsor, Berks
                                  SL4 1SE
                              United Kingdom

 The two products I was referring to are the Octobus.  This has:

 - Dual bi-directional buffered printer ports, software selectable.

 - Connect up to four floppy drives, full support for High Density
   drives.

 - Electronic monitor switch allows mono and color monitors on ST or TT.

 - Set password protection system.

 Octobus with software 127.62 (pounds) but can only be fitted to towers.

 The VME bus, on second consideration, looks to me like it is really an
 expansion for the Mega STE and TT.  You'll have to ask them about it cause
 I'm not sure.  It adds a 5 slot VME bus to their top-of-the range tower
 for 331.87 (pounds).

 The export prices for towers are as follows:

  Mega ST       Tower System 1       144.64
  ST(FM)/STE    Tower System 2       170.17 (inc keyboard case)
  ST(M)         Tower System 3       204.21 (inc keyboard case + new PSU
  Mega STE      Tower System 4       144.64
  TT            Tower System 5       144.64

                    (all prices in UK pounds sterling)

 They also list a host of other wierd and wonderful add-ons for the towers,
 such as fans, extra hard disks, multiboard....

 They market a range of FAX modems, accelerators, graphics cards, software,
 large screen monitors, replacement keyboards, scanners, photo-typesetters,
 ST DTP systems (for bureau), networks, high density drives, memory
 expansions etc.  In fact anything which is elite and cutting edge in the
 Atari world.

 Their technical staff I've talked to on the phone are some of the most
 Atari knowledgeable people I've spoken to in the UK.  


   

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

                             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
                  DELPHI services via a local phone call

                              JOIN -- DELPHI
                              --------------

                Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002
                                  then...
                When connected, press RETURN once or twice
                                  and...
               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.

   For more information, call: DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005

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

                        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 (1/13/93)
                                         
                                  STR902
                               ZNET9302.LZH
                               PCSVIEW3.LZH
                             PREMIUM MAH JONGG
                      2 JAN 93 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE
                             NASTASSIA KINSKI
                                 STZIP 2.1
                          NASTASSIA KINSKI IN PCS
                               EZBASE10.LZH
                            GNU COMPILERS INFO
                                                                         
 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!



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





 > TOS 2.06 INSTALL GUIDE STR InfoFile        GOOD STUFF!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""




           TOS 2.06 Installation Instructions for 1040ST (V1.0)
           ====================================================




 by Ted Rossin


 Introduction:
 -------------

     This document contains a procedure for installing TOS 2.06 EPROMs into
 a 1040ST revision C  motherboard.   A simple  circuit consisting  of 3 TTL
 ICs wire  and patience  is all  that is  required.   The total cost of the
 upgrade will be the cost of the TOS 2.06 EPROMs ($60) plus $1 for  the TTL
 chips.

     The OS  upgrade should  work on other STs as well but this upgrade has
 only been implemented on a  revision  C  motherboard  of  a  1040ST (~1986
 vintage).   This upgrade  requires some  careful soldering so don't try it
 unless you have had  some  PC  board  soldering  experience  (don't  use a
 soldering gun!).

     I would  like to  thank all who responded to my questions on notes for
 their help.  Without the help, I would have had  a slim  chance of getting
 this thing to work.  

     I would  like to suggest that anyone who wants TOS 2.06 to buy it from
 Codehead Technologies: (213)-386-5735  They send along a nice manual and a
 great utilities disk.


 Background:
 -----------

     Most  520ST  and  all  1040ST  computers were shipped with 6 ROMs that
 contained TOS (The Operating System).   These  ROMs  are  mapped  into the
 address space  0xFC0000 to 0xFEFFFF.  This is a 192K byte space.  Each ROM
 holds 32K  bytes.  TOS 2.06 is larger than 192K for extra features and bug
 fixes so the address space had to be moved.  The address space 0xFF0000 to
 0xFFFFFF is used by I/O ports on the  ST so  the existing  space could not
 just be increased.

     The new  address space  for TOS 2.06 is 0xE00000 to 0xE3FFFF.  I might
 add that previous versions of TOS may have been here also but  I went from
 TOS 1.0 to TOS 2.06 so I can't say for sure.  Also, instead of putting TOS
 2.06 into 8 32K byte ROMs it was placed into  two 128K  byte EPROMs.   One
 part is  called EVEN  (supplies the  high 8-bits) the other part is called
 ODD (supplies the low 8-bits).

     When the 68000 comes  out of  the reset  state, it  reads the  first 8
 bytes in  its address  space (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7).  From this data it gets an
 initial value for the supervisor stack pointer and  the initial  value for
 the  program counter.  What the 520ST and 1040ST do (via the GLUE chip) is
 to remap addresses 0  through 7  to 0xFC0000  to 0xFC0007.   The  ROMs are
 programmed to  have the start address in these locations.  TOS 1.0 had the
 value 0xFC0020 while TOS 2.06 has the address 0xE00030.

 In 520ST and 1040ST computers, the address space 0xE00000 to 0xEFFFFF is
 not used or decoded.  If a memory cycle is attempted in this range the
 data bus will time out and an bus error will result.

 The requirements to get TOS 2.06 to work in a 1040ST are as follows:

 1. Decode the address range 0xE00000 to 0xE3FFFF and have the TOS 2.06 
    ROMs drive their data when addressed.
 2. Generate DTACK for accesses to TOS 2.06 space.  
 3. Map the address range 0->7 to 0xE00000->0xE00007.
 4. Mechanically connect the EPROMs and decoder logic to the motherboard.

 The address range can be decoded with the high 4-bits of the address bus
 (A23->A20) to decode the address range 0xE00000 to 0xEFFFFF.  This will
 work fine because nothing else is in the range 0xE40000 to 0xEFFFFF.  

 The DTACK signal in the ST is an open collector (wire OR) type bus.  This
 means that any device that wants to assert DTACK may only do so with an
 open collector type interface.  This interface basically is one in which
 the driver can either drive the line to  GROUND or  not drive  the line at
 all.

 This is different than normal TTL which will drive outputs to GROUND or +5
 (in reality  0.4 to  3.8V).   The DTACK  line has a pull up resistor on it
 which will  bring the  line high  if none  of the  devices on  the bus are
 driving it  low.   The DTACK  signal can be derived from the decoder logic
 but must be buffered with an open collector buffer.

 The GLUE chip decodes the 0->7 address range and the range 0xFC0000 to
 0xFCFFFF and asserts the signal ROM2 when either of these two ranges are
 addressed.  The interface  can use  this fact  and OR  in the  ROM2 signal
 with the  0xE????? space  to enable  TOS 2.06  ROMs.  This way the boot up
 sequence will be as follows:

 1. 68K will read addresses 0->7 which will cause the ROM2 signal from
    GLUE to be asserted.
 2. Data will be read from locations 0xE00000 through 0xE00007.
 3. The 68K will then jump to address 0xE00030 and begin executing code.
 4. At this point the ROM2 signal will never be asserted again and the
    TOS 2.06 decoder logic will do the work.

 The TOS 2.06 EPROMs are a  super set  of the  TOS 1.0  parts.   This means
 that nearly  all of  the pins  of the  new parts  can be  plugged into the
 sockets of the old parts.  All of the signals  needed for  the decoder are
 available off  of the GLUE chip.  Therefore the 3 TTL chips will be placed
 near the GLUE chip by glueing them to the motherboard with their pins bent
 up.  

 Before  you  attempt  this  upgrade  make  sure  that you have enough room
 between the two ROM sockets to  place the  32-pin parts  into the sockets.
 On the  Rev C  mother board  there is no problem.  The TOS 2.06 chips will
 have pins 1,2,31 and 32 hanging out over the end of the socket.  Basically
 if there is more than a quarter inch between U4 and U7 you are set.


 Step by Step Instructions:

     Please  read  through  the  remaining  instructions before starting to
 determine if this upgrade  is something  you want  to attempt.   There are
 two main  steps.   The first  step is  the construction and testing of the
 address space decoder and DTACK logic.  The  second step  is the insertion
 of the  new ROMs  into the  system.  Before you start you will need a disk
 with a program on it to read address 0xE00000.  This program  will be used
 to determine  if the  decoder and  DTACK generator are working. Before the
 circuit is implemented the program will generate a  bus error  and display
 bombs on  the screen.  After the circuit is implemented the program should
 just read the value 0xFFFF if you do a 16-bit read.

 main()
 {
     unsigned int *ptr=(unsigned int *)0xE00000;

     printf("Value read was 0x%04x\n",*ptr);
 }


 Step 1 (Implement the Address decoder and DTACK Generator).

     The schematic below (I hate ASCII schematics more than you do) shows
     the address decoder and DTACK logic.  The circuit has 10 signals
     that connect directly up to the GLUE chip and 3 signals that connect
     directly to the TOS 2.06 ROMs.  The GLUE signals are on the left and
     the TOS 2.06 EPROM signals are on the right.


     (19,XX)  ROM2_>--------------------------++--------+-----+--------+
 || Chip   | +5V | Ground |
  74F138 |+--------+-----+--------+
  +--------------+   || 74F138 | 16  |   8|
     (11,52)A23>---|a0(1)   q0(15)|o- || 74F08  | 14  |   7|
     (10,51)A22>---|a1(2)   q1(14)|o- || 74F06  | 14  |   7|
     (09,50)A21>---|a2(3)   q2(13)|o- |+--------+-----+--------+
       |q3(12)|o- |  _______
     (12,06)AS_>--o|e1(4)   q4(11)|o- |  \  \  74F08
     (08,48)A20>--o|e2(5)   q5(10)|o- +--o\a(1)  \ 
     (55,09)   R/W_>---|e3(6)q6(9)|o-  )  y(3))o--------> CE_
  | q7(7)|o---*-----o/b(2)  /
  +--------------+| /______/
       |
    +5V   |
     _|_   |
        330 Ohm  | |   |
     | |   |  
     |_|   | 
     4   /| 3 |  2 /|1 | 74F06 (Must be open collector)
     (50,10) DTACK_<-------o< |---*---< |o-+  
     \|\|

        +5V  
     |  ____
     +--|4  \  74F08
        |  6 )-------------------------->BA17
     (05,45)A17>------------|5__/

        +5V 
     |  ____
     +--|9  \  74F08
        |  8 )-------------------------->BA16
     (04,44)A16>------------|10_/


     Numbers in parenthesis on the left are (GLUE pin #,68000 pin #).  The
     ROM2 signal is not connected to the 68K but can also be found on pin
     20 of U4 and U7 (TOS 1.0 EPROMs).  Parts needed are one of each of the

     following, 74F138,74F08 and 74F06.  Different families (LS, ALS, AS) 
     may be substituted for the above parts.  The buffer that drives 
     DTACK_ must be open collector or if a 7406 part can't be found a 
     tri-state buffer can be used as long as it is used like the example 
     below:

 74LS244
    +-------------+
    |oe(1)|o-------- to pin 7 of 74F138
   DTACK_<----------|y0(18)  i0(2)|---+   
    | |   |
    +-------------+   |           |
    GROUND

     This circuit will now only have two states instead of three.  High
     impedance and low.  This will behave just like an open collector
     buffer.

     The following is a description of how the circuit was constructed.
     The main deal is that the current TOS ROMs must be left in the ST.
     Don't take them out until this circuit has been verified.

     Start out by removing the motherboard from the case and RF shield.
     Carefully remove the disk drive and power supply. Save the piece of
     black plastic for insulation to lay the PC board on while working on
     it and also when debugging.

     Locate the area of the board shown below near the GLUE and MMU chips.
     The three TTL chips will need to be glued in the areas shown in the
     diagram below.


  74F138  74F08   74F06   +-------------+
 Hole +---+   +---+   +---+   | |
 +--+ |   |   |   |   |   |   | |
 |  | |   |   |   |   |   |   |GLUE |
 |  | |   |   |   |   |   |   | |
 |  | |   |   |   |   |   |   | |
 +--+ +---+   +---+   +---+   | |
  +-------------+
  
   U60 U61GROUND  +-------------+
  +---+   +---+ _|_   | |
  |   |   |   | | |   | |
  |   |   |   | | | C88   |MMU  |
  |   |   |   | |_|   | |
  |   |   |   |  || |
  +---+   +---+   +5V | |
  DRAMDRAM+-------------+


     To make life a bit easier bend all the pins of the three chips up
     to change them from the pins going down to the pins going up.  This
     way pin 1 will be the top left one.  I used a rubber cement type glue
     to glue the chips to the PC board.  Try to find spots without the
     silver pop throughs so that the parts are rock solid.  Super glue
     should also work.  Also, put the chips close to the hole since this
     is where the wires to connect to the GLUE chip will go.  Keep in mind
     that a plastic shaft about half as wide as the hole will still need
     to go through it.  You can always cut it off as a last resort.

     Let the glue dry before soldering to the chips.  After the glue dries,
     make sure that your computer still works.  This can be done by 
     placing the mother board on the black plastic and connecting up the
     power supply and disk drive.  Just place a the disk in the drive with
     the small program to read 0xE00000.  Connect up the monitor and blow 
     off the keyboard for now.  Switch on the power (be careful when you 
     plug in  the power  cord not  to get zapped).  You machine should come
     up. 

     If you are careful you can plug in the keyboard while the power is off
     but there is really no place to physically support it.

     Now that you are convinced that you machine still works it is time
     to do some wiring.  Use wire wrap wire for all of the connections.  I
     believe that you can still get it at radio shack.  First, connect up 
     power to the TTL parts.  As  shown  in  the  previous  diagram  +5 and
     GROUND can be obtained off of the capacitor C88.  Next, connect up the
     logic in the circuit diagram.    Don't  forget  the  330  Ohm  pull up
     resistor on pin 2 of the 74F06.  An Ohm meter should be used to verify
     your work.

     The final step of the decoder  circuit construction  is to  connect up
     the 10 wires to the GLUE chip.  Remember that all but one of the 10 
     connections  to  the  GLUE  chip  has  an electrical connection to the
     68000.

     The connections to GLUE will be  made  on  the  bottom  of  the board.
     Don't  solder  directly  to  the  GLUE  chip.   Run the wires from the
     GLUE chip on   the bottom of the board through the hole  marked in the
     above diagram and then to the 3 TTL chips.  Keep the wires as short as
     possible and keep them next  to  the  PC  board.    The  following two
     diagrams show  the pin  outs of  the GLUE  and the 68000 respectively.
     Check connections with an Ohm meter on the top of  the board  from the
     68K to the 3 TTL chips.  The ROM2 signal can be checked from pin 20 of
     the TOS ROM U4. 

     Also, note that pin 1 of the glue chip has a square pad instead of a 
     round one.  There is a dot on top of the chip.


 Bottom View  
   
  61 63 65 67  1  3  5  7  9
   o  o  o  o  [] o  o  o  o
    62 64 66 68  2  4  6  8
 60 oo  o  o  o  o  o  o  oo 10
    59 oo 11
 58 o  o 12
    57 oo 13
 56 o  o 14
    55 oo 15
 54 o  o 16
    53 oo 17
 52 o GLUE o 18
    51 oo 19
 50 o  o 20
    49 oo 21
 48 o  o 22
    47 oo 23
 46 o  o 24
    45 oo 25
 44 oo  o  o  o  o  o  o  oo 26
    42 40 38 36 34 32 30 29
   o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o  o
  43 41 39 37 35 33 31 29 27
   


       MC68000 (Top View)
      +--------------+
      D4 -|1   64|- D5 
      D3 -|2   63|- D6
      D2 -|3   62|- D7
      D1 -|4   61|- D8
      D0 -|5   60|- D9
      -----> AS_ -|6   59|- D10
        UDS_ -|7   58|- D11
        LDS_ -|8   57|- D12
      ----->R/W_ -|9   56|- D13
      ----->  DTACK_ -|10  55|- D14
     BG_ -|11  54|- D15
      BGACK_ -|12  53|- GND
     BR_ -|13  52|- A23   <---
     Vcc -|14  51|- A22   <---
     CLK -|15  50|- A21   <---
     GND -|16  49|- Vcc
       HALT_ -|17  48|- A20   <---
      RESET_ -|18  47|- A19
        VMA_ -|19  46|- A18
       E -|20  45|- A17   <---
        VPA_ -|21  44|- A16   <---
       BERR_ -|22  43|- A15
       IPL2_ -|23  42|- A14
       IPL1_ -|24  41|- A13
       IPL0_ -|25  40|- A12
     FC2 -|26  39|- A11
     FC1 -|27  38|- A10
     FC0 -|28  37|- A9
      A1 -|29  36|- A8
      A2 -|30  35|- A7
      A3 -|31  34|- A6
      A4 -|32  33|- A5 
      +--------------+


     Now that the connections have been made double check your work and
     make sure that no pins of GLUE or the decoder are shorted.  After
     you are sure connect up the power supply, disk drive, keyboard/mouse
     and monitor and power up you ST.  If your machine does not come up
     turn off the power and check your work again.  If all fails remove
     a wire or two until your machine boots.  The DTACK_ line is the first
     one to remove when in doubt.  If your machine did come up you are
     in pretty good shape.  Try running the program described before that
     will do a read cycle to 0xE00000.  If this program prints any result
     without a bomb on the screen you are just about done with the upgrade.
     Turn off the power and get ready for the final step.


 Step 2 (Yank out the old ROMs and bring in the new)

     Now comes the part that you have been waiting for.  The diagram below
     shows the location and diagram of the original TOS in the ST.  Note
     that U4 is connected to bits D15 through D8 and U7 is connected to
     bits D7 through D0.  Believe it or not the ROM2 signal really does
     select the low address ROM set.  Basically what is going to be done
     in this step is to remove all six of the TOS ROMs and insert the 
     EVEN TOS 2.06 ROM into the socket for U4 with the chip enable pin 
     lifted.  Likewise, the ODD TOS 2.06 ROM  will go  into the  socket for
     U7.

      UDS_>----------*------------*------------+
     |||
      U2 | U3 | U4 |
       +------+  |  +------+  |  +------+  |
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
       |oe(22)|o-+  |oe(22)|o-+  |oe(22)|o-+
       |  | |  | |  | Even Bank
       |ce(20)|o-+  |ce(20)|o-+  |ce(20)|o----+
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
       | 0150 |  |  | 0151 |  |  | 0152 | |
       +------+  |  +------+  |  +------+ |
     ||   |
      ROM0_>---------*----------------------------------+
      |   | |
      ROM1_>----------------------*------------------+  |
      |  |  |
      ROM2_>--------------------------------------*  |  |
      |  |  |
      LDS_>----------*------------*------------+  |  |  |
     |||  |  |  |
      U5 | U6 | U7 |  |  |  |
       +------+  |  +------+  |  +------+  |  |  |  |
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
       |oe(22)|o-+  |oe(22)|o-+  |oe(22)|o-+  |  |  |
       |  | |  | |  | |  |  |Odd Bank
       |ce(20)|o-+  |ce(20)|o-+  |ce(20)|o----+  |  |
       |  |  |  |  |  |  |  ||  |
       | 0153 |  |  | 0154 |  |  | 0155 ||  |
       +------+  |  +------+  |  +------+|  |
     ||  |  |
     |+------------------+  |
     |  |
               +----------------------------------+

     The 4 digit code at the bottom of each ROM is the last 4 digits of
 the part number.  For example the complete part number of U7 is
 RP23256 0155.  The ROMs are of the type 27256.



     Carefully pull each of the six ROMs out using a flat tipped screw
     driver.  Save the ROMs in case you need to go back to TOS 1.0.  Make
     note of the position and part number of each chip.

     Bend pins 1,2,3,22,31 and 32 of both TOS 2.06 EPROMs up 90 degrees
     so that the pins lie in the same plane as the ceramic package:

   Side view:

    pins 1,2 & 3 --> __========__  <-- pins 22,31 & 32
    pins 4,5,6,7 -->   |  |<-- pins 17,18,19,20,21,23
     8,9,10,11,12  ,24,25,26,27,28,29 & 30
     13,14,15 & 16


   Top view:
   +--------+
  ---==|1 32|==---
  ---==|2 31|==---   
  ---==|3 30|=
  =|4 29|=   
  =|5 28|=   
  =|6 27|=   
  =|7 26|=   
  =|8 25|=   
  =|9 24|=   
  =|1023|=   
  =|1122|==---   
  =|1221|=   
  =|1320|=   
  =|1419|=   
  =|1518|=   
  =|1617|=   
   +--------+

     Place the EVEN TOS 2.06 EPROM into the socket for U4 so that pin
     16 goes into the hole for pin 14 of the original TOS ROM.  See the
     diagram below of the old (27256) vs. new (27C1001) chips.

             2725627C1001

   +--------+
   Vpp-|1 32|-Vcc
  +--------+   A16-|2 31|-PGM_
  Vpp-|1 28|-Vcc   A15-|3 30|-NC
  A12-|2 27|-A14   A12-|4 29|-A14
   A7-|3 26|-A13A7-|5 28|-A13
   A6-|4 25|-A8 A6-|6 27|-A8
   A5-|5 24|-A9 A5-|7 26|-A9
   A4-|6 23|-A11A4-|8 25|-A11
   A3-|7 22|-OE_A3-|9 24|-OE_
   A2-|8 21|-A10A2-|1023|-A10
   A1-|9 20|-CE_A1-|1122|-CE_
   A0-|1019|-D7 A0-|1221|-D7
   D0-|1118|-D6 D0-|1320|-D6
   D1-|1217|-D5 D1-|1419|-D5
   D2-|1316|-D4 D2-|1518|-D4
  GND-|1415|-D3GND-|1617|-D3
  +--------+   +--------+

     The parts should not touch each other and the lifted pins should not
     be above the tops of the chips.  Put the power supply back over the
     EPROMs (Rev C) board and make sure that the bottom plate does not
     touch the parts.  It will look close but if you can see day light
     you are ok.

     Connect lifted even EPROM pins 1,31 & 32 to even EPROM pin 30 (+5V).
     Be careful not to drip solder down into the socket so that the part
     can be removed if desired.

     Connect lifted odd EPROM pins 1,31 & 32 to odd EPROM pin 30 (+5V).

     The remaining three connections are made from the EPROMs to the 
     TTL decoder.  Make the wires as short as possible and keep them next
     to the PC board.  Thread the wires through the bypass caps to help
     keep the wires under control.

     Connect even EPROM lifted pin 22 to odd EPROM lifted pin 22 then
     connect to pin 3 of the 74F08 (CE_).  This is the new equivalent ROM2
     signal.

     Connect even EPROM lifted pin 3 to odd EPROM lifted pin 3 then
     connect to pin 8 of the 74F08 (BA16).  This is a buffered version of
     address line A16.

     Connect even EPROM lifted pin 2 to odd EPROM lifted pin 2 then
     connect to pin 6 of the 74F08 (BA17).  This is a buffered version of
     address line A17.

     Check your work with an Ohm meter and your eyes.  Connect up the
     power supply and all the other junk and give it a try.  If everything
     is happy you will see Atari's Logo on your screen when you turn on the
     power.  The machine will sit for a bit and then start doing a RAM test
     After the RAM test, the machine will place a bar on the screen and
     shrink it until it is gone then your machine will fire up the desktop.

     You can bypass the memory test or the bar at any time by hitting the
     space key.  If your machine works, great job.  Put it back together
     and enjoy.

 Complaints:

 If you have complaints, questions or whatever, drop me some email:

 Rossin@fc.hp.com  (NOTE: To contact Ted by way of CompuServe
                    Email, go into Mail normally, and use the
                    Enjoy TOS 2.06 following address for the To: field...
                    INTERNET>rossin@fc.hp.com Ted  Rossin.  He will be able
                    to reply directly to your CIS account.)




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 Darlah's  Holiday  Treat  of  the  Month [page 475;9] is PHNXDEMO.LZH from
 LEXICOR2.  This is the DEMO version of  the Phoenix  object render program
 from Lexicor Software.  The LZH file also includes SPC & GIF sample files.
 This is a "must have" program for all  ATARI computers.   Phoenix supports
 different light  sources, 3  different cameras, texture and image mapping:
 SPC, GIF & TGA are supported. This program renders FAST!

 Have an idea for an Realtime Conference?  Wish to promote a  product, show
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 New Files in Your Library
  
  No.   File Name    Address     Description
  ----- ------------ -----------  -------------------------------------
  27324 AUDIO_CD.LZH S.FARSHIDGH  plays audio compact discs on ST/TT
  27323 CF2WCF.ARC   T.GILL7      CardFile to Windows Cardfile format
  27319 SOFT_CAT.TXT G.LABREC     Atari Software Catalog ordering info
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  27315 CAL3NEWS.ARC J.EIDSVOOG1  Calligrapher 3 Press Release (.TXT)
  27311 MNUMAK24.LZH GRMEYER      MenuMaker v2.4 for GFA BASIC
  27310 XB32_GFA.LZH GRMEYER      GFA code for do_sound() music + more
  27309 TOADSALE.TXT TOAD-SERV.   STraight FAX, Floptical / CD ROM...
  27308 TRANSCEN.LZH G.GORMAN2    Transcendence BBS - Latest Demo
  
      Darlah's Treat of the Month [Page 475;9]   - PHNXDEMO.LZH
  
 Other  NEW  FILES  available  in  the  Atari  RT Libraries are Sound Files
 (library 11), Digitized Sounds (library 17), Graphic pictures (library 5),
 Atari  Archives   (library  13),   and  Sale/Wanted  Files  (library  26).
 Sale/Wanted items are also available in the Bulletin Board Category 27.

     Regular Open Conference every Wednesday night, 10PM EDT, 7PM PDT
          DTP conference every Monday at 10PM eastern in room 3.

         GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
            Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission


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





 > THE FALCON LAMENTING STR FOCUS!   THE TROOPS ARE GETTING RESTLESS
   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 Editor Note: 
     The following message string from GEnie's ST RT are an indication
 showing just how "popular" the Falcon will be and how warmly accepted it
 will be.  The folks posting below are genuinely concerned, want a new
 Falcon and are growing weary of the incessant procession of delays.  Atari
 has a virtual "gold mine" at its feet.  One can only wonder if they are
 able to look down and see it there.  Perhaps... a letter writing campaign
 urging Atari onward would help let the 'brass' know jsut how eagerly the
 userbase awaits the Falcon's arrival.  Let us know how you feel about the
 missed dates, wrong information and delay after delay.  Drop us a note in
 email.

 Ctsy GEnie's ST RT

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 167       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 P.LATONA                     at 09:53 EST
  
 I've been watching this conference for quite some time and have been
 greatly informed--and amused--by some of the comments being made here. But
 Mr. Brodie's RTC tonight was the end of it for me. I downloaded the
 transcript, read it with a sinking heart, and finally have come to the
 conclusion that my 10 year love affair with Atari is officially over.

 It's time to move on. The Falcon 030, in my mind, is a machine that really
 will sell well. IF (and that's an enormous if) it will ever reach the
 market. The IF is far to great for me to stall anymore. I have to move
 onward and upward. I feel terrible about Atari losing it the way it has
 but that's business. Every day I hear more and more once staunch Atari
 supporters seeking other platforms--not necessarily more powerful, but
 AVAILABLE. I loved the Falcon concept. I liked the spiffy new bells and
 whistles. Many of us sold these machines before they even made the market.
 But now I'm getting questions--many questions from the very same people I
 sold them to. WHERE ARE THEY? Why can't I buy one? WHEN will I be able to
 buy one?

 What do I tell them? I told them before that "Wait Until January" and 
 they'll be here for you to look at, make up your own mind and buy! Now
 January is no longer a month (year?) I can use. I have to say.."Welllll
 maybe March..." Who is going to listen to that? Who is going to put off
 buying a machine they need/want for another several months? Then there is
 STILL no guarantee they'll ever arrive.

 Disheartened? Yes I am. Sad, too. But Atari won't listen to the cries of
 the people who will keep them in business. They don't seem to care...

 Sorry for the spiel. I'm off the soapbox and outta here. Just thought I'd
 display my two cents and vent my spleen for awhile.

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 168       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 10:31 EST
  
 According to the latest Silicon Times Report, the Falcon030 was FCC
 approved on November 5th, 1992. The Falcon030 was approved with the
 stipulation that Atari must include one of those ferrite bead monitor
 cables with each one. Apparently, Atari filed an appeal which was granted
 on 1/8/93 to _not_ include the cable.

 So, depending on how you look at it, the Falcon030 was either approved in
 November, or approved last week. If you think the cost of a cable was a
 mere pittance to Atari, then go with November. If you think they balked at
 the thought of paying for everyone's monitor cable, then go with January.

 I wonder why the manufacturing difficulties keeping the Falcon030 out of
 the US didn't effect the shipments to Europe. Maybe MultiTOS hasn't been
 properly "manufactured" i.e. programmed?

 Also, I didn't dee the point where Bob said that it would be 1.5 to 2
 YEARS before a 2 piece Falcon030 came out. All he said was that it took
 over a year to see a 2 piece ST, and 2 years to see a 2 piece STe. With so
 many complaints about the 1 piece unit, I bet they are scurrying like mad
 to get a better case. Of course considering that they can't get a
 "finished" design out the door in 6 months, it may be that it takes them 2
 years to get a 2-piece Falcon030 shipped (if they start now and work
 around the clock).

 My concern now centers around the fact that if Atari can't popularize the
 Lynx (which is the without a doubt the best in the handheld arena), how do
 they plan to popularize the Falcon030 (whose superiority is not apparent).
 Even the Jaguar has the potential to become another Lynx (a superior
 near-orphan).

 Still, it was good to hear that they crossed one more hurdle to getting
 Falcon030's here with the FCC number.

 Also, the news of MultiTOS being uploaded to GEnie was indeed the best
 part of the conference.

              ________________________
                  \hunderbird



  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 169       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 ST.LOU [Lou Rocha]           at 13:23 EST
  
 P.Latona, it is truly sad that there will be a further delay... but it is
 not because Atari doesn't care. If that were so, they would have accepted
 the sub-standard quality of the production runs and shipped them now. I
 think this delay shows that they truly do care. It is most unfortunate
 that the delay happened, but better to get it right than deal with other
 complaints about quality later.

 Thunderbird, the delays have not been caused by R and D of the Falcon...
 they are manufacturing delays that are now focused on quality control. Bob
 did say that Sam is bringing a second manufacturer into the picture to get
 this done right. The only criticism I would have made, is that they might
 have gone to the "better" people the first time! But who knows the
 economics or other reasons for their selection? I don't.

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 170       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 16:48 EST
  
 ST Lou:

    You may be 1000000% correct that the late arrival of the Falcon030 in
 North America is due to unacceptable defects in the batches produced so
 far. The really, really, sad thing is that _I don't believe anything they
 say anymore._ Consider the totally bogus release of FSMGDOS and all the
 "reasons" it didn't ship. (Does it _really_ take 6 months to design
 packaging? Perhaps they were trying to put it in 'talking cans', or boxes
 that little dollar bills would pop out of?) Now we see that it was clearly
 a _bad_ program and was scrapped (Bob B's accidental revelation to this
 effect with his statement last night to the effect of "the old version has
 a significant slowdown with a handful of fonts installed, while the new
 one with 71 fonts installed is fast"). Why all the lame excuses. Now, like
 the boy who cried "wolf", I just can't accept anything they say. I am
 sorry that I feel this way, but it is a situation that they created. I
 _used_ to give them a lot of leeway and "benefit of the doubt"
 in these cases, but time and time again things have proven out to be
 different than they have said. In the years I have become jaded through
 these white lies. The Falcon030 PDS, bus widths, and ship dates are all
 icing on the cake.

   What ever happened to "The problem is not technical in nature" why the
 F030 isn't shipping? Failures and poor Q/A sure sound like technical
 problems to me! What about the liscensing snafu with the bundled software
 delay in the release? How could this have any bearing on a computer which
 was under appeal with the FCC until yesterday? Regardless of the software
 bundles, the thing couldn't ship in the USA (unless a cable was included,
 which they obviously didn't want to do).

    Also, as you said: "they might have gone to the 'better' people the
 first time!" to which I must agree... this is especially disconcerting
 because the "better" people are _supposed_ to be friends with the
 Tramiels. Maybe they had good reasons _not_ to do business with their
 "friends" and opted to go with an obviously lousy manufacturer, but I
 don't know what they might be.

     The folks at Atari remind me of the "Family Circus" comics. Have you
 ever seen the one where the mother is pointing to crayon writing on the
 wall and says "Who did this?" and all the kids say in unison "Not me!" and
 you can see an invisible ghost with the words "Not Me" across his chest in
 the background snickering and holding a box of crayons? _Everything_ that
 _ever_ goes wrong at Atari is always _somebody else's_ fault, or so they
 say.

    What is so darn hard about coming out and saying "We're sorry. We made
 a mistake. Please accept our apologies."?!?!?!?!???

    The fact that they will stop at nothing to point fingers at everyone
 else instead of accepting responsibility for their mistakes is pure
 nonsense. Do they really think everyone is so stupid? Are they really so
 arrogant that they cannot admit errors? In any case, it is this insulting
 treatment which motivates the flames towards Atari which you are seeing
 everywhere.

    I just want to get my Falcon030 and not have to deal with Atari Corp.
 for a few years... the 3rd party folks are not perfect, but they don't
 pretend to be, and they are much easier to do business with. Give me the
 computer, and I'll take the _rest_ of my business to the 3rd parties...

            _____________________________
                    \hunderbird

 'cause the Jaguar won't be out next Christmas (mark my words).


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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 171       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 P.LATONA                     at 18:43 EST
  
 Lou: I wish I could agree with you. I suppose it does show that Atari
 doesn't want a few thousand machines being returned, but it still proves a
 point: Atari never should have announced the Falcon until they had a
 warehouse full of them for shipping IMMEDIATELY. Delay after delay. I just
 can't justify waiting another 2 months while Atari gets it's act together.

 Last night, I got a call from a friend who just returned from an overseas
 deployment. I sent her about a ton of Falcon information back in October
 hoping to persuade her to join the ranks of Atarians. She was very
 enthusiastic (being a musician even more so than I was) and wanted one as
 soon as she could get one. So last night I had to explain that they STILL
 aren't available and won't be for quite some time.  She said "forget it,
 I'll get a clone cheaper and RIGHT NOW..."

 How many times have we all heard that statement? How many potential Atari
 customers are now happily pounding away at their clone keyboards convinced
 we are all idiots waiting for a non-existant dream?

 I'm not really Atari bashing. Don't think I don't like the Falcon or my
 STs. I do. I'm very fond of my current machines and will not be dumping
 them anytime soon. But the enthusiasm I had for the Falcon is gone. Most
 likely gone forever. Because when March comes around, we will probably see
 a statement from B.Brodie that will go something like this:

 "Well, we still have problems with <Insert Anything Here> so we will have
 to delay the rollout until <Insert Favorite Month Here>. Be PATIENT. BE
 LOYAL. We will eventually get around to supplying the machines."

 Tragic, isn't it? Think of the amount of money Atari has lost due to 
 potential sales because of these oddball delays. EVERY DAY they are losing
 more and more support. Eventually it will go the way of the dinosaur and
 the great auk...Sad.

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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 172       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 J.BUDIL [Jonathan]           at 18:52 EDT
  
 Well, it's definitely depressing, but I don't see the point of pouring
 salt into Atari's employee's wounds with vitriolic diatribes.  I'm sure
 they're as disappointed as we are, if not more so.  How many of _us_
 depend on Atari for
 our livlihoods in this economy?  They gambled on farming work out, and in
 this case they lost.  I don't see that they had any choice but to
 downsize; it's just unfortunate that they picked the manufacturers that
 they did.  It's too early to tell whether this is the last nail in the
 coffin.  For the sake of my STE and Lynx, I hope Atari hangs in there and
 that there is still some optimism among us.

  One observation:  if you pass on the 030 Falcon and wait for the 040
 Falcon, there might not be one.  Since Atari's put a lot on the line
 financially to get the 030's out the door, they'll need revenue before the
 040's will become possible. 

  --Jonathan in Normal

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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 173       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 C.LABELLE [Tintin]           at 19:27 EST
  
 Jerry / Lou: I just read the Conference; I missed it--- was a great one.

 Still unanswered: compatibility, delivery date, bundled software when on
 sale, canadian pricing...

 I called Paris today. Yes, Paris, France. Two dealers. They don't have
 Falcons in France. I asked when; one said "Call Atari France" impatiently. 
 The other: "There is a delivery problem, we expect them at the end of the
 month".  Pricing: 5 000 to 13 000 FF.

 I just checked: a cheap 386-40 clone would cost me around $2 000 CDN; the
 only options being local bus video and true color;  I would want a sound
 card, and SCSI port--- a $500 affair.  It would cost me more than a Falcon 
 with 486SX emulation;  and I won't have any of the great software that are
 planned to be bundled; and there will be more and better software using
 the Falcon's possibilities than the IBM's extra cards.  Just look at MIDI:
 because it was supported on ST, we have the best MIDI software.  Falcon is
 an incredible value for me.



 Tintin


  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 174       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 J.RICHTER [J.RICHTER]        at 21:29 EST
  
 Answer,

 Cheap... it didn't sell.. DID IT?  "We will announce the Falcon when we
 have a stockpile of them to sell" ... or something like that, REMEMBER?
 ...... The reason the went for THIS manufacturer is the same reason they
 settled on OLD case and CHEAP keyboard, right? Believe me, if it was'nt
 for their 3rd party developers and GREAT original design .. (Remember the
 Father of the ST .. gone to Apple I think).. Well, would you still own an
 ST without the Universal File Selector or Pagestream? .... I doubt it. 
 Where is Dave Small? The Gadgets board has been dead for months.. Think of
 it, the Falcon030 design completely wiped the use of his Spectre GCR, did
 it not?.. hmmmmm

 Thunderbird,

 Why of why do you have to buy a computer from a company you hate? ... are
 you a masochist or what? ..... I think ATARI should sell out to Kodak or
 Sony.. Please, anyone that know how to manufacture and market..


  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 175       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 POTECHIN [RT~Sysop]          at 21:58 EST
  
 J.RICHTER ... That's a big YES. Believe it or not, some of us use our
 Atari's to run Calamus. :-)

 Nathan @ DMC


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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 176       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 AEO.3 [Lyre]                 at 23:30 EST
  
 Tintin,

 Having attended the RTC last evening, I can definitely say that the
 programs to be bundled with the Falcon030 were stated.  It is possible
 that this information was accidentally deleted in cleaning the capture
 file.  (I've personally held RTC's here on GEnie; the amount of "behind
 the scenes" comments and actions that the meeting leader has to handle
 requires that capture files be heavily edited.  It has taken me upwards to
 3 hrs to edit captures with an older word processor.)

 The question and responce concerning this subject is as follows:

         <[D. STUART] AEO.7> BOB - Greetings!  Just curious ... will
         the initial release of the FALCON include any 'bundled'
         software?  And if so, is there an opportunity to develop said
         software directly for ATARI ??? GA

         <BOB-BRODIE> Yes, the Falcon will be bundled with 8
         applications when it is shipped. The products include Audio
         Fun Machine, FalconD2D, a direct to disk recorder, System
         Audio Manager, ProCalc, a full scientific calendar, Talking
         Clock, CalAppt, a calendar/rolodex type of utility, and a
         coulple of games, BreakOut and LandMines.  YES...there is an
         opportunity to write that software for Atari. We in fact used
         outside developers for some key components of the software,
         like the System Audio Manager. GA

 [The above information taken directly from my own transcript of the Bob
 Brodie RTC held 920108.  The only editing done on the above was to remove
 all of the email address prompts.]

                                         Lyre
                                         ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE

                                         11:23 pm, January 9, 1993


  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 177       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 00:03 EST
  
 Jerry:

    At this point only the genius involved in the original ST design is
 keeping me with Atari. I prefer programming an ST over almost every other
 machine around (The ones I like more cost over $10,000 and software is
 $1000+, so forget them...). The ST interface and hardware are incredibly
 satisfying to program, and with the ST, you're not spending 3/4's of your
 time trying to determine why your program bombs on one machine and not
 another. Clones are like chinese water torture to anyone who has
 programmed on an ST.

 You're right though. The Tramiels _should_ sell Atari. It would be a great
 way for them to get out of a business which has passed them by, and still
 save face. Considering the stock at $1.12 a share, if they ever put the
 company on the market, I'd sell one of my cars and use the money to buy
 Atari.

            __________________________
                  \hunderbird

 'cause "Cheap didn't sell."

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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 178       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 C.KLIMUSHYN [-Chuck-]        at 01:11 EST
  
 Well, first the positive:

 Mr. Brodie, my compliments on leveling with the community regarding the
 Falcon's delay and the reason for it.  Atari Works sounds *Wonderful* and
 is just what's needed to help sell the machine to first time buyers. 
 MultiTos being able to run on all 68000 STs (assuming they have enough
 RAM) is a stunning piece of news!  Finally, SpeedoGdos's near-completion
 is eagerly waited by all.

 Now the negative:

 No Falcons till March?  The word SAD has been used in previous posts
 regarding this and sums up the situation the best.  This means another 3
 months of Atari essentially living off its capital reserves since I don't
 imagine their remaining products are selling that well (less money for
 marketing, sigh).  Mr. Tramiel can be "angry" but WHO made the decision to
 go with the current manufacturer?  In other coporations those responsible
 for a problem of this magnitude would likely be facing a forced
 resignation.............

 On a closing note, I reject the arguement of having to buy an "entry
 level" Falcon 030 in order to keep Atari alive long enough to put out a
 Falcon 040.  I don't like reading comments implying that it may be a long
 time before Mega style Falcon appears so buy a 030 and be happy.  It's
 Atari's responsibility to meet the needs of their customers.  Not the
 reverse.............


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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 179       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    at 01:41 EST
  
   Europe doesn't have to cope with the FCC. Companies can make something
 and market it there and not have to get FCC approval.

   Atari can make some nice industry leading machines. Now if they could
 just market and produce them with that same effort.

   T-Bird,
   I have to agree with you. Atari has never told us the truth in these
 things.  It always comes out that they lied to the users. They say that we
 misunderstood the meanings and all that but we always find the coverup.
 Why can't they just come out and be honest? Be straightfoward and we will
 listen.  I do hope what Bob said in the conference is the truth (NOTE: I
 am not saying it isn't). We are all tired of the run around. I hope they
 have learned to just be honest with us.

   I can surely understand the problems they are facing and I agree with
 the decision to hold back in order to not let bad units get out. It is sad
 to see another delay as this WILL cause a lot of problems with sales. I
 just hope they can recover.

   I also hope it isn't too long before they come out with the 2 piece
 unit. I wish they would do away with the 1 piece unit all together. A 2
 piece unit isn't that much harder to transport. My MSTE is no harder to
 move than my 1040 was. Actually, my MSTE is easier to move.

   What does a ferrite bead cable involve? Would it have been a lot of
 hassle for the user to get a replacement for or would it just have been a
 hassle for Atari?

   We do not know the deals with the manufactoring plants or why Atari went
 with them so it hard to base a decision or judgement on something we know
 little about.

   None of this is directed at the employess of Atari. The Atari name no
 longer means anything positive. It's time for a change.

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



     _________________________________________________________________





 > CALLIGRAPHER 3 STR InfoFile    "The Ultimate Writing Machine"
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""




 For Immediate Release
   CodeHeadQuarters
  


          *******************************************************
          *                                                     *
          *                   Calligrapher 3                    *
          *                   ==============                    *
          * The Next Generation Of The Ultimate Writing Machine *
          *                                                     *
          *******************************************************



 LOS ANGELES - CodeHead Technologies and  Working  Title  US  are  proud to
 announce the  release of  Calligrapher 3!  If you're already familiar with
 Calligrapher, you know it's  a  powerful,  intuitive,  graphics-based word
 processor.   Now, Calligrapher  3 adds  terrific new features, streamlines
 the installation procedure, is compatible with the Falcon030 and MultiTOS,
 and no longer uses GDOS!

 This document describes the enhancements and changes in Calligrapher 3, as
 well as the procedure for upgrading to version 3.   If you  are unfamiliar
 with Calligrapher and its features,  you can obtain an  excellent overview
 by  trying  out  the  Calligrapher  3  demo  package, available by calling
 CodeHead Technologies (213) 386-5735, or by downloading the  demo from any
 of the popular online networks. 


  Enhancements
  ------------

  o GDOS (G+Callig) and Line_Arc have been built into Calligrapher itself,
    so there is no longer any special startup disk and nothing is required
    in the AUTO folder.  This makes it much more compatible with other GDOS
    programs since there is no overlap, and also makes installation and
    setup MUCH easier and less trouble-prone.

  o If you have a hard disk and 2Mb, Calligrapher displays vector fonts on
    screen.  The new edition caches screen fonts more intelligently,
    speeding up the opening of documents and moving through documents that
    contain vector fonts. 

  o Supports Esc-P2 printers (Epson Dot Matrix printers that support 360dpi
    compressed mode). 

  o Allows you to reduce the amount of memory taken by Calligrapher to make
    it compatible with multitasking operating systems such as MultiGem and
    MultiTOS. 

  o A new easy-to-use fast install program supporting 1.44Mb disk drives
    and the new features of Calligrapher.  This program uses a GEM dialog
    box and is more intelligent; it reads in as many files as will fit in
    memory and then writes them to the hard drive, and requires a minimal
    amount of disk swapping. 

  o Templates - documents with the extension CAT, are treated as base
    documents.  (Similar to 'stationery' documents on the Macintosh.)
    Calligrapher will prompt you to rename them when they are saved.
    Also there is a default template that is loaded when Calligrapher is
    first started.  This allows you, for example, to save the ruler
    settings for your default ruler. 

  o The FlexText module now allows you to USE ANY URW typeface, not just
    the included ones. 

  o On a TT, Calligrapher now moves its code into TT RAM to run 30% faster.


  o Import/export of Rich Text Format (RTF) files has been added to the
    import module.  These files allow you to keep the style and fonts
    within a document, together with any footnotes, when you transfer to
    other programs that support RTF. 

  o The integral symbol and brackets in Calligrapher's mathematical
    formulae have been improved. 

  o There are new commands in formulae to cover set symbols, and things
    such as products.  Equivalents have been added in the interactive
    formula editor. 

  o When you adjust markers on the ruler (margins, tabs, etc.), a vertical
    line is drawn to help you gauge positions. 

  o Mark a section and increase or decrease all font sizes proportionally
    (by the proportion 9/10ths or 10/9ths). 

  o Keyboard shortcuts have been added to the interactive formula editor. 

  o A new program allows you to change Calligrapher's internal setup.  This
    allows adjustments to its memory, printer and other internal details. 

  o The supplementary language disks have been improved.  Spanish includes
    a Catalan dictionary and a Spanish thesaurus.  German has a German
    dictionary and thesaurus.  Italian has a Catalan dictionary. 

  o A triple click on a paragraph selects the whole paragraph. 

  o When running under a multitasking operating system, the disk-based
    clipboard is switched on, allowing you to cut and paste text
    dynamically between applications. 

  o Two printers are supported at the same time, allowing you to switch
    between them at print time. 

  o A separation line has been added between footnotes and the body of
    text. 

  o Calligrapher 3 remembers the pathname when inserting multiple graphics
    into a document. 

  o There is a driver for the Ricoh 1200 laser printer at 400dpi. 


  System Requirements
  -------------------

  o Calligrapher 3 Professional requires 1 Mb of RAM and a floppy disk. 
    Calligrapher 3 Gold requires 1 Mb and a hard disk.  Version 3 requires
    more memory than version 2, so if your documents are at the limit of
    memory with version 2, you will be over the limit with version 3. 


  New Fonts
  ---------

  o There are 20 new URW typefaces available, number 67 through 86. 

  o These new fonts will only work with version 3 of Calligrapher. 

  o Previously purchased font disks can be re-installed to work with
    Calligrapher 3 by using a new install program included with the
    upgrade. 

  o Font charts files will be uploaded to the online services, allowing you
    to print out sample displays of the new fonts on your own printer. 

  o The new fonts are as follows:

  67 Goudy           72 Stencil      77 T-bird Cond.  82 Olde Towne No. 536
  68 Grotesque No.9  73 Stop         78 Latin Wide    83 News Gothic
  69 Hobo            74 Serpentine   79 Murray Hill   84 Raleigh
  70 Nevison Casual  75 Thorowgood   80 Park Avenue   85 Romana Demi Bold
  71 Playbill        76 Thunderbird  81 Maxima        86 Stymie


  Items Removed
  -------------

 Some things have been removed due to the  changes in  the way Calligrapher
 operates.   If any of these things are essential to your needs, you should
 not upgrade, or you should make  sure to  save an  installed copy  of your
 current Calligrapher. 

  o Bitmap GDOS printer fonts are no longer supported.  Only URW outline
    fonts will be output to your printer. 

  o Sizefont, Editfont, and Assign Edit have been dropped as they are no
    longer relevant. 

  o The ability to print to disk in PTD format has been removed, along with
    DiskPrnt. 

  o FlexText no longer runs as a separate program, due to the lack of
    GDOS/G+Callig support.  It must be run as a PAK.  Some changes have
    been made to reduce the amount of memory it consumes.  (It can run on a
    1 Mb system). 


  Upgrade Procedure
  -----------------

 When you  upgrade to  Calligrapher 3, you're also entitled to one FREE URW
 outline  font  disk  (worth  $34.95).    And  since  the  new  version  of
 Calligrapher only  works with  the URW  outline fonts, any additional font
 families that  you purchase  along with  the upgrade  are only  $25 (a $10
 discount). 

  o The upgrade price from version 2 to version 3 is $45. 

  o The upgrade price from Calligrapher Professional version 2 to
    Calligrapher Gold version 3 is $100. 

  o The upgrade price (either $45 or $100) includes ONE FREE URW FONT DISK,
    worth $34.95.  Any one of the existing typefaces may be chosen,
    including the new fonts mentioned above. 

  o The upgrade is available to anyone who owns the Working Title US
    (CodeHead) version of Calligrapher and has received a registered disk 5
    from us. 

  o The upgrade may be purchased by phone or E-Mail by supplying us with a
    credit card number (including expiration date) and a shipping address. 
    It is not necessary to return your original disks. 

  o The upgrade may also be ordered by mail with a check or money order. 

  o The upgrade includes five disks plus the free font disk and printed
    documentation for the new additions. 

  o Additional URW font disks may be purchased with the upgrade at the
    price of $25 each. 

  o Shipping and handling charges for the upgrade are $3 US, $4 Canada, and
    $6 overseas. 
                                 \\\\////

          Working Title US, a division of CodeHead Technologies,
          is the official US importer of Working Title products.


     _________________________________________________________________




 > FBI & SYSOPS STR Feature    SYSOPS _ARE_ RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT
   """"""""""""""""""""""""



                          TRIALS TO BEGIN IN OHIO
                          =======================


 Akron BBS trial update: Dangerous precedents in sysop prosecution!


 From the Mac RT on Genie
 ------------------------
  
 You may already know about the BBS sting six months ago in Munroe Falls, 
 OH for disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Those charges were 
 dropped for lack of evidence. Now a trial date of 1/4/93 has been set 
 after new felony charges were filed, although the pretrial hearing 
 revealed no proof that *any* illegal content ever went out over the BBS, 
 nor was *any* found on it.
  
 For those unfamiliar with the case, here's a brief summary to date. In 
 May 1992 someone told Munroe Falls police they *thought* minors could 
 have been getting access to adult materials over the AKRON ANOMALY BBS. 
 Police began a 2-month investigation. They found a small number of adult 
 files in the non-adult area.
  
 The sysop says he made a clerical error, causing those files to be over-
 looked. Normally adult files were moved to a limited-access area with 
 proof of age required (i.e. photostat of a drivers license).
  
 Police had no proof that any minor had actually accessed those files so 
 police logged onto the BBS using a fictitious account, started a down-
 load, and borrowed a 15-year old boy just long enough to press the 
 return key. The boy had no knowledge of what was going on.
  
 Police then obtained a search warrant and seized Lehrer's BBS system. 
 Eleven days later police arrested and charged sysop Mark Lehrer with 
 disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor usually used on 
 bookstore owners who sell the wrong book to a minor. However, since the 
 case involved a computer, police added a *felony* charge of possession 
 of criminal tools (i.e. one computer system ).
  
 Note that criminal tool statutes were originally intended for special-
 ized tools such as burglar's tools or hacking paraphenalia used by 
 criminal specialists. The word tool implies deliberate use to commit a 
 crime, whereas the evidence shows (at most) an oversight. This raises 
 the Constitutional issue of equal protection under the law (14th 
 Amendment). Why should a computer hobbyist be charged with a felony when 
 anyone else would be charged with a misdemeanor?
  
 At the pretrial hearing, the judge warned the prosecutor that they'd 
 need a lot more evidence than this to convict. However the judge allowed 
 the case to be referred to a Summit County grand jury, though there was 
 no proof the sysop had actually disseminated, or even intended to 
 disseminate any adult material recklessly, with knowledge of its 
 character or content, as the statute requires. Indeed, the sysop had a 
 long history of *removing* such content from the non-adult area whenever 
 he became aware of it. This came out at the hearing.
  
 The prosecution then went on a fishing expedition. According to the 
 Cleveland Plain Dealer (7/21/92)
  
 [Police chief] Stahl said computer experts with the Ohio Bureau of 
 Criminal Identification and Investigation are reviewing the hundreds of 
 computer files seized from Lehrer's home. Stahl said it's possible that 
 some of the games and movies are being accessed in violation of 
 copyright laws.
  
 Obviously the police believe they have carte blanche to search unrelated 
 personal files, simply by lumping all the floppies and files in with the 
 computer as a criminal tool. That raises Constitutional issues of 
 whether the search and seizure was legal. That's a precedent which, if 
 not challenged, has far-reaching implications for *every* computer 
 owner.
  
 Also, BBS access was *not* sold for money, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer 
 reports. The BBS wasn't a business, but rather a free community service, 
 running on Lehrer's own computer, although extra time on the system 
 could be had for a donation to help offset some of the operating costs. 
 98% of data on the BBS consists of shareware programs, utilities, E-
 mail, etc.

 The police chief also stated:

 I'm not saying it's obscene because I'm not getting into that battle, 
 but it's certainly not appropriate for kids, especially without parental 
 permission, Stahl said.

 Note the police chief's admission that obscenity wasn't an issue at the 
 time the warrant was issued.

 Here the case *radically* changes direction. The charges above were 
 dropped. However, while searching the 600 floppy disks seized along with 
 the BBS, police found five picture files they think *could* be 
 depictions of borderline underage women; although poor picture quality 
 makes it difficult to tell.

 The sysop had *removed* these unsolicited files from the BBS hard drive 
 after a user uploaded them. However the sysop didn't think to destroy 
 the floppy disk backup, which was tossed into a cardboard box with 
 hundreds of others. This backup was made before he erased the files off 
 the hard drive.

 The prosecution, lacking any other charges that would stick, is using 
 these several floppy disks to charge the sysop with two new second-
 degree felonies, Pandering Obscenity Involving A Minor, and Pandering 
 Sexually Oriented Matter Involving A Minor (i.e. kiddie porn, prison 
 sentence of up to 25 years).

 The prosecution produced no evidence the files were ever pandered . 
 There's no solid expert testimony that the pictures depict minors. All 
 they've got is the opinion of a local pediatrician. All five pictures 
 have such poor resolution that there's no way to tell for sure to what 
 extent makeup or retouching was used. A digitized image doesn't have the 
 fine shadings or dot density of a photograph, which means there's very 
 little detail on which to base an expert opinion. The digitization 
 process also modifies and distorts the image during compression.

 The prosecutor has offered to plea-bargain these charges down to 
 possession of child porn, a 4th degree felony sex crime punishable by 
 one year in prison. The sysop refuses to plead guilty to a sex crime. 
 Mark Lehrer had discarded the images for which the City of Munroe Falls 
 adamantly demands a felony conviction. This means the first pandering 
 case involving a BBS is going to trial in *one* month, Jan 4th.

 The child porn statutes named in the charges contain a special exemption 
 for libraries, as does the original dissemination to juveniles statute 
 (ORC # 2907.321 & 2). The exemption presumably includes public and 
 privately owned libraries available to the public, and their disk 
 collections. This protects library owners when an adult item is 
 misplaced or loaned to a minor. (i.e. 8 year olds can rent R-rated 
 movies from a public library).

 Yet although this sysop was running a file library larger than a small 
 public library, he did not receive equal protection under the law, as 
 guaranteed by the 14 th Amendment. Neither will any other BBS, if this 
 becomes precedent. The library defense was allowed for large systems in 
 Cubby versus CompuServe, based on a previous obscenity case (Smith vs. 
 California), in which the Supreme Court ruled it generally 
 unconstitutional to hold bookstore owners liable for content, because 
 that would place an undue burden on bookstores to review every book they 
 carry, thereby chilling the distribution of books and infringing the 
 First Amendment.

 If the sysop beats the bogus pandering charge, there's still possession, 
 even though he was *totally unaware* of what was on an old backup 
 floppy, unsolicited in the first place, found unused in a cardboard box. 
 Possession does not require knowledge that the person depicted is 
 underage. The law presumes anyone in possession of such files must be a 
 pedophile. The framers of the law never anticipated sysops,or that a 
 sysop would routinely be receiving over 10,000 files from over 1,000 
 users.

 The case could set a far ranging statewide and nationwide precedent 
 whether or not the sysop is innocent or guilty, since he and his family 
 might lack the funds to fight this--after battling to get this far.

 These kinds of issues are normally resolved in the higher courts-and 
 *need* to be resolved, lest this becomes commonplace anytime the police 
 or a prosecutor want to intimidate a BBS, snoop through users electronic 
 mail, or just appropriate someone's computer for their own use. You, the 
 reader, probably know a sysop like Mark Lehrer. You and your family have 
 probably enjoyed the benefits of BBS ing. You may even have put one over 
 on a busy sysop now and then.

 In this case; the sysop is a sober and responsible college student, 
 studying computer science and working to put himself through school. He 
 kept his board a lot cleaner than could be reasonably expected, so much 
 so that the prosecution can find very little to fault him for.

 *Important* Please consider a small contribution to ensure a fair trial 
 and precedent, with standards of evidence upheld, so that mere 
 possession of a computer is not grounds for a witch hunt.

 These issues must not be decided by the tactics of a war of attrition ; 
 *however far* in the court system this needs to go. For this reason, an 
 independent, legal defense trust fund has been set up by concerned area 
 computer users, CPA s, attorneys,etc.

      Mark Lehrer First Amendment Legal Defense Fund
                          (or just:  MLFALDF)
      Lockbox No. 901287
      Cleveland, OH  44190-1287

 *All* unused defense funds go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a 
 nonprofit, 501c3 organization, to defend BBS's and First Amendment 
 rights.

 Help get the word out. If you re not sure about all this, ask your local 
 sysops what this precedent could mean, who the EFF is--and ask them to 
 keep you informed of further developments in this case. Please copy this 
 file and send it to whoever may be interested. This case *needs* to be 
 watchdogged.

 Please send any questions, ideas or comments directly to the sysop:

 Mark Lehrer CompuServe: 71756,2116 InterNet: 71756.2116@compuserve.com
 Modem: (216) 688-6383 USPO: P.O. Box 275  Munroe Falls, OH 44262

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

   FOOTNOTE: The above says the framers of the Constitution weren't aware 
             of BBSs when drafting the Constitution. To this I say-THEN 
             WHAT IS FREEDOM? The Constitution's 1st Amendment and the 
             9th Amendment clearly  addresses this issue. This case is 
             another case of the actual police  power against Americans.

             There is NO crime here! There is NO property damaged and 
             there is NO human victim here. Then there should be NO crime 
             but our present system has the power to invent a crime which 
             is exactly what is going on here.

             PLEASE contribute monetarily or at least in writing to Mark 
             Lehrer at the above address. Send proof of such contri-
             bution and a 3 months FREE access will be granted by HOME 
             BBS at (909) 735-2573.

             Can YOU PLEASE Help STOP more loss of our guaranteed 
             FREEDOMS?

     ________________________________________________________________




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



 - Greer, SC              WAYNE WATSON NOW SUPPORTING TRANSCENDENCE BBS
   ---------

     Transcendence BBS  will no  longer be  supported by David Brown. David
 has turned over all rights to the program  to me.  I will  be maintaining,
 selling and supporting the BBS as of now. His BBS will not be online as of
 Jan. 15th.  All refernces to Twilight Zone Software should  be replaced by
 Southern Software.  Any shareware payments that you plan to send in should
 be sent to the address below.

     David has decided to get out of support for the BBS as he doesn't feel
 like he  has the  time to  put into  it that  he thinks  he should.  Other
 things are taking precedence.  All currently registered  Sysops will still
 be supported and updates will still be free.

     David wants to get into other things as well. He will still be around.
 I wish him the best of luck.  We have been working together on  this thing
 for 1 1/2 years now and I have learned a lot from him.  Now maybe my phone
 bill will return to normal.

     Please be patient during this time of transition.  He will  be sending
 out all information on registered Sysops, etc., soon.  I still have access
 to all registered sysop names so I know  who you  are.   I am  now Support
 Line 1  (as if  you couldn't  guess).  Please, start calling my BBS number
 above for future support.

 Contact Wayne on GEnie or at:

                               Wayne Watson
                           C/O Southern Software
                         1129 Lake Cunningham Rd.
                             Greer, SC   29651
                              1-803-879-4186




 - Cupertino, CA                      APPLE TO RELEASE _NEW_ COMPUTER
   -------------

     Apple  is  reportedly  releasing  a  new  genre  of  computers, called
 Centris, based  on Motorola's  68040 CPU. Its estimated cost will be about
 the same  as a  IIsi.   Its also  reported to  be equipped  with a CD-ROM,
 internal  Hard  Disk  and  expandable  on-board ram.  Apple is expected to
 price this new entry at more  than competitive  levels as  its intended to
 compete "across the boards" in the 68xxx platform.  Multi-media is the new
 "by-word".




 - Anaheim, CA                          23rd ANNUAL NAMM SHOW 
   -----------

 The 23rd annual Winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show
 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California, will be held:

             Friday   January 15     10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
             Saturday January 16     10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
             Sunday   January 17     10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
             Monday   January 18     10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

 There is no "Public" or "Consumer" day at this show.  Dealers, exhibitors,
 and press only.  You  can  pre-register  or  register  onsite  in  HALL E,
 showing music  dealership proof such as business license, invoices from MI
 manufacturers or distributorships, etc.   Business  cards not  accepted as
 proof.  Picture ID's required.

 If you  would like  to attend  this show  and are not a dealer, check with
 your local dealer and see if he/she has tickets and would like to send you
 as a representative.

 The MIDI/Music Forums on CompuServe will have a full crew reporting on the
 latest  and  greatest  in  MIDI  and Music products directly from the show
 floor. Unfortunately, my leg won't be strong enough for me  to attend this
 year so I won't be attending, the MIDI Forum crew will be based out of the
 Mackie Pro Products Booth and will have an onsite computer link to CS.

 Some artists and events to catch at NAMM:
 -----------------------------------------
 Bass player Victor Lemonte Wooten of Bela Fleck's band will  appear at the
 Third Coast Labs Booth #6614.

 Peter Frampton,  Curtis Matthewson,  Ben Schultz and Alex Skolnick will be
 at the Eventide booth #3500.

 Brian May will be  appearing at  the US  Music Corp  booth to  promote the
 re-issue of the Guild Brian May Guitar.

 Arman Sabal-Lecco (bassist for Paul Simon's "Born at the Right Time" tour)
 will be performing in the SWR Engineering's soundroom at 2pm on Saturday.

 On Sunday,  LA session  guitarist, Michael  Thompson (credits  on Kenny G,
 Michael Bolton, Peter Cetera albums and numerous movie and tv scores) will
 appear in the OFB Guitars booth #6604.

 Mechanical Music Corp will  be featuring  Doane Perry  (Jethro Tull), Mark
 Scott  (trixter),  John  Stamos  (Beach  Boys), Zoro (Lenny Kravitz), John
 Tempesta (Exodus), and Louie Weaver (Ptera).

 Ed Shaughnessy, Greg D'Angelo,  Walt Woodward,  Ginger Baker,  Blas Elias,
 Alan White and others will appear at the Ludwig Drum booth #401,411.

 Korg will have two shows daily with guitarist Dave Amato (Ted Nugent, REO
 Speedwagon, Cher, etc.) along with Paul Mirkovich, Ron Wikso, and Ricky
 Phillips.

 Thomas Dolby will be demonstrating current sampling technology at the East
 West Sound booth #2432.
                                            CIS Sysop Brad Hill





 - Sunnyvale, CA                              FALCON UPDATE NEWS
   -------------

      I spoke with Bill Rehbock last night in response to  the Falcon media
 press kit  he sent  me recently.   Follow  up questions  are welcome to be
 posted here, as I speak with him from time to time.   He referred  some of
 my  music-oriented  questions  to  James  Grunke,  as  I expected; this is
 probably the worst week of the year to reach him, though, as the NAMM show
 is this  weekend.  But I'll get him after the show at any rate, and in the
 meantime got some general info from  Bill about  Atari's presence  at this
 crucial convention.  Here are the main points Bill clarified:

     Atari has reserved an entire room, as opposed to booth space, at NAMM.
 It will consist of a main stage surrounded by 16 workstations.  There will
 be  a  Falcon  giveaway,  demos  of  Hard  disk  recording,  and  D2D will
 participate in the room by demoing their 4-track  system.   He didn't tell
 me what would be happening on the main stage.

     Shipping status in this country.  At the moment, only developer units
 have been  shipped.  Bill went out of his way to emphasize _strongly_ that
 units will be available  by March.   He  stated this  categorically, as if
 there were  no room  for question.  He asserted  with equal certainty that
 dealer floor units would be in place by February.

     Multi-TOS is ready to go now.  For the European  units already  on the
 street it will be added via floppy.  Bill was sure it would be included in
 the dealer units in February, and all others in March.

     Voice recognition  in/out  will  be  offered  as  an  operating system
 upgrade sometime  in 1993.  This will include a speech synthesizer and the
 ability to execute commands via voice.

     The  mega-bass  which  Stefan  mentioned  was  built  into  the output
 equalization  NO  LONGER  EXISTS.    He referred to that as an out-and-out
 mistake which was abolished.

     We  talked  generally  about  market  positioning   within  the  music
 industry.   My main  question, for  starters, was whether Atari would take
 advantage of the  timelyness  of  an  integrated  HD  recording  system by
 pursuing high-end  users, or  whether they would put all their eggs in the
 home/recreational basket.   The  press  packet  definitely  emphasizes the
 Personal Integrated  Media angle  as a  fun and  productive home tool.  As
 expected, he affirmed that they would indeed, but I'll have to get details
 about advertising  plans, retailer relationships, convention presence, and
 so on from Janes Grunke, either this week or after NAMM.

     Here are some of  the  applications  the  Falcon  media  kit  lists as
 "available".

 AutoArt.  (SKWare One)  Mathematically generates artforms for video art.

 Chronos-3D Key Frame Animator (Lexicor)  Animation software and rendering.

 Genesis (Lexicor)  Special FX programs for creating 3D space animations.

 Kodak Photo-CD  Access System (Color Concepts)  View, sort and manipulate 
   CD photos.

 MEM (Dept. of Psychology, U. of  Glessen)    dHypermedia  system  for     
 developing computer-aided instruction.

 Mona Lisa (Lexicor)  Color, animation, paint program.

 OverLay Title Generator (System Solutions)  Video titles

 SoundScope II  (Sydney Conservatory of Music)  multimedia music education 
    program.

 I'm looking forward to talking with James Grunke about pro  music software
 titles.

                                          CIS SYSOP Brad Hill



     ________________________________________________________________





 > NVN WANTS YOU! STR InfoFile       Another Network Supports Atari!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""


     National Videotext Network (NVN) has recently added an Atari ST Forum
 to it's growing lists of available services.  The Atari ST Forum is going
 through its final "construction" phases and will be available to NVN
 members by mid-December 1992.  U.S. Videotel, founded in 1986, is an
 electronic information and interactive services provider. The U.S.
 Videotel Network launched in March of 1989, and provided electronic
 information services to the Texas market.

     "The nationwide launch of the National Videotex Network, which
 provides on-line data and information exchange services began on May
 1, 1992."  The future of NVN will be one which continues to remain
 sensitive and responsive to market needs. Additional services and advances
 in electronic information will continue to be added, to provide unique and
 interesting services on an on-going basis.  

     NVN service offerings can be broken into three categories:  Basic,
 Premium, and Premium Plus.

 Basic Services 
 --------------
     Most of the Basic services are available 24 hours a day with no
 connect time charges beyond the basic membership fee. However, a select
 group have functions for which transaction fees are charged. Basic
 services are accessible through a flat rate charge of $5.95 per month.

 Premium Services
 ----------------
     For Premium services, Members pay connect charges for the amount of
 time spent in a particular service. Premium services are accessible Monday
 through Friday for a connect time charge of $9.00/hour from 8 am to 6 pm,
 and $6.00/hour from 6 pm to 8 am; and on Saturday and Sunday for a connect
 time charge of $6.00 all day (6 pm Friday til 8 am Monday), central time
 zone.

 Premium Plus Services
 ---------------------
     Premium Plus services are subject to the same type of connect time
 charge as Premium services. However, a surcharge is also added to the
 connect time for these services.

     You can join NVN one of two ways.  By voice phone 1-800-336-9096
 (Client Services) or via modem phone 1-800-336-9092.  You will be issued
 an Account # (usually within 24 hours) and will be allowed to access
 National Videotex Network.


       _____________________________________________________________




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


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


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


 From GEnie's ST RT

 Falcon commentaries reign supreme...

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 165       Sat Jan 09, 1993
 J.RICHTER [J.RICHTER]        at 01:43 EST
  
 LABELLE,

 Just got back from spending BIG bucks on the Brodie Roundtable !!!

 Yes,  FCC "B" is here

 NO there will NOT be a separate keyboard model for maybe 1-2 years!!!!

 YES MultiTOS is REAL and will run GREAT on your ST/STE/Mega

 NO, the Falcon030 will not ship til at least MARCH, Manufacturing QUALITY
 BUGS!! SAM is - MAD - as H___ about it!! and ATARI is looking for a SECOND
 source just in case... (Fret... Worry ....) HEY when you sell your
 manufacturing capability and depend solely on outside Vendors.. Well..

 Yes, There is ATARIWORKS and it comes with Thesuarus and SpellChecker and
 powerfull spreadsheet and DataBase program ALL-IN-ONE!!

 YES, all these Great features will ship with the Falcon030

 The feeling I get... The Falcon is what it is! don't hope for better.. any
 time soon!! by April 486-33 PC's will be CHEAPER at three times the speed
 and Twice the graphic power!! 040 MACS for around $1700 to try and keep
 pace with the Main-Frame in a BOX Windows based PC's... (don't think they
 can).. I have already seen a DSP based sound card for UNDER $300 for the
 PC.. and where will all the Software come from? Atari Germany is Way
 Downsizing! Toys R US is canning the LYNX ( No revenue there ) the
 Portfolio is OUT OF DATE.. The stock is 1.12!!! has been UNDER 2 for 1 1/2
 years!!! I have lost $2700 by purchasing what I thought at one time was
 UNDER VALUED at $2.50 share... ALL from a company that has manufactured a
 GREAT product for YEARS but refuses to tell
 anyone!!!...  I GIVE UP....

 Questions... Why is the Personal Media Falcon030 NOT at CES when MACS,
 PC's and Amiga's are there showing THEIR MultiMedia Stuff?  Is it because
 there is NO CD/software for the Falcon030? ........ Is it because the
 competition is showing 24bit graphics not 16bit? Is it because several PC
 cards are now out with 16bit CD quality sound? (not DSP but STILL sounds
 just like CD)... Is it because some of these systems are selling for LESS
 with SVGA monitor than the Falcon030 similarly equipped (and have REAL
 keyboards and Expansion slots.. with REAL 32 architecture?) hmmmm...

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 180       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 10:44 EST
  
 Wayne:

    A ferrite bead monitor cable is no big deal. The manufacturing cost of
 such an item would probably run $3-$5 depending on the length and quality
 of the connectors.

    Whatever it acrually costs, it was worth the trouble to appeal the FCC
 decision to make one mandatory.

    I think that the q/a problems are really at fault for the delay. Mr.
 Brodie sounded pretty honest. The trouble is that it will take a _lot_ of
 honesty from atari to make up for all of the dishonesty in their past.

    I've seen far _too many_ staunch atari supporters turn into "atari
 bashers" in the past year... it is scary. I hope that the Tramiels are
 _not_ being isolated from this phenomenon. They really should know that
 some of their _best_ advertisers are now working for the clone world.

    Put my vote in too for the 2-piece unit. Recent surveys indicated that
 an overwelming majority of atari users preferred the 2-piece case. The
 surveys even said that the users would pay extra for such a unit. I don't
 see why the general public would prefer anything different than the
 general atari users prefer, so let us hope that the one piece unit is
 being dumped ASAP, and the penny pincher who decided the Falcon030 would
 be in that case is _severely_ reprimanded.

            _________________________
                   \hunderbird

 'cause "Cheap didn't sell."

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 182       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 REALM [Joey]                 at 19:48 EST
  
      The only thing I didn't like about the conference was the fact
 nothing is completely done yet?  How could they possible have said in
 August it would ship in October?  They've still got software at this late
 point and date going through it's 'final stages'.  This stuff should have
 been going through it's 'final stages' in August.

     One other thing I didn't like was the fact that Atari Works would be
 bundled with the Falcon when the software was finished.  That it might
 sell for $100 (Guestimate).  What about the loyal users who run right out
 and buy a Falcon only to have to buy Atari Works a month later for $100
 more while other less die hard supporters get it free? If there going to
 package it, then package it with all the Falcons even if it's just a
 coupon to buy it for $10 shipping or something when it is released.

    On the good side, I agree with everything else!:-)  It's nice to see
 them bundling so much software with the Falcon.  I look forward to playing
 with it any year now.:-)  I also agree they should hold all this stuff and
 ship it all together with working machines... no arguments.  However they
 shouldn't introduce systems that cannot possible be released on the given
 date.  That was a major malfunction that really placed the last straw on
 the users back.

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 187       Sun Jan 10, 1993
 C.LABELLE [Tintin]           at 23:17 EST
  
 Lyre,

 I read your quotation of the conference in the transcript.  My point is:
 what software will REALLY be included when I go get my Falcon in "March" ? 
 Bob mentionned 8 programs; some are not finished at this time, other like
 Works and SpeedoGDOS are rumored to be included when ready, etc.  The
 situation is confused, and MultiTOS is still being debugged, and NOT
 included in German Falcons.


 Tintin
  ------------


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 190       Mon Jan 11, 1993
 J.RICHTER [J.RICHTER]        at 03:28 EST
  
 Yeah,

 Two piece units are INDUSTRY STANDARD from $499 clones to Amigas, to MACs
 ...
 The single piece units are from yesterdays HOME COMPUTERS not todays
 Falcon030's!!! Can you imagine.. John.. come-on over and look at my $2100
 Multi-Media system(14meg+monitor)!!.. and he gets there and.. and ... You
 mean they STILL make these things?.. Naaa.. I can't wait to here the Byte
 review on this one.. Desk clutter anyone?... I have not read ONE revue
 from England of US that likes this one-piece design!! This is the company
 that Listens to it users?

 Lou,

 I love to get home to my Mega4 SEPARATE KEYBOARD.. and uncluttered desk!!!
 but I do miss the RAW SPEED of my 486-33 C31 w/blitter equiped local bus
 PC at work!! I can scan through 5 pages of WforW text FASTER than TEMPUS
 can go through plain text!!! and thats at 800x600x256 colors
 NON-INTERLACED .... 50mhz 040' Falcon, now thats the ticket..lets face it
 20mips beats the HECK out of Falcon030 5mips any day, especially when the
 cost is the SAME!!! A usable Falcon030 MUST have 14meg (4 just IS NOT
 enough) and decent monitor is $400.. lets see.. 1200+500(mem)+400=$2100
 for a ONE PIECE system.. hmmmmm 486-33/66 + 200meg + SVGA monitor /
 Mini-Tower WITH VESA (32 bit graphics bus) + ISA slots, add $280 for
 SoundBlaster 16bit CD quality audio ... these can be had for only $200 
 more!!.JUST look in the Sunday newpaper... I am sorry, the current
 Falcon030 is just TOOOO far behind the SPEED curve... (Is this the
 REAL reason the Falcon is late?)...  I say this, cut the Falcon price to
 UNDER $1000 for 14meg Hard Diskless (65meg is WORTHLESS anyway for digital
 recording) and ramp up the '040-33... or RISK GOING OUTA BUSINESS!

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 191       Mon Jan 11, 1993
 S.DANUSER [Soul Manager]     at 03:41 EST
  
 I found the conference to be both uplifting and disheartening.  The
 announcement that the Falcon won't be out until March is quite
 discouraging, as it means that a lot of the sales made by Atari's best
 salespeople (the users) will be lost to the clone market.  The best part
 of the conference was that Bill came out and was willing to officially
 push the release date back to a reasonable time (he could have said
 mid-February, after all).

 As for believing Atari on this one, I do.  I _really_ think they'd love to
 have the machines widely available right now.  Perhaps the delay will have
 a good side:  Atari Works, Speedo GDOS, and MultiTOS might all be ready
 for packaging with US Falcons.  Who knows, Atari might even have time to
 put an ad campaign together...

                                      Soul Manager

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


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 194       Mon Jan 11, 1993
 DENNYA [Denny Atkin]         at 12:09 EST
  
 You guys could always buy Amiga 1200s at the $599 special (bundled with
 DPaint IV AGA and Final Copy) to hold you over until the Falcon's
 released, then turn around and easily sell them for $499 when the Falcon's
 released if you still want one. For only $100 you'll have use of a newer
 computer for two to two
 hundred months (grin).

 I just hope Atari hasn't Osborned itself--are _any_ machines still selling
 in the U.S. with the Falcon hanging temptingly over the horizon?

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 196       Mon Jan 11, 1993
 S.WINICK                     at 19:27 EST
  
 Denny,

 Yes, Atari products are still selling quite well, thank you.  You have to
 realize that the Falcon isn't for everyone.  As Atari's new entry level
 platform, the Falcon is indeed an awesome product.  But the large majority
 of my customer base requires a higher level of product.  Both the MegaSTe
 and TT030 offer a superior case and keyboard than the Falcon.  Both offer
 better internal cooling for heavy duty or long term usage.  Both also
 offer an internal VME expansion port and a standard 3.5" hard drive bay
 offering a lot more flexibility than the Falcons 2.5" IDE drive bay.  Both
 also offer additional ports that are not available on the Falcon.  And the
 TT030 supports a 19" high res monitor out of the box (great for music
 sequencing and scoring, desktop publishing, word processing, databases,
 spreadsheets, and CADD, for example); plus features a standard built-in
 math coprocessor, TT-RAM for additional speed, and a 32MHz 68030
 processor.

 You have to realize that Atari systems are used for more things than just
 home video and games.  The Falcon will be a nice addition to Atari's
 lineup -- but it definitely will not be all things to all people, any more
 than that Amiga 1200, which is also a fine entry level home product.

 Sheldon (Computer STudio - Asheville, NC)

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 200       Mon Jan 11, 1993
 M.HEMBRUCH [Mattias]         at 21:54 EST
  
 Jonathan - if you pass on the 030 Falcon there may not be an 040..

 So, I have to buy a machine I DON'T WANT in order to get one I DO??

 RIGHT!! NOT!!

 Well, I think the RTC finally put the doubts to rest.. If the new '040 Mac
 is less than TWICE the price of a TT, I'm going to Mac.. My ST? Well, I'll
 keep it around for my kids... "Ever seen an Atari, Billy??" "Gee, dad, I
 thought they were just rumors??" "Well, son, not at first.. They really
 did sell several models.. Then, they started selling rumors while secretly
 taking over GEnie and making money off the messages debating their
 rumors..."

 Mattias

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


 Category 14,  Topic 41
 Message 197       Tue Jan 12, 1993
 B.REHBOCK [BILL@ATARI]       at 12:28 EST
  
 Wayne, You are absolutely right about the fact that the best motivation
 for a manufacturing facility is competition.

 We have not committed to bundling Atari Works with Falcon030, but as Atari
 Work's product manager, I'd naturally like to see it bundled :-)

 All of the software that does come with Falcon _is_ pre-installed on the
 harddisk, ready-to-run.  Unlike the Macintosh Performa, we also include
 back-up floppies of everything, too.

 Steve Johnson - Thanks, it is good to be back :-)  The show season (Atari
 Messe, BCS, Comdex, etc. was a killer!)

 Screenblaster is really great, and it is very TOS-compatible.  I know the
 guys at Overscan personally and they are a great bunch.  They are looking
 for a solid U.S. distributor, if anybody is interested. "Screen Blaster"
 isn't T'Marked by Creative Labs in the U.S. yet :-)

 We do intend to upgrade Atari Works as time goes on.  Sam has already
 agreed to letting me do a free (postage and handling) upgrade when we
 finish the telecommunications module.  It did originally have one, but it
 was too weak in by opinion. I want to make sure it has X, Y, and Z-modem
 so that it is fully useful.

 If users think a language would be a useful thing to be bundled with
 Falcon, please send me e-mail saying so.  I need to persuade the marketing
 people. :-)


 -Bill @ Atari

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


 Category 14,  Topic 41
 Message 198       Tue Jan 12, 1993
 K.HOUSER [Kevin MQ Def]      at 13:36 EST
  
 Bill,
  Remember, "Sam has already agreed ... free ..." is now on record. :) I'd
 like to see a language bundled (but not ST Basic :). I'll send GEmail on
 that one.

 Well, the Windoze terminal I'm typing at (from my '486DX/33) doesn't have
 anything but Xmodem and ASCII text captures. :)

 --Kevin

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

 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 12        Tue Jan 12, 1993
 S.WINICK                     at 08:55 EST
  
 J.BRENNER1,

 The TT030's being shipped in this country have the following FCC
 certification sticker attached:

     THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES.
     COMPLIANCE IS SUBJECT TO  THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
     1.  THIS DEVICE MAY NOT CAUSE HARMFUL  INTERFERENCE
     AND  2.  THIS  DEVICE  MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE
     RECEIVED  INCLUDING  INTERFERENCE  THAT  RESULTS IN
     UNDESIRED OPERATION.

 Similar wording is found on the SLM laser printers, TTM195 monitors and
 other electronic equipment designed and approved for use in a business
 environment.

 Devices approved as Class B, such as the 1040STe and MegaSTe contain an
 approval sticker with wording similar to the following:

     CERTIFIED TO COMPLY WITH CLASS B LIMITS,  PART
     15 OF FCC RULES. SEE INSTRUCTIONS IF INTERFER-
     ENCE TO RADIO RECEPTION IS SUSPECTED.

 The above Class B certification should also be attached to the Falcon when
 it begins shipping in this country.

 Sheldon (Computer STudio - Asheville, NC)

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

 EDITOR NOTE:  The FCC ID# must also be prominently displayed within the
 confines of the Official FCC Notice Label.  Also, the SLM Laser printers,
 804 & 605 do not have class B certification.


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 20        Wed Jan 13, 1993
 A.FASOLDT [Al Fasoldt]       at 03:02 EST
  
   See Flat,

 The TT is class B. I have one; it's class B.

 Al

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

 Editor Note:  According to our information, there never were _any_ TT030
 units made and sold that were class B certified.  Even though it was
 finally certified Class B.  Hmm ya never know..


 Category 18,  Topic 23
 Message 35        Fri Jan 15, 1993
 S.JOHNSON10 [Steve]          at 01:21 EST
  
 J.BUDIL - Sorry, I was thinking too quickly, too late at night! <grin> 
 When my brother bought a Mac IIsi last month, the revelation of moving
 from his 9" monochrome screen to a 14" color screen was almost as
 equivalent as me moving from using a TV as a monitor for my ST for about 3
 years before finally getting a monitor (even though I can use that
 experience as PROOF that ST's and Amiga's are QUITE usable without 'real'
 computer monitors).


 A.FASOLDT - I know there are Class B TT030's (I've seen the FCC
 information on it), but apparently there aren't very many of them (i.e.
 most of the new TT's still being sold are Class A), from what I've heard.

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

 From CIS Atari Fora

 The Facon's late, late arrival is also the focus of discussion...

 #: 79058 S17/Community Square
     10-Jan-93  11:57:33
 Sb: #78914-Falcon appears
 Fm: LEXICOR Software 75300,763
 To: Lloyd Pulley 72637,745

 Lloyd. criticing ATARI is what makes it to the news! Maybe one of this
 days we will all have Falcons. <grin> We do Agree that the Falcon is great
 but Atari just has to get them out the door. That will make someone happy.
 It will make me happy!

 Ringo



 Read action !

 #: 79109 S17/Community Square
     11-Jan-93  07:18:18
 Sb: #79034-Falcon appears
 Fm: GST Software 71351,332
 To: Tim Rule 100135,2013

 Well Lexicor was wondering if the discontent here was from a small group
 of owners whose opinions are not typical of Atari owners in general.

 The people in the Atari conferences on CIX seem to have similar opinions
 to the discontented ones on here *even in the closed developers confs* and
 also some (if not all) of the Atari mags over here have been cynical or
 damning about Atari in the last few months.

 Tony


 #: 36172 S13/Ask ATARI Corp.
     13-Jan-93  02:40:05
 Sb: #36126-ATARI STINKS!
 Fm: Dominick J. Fontana 74766,2154
 To: Stefan Daystrom@Barefoot 75300,3331

 Stefan,

     Atari did ship my order in plenty of time. The reason it didn't arrive
 until 16 days later via Fed-Ex (on New Year's Eve) was someone at Atari
 typed the wrong address on the shipping label. (It was a nonexistent
 address so it never got delivered anywhere).

     The problem was I kept calling Atari before Christmas to tell them the
 package hadn't arrived and they never did one thing to follow up. I know
 mistakes do happen, but the fact is Atari did make the typing mistake in
 the first place. So even though occasional mistakes are unavoidable, the
 one who makes the mistake should bear the brunt of that mistake. That is,
 there's nothing that can be done now to make the package arrive in time
 for Christmas. So I have already suffered and paid the price for Atari's
 mistake because of a late delivery. But since it's Atari who made the
 mistake shouldn't they have to suffer and pay the price too? It was their
 mistake, not mine.

     I was contacted by an Atari online rep. I felt the proper solution
 would have been to offer me a free Lynx. Either refund the money on the
 Lynx already purchased or give me another one for free. He wouldn't do it.
 I realize you can't crucify a company for one mistake. However, they made
 the mistake, they should forfeit the sale. Instead I was offered a
 discount on future Lynx software. The problem is that forces me to buy
 more of their products directly from them. They're getting more of my
 money instead of actually giving me something for their mistake. Granted
 they will make less of a profit, but they'll break even on the sale. In
 other words, they won't really have paid for their mistake, as they would
 have if they had affirmatively given me something. To top it off, my
 nephews' birthdays aren't until April, so I wouldn't want to get them the
 Lynx software until that time. Yet, I was basically told I had to order it
 within a few weeks. Atari makes a mistake and then tells me that as
 compensation, I'll have to order more Lynx software from them immediately,
 albeit at a discount.

     So besides the initial Atari mistake, they still had ample time to
 rectify it before Christmas. Fed-Ex was tring to deliver the package since
 12/19/92. Atari had my phone number but they didn't insert it on the
 shipping label. Fed-Ex called Atari three times to get my phone number,
 but they said Atari never answered the phone. Then Fed-Ex even looked in
 the phone book to get the phone number, but it's not listed. Their hands
 were tied. The Atari rep had the temerity to suggest to me that Fed-Ex
 should have physically opened the package to get my phone number. Can you
 believe how ludicrous that is? If I claimed something was missing from the
 package, then Atari would have placed the blame on Fed-Ex for opening it.
 So obviously, Fed-Ex would never open a package, and rightfully so. All
 Atari had to do was call Fed-Ex after I called Atari to say the package
 hadn't arrived. Then after Atari found out the address was incorrect a
 simple call to me would have insured delivery by Christmas. A simple phone
 call would have solved everything, and this Atari didn't do. So it's not
 just that Atari made a mistake with the shipping address, but they also
 refused to follow up my notifications that the package hadn't arrived,
 with one simple phone call.

     One of the Sysops here said he would forward my complaint to the Atari
 PR firm and I still haven't heard from them. It appears that Atari isn't
 concerned with customer satisfaction at all.

   Dom Fontana
                       <-- Sent from New York via AutoPilot -->


 #: 79337 S17/Community Square
     15-Jan-93  15:26:58
 Sb: #79279-Migraph
 Fm: Tim Rule 100135,2013
 To: John J. Amsler 70275,676

 I didn't make it clear but CorelDraw! is for the PC not the ST. 
 Unfortuantely there are no such packages for the ST.

 Your point on price is valid but I need a top specification drawing
 package for my business and CorleDraw! fits the bill, at a very reasonable
 $250, including CD.  Of course you need a CD-ROM drive to use the CD but I
 for one suspect that a large proportion of CD-ROM drive purcases at the
 moment are in some way due to people wanting to access the Corel clipart
 library.  CorelDraw! 3.0 is more than just a good drawing package.  It
 also includes in the price a highly sophisticated autotracer, CorelTRACE
 (like $200 Avant vector); a superb 24-bit colour graphing program,
 CorelGRAPH; and a bitmap image processor, CorelPhotoPaint, capable of
 dealing with up to 24-bit colour photograps, adding photographic effects,
 filtering out unwanted "noise" on scans, and a whole range of
 sophisticated tools (embossing, equalising etc).  Also included are,
 pantone colour, clipart directory, guides to creating artwork, huge online
 help files, clipart librarian (CorelMOSAIC), animation (including 3D
 rendering).

 You could not accuse CorelDraw! 3.0 of anything but excellent value for
 money.  It has changed the face of computer graphics, bringing graphics
 technologies to the non-professional which are easy to use and at an
 exceptionally low cost for what they are.  There is nothing like it on the
 ST, but then I could go on about PC Windows software which is simply
 inconcievable to most ST owners.  Why isn't our stuff as good?  If there
 was a package better than CorelDraw!, Microsoft Word for Windows 2,
 Microsoft Excel 4, Microsoft Access for Windows, then they would attract
 the market to the ST.  Or is the ST dead already?

 TimR
   

 From Delphi's Atari Area

 46610 12-JAN 21:14 General Information
      RE: Lynx ad! (Re: Msg 46582)
      From: ABARBIERO    To: CHRYSTAL

 I certainly hope so.  I personally believe, and this does not reflect any
 official idea, that Atari did not think that the ST line could really
 compete against the PC market, not that the machine was inferior, but
 because the product was not what the market had been educated and was
 prepared to accept.  The monolithic presence of the PC world really weighs
 upon the entire market.  Why it got this way is history, why PC are
 everywhere is moot, because it is history and hold nothing more than
 lessons.  But I belive the market is prepared for something new... any
 product can be SO good that it is exactly what is needed, but if the
 market is not ready for it, it will never sell.  Atari is taking advance
 of the decay starting in that monolith, and machines like the F030, wont
 grow in the cracks, but break new ground.  If this machine can be placed
 in the market as a appliance... something that does not require daily
 devotions to keep running, and runs by itself.  Imagine having to work on
 your TV to watch the Simpsons as much as some people work on AUTOEXEC.BAT! 
 I really think Atari fully believes that the F030, and the line of
 computers following can find their own space... and not feed off everyone
 else's ideas.

 Andreas@AEO


 46618 12-JAN 23:15 News & Reviews
      Ditty From Jens Schulz.....
      From: ATARIPOWER7  To: ALL



                  A little story about computer buying

 Userloser : "Good morning, I search the new FALCON"

 PC dealer : "Falcon ?? This is a computer store and not a wildlife
              reserve !"

 Userloser : "Orkkk, but the FALCON is a new fantastic computer"

 PC dealer : "Sorry, but we don't sell noname PC's only Big Brother
              systems"

 Userloser : "But the FALCON has the unbelievable DSP-speed !"

 PC dealer : "Every PC use the DSP (DOS Super Power)"

 Userloser : "Hmmh, but the FALCON use a 68030 CPU"

 PC dealer : "That's wrong, you've mixed the numerical order, a
              typical error of a PC-newcomer.

 Userloser :  "Numerical order ??"

 PC dealer :  "Yes, 80386 is correct !" That's no fantastic computer,
               because a brand new 486DX2 is the right stuff"

 Userloser :  "The FALCON is an ATARI computer and not a PC !"

 PC dealer :  "Aahh, the VCS 2600 system !"

 Userloser :  "Bloob, the FALCON is a new generation of multimedia
               computers, not a video console !"

 PC dealer :  "Every PC is a low cost multimedia computer, here are the
               extension cards for 2000$"

 Userloser :  "No bad card tricks, please !"

 PC dealer :  "But the normal PC sound is terrible !"

 Userloser :  "Grrh, what was your profession before PC dealer ?"

 PC dealer :  "Barber"

 Userloser :  "Barbariiaan, where is Jack the PC-Ripper ?"

 PC dealer :  "Unbelievable, this new FALCON obsession, but I only
               need my C64 for my continuing education"

 Poweruser :  "Don't talk with segmented PC-brains as Motorola user !"


 46468 10-JAN 17:01 General Information
      RE: Atari Stock (Re: Msg 46435)
      From: OCS          To: ABARBIERO


 - Gee, didn't mean to sound rude before, but I havent heard about
 - anything you might have designed!

 Just one word: DEKA!

 Oliver@LateAtariJournal


 46485 10-JAN 21:19 General Information
      RE: Atari Stock (Re: Msg 46468)
      From: ABARBIERO    To: OCS

 I write too many messages.... and Norm is such a distinctive name!

 Sorry for any insults I may have unknowingly passed out! I deal with three
 Norm's and I never made the connection with him... SORRY.

 Andreas@AEO


 46513 10-JAN 23:41 General Information
      RE: Atari Stock (Re: Msg 46435)
      From: NORMW        To: ABARBIERO

 I'm retired now (I retired in my mid-forties), but I was a Senior
 Electronic Engineer designing dot-matrix printers.  Our printers were
 considered the greatest thing since sliced bread by Comsumer Reports (I
 think they still use them in their testing labs) and were selected to be
 the basis of "Tempest" high-security devices for government work.

 On one of my first jobs, we used vacuum tube flip-flops (betcha you didn't
 know they ever existed!), so I go back a ways.  The only significant thing
 I
 designed for Atari's is DEKA, but that's mainly because the market is so
 small it doesn't pay to put in the effort.  I was working on a high-res
 color board a year and a half ago, when we heard about Falcon (which was
 supposed to be on the market a year ago), and it became moot.

 Norm



 46525 11-JAN 00:38 General Information
      RE: Atari Stock (Re: Msg 46513)
      From: ABARBIERO    To: NORMW (NR)

 Great!  Now I know!   I decided on the MSTe rather than getting a DEKA for
 my ST, sorry, but the MSTe won out!  It is tough to design something for
 ANY computer market, never mind a small one like we have.  The only way
 devs are staying alive in the Atari market (as with the rest of the market
 it seems) is by constantly producing new and interesting things, once a
 product reaches saturation of the marketplace, new products are needed to
 keep up the cash flow... this is what I keep telling Atari.

 Well for some good news... MTOS should be done this month, and Atari may
 be putting it out for free on the services... that's what Bob wants to do
 anyway. SpeedoGDOS will cost, but not much. They have to pay for royalties
 on the fonts, but making it available to the public is the highest
 priority.

 Maybe this week I will have some good new on this... I will be getting the
 68000 version of MultiTOS to review on monday.  I will let you all know.

 Andreas@AEO



 46484 10-JAN 21:18 General Information
      RE: Atari Stock (Re: Msg 46466)
      From: ABARBIERO    To: OCS

 I really miss the immense creativity caused by Apple, Atari, CBM, TI and
 Tandy battling it out, really new software, and the excitement of
 disk-drive technology!!!  Too bad today you are stuck as an IBM, or you
 are a rebel and own an Atari!!!

 I prefer to be a rebel, rather than a lemming.  Thats just me tho!!

 Andreas@AEO




 46510 10-JAN 23:20 General Information
      RE: Lynx ad! (Re: Msg 46497)
      From: SCARPAD      To: LMCCLURE (NR)

 Was it a surprise to anyone that the Falcon will not be released till
 Spring ? Want another Prediction ? You'll be lucky to see it then. And
 what about all those Falcon sent to magazines for Review ? How many of
 those Mags will review a product that is not on the shelves? And think how
 many Potential Falcon owners will sit and stare at thier new bright and
 shiney spots for their Falcons, Spots that were Vacant since Christmas,
 and Say Screw it, Let's put an A1200 or Clone or Mac there ? Truly Sad and
 getting Sadder.



 From the FNET...

 Conf : Atari 16/32 Bit
 Msg# : 2018/2028  Lines: Extended  Read: 1
 Sent : Jan 11, 1993  at 4:30 PM
 To   : Doug Hohenstein
 From : Crackers at Fnet Node 619, *TRON II BBs Systems*
 Subj : Re: <1977> People buy the computers that suit their needs.


 Oh there's no doubt in my mind that Atari CAN take advantage of the
 consumer market's "Lemmings Syndrome". They just don't seem to want to.
 Infact, their entire business strategy seems to suggest they have no realy
 desire to compete anymore in the computer business. 

 People working with M.S. DOS computers, or MAC computers always seem to be
 well informed about what the other companies are up to, and what new
 computers they have coming out even though they don't use that computer
 system. 99% of those people that I've had contact with don't even know
 Atari is releasing a new machine. Most of them didn't even know Atari
 still made computers, and a large number of them don't even know what an
 ST is. Except for one brief shinning moment in the mid 80's when Atari had
 the most powerful personal computer on the market, very little has come
 out of them, and they've had very little interest from the general public.
 Infact, I'd be willing to say that if it wasn't for musicians taking
 advantage of the machines inexpensive, midi power, the ST would have died
 long ago, and Atari would now be non-exhistant. 

 I myself use an Atari ST professionally in my recording studio. I love the
 machine, there's not a better midi system available for the price. My ST
 has performed perfectly for almost 5 years now, never once giving me a
 moment's trouble. I've never missed a project deadline due to computer
 failure or any other reason. (I've never missed a deadline). The machine
 is fantastic, and the Falcon has increadable potential...


 I cannot stand the Atari Corporation, in particular, the Tramiels. They
 have no clue as to what the current computer market is like. They have no
 sound marketing stratagy. They are notorious for "Vapour-ware". And
 they've done S.D.A. for the past five years and have allowed the company
 to fall farther and farther behind. And the blame for this lies mostly on
 the Tramiel's shoulders. Not one of the Tramiels know anything about
 computer techknowledgey. Any innovative new system that Atari R & D has
 come up with in the past five years has been either rejected, mismarketed,
 or bastardized by the Tramiels. Everyone keeps talking about how the
 Tramiels saved Atari in the early 80's, but things are different now. What
 sold in the 80's won't sell in the 90's. And how could Atari help but do
 well in the 80's when they had a machine better than anything else on the
 market at the time. But if you stand still in the computer business it's
 not long before everyone else passes you. Where do you think Commodore
 would be now if they said, "Gee, our C-64 is the hottest thing on the
 market. Now we'll never have to build another computer again." Only
 someone who's been in a comma for the past 10 years would buy a whole C-64
 system now adays. Not saying that the computer is useless, I've still got
 my C-64 and use it almost daily as a Pitch to Midi data coverter, and
 perhaps to play M.U.L.E.S. (I wish they had that game for the ST. It was
 the greatest.) So it's not at all suprising that Atari has gotten
 themselves into the mess they're in by sitting back on their duffs for the
 last five years making alot of promisses, but producing very little
 results. Every chance they've had to dominate a particular market over the
 past five years has been ruined by marketing incompetence. For some reason
 they seem to be the only company in the world that doesn't seem to
 understand the importance of getting a product out on the market before
 christmas. They could have buried Gameboy with Lynx if they had released
 it in time for christmas when it first came out. Did they? No, the
 delayed, Gameboy was out for christmas and left the Lynx behind in a cloud
 of dust even though the machine is practically stone-age compaired to the
 Lynx. Technology won't sell itself anymore, you have to know how to market
 your product to get buyers. And we've seen absolutely no evidence of any
 marketing from Atari yet.

 Like I said though, I love their machines. And I hope they get their shirt
 together so I'll be able to purchase a Falcon in the next couple of years.
 And I'd like to think that my ST will continue to be a productive part of
 my business for quite a few years to come. But at the moment, I see very
 little confidence that Atari will be around much longer. It's an ugly
 truth, and one I don't particularily want to happen, but I can't blind
 myself into beliving otherwise. I just hope they can get their act
 together. It would be nice if Atari could whipe those smug smirks off the
 faces of all those MS-DOS and MAC users.

                                    CRACKERS
                    (Love-hate relationships from hell!!!!!)



 Conf : Atari 16/32 Bit
 Msg# : 2040/2045  Lines: 17  Read: 1
 Sent : Jan 13, 1993  at 3:52 PM
 To   : George Kotsopoulos
 From : Edward Kovarski at Fnet Node 66, The Bre(/\)ery _ Ajax_Canada _
 Subj : Re: <2032> FCC #

 In reply to:

 - Have you read the RTC transcripts form GEnie??
 - It was stated by Sam Tramiel himself that developers would get the
 - first batch of Falcons in around October, and they did. And, that the
 - rest of us would get them in around January. Now that Atari's
 - sub-contractor has fouled up, and has failed to meet Atari expectations
 - in quaility control the Falcons will be delayed until March. A new
 - contractor has been hired to double productivity. 
  
 Customers don't want excuses, they want products. Atari has always been
 quick in blaming a third party for so called "accidental" hindrances and
 it is becoming tiresome to listen to all the excuses. The fact remains
 that Atari is responsible for shipping the product and they have not
 managed to accomplish this yet, in order to satisfy customer demands.




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



                      STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
                      """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""



 > A "Quotable Quote"           "... REALLY??? ...."
   """""""""""""""""



                     "FALCONS TO SHIP BY MARCH'93"



                                        ..... The Hopeful Many
                                              

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




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                    (you are NOT limited to two drives)
                      - Available for all Platforms -
                                        
       -* ICD LINK & ADSCSI PLUS HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY *- 

                  WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE!!!  >UPS!<
                       (Prepaid Orders - Cont. USA)

                                  *_*_*_*

          *** NEW!!! ULTRA MODERN "SUPER STYLE" ABCOFILE CASE ***
            DELUXE 2 bay Cabinet W/65w Auto PS & Blower $119.00
                    <<<Coming Soon! ABCO Mini-Tower>>>
       Case & ICD LINK or ADSCSI PLUS Host [Hard Disk Ready] $259.95

                          -STAND ALONE PRODUCTS-
                Model      Description    Autopark    Price
            ==================================================
               SGN4951      51Mb            Y         CALL!
               SQN1096      85mb            Y         CALL!
               SQN2055     130mb            Y         CALL!
               SQN1296     213mb            Y         CALL!
               SQN4055     340mb            Y         CALL!
            ==================================================
             Standard "Shoebox Cabinet style is also available

             Call for pricing applicable to IBM - MAC - AMIGA
                             IDE - SCSI - ESDI

              MODERN TOWER CABINETS AVAILABLE Call for Info!
              PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
                   Many other configurations available.
                               20mb - 3.5gb

                     NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE - NOTICE
                     """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
         SPECIAL PURCHASE! * 83mb - 1345mb * Hard Disk Mechanisms
                Call for SUPER PRICING!! Limited Time Only!!
                   IDEAL FOR USE IN: IBM - MAC - AMIGA!

            FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES w/o ICD LINK Available
               ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS
              EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAILABLE Call for Info!
              PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!

        FAST TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED

                                   *****
                 >> ABCO proudly offers: ATARI PRODUCTS <<
                MAC PRODUCTS - AMIGA PRODUCTS - PC PRODUCTS

              Call for ABCO's * HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICING! *
               ABCO COMPUTER SYSTEMS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
                                   *****
           If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
            Odds are, we either have it or, can get it for you!
               * GUARANTEED * AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE! *
                         "WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL"

                      ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******

               * SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCOFILE "44" & "88" *
                        * REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES *

          --->> LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! NOW ONLY 44MB $ CALL! <<---
                         SCSI port READY       88MB $ CALL!
                                   with
                            ICD Link add 80.00

                  COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
                            ONE Cart Included!

                         44mb CARTS:      $  69.50
                         88mb CARTS:      $ 109.50
                         44mb MECH ONLY:  $ 319.95
                         88mb MECH ONLY:  $ 419.95

                      ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******

   * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
                      SPECIALLY PRICED ** $ CALL! **
                       Includes: * TWO * cartridges!

    * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
         - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -

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

                 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
                      CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE

           Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
      Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
    (over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)

              * IBM/MSDOS - AMIGA - ATARI - APPLE/MACINTOSH *

      ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
           LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)

           *** --> COMPLETE IBM CLONE SYSTEMS AVAILABLE! <-- ***
                        CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR SPECS!
                      CALL FOR PRICING & AVAILABILITY
                  386/486 25 MHZ - 33Mhz - 50Mhz - 66Mhz
                               From $839.95

                    *>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*

                Atari SLM 804, SLM 804PCV Laser Toner Kits 
                            Memorex 2108, 5287
         Oasys Laserpro 5287, 5308, Express 830, Express Series II
                       Silver Express, Gold Express
                      ** $41.95 shipping Included **

                      Atari SLM 605 Laser Toner Kits
        AT&T 593, CAF Laser, DSI Laser, DTP Systems, Epson EPL-6000
         Facit P6060, Fontx Syslaser, Harris3M 2006, M-Tally MT905
       Microtek Turbo PS, OAS Laserpro Executive, Packard Bell 9500
                     TEC LB 1305, Toshiba PageLaser 6
                      ** $41.95 shipping included **
                          (TWO Toner Carts Incl.)

                        Panasonic Laser Toner Kits
           Panasonic KX -P 400 series, Panafax UF-750 Facsimile
                      ** $41.95 shipping included **

                    -- ALL TONER KITS  * IN STOCK * --

                       * Toner Starter Kits-$62.95 *
                    * Replacement (804) Drums-$187.95 *

               ABCO is PROUD to announce the acquisition of
               the exclusive U.S.A. distribution rights for
               ** Bitblit Software's ///Turbo Board BBS. **
               This fine Atari ST BBS system software and
               user support is available through ABCO to all
               Turbo customers in the USA.  Call for current
               pricing.

                      ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED

                               Now Available
                   BUSINESSES, - LEASE TO OWN WITH AT&T -

                       -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
                         (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)

                   WE PAY SHIPPING & INSURANCE!  >UPS!<
                       (Prepaid Orders - Cont. USA)
                 QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
                 _________________________________________

                     DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
                         please, call for details

                COD, Personal and Company Checks accepted.

                        ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!

                           CALL: 1-904-783-3319
                        Customer Orders & Service  
                               9am - 8pm EDT
                               TUES thru SAT

                ABCO is EXPANDING!!  CALL FOR INFORMATION!

                   SEND FOR YOUR NEW ABCO CATALOG TODAY!






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                  STReport International Online Magazine
                     -* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 STR Online!           "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE"      January 15, 1993
 Since 1987      copyright (c) 1987-92 All Rights Reserved          No.9.03
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
 the editors/staff of STReport  International Online  Magazine.  Permission
 to reprint  articles is  hereby granted, unless otherwise noted.  Reprints
 must, without exception, include the name of the  publication, date, issue
 number and  the author's  name .  STReport and/or portions therein may not
 be edited in any way without prior written  permission.   STReport, at the
 time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate.  STReport, its staff
 and contributors are not  and cannot  be held  responsible for  the use or
 misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
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