****** ›     MINUTES OF THE MAY 1994 MEETING›     ===============================›› NEW MEMBERS››       JOSEPH  BELIN,  who  resides  in› Manhatten,  joined  our  club.  JOSEPH› could not attend the  meeting  so  his› wife  ANN  substitued  for  him.   The› BELIN'S  are  new  to the Atari 8-bit.› ALEX showed ANN  how  to  operate  the› computer.  He  showed  her how to load› DOS, load a file, save  a  file,  file› management  procedures  etc. ALEX gave› an extensive lesson on computer  usage› to  ANN.  I  think ANN and JOSEPH will› now have  a  good  foundation  of  the› capability of the Atari computer.›      VALERIO  CORAZZIN  from   Varese,› Italy joined the club. VALERIO saw one› of our newsletters and wrote to us and› joined.  I  think you will have a good› time in the club.›› CORRESPONDENCE:››      A letter from our Scottish member› STUART  MURRAY  To RON. He thanked RON› for the "TREASURER'S REPORT" program.›      A  letter  to  RON  from  ROWLAND› GRANT  in  B.C. in Canada thanking him› for the "TREASURER'S REPORT"  program.› He  said  they  are  using  ATARI BOOK› KEEPER program to print their reports.› He  said  he  gave my program to their› treasurer for evaluation. He tells  us› that  their ace programmer JOHN PICKEN› has  now debugged his XL-2 program and› will  release  it  as  shareware. JOHN› wants to create  an  INTERNATIONAL  ON› LINE  8-BIT MAGAZINE if ATARI CLASSICS› folds.›      JIM HOOD and BOB WOOLEY  of  SLCC› club plan to continue to publish ATARI› CLASSIC as a club activity. They  want› to  keep  the 8-Bit magazine alive. It› will be continued as a publication  in› California at a cost that allows it to› be   published  at  less  than  a  500› subscriber base. They feel the quality› should  be  as  good or better and the› production cycle  should  be  shorter.› They  plan  to  mail  the copies in an› envelope to protect them better.  Stay› tuned!›      We received a postcard from STEVE› HOFFEE. STEVE and family were the hard› workers  who copied the 300 A.C. disks› every othr month. He ha been  ill.  He› tells  us  that he is recuperating and› feeling better.›      Good news from BILL SMINKEY  from› California.  He  advises his operation› was a success, and he is  recuperating› slowly. BILL has the honor ofbeing the› oldest member of the club.›      A  letter  from  our  member  BEN› POEHLAND.  He  tells  us   about   the› closing  of  A.C. and the distribution› of the  remaining  subscriptions.  The› club  voted  to  support SLCC with the› disk mailing if they ask us to do  so,› under the same terms we had with A.C.›      A  letter  from  our member  DANE› STEGMAN  of  N.Y. He tells us that his› PAGE 6 disk will be fixed. He  is  sad› to  hear   that   A.C.   is   stopping› publication.  He  tells us he bought a› JAGUAR. He is very happy with it.  DAN› is a game player and he liked the last› issue of the N.L. because of the games› we had on it. ALEX said on the JUL/AUG› N.L. there will  be  two  games.  What› they  will  be?  It is a surprise, and› ALEX won't release th names!›      A  letter  from  JIM  CUTLER  our› member in England. JIM was told he can› pay his  dues  in  POUNDS,  hereafter.› European  members can now pay in their› own currency for any item  they  order› form  us.  JIM  sent us 10 disk with 8› sides  of  SPARTA  DOS  UTILITIES.  He› warned us against the  danger  of  the› SCOTTISH   SPIRIT   WATER.   He   just› indulged in the IRISH  version  a  bit› himself on his vacation.›      JIM  CUTLER   our   member   from› England  also writes us that a new BBS› is going up called "THE LAND THAT TIME› FORGOT".  He  is a member of it. He is› also  connected  to  internet.  He  is› still reading the book on internet.›      A letter  from  our  member  RUDY› DiGIOSAFFATTE of N.J. He tells us that› he is very happy being a member of the› OL'  HACKERS.  He  also  is in contact› with our member SAM CORY  of  N.J.  He› mailed  us  a disk of LINE DESIGNS for› the   1020   PRINTER  PLOTTER  and  an› article for two of the  programs.  The› disks will be put into our library. He› has a modem problem. He uses  a  SX212› modem  and  his telephone company said› he needs DEC VT100 or higher, 8  BITS,› NO  PARITY, and 1 STOP BIT. He has 850› EXPRESS and BOB TERM. I  suggested  he› use  the  P.R. connection with a modem› cable. He wants to direct connect  the› modem.    Anyone    have   any   other› suggestions?   He  is  looking  for  a› terminal   program   that   has  these› parameters. Write to RUDY at 44 Forest› Dr., SUCCASUNNA, N.J. 07876.›      ALEX  wrote to our member VALERIO› CORAZZIN in Italy. He welcomed him  to› our  club. ALEX wrote one paragraph in› Italian and then  translated  it  into› English  just  in case the Italian was› not understandable. ALEX has not  used› Italian since he was a school boy (and› that was a long, long time ago. -grin)›      A letter from DALE  WOOSTER  from› Phoenix,  AZ. He suggested because our› two clubs seem to be the  most  active› in  the  USA he said he has some 8-Bit› material that is very important and we› might  consider  putting  it  on   our› newsletter  disks.  He  feels the A.C.› and TEXTPRO, and SPARTA DOS  3.2f  are› the  hottest  topics and he encouraged› us to use his articles. ALEX  said  he› will  use  some  of his article in the› next issue of our newsletter, in order› to "spread the word!"-SEE OTHER  PARTS› OF THIS DISK. Alex also  mailed  him a› special disk! ›       A  letter  from  our  member  in› England NORMAN WILLIAMSON. He  thanked› ALEX  for  the stamps. He saves stamps› and his son in Hong  Kong  saves  them› also.  So  we  have mailed some of our› used  postage  stamps  to  NORMAN.  He› thanked  us  for  the  disks  that  we› mailed   him.   He   printed  out  the› complete list of our  library.  It  is› now  68 pages long and he has one more› side of the disk to go. HAROLD  PEGLER› our librarian not only lists the files› on   the  disk  but  he  ALSO  give  a› description  of  each  file.  A  Super› Duper job by HAROLD and the only 8-Bit› librarian  who  does this. NORMAN also› told us that he had a disk drive  that› did  not work and was very noisy. What› he  did  he  SPRAYED  IT  WITH  WD-40.› Wonder of wonders the drive works fine› now  and  is  so  quiet that he cannot› hear   it.   One   caveat.  Cover  the› read/write head with some paper so  it› does not get oily.›        Fine     Tooned     Engineering› distributed on the BBS the 8-Bit Atari› products  now available from them. SEE› elsewhere in this newsletter the  list› and  the  prices.  The  8-Bit is still› alive! The phone  number  is  408-GET-› REAL.›      We  received  a picture card from› our member DANIEL CARRODANO of France.› He  draw  an  arrow  to show the house› where he lives. We needed a microscope› to locate it(Grin).›           JEAN  BROKAW  of  the   PACE› SETTERS,  Atari  users group in Largo,› Florida wrote to ALEX and asked him if› we  had  a  program  for making masks.› ALEX mailed them them the  MASK  MAKER› PROGRAM  post haste. ALEX complimented› them on their great newsletter.›      Our  member  STUART  MURRAY  from› Scotland,  writes us that one of these› days he  will  show  up  at  our  club› meeting.  We  dare  you STU! (grin) He› also asked for copies of  some  disks,› which  were  sent  to  him   for   his› library.›› DEMOS:››      JACK  GEDALIUS  demoed  the ANITC› SAMPLING PROCESSOR (ANTIC FEB/MAR 1990› page  11). You can digitize your voice› or music and it sounds  really  great.› The  project  is easy to build and all› the   parts  are  available  in  RADIO› SHACK. The software that comes with it› is  also   really   great   and   very› flexible.  You  now can add your voice› or music to your programs and no other› device  is needed to play it back. The› program   samples   several  thousands› times  the  voice  and  digitizes  it.› Because of the high sampling  rate  an› awful lot of the disk sectors are used› up.›      JACK digitized ALEX'S  voice  and› it  was  amazing how clear and true to› life the voice  replayed  through  the› computer. If you want more information› write to JACK GEDALIUS.›      ALEX came up with a real  WINNER.› He  showed  us  one of the GREAT-GREAT› utilities for Atari Basic. The program› is  called  CUSTOM.BAS.  It  is in the› form   of  a  DOS  and  it  is  called› EXTENDED ATARI BASIC Ver  1.1.  It  is› relocatable  also  so  it  can be used› with TURBO BASIC etc. The menu  shows:› A. LIST VARIABLES, B. VARIABLE VALUES,› C. CHANGE NAME, D.  CROSS  REFERENCES,› E. DELETE LINES, F. RENUMBER, G. CHECK› PROGRAM, H. NEW OUTPUT FILE, I. RETURN› TO BASIC, J. GO TO DOS. This disk is #› 475 in our  library.  If  you  do  ANY› programming  then  you need this disk!› We saw  the  RENUMBER  FUNCTION  -  it› almost  instantly  renumbered  a  long› program.  On   the   CROSS   REFERENCE› function  it  not  ONLY  shows you the› variables but also on what  line  they› appear.  A  great  time saver when you› program!. On CHECK PROGRAM it looks to› see if there is a GOTO number for each› GOTO and a RETURN for each  GOSUB.  On› the  VARIABLE  VALUES  it  showes  the› value  of  the variables after you run› the   program.   On  DELETE  LINES  is› deletes a whole set of lines at  once,› POOF!›      RON showed a GREAT new program he› wrote. It is a  QUICK  GUIDE  TEMPLATE› for  the 1st XLEnt Word Processor. The› template fits  over  the  keyboard  of› your  130XE and it has ALL the docs on› it. Now everything is right  in  front› of  you.  No more looking it up in the› manual. The  program  prints  out  the› template. You glue it on a stiff piece› of cardboard. You need a size 9  X  14› inch,  or  23  X  35.5  cm.  piece.  A› corrugated  piece  of cardboard from a› box is OK.  I  used  a  red  styrofoam› board  from a stationary supply house.› You glue the template onto  the  STIFF› backing with rubber cement and cut out› the   spaces   for  the  keyboard  and› console keys  as  well  as  the  power› light.  Use a utility knife or a razor› blade. All the cut  outs  are  clearly› indicated.  I  made  my  board 1/2 in.› larger than indicated so I now have  a› red boarder all the way around. I also› covered  it  with  some  SELF-ADHESIVE› PLASTIC PROTECTOR  SHEETS.  The  board› fits  perfectly  on the 130XE. All the› mounting   instructions   are  on  the› printout. The  template  can  also  be› used  with the 800XL. You just cut out› the  keyboard  space  and  trim  it  a› little  on  the  right  side  for  the› console keys of the 800XL. Not only do› you   have   all   the   wordprocessor› commands in front of you all the  time› but  you  also  get a better hand rest› because   of   the  template  and  the› computer looks much  better.  I  leave› the  template on all the time since it› does not interfere with the  operation› of  the  computer.  If you use the 1st› XLEnt W.P. this  is  the  program  you› need.  This program will be printed in› our   newsletter.   If  you  want  the› complete   disk  it  is  #476  in  our› library.›       For   the   1020   plotter.  The› programs   by    our    member    RUDY› DiGIOSAFFATTE  were   put   into   the› library #477.›      A  DOM from the San Leandro Club-› (SLCC), April 1994. Our library  #478.› This disk has 55 files on it. 5 games,› one utility, one  demo,  one  graphic.› Games such as ANTIC BUFF, CRAZY EIGHT,› CURRENT BASE, DANDY,  MEET  THE  COWS,› PIC FLICK.›      Next  we  saw  the DOM'S (DISK OF› THE  MONTH)  from  D.A.C.E.  DACE  DOM› 3/93. Our library #479. We had  a  bad› copy. We did not see it.›      Next  we saw a disk with games by› JOE CHIKO. There were card  games  and› other  games. If you have an 800XL you› need 256K RAM. It is library #480.›      Next we saw a great disk from our› English  member  NORMAN WILLIAMSON. It› was his  MENU'S  disk.  It  has  GREAT› sound  and  great graphics and you can› put it on any disk. We loved it! It is› library #481.›› DOOR PRIZES:›› JOE LEBER› ANN BELIN› JACK GEDALIUS› HARRY TUTHILL›› Written  by  RON  FETZER and edited by› ALEX PIGNATO.›› >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>END<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<›