›              o=o=o=o=o=››          Important Web Site!››             by Alan Sharkis›› Many  Atarians  are  using  emulation› these days.  In the 8-bit  world,  we› have seen the standard emulator disk-› image file evolve as the .ATR.   This› disk-image file, unlike the .XFD that› was instituted by DAREK  MIHOCKA  for› ST Xformer and PC Xformer, contains a› header   that   provides    important› information    about    the    file's› properties.   In addition, .ATR files› have   standardized   lengths   which› roughly  correspond to the lengths of› real Atari disk  files,  thus  making› whole-disk  copying  to  and from the› Atari more convenient.   It  is  this› duplicating  process and some trouble› that I've had with it  that  prompted› me to write this column today.›› Many  of  you  may  recall that a few› years   ago   I  wrote  a  series  on› emulation  in the  OHAUG  Newsletter.› At   the   time,   while   discussing› peripheral emulators such  as  SIO2PC› and  A.P.E.,  I wrote about a problem› that I was  having  with  A.P.E.   It› seemed  that no matter how I tried, I› couldn't get A.P.E. copy an .ATR to a› real  Atari disk that I had connected› in the SIO daisy chain.  I  discussed› the  problem  with STEVEN TUCKER, the› author of the A.P.E. software, but he› had no solution for me.  And so, even› though   A.P.E.   was   a  much  more› elaborate and feature-filled  program› than  NICK KENNEDY's SIO2PC software,› I had to rely  on  SIO2PC  if  I  was› going  to  copy  .ATRs  to real Atari› floppies.›› While   reading   comp.sys.atari.8bit› today,  I  saw  a message from fellow› Ol' Hacker, LARRY WHITE.   Larry,  it› seems, had the identical problem.  He› had an SIO2PC device and  found  that› it,  too, couldn't transfers of .ATRs› to real Atari disk drives.   However,› Larry's SIO2PC interface was based on› the 1489 chip, as opposed to my  old,› two-chip SIO2PC device which is based› on the MAX-232 chip.  Larry did  find› a  solution  to  the  problem  at the› following URL:›› www.redshift.com/%7Ecdyson/atari.html›› (If you're doing this with a PC, you› can replace the "%7E" with a tilde.)›› CLARENCE DYSON, with permission  from› the authors and with care to give all› of them full credit,  has  created  a› Web  site  chock full of construction› plans, modification plans, and  other› technical  information.   Among   the› modifications    are    the     video› modifications  done  by  BOB WOOLLEY,› BEN   POEHLAND,   CHARLES   COLE  and› others.  Four or five sets  of  plans› for  various  SIO2PC devices are also› given much  space,  with  schematics,› parts  lists, parts sources, step-by-› step   construction   notes,    color› photographs,  etc.   In each of these› SIO2PC-related   plans,   there   are› additional  modifications  shown that› would eliminate the problem  that  I,› Larry and perhaps  others are having.›› Clarence's site also has links to the› pages   of   STEVEN   TUCKER (A.P.E.,› WinAPE  and  Imagic),  NICK   KENNEDY› (SIO2PC)    and     others.     Since› Clarence's  site is a member  site of› the  Atari WebRing,  you can also  go› from there to any other Atari WebRing› site very conveniently.››              o=o=o=o=o=›››