*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian››› This  has been a busy period for many› of us, myself included.  I have added› many entries to my list of URLs, most› of them concerned  with  Atari  8-bit› activity.   The   comp.sys.atari.8bit› newsgroup  has  become   increasingly› active.   Unfortunately, some of that› activity has involved  messages  from› the  dreaded  "spammers,"  who   send› LOOOOONG messages promising us untold› riches if we would  only  participate› in   their   unabashed   chain-letter› schemes.  Almost as bad are those who› waste  valuable   bandwidth   quoting› those  spams  completely   and   then› answering    them,   point-by-point. › C'mon guys!  All you have  to  do  is› ignore  the spammers and they, at the› risk of dating myself,  will  dry  up› and    blow    away.     There   are,› thankfully, no such problems in  user› group  newsletters;  some   excellent› examples  of  which  are   summarized› below.›› Cenacle Newsletter for June 1996 -- I› was handed  this  newsletter  by  Ron› Fetzer  at  the  December meeting.  I› really   don't   read   French,   the› language of the newsletter, but I can› make out enough to know what the club› is  doing.   They have reprinted some› material from XIO3 (issue  unknown). › They  are struggling for material for› their newsletter.   A  review  of  PC› Xformer  2.51 takes up about a page. › A       member       asks       about› using/transferring  files to his PC. › The answer comes back SIO2PC.  It  is› also  pointed  out  that  SYNFILE and› SYNCALC can save files  in  the  .DIF› format  which  is  readable  in  many› other  PC applications.  Executables,› however, will not usually  run  on  a› PC,  except  for those that run under› PC Xformer.  Others ask about whether› Print  Shop icon disks in the library› can be used without  the  Print  Shop› Companion,  and why the club will not› open up to ST membership.  An ad  for› a member who makes SIO2PC interfaces,› charges for printing  bck  issues  of› the  newsletter.  and  a   blurb   on› Microcheck  3.05  XE  round  out  the› issue.›› Nybbles   and   Bytes   (NWPAC)   for› July/August 1996 --- This  issue  was› sent  to  me  by  its  editor,   JOHN› COLLINS  when  I  informed him during› the course  of  another  conversation› that  we  hadn't  received  it.   The› first  cover  front  cover contains a› short  tribute  to  ALEX  PIGNATO  by› NWPAC  President  DALE  WOOSTER.   We› appreciate his kind  words.   I  also› appreciate  that  Dale  corrected  an› error  that  I  made  in  an  earlier› reference.  I had misstated that Dale› was the author of  the  documentation› for  TextPro,  a  product  of  RONNIE› RICHIE,  but  Dale  stated  that   he› merely  edited documentation that was› written mostly  by  Ronnie  and  MIKE› COLLINS.   DALE  also gives credit to› FRANK WALTERS for writing all of  the› "Help"  sections (see more of Frank's› work elsewhere in this issue  of  the› OHAUG Newsletter -- ed.)  Lesson 2 of› TextPro Macros,  by  the  same  Frank› Walters,  appears  in  this  issue of› Nybbles   and   Bytes,  and  is  most› important to anyone who is  going  to› use   TextPro.    This   issue   also› reprints   ROWLAND   GRANT's  (GCACE)› Atari 8-bit Affairs  column.   Editor› JOHN  COLLINS gives us a list of URLs› that are essential for 8-bitters  who› wish to visit Web Pages and ftp sites› devoted to  our  machines.   Some  of› this  list  was   incorporated   into› mine!›› SLCC  News for September 1996 -- This› issue contains minutes only.  We hope› the  next  issues will reflect a more› vigorous SLCC.›› (FR)ANTIC (AAAUA) for October 1996 --›  GREG  KOBY,  a sysop who corresponds› with me via FidoNet,  has  written  a› very  helpful  article  for those who› use SDX with BobTerm and/or TextPro. › It  will  load  the   programs   into› ramdisk,  and  make  the ramdisk your› working  disk  --  most  convenient! › ALVAN   SHERRILL's   November    1989› Beginner's  Column  is reprinted.  It› deals with some of the  imponderables› that  beginners  often  find  keeping› them  up  at night.  Read it.  And be› sure to read the article  (no  author› listed)  that follows it to learn how› to access DOS functions from within a› BASIC  program and a whole lot more. › On the back of the issue is a list of› articles  from  ANALOG  Magazine that› deal with programming.›› The PACESetter for November  1996  --›    President     KATHY     SEVERANCE,› apparently     running     unopposed,› contributes a very funny,  tongue-in-› cheek  campaign  message.  Be sure to› read it AND the editor's  comment  at› the  end of the message.  The article› by JULIANNE WU of the ST.  PETERSBERG› TIMES highlighting PACE, and shown by› me at our last meeting, is reprinted.› PAUL  KENNEDY  is the subject of this› month's Getting To Know  You  column.› An  article  (no  author   mentioned)› reprinted  from  the  L.C.A.C.E. News› Journal, Vol. 13, Issue  2,  gives  a› very  clear   description   of   what› Internet  Service  Providers do, what› their fees usually include,  and  how› to  select  the ISP that is right for› you.    This  issue  is  replete,  as› always, with puzzles,  cartoons,  and› other amusements.›› (FR)ANTIC  for  November  1996  -- My› Internet Web Page list is reprinted. › JOHN POWELL contributed an article on› hockey.›› Nybbles   and   Bytes   (NWPAC)   for› November/December  1996 -- First, let› me   explain   that   there   was  no› September/October issue of this  fine› newsletter,  for  those  of  you  who› track  these  things.  Second, let me› congratulate Editor JOHN  COLLINS  on› another  very  nice format change for› the newsletter.  (John, I don't  care› what computer you used to produce it,› content is what counts  --  ed.)   It› seems that President DALE WOOSTER has› stepped down.  He is planning to move› back to Texas, and the user group has› been   considering   a   change    in› direction.   It  sent  out feelers to› those who might be  interested  in  a› general-purpose    computer     club,› thinking  that  such  a  move   would› attract  more members.  When only the› current members showed up, a vote was› taken  and  the result is to continue› NWPAC   as   an  Atari  8-bit  club. › Meanwhile, Dale's successor should be› chosen  by  the  first  of the year. › FRANK WALTERS has contributed another› article  on TextPro -- this one deals› with printing tips. It covers printer› drivers,  creating  print  drive herp› files,  disk  macro  files,  printing› address   labels,   and    two-column› printing.   Again,  it's  one  of the› essentials.  ROWLAND GRANT's  (GCACE)› Atari 8-Bit Affairs column, this time› from the September/October 1996 issue› of  XIO3 is reprinted/  It deals with› emulators  again.   Looks  like  that› topic is not going to disappear soon. › Rowland  has  some important tings to› say   about   the   current  crop  of› emulators.   JOHN  COLLINS  offers  a› very good guide to selecting an ISP. › Finally,  a  type-in   program,   The› Science  Fiction  Pocket Computer, by› THOMS   OUGHTON   is  offered.   This› program   generates  typical  science› fiction   plots   around   some   key› concepts that you provide.›› XIO3  (GCACE)  for  November/December› 1996  --  ROWLAND  GRANT's Atari News› and   Rumours  column  is  a  further› explanation   of   the    arrangement› between Atari and JTS, its rationale,› and   its  consequences.   His  8-Bit› Affairs   column,   as  usual,  is  a› potpourri of happenings in the  8-bit› world,  much  of which he has gleaned› from   the   newsgroup.    It   makes› interesting   reading.    GORDON   F.› HOOPER's   PEEKing   Around    column› mentions  new  members  and renewals,› among them OHAUG member DANE STEGMAN. › It also contains some celebrity virus› definitions that you can add  to  the› lists  you've already accumulated for› a good laugh.   Gordon,  from  an  ST› standpoint  (and  later,  John Picken› from an 8 bit standpoint) write about› using the latest inkjet printers with› those   systems.   They  mention  the› Hewlett-Packard   680C,   which  does› beautiful work in  Windows,  but  has› not a clue in its manual about how it› can work in other platforms.  I own a› 660C,  and  I  can  tell you that the› control language for the  printer  is› available  at  H-P's  web  site,  but› writing  a  printer  driver  for your› Atari 8-bit application will  take  a› lot of work.  JOHN PICKEN describes a› common problem with our 8-bits:  some› machine  language  programs  will not› run a second time  unless  you  cold-› boot  the machine.  Others just don't› work  at  all,  although  the  author› claims they will.   What  happens  is› that  the top of page zero is a great› place to put code, but only if it  is› cleared out in advance.  Many authors› don't realize that the space  is  not› clear  if  their program (or another)› has previously run.  John provides an› 8-line  BASIC  program  that  in turn› generates a machine-language  program› that  will clear the required space. › It can load from your batch  file  if› you're  using  a command-line DOS, or› it can be appended to Atari DOS or to› the  program  you  wish  to run under› Atari DOS.  I'd have put it into  the› newsletter,  but  I  need  to contact› John to see if I can.›› The PACESetter for December  1996  --›  The  Largo  group   prints   NWPAC's› (July/August  1996) list of URLs.  It› also lists some very  useful  general› information  Web  sites  for checking› out long-lost friends, addresses  and› phone numbers, and AT&T 800 numbers. › JEAN BROKAW devotes  an  entire  page› (two  articles  and  a  bunch of cute› signs)   to  the  process  of  giving› demos.  She has also outdone  herself› in the area of games, puzzles, etc.› The  PACESetter  for  January 1997 --›   Yes,   that's   correct!   We  have› received the first club newsletter of› the  new year.  JOAN RAIA is not only› the subject of the  Getting  To  Know› You  column, but she authored most of› this  issue.   Her  Can  It  Be  True› column, written for the club's decade› anniversary  in  June  1995,  gives a› short history of the club's  ups  and› downs over its then ten-year history. › Her How Did  This  Happen  column  is› reprinted from October 1992.  Her Dry› Eyes? column comes  from  the  August› 1994  issue.  Her Modeming One On One› column   is   reprinted   from    the› September  1993  issue.   Joan   also› reviews  Typesetter.   So,  what  did› JEAN  BROKAW  do  this  issue?   Jean› provided  routine  announcements, and› MORE OF THOSE TERRIFIC PUZZLES!›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››››