›               o=o=o=o=o=››               Editorial››            by Alan Sharkis›       Editor, OHAUG Newsletter›› About eighteen months ago, just after› the death of ALEX  PIGNATO,  the  Ol'› Hackers met to reaffirm our desire to› continue as a  user  group.   We  had› support for that cause in the form of› in-person visits from LIAUG and LVAUG› members.   Although  Alex's  loss was› difficult for many of us,  I  believe› that  our user group is as strong, if› not stronger, than it had been  under› his    self-described     "benevolent› dictatorship."   I'm  happy that such› is the case, and I must  give  credit› for that to our members and officers.› There   is   an  aura,  difficult  to› describe   and   more   difficult  to› quantify,  about  the  Classic  Atari› that must be  preserved.   I  believe› we,  as  an international user group,› have contributed to that preservation› effort.›› There  are  two areas in which I feel› that we can  do  more,  but  first  a› little background.›› Many  of  our   members   own   other› machines.   Quite  a  few, I believe,› own PCs.  While this  club  was  new,› I've been told, the PC was considered› to be a deadly beast, not  worthy  of› our  respect.   In  great measure, it› was.  Few PC owners could brag  about› color  displays,  graphics, and sound› of the quality that our 8-bits  could› produce.   It's numbing reputation as› a "business  computer"  went  against› the grain of 8-bitters.  This has, of› course, changed.  May I dare say,  it› has  CHANGED TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT› of the Atari 8-bit community.›› Another  segment  of  our  membership› also owns other Atari equipment.  I'm› going  to  exclude  the discussion of› game consoles here.  The  2600,  5200› and  7800  now  constitue   nostalgia› trips, and the Lynx and Jaguar, while› shining examples  of  survival,  just› don't  fit into this discussion.  The› ST,   its   successors  and  now  its› clones, do fit in.›› I was also told  that  in  the  early› days  of the Ol' Hackers, some of our› current and past members were looking› for  a  local  user  group that would› give them  some  support.   A  rather› clannish,  now defunct ST group would› have   relegated  them  to,  "fifteen› minutes before the  meeting."   Hence› they  joined  OHAUG  and  the rest is› history.  My exposure to the  ST  was› quite  different.   My   first   user› group, also now defunct, was a source› of great harmony  between  its  8-bit› and  ST  members.  I currently belong› to LIAUG, OHAUG's sister club on Long› Island.   LIAUG has happily continued› that tradition of harmony.›› For the past year or  so,  I've  been› hearing  about  how  the ST community› has declined and has been demoralized› worse  than our own.  In some circles› this might, indeed, be true.  But  in› others, we look at the aforementioned› successors to the ST and  its  clones› as  examples  for  us  in  three very› important areas:   cloning,  Internet› access and emulation of other machine› platforms.›› From   time   to  time,  we  hear  of› somebody   wishing   to  build  8-bit› clones.    There   was   some  recent› interest in this expressed in CSA8 by› one  of  our members, Atari historian› and collector, CURT VENDEL.  While  I› wish  Curt  luck with this project, I› realize that it  would  be  extremely› difficult  to  do,  given  the  small› number  of people who'd be interested› in owning one.›› Emulation of 8-bits is a subject near› and  dear to my heart, as many of you› know.  While this was never developed› as  fully on the ST as one would have› hoped, the ST XFormer  WAS  a  first.› If you have read this newsletter over› the past year, you know that I  spent› a  lot  of  time and space describing› PC, Amiga, Macintosh, and  Unix-based› 8-bit  emulators  --  both to emulate› the entire machine  and  to  give  an› existing  8-bit  the  advantages   of› increased  peripheral  capability and› storage.  In my rationale statements,› I  noted  that  there  were those who› desired a portable 8-bit,  those  who› gave  up  their 8-bits and wanted the› "feeling" back, and  those  for  whom› emulation    was    a     fascinating› intellectual  exercise.  As my fellow› Ol' Hacker and LIAUG  President,  PAT› MULVEY  recently  reiterated, the day› is fast approaching when we  will  no› longer  have  people  to  supply  and› repair our 8-bits, hence the enhanced› importance of emulation.  Of all  the› platforms  that  emulate the Atari 8-› bit, the PC has come  closest  to  an› actual  8-bit.   Therefore, I PROPOSE› THAT  THIS  USER  GROUP  DO  MORE  TO› OFFICIALLY  ENCOURAGE  OUR  PC-OWNING› MEMBERS TO LOOK TO US FOR SUPPORT  ON› THOSE  MACHINES,  AS  WELL.    AS   A› TRADEOFF,  I'D EXPECT THOSE PC-OWNING› MEMBERS TO LOOK INTO ENHANCING  THEIR› 8-BITS THROUGH THEIR PCs, RATHER THAN› ABANDONING THEIR 8-BITS IN  FAVOR  OF› THEIR  PCs.  The two machines can co-› exist rather peacefully, as  some  of› us, myself included, have proven.›› The  second area for improvement that› I would suggest  is  THAT  THIS  CLUB› PURSUE   AN INCREASED PRESENCE ON THE› INTERNET.›› I have found that some of our out-of-› town members are doing just that with› their 8-bits!  Although  I  have  the› technical  ability  and the necessary› software to do the  same,  I  haven't› done  much  of  it because the PC, at› least   at  this  juncture,  does  it› better.  I would like  those  of  our› members   who   are   accessing   the› Internet with their 8-bits  to  write› articles  about  the  experience  for› inclusion  in our newsletter, and I'd› really enjoy it if some more  of  our› local members chimed in!›› Given  the   staggering   amount   of› information  and areas of interest to› 8-bitters on the Internet, we  should› all  be  logging on to 8-bit oriented› Web sites, participating in CSA8, and› using Internet e-mail to conduct club› business wherever possible.›› And speaking of Web sites, it's  high› time  that  OHAUG had at least a page› on the World  Wide  Web.   This  will› take  work,  but we can gain from the› experience of  others.   JOHN  HARDIE› and  CURT  VENDEL  have   had   their› personal  pages  up and running for a› while   now.    Curt    Vendel    has› volunteered  to   help.    LIAUG   is› investigating  a page for themselves,› and our close ties to them  may  mean› that  joint  development is possible.› › I feel pride in my community whenever› I  log  onto an 8-bit site.  I'd feel› even greater pride if I knew that the› site belonged to the Ol' Hackers.››               o=o=o=o=o=››››