*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› It's  been  a long time since my last› set of reviews.  These  are  exciting› times once again. ATARI came out with› the JAQUAR 64 BIT, and the FALCON 030› I've seen the Falcon 030  running  at› the Connecticut AtariFest.  It's   an› impressive computer,  but somehow, it› hasn't captured general attention yet› and I wonder if it will  ever  spread› beyond the diehard  Atari users   and› musicians, graphic artists, and video› hobbyists    that   flocked   to   it› initially.    Meanwhile,  our  8-bits› defy all the naysayers  and  continue› to   be   fantastic   general-purpose› machines.›› The really exciting news is that  the› Jaguar  was  released  recently,  and› that it will come in at  about  $250,› that it is a 64-bit game machine, and› that it will be manufactured  in  the› United States by none other than IBM.› That announcement boosted Atari stock› like  it  hasn't  been  boosted   for› years.   I realize that we spend lots› of time and  energy  trying  to  tell› people  that  Atari computers are not› toys, but the  reality  is  that  the› general public reacts positively when› Atari announces  a  game  system  and› with yawns when Atari announces a new› computer.  C'est  la  vie.   It  will› help  Atarians of any stripe, because› Atari is in the news, it's stock  has› risen,  and its products will be made› domestically.›› The DACE Desktop for April, 1993  has› a  mini-review  by  Mr. G. (LCASE) of› ALAN KIRK's Page Editor.  This  is  a› DTP  program  that  runs   in   BASIC› (although  Mr.  Kirk  suggests  using› TurboBasic).   Mr.  G.  also mentions› DiskIO   Plus   (PATRICK   DELL'ERA),› Circuit Database (RANDY CONSTAN), and› Musorqa (RON TORBORG) in his review.›› The April, 1993 issue of Update Atari› (HACE)  contains  an article that's a› little hard to find,  but  begins  at› the bottom of page 7.  I mention that› because the headline is quite small. › It's  a  hardware  article  by GEORGE› IKEN and it discusses using non-Atari› laser  printers with Atari computers,› including our 8-bits.   George  tells› us  how  to configure AW+ and TextPro› Plus 4.54 to do this job.›› The April, 1993  issue  of  (FR)ANTIC› leads off with an article by JAMES G.› MARTIN   proclaiming   the  value  of› hardware backups.  If you're not sure› of  what  this  term  means,   you're› probably  doing it, anyway.  James is› talking about having a backup  system› in  case your primary computer system› fails.    If  you're  not  doing  it,› please consider  that  our  computers› are inexpensive when purchased used. › Later in the issue, ED HALL discusses› examples  of  what  he calls, "custom› disks."   These  are  disks  that  he› built out of p/d  disks,  rearranging› the material on them so that the disk› had a theme and a  menu  (written  by› Ed)  that would only show those files› that   he   wanted  to  run.   As  an› example, Ed describes a disk that  he› put  together  in  which  the  common› element  was  the  use  of  digitized› speech via the Covox VoiceMaster Jr. › THELMA SUNVISON has contributed  four› pieces  to  this  issue.   Her   TIPS› column  discusses  how  disks  can be› corrupted   by   the  electromagnetic› fields    generated    by    portable› telephones and the like.  She credits› JOE  HICSWA  of  JACG  with   thfirst› mention   of   this   problem.    Her› description of the clubs DOM is  well› done.  The disk contains three games,› PIPELING by CHRIS GUISE, PLOP by NEIL› OTTAWAY  and  THE  HYAMS ADVENTURE by› YOHANNAN HYAMS.  Thelma also gives an› account  of  the  Atari Classics user› group exchange program and asks  that› club    members   submit   articles. › Finally,     she    gives    a    big› acknowledgement to the efforts of the› club's  subscribing members who write› articles and profiles for (FR)ANTIC.›› The JACG  Newsletter  for  May,  1993› contains  two  outstanding   columns,› disguised  as  a  routine  "8-bit  PD› Librarian's  report"  by SAM CORY and› an   equally   routine   "8-bit  VP's› Report" by  BILL  BINGHAM.   I  can't› begin  to  describe  the  variety  of› topics  and  the  excellent   writing› these  two  guys  do  in this issue. › Read for yourselves.›› (FR)ANTIC for May, 1993 is the  proud› bearer  of  a profile of one of their› members, BOB  HUDDLESTON.   Bob  even› contributed  his  own title: "Profile› of a Strategy War Games Programmer." › Of  course,  the  profile  deals with› more than just aspect of Bob's life. › Read about this interesting member of› AAAUA and see what he intends  to  do› with the programs he's written.  JACK› LEA writes a review and  installation› description  of  the TT Touch kit for› the   130XE,   available   from  Best› Electronics.  ED HALL  continues  his› "custom   disk"   article.    RUSSELL› GIBSON   reviews   Picture   Breaker,› written  by  corresponding member NIR› DAREY.  RUSSELL STOWE  discusses  the› difference  (or  lack  of it) between› the terms 'club', 'association',  and› 'group',  and  shows  how  all  three› apply to AAAUA.  I must say that this› issue shows  great  care  in  layout,› insertion  of  graphics  and  in  the› crispness of the printing.›› M.U.G.  Newsletter  for  May,  1993's› Atari  section runs a reprint of part› IV of D. C. SIGNORINI's series,  "The› Untold Story of Pittsburgh, PA."›› STATUS  Newsletter  for   May,   1993› features  a review of MICHAEL ALEXA's› Script 80, version  2.0  by  ELDRIDGE› STOCKS.   This  is  a  word processor› with     an    80-column    display. › Monochrome monitors  are  recommended› and  the  program  is compatible with› DDII.      BOB     WOMACK     relates› conversations  with  his  friends who› use MS-DOS in which  he  showed  them› that  some  of  the  tricks of memory› management they longed for  on  their› machines  (and  now finally have with› some  drawbacks)  were  done  on  the› Atari 8-bits many years ago by  such › disk  operating systems as Sparta Dos› 2.3 and 3.2, SmartDos, and I-DOS.›› Nybbles and Bytes for May/June,  1993› is  a  mix  of  reprints and original› articles.   There  is  a  reprint  of› STEVE BLOOM's "30 Secrets of  Atari",› which  we  reprinted  some time ago. › There  is  a  Search  String  Handler› type-in from  Bit-Byter  of  Germany,› supplied  by CHUCK SCHWARK, editor of› the Chicago  Land  Atari  User  Group› Newsletter.   The  program  loads   a› machine  language routine that allows› you to search for a character  string› while  programming  in  BASIC.   JOHN› COLLINS  shows  off  his  skills as a› cartoonist.  The piece is  especially› relevent now that the Jaguar has been› announced.     John's    Drawn    and› Quartered column features  a  type-in› program that "pops" a picture up from› the   bottom  of  the  screen.   John› thanks Alex and OHAUG for all of  the› correspondence  and  disks  we   sent› him.›› I  wish  to welcome The Pacesetter, a› publication   of    Pinellas    Atari› Computer    Enthusiasts    to     our› newsletter  exchange.   Their   June,› 1993  issue  is  full  of interesting› features, and their cover designs are› quite  impressive.   They   have   an› article  by  WALT  LEWIS  on printing› labels, always a tricky topic.   Walt› describes how he does it with TextPro› TPX 5.0.  The newsletter has a  hints› column, similar to that in (FR)ANTIC.› JEAN BROKAW tells the members how  to› access  the  card  catalog,   reserve› items,  and  get information and help› from the local library by modem.  She› also  describes  how  Disk   RX   was› demonstrated  at a recent meeting and› how she put it right to work  on  her› own  problem  disk.   KATHY SEVERANCE› writes a column telling  how  to  use› Family  Tree  Organizer,  which   was› demonstrated  at   the   club's   May› meeting.›› The  SAGE  Scroll  for   June,   1993› features    JAMES    GURIEL's   8-bit› section.  In it,  James  reviews  PAB› SUNGENSIS' PabQwk, an off-line reader› for message packets downloaded from a› BBS.   He  also  reprints a review of› the Sparta  Dos  Tool  Kit  reprinted› from    "Alan's    Corner"   in   the› PaceSetter Newsletter of May, 1991.›› The L.V.A.U.G. News  for  June,  1993› contains  several reprints.  There is› a reprint of SCOTT  ANDERSON's  (Mile› High  Atari)  article  on the "latest› Atari     Product",    produced    in› conjunction   with  Coleman  Western,› which   the   club   got   from   our› newsletter  of  a  few  months  ago. › There's  also  a   reprint   of   the› tutorial series on ACTION and Express› PRO by THOMAS M. JOHNSON.   Look  for› more    articles,   not   necessarily› computer-related, but interesting.›› The Summer, 1993  issue  of  ACT  and› Deed mentions, among user groups that› will     attend    the    Connecticut› AtariFest, OHAUG.›› The   SLCC  Journal  for  June,  1993› continues   BOB  WOOLLEY's  excellent› series on  writing  the  software  to› allow  an IDE hard drive to interface› with a 1200XL.›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›