***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian› › DEAD? NOT BY A LONG SHOT!›› Classic  ATARI  users  just don't get› it!  We were supposed to have  rolled› over  and  died a long time ago.  But› unlike   other   orphaned    computer› communities,  we  are  priveleged  to› have not only software support within› our community, but  hardware  support› as well.  Fine-Tooned Engineering has› announced several  products  lately. › Computer  Software Services continues› to support us. ›› WE COULD HAVE TOLD YOU!››     In hindsight & As a reflection of› how  well  our  8-BIT  is  missed  by› former  users,  just  take  a look at› what   BRANCH   ALWAYS  SOFTWARE  has› released recently. Not only are there› freeware  800  and  800XL versions of› the PC Xformer (which emulates an  8-› bit  on   a   PC)   but   there's   a› commerically-available 130XE version.› I guess those appeal  to  people  who› have  a nostalgic need to run Classic› ATARI   software   on   their    IBM-› compatibles.   Darn.  They could have› kept their 8-BIT systems and not have› had  to  put up with the shortcomings› of machine emulation.  (The emulators› ARE good, but far from complete.)  On› the   other  hand,  the  dream  of  a› portable 8-BIT system  (via  an  IBM-› Compatable  and  PC  Xformer)   would› probably  appeal  both  to former and› current 8-BIT'ers.  That  being said,› let's see  what  the user groups have› been doing. › › O.K., NOW ON WITH THE SHOW!›› The  L.V.A.U.G.  News  for  May/June,› 1994  -- I don't remember reviewing a› LEHIGH VALLEY newsletter for a while.› I  was  wondering  if that user group› had stopped  publishing  one.   Then,› via a phone call from JON MORDOSKY, I› found out that there  was  a  mailing› problem  that  had  been straightened› out.  Sure enough, shortly after that› call  ALEX  handed  me  a  batch   of› newsletters  that includes three from› L.V.A.U.G.,   as   well  as  a  flyer› advertising that the group  would  be› running  an  ATARI Nostalgia Night at› their    November    3rd    meeting. › Unfortunately, the flyer was given to› me  at  the  November 12th meeting of› OHAUG.  Sorry about  the  digression,› folks.    The   May/June   newsletter› reprints a THOMAS. M. JOHNSON Action!› tutorial about pointers and records. › There is an announcement of  a  toll-› free  Atari  customer support line (-› 800-GO   ATARI).   There  is  also  a› reprint   of   an   article   by  TOM› STEINERT-THRELKELD, actually one of a› series  of  columns he writes for the› Dallas Morning News called CyberTalk.› This  one  describes  the   Cleveland› Free-Net.›› CINATARI  for  July,   1994   --   We› received  this  newsletter,  and it's› the first I can  remember  reviewing,› although  it's obiously not the first› the organization has  published.   We› welcome  it  to  our exchange.  There› were no specifically  8-BIT  articles› in  it,  and  the  list  of  software› developers  and  dealers  on the back› cover would lead one to believe  that› the  club  is  heavily  into  ST  and› beyond.     However,    there    were› references  to  both the LYNX and the› JAGUAR.  I hope there will  be  8-BIT› articles  in  this  newsletter in the› future.›› The L.V.A.U.G. News for  July/August,› 1994  --  This issue carries reprints› of a "BACK TO  BASICS"  article  that› appeared  in  the November 1993 issue› of (FR)ANTIC and a  very  informative› article  on   Power   Protection   by› SHELDON WINICK that first appeared in› GEnie  Lamp,  Volume  4,  Issue  65. › There are also multiple references to› the  "ATARI  NAVY."   I guess some of› the   LVAUG   members  have  and  use› canoes.    Several  amusing  cartoons› round out the issue.›› Messages    from    S.P.A.C.E.    for› September/October, 1994 -- There  are› no  8-BIT articles this month.  There› is an article by editor JOHN  CASSIAS› on using a spreadseet to track stocks› when a stock-tracking program is  not› available.›› MVACE  News  for  October, 1994 -- We› welcome   MVACE   Newsletter  to  our› exchange.   This  is  another  one  I› haven't seen before.  According to  a› brief  history  on  page 7, this user› group  began  as  the  Huber  Heights› (OHIO)  ATARI USER GROUP 1n 1982, but› expanded to the entire  Miami  Valley› as  time  went  on.   This user group› covers all Atari products.  The issue› seems to spend a lot of space writing› about  other  platforms  and  ATARI's› position   in  the  general  computer› market.  It reprints  an  article  by› JOHN  COLLINS of N.W.P.A.C. on how to› ship   hardware  to  others.   Anther› article,   of    general    interest,› describes  a  device  called  a MODEM› SAVER  that  tells  you  if  you  can› safely use a modem with your portable› computer.   It's  available  from IBM› and a phone number is given.›› Update ATARI  for  October,  1994  --› We've  been receiving this newsletter› since long before I started to  write› this  column.   HACE is a very active› club  in  the  Houston  area.  Lately› they've looked like  an  ST-exclusive› user  group, at least as far as their› newsletter reflects.  This  month  is› an  exception.  GEORGE IKEN has begun› a series on DOS's for the  8-BIT  and› this  month's  installment   features› those  that  were  produced  by ATARI› Corporation.    (George,   if  you're› reading this, ATARI did produce a DOS› 1.  It's available on a few scattered› BBSs around the country, and I have a› copy,  sans  documentation.   I won't› use it and don't suggest that  anyone› use it.)  George thorougly summarizes› DOS 2, 2.5, 3.0, DOS XE and DOS 4.0. › It's a very informative article.›› (FR)ANTIC  for  October,  1994 -- The› AAAUA acknowledges a potential future› visit  from former Vice-President and› now OL' HACKER JOHN HARDIE.  His name› came  up  when  the computer drew his› name for a prize.  Alas, JOHN  wasn't› physically   present   and   couldn't› collect.  JOHN, if you ever do get to› visit those guys, please give them my› best.  I've never met them, but  I've› been    reviewing   their   excellent› newsletter so long that I feel I know› them.   This issue contains a type-in› BASIC program  that  creates  a  101-› sector RAMDISK.  MANUEL GARCIA does a› write-up on Bolt's Electronic  Repair› Service,  a company that does service› on   ATARI   8-BITS   and   older  ST› machines.  BOB  HUDDLESTON  writes  a› retrospective  on  strategic wargames› for the 8-BIT line.›› IMAGE for October, 1994 -- This issue› contains    no   specifically   8-bit› articles,  but  it  does  contain  an› interesting   piece   of   news.   ST› chairman   and   librarian   ED  BAIZ› intercepted a post on FidoNet  saying› that  ATARI is going into electronics› manufacturing for telecommunications.› It's  an  interesting development, if› true.  I was last led to believe that› Atari was getting away from computers› and   returning   to   gaming.   Now,› there's  this  message  that  further› states that ATARI and  BELL  ATLANTIC› are going to put a telecommunications› technology   together  and  that  the› Jaguar  is  the  perfect  engine  for› "settop"  communications.   Ed  feels› that such news doesn't indicate  that› ATARI will also move away from games,› but  Ed  also  doesn't  believe  that› Atari is moving away from computers. › After following Atari for many years,› I often wonder if  Atari  management,› from  BUSHNELL through WARNER and now› the TRAMIELS, knows what  it's  goals› are  for  a  period  of more than ten› minutes!  There is  also  an  article› about  the SEGA-ATARI agreement (more› about that later.)  Finally there's a› reprint  of  an article  from the May› 1993   issue   of   The  Nutshell  on› preventing     repetitive      stress› injuries.›› L.V.A.U.G.          News          for› September/October, 1994 -- This issue› features a reprint from Diablo Valley› ACE  of  California (PACE) of a LARRY› MAGNUM  review  of  DJINNI.   If  you› regularly  call  GEnie,  and  if  you› remember an AC Magazine  "wish  list"› article in which one of the items was› for   an   "Aladdin-like"  navagation› program  for  the  8-bit,  you'll  be› pleased to find out that DJINNI fills› the  bill.   LARRY's article explains› it   all.    The   Beginner's  Column› contains   an   article  by  JOHN  W.› DASHNER about SYNFILE.  The  Back  To› Basics  column,  reprinted  from  the› March  1994   issue   of   (FR)ANTIC,› reviews the commands in DOS 2.5.›› The SLCC JOURNAL for November, 1994 -› - Most notable in  this  issue  is  a› review  of  TextPro,  version 5.20x. › This  version  is  so  new  that  the› review, and the suggested articles it› mentions,  should  be  read by anyone› who uses older version  of  TextPro. › TextPro, of course, started out as an› improvement   on   CHARLES  BRANNON's› Speedscript,    underwent    multiple› further revisions by RONNIE RICHE and› MIKE  COLLINS  and  has  been written› about extensively by FRANK  WALTERS. › Beyond that, there is a great deal of› space devoted to a JAGUER  review,  a› list of hints for playing Nightshade,› and some humorous  pictures  of  SLCC› personalities.›› Now,  a  little about that ATARI-SEGA› agreement.    As  you  may  remember,› there   have   been  countless  court› battles       among      game-machine› manufacturers in the past few years. › ATARI  and  SEGA, in particular, have› sued and countersued each other  over› patents,      software      licenses,› copyrights  and  the like.  According› to the press release that Alex handed› me, ATARI and SEGA will actually work› together from now on.  The  basis  of› this  relationship  is  an  agreement› which  was announced on September 28,› and given governmental approval  only› this past week.  Under the agreement,› SEGA   will   get   many  of  ATARI's› patents, in exchange for  royalties. › Some  of  those  royalties  will   be› prepaid  by  SEGA  in  the  form   of› approximately  $50  million dollars. › SEGA   will  buy  about  4.7  million› shares in Atari common  stock,  about› another  $40  million  dollars.   The› companies  will  enter  into software› license   agreements  on  games  that› would  be  made  available  for  game› systems produced by both  companies. › Atari  will  drop  legal  proceedings› against SEGA, and both companies will› release  claims  against  the  other.› You  are  free to make of it what you› will.  I believe the  agreement  will› infuse  cash  into ATARI, and will be› used   in    designing,    but    not› necessarily        promoting       or› manufacturing,   games   and   gaming› equipment.  It was my hope that ATARI› would again be tempted to produce, or› allow  others  to  produce, computers› that were logical extensions  of  the› FALCON  030.   I  just can't see that› happening.›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›              << End >>