*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››          NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›            by Alan Sharkis›      OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› If I had to describe the  weather  on› Long  Island  so far this winter, I'd› have  to  say  that  it  has  been  a› blessing for those who hate shoveling› snow  and  a  bust for those who love› skiing or sledding  on  it.   I  know› that's  not  what's been happening in› other parts of the  world.   We  hope› that the winter has been treating you› well, or at least that  it  has  been› kind  enough  to  allow you to pursue› what you wish to do with your Atari. › (Notice  that  I  studiously  avoided› those  other  stories  that have been› occupying the news!)›› (FR)ANTIC for November  1998  --  The› AAAUA  has announced the result of an› election and some of the officers are› new.   We  congratulate all.  It also› seems as though  AAAUA  meetings  are› taking    place   in   AL   BLOCKER's› residence form now on.  RUSSELL STOWE› contributes  articles on 1020 plotter› repair and on the care and ffeing  of› disk  drives.   Finally,  there's  an› article,  complete with screen shots,› of The Last Starfighter.   This  game› was  never  officially  released   by› Atari,  but the beta version has been› making the rounds of late.›› LVAUG News for November/December 1998› --  There's  a  reprint of an article› from   the  CompuServe  Atari8  about› adding resistance in parallel to  the› console  keys  on  a  130XE when they› fail   to   operate.  Other  articles› include   one   on   Santa  Claus  in› cyberspace and advice to students to,› "Surf  the  Web  With a Grain of Salt› (both from the Allentown Morning Call› -- authors listed.)  There are other,› humorous articles and cartoons, and a› calendar  of  1999 with meeting dates› circled.›› (FR)ANTIC for  December  1998/January› 1999    --   Editor   MANUEL   GARCIA› questioned Hasbro on what they intend› to do with the Atari software rights.› He  was  interested  particularly  in› what, if anything Hasbro intended  to› do with non-game and hardware-related› issues.    They   referred   him   to› <www.atarihq.com>  for  more complete› answers to  his  questions,  but  the› answer that Hasbro gave leaves little› room   for   doubt.    Hasbro    will› concentrate  on games, as they run on› the Sony PlayStation, the PC, and the› Nintendo 64.  At AGH, Manuel probably› saw the familiar name of JOHN HARDIE,› but  got  few  hardware  and/or  non-› gaming  questions  answered.  Also in› this issue are screen shots of Rodent› Revenge,  a PD game by BILL KENDRICK,› hints on selecting graphics by number› when  using  The Print Shop, hints on› playing Ghost Busters, a  reprint  of› DAVID RICHARDSON's Exploring the Wild› FONTier, and a 1999 calendar with the› club's meeting dates boxed in.›› JACG  Newsletter  for January 1999 --›  This is a packed issue.   It  starts› off  with  Part  2  of   MARSHAL   M.› ROSENTHAL's    fine   Atari   history› article. JOE HICSWA does fine reviews› of  New  Atari  User  and  the  OHAUG› Newsletter. According to the minutes,› the JACG has voted to accept  members› who  own  other  computers.   In   an› article  a little later in the issue,› SAM CORY takes issue with that  stand› and  sees nothing to be gained by the› change.  (Of course, I would have  to› remind  Sam  that  my forays into the› comp.sys.atari.8bit   back   me   up.› Emulating  an  Atari  8-bit  on  a PC› seems to get  many  former  8-bitters› interested  in  their  old  computers› again.   The  hours  that  my  SIO2PC› interface    and    my     null-modem› connection  between  the two machines› have  saved  me  as  editor  of  this› newsletter   are   somewhere  in  the› thousands!    The  two  machines  can› coexist   and   help    each    other› considerably. -- Ed.)  The issue ends› with   a   humorous  list  of  bumper› sticker    slogans,    a    financial› statement for the JACG, and a list of› members  with  their names, addresses› and phone numbers.›› PACESetter for January 1999 -- Editor› WALT LEWIS starts off with an article› called, "ANTIC DISK HELP!"   He  uses› the    ANTIC   Magazine's   list   of› extenders to launch what is  probably› the    best-written    article    for› beginners  on  loading  files  from a› disk I've ever seen.  (And Walt,  the› device  name  "E:" stands for "screen› Editor." -- Ed.)   The  rest  of  the› issue  is  devoted to descriptions of› several   disks   from   the   club's› library.   They're  too  numerous  to› mention  here,  but  please pick up a› copy of this issue and look it over. › Some  of   these   disks   are   most› interesting and useful!›› IMAGE for January 1999 -- There is no› 8-bit-related news in this issue, but› there  are two items of note.  First,› NICK DiMASI, president  of  of  SCAT,› has joined IMAGE.  Second, Hayes, the› modem manufacturer that at  one  time› set the standards and command set for› all others to follow, has  filed  for› reorganization under Chapter 11.›› SCAT  President's Letter for December› 1998/January 1999 -- This issue lists› a  URL  for  the  SCAT Website, which› I've     visited     and      enjoyed› <http://www.fujiman.com/scat>.   It's› also  significant  that in thier last› election, former 8-bit librarian  JOE› CHIKO  was elected vice-president and› ERIC   CRON   was    elected    8-bit› librarian.  (Eric   is   a   frequent› contributor  to   comp.sys.atari.8bit› and        his        Web        site› <http://www.pcc.net/dzone/atari8.htm>› includes html versions of De Re Atari› and  The  850  Operator's  Manual, as› well as a  .ZIP  file  of  The  Atari› Hardware Manual. -- ed.)›› The  PACESetter  for February 1999 --›  This  issue  seems  to  be  a  music› issue.   It  includes  reviews of the› Music Composer  cartridge  and  Music› Construction  Set  by   Editor   WALT› LEWIS,  the  instructions  for  ANTIC› Music Processor by STEVEN LASHOWER, a› description of Music I, II,  and  III› from   the   APX   catalog,   and   a› description   of  Bank  Street  Music› Writer by GLEN CLANCY  of  Mindscape.› Walt mentioned getting a year's worth› of OHAUG disks and printouts from JOE› HICSWA.   (This  is the obviously the› same package that  Joe  sent  me  and› which I showed at the last meeting. -› - Ed.)  There are also articles about› how  to  keep junk e-mail out of your› PC and how to tell how fast your PC's› connected  on  line  (both  from  the› LCACE    News   Journal.)    Finally,› there's an  article,  reprinted  from› the  OHAUG  Newsletter  of  3-4/92 on› repairing  and  modifying  and  Indus› disk drive.›› XIO3 for January/February 1999 -- Our› member,  JOHN  POWELL, has joined yet› another user group.  This time,  it's› GCACE!   GCACE,  by  the way, has had› another   election.    Many  familiar› names are among  the  officers.   Our› congratulations  to  all,  and   best› wishes  to  ROWLAND   GRANT   for   a› contined speedy recovery from serious› surgery.  ROWLAND still took time  to› write two very informative columns --›  his usual 8-bit affairs column and a› reivew  of Pool Disk Too.  Both cover› many interesting points and should be› "must reads."›› JACG  Newsletter for February 1999 --› Edlitor TOM LASKOWSKI  has  obviously› been  following  the gaming scene.  A› lot of former  Atari  employees  have› been  working  on  something   called› Project X and something  called Nuon.› These very secret projects are  about› to  bear  some fruit.  Read all about› it in  Tom's  column,  in  two  press› releases  from VM LABS also reprinted› in this  issue,  and  from  a  column› entitled  Pecking  at  the Scraps, by› DONALD A. THOMAS, JR.  Also  see  the› final  installment  of   MARSHAL   M.› ROSENTHAL's  "Thanks  for the Ecstacy› Atari" column.  JOE HICSWA is back as› president,  and  has a column called,› "From the  Opal  Office."   Joe  uses› this  month's  column  to  talk about› what  the  user  group  has  done  to› enhance  his  confidence.   Joe  also› reviews     several      newsletters,› including the November-December LVAUG› Newsletter     and    the    December› PACESetter.   SAM  CORY  raises  some› very interesting points in  a  column› on the next-to-last page.  There's no› title, but is  name  appears  at  the› bottom.   Sam  does  a  fine  job  of› explaining  why  Internet   messages,› including  e-mail  are   split   into› packets  which  are then sent in many› different   directions,  and  finally› assembled into the  original  at  the› ISP  of  the intended recipient.  You› didn't know  that?   You're  used  to› sending  and  receiving  files  _AS A› WHOLE_ while working with a BBS?  Sam› will  explain why packets, which look› like a more  dangerous  way  to  send› messages,    actually   improve   the› efficiency of the Internet.  He  also› poses  some  questions for PC users. › Perhaps  Sam  is  changing  his  mind› about the wisdom of JACG bringing  in› PC users?  Hmmm....››› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›››