0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0››        PRESIDENTS MESSAGE›                   by ALEX PIGNATO››     CHRISTMAS is coming and with it›another year of sad news with ATARI›Corp. unloading all its 8 BIT stuff in›the CHICAGO show, or so I've been led›to believe. I am thankful that the›USERS CLUBS and their members have been›doing a lot of Shareware and Freeware›programming. Most of it is excellant. ›Why not treat yourself to your own›CHRISTMAS computer GIFT this year? I›suggest that if you want to stay up›to date, that you order RON FETZERS 3›Disk set "TURBO BASIC PROGRAMMING KIT"›for $7.00 for 3 double sided disks. ›They will take you step by step into›the next step above BASIC programming,›by building on your knowledge of BASIC.›TURBO BASIC as you all know by now will›speed up any program by 3 to 10 times›faster than regular BASIC. It is a must›for you die hard 8 BIT'ers. You can›print out your own order blank from›BASIC in this newsletter.››     Moving on to other topics, I just›received word from HORST DEWITZ, who›just returned from the annual BIT BYTER›8 BIT club of WEST GERMANY. He advises›that the club is strong, having grown›to 800 plus members, many of whom are›programmers who do some fantastic›things with their 8 BIT micros. OL'›HACKERS sent the above described 3 DISK›TURBO BASIC set, along with a letter of›greetings and a special disk, as well›as our latest NEWSLETTER. HORST says›"THIS PROMPTED A RATHER LONG OVATION›FROM THE MEMBERS." We have been›exchanging newsletters with BIT BYTER›for many years, and HORST has been our›international ambassadore of 8 BIT good›will, having attended the GERMAN›meetings, these last three years. It ›was nice of CURRENT NOTES magazine to›give HORST about 50 back issues as a›gift to BIT BYTER. Horst also conveyed›best wishes from NAPCO, J.A.C.G., BOB›PUFF (a great 8 BIT programmer and now›president of CSS), and from L.I.A.U.G.›and NEAR*US. HORST also says that they ›are constantly comeing up with new home›made hardware, and modifications to all›kinds of existing hardware, such as an›interface making it possible to run a ›3.5" floppy drive with the 800XL/130XE,›with SPARTADOS or MYDOS, the operating›DOS. BOB PUFFS Black Box was selling›well too.›     Now I am told that HORST is having›problems with his own 8 BIT equipment›and will have to resign as our›INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDANT. I'm sorry›to hear this as HORST has been very›helpful and a good 8 BIT friend, who ›monthly translated the BIT BYTER DISKS›for us. I hope he gets his act together›soon, and picks up where he left off.››     Thats it for now.....enjoy your ›8 BIT, its a marvelous HOME COMPUTER.››  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=