+*+*› This  article  has  been  taken  from› Z*MAG on-line  newsletter  issue 201.› LIVING WITH AN 8-BIT by Jim Brozovich› Reprint from Michigan Atari Magazine,› and  OL'  HACKERS  ATARI  8  BIT USER› GROUP, NY.› If like  me you purchased your  Atari› system years ago when only  the  rich› could afford an IBM system-The trusty› old Atari has been much help,  family› budgeting,  income  tax   preparation› (via Antic Syncalc spreadsheets), and› helped immensely  in  my  recent  job› search.  But  at  work, IBM was king,› and I became a power user of Lotus 1-› 2-3,  Javelin  Plus, and custom built› decision support models.›      This lead to a desire to upgrade› to  a "real" machine and relegate the› trusty old  Atari  to  a  kid's  game› machine.   Being  the  frugal sort, I› always resisted  this  temptation  by› making my Atari a more robust machine› with   every   conceivable    upgrade› possible,  ranging  from  the  Newell› 256KXL  memory  upgrade including the› Ramrod XL operating  system  with  80› Column  upgrade and to two US Doubler› equipped   1050s.    But   no  matter› whether I added extra  memory  or  80› columns  in  Atariwriter   Plus+   or› double  density  drives,  I still did› not have IBM compatibility.›       As  the  price  of  IBM  clones› dropped,  more  and  more  co-workers› were   buying   their  first  PCs  or› scraping   their  C64s  for  the  new› clones.   Eventually,  I  became  the› outcast and was looked upon as  being› the strang  one for not being able to› take work home.  Once  again,  I  was› faced  with the prospect of scrapping› an   investment   of  over  $2500  in› hardware and software  and  years  of› accumulated   knowledge   about   the› intricacies   of  applying  the  8bit› Atari to productivity applications.›      I was almost ready to  make  the› plunge  to  the  IBM  world  when   ‚› noticed  an  ad in Antic Magazine for› the Happy 7.1  Upgrade  and  software› claiming  that  it  gave   IBM   file› compatibility  to  the   8bit   Atari› without  resorting  to   null   modem› cables  or telephone hook-ups.  Also,› Happy   dropped   their   price  from› $249.95  to  $99.95  (does  this  say› something about  the  life  cycle  of› 8bit  products?)   which   made   the› decision  easier.   I promptly called› up   my  friendly  mail  order  house› because no  local  merchants  stocked› the  product.   By  the   way,   it's› getting  harder  to  find  any   8bit› products  on  store  shelves  in  the› Detroit  area.   Anyway,  less then a› week later the man in the "Big  Brown› Truck,  " UPS to those of you without› kids"   delivered   my   Happy   1050› Upgrade,  Happy  Disk Controller, and› Version 7.1 software.›      Being  a  hardware  hacker  made› installation  a simple matter for me,› no soldering or desoldering required.› But  if you can't tell the difference› between a  Phillips  screwdriver  and› and  a floppy disk, you might want to› find someone to do  the  installation› for  you.   After  printing  out  the› documentation,   I   was   eager   to› translate  an  Atari  file  into  IBM› format so that    could  take  it  to› work  to and see if this thing really› worked.   Much   to   my  chagrin,  I› discovered the  Happy  cannot  Format› IBM disks so the test had to wait.›      Formatting  disks  for  use with› the Happy 1050 must be done from  the› MS-DOS  machine using the Format A:/1› command because the 1050  is  single-› sided and the IBMs, except some early› PCs    are    double-sided.     After› formatting a supply of disks  on  the› IBM  machine,  I  proceeded  to  make› copies of f‚les from the Atari to the› IBM and visa versa.›       My   objective  in  this  whole› process was to be  able  to  transfer› numeric  data  between  Syncalc   and› Lotus  1-2-3  and  textual  data from› Atariwriter   Plus  to  IBM  readable› ASCII next files.  The  later  proved› easy  once  I learned to use the Save› ASC option from Atariwriter Plus  and› use the Text Translation = Yes Option› in the  IBMXFR  program  supplied  by› Happy.  The  resulting  text files on› the IBM had  none  on  the  the  text› formatting  options   they   had   in› Atariwriter  Plus.    My   IBM   word› processor,  Volkswriter,  was able to› load the files with only one problem.› That    is,    any   imbedded   print› characters in the files such as  Cntl› U  for  underlining  caused  the data› within the print codes to be  garbled› in  the translation.  Removing all of› the    imbedded    characters    with› Atariwriter Plus  before  saving  the› files  in  ASC  format   solved   the› problem    but    it    does     make› compatibility  a little less complete› because   the   necessary  formatting› commands must then  be  reentered  in› the IBM file.›      The  Syncalc translation process› proved to be much  more  complicated.› My first attempt  were with DIF files› created by Lotus 1-2-3 version  2.01.› The  Happy  IBMFXR program translated› them OK, but when  I  tried  to  load› them into Syncalc using the Load-Data› Option, weird things happened -- only› part  of  the  file  came through and› some of it was garbled.  Going from a› Syncalc DIF to Lotus 1-2-3 was OK but› I couldn't go from 1-2-3 to  Syncalc.›      A little bit of research  turned› up the fact that with Version 2.01 of› 1-2-3, Lotus made some changes in the› way  the  program's Translate Utility› creates   DIF   files.   To  be  more› explicit, in version 2.01  of  Lotus,› the  Translate  Utility  ignores  all› non-needed  blank cells when creating› a DIF file.  This is  different  from› the  previous  versions  if Lotus and› other programs that account  for  all› the  cells  in  a range including the› blank cells  when  creating  the  DIF› file.›      Anyway,  a   way   around   this› problem  was  suggested  in  the June› 1987 issue of Lotus magazine on  Page› 132.  To create an old style DIF file› in   Lotus  2.01  use  the  following› procedure from within 1-2-3:› 1) Retrieve the file to be translated› 2) Put  a  label-prefix apostrophe in› cell A1-type an Apostrophe hit Enter.› 3) Copy A1  to  the  entire  relevant› portion of the spreadsheet as follows› /C From A1 Push Return  -To A1..(Type› period) Push  End Key, Push home Key.› 4) The file  will look erased but you› will   notice   that  a  label-prefix› apostrophe has been  placed  in  each› cell  of  the relevant portion of the› spreadsheet.› 5) Re-load the  original  file  using› the  File  Combine, Copy, Entire File› method.› 6) Re-save the file under a new name.› This  yields a file with no non-blank› cells for the  Translate  Utility  to› ignore.› 7) Translate   this  new  file to DIF› using the Lotus Translate Utility and› your  single  sided  Atari   readable› disks.   The  new file will load into› Syncalc with no problems.›      One point that must be  made  is› that spreadsheets transferred in this› way will not work from one program to› another  ie.   Syncalc   spreadsheets› will  not run in Lotus 1-2-3 and visa› versa.   The  documentation  supplied› with the  Happy  7.1  Software  makes› this  clear.   Using  the  DIF  files› described  above  is  only  a  way of› transferring  data  between  programs› and not a way of transferring  models› between programs.›      As  far as program compatibility› goes, it  may  be  possible  to  move› Visicalc  models  from the IBM to the› Atari  and  use  Syncalc's  translate› utility to get them into  the  Atari.› This of course assumes that there are› people still out there using Visicalc› on  the  IBM  PC.  In general, if you› are   really   looking  for  complety› compatibility between your work based› IBM  and  your  Atari 8bit, the Happy› 7.1   Upgrade  will  not  serve  your› needs   You'll have to go out and buy› a  clone or an ST to get full program› compatibility. But, this very limited› compatibility  didn't hinder me  from› getting utility  out of  the  program› because   the   applications   I  was› attempting to  coordinate between the› 2 machines involved only the exchange› of data, not the transfer of  models.› In  other  words,  if you  want to be› able to write a memo on your Atari at› home over the weekend  and  then take› the  disk in to work and print it out› and   distribute   on  your   IBM  on› Monday,  then the Happy  7.1  Upgrade› is  for  you.  If, on the other hand,› you're developing a capacity planning› model in Lotus 1-2-3 and  want  to be› able to  see your kids before they go› to bed-your choices are more limited,› either  buy  the clone or ST or learn› to work late.›      My  own  applications point up a› limitatio that you have on the Atari› 8bit, for productivity programs, that› you   don't   have   on  more  robust› machines like the IBM.  Namely,  what› I  do  is  go  on-line with Dow Jones› News  Retrieval  and  download  stock› prices and  news  headlines  about  a› certain  group  of  companies.   This› data  is  entered  into a Lotus 1-2-3› spreadsheet     that     does    come› calculations on the data  and  serves› as  a  base  for  editing  the   news› headlines and then finally is used to› print out a report.  In Lotus, I  can› import  my  downloaded   ASCII   data› directly into the spreadsheet which I› can't do with Syncalc.›      In Syncalc, I must type  in  the› numeric  portion of the data directly› into  a  spreadsheet  model,  the   I› Print the file to  disk  as  a  print› file.  This  file  can be loaded into› Atariwriter Plus and then merged with› the  rest  of  downloaded  file which› Atariwriter Plus can load and  edit. › This  resulting  file  can  then   be› converted   into   IBM   format   for› distribution. It  would  be  nice  if› Syncalc  would  allow  you  to import› ASCII text files into  a  spreadsheet› thus saving an extra step that is not› required on the IBM  PC.   If  anyone› knows  of  any  utilities  that   can› translate  ASCII text files into DIF,› Syncalc, or Visicalc format, I  would› like to here from you.›      One other feature you might want› to consider is its obvious ability to› make backup  copies of your protected› software. In many bases manufacterers› are out of  business. It is  becoming› very important to have backup of your› software, which is  almost impossible› to replace these  days.›      The  Happy  7.1 Upgrade performs› this   task  admirably  even  on  the› Synapse software where it has to  use› PDF  files  to  make copies that only› run on a Happy equipped drive. I  now› have  backups for my protected disks.›            =*=*=*=*=*›