EXCERPTS FROM THE JAWS  OF  THE  VICE› (PREZ) of WESTERN NEW YORK ATARI USER› CLUB by John Kasupski, V.P.›››      In getting  my  hard  drive  put› back  together  very recently, I made› a discovery. If you're having trouble› finding  an  Adaptec 4000A controller› card, you CAN take the  Bios  from  a› 4000A  and  put it on an Adaptec 4010› and use that instead.›› **       This  presupposes  that  the› problem with your old 4000A wasn't in› the  Bios,  and  it may NOT work with› ALL   drives   and    configurations.› However,  it works fine on my Seagate› ST-225, a 20 Meg, 5-1/2"  half-height› MFM drive. This discovery was made by› accident, because I ordered  a  4000A› and  received  a  4010 instead. I had› previously  been  told  that  a  4010› WOULDN'T work, even  if  you  swapped› the  Bios  (hence the caution above),› but I decided to try it anyway before› shipping  the card back to California› and waiting another two weeks to  get› my drive going again. Fortunately, it› DID work, so I am back  in  the  hard› drive SIG again...FINALLY! ›› ** YOU CAN'T DO THAT, PART 1 **›    ------------------------- **› **       All this made me think about› some of the  things  I've  been  told› could  absolutely not, no way, never"› be done. A few of  them  are:  **  1.› "You can't connect a hard drive to an› Atari 8-bit computer."›         My hard drive doesn't believe› that.  Neither  do  Technician's,  or› WNYAUG's,  or  the  HDs  belonging to› most any SysOp.** ** 2. "Turbo  BASIC› will  never  work  with SpartaDOS 3.2› because they use the  16K  of  hidden› memory in the XL/XEs."**›        You'd be amazed at the list of› well-known   persons   in  the  Atari› community who have uttered these,  or› similar,  words   over   the   years.› Fortunately,  there  is  a man by the› name of Tom Hunt, who thinks the same› way  that  I  do  but  has a lot more› programming talent, with  the  result› that  I  can  now  run  Turbo   BASIC› programs  from  my HD under SpartaDOS› 3.2   in  spite  of  all  the  expert› pronouncements   to   the   contrary.› Thanks, Tom!**››  **  3.  "The CX-85 keypad won't work› on the newer XL/XE machines."**› ›        This was actually published in› a    national     Atari     magazine.› Fortunately,  I didn't read it before› I bought my CX-85 keypad. If I had, I› would never have bought the CX-85.**›        The  fact  is  that the CX-85› most certainly  DOES  work  with  the› XL/XE,  only  the  driver   for   the› 400/800  that is on the boot disk you› get with the keypad doesn't  work  on› the  newer machines. What you have to› do  is  get  into  DOS  and  use  the› KEYPAD.OBJ file. ›        There is also a public  domain› utility  to  use   the   CX-85   with› SpartaDOS  in case you're like me and› can't stand Atari DOS or any  of  its› clones like SmartDOS, MyDOS, etc.**››  **     All  the  above  just goes to› show that as  soon  as  someone  says› that   something   can't   be   done,› "absolutely   not,  no  way,  never",› there   will   be  someone  with  the› inclination   AND  the  expertise  to› eventually prove  them  wrong.  After› all,  didn't  they say that man would› never walk on the moon? Well,  a  guy› by  the  name  of Neil Armstrong left› some footprints in the dust up there,› didn't  he? So did Buzz Aldrin, and a› few other guys as well.**›         We  should  be  glad  we have› people like  Tom  Hunt  in the  Atari› community in the first place.   Their› accomplishments  may  not be on a par› with those of Armstrong  and  Aldrin,› but they make things a lot easier and› much more interesting  for  us  Atari› users!››  ** CHECK THIS BBS OUT!**›     -------------------**›  **      Speaking of Tom Hunt, whom I› mentioned above,  I  can't  say  this› enough  lately:  Check  out  his BBS,› Closer To Home. The number to call is› as follows:**› ** 419-368-4413  **    › The BBS runs on BBS Express! Pro, and› supports  300/1200/2400 CPS. I highly› recommend it!›››  ** YOU CAN'T DO THAT, PART II**›     --------------------------**›          Did  you  know  that  it  is› possible to connect two  printers  to› your  Atari  and   have   them   both› printing  at  the  same time? Even to› have   them   printing  two  entirely› different documents?**›          Well, I've  discovered  that› this  is  possible,  at  least if you› have a MIO. The proof is  right  here› on  my  computer desk. My own Brother› M-1009 printer is  connected  to  the› serial daisy chain on my 130XE, while› WNYAUG's Star NX-15 is  connected  to› my MIO.›          The  MIO is the key, because› the printer port on the  MIO  can  be› configured as either P1: or P2: using› the   MIO's   printer   configuration› options.  I  set the MIO printer port› as P2: which makes the Star P2: while› the serial printer, of course, is P1:› as is normal for a serial printer.›          Also, you can use the  MIO's› internal  RAM  as a print spooler the› size of which can be varied from  64K› to  256K in increments of 64K. To get› both printers printing  at  the  same› time,  I  set  up  the MIO with a 64K› spooler and boot the  XE  version  of› TextPro  (I'm currently using version› 4.56).›          Since TP lets  you  use  the› extended  RAM  in  a  130XE (or other› machine with compatible upgrade, such› as a Rambo XL) to load three separate› banks   of   text,  I  can  load  one› document into one bank and  a  second› document  into  another  bank. I then› print the file in one of the Banks to› P2:  and  the  contents go to the MIO› print     spooler's     RAM    almost› immediately.›          That  leaves  me  plenty  of› time  to  go  to  the  other bank and› print that file to P1: which  is  the› serial  printer.  I can then sit back› and watch as one printer prints  out,› say,  a  letter  to a friend of mine,› while the other printer is  producing› the  hardcopy of the docs for the new› program   I   downloaded   the  night› before!›         This doubles the productivity› of TextPro, and thus, the  use  of my› Atari  computer system.  If you  have› a  MIO  and  an extra printer sitting› around, you might want to pick  up  a› cable to connect one of your printers› to your MIO printer port so that  you› can  do  the  same.  The  only  other› requirements are enough space in your› computer room for both printers to be› connected,  a  word  processor (and a› DOS) that  supports  the  P2:  device› (the  above  was done using SpartaDOS› 3.2), and two  text  files  that  you› need to get printed out.››  **      Just please don't go rub the› noses of  all  those  poor  Commodore› owners  out  there in this. They have› enough   of  an  inferiority  complex› already without  us  Atari  ES  users› rubbing it in! **›   ***********************************› **›  ››