** **› MINUTES   OF   THE   SEPTEMBER    1994› MEETING:› ======================================››       We   welcomed  CURT  VENDEL  our› member from Staten Island N.Y. to  the› meeting.  CURT has been with the 8-bit› since 1981. This was the first time he› was  able to attend a meeting. We hope› it wont be the last!  SYSOP, CURT used› to  run  his own bulletin board. He is› an old hand on the 8-Bit.›› CORRESPONDENCE:››      A letter to our  member  OCTAVIAN› GRECU  in  Bucharest Romania informing› him  of a  gift of 7 P.D. disk donated› by our member BILL SMINKEY from CA.›      A  letter  from  BILL  SMINKEY to› RON, where he says.  "Thanks  for  the› nice  letter  re  OCTAVIAN.  It  was a› small matter trying  to  help  someone› who is living under conditions that it› is difficult for us to comprehend.  We› take so much for granted. While we may› rant and rave about  the  incompetence› and  avarice  of  our  politicians and› bureaucrats we  still  have  the  best› place  in  the  world to be living in,› both politically and economically."›      A  letter  from  JEAN  BROKAW the› editor of the  PACESETTER  NEWSLETTER,› LARGO  FLORIDA.  She  thanked  us  for› mailing them the U.S. version of TURBO› BASIC.›       A  letter  from  the  A.A.A.U.G.› asking RON if  he  could  supply  them› with  his  program called "TREASURER'S› REPORT".   The  program  was  promptly› mailed to them free. They  send  their› regards to their ex member JOHN HARDIE› now an OL' HACKER. They will remain an› 8-bit exclusive club, like OHAUG!›      Our member  TOM  SMITH  from  CA.› writes  us that he is pleased that his› article on SPREAD SHEETS  will  appear› in  one of our future newsletters. Its› called "FOOTBALL.TXT". It can be  used› very effectively for betting purposes.› TOM wants to  load  a  binary  program› from BASIC."TOM, just use TURBO BASIC.› It has  a  binary  load  command  BRUN› "D:FILENAME".  You don't have to go to› DOS to load binary." ALEX answered him› and  thanked  him  for  the  disk.  He› mailed  us a  wire  3-D  program and a› label program.›      A letter  from  our  AKRON,  N.Y.› member  DANE STEGMAN. He tells us that› he really  enjoyed  the  JUL/AUG  1994› newsletter  and the games on it. He is› looking for a  users  manual  for  the› ATARI 800. Our member CURT VENDEL will› mail him a copy. There is very  little› info in that manual.›      A  letter  from TOM WRAY in TX to› ALEX. He thanked ALEX for  the  prompt› answers  to  TOM'S  questions. TOM had› some   more   questions  for  ALEX  to› answer. TOM has come a long way  since› he  joined OHAUG. Thats the way to go,› TOM!›      A  letter  to  ABBUC,  BIT  BYTER› club,  in Germany from ALEX. He mailed› them  SPARTA  DOS  version  3.2g  June› 1994, to  relace  their  older  SPARTA› DOS copy.›› DEMOS:››      ALEX  demod  an  envelope address› printing program made by our  deceased› member KRIS HOLTEGAARD, that ALEX  had› modified.  If your printer will accept› envelopes without removing  the  paper› then  you  should  get  it. You do not› have to print gummed labels anymore if› you  have  this  program. ALEX did not› put it in the library at this time.›     We  then  saw  COLLOSUS CHESS from› ANTIC. Boot it up with no BASIC. It is› fully  documented.  It has a very nice› graphics board and it is a  very  good› program.  CURT VENDEL was called up to› play it. He was  very  impressed  with› the  program.  It  is  in  our library› #514.›      Next RON showed  a  program  that› was written by ALEX called FORMDOS. In› my opinion, it is  one  of  the  great› classical,  usefull,  utilities   that› everyone  should  have-Its AUTORUN.SYS› file will format your disk, write  DOS› and  RAMDISK.COM on your disk in Drive› #2. without your doing  anything. Once› its    loaded,    it   is   completely› automatic.    It    does    its    job› continuously until you hit BREAK.  All› you  do,  is keep taking out completed› disks and putting in  new  ones.  This› means  you can format as many disks as› you like. I use it all the time. It is› a  great  time  saver. time ago. It is› in the Library because it was reviewed› and  demonstrated some time ago.  Look› for it on your Library disks.›      Next  we  saw  a  FORMDOS version› that in addition also puts TURBO BASIC› on  the  disk, also all automatically.› It will do one disk at a time and then› stop and ask if you want to do another› disk. Library # 515, side 2.›      Then we saw a  third  version  of› FORMDOS    that    in    addition   to› FORMATTING, adding  DOS,  RAMDISK.COM,› TURBO  BASIC,   it   also   writes   a› PROGRAMERS UTILITY for centering words› all  automatically  on  your  disk  in› drive #2. It also puts an  AUTORUN.SYS› file  on  the  2nd disk that will copy› the centering utility into the RAMDISK› D8.  I  wrote this version of FORMDOS.› Library #515›      Next AL  SHARKIS  showed  a  word› processor called CHICK SCRATCH. It was› written by ROBERT CHICK  of  Guam.  It› never  received  much publicity. It is› very interesting. It has some  unusual› features.  It uses a minimum amount of› memory and a minimum  amount  of  code› space.  It will work with any DOS. The› default setting can be  changed  while› the  program is loaded. If you want to› modify  it  you  must  put  it  on  an› enhanced density disk to  have  enough› space.  AL  used it with SPARTA DOS-X.› The default setting  is  without  WORD› WRAP  on.  This  is  so  you can write› BASIC programs with it etc. It  has  a› 40  column  screen.  It  will print 80› columns on the printer. It has  margin› settings.  It  has has help screens by› using  [CNTL  &  H].  It  has  a  very› extensive help screen setup. The  free› RAM  space  is  25K  or  enough for 13› pages of text. But you can chain  text› if  you have larger needs. It does not› use the RAM BANKS or  bank  switching.› It  is  a very good word processor for› you to get from the library.›› ITEM-CONNECTICUT ATARI SHOW ››      JOHN HARDIE then gave us a report› on  the  CONNECTICUT  ATARI SHOW. MIKE› HOHMANN'S   MARS-8  is  still  in  the› works. Also the  TURBO  816  is  being› worked  on. There was not too much new› 8-Bit stuff. They also  had  a  JAGUAR› contest. JOHN won a JAGUAR. That makes› two that he now owns. JOHN helped  man› the Fine Tooned engineering table.››ITEM A NEW 8 BIT MAGAZINE››      We saw issue #1 and #2  of  ATARI› 8-BIT  ALIVE which is written by DAMON› WALKER of RD #1, Box  62,  Salem  N.J.› 08079.  A  great  newsletter  that  is› completely  written   by   DAMON.   He› charges $2.79 per issue.›      ALEX wrote to him and invited him› to join the OL' HACKERS. DAMON replied› that  he intends to join us soon. This› is another great way  to  "spread  the› word!"›› DOOR PRIZES:›› RON FETZER› HAROLD PEGLER› ALEX PIGNATO› FRANK COSTALDO› JOHN HARDIE›› Written by Ron Fetzer›› >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>END<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<››