*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› The  flow  of  newsletters from other› user groups seems to have caught up a› bit.  I can't say with certainty that› all are coming to my address,  but  I› hope  they  are.   It   would   delay› getting  them  reviewed  if they went› elsewhere.    Sadly,   some   of  the› newsletters we  sent  to  other  user› groups  were  returned, and I have to› assume   that  those  groups  are  no› longer   in  existence.   Has  anyone› heard, for example, that the SPECTRUM› group in Erie, PA is still together? › If so, please  let  me  know  how  to› contact  them.  On the other hand, we› continue to contact other  groups  so› that  we  can  engage  in  newsletter› exchange  with them.  We may have the› results of some of those contacts  in› the next newsletter.  In this month's› column, you'll  see  the  results  of› some  "catching  up"  that I did with› newsletters   that  I  received  just› shortly  after  the  last  issue  was› finished.›› (FR)ANTIC for July 1996 --  President› TODD SUNRUNNER of the AAAUA keeps his› members informed of what's  happening› on the National Atari Echo of FidoNet› by   printing   some   representative› messages.   (FidoNet, which generally› runs   on   IBM-compatibles   with  a› variety of BBS  programs,  carries  a› large  number  of  echoes  -- special› interest areas -- and  also  has  the› capability  of  carrying  E-Mail with› and    without    Internet    access,› depending  on  what  each  individual› sysop wishes to carry.  The  National› Atari  Echo  is 8-bit. -- ed.)  There› is a notice about a web page  put  up› by  LESTAT  called  Atari 6502, which› was provided free  of  charge  by   a› company   called,   "The   BBS   List› Company,"     which     gives    free› advertising space to sysops.  I guess› that  the  free  ad, in the form of a› Web page, constitutes a promotion for› other  services  that   the   company› provides.   The issue also contains a› table  of  BASIC  graphic  modes  and› their   properties   and   a  type-in› "Singing Star" program by GARY PRUITT› (ARINC Microcomputer Club Newsletter,› June 1984)   JAMES  MARTIN's  article› about  why  he  continues  to use his› Atari is also  very  worth  reading. › I'm  sure  that  many  of our members› will agree with him.›› SCAT for Late Summer/Early Fall  1996› -- OHAUG is pleased to welcome to its› newsletter   exchange   program   the› Suburban  Chicago Atarians (SCAT).  I› initiated  this  transaction  as  the› result of an  announcement  of  their› club's    next    meeting    in   the› comp.sys.atari.8bit   newsgroup.    I› thank  President  NICK DIMASI of SCAT› for   his  respnse  to  my  message. › Although this combined 8-bit  and  ST› group  doesn't  produce  a newsletter› per   se,   they   do  issue  a  fine› quarterly  President's  Letter  which› serves as their newsletter.  We  have› entered into an exchange program with› them in the hopes of generating  some› more  8-bit interest  in  their club.› We hope that such  8-bit interest  is› reflected in their future President's› Letters.   At any rate, their current› one tells of their having sold  8-bit› disks  at the MIST AtariFest that was› held in July.›› (FR)ANTIC for August 1996  --  Editor› MANUEL  GARCIA  reports  on  some  of› things  that  affect  the club in the› area of  BBSing  and  Internet  use. › It's a continuing problem for BBSs --›  as the Internet picks up, the number› of  messages  on BBSs declines.  This› and   other   things  lead  to  sysop› burnout, and to keep the tradition of› local  and  networking  BBSs   alive,› other  people must assume the role of› sysop.  Manuel also talks  about  his› forthcoming  demonstations of Discomm› and   SuperUnarc.     LARRY    BLACK,› moderator  of  the  FidoNet  National› Atari  Echo, did an on-line review of› ICE-T, a  terminal  program  by  ITAY› CHAMIEL.     Larry    found   several› shortcomings in the program,  as  did› I,  but  we're  both willing to admit› that the concept of the program  (80-› columns  and  VT-100  emulation; both› necessary  for  Internet  usage)  has› merit.  Read the  review.   President› TODD  SUNRUNNER  writes an article on› saving data to disk using BASIC.  His› knowledge  of  programming  and   his› ability to communicate that knowledge› through   a   written   article   are› obvious.   Read the article and learn› some valuable techniques!›› PACESetter for August/September  1996› --  I  was  not  aware  that Pinellas› County ACE takes a  summer  vacation,› but  this  issue confirms it.  Summer› is, indeed,  a  slow  time  for  user› groups,  so  the  summer  break makes› sense.  PACE is  now  back  from  its› vacation  with  renewed  energy,  and› that,  too,  is  apparent  from  this› issue.  The article contains a short,› but  touching  tribute  to  our  late› president, ALEX PIGNATO.  JEAN BROKAW› has  contributed  a   novel   monthly› contest  involving  the creation of a› family   coat   of   arms   using   a› construction  set that works with The› Print Shop.  (Jean,  I'd  design  one› for  my family, but it's hard to draw› a tooth and a nail <G!>  -ed.)   Jean› also  does  a  rundown of some of the› information   available  through  the› Suncoast Free-Net.   I  wish  we  had› such  a  Free-Net  in  our  area, and› perhaps we will have  its  equivalent› soon.   Jean  has  also  filled   the› article  with  a  vast  assortment of› tidbits -- games,  puzzles,  riddles,› all  with  a nautical theme, together› with   a   recipe  and  an  anonymous› computer poem in  the  style  of  Dr.› Seuss.›› (FR)ANTIC  for September 1996 -- This› issue   reprints  BOB  PUFF's  rather› lengthy and  informative  article  on› SuperUnarc  which, by the way, is his› own program and vital if you're going› to be working with compressed files. › DAVID   M.   ACKLAM   announces   the› A.U.N.T.  show  which will be held in› Dallas   on   October   12.   CHARLES› BROWN's article, reprinted  from  the› August  1987  issue  of  Fuji  Facts,› describes  and  reviews   The   Print› Shop.›› XIO3  for  September/October  1996 --›  ROWLAND GRANT reports on the  Atari-› JTS    transition   and   is   rather› pessimistic about the future  of  old› Atari  properties,  particularly  the› Jaguar.   Rowland als reports on some› of the 8-bit activities occuring  on,› or  being  reported  about   on   the› Internet.   Among   them   is   KEVIN› SAVETZ's  ANTIC Web Page project, BOB› WOOLLEY's experiments  with  the  IDE› interface  and  a  promise   to   get› another  issue of AC out when the IDE› stuff is finished, and  emulators  by› CHRIS  LAM  (Rainbow  '95), MIKE HILL› (POKEY), and MARKUS GIETZEN (XL-It). › This  issue  also  reprints  a  large› number  of  amusing  computer-related› cartoons.›› PACESetter  for  October  1996 -- The› Getting to Know You column this month› features    BEN    TAUTVAISAS,    who› describes  himself  as  a  mechanical› engineer  who designed many ingenious› machines for manufacturing  specialty› paper  products.   Ben visits Florida› every  winter,  and  has  been  using› Atari computers since 1980.  He  uses› his  computer  to  help   solve   the› cryptograms  he  finds in his morning› newspaper.   A  reprint  of  a  Z*MAG› article by MIKE  BLENKIRON,  via  the› OHAUG  Newsletter  (Nov./Dec.   1991)› discusses how to service keyboards in› the various Atari  8-bit  computers. › JEAN BROKAW, in addition to her usual› puzzles   and   poetry  has  added  a› program.  It is supposed  to  produce› some  eery  heartbeat sounds, just in› time  for  Halloween,  but  has  what› appears to be a  typo  in  line  80. › Perhaps  one  of  our members can fix› it?  Jean  also  has  some  tips  for› computer  users  who  wear bifocals. › There is a reprint of an  article  on› BASIC  programming  that   originally› came  from The Nine Hells Information› Exchange  of  Philadelphia  BBS,  and› deals  with  undocumented  quirks  in› Atari BASIC  that  allow  faster  and› more  convenient  programming.  There› is now a discussion going on  in  our› newsgroup  about  the  origin  of the› phrase,  "It's  not  a  bug,  it's  a› feature."  Perhaps an Atarian  didn't› say  it  first,  but  our  own  BASIC› demonstrates  the concept very well. › Read the  article.   The  issue  also› reprints  an article by MANUEL GARCIA› (FRantic,     April     1996)      on› uncompressing  files  and  using  the› compressed files as backups.›› IMAGE  for  October  1996 -- Somehow,› IMAGE seldom seems to publish  8-bit-› specific  articles,   although   much› mention  is  made of their fine 8-bit› members and officers in the minutes. › I  guess  it  takes some doing to get› people to write articles these  days,› but  I can only hope that will be the› case.  When IMAGE does present an  8-› bit article, it's usually a very good› one.  Well, this issue hints  at  the› fact  that  CHARLES  LAMB  and   DAVE› MORRISON  are  putting  together some› fine demos.  We'll just have to  wait› and  see  what  the  next  issue says› about them.›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››››