*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› The summer is fast approaching  as  I› begin  this  column, and will be well› under way by the time I  finish  it. › Summers  are  usually quiet times for› computer user groups,  but  we  don't› get  discouraged by the relative lack› of activity --  at  least  from  what› I've been reading.  True, some groups› actually   cancel  meetings  for  the› summer, but OHAUG  will  continue  to› meet,  and  even have the third joint› meeting  with  LIAUG,  scheduled  for› July 12th. Just after that, if all is› well,  my  wife  and I will be on the› road for a week or so of vacation  --›  the first we've taken without others› along for many years.   To  those  of› you  who are also taking vacations, I› wish you the kind of  relaxation  and› change you desire.›› SCAT  President's  Letter  for Spring› 1997 --› There is only the briefest mention of› 8-bit  activity  or  potential  8-bit› activity.   We  hope  for more in the› future.›› (FR)ANTIC for April 1997 -- President› TODD  SUNRUNNER  has  included   some› excerpted  messages  from FidoNet and› the  newsgroup  (comp.sys.atari.8bit,› otherwise known  as  CSA8.)   (Funny,› all  the  time  that I worked for the› NYC Board of Education,  it  was  the› Board's  position  that  there was an› implied   copyright  in  any  message› somebody posted on the Internet,  and› that you'd have to ask my permission,› for example, to reprint a  message  I› posted.  Well, one of my messages WAS› in that batch.  Todd never  asked  me› for  permission.  You know what???  I› DON'T CARE!!!  Seriously, if anything› I  say or ask is helpful to the 8-bit› community,  who  am  I  to  stand  on› ceremony? -- ed.)  Librarian  RUSSELL› STOWE reports that he has created two› new sections of AAAUA's disk library,› one  devoted to OHAUG newsletters and› the other devoted to TWAUG.   Thanks,› Russell.   LOU   KELLEY   writes   an› interesting  article  about VisiCalc,› the first computer spreadsheet, which› was  released  for Apple ][, IBM, and› Atari 8-bit.   Editor  MANUEL  GARCIA› continues  the  thread  by describing› how working with Atari PD spreadsheet› programs  prepared  him  to work with› the Quattro Pro that was preinstalled› on his laptop and which he needed for› his job.  (Here I go,  editorializing› again.   I  can  confirm  what Manuel› said   regarding    learning    about› spreadsheets  by  working  on   Atari› spreadsheets  and extend that to just› about  any  other  application.   The› message is  simple.   Your  Atari  is› more  than  adequate  preparation for› other,   more  complex  platforms  --›  should you need  to  work  in  those› platforms -- ed.)›› The  PACESetter  for  May   1997   --›  President  JEAN  BROKAW  reviews   a› garden    planning   program   called› Digital Gardener by CHARLES BARTISH. › She  aslo  gives  a series of URLs to› Web Sites that deal with  gardening. › Jean  also provides us with a look at› a program in the  PACE  library  that› creates  cryptograms,  and  uses  the› program's    output   to   create   a› cryptogram contest.  The  results  of› the contest will be announced in next› month's newsletter.   Jean  seems  to› have  been  responsible  for  most of› this issue, by the way.  The puzzles,› riddles,  jokes,  etc. are hers.  The› decision  to  split  the  overly-long› Part III of my  series  on  emulation› into  two  sections  and to print the› first of these two sections was hers.› I'd  hope that Jean gets the articles› from other club members she needs  to› lighten  her task, just as I'm hoping› for the same from our members for our› newsletter (HINT, HINT!)›› Cenacle  News-letter  for May 1997 --›   This   newsletter   is  written  in› French.   However,   my  high  school› French was able to get me through its› salient  points -- I hope!  They tend› to translate and synopsize  the  XIO3› Newsletter  (which  we  also receive)› and this issue has some of  the  news› surrounding  the  end  of Atari as an› entity and the condition of JTS.   Of› course,  the news is a bit stale, but› interesting.  BRUNO ROUDOT writes  an› interesting column dealing with BASIC› programming.  This  month,  it  deals› with  the  PUT  statement  as well as› disabling the RESET key.  The article› is  accompanied  by  an   interesting› table that shows how machine language› instructions,   addresses,   assembly› language   instructions   and   BASIC› statements are related.  GUY  POISSON› reviews  the  Futura  10  disk.   The› minutes  of  their  General  Assembly› meeting  are  on  the  back page, and› reading   them,  even  if  you  don't› understand French, will make it clear› that  this  is  an active user group,› with  26  members  and  a  desire  to› continue   relations   with   several› clubs, including OHAUG.›› XIO3  for  May/June 1997 -- The GCACE› has been a source of news for a  very› long  time.   Secretary ROWLAND GRANT› continues to amaze me, buth with  his› Atari News and Rumours column and his› New 8-Bit  column.   Read  both,  and› find out the latest about JTS, Atari,› and such  notables  as  BOB  WOOLLEY,› DAVID  FIRTH,  DAREK  MIHOCKA and our› own KURT VENDEL.  Also, check out the› two cartoons!›› The  PACESetter for June 1997 -- This› issue   starts  out  with  a  type-in› program that creates  a  personalized› Father's  Day  message.  An anonymous› article entitled, "Upgrade," was seen› by  me  as  forwarded  e-mail  from a› friend who gets these funny  articles› from  another  frined, so it probably› made its way  around  the  Internet. › The  second section of Part III of my› series on emulation appears  in  this› issue.   The usual cartoons, puzzles,› etc. are also included.›› Finally, let me state that in lieu of› a  print  issue  of   (FR)ANTIC   (or› perhaps in addition to it) I received› a   disk  with  several  text  files,› describing all of the disks in  their› library.   This disk has no DOS files› and   is   best  read  with  a  word-› processor.  In fact, a header,  which› looks  suspiciously  like   the   one› generated  by  cartridge AtariWriter,› begins each of the files.  This disk,› and  a   rough   print-out   of   the› contents,  will  be at the next OHAUG› meeting.›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››››