*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› The  new  year  has  begun,   and   I› continue  to   be   amazed   at   the› continued  health  of our user group,› that   of  other  groups  around  the› world, and indeed of the entire Atari› 8-bit  community.   I'm  sure  we all› know   that   we   can't   take   the› community's  survival for granted, so› let's take some time to  look  around› and  see  those  signs  of   health. › Remember  that the community's health› isn't   only  measured  by  what  new› products and techniques come out  for› it, but what older, perhaps forgotten› products   and   techniques   can  be› recycled when needed most.›› The     L.V.A.U.G.      News      for› November/December  1996  -- I haven't› seen an issue of this newsletter  for› a  while,  but  I was most pleased to› read this one.  It's  contains  three› articles  for  BASIC programmers that› are quite useful.  The first, by MATT› GIWER  deals  with quirks (and how to› overcome them and  use  them  to  our› advantage)  in  the  way  that  Atari› BASIC  handles exponents.  The second› is a short routine by LeROY J. BAXTER› that  allows  you  to  list  just six› lines of a BASIC program at a  time. › It's easy to edit a program this way.› But, wait!   There's  more.   If  you› type  EDIT,  you  are  prompted for a› line number.  You enter  the  number,› the  line is listed, and you can edit› it with the normal cursor keys.   The› corrected line gets put back into the› program ith the touch of a key.  When› you  type  ERASE,  the  routine takes› itself out of memory so that you  can› save  your  corrected   program.    A› listing  of  the  routine accompanies› the article.  These two articles were› reprinted from the January 1983 issue› of COMPUTE!  The  third  article,  by› MIKE STEINBERG and reprinted from the› December   1982  issue  of  COMPUTE!,› allows BASIC  program  listing  in  a› forward  or  reverse  direction  at a› pace you determine.  It also  had  an› edit mode, and the article presents a› type-in listing and full instructions› for  use.  In addition to these three› articles,    the    issue    contains› information   on  an  Internet  Users› Group,  and  a  large  assortment  of› holiday      and      compute-related› cartoons.›› (FR)ANTIC (AAAUA) for January 1997 --››› Editor MANUEL GARCIA has put together› an  excellent  three-page  spread  on› Atari 8-bit power supplies,  inspired› no  doubt  by  his  recent experience› with one burning up.  The first  page› consists of a list of supplies, their› specfications,   their   Atari   part› numbers and the units they serve, all› taken from:›› http://www.cis.ohio-› state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/atari-› 8-bit/faq/faq-doc-46.html.›› The second page has a pinout  diagram› for  the XL/XE 7-pin connector, and a› photograph to help identify the  four› major types of XL power supplies.  On› the rear of the newsletter schematics› of the four types, reprinted from The› November   1990   issue   of  Current› Notes,are reproduced.   BEN  POEHLAND› wrote the original article.›› XIO3  (GCACE)  for   January/February› 1997  --  ROWLAND  GRANT's Atari News› and Rumours column will be undergoing› some  changes.   Rowland  has already› separated ST material  into  its  own› column,  and  he  finds that there is› little happening with regard to  news› about  Atari  and/or  JTS,  so  he is› going to  try  to  keep  this  column› centered  on JTS/Jaguar, and maintain› a separate 8-bit  column  which  will› not  be  limited  to  news.  Rowlands› predictions   for   JTS    are    not› encouraging.   He does state that the› stock of Jaguars was  sold  to  Tiger› Software  for  liquidation, and I can› confirm that Tiger put such an ad  in› their  latest  catalog,  which    saw› courtesy  of  JACK GEDALIUS.  Believe› it or not, two new games came out for› the  Jaguar in December.  Speaking of› that 8-bit column, This months  8-Bit› Affaris  column has a fine writeup on› A.P.E., including the  APE  Warp+  OS› chip  that STEVEN TUCKER is selling. › Rowland also reports  that  TOM  HUNT› has  formed  a network called the QWK› NET.  This net circulates packets  of› messages   from   member   BBSs   and› individuals   via  Internet  e-mail. › Rowland   also   acknowledges   OHAUG› member  RON  FETZER's  rework  of the› GRASS Calculator,  and  GCACE  member› JOHN  PICKEN's   contributions to the› ABBUC   disks.   GORDON  F.  HOOPER's› Peeking Around column  mentions  that› New  Atari  User  is still around.  I› have their address and will  post  it› in another part of this newsletter.›› TYNE    &    WEAR    Newsletter   for› January/February 1997  --  I  haven't› seen  anything  from this group for a› while, and I  was  hoping  that  they› hadn't  given  up  on  the  idea   of› producing    that    fabulous    disk› newsletter  to  which we had all been› treated   in   the   past.    I   was› pleasantly surprised to see that this› issue came, in print, and accompanied› by  a  disk!  Although several of the› articles really refer to  the  disks,› they  can  be  read on their own.  In› addition, there are articles that  do› not  rely  on  the disk at all.  MIKE› BIBBY has  contributed  a  number  of› articles on programming in both BASIC› and Assembly Language.  The disk will› help  to  illustrate  the  points  he› makes   in  these  articles, although› the programs on the disk are by  JOHN› FOSKETT.     KEVIN    COOKE   reviews› Autoduel and European Super  Soccer. › On the inside of the back cover there› are references  to  two  "advertising› user  groups",  ours, and L. A. C. E.› (The     London     Atari    Computer› Enthusiasts.)›› The PACESetter for February  1997  --›  This  issue  was  well-worth waiting› for.   The  back  cover  arrived  two› weeks before I wrote the review  (the› rest  was  lost  in  the  mail) and I› wrote to editor  JEAN  BROKAW  for  a› replacement.   There  is a reprint of› RON FETZER's  documentation  for  the› GRASS  Calculator.  We sent that disk› to PACE and they thank  us  for  it. › Sadly, the club announces the passing› of their active member,  JOAN  RAIA. › I've  corresponded   with   Joan   on› FidoNet  in  the  past   and   always› enjoyed  seeing  her  articles.   She› will  be  missed.  An amusing column,› Microsoft Baby,  was  reprinted  from› ORANGE  BYTES,  the  newsleter of the› North Orange Computer Club.   It  was› originally written by CATHY MARGOLIN.› If you appreciated the  recent  spate› of  Microsoft  jokes, add this one to› your list.  There is  a  list  of  TV› programs  about  compters   and   the› Internet.   It really applies only to› the Largo area, but  the  same  shows› may  possibly  be  found   on   other› channels  and  times in your area.  A› small   type-in   program,   entitled› Winter    Wonderland,    creates    a› snowstorm on your screen. The article› about   stolen   codes  and  Internet› passwords which appeared in the LVAUG› News  is  also  reprinted.  There are› also more in the series  of  puzzles,› quizzes, games and small features for› which this newsletter is famous.›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››