Fujiology Archive/fujiology_archive_v1_0.iso/!MAGS/STREPORT/STR105.ZIP/STR105.TXT

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                  *---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
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  September 15, 1989                                      Vol III  No.105
  =======================================================================

                         ST Report Online Magazine©
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                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
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 > Issue: #105 STReport™       The Online Magazine of Choice!
   -------------------
     - The Editors' Podium                   - CPU REPORT
     - US Specs. for TT                      - PORTFOLIO SHIPS!
     - PIRATES! a Review                     - SYQUEST 44mb Review
     - FASTECH T-16 SHIPS!                   - BIG PIRATE/HACKER BUST!
     - WAACE GOING STRONG!                   - ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL

           ---===*  SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE CLEARS THE AIR!  *===---
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 > The Editor's Podium™

     Upgrade, upgrade  upgrade...is it  a fever  or is it perhaps an honest
 desire of the loyal user wanting to stay with Atari and keep them as their
 computer  company?     Hopefully,   it's  the  loyalty  being  manifested.
 Amusingly we see where people  not  connected  with  Atari  directly react
 negatively towards  the upgrade  suggestions.   One can't  help but wonder
 where their hearts are.

     Let's take a look  at  the  big  picture,  ie;  Atari  has  500,000 ST
 computers in  use in the USA, now they have introduced two newer models of
 computers, the STE and  the TT.   People  who have  recently purchased the
 Mega ST 2 and 4 are VERY interested in being able to upgrade to either the
 TT or, at best have the features the STE offers.   Personally,  I'd rather
 have the  TT.    Now  comes party  "A" and  he suggests that Atari offer a
 trade-in deal for the owners of Mega ST computers.   A trade-in  deal that
 will in  no way  harm Atari  or cause them to loose any money would not be
 unreal to expect.  Atari could  accept or  reject the  trade-in machine on
 it's own  merit and  issue the customer a value certificate which can then
 be redeemed through the dealer of his/her choice anywhere in  the country.
 Atari  can  either  sell  the  trade-ins  or  place them is schools.  They
 certainly will not loose any monies taking these steps.

     Another method, where the dealers have the most  to gain  by going the
 trade-in route,  would be  to offer  the trade  in package directly to the
 user who has fresh money to spend, then  offer the  pre-owned computers to
 others at  excellent savings.   Two things happen here; the dealer profits
 and Atari rapidly increases it's  userbase.    Additionally,  the  mega ST
 computers  could  be  re-distributed  to schools and other institutions of
 learning.  After all, how better to acquaint tomorrow's young executive to
 the better features of Atari ST computers than the way Apple did?  Put the
 machines into the schools.

     There are those who  say the  existing machines  would cause  Atari to
 loose money  if they  took them  in trade...we say baloney!  Counterpoint;
 The exchange program is not designed to loose Atari any money and yet they
 are willing to accept a fried machine and say $575.00 and they'll give you
 a new Mega ST4.  Just think  if  they  did  the  same  thing  and received
 machines in perfect working order , they could very easily place them back
 into the main stream of  the  world's  (USSR)  computing  community almost
 overnight!   Instead of  a static  userbase, the  userbase worldwide would
 almost double in a very short period of time.

     Certainly  Atari  listens  to  the  userbase,  after  all  didn't they
 institute strategically located service centers all 'round the USA?  Where
 did you read that  before?   Granted, we  are not  saying Atari  'does not
 listen' to the users, that would be outrageous.  But.. it proves that they
 can and do act from time to time with a grip on  reality and  common sense
 on their side.

                                    Thanks for your support...

                                            Ralph......





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 > CPU REPORT™
   ==========

 Issue # 32                                            SYSTEM 7.0; MAC
                                                       ===============


 by Michael Arthur


 Remember When....

       In January  1986, IBM introduced the RT Personal Computer, the first
 RISC-based workstation, which was intended to establish IBM  domination of
 that market,  and how  IBM ruined  its chances  of success  by producing a
 system which wouldn't interfere with their PC sales  (by being  priced sky
 high), while  not being  powerful enough (with 80286-style performance) to
 affect IBM mainframe sales?



 CPU INSIGHTS™
 =============

        Apple's System 7.0:  Revolution, Evolution, or Adaptation?
        ----------------------------------------------------------


     Ever since OS/2 was introduced,  many  of  its  capabilities,  such as
 virtual memory  and interprocess communication, have come under much focus
 in the computer industry.  While being praised  as the  future of  the IBM
 industry, OS/2  has also been used to renew the IBM/Macintosh controversy,
 in that many are comparing OS/2's features to  the Mac's  System Software,
 in  a  "features  checklist  war"  to  see which is the "better" operating
 system.  However, with Presentation Manager's  debut, OS/2  has been  at a
 clear advantage  in features, as PM gave OS/2 a proven graphical interface
 to complement its versatility, and as the Mac's  System Software  began to
 falter in comparison.

     While MultiFinder  helped to  advance the Macintosh's OS, it's limited
 multitasking ability actually showed some of the Mac's  shortfalls.  This,
 along with  Steve Jobs'  innovations with  the NeXT system, only helped to
 amplify the perception that the Macintosh was fast becoming obsolete.

     In order to alleviate any fears  in  the  Macintosh  market  that it's
 technical  edge  was  lost,  Apple  recently  announced  System 7.0, a new
 version of the Mac OS, which promised to both take the Macintosh  into the
 1990's with  sophisticated, yet  vital features,  and to  extend the Mac's
 lifespan by helping to fix its inadequacies, and greatly improving  on its
 present capabilities.   System 7.0 will be the new standard for the entire
 Mac product line, running on the Mac Plus,  SE and  SE/30, and  the Mac II
 family.   But there  is a  price for  progress:  while Apple has said that
 System 7.0 will fit in 1 Meg of RAM, it recommends at least 2  Megs of RAM
 for effective  use.  However, for the cost of extra RAM, System 7.0 has an
 impressive list of new capabilities, such as:

              InterApplication Communication (IAC) Facilities
              -----------------------------------------------

     For several years, the Macintosh's  form  of  IAC  operations  was the
 Clipboard, a  way to "cut and paste" graphics or text from one application
 to another.  System 7.0 refines the concept  of the  Clipboard with  a new
 feature called Live Copy/Paste.  With the Clipboard, a cut/paste operation
 was permanent, meaning that if  you  placed  a  graph  from  a spreadsheet
 rogram to  a DTP  application, but later updated the graph, you would have
 to "copy" the graph into the Clipboard and "paste" it into the DTP program
 again.

     In Live Copy/Paste, instead of performing a "Cut/Paste" operation, you
 would  "Publish/Subscribe"  data.    Once  you  "Published"  a  graph  (by
 essentially  "Copying"  it  to  a  disk  file called a 'publication'), the
 spreadsheet program would become a Publisher.   In  order to  "Paste" that
 graph into  the DTP,  you would "Subscribe" it.  Now, once you revised the
 graph, the "Publisher"  (or  the  spreadsheet  program)  would  notify the
 "Subscriber" (or  the DTP  program) that  the graph had been changed, save
 the graph into a new 'publication, and automatically update the graph that
 had previously been "Pasted" into the "Subscriber", which would be the DTP
 program.  The reason  that "publications"  are used,  instead of  having a
 direct,  two-way  data  exchange,  is  that  a  Publisher  can  have  many
 Subscribers.  This means that, when the graph was updated, the spreadsheet
 program would perform the same operation on a Word Processing program that
 had subscribed to the  graph, as  it did  to the  DTP program.   Simple as
 quantum physics, isn't it?

     Another element  of System  7.0's IAC  abilities is Program-to-Program
 Communication (or PPC), which extends  the  function  of  the Interprocess
 Communication (or IPC) facilities provided by multitasking OS's. Like IPC,
 PPC lets a program send messages and commands to other programs running on
 the system.   However,  PPC also  allows you  to send messages through LAN
 systems, so as to allow programs that are running on  disparate systems to
 "converse",  and  will  store  messages  sent  to  a program not currently
 running, sending them when the program is reactivated.

     The third component of 7.0's IAC  strategy is  AppleEvents, a standard
 set of  commands and messages sent through PPC that can control actions of
 other running applications.  For  example,  a  DTP  application  could use
 AppleEvents to  tell a  terminal program  to send a full Capture Buffer to
 itself.  So as  to fully  utilize this,  Apple is  designing an Arexx-like
 user-scripting language  called AppleScript, which will allow Mac Users to
 write their own macros  for  controlling  an  application's  actions using
 AppleEvents.   Interestingly enough,  while AppleEvents  will be available
 with System 7.0, AppleScript itself won't be provided until much later.

                   32-Bit Addressing with Virtual Memory
                   -------------------------------------

     Virtual  Memory,  first  used  in  mainframe  operating  systems,  and
 recently, in  OS/2, is  the ability to use hard disk storage as additional
 memory, so you can use more applications and  data than  can ordinarily be
 placed in  RAM at  one time.   It  does this by swapping a segment of data
 that isn't being used by a  task or  program running  on the  system, from
 system memory  to a hard disk.  Later, when there is enough memory to hold
 the data segment (or if the task needs to use the data  segment), it loads
 the segment back into memory.  However, if there still isn't enough memory
 to hold the segment,  then  it  simply  performes  the  same  procedure on
 another data  segment which  hasn't been  used by  tasks for  a while.  In
 order to use virtual memory, the  Macintosh  will  need  either  the 68851
 Memory Management  Unit (MMU), for use with a 68020 chip, or a 68030 chip,
 which has an MMU built in.  68000-based  Macs, like  the Mac  Plus and SE,
 won't  be  able  to  use  virtual  memory.   System 7.0 will allow up to 1
 Gigabyte of hard disk  storage to  be used  as virtual  memory, but buying
 more system  RAM will  still be  a wise idea.  Reason:  Virtual memory can
 sometimes slow down a  system considerably,  especially when  running some
 system-intensive applications, such as spreadsheets.

     System 7.0  will also have a 32-bit memory address space.  The Mac now
 has a 24-bit address  space, allowing  it to  access 16  Megabytes of RAM,
 because  its  Memory  Manager  was  designed  for  the 68000 chip's 24-bit
 external bus.  System 7.0 will now be  able to  use the  32-bit addressing
 ability of  the 68020  and 68030  chips to  access up  to 128 Megabytes of
 physical system RAM.  However, the Mac Plus and Mac SE will  still only be
 able to access 4 Megs of RAM, and only applications that are 32-bit clean,
 having 32-bit handles to access all 32 bits of the  68020's address space,
 will be  able to  access this  extra memory.  Interestingly enough, one of
 the major innovations in  A/UX (Apple's  version of  Unix), in  an ongoing
 committment  to  both  run  "well-behaved" Mac software, and A/UX programs
 simultaneously, and to allow programs that  can run  on both  the Mac's OS
 and A/UX, was designing the standard for "32-bit clean" applications.

                 Outline Fonts and Typographic Line Layout
                 -----------------------------------------

     One  of  the  main  reasons  for PostScript's quick rise as a printing
 standard, especially  in  the  Mac  world,  is  its  use  of  outline font
 technology.    Using  mathematical  descriptions  of  lines  and curves to
 specify characters, outline fonts retain their  appearance when  scaled to
 any point  or size, and can be twisted, rotated, and generally manipulated
 without degradation of quality.  In comparison, bitmapped  fonts cannot be
 scaled, twisted, rotated, or manipulated without a loss of quality, and in
 order to  fully utilize  DTP software,  one would  have to  have an entire
 library of  files just  to cover  all of the possible sizes of a bitmapped
 font.  However, if you used an outline font, you would only  need to scale
 it to  the size that you required, and only need one file on disk to cover
 any possibilities.  It was this type of  appeal that  secured Postscript's
 place as an industry standard.

 However, Apple has expressed a desire to remove Postscript from its
 product  line's  appeal,  and  in  an  effort  to  do this, System 7.0 has
 established its  own  outline  font  standard,  which  will  function with
 existing Mac  software.   One disadvantage  of outline  fonts is that they
 don't display or print  well  in  low-resolution  monitors,  or dot-matrix
 printers.  In order to make them look as good on these displays as on high
 resolution or laser printer output, Apple's outline fonts have support for
 grid fitting, which tell System 7.0 how to modify the font's appearance so
 it looks its best at a particular resolution.  In  addition to  a standard
 set  of  outline  fonts,  other  font  vendors, such as Afga Compugraphic,
 Casady & Greene, and Bitstream will be selling outline fonts using Apple's
 standard.    7.0  will  also  have  support  for typographic line and text
 layout.  This will be useful in kerning, right/left justification,  and in
 displaying/printing foreign languages that don't have letters based on the
 Roman alphabet, such as Japanese and Hebrew.

                     Finder 7.0, Enhanced MultiFinder
                     --------------------------------

     The Macintosh Finder has  long  been  considered  the  front-runner in
 Graphical User  Interface (GUI) technology.  Due to its innovations in the
 field (combined with Apple's marketing expertise), it has  become a litmus
 test, by  which many  GUI's have  been compared.  However, in the past few
 years many of Mac Finder's innovations  have  been  met  or  surpassed, by
 newcomers like  Open Look  and NextStep, and by old favorites like Windows
 and GEM.

 In an effort to revitalize it,  System 7.0  has made  many improvements to
 Mac Finder.   First,  all menu items, including those on the Menu Bar, and
 hierarchical submenus, will be  able to  be detached,  or "torn  off" from
 their original locations.  In order to install fonts and Desk Accessories,
 all one will need to do is to place them  in the  System "Folder", instead
 of using  the Font/DA Mover.  Similarly, in order to print a document from
 the desktop, one will simply have to drag it onto a Printer Icon.

     As far as the  Finder's desktop  is concerned,  some helpful additions
 have been  made.   One will  be able to play a sound, activate a Desk Acc,
 show samples of a font, or perform  a  varied  set  of  actions  by double
 clicking on  the appropriate  icon.   One will  also be  able to create an
 alias, or an icon which represents another icon,  and which  is capable of
 accessing it.   Aliases  would be useful in many instances, such as filing
 an icon by subject in one folder, and using its  icon's alias  to organize
 it  by  date  in  another  folder.   Also, when one manipulates or zooms a
 window, the Finder will only scale it enough to show its contents, and one
 will also be able to display a help screen on any icon or menu bar.

     Finder 7.0's  most important  feature, however, may be its file-search
 capabilities.  The Finder will be  able to  search for  files containing a
 word or  phrase, for files edited within a certain date or time, for files
 that are a certain  size,  or  for  any  number  of  combinations  or file
 characteristics in between.  Also, MultiFinder will be able to temporarily
 hide any or all of the  windows  of  open  applications  operating  in the
 background, resulting  in easier  system use,  and faster overall graphics
 performance.  The last benefit is due to  the fact  that MultiFinder won't
 have to  take up  so much  CPU time  on graphics operations for background
 windows....

                           Audio/Sound Toolkits
                           --------------------

     With System 7.0, Apple has put a great deal of emphasis into  the area
 of how  the Mac  handles sound,  in all  its forms.  System 7.0 features a
 MIDI Toolkit  for Mac  MIDI programs,  and multiple  audio channel support
 with a  multichannel sound  mixer for various sound effects.  7.0 also has
 real-time event sequencing for  sound/graphics demos,  and uses algorithms
 to compact  sound files  by a  3:1 or  6:1 ratio,  as well  as playing the
 archived files in real time.

                Communications Toolbox, Print Architecture
                ------------------------------------------

     The Macintosh's telecommunications support  has  always  had  room for
 improvement.    Besides  the  early  problems with the buggy serial driver
 included in the 64K Mac ROMs, Mac applications  have never  had a standard
 way to configure modem communication parameters, such as the baud rate and
 the number of stop bits, and in order to do so, had  to access  the serial
 drivers  directly.    To  solve  this  problem,  Apple  has introduced the
 Communications Toolbox.  Designed (like  32-bit  QuickDraw)  to  work with
 earlier versions of System Software, the Communications Toolbox provides a
 ser of device-independent routines for applications to use  in controlling
 I/O activity.   For  example, while low-level serial drivers will still be
 necessary for modem use, they  will  now  be  used  by  the Communications
 Toolbox.   It will  then provide Macintosh terminal programs with a set of
 standard dialog boxes for configuring things like baud  rates, word sizes,
 and stop  bits.   The Communications Toolbox also has support for standard
 terminal emulation and file transfer protocols, also through dialog boxes.

     Apple has also developed a new Print Architecture,  for improved color
 and gray-scale  printing, custom  page sizes,  and background printing, as
 well as a new Print dialog panel, for a standardized set of print options.
 But while  it is compatible with old Mac programs, this Print Architecture
 will require new printer drivers.

     System 7.0 has other  improvements,  including  support  for  the CL/1
 Remote Database  Access language,  allowing Mac applications to access SQL
 databases located on other  computers,  improvements  to  its Hierarchical
 File System  (such as faster directory searches, unique ID numbers for all
 files, and hooks for accessing files  from DOS,  OS/2, and  ProDOS disks),
 and Desktop Manager, a new utility for managing large amounts of files.

 System Software  7.0, to  be released by Late 1989 to Early 1990, truly is
 an impressive leap forward, which shows promise in  helping revitalize the
 aging  Macintosh,  and  helping  it  escape  obsolescence  in a new era of
 computing.  However, while it does have many impressive new features, some
 of its  features seem  to be  works in  progress, as 7.0's work in outline
 fonts  and  DTP  tools  pales  in  comparison  to   Postscript,  its  main
 competition.    Also,  many  other  things,  such as complete multitasking
 capabilities for MultiFinder and full memory protection for  Mac programs,
 has been  left for later incarnations of the System Software.  But this in
 itself may be a good sign,  as it  indicates that  the Macintosh  has much
 untapped potential.   And  a commitment  to use  any untapped potential is
 always a sign of good health....


                             ---===*****===---


 CPU REPORT CONFIDENTIAL™
 =======================


 Mountain View, CA  Lotus Development has announced that it will both
 -----------------  port versions of its software for Sun's 680x0-based and
                    SPARC-based workstations, and develop Unix versions of
                    its products utilizing their Open Look graphical user
                    interface.  For Lotus, this is a way to jump into the
                    growing market for graphical Unix software.  However,
                    Sun could benefit in several ways, in further
                    legitimizing Open Look as a good Unix GUI, and in using
                    Lotus software to become more popular in the business
                    world.  Not to mention the advantages against other
                    workstation vendors....

 Pontiac, MI        OmniCard, a HyperCard-like product for the Atari ST
 -----------        which was originally developed by BerrysBit A.S.C., but
                    shelved when it went bankrupt, may now be introduced to
                    the US ST market as soon as Winter Comdex.  Michtron is
                    reportedly financing BerrysBit's former staff, led by
                    Andrew Berry, in order that OmniCard may finally be
                    completed.

                    Designed as an integrated package, OmniCard before
                    featured a "mini-desktop" with file management tools,
                    a graphical Authoring Environment for programming
                    applications using a HyperCard-like "card metaphor",
                    and powerful database capabilities for Artificial
                    Intelligence development.  Word processing, database,
                    and paint programs were also supposed to be bundled as
                    sample applications developed using OmniCard.

 Santa Clara, CA    While Apple's new 32-Bit QuickDraw has great promise,
 ---------------    one great handicap to its acceptance has been the high
                    cost of 24-bit Graphics Cards for the Mac II, which
                    were around $4000 - $5000.  However, RasterOps has
                    recently introduced the ColorBoard 264, a 24-bit Color
                    Board selling for an incredible $1000.00.  But to
                    achieve this price, the 264 only supports the standard
                    640*480 display, and to have 24-bit color at higher
                    resolutions, one would have to buy one of the $5000.00
                    video cards.  But given that most Mac II users only
                    have a 640*480 display anyway, and that several other
                    Mac hardware vendors, like SuperMac and Radius, are
                    developing similar 24-bit video cards....


                           -----====***====-----




> TT SPECS USA CPU REPORT™
  =======================




                     The Power of a Workstation
                     The New Atari TT Computer

     Premiering at  the Dusseldorf  Atari Fair,  the TT,  with the Motorola
 MC68030 processor,  moves the ST family into the 32 bit realm, achieving a
 significant increase in computing power with full TOS  compatibility.  Our
 goal for the TT was to design an expandable computer that would combine ST
 compatibility with superior resolution, more computing power, and improved
 sound generating abilities.

                              The 68030 CPU

     At the  heart of  the TT is a 16 MHz MC68030 processor, which allows a
 high degree of 68000 compatibility,  while  operating  at  a  higher clock
 speed  and  providing  streamlined  internal operations which make it even
 faster.  The 68030 has built in 256 byte instruction and data  caches, and
 an internal  Memory Management  Unit.  Next to it on the board is a socket
 for an optional math coprocessor (MC68881/MC68882).  Memory in the TT is a
 full thirty-two  bits wide,  both the  ST RAM which is shared by the video
 logic, and TT RAM which is not shared.  These factors combine to result in
 a memory bandwidth that is four times greater and program execution speeds
 up to 17 times faster than on the ST.

                              ST Compatible

     In both hardware and software, the TT is compatible with the ST.   All
 hardware registers  are in  the same locations as they are in the ST.  The
 ST video  modes work  the same  way on  both TT  and ST,  because they are
 organized in  memory the same way on both machines.  Most important for ST
 compatibility is the operating system in the TT: TOS.  With TOS  as the TT
 operating  system,  existing  programs  can automatically use the improved
 resolutions of the new video modes, as well  as the  larger color palette,
 without any  change to  the software.   All  this ST compatibility has the
 obvious benefit of allowing TT owners to take  advantage of  the large and
 growing base of ST software.

                                 Graphics

     In addition  to the  three ST  video modes,  the TT  has two new color
 video modes available on its VGA monitor: 640  horizontal by  480 vertical
 resolution with  16 colors, 320 horizontal by 480 vertical resolution with
 256 colors.   With  a high  resolution monochrome  monitor, a  1280 by 960
 resolution monochrome  mode is  available.  All the color modes use a new,
 expanded 4096 color palette which is also available in the ST modes.  Even
 ST monochrome  (640x400) is  actually a  two color  mode on TT; we call it
 "duochrome."

                                  Sound

     The  improved  sound  system  uses  stereo   8-bit  PCM   (Pulse  Code
 Modulation).   This allows  the TT  to function  as a digital tape player.
 The hardware also includes an automatic variable low pass filter, a stereo
 balance control  and bass  and treble  tone controls.  This sound is mixed
 through the internal speaker  as well  as being  output via  two RCA phono
 jacks located  on the  back of the machine.  These features, combined with
 the high power computing capabilities of the 16 MHz 68030, allow the TT to
 produce a wide range of high quality sounds.

                                Interfaces

     In keeping  with the  design goal  of expandability, the TT has all of
 the ports familiar from the ST: MIDI, parallel, serial, and the Atari ACSI
 DMA port  (for Atari  hard disks, laser printers, or CD-ROM).  The TT also
 includes a 25 pin  SCSI port.   One  of the  four TT  serial ports  can be
 configured  as  an  industry-standard  medium-speed SDLC network port.  Of
 course, the machine  also  provides  an  internal  speaker,  a  clock with
 battery backup, and a Mega ST compatible keyboard with ports for mouse and
 joystick.

                                Expandable

     In  addition  to  the  expansion  capabilities  provided  by  the TT's
 external interfaces, the TT is expandable internally as well.  The housing
 can hold  an internal  hard disk  and add-in  memory cards.   These memory
 cards allow  the standard  2 megabyte TT to be expanded to 8 megabytes, or
 as much as 26 megabytes when 4Mbit DRAM chips become available.

     Another example  of internal  expandability is  the slot  for a single
 standard "Eurocard"  style VME  card.   This slot allows use of any of the
 large number of existing VME expansion cards.   Some of  the VME expansion
 options currently  available include  memory expansion, Ethernet and other
 network boards, coprocessors, graphics  boards, and  data acquisition (A/D
 and D/A converters).  Already planned for TT VME expansion are an Ethernet
 board for networking, I/O port expansion, and graphics extensions.

                               UNIX Option

     The workstation-like capabilities of the TT will be complemented by an
 optional  industry  standard  operating  system.    UNIX System V is being
 ported for the TT.   Also  available will  be X  windows as  well as  an X
 windows based graphic user interface, giving TT owners all the benefits of
 UNIX without all of the difficulties usually encountered.


                              TT at a Glance
                              --------------

          - ST compatible operating system, giving TT an extensive software
            library

          - ST compatible hardware, including all the ST interface ports

          - Three new graphics modes:
               1280 x 960 pixels high resolution monochrome
                640 x 480 pixels with 16 colors
                320 x 480 pixels with 256 colors

          - All color graphics modes use an expanded 4096 color palette
          - 16 Mhz Motorola MC68030 processor
          - Socket for optional MC68881/MC68882 math coprocessor
          - DMA with built in SCSI and ACSI ports
          - Two serial ports, expandable to four ports.
          - Parallel interface
          - Detachable keyboard
          - Internal "Eurocard" VME socket (A24/D16)
          - Internal hard disk option
          - 8 bit stereo PCM sound
          - 2 Mbytes RAM, expandable to 8 Mbytes (26 Mbytes with 4 Mb DRAM)
          - Real time clock with battery backup
          - Network capable hardware


 The Atari TT continues the Atari tradition of delivering Power Without The
 Price!

 We reserve the right to change  technical specifications  without notice.
 UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T.

                               August, 1989
                            Atari Corporation
                            1196 Borregas Ave.
                           Sunnyvale, CA 94086





    ___________________________________________________________________



> PORTFOLIO SHIPS! STR NewsPlus™  At last, Atari excites the MS DOS world.
   =============================






 Agency Contact:
 Andy Marken
 Marken Communications, Inc.
 [phone] - office
 [phone] - home

 Client Contact:  James Fisher
 [phone]


                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




              ATARI COMPUTER SHIPPING FIRST PALMTOP COMPUTER
                CAPABLE OF RUNNING ADAPTED MS-DOS SOFTWARE


 SUNNYVALE, CA (September 13, 1989)

     Atari  Computer  has  announced  the  immediate  availability  of  the
 Portfolio(TM), the industry's first  palmtop  computer  to  accept adapted
 MS-DOS software and MS-DOS compatible commands.

     The  one-pound  personal  computer,  with  a standard typewriter-style
 keyboard, is slightly smaller than a VCR tape, retails for  $399.95 and is
 powered by  three standard  "AA" alkaline  batteries.   The compact system
 includes a  built-in  Lotus  1-2-3  file-compatible  spreadsheet  and word
 processing software,  as well  as a calculator, personal appointment book,
 address book and phone directory.

     In making the announcement, Sam Tramiel,  Atari Corporation president,
 said  that  the  compact  size,  extensive  features  and  low cost of the
 Portfolio have already "won over" portable computer users worldwide.

     "Atari Computer  has  been  shipping  the  Portfolio  to  key European
 markets for  a few  months and  we can't  keep them  on the shelves," said
 Tramiel.    "With  its  recent  FCC  Class  B  approval,  we   expect  the
 overwhelming response  to our  initial announcement  of the  system in the
 U.S. to continue."

                        Small System, BIG Features

     The small size of the  Portfolio  doesn't  mean  that  it  only offers
 limited capabilities.   In  fact, the  80C88 system  equals the processing
 power of an IBM PC in the palm of your hand.

     "With other portables and  laptops,  users  always  have  to determine
 whether or  not it's 'worth it' to carry the computer with them," he said.
 "But the Portfolio is small enough to slip  into a  purse, coat  pocket or
 student backpack.  It essentially becomes 'a part' of the user in much the
 same way as their wallet or appointment book," Tramiel added.

     The Portfolio has 128K of RAM as standard (expandable to 640K with
 optional peripherals).  A  card drive  and credit-card  sized, solid-state
 RAM cards  (not included) with 32K, 64K or 128K of memory replace a floppy
 drive and diskettes.   The card  drive also  accepts PROM  and ROM program
 cards for optional software and data.

     The system has a 63-key IBM PC software-compatible keyboard and an LCD
 display with a 40-column by 8-line  character  mode  and  240  x  64 pixel
 graphics  mode.    The  system's  internal  software is menu-driven and is
 viewed in frames and overlapping windows.

     "From the  QWERTY  keyboard  to  the  MS-DOS-compatible  commands, our
 designers made  certain that the Portfolio palmtop computer would look and
 feel familiar to any IBM PC or compatible  user," said  Tramiel.  "Because
 Portfolio's operating  system is  so similar to MS-DOS 2.11, vendors of PC
 software are already working to adapt popular floppy disk PC  programs for
 the system," he added.

     A range  of optional  peripherals for the Portfolio will ship shortly.
 Users may  add  a  Smart  Parallel  Interface  for  parallel  printers and
 transferring files  between a Portfolio and a PC or a Serial Interface may
 be added for serial printers and other RS232-C devices, such  as modems. A
 Memory Expander  Plus, which  includes a second card slot and 256K memory,
 will be available.  An external  card  drive  for  PCs,  which  allows the
 solid-state memory  cards to  be accessed directly by a desktop system, is
 also available.

                        Applications Increase Value

     The standard software included  with the  Portfolio makes  the palmtop
 computer an  even more  exceptional value.   For  example, the Lotus 1-2-3
 file compatible spreadsheet is  ideal for  a salesperson  who must provide
 on-site price quotes.  Executives can work out "what-if" strategies during
 planning sessions or negotiations.

     The system's  internal text  editor includes  standard word processing
 capabilities and  a clipboard  function allows  users to move or copy data
 within a  file  or  between  files  and  applications.    Users  will also
 appreciate the  personal appointment book program with its reminder alarms
 and the phone list with built-in automatic phone dialing.

     "Atari's  goal  was  to  create  the  smallest,  most  useful personal
 computer ever developed," said Tramiel.  "Now you can have the power of an
 IBM  PC  or  compatible  in  the  palm  of  your  hand.    The technology,
 capabilities and  convenience are  here, at  a very  affordable price," he
 noted.

     The Portfolio  is now  available for  immediate, worldwide  delivery
 through Atari  Computer's leading authorized dealers and from Atari direct
 at [phone].

 For more information, contact:
 James Fisher, vice president of marketing,
 Atari Computer,
 1196 Borregas Avenue,
 Sunnyvale, California 94088;
 [phone].

 EDITORS NOTE:
 Complete technical and applications  information, as  well as  photos, are
 available upon request. For immediate assistance, contact:

                  Marken Communications, [phone].

        Atari is a registered trademark and Portfolio is a trademark
                            of Atari Corporation
            Other products are trademarks of their manufacturers.





     _________________________________________________________________



 > 32,768 Colors! STR Feature   Just keep on ..keeping on.......
   ==========================





                   32,768 Color Support for the Atari ST



 by Barry Orlando

 Public Domain,  Dated 09-09-89


     Here's  a  hardware  modification  for  the  standard  Atari  ST  that
 increases the color palette from 512 colors to 32,768 colors (32 shades of
 gray),  while  still  maintaining  compatibility  with  existing  Atari ST
 software (including SPECTRUM 512).  It  is  software  compatible  with the
 JRI's  4096C  color  board  and  will also be compatible with the recently
 announced 4096 color STE (enhanced ST).

     It does this by adding increased bits of resolution so  as to increase
 the  ST's  16  read/write  colors  palette  hardware  registers from their
 standard 9 bits each, to 15 bits each. Each of the standard  color palette
 registers have the following bit arrangement:

                             FEDCBA9876543210
                             .....RRR.GGG.BBB

        where, R, G, and B are the red, green, and blue components.

     The higher  the value  for any of these grouped bits, the more intense
 the resulting color component. The above bits marked '.' are ignored.

     The JRI 4096C color board and the upcoming 4096 color STE add an extra
 bit of resolution at bit locations 3, 7, and B, however these new bits are
 least significant bits  so  as  to  maintain  compatibility  with existing
 software.

     The 32,768  color modification  goes a  step further by adding a fifth
 (and less significant) bit to each color component at locations  C, D, and
 E. The new arrangement is then:

                             FEDCBA9876543210
                             .RGBRRRRGGGGBBBB

     As  with  the  JRI  4096C  color  board,  this  modification  adds  an
 additional  Shifter  chip.  However  this  modification  is  slightly more
 involved  in  that  it  uses  three  additional  integrated  circuits, and
 bypasses 9, 5% tolerance resistors used by the  Shifter chip,  in favor of
 using 9, 1% tolerance resistors.

                         Disclaimer of Liability

     This modification  should not be attempted by anyone except by someone
 with  experience  repairing  or  building  digital   electronic  circuits.
 Performing this  modification will  be done  at your own risk and may void
 the warranty on your computer.




                                Parts List
                                ==========

      Qty       Description/Source/Cost
      ---------------------------------
      1         Component Perfboard (3" x 2.5") cut from Radio Shack
                #276-147 ($2.99).

      2         3M Board Mounting Interconnectors (straight single-row
                male).Digi-Key Part # 929834-08-36 ($2.05 each).

                     Digi-Key Corp.
                     701 Brooks Ave South
                     P.O Box 677
                     Thief River Falls, MN 56701-0677
                     Phone [phone] for free catalog.

      1         Quad 2 input NAND Gate, High Speed CMOS (74HC00N). Digi-Key
                Corp., Part # MM74HC00N ($0.28).

      1          Quad  Tri-State Transceiver,  High Speed  CMOS (74HC243N).
                Digi-Key Corp., Part # MM74HC243N ($0.78).

      1         Octal Tri-State Transceiver, High Speed CMOS (74HC245N).
                Digi-Key Corp., Part # MM74HC245N ($0.82).

      5 each    3.76K, 7.50K, 15.0K, 30.1K, 60.4K ohm metal film resistors,
                1%, 1/4 watt. Digi-Key Corp., Part #s 3.76X,  7.50X, 15.0X,
                30.1X, 60.4X (each value: 5 for $0.50)

      2            3.0K ohm carbon resistors, 5%, 1/4 watt. Digi-Key Corp.,
                Part # 3.0E (5 for $0.25)

      5         0.1ufd Monolithic Ceramic capacitors, Radial, 50V, 10%, or
                equivalent substitution, Digi-Key Corp. Part # P4525 ($0.19
                each)

      2         Shifter Chip, Atari Part # CO25914-38A, one chip is
                obtained from  your ST's  motherboard, the  other from your
                local Atari Authorized Service Center ($30.00)



                         Installation of the Board

     Located on  the ST's  motherboard is  mounted a  sheet metal box which
 houses the Shifter Chip. This box has a  hinged lid  which can  be opened.
 Inside this box you'll find the Shifter Chip mounted in a 40 pin socket.

     The board  simply plugs into this socket so that the board is elevated
 above the ST's motherboard with sufficient clearance to  allow closing the
 hinged lid.

     Three wires  are installed  from the  color board to three vias (trace
 thru holes) located nearby on the motherboard.

     Additionally, jumpers are installed  across  each  of  three  3.6K ohm
 resistors on  the motherboard.  These resistors are easily traced from the
 Shifter socket pins 21, 24, and 27.



                             Circuit Schematic

 I was going to  get the  circuit diagram  for this  project digitized, but
 just didn't  get around  to it (saved you the download). So if you want it
 send me a self addressed stamped envelope to the following address:

                               Barry Orlando
                             1120 Deerfield Dr.
                              Napa, CA 94558


                              Board Assembly

     Because the sheet metal box (discussed above) does  not allow  alot of
 head clearance,  all components  are mounted directly to the perfboard. If
 you use chip  sockets,  the  hinged  lid  will  not  fit  back  on without
 modification.

     The diagram  below shows the orientation of components. I soldered all
 the components to the perfboard then soldered all the connections using 30
 gauge Kynar wire wrap solid conductor wire (Radio Shack 278-502).

     There is  a slight  modification to  the circuit  if you  have any RAM
 chips installed in your ST which are 150 nanosecond (i.e., slower than 120
 nanosecond).   Pin 1 (DIR) of the 74HC245N must be tided to ground instead
 of to the R/W line on Shifter. This will only disable the  read capability
 for bits C, D, and E of each color palette register mentioned above.

                                 Software

     To be  used with  this modification  is a  program to display all gray
 levels and colors. This is a very crude program but  was intended  to only
 prove that  the circuit  works.   I have  also included  the C source code
 which provides the engine for converting basic color  intensities to board
 compatible bit patterns.





  *************************************************************************
  *                                                                       *
  *                       Color Board Layout                              *
  *                                                                       *
  *               |-----------  2 1/2"  -------------|                    *
  *           __  ___________________________________                     *
  *            |  | ________                ________ |                    *
  *            |  ||        |  |  -==-  |  |        ||                    *
  *            |  ||   S    |  |  -==-  |  |   S    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   H    |  |  -==-  |  |   H    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   I    |  |  -==-  |  |   I    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   F    |  |  -==-  |  |   F    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   T    |  |  -==-  |  |   T    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   E    |  |  -==-  |  |   E    ||                    *
  *            |  ||   R    |  |  -==-  |  |   R    ||                    *
  *            |  ||        |  |  -==-  |  |        ||                    *
  *               ||   1    |  |  -==-  |  |   2    ||                    *
  *        3 1/2" ||        |  |  -==-  |  |        ||                    *
  *               ||        |  |  -==-  |  |        ||                    *
  *            |  ||       *|  |  -==-  |  |       *||                    *
  *            |  ||________|  |  -==-  |  |________||                    *
  *            |  |  <>            <>       <>       |                    *
  *            |  |              ____                |                    *
  *            |  |      <>     |*   |        <> <------decoupling caps.  *
  *            |  |    ____     |    |      ____     |                    *
  *            |  |   |*   |    |    |     |*   |    |                    *
  *            |  |   |    |    |    |     |    |    |                    *
  *            |  | ()|    | [] |    | []  |    |    |                    *
  *            |  | ()|    |    |    |  ^  |    |    |                    *
  *            |  | ()|    |    |    |  |  |    |<------- 74HC243N        *
  *            |  |   |____|    |____|  |  |____|    |                    *
  *           _|_ |_____^_________^_____|____________|                    *
  *                     |         |     |_________ 3.0K ohm resistors     *
  *       74HC00N ______|         |_____ 74HC245N                         *
  *                                                                       *
  *                                                                       *
  *                                                                       *
  *************************************************************************





     _________________________________________________________________





 > GOOD Backup STR Spotlight™  Another fine HD backup utility.
   =========================

     The GOOD backup utility not only does fast incremental backups of your
 hard disk partitions, it  also VERIFIES  that the  existing files,  on the
 both the hard disk and the backup saveset, are intact.

     How nice,  no more nasty surprises.  With the use of this program, you
 won't find  your  self  trying  to  restore  a  hard  disk  partition with
 corrupted  backups.    A  checksum  is  stored  for  each  file and may be
 recomputed and tested on  each backup  run to  maintain it's  integrity or
 discover if  any surreptitious  modifications have  occurred to any of the
 files.

     Additionally,there is no more waiting for  the completion  of the full
 backup or  loose it  all if  you must  stop your backup process.  The GOOD
 backup utility may be interrupted at any time and resumed at some  time in
 the future;  the program will pick right up where it left off, as well as,
 include any files added since the last backup was stopped.

                                 FEATURES
                                 --------

     - Copies data from a selected partition to a  saveset of  ordinary TOS
       format backup  disks.   Thus, they are as readable as any other TOS
       disk is.

     - You may store your saveset on single or  double sided  floppy disks,
       removable media  devices, or  keep a shadow partition of your entire
       partition on another hard disk unit.

     - A file that is too large to fit on a floppie will be split and saved
       across as  many disks  as needed and automatically reassembled when
       the file is restored.

     - Updates to the backup will only copy the  files that  have actually
       changed.  Therefore, if frequent backups are done, the time frame is
       quite fast.

     - Lost or damaged disks in the backup saveset can be  replaced without
       replacing the  entire backup  saveset.  If you loose a backup disk,
       simply tell the program the number of the missing or corrupted disk,
       the program will then rebuild that disk, good as new!

     - A built-in  write-back disk  cache is used to ensure that the backup
       goes fast.  Write verify is switchable on or off.

     - Full format routines are built into the program  so if  the need
       arises, GOOD backup can be told to format disks as they are needed.

     - Checksums are used to insure that both the files being backed up and
       the actual backups are intact and complete.   Errors are  found well
       before they can become dangerous.

     - Up to  16 wildcard  specs may be given as a list of files that will
       not be kept in the backup saveset.  The selection  are automatically
       remembered and  reused when  the backup  saveset is updated.  Files
       that easily replaced may be excluded in this manner, thus  saving on
       the number of floppies required to perform a backup.  It is
       possible to  exclude entire directory trees, all files of a specific
       type, and many other combinations.

     - Instead of specifying files to be excluded from  the backup saveset,
       the 16 wildcard file specifications can list the files to include in
       the backup, excluding all others.

     - A backup may be interrupted before it is completed, and  then be
       finished at  a later  date.  You are not obliged to do the entire
       backup in one session.

     - Files may be restored as an entire partition, or by wildcard
       selection.  When restoring an entire partition, only  files that are
       actually missing  need to be restored.  Like the backup, the restore
       may interrupted at any time and continued later.

     - A reference list may be produced  for locating  individual files
       within the backup saveset.

     - User interface  is easy  to use,  everything is accomplished with a
       few keystrokes.

     - The help key is actually used in the fine application, pressing help
       will provide the user with additional information about every
       available option.

 The back  up program  is quite  solid and  delivers exactly what is listed
 above.   For the  introductory price  of 29.95,  one can  hardly miss this
 program.
 For Retail orders: Call: The Computer Bug, 1-413-584-7722

 The GOOD Backup Utility is a product of:

                    TidBit Software Engineering Company
                               25 Wood Lane
                             Maynard, MA 01754
                               508-897-7429





  ______________________________________________________________________



 > FAST TECH! STReport InfoFile™    T 16 SHIPS! AND BLITS BLIT!
   ============================


         "Good evening ladies and gentlemen and all ships at sea"



            NEWS FLASH......dit..dit...dit...ditdit...ditdit...
            ===================================================



     The boards  are shipping!!!!!  Yes the  T16s are finally going out the
 door.  The first batch is shipping now, the second  batch is  shipping OCT
 1. So  if you  want a T16 see your dealer now to get your order in. What a
 relief, I feel like a great  weight has  been lifted  off my  shoulders. I
 hope we  will hear shortly from users just how they like them. Please post
 your feelings when you test out your board, pass on your opinions.

     Another great  bit of  news, CMI  has managed  to get  Atari to loosen
 their grip  on the  BLiTTER chips.  This is  indeed a  great day. Now with
 BLiTTERs available and TOS  1.4 available  a BLiTTER  upgrade makes sense.
 Our "FASTBLIT"  upgrade board  will be  shown at the WAACE show. It allows
 you to add a BLiTTER to your 520/1040 ST for  $49+BLiTTER chip.  You don't
 even need  to splurge  on a  T16 to get a BLiTTER!!! Just go for a BLiTTER
 upgrade and TOS1.4, then add T16 in the future if your on  a tight budget.
 And  "FASTBLIT"  has  the  added  feature  of  providing our PCDII adapter
 connection so you can add PCDII  to a  T16 equiped  system. PCDII's ribbon
 cable will plug right into "FASTBLIT" for a seamless interface.

     We will be contacting Atari directly to arrange a similar arrangement
 (Hopefully) to  be able to provide BLiTTERs directly. I was suprised, this
 is actually quite a departure from  Atari policies  of the  past and  is a
 truly bright sign of great things to come!!!!

                                             Jim <thanks Atari> Allen





     ________________________________________________________________



 > S-H Clears the Air STR FOCUS™    Chopstick Louie does the right thing!
   ============================


 ctsy: CIS

 You have one message waiting.
 13770 S8/Hot Topics
 07-Sep-89  23:13:13
 Sb: CEO letter re FALCON
 Fm: Spectrum HoloByte 76004,2144
 To: [F] All & 73710,1052

 Dear Editor of ST Report:

     First off, I want to thank all of those ST users who have supported us
 by buying FALCON.  As of  August 25,  1989, we  have sold  12,962 units in
 North  America.    In  addition,  we  have sold 1,640 FALCON Mission Disks
 (Operation: Counterstrike) since the beginning  of  the  month.    For the
 statisticians,  total  sales  in  August  for  ST FALCON were 202 units as
 compared to 836 for the Amiga,  1,151 for  the IBM  and 1,167  for the Mac
 version.

     By the way, I have not been giving the ST users the "Silent Treatment"
 as you claim; it's just that  some of  us are  trying to  get new products
 out, such  as the  Mission Disk,  and feel  that this  is the  best way to
 support ST users.  The ST  users who  have bought  our products  have been
 wonderful.   They have  shown that  there is  a market  for the  ST in the
 United States, and they deserve the  support of  other software companies.
 Many have  written to  me or  left messages on on-line services.  ST users
 are fed up with piracy and have turned in a  number of  "pirate boards" to
 us.    We,  in  turn,  have  turned  these over to the Software Publishers
 Association (SPA).  These boards should not be allowed to  ruin the market
 for the rest of us.  While we were once again disappointed to see that the
 Mission Disk for FALCON (the Mirrorsoft version) appeared  on the bulletin
 boards before  we even  released it  here in the United States, we are not
 going to let it distract us from servicing  honest ST  users.   As long as
 there is a market, we will support it.

     It has  never been  our intent  to slander the ST market but rather to
 help educate the user base about  some  of  the  frustrations  of  being a
 publisher, programmer  or developer.  You have helped us better understand
 some of the frustrations users must  go through.   We  have taken  off the
 disk-based copy  protection on  the Mission Disk and upgrade for ST FALCON
 as a way of say "thanks for being honest."  Thanks for all of the comments
 and letters.   It has been an educational experience for all of us here at
 Sphere.

                                                  Sincerely,

                                   Gilman  G.  Louie  CEO/Chairman  Sphere,
 Inc.

 Editor Note:
     Gilman Louie,  by the  statements in  the above  letter to  us and the
 userbase, has exhibited a sincere positive attitude toward the ST userbase
 and displayed  a very  high degree of professionalism.  We thank Mr. Louie
 for the frankness of his expressions and appreciate  and welcome  the fine
 support he  has given our community.  As always, we will endeavor to offer
 as much support as we possibly can and continue to  encourage the userbase
 to do the same.





  _______________________________________________________________________



 > SYQUEST 44MB STR Review™    Taking a good look at 'em...
   =======================



 44 Meg Removable Hard Drives:


                                             The Hard Disks of the Future!
                                             =============================


 by Erik Williams


     Hard  drives   are  one  of  those  peripherals  that  are  well  nigh
 indispensable once you have one of  these cranky  beasts attached  to your
 computer.    They  offer  unbelievable  access  times, tremendous storage,
 versatility, the works!    Well,  there is  a new  breed of  hard disk out
 there that  blows a  traditional hard  disk out  of  the water.  Move over
 shoeboxes, the 44 meg removables are here!

                     A Little About Hard Disks

     When choosing a hard disk, there are some technical terms that one has
 to be  aware of  to make  an intelligent  choice.   One of  these terms is
 average access time.  This little statistic tells  us relatively  how fast
 the hard  disk can  access information  stored on  it.   It is in units of
 milliseconds, the  average hard  disks of  today having  an average access
 time of  40-65 milliseconds.   There  are some  hard disks (say, a Seagate
 296N) that can run faster than that 40 millisecond barrier,  but  they are
 generally a little more pricey for the speed.

     Another little  term that  is tossed  around is interleave.  This is a
 very important characteristic of a prospective  drive.    It  is  always a
 ratio,   with a 1:1 interleave being the fastest.  This came about a while
 back when hard disks were really new things and the computers had  not yet
 caught up  with the incredible data transfer speeds that the hard disk can
 achieve.  So, there had to be a  way to  slow the  hard disk  down so that
 the  data  transferred  to  the  computer  would not be garbled.  So, some
 bright boy figured out that by formatting the hard disk in such a way that
 it would  take longer  for the  hard disk  to access  the  data, then  the
 computer would not get lost.   That is why a lot  of   IBM AT's  and their
 clones will format a hard disk at 2:1 or 3:1 interleave.  These computers,
 for the most part, were not built to handle the  speeds of  the hard disk.
 However, on  the ST,  we have that nice DMA port that can transfer a meg a
 second,  so most  of the   drives  that  can  be  used  on  a  ST  will be
 formatted 1:1  (which allows  the disk  to transfer approximately 518-550K
 per second).  However, there  are  some  drives  out  there    (again, the
 aforementioned 296N)  that has  a ROM  set that  will only  allow it to be
 formatted at 2:1 interleave (because most of these  drives  go  into those
 AT's).   So,   be very  careful about the interleave factor.  Now that all
 that technical mess is behind us, let's talk about the 44 meg drives...

                What's so special about them anyway?

     Most  hard disks available for the ST  are fixed   mechanisms, meaning
 that once  you have  bought it,  that is  all the  storage it will provide
 unless you have the space,  controller, and host adaptor to handle another
 mechanism.   If you  buy a Supra 30  meg shoebox, then 30 megs will be all
 that you will ever see out  of that shoebox.

     That is where the important difference between the  fixed media drives
 and the  new removable  media drives.  Unlike their shoebox cousins, there
 is no top limit to how much storage you may  have (except  your wallet!).
 If you fill one of these cartridges up, then just plunk another $100 down,
 and you have another 44 megs (while a  comparable mechanism  upgrade would
 cost about   $300-400  for the mechanism alone.   If you need other parts,
 more moolah...).  However, like the  shoeboxes out  there, the  44 meggers
 are true  hard disks,  and perform  as such.  They have access speeds that
 will knock your socks off.  Plus, there are some other nice features, too.

                        More Technical Data

     What really makes these drives so attractive is  that they  are faster
 than the  normal hard  disk.    All  of the 44 meg systems (whether it  is
 Atari's or a mail  order vendor's)  will be  based around  the Syquest 555
 mechanism.   This mechanism  sports a  convenient park switch right in the
 middle of it,  a release lever (that  also logs  in a  new cartridge), and
 access times from 20-25 millseconds!  That is almost twice as fast as most
 of the ST hard disks  (unless you have opted for a  nice big  mechanism in
 the 65 meg range) available today!

     The  cartridges  themselves  look  like  5.25"  disks, except that the
 cartridges are a whole  lot thicker.   Each  cartridge will  hold 44 megs,
 partitioned however  you deem  necessary (four  eleven meg partitions will
 work fine, or more if you  want to  really segregate  your applications).
 They will  format at  1:1   interleave, and transfer on average about 515K
 per second.   Add to that all of those \AUTO folder programs that speed up
 TOS  and  GEMDOS,  and  the  hard  disk  seems to go even faster than that
 (FATSPD,  Pinhead 1.2, etc.).  TOS 1.4 should really  fly with  the 44 meg
 drives.

                      But, there is a catch!!

     There is  only one  limitation.  At this time, only the ICD hard  disk
 utilities (version 3.41) supports  the  removable    media.    The problem
 arises when  inserting a  new cartridge.   TOS  still thinks  that the old
 cartridge is in there and writes to it as if it were  the old  cartridge.
 Basically, your new cartridge has become silicon salad quite quickly.

     ICD figured  out a  way around  this.   Whenever the Syquest returns a
 code to the host adaptor to the effect of "I have a  new cartridge  in me,
 log it  in!!", a  short message  of "<Disk  Change>" flashes  in the upper
 right corner, and TOS logs in the  statistics  of  the  new  disk.   Saves
 having to reboot the machine every time.

     The real  catch is,  that the  ICD utilities will not work in a system
 that does not have an ICD host adaptor.  The 44 meg drives that  are being
 marketed right  now are  built around  the ICD  host adaptor  and have the
 requisite software to handle  the disk  changes.    Atari  may be devising
 their own code for use with the Megafile 44 (yet to be released) and a new
 version of HDX should be in order.

              So I, like, have this drive.  Now what?

     Putting a new hard disk in the system is no difficult matter.   If the
 44 megger  is your  first and only drive, then it should be a quite simple
 plug and chug operation.  The drive should already come pre-configured for
 SCSI (Small  Computer System  Interface)   0, LUN (Logical Unit Number) 0.
 SCSI 0, LUN 0 is the device that  TOS  will  boot  from  if  it  detects a
 presence on  the DMA   port.   Most  drives these days are configured this
 way, and should also be preformatted  (in this case, the cartridge  should
 already be  partitioned and  a data sheet should be in the package telling
 you how it was done and what partitions they are).  All it takes,  then is
 booting the  hard disk,  and then installing the requisite amount of drive
 icons to access all of the partitions.   Then it  is time  to install your
 software on the hard disk and enjoy blazing new speeds.

     It does  tend to  get a  bit more  difficult with systems that already
 have a hard disk sitting there being SCSI 0, LUN 0.  So, that is what most
 of the  rest of  this article  will detail.   If  you don't  have two hard
 disks, you can ignore this and probably are missing nothing.   However, if
 you want  to stick  around, in  case you  are planning on sticking another
 mechanism next to your 44 megger, then read on!

       The Hard Disk Peace Talks:  Two or more mechanisms...

     This was the procedure that I went through to install the 44 meg drive
 behind a  30 meg  SupraDrive.  I was planning to keep the Supra as my boot
 disk and use the 44 meg  drive as  the last  four partitions.   So,  a few
 minutes after  receiving my  44 meg  drive (my Supra had crashed two weeks
 earlier, and was already  back in operation),  I had  the case  opened and
 was looking about.

      The idea  was to  change the  ID of the 44 meg drive so that it would
 not conflict with the  SupraDrive when  it decided  to boot.   Make   sure
 that you  are doing  this with the drive  powered  down.  Coulomb's Law is
 not a nice thing to be on the receiving end of...   On the   back  of most
 hard disks,  you will  notice a row  of  pins toward the bottom and center
 of the mechanism with a  jumper  hanging  there.    Normally,  it  is just
 sitting there  on one  of the pins, which makes the drive think it is SCSI
 0, LUN 0.  I had to change  the position  of the  jumper slightly  so that
 instead of  it resting  on just one  pin, it was shorting out both the pin
 it was on and the one directly below it.  If you want to  check to  see if
 you have  the ID  jumpered correctly  (I wanted  SCSI 1, LUN 0 because the
 Syquest has its own controller, thus  it needs  a different  SCSI number),
 just run  ICD's   MAKEPARK.PRG.   It will tell you all of the IDs  of  the
 drives currently online and if you have not messed with  your other drive,
 them it should show the new mechanism like a sore thumb.

     After I  had the drive ID set so that both hard disks would not try to
 boot at  the same  time (let  me tell  you, that  was not  a pretty sight!
 <wicked grin>),  I went  ahead and  closed the case back up and rearranged
 the system to accommodate it.  Now, the fun began, because I  had to start
 installing  the  ICD  boot  software  on  my  Supra.   Which was a problem
 considering that there was already stuff  on the  Supra, and  its own boot
 software, etc.   There  had to be some serious choices made here as to who
 would rule the booting kingdom.    The  Supra  software  did  not  stand a
 chance, and  after I had backed up everything that was on the drive at the
 time (which wasn't saying much), the Supra got reformatted.

     ICD's format  software is  fast and  user friendly.   I  had the Supra
 reformatted in no time, all those pesky bad sectors that had been plaguing
 my E:\ partition were a thing of the  past, and  now, the  removable drive
 could  now  be  used  in  the    system.    I  also formatted  both of the
 cartridges to new sizes (eleven megs a partition, four partitions).   Now,
 all it  took was installing the new boot software (ICD 3.41, which did not
 last long when I managed  to snag ICD 4.04.  If you have  an ICD,  get it!
 It is  worth the  price of  admission...).    Next,  the boot software and
 NeoDesk were installed, and then the rest of the software.  Voila!   Where
 there used  to be 32 megs, there were now 75 megs online at any give time.
 The project was a complete success.

           More Miscellaneous Things About The 44 Megger

     One  of the things that was a real pain with hard disks were  that you
 could not  write protect them, unless you had the Michtron software  write
 protect.  The Syquest cartridges come with write protect "disks"  that you
 turn, and  the mechanism  will not write to the cartridge.  It is really a
 neat little quirk of new hard drive technology.

     Also, when you are installing your  44 meg  drive, make  sure you read
 all of  the documentation  before you stick the drive into the system.  It
 will save you a lot of headaches later down the road, especially  when the
 thing does  not work  right away  ("Gee, I should have remembered that, it
 was so SIMPLE...").

     Finally, if your 44 megger has an ICD host adaptor, then by all means,
 use ICDBOOT.SYS  on your  disk (especially the new version 4.04, it really
 screams!).  However, if your 44  meg  drive  does  not  have  an  ICD host
 adaptor, then  stay away  from the  ICD utilities,  else  you will lock up
 your system (ICD checks to see that at  least one  ICD host  adaptor is in
 the system,  which in  mine, it  checks the  second SCSI address, and then
 continues the boot).

     44  meg drives are such wonderful  mechanisms.   After using  one, you
 might well wonder how you got along without one!


 The above  article will appear in the October issue of The Blitter Beacon,
 the newsletter of The Central Florida ST Users Group (CFSTUG).  Permission
 is given  to re-print it as long as this notice, the author's name and the
 article are printed unchanged.


 Editor Note:
 Being a little bit acquainted with hard disks and removable media devices,
 we felt this article was highly informative and well written.  Incidently,
 unlike many of the articles we have seen  pertaining to  the Syquest, this
 is the  first we have seen that was as Joe Friday puts it "Just the Facts"
 ...most of  the  others  read  like  'expert  commmercial advertisements'.
 Congratulations Erik,  this was  a good 'un!  You will find though that as
 of the end of August, Seagate is discontinuing the slower '-0' type drives
 and going  to the 28ms configuration with the ST 251 and 277 drives, which
 incidently, brings them up to comparable  speed  with  the  '296'  genre .
 Also, all  of the 3.5 Seagate drives are 28-40ms.  The 40ms 'barrier' is a
 thing of the past.






         ________________________________________________________




 > Atari Stock ~ STReport™    We'd be willing to bet Sig is happy!!
   ======================


                                                   THE TICKERTAPE
                                                   ==============


 by Glenn Gorman


    The markets were closed on Monday, Sept. 4th, for Labor Day.

    Atari Stock rose 3/8 of a point on Tuesday.  Dropped 1/8  on Wednesday.
 Rose 3/4  on Thursday  and up 1 point on Friday.  Finishing up the week at
 10 7/8 points.  Up 1 1/4 points from our last report.



                                                            Glenn Gorman

                          +---------------------+
                          |  ATARI STOCK WATCH  |
                          | Week 09-04 to 09-08 |
 +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+
 |       |  Monday  |  Tuesday  |  Wednesday  |  Thursday  |  Friday     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Sales |          |     1161  |       1438  |      5480  |    6117     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Last  |          |    9 1/4  |      9 1/8  |     9 7/8  |  10 7/8     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Chg.  |          |     +3/8  |       -1/8  |      +3/4  |    +1       |
 +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+
 | From > THE CAVE ST BBS <> 609-882-9195 <> 300/14400 HST <> F-NET #351 |
 +=======================================================================+





       ____________________________________________________________




 > PIRATES! STR Review™   Avast Ye matey!  Pay heed to this here scrawl!
   ===================



                                                            PIRATES!
                                                            ========

 from Microprose


 by William Y. Baugh


     Well, the wait is finally over.  Microprose  has finally  released the
 long sought  after Pirates!  for the  ST; and  in my  opinion, it was well
 worth the wait.  Pirates! is  a great  blend of  action, strategy, romance
 and great graphics all rolled into a very playable game.

     As with  most Microprose  games, historical  accuracy is of the utmost
 importance.  This fact is not lost in Pirates!.  Your playing world is the
 entire Caribbean  Sea; from  Barbados westward  to Vera Cruz, Northward to
 St. Augustine (Florida) and south to the  Northern coast of South America.
 All of the major, and some not so major, ports and cities colonized by the
 four main  nations (England,  France, Spain  and Holland)  are included in
 Pirates! world.   Your  mission, if  you choose to accept it, is to become
 the best Privateer or Pirate that you can be, become rich and retire early
 with a huge savings, a wife, large amounts of land and a grand title!  All
 of this may be yours by  trading,  plundering  and  looting  these various
 cities and differing nations ships.

     At the  outset of  the game,  you have  the choice of which nation you
 will represent, what level (there are four different) and what time period
 you'll play at.  The eras are:

     The Silver Empire (1560)           Merchants and Smugglers (1600)
     The New Colonists (1620)           War For Profit (1640)
     The Buccaneer Heroes (1660)        Pirates' Sunset (1680)

     Depending upon  the time period is how hard or easy it will be on your
 buccaneering lifestyle.  The  first two  periods are  totally dominated by
 Spanish  rule.    As  the  Spanish  start to decline in power, more of the
 European nations move in to capitalize  on the  wealth to  be found (these
 are  during  the  1620  through  1660).   These levels are the easiest for
 novices.  The last era is  another  harder  level  in  that  the different
 countries Navy's  have taken  a distinct  interest in the Caribbean.  This
 makes it tough on the one man operations.

     Once these decisions are made and you have ousted the bum of a Captain
 and confiscated  his ship,  you will  find yourself  in a  port city under
 control of the nation you chose.  Inside the city,  you are  able to visit
 the Governor,  trade with  merchant, visit  a tavern,  divide the plunder,
 check your status and of course, leave.  In visiting the Governor, you get
 the low  down on  what countries  your nation  is at war with, get special
 missions, receive bonuses of land grants and money for good  work and also
 get to  meet his  daughter (hubba  hubba!!).  Trading with the merchant is
 just that, you can  take the  plunder and  ships you've  captured and sell
 them at  the differing  cities, some  give higher prices than others.  You
 may also repair your ships through  him.   In visiting  a tavern  you meet
 people who  will give  you information  for a price, but most importantly,
 you may find a willing group of sailors to man your vessels.  Dividing the
 plunder is almost, but not quite like retiring.  You may retire if you are
 inclined to, but you may continue at your current level or move  on to the
 next higher  level.   You are  eventually forced  (crews will usually only
 stay happy up to a year in service.  After  that they  start deserting and
 stealing your  money) to  divide the  plunder because this is when you pay
 your crew and they have the chance to finally get off your  ships and live
 it up  for awhile.  The graphics while in the city remind me of The Bard's
 Tale.  You have a window where the  slightly animated  graphics are shown,
 with the  text options  listed in  the lower right.  The graphics are good
 and unobtrusive.  You may click through them very quickly  once you've got
 the game down.

     Once leaving  the city,  you are  shown an angled overhead view of the
 ocean and your ship.  The largest ship in your fleet becomes your flagship
 while  you  are  sailing.    All controls are accomplished with the mouse.
 Clouds pass by showing the direction and their speed along  with the sound
 tell the  intensity of  the winds.  At the higher levels, when a cloud (or
 storm) passes over you, you are usually  caught  by  it  and  you  have no
 control over  your ship.   This is a real pain in the butt, but I guess it
 is realistic for those types of ships.  Speaking of ships, there  are nine
 different types  of ships  ranging from a small Pinnace up to the behemoth
 Spanish Galleons.  At the beginning of the  game you  are equipped  with a
 Sloop, but  you may  move up to larger ships if you can capture them.  The
 ocean travel is very reminiscent of Seven Cities of Gold on the  8-bit but
 with a much larger viewing area (the entire screen).  From this screen you
 may travel around hunting  ships  or  sail  to  the  nearest  city  and go
 looting; it's your choice!

     Sea  battles  are  similar  to  yet another 8-bit game from SSI called
 Broadsides.  The ships jockey for position while  you have  control of how
 much sail  you put  up and  the firing  of the cannons.  It is not near as
 complicated as Broadsides, but it is not lacking for realism.  The boom of
 the cannons  resonates while the cannonballs arc through the air to either
 splash in the water or crash into the opposing ship.   During  the battle,
 you may  draw up  close enough  to the  opposing ship to use the grappling
 hooks and swarm aboard, or you may pound the ship to pieces  of driftwood.
 The former  allows you  to fence  the ships' Captain and loot and keep the
 ship (if you win).  The  latter  does  nothing  except  destroy  the ship.
 During some  battles, if  you lob  a few well placed shots and cripple the
 ship, or just scare them enough,  the  Captain  will  surrender  without a
 fight.

     When plundering  a city,  you can sail into the city, fight the cannon
 mounted fort  (or forts,  if any  are present)  and then  fight the cities
 guard to  gain entry.   Another  method is  to land away from the city and
 take your men in this way.  There are pluses  and minuses  to each method.
 By  sea,  you  have  cannons  that  you  may bear on the fort, but you are
 limited to the number of men that you may bring on the  offensive (you may
 have a  huge fleet with 300 men, but if the ship you choose only holds 80,
 that's all you get).  By land, you may bring your entire crew, but you are
 more vulnerable  to attack,  especially if  the militia comes out on horse
 back!

     This is just a brief overview of an extremely complex game.  There are
 numerous strategies  that you must plan out if you are to be successful in
 your endeavour to be rich and famous.  You start out at the age  of 25 and
 will probably  only last  until your 31 at the oldest, so time is limited.
 You must keep your crew happy  by always  plundering and  selling off your
 plunder for  hard cash.   Two  ways to  really make  the crew happy is the
 capturing of The Silver Train and  The  Treasure  Fleet  which  is sailing
 around the  Caribbean.  I lucked up during my current mission and captured
 both in one city! (Over 100,000 ducats!!)  Also, depending  upon the level
 your playing at is the percentage that you as the Captain will receive for
 your troubles.  At  lower levels  you get  a small  share because  you are
 getting help  from other  crew members,  but as  you proceed upwards, your
 share and hassles get larger.

 So in closing, if you've always wanted to be a  Swashbuckling Pirate, look
 no further for Pirates! is for you.


                             To Order, Call:
                       Microtyme at: 1-800-255-5835




    __________________________________________________________________




 > DISAPPEARING ACT STReport InfoFile™      A move to improve....ANTIC!
   ==================================



 To: All

     Due to  our gearing  up for  the fall sales season, we are temporarily
 discontinuing  On-Line  Product  Support.     If   you  require  Technical
 assistance,  call  our  office  at (415)-957-0886 8am-12pm Pacific time or
 write to Antic  Software,  544  Second  Street,  San  Francisco  CA 94107.
 Please include a SASE and write "Attn: Product Support" on your letter.



 As for upgrades the following schedule is in effect:

                 GFA Basic 3.07 Interpreter and Compiler
                     (Atari ST version) available 9/20

          1st time buyers (complete package)                     $139.95
          2.0 owners (complete package upgrade)                  $ 69.95
          3.0 owners (latest version interperter and compiler)   $ 29.95

     Zoetrope ver 2.01 for the Amiga                      available 9/20
          2.0 owners                                             $ 10.00

     For  upgrades  return  your  ORIGINAL  disk with check or money order,
 include $3.50 for  Shipping  and  Handling.  First  time  buyers  can call
 1-800-234-7001  6am  to  6pm  pacific  time  to  order. Sorry, updates and
 upgrades must be mailed in for proof of purchase.

                                                       Thank you

                                   Customer Service Antic Software





    __________________________________________________________________





 > Cordless Mouse! STReport InfoFile™   Practical Solutions does it again!
   =================================



 September 8, 1989

 For Immediate Release

                                             THE MOUSE LOSES ITS TAIL!
                                             ========================


     Tucson, AZ.  Practical Solutions, Inc announces The  Cordless Mouse, a
 new innovation  in input  control.   Compatible with all Atari ST and Mega
 computers, The Cordless Mouse  utilizes  the  latest  in  infra-red signal
 transmission technology  to give all mouse users long-awaited freedom.  It
 can be operated  from  up  to  five  feet  away  from  its  base receiver,
 eliminating those  old cable  tangles, while providing faster and smoother
 mouse movement. According to company  president  Mark  Sloatman,  this new
 mouse will advance the state-of-the-art for all input devices.

     The  Cordless  Mouse  features  a sleek, lightweight, contoured design
 allowing ease of use for both right- and left-handed operators.   Using an
 8 bit, 12 MHz CMOS CPU, The Cordless Mouse  provides a high  resolution of
 over 200  cpi and  a tracking  speed of  up to  600 mm/sec.  This makes it
 twice as fast as the Atari  mouse, taking  up less  than half  the rolling
 room normally required on your mouse pad.  The Cordless Mouse  also has an
 automatic shutoff  to extend  battery life (two "AAA" batteries required).
 No special gridplate or mousepad is necessary.

     The Cordless Mouse has a scheduled  release date  of October  20, 1989
 with a suggested retail of only $129.95.  It comes with a one year limited
 warranty and unlimited technical support.    Early  response  indicates an
 overwhelming demand,  especially for  those that  use their  ST every day.
 Sloatman says "Once you've  used our  mouse you'll  never want  to use any
 other.  It's the fastest,  smoothest mouse available today."

                  For futher information please contact:

                            Practical Solutions
                            1135 N. Jones Blvd.
                             Tucson, AZ 85716
                              [phone]
                            Fax: [phone]
                          CompuServe: 76004,2000
                               Genie: PSINC





   _____________________________________________________________________




 > WAACE ATARI FEST STR NewsPlus™   Usergroups helping Atari and the users.
   =============================




            Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts (WAACE)
                          Fifth Annual Atarifest
                  Scheduled for October 7th and 8th, 1989


     The Washington  Area Atari  Computer Enthusiasts (WAACE) has announced
 that the fifth annual Washington  D.C.  area  Atarifest  will  be  held at
 Fairfax High  School, 3500  Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday
 and Sunday, the  7th  and  8th  of  October.    Atarifest  is  a computing
 exposition featuring  the Atari  line of  personal and  home computers, as
 well as the complete  line of  entertainment systems.   The  show features
 educational   seminars   covering   nearly   all   areas   of   computing;
 demonstrations of various applications of Atari  computers, including MIDI
 music,  desktop  publishing,  and  entertainment; and exhibits by software
 publishers and hardware manufacturers  showing the  latest developments in
 the Atari world.  In the past, representatives from Atari Corporation have
 been on hand to answer questions and provide assistance.

     This year's theme is "The Atari Alternative," and the goal  is to show
 how Atari  computers can  be used  in business  and in  the home.  It will
 include demonstrations of both  eight-bit (400/800/XL/XE)  and ST software
 and hardware.   Whether  for creative  endeavors, helping with some of the
 household paperwork, or just to have fun, the organizers of  Atarifest '89
 intend  to  show  how  the  "Atari  Alternative"  can  meet and beat other
 computer systems in its class, and why Atari Corporation's motto is "Power
 Without the Price."

     WAACE  is  a  confederation  of  Atari  user  groups  in the Maryland,
 Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  area,  each  dedicated  to  supporting the
 Atari community  in their  respective areas.  Atarifest is co-sponsored by
 the  Fairfax  County  (Virginia)  Public  Schools'  Office  of  Adult  and
 Community Education,  and the  emphasis has  always been  on educating the
 public about computers and their uses.  The 1985 Washington  Atarifest was
 one of  the first  such shows,  which are  now held in more than 10 cities
 across the nation.

     Atarifest has grown in  popularity, attracting  thousands of attendees
 each year.   This year, organizers hope to attract over 5,000 people.  The
 show is open to all persons  who have  an interest  in computing,  and the
 FREE ADMISSION and hourly door prizes (including an Atari hard disk drive)
 encourage attendance by those who may not yet own an  Atari computer.   It
 is especially  designed to  have something  of interest for everyone, from
 diehard Atarians to mainframe systems managers to computer neophytes.

     Fairfax High School is located  at  3500  Old  Lee  Highway,  just off
 routes 29  and 50  in Fairfax,  Virginia.   The school can conveniently be
 reached from the Vienna Metro station (Orange line) by taking  the Fairfax
 Cue bus.   Hours  of the show are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and
 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.  Most user group demonstrations  will be
 conducted on  Saturday only.  For further information, call John Barnes at
 [phone].

                     For further information contact:

                    Gary Purinton       [phone]
                    John Barnes         [phone]

                          Vendors should contact:

                    Johnna Ogden        [phone]


                                  -=***=-


                 IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT WAACE ATARIFEST '89

     Having recently  learned that our canvassing of the Atari World missed
 a number of people who are  interested in  participating in   WAACE's 1989
 AtariFest.

 Locations:
 ==========

        WAACE ATARIFEST LOCATION - Fairfax High School, Fairfax, VA

    Headquarters Hotel - Quality Inn, Fairfax City, Fairfax, VA
        Rate: 49.50 regardless of number of persons in room
        Phone Toll Free - 1-800-223-1223  MD-VA-DC 591-5900
        Be sure to say that you are with ATARIFEST

 Banquet - Hunan Lion III restaurant - Buffet Style, $20

 Key Dates:
 October 7  - 10 am to 5:30 pm - User group demos, seminars, Vendor
                                sales.

 October 7 -  6 pm to 7:30 pm - Hospitality at Quality Inn October 7 - 7:30
                                pm, Banquet, Sig Hartmann featured speaker.

 October 8 - 12 pm to 5:00 pm - Seminars, Vendor Sales, MIDI Concerts

 September 25 - Hotel Reservation deadline September 20, 1989

 Deadline for  material for  the printed program September 20 - DTP Contest
 deadline (this is an extension)

 Costs - all are prepaid, send check with order

                      Admission for the public - FREE

 Vendor Tables - $150 for 3ft x 12 ft table,  limited number  in main area,
                    plenty in overflow areas.

 Program Advertising - $60 for full page - Provide Camera-ready layout in 8
                    1/2 x 11 portrait format.

 Banquet Tickets - $20 each, total available - 100 Addresses:

          Vendor Tables:        Program Ads:       Banquet Tickets:
          Johnna Ogden          Steve Rudolph      Russell Brown
          15 Wedgedale Dr       11914 Galaxy La    13757 Mapledale Ave
          Sterling, VA 22170    Bowie  MD 20715    Dale City, VA  22193
          703-450-3992





      ______________________________________________________________




 > ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL™  Tellin' it like it is...
   ======================




 - Detroit, MI.       ****** SECRET SERVICE MAKES BIG PIRATE BUST! ******
   ------------

     Secret Service agents investigating  computer hacking  networks seized
 two computers,  2,000 disks,  speed dialers  and other devices Friday from
 the home of a Warren man suspected of defrauding credit card and telephone
 companies of almost $100,000 in good  and services.   James  Huse, special
 agent in  charge of the Secret Service office in Detroit, said agents went
 to the 28 year old man's home with a search warrant at  7am.   "NO charges
 will  be  brought  against  him  at  this  time,"  Huse  said, adding that
 authorities could file charges at a later date.  According to an affidavit
 for the search warrant filed in U.S. District Court, a network believed to
 include the Warren man infiltrated the computer systems of credit card and
 telephone companies  including MCI,  AT&T and  U.S. Sprint.  They obtained
 charge card and telephone credit card  numbers,  which  were  posted  on a
 computer bulletin  board system (SURFBOARD BBS) that was made available to
 members of the hacking ring, the affidavit said.

     Huse said  his office  will not  know for  weeks the  number of people
 involved,  the   duration  of   the  hacking   and  the   total  value  of
 misappropriated services.  The network, uncovered several weeks  ago after
 a tip,  is believed  to include members in Canada and California, he said.
 Huse said, "He owns  the residence,  and we  entered the  residence on the
 basis of probable cause that the computers in the residence were part of a
 defrauding scheme," he said.  Huse  would not  say whether  the home owner
 was involved  in the  scheme, which  he said  bilked several long-distance
 phone companies and financial institutions out of some $ 86,000  in costs.
 Huse said  the network  had been  operating for  about a year and involved
 several hackers throughout the U.S. and Canada.




 - Groton, CT.                     ****** MEGA BUS ERRORS PERPLEXING ******
   -----------

     Apparently, in some ST machines the  address buffers  (74LS373's) need
 to be  replaced with  74AS373's.   Some ST's have SGS (brand) devices, and
 they are marginally capable of handling the capacitance  that the  new TOS
 adds to  the bus.   Replace  the 74LS373  chips in your Mega with some new
 ones (TI's seem to work) and that should cure the bus bombs.   The problem
 quickly shows  up when  a cartridge is inserted or in use and the six chip
 has been installed.   A reminder  though, this  problem does  not evidence
 itself in all machines.




 - New York  City, NY               ****  ORDER YOUR PORTFOLIO DIRECT! ****
  -----------------

     CALL: 1-800-443-8020, (Atari's "800" #), and  find that  you may  as a
 private individual  buy the  Portfolio direct  from Atari  for list price!
 $399.95   Now, if you do  so,  they  say  it  will  be  delivered  to your
 doorstep within  5 days of your order, once they have them.  The Portfolio
 should get quite a boost in it's initial market penetration  on a National
 Basis.   Considering the  massive national  ad campaign already bought and
 paid for, Atari''s name should be on the lips of  every electronics junkie
 in creation.



 - Baltimore, MD.           ****** GAMEBOY RUNNING AWAY WITH MARKET! ******
   --------------

     Toys-R-Us says we can't keep them, in stock, Lionel Playworld says the
 hottest thing since the hula-hoop.  STReport sez ....where the heck is the
 Lynx?  Is this to become another of the well we got done this way and that
 way and thats why we didn't  make  the  Christmas  1989  sales?    What is
 holding up the Lynx?  Come on guys, let loose with it already...





  ______________________________________________________________________



 > STReport InfoFile™      Custom Mass Storage Devices.
   =================




                        NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
                       ============================


                      ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
                               P.O. Box 6672
                     Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
                                Est.  1985
                 _________________________________________

                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EDT
                     BBS: 904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST
                    FAX: [phone] PM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________

                   HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
                   _____________________________________

   All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
                 are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).

              ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE
                 (you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
                   (all cables and connectors installed)

                    SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS ONLY!

                          ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED
                                EXCLUSIVELY

                      * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *

         32mb #SG32238   539.00              42mb #SG44710   595.00
         51mb #SGN4951   629.00              65mb #SG60101   679.00
         80mb #SGN296    709.00             100mb #SG84011D  969.00
        130mb #SG1244D  1099.00             145mb #SG3A4210  989.00
        170mb #SGT41776 1389.00             260mb #SG1244Q  2169.00
                          320mb #SGN7788Q 3295.00

           Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
      Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
    (over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)


            *** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms ***

    ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> MAGIC SAC - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR

             LARGER units are available - (special order only)

         * Removable Media Devices Available (44mb) Syquest 555 *

                 ***  Available for ST - Amiga - IBM   ***

                 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS

                     - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets -

                         TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets
                      ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED

                          12 month FULL Guarantee
                         (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)

                 Quantity & Usergroup Discounts Available!
                 _________________________________________

                     DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!

                       Personal Checks are accepted.

                            ORDER YOURS TODAY!

                       904-783-3319    9am - 8pm EDT





  ______________________________________________________________________



 > A "Quotable Quote"™
   =================

 Daffy Quote;


           "Those who cry foul loudest .....have a BIG mouth!!"

                                             ....Miner's Minions




                             "ATARI IS BACK!"

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ST-REPORT™ Issue #105   "Your Independent News Source"  September 15, 1989
                    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © copyright 1989
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
 the editors, staff, ST Report™ or  CPU  Report™.    Reprint  permission is
 hereby  granted,  unless  otherwise  noted.   All reprints must include ST
 Report or CPU Report  and the  author's name.   All  information presented
 herein is believed correct, STReport or CPU Report, it's editors and staff
 are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------