home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
Text File | 1991-07-12 | 103.1 KB | 2,271 lines |
-
- *---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
- """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
- "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
- from
- STR Publishing Inc.
- """"""""""""""""""
-
-
- July 12, 1991 No.7.28
- ==========================================================================
-
- STReport International Online Magazine™
- Post Office Box 6672
- Jacksonville, Florida
- 32205 ~ 6672
-
- R.F. Mariano
- Publisher - Editor
- -----------------------------------------
- Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EST
- BBS: 904-786-4176 USR/HST DUAL STANDARD
- FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EST
- -----------------------------------------
- ** Fnet 350 * Fido Node 1:112/35 * NeST Node 90:3000/350.0 **
- privately owned & operated STReport support BBS
- ALL issues of STReport International Online Magazine
- are available along with
- A worldwide list of private bbs systems carrying STReport
- __________________________________________________________________
-
- > 07/12/91: STReport #7.28 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine!
- -------------------------
- - The Editor's Desk - CPU REPORT - MAC REPORT
- - DEC LAYS OFF 800! - FTC NAILS JAPAN - LEMMINGS!
- - SUPRA'S NEW MODEMS! - PGST 2.1 Overview - STR MAILBAG
-
- -* PAGESTREAM 2.1 SHIPS! *-
- -* HACKER (WING) INVESTIGATED! *-
- -* BORLAND BUYS ASHTON-TATE! *-
-
- ==========================================================================
- ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE™
- The _Number One_ Online Magazine
- -* FEATURING *-
- "UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
- Current Events, Original Articles, Hot Tips, and Information
- Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
- ==========================================================================
- STReport's support BBS, NODE 350, invites BBS systems, worldwide, to
- participate in the Fido/F-Net Mail Network. Or, call Node 350 direct at
- 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging information relative
- to the Atari ST computer arena through an excellent International ST Mail
- Network. All registered F-NET - Crossnet SysOps are welcome to join the
- STReport Crossnet Conference. The Crossnet Conference Code is #34813, and
- the "Lead Node" is # 350. All systems are welcome and invited to actively
- participate. Support Atari Computers; Join Today!
- ==========================================================================
- AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON: GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ F-NET
- ==========================================================================
-
-
- > The Editor's Podium
-
- From one hornet's nest to another, that's the agenda these days. Its
- sad but true. Imagine if everyone were busy working on new hardware and
- software for a "fast growing" Atari marketplace. There'd be no time for
- the silly bickering. Just work and counting the schekles. But such is
- not the case. And this is the summer and its known as doldrum time.
- Atari is involved in getting as much product as possible into the US
- distribution pipeline. Of this, you can be sure.
-
- Last week, one of our staff editors remarked about some captures of
- posts he had clandestinely received and what you know? A whole big tsum-
- mle over a mention of somebody ragging on someone else. Oh well, wonder
- what it'll be next time. The bottom line is simple had there been no rag-
- ging there never would have been any captures.
-
- This week's issue is indicitive of the summer months, the lightning,
- rain and power outages have been ever present for the last few days and in
- particular, the last few hours. Thank God for the three UPS units running
- here. Success to the shows and a fine weekend to all.
-
- Thank you for your strong support!
-
- Ralph....
-
-
-
-
-
-
- TODAY'S NEWS ..TODAY!
-
- """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-
-
-
- > STReport's Staff The regulars and this week's contributors!
- ================
-
- Publisher - Editor
- ------------------
- Ralph F. Mariano
-
-
- PC DIVISION AMIGA DIVISION MAC DIVISION
- ----------- -------------- ------------
- Robert Retelle Charles Hill R. ALBRITTON
-
-
- STReport Staff Editors:
- -----------------------
- Michael Arthur Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. Dana P. Jacobson
- Lucien Oppler Brad Martin Walter Daniel
- Oscar Steele Robert Allbritton John Szczepanik
- Dan Stidham
-
- Contributing Correspondants:
- ----------------------------
- Michael Lee Richard Covert Roger Stevens
- Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Ed Krimen
- Tim Holt Andrew Learner Norman Boucher
- Ben Hamilton
-
-
- IMPORTANT NOTICE
- ================
- Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
- via E-Mail to:
-
- Compuserve.................... 70007,4454
- GEnie......................... ST.REPORT
- Delphi........................ RMARIANO
- BIX........................... RMARIANO
- FIDONET....................... 112/35
- FNET.......................... NODE 350
- NEST.......................... 90:19/350.0
-
-
-
-
- ***********************************************************************
-
-
- COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME
-
- to the Readers of;
-
- ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
- """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
- "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
-
- NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!
-
- CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198
-
- You will receive your complimentary time
- and
- be online in no time at all!
-
- WHAT'S NEW IN THE ATARI FORUMS (July 12)
-
- WIN $25 COMPUSERVE CONNECT-TIME CREDITS
-
- We're looking for new and interesting files for the file libraries of
- Atari ST Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) and the Atari ST Productivity Forum
- (GO ATARIPRO). Twice each month, during the months of July, August, and
- September, the sysops of the Atari Forums will award a $25 CompuServe con-
- nect time credit to the individual who uploads the best new file to
- Library 1 ("NEW UPLOADS"). This $25 credit can be applied to *ANY* ser-
- vice on CompuServe, not just time spent inside the Atari Forums!
-
- What defines the "best" new upload? Factors in judging will be
- uniqueness, general interest (the number of downloads received), quality
- of graphics (if applicable), usefulness or entertainment value.
-
- All uploads to Library 1 ("NEW UPLOADS") will automatically be entered
- into this promotion. Of course, uploads of files already existant in our
- libraries do not count. (Although, new versions of previous entries are
- eligible.) You do not need to be the author of the upload to win, but
- you MUST have sufficient rights to the program to make it an acceptable
- upload according to CompuServe operating rules (public domain and
- shareware programs are acceptable, for example.)
-
- In case of duplicate uploads of the exact same file, the sysops will
- accept files based upon time of the first uploaded copy. The first
- upload period will run from July 1st thru July 15th (inclusive). Judging
- will be done by the sysop staff of the Atari Forums (influenced by
- comments from the membership, so be sure to let us know which new files
- you like and why!)
-
- One credit will be awarded to the best new upload in ATARIARTS and
- another for the best new upload in ATARIPRO. Please address any
- questions to Ron Luks [76703,254] via CompuServe Mail (EMAIL) or a message
- in any of the Atari Forums.
-
- ==================================
- **** CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT! ****
- ==================================
-
- A transcript of the Gadgets by Small/SST and MegaTalk Conference held by
- the Atari ST Arts Forum on July 11, is now available in LIBRARY 1 of the
- Atari ST Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS)
-
- NEW FILES FROM LEXICOR SOFTWARE
-
- The following new TT Low resolution Prism Paint pictures are now available
- in LIBRARY 1 of the Atari ST Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS):
-
- DINOS1.LZH -- An incredible picture. You'll swear it's a matte oil pain-
- ting. Ride those dinos!
-
- DRFATE.LZH -- Lee Seiler's rendition of the superhero known as Dr. Fate.
-
- IRAQI.LZH -- Topographical map of Iraq, from CNN to Prism Paint. Broad-
- cast media graphics on the Atari TT!
-
- KNGTUT.LZH -- The ever-popular mask of King Tut, mapped onto a sphere for
- an interesting visual effect.
-
- VIVID.LZH -- Conversion of a Ray-Traced image created with Vivid. Shows
- chrome balls and glassy tubes interspersed with the word "Vivid" in
- striking red, all on a checkerboard background.
-
- WOMAN.LZH -- Soft texture picture of a woman, photograph-like quality.
-
-
- =========================
- NEW VERSION OF PAGESTREAM
- =========================
-
- Soft-Logik Publishing Corporation announces that PageStream version
- 2.1 for the Atari is now shipping. See message number 21362 in the Atari
- Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) from Deron Kazmaier for further information
- and ordering instructions concerning this major upgrade.
-
- NEW CODEHEAD FILES
-
- The following programs are now available in Library 16, CodeHead Software,
- of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) courtesy of John Eidsvoog:
-
- SHOMEM.ARC - ShowMem4 Memory Block Displayer
- LOADKY.PRG - LoadKeys Program for use with CodeHead's CodeKeys
- CLKSET.ARC - CodeHead's ClockSetter, Version 1.3
- HOTEDT.ARC - Hot Editor 3.1 for editing HotWire menu files.
- LENRD6.ARC - Leonard6, the Bomb Handler -- v1.2
-
- NEW IN ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM
-
- The sysops have enabled a new message section for discussion on
- Peripherals (Section 11). A free hard disk driver for your Portfolio?
- That's right! Steve of BSE, has uploaded the driver files which allow you
- to setup an external hard disk for your Portfolio using their Flashdrive
- interface. The driver files are now available in LIBRARY 1. (Make sure
- you read ATFLAS.DOC first.)
-
-
- THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE
- HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN
- OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION
-
- "GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM"
-
-
- ***********************************************************************
-
-
-
-
-
- > PAGESTREAM 2.1 STR FOCUS SOFT-LOGIK RELEASES PGST 2.1!
- ========================
-
-
-
-
- PAGESTREAM 2.1 SHIPS!
- =====================
-
-
- Soft-Logik Publishing Corporation Soft-Logik Publishing is pleased to
- announce the release of PageStream 2.1 for Atari ST/STe/TT computers.
- PageStream 2.1 is a full-feature desktop publishing program which sets the
- standard for publishing on Atari computers.
-
- PageStream 2.1 features Compugraphic Intellifonts, PostScript font
- support, as well as PageStream format fonts. Version 2.1 renders fonts as
- outlines on screen for a jaggy-free display. You can print hinted
- Compugraphic fonts for the ultimate in dot matrix, ink jet and SLM/HP
- output, plus use PostScript fonts on any type of printer.
-
- PageStream 2.1 support most graphic formats for the Atari, Amiga, Mac
- and PC. PageStream has always supported all the major Atari formats such
- as IMG, GEM, Degas and NeoChrome, but PageStream also supports GIF, TIFF,
- IFF, PCX, EPS, Adobe Illustrator, DR2D, Aegis, ProDraw, and Mac EPS. And
- of course PageStream supports popular text formats such as WordPerfect 4,
- WordWriter, 1st Word Plus and ASCII.
-
- Color is another area in which PageStream excels. 2.1 offers real CMYK
- color definition for professional printing. Plus you can run PageStream in
- medium ST/STE resolution, or in TT color modes to view your documents in
- color.
-
- PageStream 2.1 is a professional product. It includes 10 Compugraphic
- fonts and 8 PageStream format fonts. The program comes with a spiral bound
- User Manual and a smaller QuickStart Guide to help you install, learn and
- use PageStream. The manual is fully indexed and incldes a Quick Reference
- Card.
-
- PageStream 2.1 is $299.95. Upgrades from 1.8 are $75 until August 31,
- 1991. After that date upgrades will be $100. The upgrade includes four
- disks (with the new fonts), the two manuals and the quick reference card.
-
- If you have not received an upgrade brochure or are interested in
- purchasing PageStream 2.1, call Soft-Logik sales at 1-800-829-8608.
-
- PageSTream 2.1 started shipping July 5, 1991. Upgrades are still being
- processed so if you have already ordered it you should receive it soon.
-
-
-
-
- _____________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
-
- > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
- =================
-
- Issue #28
-
- Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
-
-
-
- --Maynard, Massachusetts DEC AXES STAFF IN U.S. & CANADA
- ----------------------
-
- Digital Equipment (DEC) has announced 800 layoffs in its United States
- sales force and 77 more layoffs at its Canadian manufacturing plant in
- Kanata, Ontario.
-
-
-
- --New York, New York SELF-CONFESSED TEENAGE 'HACKER' IS
- ------------------ INVESTIGATED
-
- Because of rumors of attacks by logic bombs or viruses set to go off on
- July 4th, agents of the United States Secret Service visited the Pennsy-
- lvania home of a self-confessed teenage 'hacker' known as 'Wing'.
-
- On advice from his father, 'Wing' refused to discuss the matter with the
- agents. According to 'Wing', 'The last time that the Secret Service was
- here my father told them not to come back again without a warrant so,
- when they did, I didn't talk to them. The whole thing is ridiculous any-
- how. There was obviously no July 4th bombs and I certainly didn't plant
- any."
-
- A Secret Service official said that, because of Wing's juvenile status,
- his parents have the right to deny the agents' request for an interview.
- The agent further said that, to his knowledge, there were no cases of
- computer attack on the 4th of July.
-
-
-
- --Scotts Valley, California BORLAND TO ACQUIRE ASHTON-TATE
- -------------------------
-
- In a shocking move, Borland International has signed a definitive agree-
- ment to acquire Ashton-Tate Corp. Under terms of the agreement, Ashton-
- Tate shareholders are set to receive a fraction of a share of Borland
- common stock having a market value of $17.50 for each of their shares,
- provided that no less than 0.346 shares and no more than 0.398 shares
- will be issued for each Ashton-Tate share.
-
- Although the agreement has been approved by both boards of directors, it
- still needs approval from each company's shareholders and the receipt of
- all required governmental approvals.
-
-
-
- --San Francisco, California APPLE/MICROSOFT/HP TRIAL SET TO
- ------------------------- START AFTER JAN
-
- In a copyright infringement case now over three years old, a federal
- judge has put the wheels in motion for a full-blown jury trial for some
- time after January, 1992. The suit which was brought by Apple, argues
- that Microsoft's Windows and HP's NewWave graphical user interfaces in-
- fringe upon the company's Macintosh user interface.
-
- Two other recent motions were recently blocked by Judge Vaughn Walker,
- who is hearing the case. In one, Hewlett-Packard charged that Apple
- actually used fraud to obtain the original copyright. In the other,
- Apple had attempted to end a licensing contract between itself and
- Microsoft, under which Microsoft could legally use some of the Macintosh
- software technology in its Windows software.
-
-
-
- --Tokyo, Japan PRICE CUTTING WARS REACH JAPAN
- ------------
-
- The computer pricing wars have finally reached Japan. In a market that
- has become saturated, several industry majors, including Apple, AST
- Research and IBM, have begun lowering the cost of their PCs in a bid to
- boost, and in some cases, simply maintain, their current market share.
-
- Apple has lowered the pricing on its Macintosh products and laser prin-
- ters by as much as 30%. The Catena Group, a Japanese Compaq dealer, has
- cut pricing on its PCs by between 12% and 24.4%. AST Research, mean-
- while, has cut its Japanese pricing by an average of 25.2%.
-
- Although the price cuts are good for the consumer in the short term,
- industry analysts are worried that the price wars could escalate,
- forcing some suppliers out of the Japanese market. In the longer term,
- this could actually force prices up, as competition dwindles.
-
-
-
- --Fountain, Colorado 'ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH' FOR APPLE?
- ------------------
-
- Apple's new plant in Fountain, Colorado will will be used to manufacture
- its new laptop model computer, which Apple hopes to introduce before the
- end of the year, according to Apple Corp.
-
- According to sources at Apple, portables will not be the initial units
- to be produced at the plant, which Apple purchased from Data General in
- March of this year. The plant will start out making the Macintosh IIsi,
- Apple's entry-level machine in the Mac II family.
-
-
-
- --Cleveland, Ohio PROGRAMMERS NOT OUT OF STYLE
- ---------------
-
- A survey of 1,092 alumni of college undergraduate information systems
- programs in the United States by the Association of Systems Management
- shows that programming is not dead. The survey found about 25% working
- as programmers and 15% as system analysts.
-
- Most of those now working as programmers had graduated in the past three
- years, while those working as systems analysts, managers, or consultants
- had mainly been out of school five years or more.
-
- Though the survey found plenty of programming jobs, it also showed that
- problem solving and working with end users are more and more important
- skills for programmers and analysts.
-
-
-
- --Washington, DC FTC FINDS JAPANESE GUILTY OF DUMPING
- -------------- NOTEBOOK AND LAPTOP SCREENS IN U.S.
-
- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has determined that some foreign com-
- panies are 'dumping', or selling their flat screen computer displays at
- prices as much as 60% below foreign market value.
-
- The screens covered by the determination are those used on notebook and
- laptop computers and include large area, matrix-addressed displays
- having more than 120,000 pixel resolution. These less-than-four-inches-
- thick displays are active-matrix liquid crystal, passive-matrix liquid
- crystal, gas plasma, and electroluminescent technology-based computer
- displays. Toshiba and Matsushita gas plasma screens will not be required
- to pay any dumping duties.
-
- Since there are no significant domestic sources of these screens and the
- computer industry is relying on notebook sales for the next big PC
- market, any trade sanctions imposed against foreign producers would hurt
- the U.S. industry as a whole as well as buyers.
-
- This is essentially the same situation that occurred when memory chip
- prices skyrocketed several years ago after trade sanctions were imposed
- and there was insufficient U.S. manufacturing capacity to meet domestic
- demand.
-
-
-
- --Brussels, Belgium EC PROBES FLOPPY DISK "DUMPING"
- -----------------
-
- The European Community (EC) has announced a major investigation into
- floppy disk pricing amid allegations that Far Eastern suppliers have
- been dumping 3.5-inch disks at or below production costs.
-
- The investigation centers on allegations from several European disk man-
- ufacturers that Japan, China, and Taiwan are supplying low-grade 3.5-
- inch floppy disks for sale in Europe. According to the EC, Far Eastern
- exports of 3.5-inch floppy disks into Europe rose by almost 300 percent
- between 1988 and 1990. At the same time, supply pricing almost halved.
-
- Disk production within the EC has fallen as a result. The only major
- disk producer in the U.K., for example, is Verbatim, which has a large
- plant in Ireland, with packaging facilities on the English mainland.
-
-
-
- --Brisbane, Australia VAMPIRE LESBIANS PROVOKE TELECOM
- ------------------- OUTRAGE
-
- Telecom has been severely criticized after saying that it can't police
- the standards of messages on 0055 pay-for-message services. This service
- is essentially the Australian version of "900" services in the US, in
- which callers pay by the minute with both the called firm, and the phone
- company, receiving a cut.
-
- The incident which has prompted public outcry is a thinly disguised
- recreation of a recent, bizarre murder case. In the real incident, a
- three lesbian lovers were jailed after picking up a man at a nightclub
- and taking him to a deserted place where they ceremonially killed him
- and drank his blood in self-confessed "vampire" fashion.
-
- The mimic phone service is called Lesbian Vampires, and is a recorded
- story with almost identical facts, including names. The wife of the
- victim, Elaine Baldock, says she can't believe Telecom could be so
- callous, forcing her to relive the horror of her husband's death. The
- message is produced by the Acetal company in Melbourne.
-
-
-
- A sample of the type coverage for STR's PCReport.
-
-
- > CPU PC STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
- ====================
-
- Issue #2
-
- Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
-
-
-
- --New York, New York IBM/MICROSOFT:
- ------------------ THE GULF BECOMES A CHASM
-
- The coincidental announcements by IBM and Microsoft on July 3rd brought
- to light, once again, the disagreements between the firms over the fut-
- ures of OS/2 and MS-DOS/Microsoft Windows. These disagreements have, in
- the eyes of many industry analysts, caused the deterioration and pos-
- sible rupturing of the relationship between the firms.
-
- The announcement by IBM and Apple Computer that they are forming a
- jointly owned, independently operated subsidiary to develop object-
- oriented software to service the computer industry, specifically named
- "AIX, OS/2 and Macintosh" as the "current operating systems" which it
- will support. When IBM spokesperson was asked whether the omission of
- MS-DOS as a supported system was an oversight or by design, Jeffrey
- said, "If a user needs to run an MS-DOS application, it can be run under
- OS/2. This facility protects those with important MS-DOS applications
- while allowing them to move to a powerful multitasking operating
- system."
-
- Microsoft's announcement, made on the same day, that it will ship OS/2
- version 2.0 to its OEMs "sometime around the end of the year" contained
- faint praise for OS/2 and reaffirmed Microsoft's commitment to MS-DOS
- and Windows.
-
-
- --Chicago, Illinois BLACKHAWK SEEKS SUPERVGA BETA TESTERS
- ----------------- FOR DGT V2.21
-
- Blackhawk Data has released dGT v 2.20 and is now looking for a few beta
- test sites for version 2.2. The new version will add support for Ahead
- Systems' Ahead 5000A; C&T's 82c451-56 (including Boca and Cardinal OEM
- units); Cirrus CL-GD 500/600; Genoa 6400/6600; Oak Technologies' OTI-
- 067; Trident Microsystems' TVGA 8800C; Tseng Lab's ET 3000; Vision Tech-
- nologies' Everex EV; and VESA BIOS v1.1 or later, those systems which
- support SuperVGA in BIOS.
-
- Those having systems using one of the above VGA adapters and wishing to
- participate in a Blackhawk Data beta test program should contact the
- company at 307 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1008, Chicago, IL 60601. The com-
- pany's phone number is 312-236-8473.
-
- Beta tests are unpaid opportunities to evaluate new products for a
- company and should only be attempted by advanced computer users asso-
- ciated either with companies or the press. Generally, home users are not
- capable of performing proper beta testing and will normally not be con-
- sidered as beta test sites.
-
-
- --Redmond, Washington IBM TO BUNDLE MICROSOFT APPS WITH
- ------------------- PCS FOR SCHOOLS
-
- IBM has announced plans to bundle Microsoft Windows 3.0 with Multimedia
- Extensions, as well as Word For Windows and Excel, with PCs sold to hig-
- her education institutions.
-
- Multimedia extensions provide standard programming interfaces and end-
- user support for multimedia hardware, such as compact disc players,
- video disc players, and video cassette recorders. It also enables the
- display, editing and storage of digital audio, animation and motion
- video.
-
- Called Selected Academic Solutions (SAS), various combinations of hard-
- ware and software will be marketed to colleges and universities for pri-
- ces ranging from $1,099 to $2,549.
-
-
- --Redmond, Washington MICROSOFT TO OPEN DALLAS SUPPORT SITE
- -------------------
-
- Microsoft has announced plans to open its third product support services
- (PSS) site in October of this year. The new site will be located in
- Dallas, Texas. Initially the Dallas PSS site will handle inquiries about
- Windows, DOS 5, and LAN Manager, expanding their support to other
- Microsoft products at a later time.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Gateway Intros LAN Operating System
- --------------
-
- Dubbed the 'Great OS,' by its creators and aimed at the small-to-medium
- sized businesses, a new operating system that connects DOS-based com-
- puters into a peer-to-peer or client/server-based local area network
- (LAN) has been announced by Gateway Communications.
-
- Gateway maintains that the new LAN provides distributed file sharing,
- electronic mail, system management, security, backup and access to
- remote communications products.
-
- Gateway officials said that Great OS is based on DOS and written to
- comply with the Open Systems Interface (OSI) seven-layer model.
- According to the company, Great OS supports Microsoft Net applications
- programming interfaces for multi-user programs hooks, disk and device
- redirection and node naming, and all the Ethernet Standards as well.
-
- Gateway provides the hardware to go with the new LAN software for the
- IBM personal computer and compatible market. These hardware products in-
- clude G/Ethernet and G/Ethertwist adapters, and hub adapters that can be
- connected by coaxial cable, unshielded twisted-pair or fiber optic
- cable, the company said.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Everex Unveils WYSIWYG Fax Modem
- --------------
-
- Everex Systems has introduced an Everfax 24/96 data/fax modem with new
- software capable of supporting WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
- fax transmissions.
-
- The modem operates as either a 2400bps (bits-per-second) unit with MNP
- Class 5 error correction and data compression, or as a Group III fax
- modem. Everex claims that the Everfax 24/96 is capable of adding dra-
- matic formatting effects and graphics to fax images.
-
- According to Everex, the software sends and receives faxes in the back-
- ground, allowing the computer to run other applications simultaneously.
- Memory requirements are 61k on a standard 640KB DOS machine, decreasing
- to 45KB if expanded memory is used.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Windowbase, first database for
- -------------- Windows environment
-
- Software Products International (SPI) has announced Windowbase, a stand-
- alone relational database management system for Microsoft Windows 3.0
- that supports Structured Query Language (SQL). Although several database
- products for the Windows environment have been announced, Windowbase is
- one of the first to make it to market.
-
- WindowBase provides full support of SQL, the company said. SPI claims
- that users with little or no knowledge of SQL can execute queries via
- button selections, edit controls, scroll bars and check boxes.
-
- WindowBase ships with both 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch formats and works on
- any IBM PC AT, PS/2 or 100 percent compatible computer running DOS ver-
- sion 3.1 or higher and Windows 3.0.
-
- The retail price is $495. A dealer evaluation copy of WindowBase is
- available for $49 until August 31 by calling 800/MER-ISEL.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Improved Compton Encyclopedia On
- -------------- CD-ROM
-
- Britannica Software has begun shipping an improved version of its
- Compton's Multimedia Encyclopaedia for MS-DOS systems.
-
- The new version 1.2D has one quarter more information than the previous
- release, including information on the invasion of Kuwait and post-Cold
- War Era negotiations between the superpowers. Improved graphics, better
- search capabilities, and faster animation are some of the improvements
- included in the latest version of the $795 encyclopaedia, which can be
- upgraded from the 1990 edition for $150.
-
- System requirements are a CD-ROM player, an IBM AT or faster system
- running MS-DOS 4.01 or higher, 604 megabytes of RAM memory, VGA graphics
- capability, mouse, and a minimum 20 MB hard drive.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Asset, Marketing Database For Windows
- --------------
-
- MIS Developments has unveiled Asset, a marketing database package that
- the company claims has been specifically designed for the Microsoft Win-
- dows 3 operating system front end.
-
- Announcing the immediate availability of the package, MIS said that the
- package offers full multi-user capabilities supporting all major
- networks. Data can be imported or exported in a variety of ways.
-
- Pricing starts at UKP 1,995 and ranges up to UKP 29,000. All versions of
- the software can be customized to meet customer needs. MIS Developments
- is a developer of mission critical applications. Asset is designed for
- use on Windows 3 with 80286, 386 and 386SX-based hardware and the Apple
- Macintosh range of computers.
-
-
- -- New for the PC Remote Communications Package For
- -------------- Consultants
-
- To take advantage of the convenience of telecommuting, Sophco has
- announced Offsite, a new product to allow communication, management,
- troubleshooting, and diagnostics of a remote computer.
-
- Several packages exist on the personal computer market that allow a user
- to operate another computer via telephone connections using modems, like
- PC Remote and Carbon Copy, but Offsite has added features that set it
- apart, Sophco said.
-
- Offsite comes in two parts, the commander side, also called the host,
- and the receiver. The commander side of Offsite takes up around 384k of
- system memory to operate and its list cost is $295. The receiver side
- takes only 35k and costs $75.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-
- IMPORTANT NOTICE!
- =================
-
- As a reader of STReport International Online Magazine, you are entitled to
- take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. For only $29.95 ($20
- off the standard membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscrip-
- tion to DELPHI, a copy of the 500-page DELPHI: THE OFFICIAL GUIDE and over
- $14 worth of free time.
-
- NOTE: Special offers can be found in your favorite Atari magazines:
-
- START CURRENT NOTES ST INFORMER
- ATARI INTERFACE MAGAZINE
-
- SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI
- ======================
- Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access
- DELPHI services via a local phone call
-
- JOIN -- DELPHI
- --------------
- 1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps,
- dial 576-2981).
- 2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI.
- 3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT.
-
- For more information call:
- DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005
- or
- at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S.
-
- DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.
-
-
- SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
- --------------------
-
- The 20/20 Advantage Plan IS FANTASTIC! And it features 20 hours online
- for just $20 a month! The $20 is a monthly fee that covers your first 20
- hours online via direct dial into one of DELPHI's two direct-access lines,
- or via a special Tymnet 20/20 Access code. It also gets you additional
- hours at just $1.20 per hour. And you get free access to several services
- on DELPHI as part of the Advantage Perks.
-
- Other telecom services may have additional charges. Canadian Tymnet users
- have an additional telecom charge. Office Time access (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
- weekdays) may have an additional charge. And of course, other restric-
- tions may apply. But this is still an amazing deal!
-
-
- IMPORTANT NOTICE!
- =================
-
- As a reader of STReport International Online Magazine, you are entitled to
- take advantage of a special DELPHI membership offer. DELPHI has waived the
- sign-up fee! For a limited time, you can join the World's Premier Online
- Service for FREE! Members can access DELPHI worldwide through hundreds of
- local access lines.
-
-
- For more information please contact:
-
- DELPHI at 1-800-544-4005 and ask for Member Services.
-
- DELPHI- It's getting better all the time!
-
-
-
- """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-
-
-
-
-
- > LEMMINGS! STR InfoFile These Lemmings are in TROUBLE!
- ======================
-
-
-
- LEMMINGS - THE VICTIMS!
- =======================
-
- by Jim Nalewick
-
-
- The following is the list of code words that will take you to the
- different levels in Lemmings.
-
- Lemmings is a game published by Psygnosis that has been keeping us busy
- for the last few week. Very few computer games have kept our attention as
- this one has. Other games that have kept us glued to the computer have
- been Lode Runner, Boulder Dash, and Populous.
-
- In Lemmings the object of the game is to guide the Lemmings to the exit
- and kept them from getting killed. There are four levels of play with
- thirty screens to each level. The first level is the easiest and is named
- FUN. After that there is Tricky and Taxing. The hardest level is Mayhem.
-
- Each level has an entrance where the lemmings are released. They then
- start walking across the screen. There are many different obstacles that
- keep the lemmings from reaching the exit.
-
- Each of the different levels have different numbers of lemmings that are
- released. Some levels have 100 lemmings, others only have 50, some only
- have one lemming. As lemmings are released, they are walkers. You then
- give the lemmings different skills to get them through the screen to the
- exit. One option will allow you to dig horizontally through objects.
- Another option will allow you to dig vertically. Each level has a time in
-
- which you must save the lemmings. In addition there is a percentage of
- lemmings that you must save. At the lower levels, you only have to save a
- few of the lemmings. As the levels increase you have to save higher
- amounts.
-
- The 120 screens will keep you busy for a long time. And if that was not
- enough, there is even a two player game. In the two player game, you
- fight another player for the maximum number of lemmings that go to your
- exit. The only draw back I can find with the two player game is that one
- person uses the mouse and the second player uses a joystick or keyboard.
- I found that this puts the person using the mouse at an advantage.
-
- I played the Atari ST version.
-
- There is also an Amiga version and PC version.
-
-
-
-
-
- LEMMINGS CODE SHEET
- ===================
-
- FUN TRICKY
-
- | Level | Code | | Level | Code |
- |---------|------------| |---------|------------|
- | 1 |START HERE! | | 1 | NCAOLMFPDN |
- | 2 | IJJLDNCCCN | | 2 | CMOLMFNQDK |
- | 3 | NJLDNCADCK | | 3 | CAJJLDOBEX |
- | 4 | HNLJCIOECY | | 4 | IKJLDKCCEN |
- | 5 | LDNCAJNFCM | | 5 | OJNLKCEDEY |
- | 6 | DNCIJNLGCV | | 6 | HNLKCMNEEO |
- | 7 | NCANLLDHCQ | | 7 | LLKCAJLFER |
- | 8 | CINNLDNICL | | 8 | LKCMJLNGEQ |
- | 9 | CEKHMDNJCQ | | 9 | OCENLLDHEX |
- | 10 | MJJOLJCKCQ | | 10 | CINLLDOIEM |
- | 11 | OJOLJCELCO | | 11 | CAKJOLKJEX |
- | 12 | HMDNCINMCK | | 12 | IJHMDOCKEX |
- | 13 | MDNCAKLNCU | | 13 | NJOLKCALEM |
- | 14 | DNCIJNMOCO | | 14 | HMDOCINMEN |
- | 15 | NCANNMDPCL | | 15 | OLKCEKNNET |
- | 16 | CINNOLJQCK | | 16 | LOBIJNOOEK |
- | 17 | CEJHLFNBDJ | | 17 | KCANLMLPEQ |
- | 18 | IJHLFJCCDK | | 18 | CINLMDOQEV |
- | 19 | NHLNJCADDP | | 19 | CAKHNNKBFP |
- | 20 | JLNJCIOEDL | | 20 | IJJLFOCCFT |
- | 21 | NNJCAJNFDV | | 21 | OHLFOCADFP |
- | 22 | NJCMJLNGDQ | | 22 | JLNKCINEFN |
- | 23 | NCANLLFHDT | | 23 | LFOCEJLFFU |
- | 24 | BINLNFNIDN | | 24 | NOBIKNNGFV |
- | 25 | CAKJMFJJDN | | 25 | OCENLLFHFK |
- | 26 | IKJMNNBKDR | | 26 | BIOLNFKIFN |
- | 27 | NJMFNCALDW | | 27 | CAJJMFOJFT |
- | 28 | HMNJCIOMDS | | 28 | MKHONKCKFV |
- | 29 | MNJCAJNNDM | | 29 | OHMFOCELFM |
- | 30 | FNCMJLMODT | | 30 | JMFOCINMFS |
-
-
-
-
- TAXING MAYHEM
-
- | Level | Code | | Level | Code |
- |---------|------------| |---------|------------|
- | 1 | MFOCEJLNFN | | 1 | NJMFNGALHO |
- | 2 | FOCMKLMOFX | | 2 | JONJGIOMHO |
- | 3 | KCANLMNPFT | | 3 | ONJGAKLNHV |
- | 4 | CINNMFOQFK | | 4 | FNGIJNMOHJ |
- | 5 | GEKJNLJBGX | | 5 | NGANNMFPHW |
- | 6 | IJHLDNGCGT | | 6 | GINLONJQHT |
- | 7 | OHLDJGADGN | | 7 | GAJJLDOBIP |
- | 8 | HLDNGMOEGO | | 8 | IKHNLKGCIN |
- | 9 | LDNGAJNFGU | | 9 | OHLDOGADIU |
- | 10 | DNGIJNLGGN | | 10 | HLDOGMOEIR |
- | 11 | NGANNLDHGK | | 11 | LLKGAJLFIJ |
- | 12 | GINNLDNIGT | | 12 | DOGIJNLGIQ |
- | 13 | GAJHMLJJGX | | 13 | OGANNLDHIN |
- | 14 | MKHMDNGKGR | | 14 | GINNLDOIIW |
- | 15 | NHMDNGELGN | | 15 | GAJHMDOJIW |
- | 16 | HMDNGIOMGT | | 16 | IJHMDOGKIP |
- | 17 | MDNGAKLNGM | | 17 | NJMDOGALIO |
- | 18 | DNGMJLMOGY | | 18 | HMDOGIOMIW |
- | 19 | NGANLMDPGR | | 19 | OLKGEKNNIL |
- | 20 | GINNOLJQGS | | 20 | LKGIJNOOIP |
- | 21 | GAKHNNJBHU | | 21 | OGANNMDPIW |
- | 22 | IJJLFNGCHY | | 22 | GINNMDOQIP |
- | 23 | NJLFNGADHV | | 23 | GAJHNNKBJW |
- | 24 | JNNJGMOEHJ | | 24 | IKHLFOGCJK |
- | 25 | LFNGAJNFHX | | 25 | NJLFOGADJY |
- | 26 | FNGIJNLGHQ | | 26 | HLFOGMOEJU |
- | 27 | NGEOLLFHHQ | | 27 | NNKGEKLFJT |
- | 28 | GMOLNNJIHP | | 28 | FOGIJNLGJT |
- | 29 | GEKHMFJJHJ | | 29 | OGANNLFHJQ |
- | 30 | MKHONJGKHM | | 30 | GINLNNKIJN |
-
-
-
-
-
- ______________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- > The Flip Side STR Feature "...a different viewpoint"
- =========================
-
-
-
- A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT
- ==================================
-
-
-
- by Michael Lee
-
-
- I finally found the time to get onto Genie and catch up on their posts.
- I found I had been off-line so long, that it was almost impossible to
- catch up on the older posts. So here are the most interesting ones from
- this last week.
-
- I'll be gone for a few more weeks, so I'll see you when I get back.
-
- ---------------
-
- Where to find Mac roms from Dave Small on the Gadgets by Small Round-
- table on Genie..
- San Jose Computers (408 area code; you could get their number by
- dialing 408- 555-1212, which is information) FAX'ed us that they had
- a number of ROMS, and asked us to tell anyone interested.
-
- ----------------
-
- An interesting tidbit about Atari's new CPX control panel from Kurt
- Werner - Cat. 14, topic 27, message 39 - from the ST Roundtable on
- Genie...
- If anybody is interested, the order that the CPX's are listed in the
- control panel is the same as the order that they are in the folder
- that you keep them in. So, you can use a folder sort utility to
- change the the order that they are displayed. I like to have the
- General and ADSCSI CPXs on top!
-
- ----------------
-
- ATW info from Bill Rehbock, Director of Technical Services, Atari
- Corp. - Cat. 14, topic 38, message 62 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie
- By the way, the ATW _is_ available to interested educational-oriented
- developers. All support is being handled by Atari U.K., however. If
- you are seriously interested, please contact:
-
- Atari Corporation(UK) Ltd.
- Intercity House Railway
- Terrace Slough SL2 5BZ
- Attn: Gary Lawman
- Fax: 011-44-753-822914
-
- The current development system cost for the ATW is ~ U.S.$4900.00
-
- I have no other system specifics on the ATW available, please direct
- inquiries to Atari U.K.
-
- ----------------
-
- A ST problem by Jack Hock - Cat. 14, topic 4, message 253 - from the ST
- Roundtable on Genie...
- I have a 1040ST with 4 meg Aerco board, and ICDs Adspeed. Lately
- after an hour or more, I get 3 bombs and a total lockup. This can
- occur whether the hard drive is on or even with the HD off and
- playing an autoboot game such as "Lemmings" (great game). I re-seated
- all the custom chips, then added a small fan to cool the hard drive
- and still get occassional bombs. Could the power supply failing? Or
- possibly the 373 drivers not doing their job. The machine has run for
- several months with the Adspeed in it with no problem, and the Aerco
- board has been in for a couple of years with no problem.
-
- Ralph Mariano at ST Report to the rescue - from the ST Roundtable on
- Genie...
- Check out your power supply..... look for bulging tops on the elect-
- rolytic capacitors. (The can-like goodies) and check for proper
- voltages at the connector with a full load applied.
-
- ----------------
-
- Some interesting tidbits about the GCR by STACE (Sysop) on the Gadgets
- by Small Roundtable on Genie...
- The folks at Fearn and Music over in Germany have announced the
- availability of some of their products here in the United States. One
- of the more notable products is their SLM 804 INIT. This INIT, when
- placed in your System folder, allows you to get 300 dpi output on the
- Atari SLM Laser Printer in MAC MODE! The last I heard (two weeks
- ago), the SLM 804 INIT did not yet support the U.S. paper sizes.
- However, perhaps that has been fixed? You should ask about that
- before ordering.
-
- They can be contacted at: FEARN
- (805) 925-6682
-
- ----------------
-
- From Doug Wheeler (ICD) on updating your ICD boot software - from the ST
- Roundtable on Genie...
- I highly recommend the following steps whenever updating your ICD
- boot software:
- 1. Create a master ICD boot floppy (with ICDBOOT.PRG in the AUTO
- folder)
- 2. Reboot and boot from the floppy (pressing Alt-LeftShift-Ctrl
- after the floppy light comes on)
- 3. If drive C is not available, run ICDBOOT.PRG manually from the
- floppy
- 4. Run HDUTIL.PRG and set drive C to autoboot
-
- Although usually it's OK to simply copy ICDBOOT.SYS over the old
- version on your boot drive, this is not recommended since this does
- not update the boot blocks on the hard drive which we change from
- time to time.
-
- ----------------
-
- Some misc. Supra information from Mark White (Supra) - Cat. 4, Topic 39,
- Message 122 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie...
- We have just moved to our new quarters, the address is:
-
- 7101 SW Supra Drive
- Albany, OR 97321
-
- We also have some new phone numbers, but the old numbers also work!
-
- 503-967-2400....Main
- 503-967-2401....Fax
- 800-727-8772....Sales (Orders only)
- 503-967-2440....Tech Support (9-4 pst)
- 503-967-2444....BBS (2 lines - 2400 Plus & 9600 Plus)
-
- There are 2 generations of the Supra hard disk interface. The first
- generation progressed to the point of adding a SCSI pass thru port.
- The second generation added a clock and DMA pass thru port. The first
- generation SCSI interface will not work with the newer SCSI drives,
- but the second generation does. If you have an older interface, you
- can upgrade to the new version.
-
- Ok, here is the official upgrade prices and policies.
-
- -- Definitions --
- Full Package - return the modem, power supply, and manual
- Defect - the modem is defective
-
- 2400 MNP.........MNP2-5 2400 Plus........MNP2-5, v.42bis
- 9600 Plus........v.32,MNP2-5, v.42bis
-
- MNP2-4.....error correction
-
- MNP5.......up to 2x data compression on uncompressed data, always
- compresses
-
- LapM.......error correction, part of v.42bis standard (Link Access
- Protocol Modem)
-
- BTLZ......up to 4x data compression on uncompressed data, only
- compresses that data that is compressible, part of v.42bis standard
- (British Telecom Lempel-Ziv)
-
- v.32......International 9600 signal standard
-
- -- Upgrade Prices --
-
- To: SupraModem 2400 MNP retail - $199.95
-
- Full Package - OK $104.95 Full Package - defect $129.95
- Just modem - OK $109.95 Just modem - defect $134.95
-
- To: SupraModem 2400 Plus retail - $239.95
-
- Full Package - OK $124.95 Full Package - defect $149.95
- Just modem - OK $129.95 Just modem - defect $154.95
-
- To: SupraModem 2400I MNP retail - $149.95
-
- Full Package - OK $ 94.95 Full Package - defect $119.95
- Just modem - OK $ 99.95 Just modem - defect $124.95
-
- To: SupraModem 2400I Plus retail - $199.95
-
- Full Package - OK $124.95 Full Package - defect $144.95
- Just modem - OK $129.95 Just modem - defect $149.95
-
- To: SupraModem 9600 Plus retail - $699.95
-
- 2400 external $519.95 2400 MNP external $499.95
- 2400 Plus external $479.95 2400I $519.95
-
- ----------------
-
- Some misc. questions and answers from the Soft Logik RoundTable on
- Genie...
- Question from Jeff Jewell...
- I just bought PageStream 1.5 used. I'd like to transfer the regis-
- tration and upgrade to the current version. How should I do this?
-
- Answer from Fred.M....
- I'm pretty sure you will be able to do that...Call Soft-Logik (1-800-
- 829-8608) or (1-314-894-8608) and tell them what you want to do. Once
- you're registered you should upgrade to 2.1 ASAP!
-
- Question from R.KREBS....
- What are Type 1 fonts? Are they screen or printer fonts? Will any of
- the type 1 fonts for IBM or Mac work or do they have to be converted?
- If they are used to print to a Postscript printer do the fonts have
- to be available in the Postscript printers memory?
-
- Answer from Nevin Shalit (Sysop)....
- PageStream 2.1 handles Type 1 fonts for both Screen and Printer. It
- works like this: If you have bitmaps with the font (and many Type 1
- fonts have bitmaps) PGS will use the bitmaps up to about 24 pixels
- (24 points at normal view). After that PGS will use the outlines for
- superior display. If you do NOT have bitmaps then PGS will always use
- outline fonts which are a lot slower than bitmaps.
-
- Type 1 fonts will print to any printer. But with a PostScript printer
- the fonts will also make use of any hinting that is contained. This
- means that in smaller sizes (12 points and below) the fonts will
- print slightly differently-- and better--if you have a PostScript
- printer. Type 1s will print to non PS printers without any hinting.
-
- PGS uses IBM Type 1 fonts. It is not too difficult to convert Mac
- Type 1s to IBM style.
-
- More questions from CHAZ....
- ...are these the same fonts available for Calamus? Can fonts
- purchased for one be used with the other? Is there a main source for
- Compugraphic fonts and do they provide a catalog?
-
- Answer from Nevin Shalit (Sysop)....
- PageStream and Calamus CG fonts are not the same (PageStream CG fonts
- retain the hinting and Calamus converts the fonts into Calamus style
- and does not retain the hinting). I am not sure how one purchases CG
- fonts...or if they need to be converted or anything. I will find out
- and post a message later today or tomorrow.
-
- Question from Beth Freeman...
- Is this new version of Pagestream completely compatible with the
- older version of Pagestream? Does it have a spell check dictionary so
- that users can check the spelling of text files created in
- Pagestream?
-
- Answer from Fred.M....
- The new version (2.1) will still load pre 2.0 documents but new
- documents that you save with 2.1 cannot be loaded into PgS 1.82 and
- earlier. The new version will still use the same fonts plus with 2.1
- you can use Adobe Type 1 fonts and Compugraphic fonts!
-
- ----------------
-
- Some thoughts regarding Word Flair II's design and feature set from John
- Fox (Gold Leaf) - Cat. 35, topic 3, message 203 - from the ST Roundtable
- on Genie...
- Wordflair II is designed specifically for short compound documents:
- text, graphics, data, caluclations. There are indeed many features
- that "power users" of wordprocessors, databases, DTP programs, etc.
- would find lacking. Examples include indexes, footnotes, outlining,
- typographical control, and so forth. Wordflair II is not intended to
- compete with these programs. Rather, we see it as a complementary
- program that quickly and easily builds compound documents.
-
- We use GDOS and FFSM GDOS because we wanted to provide a WYSISYG
- evironment. Good looking fonts with multiple point sizes and graphics
- have become the standard for good looking printed material.
-
- Most people who own dot matrix printers are unhappy with the speed of
- our printing. Dot matrix printers were never really designed for
- anything other than ASCII printing. Fortunately with bubble jet, ink
- jet and low cost laser printers, the cost of graphics printers is
- coming in line with the higher end 24 pin printers. The output speed
- to these printers is very good, and with the attendant quality, why
- bother with dot matrix draft output?
-
- The problem with printing using a printer's native fonts is that it
- defeats the purpose of WF (ie WYSIWIG environment) and it would
- require that we worry about each printer's different control codes
- for page breaks, bold, etc.
-
- However, there is a solution. Using Harlekin, the much discussed
- multiple accessory accessory, there is a text editor that is
- incredibly fast and prints using the printer's built in fonts. Since
- you can run easily exchange text files between WFII and Harlekin, you
- can use WFII to type, spell check, etc., then use Harlekin to print
- drafts. Finally, Harlekin has so many great features that we think it
- makes a wonderful complement to WFII for business use (eg notebook,
- calendar, organizer, etc.) In fact, we think WFII, Harlekin and
- Tracker ST is the perfect trio for small businesses and
- organizations.
-
- ----------------
-
- About Sherlook Professional, the trainable OCR package from John Fox
- (GoldLeaf) - Cat. 35, Topic 9, Message 4 - from the ST Roundtable on
- Genie...
- Sherlook Professional is a trainable OCR package that with proper
- performs extremely well. There are three phases to working with
- Sherlook Pro.
-
- First is the scan. You can set the scan area, adjust the resolution,
- and even make corrections such as thickening characters that were
- printed lightly. The program directly supports the Epson, Panasonic
- and Microtek scanners. Otherwise you can load any .IMG file. Support
- for other flatbed scanners is being considered. The advantage to
- using a supported scanner is that you can perform the recognition
- while you scan for increased throughput.
-
- The second phase is the training. This is where you "teach" the pro-
- gram to recognize the various characters in the image you are working
- with. There are three levels of recognition. The process is usually
- done in three passes. Once to run through as many letters in the alp-
- habet as possible. The second time to begin recognition and test line
- and character spacing. The third time is "solidify" the recognition
- of characters. The advantage to trainable OCR is that you can work
- with any foreign characters, bullets, dingbats, etc. Other packages
- that aren't trainable are faster to begin the recognition process,
- but are oftentimes less accurate because they are too "dumb" to reco-
- gnize non-standard characters. Once you have "taught" Sherlook to
- recognize the characters in a particular font, you can begin the
- recognition process. Sherlook prompts you when it comes across a
- character it doesn't recognize. It also recognizes ligatures (two
- characters that are spaced closely together and are seen as a single
- character). Once you've performed a thorough training, you can save
- all that information in a file.
-
- Finally, the third phase is the spell check. This check is not for
- gramatical errors but for the common, often repeated mistakes that
- all OCR programs make. This module is user alterable, so for ins-
- tance, you can choose to automatically substitute characters such as
- bullets, dingbats, trademark symbols, and the like.
-
- If a user is willing to put in the time to properly train Sherlook,
- the speed and accuracy possible is indeed very good. The thing about
- OCR is that you have to determine in advance if the document is long
- enough to warrant the preparation time required to get good results.
-
- ----------------
-
- Rick Senske's opinion of Dragon's Lair - Cat. 9, Topic 18, Message 2 -
- from the ST Roundtable on Genie...
- The game is terrible. It only runs off of the floppy disk and can't
- be copied to the hard drive. I admit, I bought it for the graphics,
- but after only three lives, you gotta start over. The scenes fly by
- so fast, you really just have to guess at which direction to go.
- There isn't much thinking that goes into this game. I sure wish I
- could take it back. It's now a doorstop.
-
- ----------------
-
- A cute joke I found in the ISD category - from the ST Roundtable on
- Genie...
- This software salesman dies and finds himself at the Pearly Gates; he
- says to St. Peter, "Glad to meet you, St. Pete. I'm a software sales-
- man, one of the most successful ever -- I'm sure there's a place for
- me inside those gates!"
-
- "Not so fast, software salesman!" St Peter says, "First, you have a
- choice to make. Take a look at God's video terminal. You get to
- choose between heaven -- . " And on the display terminal there's a
- picture of fat men quietly punching keyboards, scratching their heads
- and reading software manuals... "Or, you can choose Hell." On the
- screen appears a picture of the biggest party ever imagined -- show-
- girls dancing, champagne corks popping, and every man has a beautiful
- woman on his lap.
-
- "Wow!" shouts the software salesman -- "I'll take Hell if I'm guar-
- anteed one of those beautiful showgirls and plenty of champagne and
- eats!" An instant later he finds himself engulfed in searing, exc-
- ruciatingly painful flames that seem to leap 500 feet into the sky.
-
- "St. Peter -- St. Peter, help! Somethings wrong! I'm burning in hell-
- fire! What happened to the champagne and the showgirls on the video
- screen?"
-
- St. Peter's voice is heard softly over the roar of the flames: "Oh,
- you surely understand that, software salesman -- that was just the
- demo!"
-
- ----------------
-
- Until next week.....
-
-
-
-
-
-
- ***********************************************************************
-
-
- :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
- _________________________________
-
- To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
-
- Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
- Wait for the U#= prompt.
-
- Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.
-
- **** SIGN UP FEE WAIVED ****
-
- The system will now prompt you for your information.
-
- -> NOW! GENIE BASIC STAR SERVICE IS IN EFFECT!! <-
-
- Usually during the summer months people tend to go out and catch the rays.
- Although we remain active, we have not seen this much activity since the
- early days. My hats off to all that are participating in the Atari areas
- on GEnie.
-
- The beginning of August, we will be announcing what compression methods we
- will accept in the library. We still need to hear from you. Please send
- mail to DARLAH or post your thoughts in Category one of the message base.
-
- Over the years, we have often heard that our readers desire an IGNore
- AUTHor command in the bulletin board. Do you think the readers should
- have an option such as this? Either way, please send mail to ST$ letting
- us know how you feel on this matter and why. We need to hear from you.
- If you prefer posting your thoughts in the bulletin board, please use
- Category one.
-
- The library has certainly been extremely active. For all of you that have
- taken the time to share with us, we thank you. We deeply appreciate it
- and so does our membership.Let me take a few moments to highlight a few of
- our files.
-
- File# 19999 DYSTDEMO.ARC, #20001 DYTTDEMO.ARC contain the ST and TT demo
- of Dyncadd 2.0. File #20004 DYDEMOM2.ARC contains the configuration files
- that you must have for either version. This is the latest version.
-
- File# 20011 FLAGSETT.LZH sets/program load flags for the TT.
-
- File# 20009 MDATE.LZH is an all in one diary/phone book and database.
- This file is so popular that it has its very own topic in the bulletin
- board. Check it out and see what everyone is talking about.
-
- Of special Interest... Lee Seiler of Lexicor will be the host of an online
- conference August 7. Further details as they are finalized.
-
-
- **** PAGESTREAM 2.1 RELEASED!! ****
- Special Conference
-
- DERON KAZMAIER joins us ONLINE in the Monday Night Desktop Publishing Real
- Time Conference here in the ST RoundTable!! July 15 at 10:00 EDT, 7:00
- PDT. Type M475,2 and then join us in Room 3 to hear all about the latest
- version of this all-time Atari favorite!
-
-
-
-
- GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
- Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission
-
-
- ***********************************************************************
-
-
-
-
-
- > STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
- =============
-
-
- STReport's MailBag
- ==================
-
-
-
- from IAAD member, Dorothy Brumleve;
-
-
- An Open Letter to the Editor of ST Report
- Concerning the IAAD Category on GEnie
-
- July 7, 1991
-
- To the Editor:
-
- Remarks by your Staff Editor, Lloyd E. Pulley, in this (Cat 26)
- and in other Categories suggest that ST Report may soon print
- posts which members of the Independent Association of Atari
- Developers have made in the IAAD Category. In addition, your
- commentary in a recent Editor's Podium column indicates that you
- are writing a "book", which may or may not likewise contain such
- private information.
-
- As you are aware, the IAAD Category is a private area here on
- GEnie designed for confidential exchanges between IAAD members.
- Members share their experiences and opinions on a variety of
- business-related topics, such as Atari, the media, the public,
- distributors, merchandizing, packaging, and on personal matters
- ranging from the War in Iraq to how to impress a woman. As in
- any exchange between human beings, the discussions sometimes
- become heated or silly and contributors may change their
- positions several times during the course of a thread. We "test
- out" our ideas on each other and reevaluate our plans and
- opinions. We share our frustrations and successes in a candid
- and intimate way, and this sharing has brought many of us closer
- together personally and has helped many of us through the hard
- times nearly everyone associated with Atari has experienced.
- Here, we are free to speak our minds among friends and peers. No
- Atari employee observes our discussion, no member of the press
- takes notes...with the exception of you and your staff.
-
- When the subject of a group Category was introduced at a
- formational meeting in your hotel room at WAACE '89, you were
- among those who stressed the importance of privacy in any
- discussion between members. We know, therefore, that you
- understand just how vital that privacy is to the success of the
- group.
-
- Each of our members has promised to keep the information in our
- Category private, and yet we find, time and time again, that one
- or another of the members has leaked information. In nearly
- every such case, it is you who has been the recipient of our
- private messages. We know that you are privy to our messages
- because you have called our members to tell them of your
- knowledge. You have identified various members as your source of
- information; when these cases are investigated, it is discovered
- that the parties you name are not involved at all. Unwarranted
- accusations have caused hurt feelings and bitterness among the
- members so named. It will not have escaped your notice that
- whenever a member announces that a breach has occurred, the area
- goes nearly silent and remains so for some time thereafter. Then
- members begin to relax, an important topic comes up, we let our
- hair down, we make some progress...and another breach of our
- privacy comes to our attention and the cycle begins once again.
- These leaks are thus a constant source of frustration to our
- board and to our members. They disrupt our progress both as
- individual programmers and publishers and as a group. That we
- are reduced to this public appeal is a measure of the very
- serious nature of this matter. The time we must devote to this
- problem might otherwise be devoted to improvements in our
- products and marketing, thus advancing the use of Atari
- computers, but instead we are having to defend our right to
- privacy.
-
- Obviously, we have at least one member who has not honored his
- pledge. This is an internal problem in the group, and we will
- deal with it internally.
-
- We have never attempted to breach your own private message bases.
- No "plant" sends us copies of your private discussions, nor would
- we accept them. We do not call you in an attempt to draw you
- into revealing your private discussions. We do not tease, taunt,
- or threaten you with lawsuits and exposure.
-
- We object to attempts, successful and unsuccessful, to receive
- information regarding our private discussions. We object to
- threats, latent and blatant, to publish our messages or to reveal
- publicly the information and opinions they contain. We find that
- these activities disrupt our personal and professional progress.
- We believe that they are ultimately highly detrimental to the
- entire Atari community.
-
- Please cease this activity at once. Please ask your staff to
- refrain from taunting us in their posts, under their own personal
- addresses or that of your magazine, with a proposed article on
- "Things Your Developers Don't Want You to Hear" or with similar
- revelations of our private discussions. Please refrain from
- publishing or disbursing any information already gleaned from our
- private Category. Please refrain from accepting our confidences
- from wayward members. Please refrain from discussing our
- Category and its contents with any of our members.
-
- Thank you for your strong support. It is much needed in this
- matter.
-
- Sincerely,
- D.A. Brumleve
- Member, Independent Association of Atari Developers
-
- Copyright 1991 D.A. Brumleve
- This letter may be reprinted only if it is not altered or reduced
- in any way.
- ------------
-
-
- Editor;
-
-
- Dear Ms. Brumleve, IAAD members, Users, Atarians;
-
- Please rest assured, any posts which are IAAD specific or which could
- be considered normal chit chat for that area will not be reproduced in
- either ST Report nor any book that I may write.
-
- In my humble opinion, it never ceases to amaze me at how an over reac-
- tion can lend credibility to supposition and innuendo. Factually
- speaking, there is no way anyone at STReport can prove or disprove the
- validity of the captures sent to us as having actually been posted in or,
- are even from a private CAT designated for the use of developers. Anyone,
- with any experience in the telecommunicating field, is very well aware of
- how easy it is to falsify, edit or compose a capture.
-
- As far as the letter goes, ok, you've stated your position and its
- fine. All that's really been done by the letter is give credibility to
- the very things it complains about. It states the IAAD is going to deal
- with the internal problems. Consider dealing with the causes of the in-
- ternal problems (leaks), ask yourselves why are these folks doing this?
- Believe me, its far more than one member. Now, if by dealing with the
- internal problems you mean to put an end to the alleged abuses occurring
- in the private area, then we must extend high praise to the IAAD.
-
- As for revealing the material in question or, ANY material alleged to
- be from that area, it will never happen. The references to Lloyd's use or
- non-use of any of this material has been adequately addressed by him. He
- has clearly stated that he, in no way, will ever use it. The identities
- of all those who have come forward will never be revealed nor have any in
- the past. As far as anything else in concerned, the book is going well
- and while I appreciate your dilemma, its really unfounded.
-
- We, at ST Report, being well aware of the IAAD and what they stand
- for, have every intention of fully supporting their membership and future.
-
- Ralph F. Mariano
-
-
- *********************************
- Number: 20091 Name: TO_D_A_B.ASC
- Address: D.HELMS Date: 910707
- Approximate # of bytes: 2432
- Number of Accesses: 114 Library: 19
- Description:
- This is an OPEN letter to Ms. Brumleve (and the IAAD) concerning the
- "OPEN" letter she/IAAD posted concerning the secrecy rights of IAAD.
- --
- You can <L>ist and capture this to your buffer or <D>ownload it
- for offline reading.
- Keywords: LETTER,RESPONSE,IAAD,STREPORT
- ---------------------------------
-
-
- Ms. Brumleve,
-
- First I would like to thank you for sharing OPENLY your letter to the
- Editor of ST Report.
-
- "OPEN". That is the active word here. By your OPENNESS you have
- brought to light a problem which can now be considered and hopefully
- worked out in full view of all and NO "secret deals" can be made. Secrecy
- is scary. Having been an American for the past 36 years I have seen and
- experienced many "cover-ups" and behind the scenes actions by our
- government and major corporations. The people and/or organizations felt
- what they were doing behind the curtain of privacy was for the betterment
- of all concerned(e.g. the American People). Where would this country be
- if it had not been for "Deep Throat"(Watergate)? The leaks that brought
- about enlightenment of the arm for hostages deals with Iran?
-
- Privacy and confidentiality are at the heart of A.A (and like)
- organizations since the onset. Still ANYONE can walk in and listen and/or
- participate.
-
- Why not hold these meetings and discussions in the OPEN? If someone
- has something to say that might offend someone else then resort to per-
- sonal mail! I would not want someone in IAAD to discuss me or my Company,
- it's policies or whatever with a group of peers without my being there.
- What is being said in IAAD areas that should not be made public?
-
- Check out Delphi(ST Advantage) if you would like to experience OPEN
- discussion! EVERYTHING is said in the OPEN for ALL to see/read. Sure,
- sometimes peoples feelings get hurt. But when *I* am discussed *I* know
- about and can respond!
-
- I can understand secrecy when it comes to discussing codeing of
- programs and such, but not EVERYTHING!
-
- If people in IAAD get closed mouth when a leak is rumoured, then some-
- thing is going on that they feel guilty about and don't want to be
- associated with if the leak gets out. If nothing is wrong then why the
- subtle disassociation (quietness)?
-
- Please open the doors and let a little sunshine in. Let us, the EN-
- TIRE Atari community, know what you IAAD members are planning or discus-
- sing so we can make informed decisions about our future in the Atari com-
- munity!
-
- Doyle C. Helms Jr.
-
- D.Helms [GEnie]
- STARTWO [Delphi The ST Advantage]
-
- Member in long (suffering) standing of the Atari Community
-
-
-
- Dear Ms. Brumleve,
-
- I'll leave it to Mr. Mariano to respond to the parts of your letter that
- pertain to ST Report, but I feel I have to clarify a few points that you
- made. (NOTE: All posts are from the ST Roundtable on Genie, Category 18,
- Topic 3. All posts are from me, so I don't have to have permission to
- quote from them.)
-
- 1) You ignore post #80 in the topic, the one where I stated that anytime
- I was on-line under my own account, i.e., not using the ST Report free-
- flag, that one could safely assume that I was speaking for myself. (And
- all of my posts in this topic have been under my personal account.)
- Whether you realize it or not, I write for two other publications. So
- you taking ST Report to task for my _personal_ comments was incorrect.
- _If_ I were to write an article about this situation, it could go into
- one of three different publications (or all three).
-
- 2) In my post #81, I did make the statement "Hmmm..maybe that would make
- a good column..."Things Your Developers Don't Want You to Hear". But you
- neglected to mention the many statements I made after this post when I
- said I was NOT going to use this information. Would you be kind enough
- to tell me where the following posts 'suggest' that I or ST Report may
- soon print posts from the IAAD category? They plainly state that I had
- no intention of using printing any of this information.
-
- In post #88 I said, "Look at it this way, none of it has made it into
- print...and much of it would make for interesting reading."
-
- In post #98 I said, "Due to the way I received the information, I would
- only use it for background...if I used it at all. And before I would
- use any of it, I would have it verified through other sources. Also I'm
- hurting circulation by not printing it because it would make for 'very'
- interesting reading. If I was as irresponsible a journalist as you
- make me out to be, I would have used the information long before now."
-
- In my post #106 I said, "If I had wanted to use this info, I would have
- done it already. If I did use this information, it would only be for
- background and I would have other sources so it could not be attributed
- to Cat 75. But at this point in time I have no intention of using any
- it."
-
- 3) What staff member of ST Report is in the IAAD area 'taking notes'?
- None that I know of.
-
- 4) You accuse ST Report of having a 'plant' in your category. There is a
- world of difference between someone 'leaking' information and ST Report
- installing a 'plant'. All of the discussion has been about a 'leak' not
- a 'plant'. But I notice later in your 'letter' that the 'plant' changes
- to a 'wayward member'.
-
- 5) Would you supply facts as to when 'we' (myself or ST Report) has
- teased, taunted or threated you (IAAD) with lawsuits and exposure? Look
- back at my posts #88, #98, and #106 and you will see there is NO threat
- of exposure in any of them. In fact, in post #98, I said, "Before you
- jump to your next false conclusion, I am NOT threatening legal actions
- against anyone." How much plainer of a statement do you need?
-
- 6) Yes, you do have at least one member who has not honored his/her
- pledge, but when you deal with it, will you also deal with what caused
- this person not to be able to honor their pledge?
-
- You make a big deal of talking about your (IAAD) RIGHTS of privacy, but
- you want to cancel out all other rights. Have you ever read Article 1 of
- the Bill of Rights? This is that silly thing that guarantees the people
- (not just some of the people) free speech. This same Article, guaran-
- tees the right of a free press (not just a press that prints what you
- want it to print).
-
- You want ST Report to tell their staff (as I stated earlier, I write for
- other publications also), that they have NO RIGHT to their personal
- opinions, even when using their own personal accounts (accounts that are
- not free-flaged). In what other ways would you like to limit MY right of
- free speech? Do you feel the same about other on-line personalities? Do
- you feel the Atari reps should always be speaking for Atari? Do you feel
- Nathan should always be speaking for ISD or the IAAD? Should we assume
- that when you refer in public to a certain on-line magazine being "a
- rag", that you're speaking for the IAAD or your own software company?
-
- You (IAAD) want the RIGHT of privacy, but at the same time, you seem to
- want to do away the the RIGHT of a free press and you want to dictate
- what the press can print.
-
- Yes, a free press does use 'leaks' (I'm sure that Nixon found the
- Watergate 'leaks' to be disruptive and highly detrimental to the running
- of the country also). Before you say it, not all of the 'leaks' used by
- responsible, professional news media concern criminal cases. Our local
- paper recently ran an article concerning the wealth of the LDS church
- and several of their sources were 'leaks' within the church. You can't
- read the Washington Post for a week without seeing articles that were
- based on 'leaked' information.
-
- Even in this case, I used restraint and didn't print the 'leaked' posts.
- There was always a chance, however small, that they were made-up and
- false. (But I seriously doubt it. I'm experienced enough to usually tell
- a made up post. Especially when you take into account these posts were
- written over a length of time, mostly written by the same 2-4 people, in
- the same writing style as their 'public' posts and partially saying the
- same things these same people say in public.)
-
- Yes, a free press does dig for information and tries to find out what's
- going on behind 'closed doors'. This is not always because they think
- something 'wrong' is going on, but to keep the public informed. Some-
- times this digging does dredge up information which is embarrassing to
- certain people. (I am sure that Mr. Reagan was embarrassed when it
- 'leaked' out that he napped as much as he did.) But that is the nature
- of a FREE PRESS.
-
- You (IAAD) want the RIGHT of privacy, but don't want the responsibility
- of making sure your area is kept clean of material that could be poten-
- tially detrimental to others. With every RIGHT comes a equal RESPONSI-
- BILITY.
-
- Throughout your letter, I noticed one thing lacking. A denial that the
- types of posts that were sent to me really exists (or did exist) in the
- IAAD area. No denial that there are (or were) posts in the IAAD area
- which are (were) detrimental to some non-IAAD persons (I won't use the
- words slander and character assassination as I am not a lawyer). Your
- phrase "letting our hair down" does not come close to adequately des-
- cribing some of the posts I received.
-
- In the past you have been very critical of "irresponsible", "non-
- professional" and "taking things out of context" journalism, but I found
- your letter to be full of these 'sins'. You quote one post but ignore
- others that do not support your position or that contradict you. You
- twist facts and posts to create the proper degree of hysteria among your
- readers. You use loaded words like "plant" when the word "leak" would be
- more proper. You 'fly the flag' and speak of RIGHTS but ignore your own
- RESPONSIBILITIES; plus you want to do away with others' rights. You want
- 'professional' journalism but only if it's your idea of professional
- (yes, real newspapers use leaks too).
-
- Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
- Speaking for himself
-
-
-
- from Genie,
- About the TT......
-
- Category 18, Topic 13
- Message 110 Tue Jul 09, 1991
- MIKE-FULTON [Mike @ Atari] at 00:55 EDT
-
- G.RICHARDSO1,
-
- 1) There isn't any difference between TT RAM boards for 16mhz or 32mhz
- machines.
-
- 2) Motherboard-32mhz machines have been around awhile now, since the
- spray-coated case was adopted. All of the new machines I've seen
- since January or so have been 32-mhz motherboards without a
- daughterboard. In fact, I've seen only a handful of daughter-board
- 32mhz machines. However, both the original version of the 32mhz
- motherboard as well as the 32mhz daughterboard do not pass FCC
- class B. A new version is being worked on, of course, but I doubt
- if anything will be announced until *after* it's gotten class B
- approval. *I* certainly don't intend to speculate on a date.
-
-
-
- Mike
- ------------
-
-
- from the Fnet,
-
-
- Sent : Jul 09, 1991 at 4:54 PM
- To : Ralph Mariano
- From : Rick Ostapower
- Subj : HI!
-
- Hello Mr. Mariano!! I'am President of STAR Atlanta ST Roundtable and
- would like to thank you and your staff for a first rate online magazine..
-
- Rick
-
-
- Sent : Jul 09, 1991 at 9:10 AM
- To : Ralph Mariano
- From : Michael Lechkun
- Subj : SX212 Modem/Thanking 8 Bitters
-
- I firmly believe U.S. Atari doesn't want to 'thank' Atari 8-Bit owners.
- That technology was inherited from Warner Communications. That technology
- was merely just another liquid asset used by Atari Corp. to fund
- further endeavours (ie., the ST).
-
- If anything, it seems Atari Corp. does deals like the Damark deal to
- 'punish' those users who did not blindly follow the ST "Upgrade" path.
- Who could have benefitted more from those modems?
-
- With all due fairness, I believe the modems sold for $29.95 at the recent
- Windsor Atari Fest (in Canadian $$$'s, no less!). BTW, I'm selling my
- 1 Meg, TOS 1.4, internal DS drive 520 ST (any buyers out there?).
- My 8-Bit and (new) PC are all I really need...
-
- Mike
-
-
-
- Conf : For Sale
- Msg# : 9637 Lines: Extended Read: 1
- Sent : Jul 08, 1991 at 3:30 PM
- To : ALL
- From : Mark Santora at Hologram Inc. - 133 - O.B., NJ
- Subj : Word Perfect Update
-
-
- This is a letter I received today from the WORD PERFECT Corporation
- concerning their intentions in the ATARI market for the future. This let-
- ter is in response to the letter writing campaign to continue support in
- the ATARI Word Perfect Platform.
-
- Thank You for your letter about WP Corp.'s ATARI Development.
- I understand your concern.
-
- Each product we produce is set up as its own profit center. The
- Revenues from the product must be able to support the resources dedicated
- to it. When we first started working on the ATARI version we hoped that
- it would do well and be able to support ongoing improvements. This has
- not been the case. Though it would be nice to have the full 5.1
- functionality in the Atari product, the revenues are not enough to finance
- a full-fledged 5.1 development effort.
-
- Although we have not been able to upgrade the Atari version as we have
- the DOS version, we continue to support version 4.1 with toll-free
- customer support and occasional updates with necessary corrections. We
- hope that Word Perfect 4.1 for the Atari will continue to be of use to the
- Atari Community.
-
- If you have any further questions about Word Perfect for the Atari,
- please write again or call me at (801) 228-5004.
-
- Corporate Communications.
-
- Word Perfect Corp.
- 1555 N. Technology Way
- Orem Utah 84057
-
- <------------End of letter------------>
-
- As an Atari user, any person on this base should take the five minutes out
- of his/her life to write Liz Tanner at Word Perfect. The Atari Community
- NEEDS to see industry wide products like Word Perfect. Without the let-
- ters, we will loose one of the best word processors for the ATARI market.
- This isn't about support of a product, it is about the extinction of a
- great computer, the Atari ST...
-
- Editor Note:
- ------------
-
- Although there are those who will disagree, Word Perfect is the word
- processor that has come to be the "standard" by which all others are
- judged. It has come to our attention that Atari may be "playing around"
- with the source code to Word-Up. Please, Atari... if you must, do it in
- addition to encouraging WPerfect's support of the Atari platform, not
- instead of. Hopefully a lesson was learned with DeskSet and MS Write.
- Let the pros create word processing software, and Atari continue to
- produce the excellent hardware its famous for.
-
-
-
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
-
- > RICK KEENE! STR FOCUS "The World of Willy Weasely"
- =====================
-
-
-
-
- ANIMATIONS SUPREME!
- ===================
-
-
-
- By Dana P. Jacobson
-
-
- The last time we visited Rick Keene and his world of Willy Weasely, Rick
- was making final preparations for the Whoopadoo Club. The Whoopadoo Club
- is the official fan club for Willy Weasely fans. In STR #7.26 I gave you
- some info on this fan club, and Rick has kept me posted with some updated
- news. So, let me share that info with you as well!
-
- Once the initial idea was formulated, Rick brought the idea up to me and a
- few other Willy fan(atic)s. Apparently, everyone thought that it was a
- good idea. Rick got excited at the prospect that he immediately started
- using all of his spare time putting everything together. He first got a
- badge-making machine and started on the buttons. The artwork for them was
- done using the ST. He then created and printed the membership cards, also
- on the ST. Then, the actual hardcopy comic was designed (yep, on the ST)
- and printed. According to Rick, it's more than a digest-sized comic book.
- It contains a Willy Weasely story, an article about Willy and where he
- came from, a centerfold (swimsuit!) of the girl (rabbit) of his dreams,
- and then an article about "swipes" in comics.
-
- I "mis-assumed" in my last article about the girl in Willy Weasely 3.
- According to Rick, "Lorraine in the third comic book is not the hooker
- from "All's Fair". You know how similar people (woodland animals) from
- other races look to caucasians. I guess that I'm going to have to vary
- the hairstyles a little more on the girls that Willy goes out with. Bun-
- ny, the real love of his life that keeps eluding him, looks distinctly
- different with those rabbit ears and that elbow-length curly black hair.
- She never made it into a one-page story but she's usually found in one of
- the longer 10-page stories. She's also the girl in the centerfold in the
- fan club comic book.
-
- As to the "swipes", Rick mentions that a couple of panels in one of the
- Willy stories were "swiped" from a couple of Van Goghs. He digitized in
- both paintings and then put them on a page next to the two panels from the
- story and explained how this was done in comics. Lately, though, it's
- being done using other comic panels from other artists' books. The Comics
- Journal shows a gallery of swipes each month asking the readers if they're
- intentional or coincidental. Rick's theory is if you're going to swipe,
- swipe from the best!
-
- Rick is hoping that these Willy Weasely comics will appeal to ST users as
- well as comic book readers. If the number of downloads of these comics on
- Delphi and GEnie have any indication, Rick appears to have a winner on his
- hands. The ST played a big part in putting all of this together, and he
- mentions in the new comic exactly what he used to do it. In fact, he goes
- right down to the CAD-3D fuji logo that Willy is leaning against (Willy
- also sprayed his initials on the fuji with a can of paint; but you can
- expect that from a weasel!).
-
- We're also pleased here at STReport to announce that STR is the official
- online magazine home for Rick Keene and Willy Weasely! If you happen to
- be in the Boston neighborhood tomorrow, the 13th, you can meet Rick in
- person. He'll be at the 2nd Atari Day at the Bit Bucket along with Jim
- Allen of Fast Technology, Rick Flashman & company from Gribnif Software,
- and a few other developers. Rick will be showing off more of his work and
- will be happy to talk with anyone wishing to learn more about his work.
- Hope to see you there!
-
- Until next time...
-
-
-
- __________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
- > MAC REPORT
- ==========
-
- Issue #013
- ----------
-
-
-
- by Robert Allbritton
-
- MacReport News
- --------------
-
- *** IBM buys Metaphor, Advances Apple Pact
-
- One of the largest parts of the new Apple / IBM pact involved vast
- software co-operation through the creation of a joint venture to develop a
- next generation operating system for computers of all sizes. Much of the
- new operating system is to rely heavily on object oriented programming
- which allows programs to be written with less dependance on a particular
- computers hardware.
-
- In 1988, IBM and Metaphor founded a joint venture called Patriot Partners
- to begin work on object oriented programming, later, Apple computer began
- working with Patriot Partners on this same technology. On Thursday, IBM
- increased its ownership in Metaphor from 8% to 100%, and announced that
- Metaphor and Patriot Partners would be merged into the new Apple / IBM
- joint venture when it is formed. This brings the Apple / IBM pact one step
- closer to reality.
-
-
- *** The Macintosh LC
-
- I have enjoyed working with the Mac for quite a while and as a "power
- user" I have tried to surround myself with some nice equipment. I got a
- Mac IIci soon after they came out and have recently upgraded it to a 50Mhz
- 68030 and 50Mhz 68882 Math Co-Processor with 32 Megs of RAM and a 200 Meg
- hard drive. I also went upscale on the display with a 13 inch Trinitron
- (16 million colors at once) and a 19 inch Ikegami (256 colors at once.)
- One of the nice things about the Mac II is that you can have two screens
- working at once.
-
- Now I did not list all that equipment in an attempt to show off, but
- rather to make a point. This is powerful stuff, best used for photo-touch
- ups, Raytracing, high end mathematical work, and high end prepress work.
- This should *NOT* be used to play Tetris. Problem is, that is exactly what
- it was being used for. My girlfriend is an addict (yes, she's been
- "Tetrisized.") Now I don't know about all of the women out there but guys,
- if you want to get along with the opposite sex do two things: 1) One a
- month, hide for those two days your lady-friend turns into Dracula, and 2)
- Don't even *DREAM* of taking Tetris away.
-
- One solution is to take her old computer and sell it, (her's was a Mac
- Plus, worth about $600) sell her old printer (Imagewriter, $250) and then
- throw in about $750 of your own and buy her a Macintosh LC.
-
- The Mac LC may well be the best value ever available from Apple Computer.
- for $1600 (street price) you get a 16Mhz 68020 computer with 2 Megs of
- RAM, a 40 Meg Hard Drive, a keyboard, and mouse. The machine is capable of
- displaying 16 bit color (16,000 colors at once) on the 12" color monitor
- at 512 x 384 resolution, or 8 bit color (256 colors at once from a
- palette of over 16 million) on the 13" monitor at 640 x 480 resolution. It
- will run Mac II color applications, and best of all it plays Tetris.
-
- Apple was able to make this machine inexpensively by dramatically
- lowering production costs. The LC employs three custom chips that take the
- place of about 25 chips on the original Mac II. Additionally, the LC uses
- a 16 bit bus. The 68020 is capable of going into a 16 bit bus mode (real
- Mac II's use a 32 bit bus) at a sacrifice of some speed. That is not to
- say the LC is a slow machine: Its got all the pep that 90% of all Mac
- users would ever need, it just gets you there for far less money.
-
- The LC is actually a better design in some ways than the Mac IIsi or Mac
- IIci. All three computers (the LC, IIsi and IIci) have built in video cir-
- cuitry, but the IIsi and IIci use main memory to hold the video image.
- This takes away from memory that could be used for programming and it also
- slows the machine down as cycles are used so the video circuitry can ac-
- cess main memory and get screen data. The LC uses a separate VideoRAM SIMM
- for display memory. The computer never has to wait to sync with the video
- because they are in separate memory. Speaking of memory, since the LC is a
- 16 bit design, that means you can expand its memory by changing two SIMMS
- at a time (Mac II family requires changes in banks of four.) The problem
- is the LC only has two SIMM sockets, but with 4 Meg SIMMS and its own two
- megs on-board, the LC can go up to a maximum of 10 Megs of RAM. The LC is
- also 32-bit clean, so you can access all 10 megs of that RAM under System
- 7 (System 6 limited you to 8 megs.) A Math Co-Processor can be installed
- in the LC's expansion slot, but you can not put NuBus cards in the LC
- (That is a Mac II exclusive.)
-
- While the LC is great for word processing, games, spread sheets, and desk
- top publishing, I would not recommend it for CAD applications,
- professional artists, or those needing maximum expandability. But the LC
- is not limited either, several 68040 accelerators are already available
- for the LC that blast its performance past the top of the line Mac IIfx:
- when you outgrow your LC, it won't outgrow you.
-
- If you have always thought about getting a color Mac, but never wanted to
- pay the price: look out. Apple has finally broken the $2000 price barrier
- with color and your excuses are gone. Best of all, it plays Tetris.
-
-
- ______________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
-
-
- > Hard Disks STR InfoFile ***** ABCO SUMMER '91 SPECIALS! *****
- =======================
-
-
-
-
- ** EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! **
-
- 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: 904-783-3319 12 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)
-
- * ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *
- * ICD ADSCSI+ HOST ADAPTERS * FULL SCSI COMMAND SET SUPPORTED *
- * SCSI EMBEDDED CONTROLLER MECHANISMS *
-
- WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
-
- Deluxe 2 bay Cabinet w/65w auto-switching PS
- TIME PROVEN to be the most reliable!
- Model Description Autopark Price
- ==================================================
- SGN4951 51Mb 24ms 3.5" Y 479.00
- SGN1096 85Mb 24ms 5.25" Y 549.00
- SGN2055 105mb 12ms 3.5" Y 649.00
- SGN6277 120Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 789.00
- SGN1296 170Mb 12ms 3.5" Y 1019.00
- ==================================================
- FULLY ASSEMBLED SCSI DRIVES DEDUCT $60.00
- ADD $35.00 for 4 BAY SUPER CABINET w/250+w PS
- EXOTIC TOWER CABINETS AVAIALABLE Call for Info!
- PLEASE NOTE: The above is partial listing only!
-
- CPU ACCELERATOR & MEMORY UPGRADES AVAILABLE & INSTALLED
-
- >> ABCO is now taking orders for 1040 & MEGA STe Computers! <<
- Call for VERY special Introductory prices!
- ATARI COMPUTERS * STILL THE BEST VALUE!
-
- If you don't see what you want listed here, call us.
- Odds are we have it or, can get it for you!
- AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PRICE!
-
- "We service what we sell. (IF necessary)"
-
- ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
-
- * SYQUEST 44MB (#555) >> ABCO "44" << REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *
-
- - SYQUEST 44 MB DRIVE - ICD ST ADSCSI PLUS H/A
- - ICD Utility Software - 3' DMA Cable
- - Fan & Clock - Multi-Unit Power Supply
- (1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.
- --->> SPECIAL! NOW ONLY __$ 645.00__ <<---
- **** SCSI UNITS -> ONLY $585.00 ****
-
- WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
- COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED AND READY TO RUN!
- Cart and Utility Software Included!
-
- EXTRA CARTS: $ 74.50
- DRIVE MECH ONLY: $ 349.95
-
- ****** SPECIAL - SPECIAL ******
-
- * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
- SPECIALLY PRICED ** $1019.00 **
- Includes TWO cartridges!
-
- * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
- - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
-
- 50mb SQG51 $ 819.00 85mb SQG96 $ 1019.00
-
- LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS
- CUSTOM CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE
-
- WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
-
- 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 COMPATIBLE WITH --> SUPERCHARGER - AT/PC SPEED - GCR
- LARGER units are available - (Custom Configurations)
-
- *>> NO REPACKS OR REFURBS USED! <<*
-
- - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets -
-
- * SLM 804 Replacement Toner Cartridge Kits $42.95 *
- * Toner Starter Kits $49.95 *
- * Replacement Drums $183.95 *
-
- >> MANY other ATARI related products STOCKED <<
- ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED
-
- -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
- (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)
-
- WE PAY SHIPPING!!! >BLUE LABEL UPS!<
- QUANTITY & USERGROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!
- _________________________________________
-
- DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!
- please, call for details
-
- Personal and Company Checks are accepted.
-
- ORDER YOUR NEW UNIT TODAY!
-
- CALL: 1-800-562-4037 -=**=- CALL: 1-904-783-3319
- Customer Orders ONLY Customer Service
- 9am - 8pm EDT
- Tues thru Sat
-
- ABCO is EXPANDING!! CALL FOR INFORMATION!
-
-
-
-
- ____________________________________________________________
-
-
-
-
- > A "Quotable Quote"
- ====================
-
-
- "Me thinks M'Lady protesteth TOO MUCH!"
-
- ....Shakingspear
-
-
-
-
- """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
- STReport International Online Magazine
- Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide!
- """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
- STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" July 12, 1991
- 16/32bit Magazine copyright © 1987-91 No.7.28
- """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
- Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
- the editors/staff, PCReport, STReport, AMReport, MCReport. Permission to
- reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Each reprint
- must include the name of the publication, date, issue # and the author's
- name. The entire publication and/or portions therein may not be edited in
- any way without prior written permission. The entire contents, at the
- time of publication, are believed to be reasonably accurate. The editors,
- contributors and/or staff are not responsible for the use/misuse of infor-
- mation contained herein or the results obtained therefrom.
- """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
-
-