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*---== ST REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine" October 04, 1991 No.7.40 ========================================================================== 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 ----------------------------------------- STR East: FNET 350 - The Bounty ST BBS <Home of STR> 1-904-786-4176 STR West: FNET 075 - Bloom County BBS 1-415-965-9347 STR Canada: FNET 018 - ///Turbo Board Support 1-416-274-1225 STR Europe: FNET 1031 - <<<INTERNET>>> 011-44-296-395-935 __________________________________________________________________ > 10/04/91: STReport #7.40 The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! ------------------------- - The Editor's Desk - CPU REPORT - WAACE UPDATE INFO - KNOCK OUT! - GFA ONLINE - FSM GDOS RSN? - SEYBOLD REPORTS! - OPI SPECIALS! - 9600baud $359.00! -* WAACE BOOKINGS VERY HIGH! *- -* STBOOK TO BE AT WAACE! *- -* TRACKER 3 ANNOUNCED! *- ========================================================================== 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 THROUGH: GENIE ~ CIS ~ DELPHI ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ CIX ~ F-NET ========================================================================== 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 (October 4) NEW FORUM LIBRARIES ARE COMING! New Library Software is on the way. Beginning on October 14, CompuServe will be installing this new software in all Forums. Check out the Practice Forum's Library 3 (GO PRACTICE) where you'll find several files designed to familarize you with the coming changes. NEW VERSION OF B/STAT Version 2.41D of B/STAT, a shareware statistical and analysis program, is now available in LIBRARY 1 of the Atari Productivity Forum (GO ATARIPRO) under the filename BSTAT2.LZH. NEW FROM SUPRA Version 4.10 of Supra's removable device driver and SUPRMOD (a program that can be used to configure some of the device driver's parameters) is now available in LIBRARY 15 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) under the filename REMOVE.LZH. NEW FROM DOUBLE CLICK SOFTWARE Download DCHGUP.ARC from LIBRARY 13 of the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIVEN) for a program that will hangup your modem after a time of no modem activity. For example, if you are transferring a file and the remote system hangs, (or something else occurs), DC Hang Up will disconnect you after a configurable time. CREATE COLORFUL DEMONSTRATIONS Demo Maker, DEMOMA.LZH, from LIBRARY 1 of the Atari Arts Forum (GO ATARIARTS) will help you create your own demos with pictures, sound and music. Easy to use language and instructions. NEW IN ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM COLLEGE CLASS SCHEDULE MAKER - Given a list of classes, sections, and times, this program finds all the schedules without time conflicts. After spending hours devising a semester's schedule, have you ever waited hours in the registration line to find out that some of the classes you wanted were full? This program can help. Now runs on your Atari Portfolio! Download file SCHED.ZIP from LIBRARY 1! THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM ON COMPUSERVE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AN OFFICIAL SUPPORT SITE BY ATARI CORPORATION "GO APORTFOLIO TO ACCESS THE ATARI PORTFOLIO FORUM" *********************************************************************** > CPU STATUS REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS ================= Issue #40 Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. -- Apple & IBM to Cooperate and Compete Apple and IBM, two long-term rivals, this week officially outlined five future joint ventures. First, the Taligent's operating system will be able to run applications written for IBM's OS/2 and AIX as well as Apple's System 7. Second, Kaleida will be a joint venture that will promote standards for multimedia. Engineers from Apple and IBM will be seconded to Kaleida to work on multimedia development. Kaleida will then make its technology available to other vendors. Third, Power PC is a new PC hardware architecture based on IBM's RISC System/6000 technology. IBM and Motorola will work together to develop and build the Power PC chips, then Motorola will offer these chips to other vendors, while both IBM and Apple will build systems around them. Fourth is PowerOpen, a Unix-based operating system that will run on Power PC-based systems. Power Open will bring together Apple's A/UX version of Unix and IBM's AIX. Fifth will be an effort to simplify networking between Apple and IBM systems. The two companies will license each other's networking tech- nologies (Apple's AppleTalk and IBM's Token Ring) and develop products to help their PCs work together. -- Rock Bottom Price for 9600 V.32 Modem QuickComm has introduced the Champion 1, a V.32 modem at 9,600 baud with V.42bis and MNP Class 5 data compression. The internal PC half-card sup- ports the 16550 UART PC bus interface and will retail at $299. An exter- nal version is priced at $359. -- New Sharp Notebook Incorporates an Active Matrix LCD Screen According to sources at Sharp Corp., they have developed the first note- book PC to incorporate an active matrix liquid crystal display. The co- mpany has a 21-cm color display in a PC under 50 mm thick. -- Kodak Introduces Low-Cost Portable Printer Eastman Kodak has introduced a lightweight, portable printer with a list price of $399. The Kodak Diconix 180si ink-jet printer weighs less than three pounds without batteries and is roughly the size of a standard office dictionary. -- Tandy and Matshushita Form PC Joint Venture Tandy Corp. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. have formed a joint venture company to manufacture 16- and 32-bit laptop and notebook per- sonal computers. The new company, called PTCC Inc., will begin produc- tion by February 1992, at an existing Tandy site in Fort Worth, Texas. -- Toshiba and IBM Japan Develope Active Matrix LCD IBM Japan and Toshiba Corp. have jointly developed a 13.8" active matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) for engineering workstations. Active matrix LCDs achieve a high picture resolution on a flat screen by using thin film transistors (TFTs) to switch on and off individual points of light. The new displays will use a total of over three million TFTs for over one million points of light. -- Intel Faces New Challenge Chips & Technologies introduced seven microprocessors in a direct chal- lenge to industry leader Intel Corp in an attempt to make money after a loss of $9.6 million in fiscal year 1991, ended June 30. Unlike Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which introduced an Intel 386 chip clone last April, the Chips & Technologies microprocessor doesn't dup- licate Intel's design. The company is said to have spent four years and $50 million developing its own Intel-compatible architecture. -- Ashton-Tate Lays Off 8% of Staff In an attempt to trim expenses and operate more efficiently, Software publisher Ashton-Tate Corp. says it is reducing its employee rolls by about 100 workers or about 8 percent of the total staff. -- The Vatican Archives Moves to Computer A team of archivists headed by Francis Bloin from the University of Michigan has used computers to index eight centuries worth of archives of the Roman Catholic church. The team began the project in the fall of 1989 and spent two years at the Vatican sorting out records, most of which are written in Italian or Latin. According to Blouin the Vatican material is "an unparalleled source for the study of western history and culture, but until now no one had done a complete systematic inventory of the archives." "Cataloging each of the Vatican's documents, which if laid end to end would stretch for 10 miles, would have been too time consuming and costly. Instead, the re- searchers divided the records into 800 classifications, and entered them -- in English -- into a computer. The resulting database can be accessed by scholars and researchers through the Research Library Information Network, which has 50 locations across the country." Said Blouin, "You just call up Vatican Archives Project and get a list of 800 years worth of bureaucratic divisions and the history of those divisions. If you're interested in the missions in the 17th century it will tell you that they had an ambassador in Florence. It will tell you there are several record groups produced by that ambassador and the dates and what months. You can then go over there and ask for those records." The professor says he hopes to further computerize the Vatican archives, if he can get funding. "We're proposing to add another layer of descrip- tion to bring out other subjects like social history or the church as a sponsor of works of art as an employer." """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 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! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > GFA Conf. STR Feature GFA Delphi Formal Conference, Oct. 1st, 1991. ===================== GFA ONLINE - DELPHI =================== Transcript of Formal Conference, October 1st, 1991. .Gordie> I'd like to welcome John Barger, the Technical Director for GFA Software Technologies to DELPHI. GFA is back and ready to totally support the Atari ST community in North America. John, any opening remarks? .John @ GFA> Well, yes. I would like to say that I (as an ST user) and GFA (as an ST based company) are REALLY here to support the ST and hope to see it thrive. .Kwai> Glad to hear that, John. .John @ GFA> We have Plenty of support products for the Atari version of GFA-Basic and have discount prices for Atari owners. HAIRMAN> What exactly is the GFA shell like? Or aimed at? GA .John @ GFA> It is a replacement for the MENU/MENUX program that comes with the basic. It has many adavnced fetures like... It has a GREAT user interface that is VERY intuitive. Online help. Control over ALL compiler and Linker functions. Variable setting for repetitive compiles. Many built-in disk utilities. Switch from Med to Low res (for a game or other low res program) and a few others. Sound good? HAIRMAN> Sounds real good! DABRUMLEVE> Yes, John... There is a wealth of source code available, but much of it is in tokenized .BAS format, and folks with only the newer GFAs can't use it. Could GFA release a conversion program whose sole purpose is to load BAS/GFA files and then save them in .LST format? GA .John @ GFA> I'll see what I can do. In the mean time. GFA-BASIC is effectively PD. You CAN use that. But I will check on a Converter. I think I heard about one out in the PD. MAYBE? DABRUMLEVE> GFA Basic, John? PD? .John @ GFA> Sorry. GFA-BASIC 2. Oops! Slap my face! DABRUMLEVE> Is it all right then if we distribute GFA 2.x to friends??? .Gordie> Gee, or upload it here? .John @ GFA> Well.. Since Antic released in on their Disk, it is all over anyway. So we have just said go for it. DABRUMLEVE> Gee. Nice! But even so, I hope you will pursue a .LST converter on all formats. You see, a conversion program would help people convert across formats. And GFA 2.x for the ST won't run on the IBM/Amiga. I was thinking of a conversion program that would be available in all formats. GA .John @ GFA> That is a GOOD Idea. I'll see what I can do. .Dana> John, first of all, welcome to Delphi.... .John @ GFA> thanks .Dana> Just curious to know how the "new" GFA has been received since leaving MichTron and Antic? GA .John @ GFA> It is being received very well. We had a "few" problems with Antic but most people Like (or Love) the BASIC so much that they waited for us to get that fixed. .Dana> Glad to hear that GFA is back on the road again, with big success. GA That's it! .FizzySoftDrink> Ok, this will be my first of several questions for the night, I won't ask all at once :) When will the GFA Basic Compiler be out for the IBM, and will an upgraded version of GFA Basic be included with it. GA .John @ GFA> The Windows 3.x compiler IS out. and the MS-DOS version will start shipping at the end of the month. I think the compiler for MS-DOS will be intergrated into the Editor. If so, an Interpreter Upgrade is there. ga HAIRMAN> What about asm in basic code?? ga (asm= assembly language.) .John @ GFA> It is great for the people that have PRE-WRITTEN ASSM code. I don't use it a whole lot. HAIRMAN> But how exactly is it done? (I've never done it w/ basic.) .John @ GFA> It is a little hard to explain in a chat mode. It depends on exactly what you are doing. HAIRMAN> ok. .John @ GFA> What version of the BASIC do you have? ga HAIRMAN> I don't use basic that much, I'm just interested. I use C mostly. .John @ GFA> Oh. OK, it is fairly easy. I use it for playing digitized sounds. ga HAIRMAN> How about speed? ga .John @ GFA> John Jainschigg from Atari Explorer just did a review on GFA-BASIC. In his bench mark. We were 5 TIMES FASTER than Mark Williams 'C'. ga HAIRMAN> whaaa???? .John @ GFA> That's what I said. HAIRMAN> Compiling or run time? .John @ GFA> Compiled. (Runtime.) HAIRMAN> WOW! .John @ GFA> You see GFA-BASIC is not basic... GFA-BASIC is a MACRO-ASSEMBLER that has macros that LOOK like basic. HAIRMAN> Oh, that explains it. .John @ GFA> The programmer thinks he/she is using BASIC. The computer sees ASM code. ga .FizzySoftDrink> Ok, two more questions for ya. (This may have been said earlier, I was a little late) When is GFA Basic 4.0 for the ST supposed to come out, or is it at all? And how about a Mac version of GFA, any plans? GA .John @ GFA> GFA-ST 4.0 does not have a final release date. But, it will be some time next year. A MAC version is looking VERY possible. ga .Gordie> John, can you talk a little bit about the ability to use code from one platform on another platform? .John @ GFA> Sure. The idea with GFA-BASIC is to be able to write a program on the computer that you feel most comfortable with and be able to port this to another platform. Before, the only REAL way to do this was with 'C' but 'C' for MS-DOS does not have the Atari's built in GUI functions. So, we made our own. and I think the Programmers did a GREAT job! HAIRMAN> Laser does.... .John @ GFA> They have Laser 'C' for MS-DOS? HAIRMAN> Ida know. I meant gui stuff. .John @ GFA> What I meant was, with 'C' if you write a program for the Atari, you can not just port over ALL the GUI stuff to MS-DOS. With GFA-BASIC, "OPENW" opens a window on the ATARI ST/TT, AMIGA, WINDOWS 3.x and MS-DOS. HAIRMAN> You mean that if I wrote a program in GFA that used windows, it'd work anywhere? .John @ GFA> Yep. Barring any OS calls. GEMDOS. BIOS or XBIOS. We made our own GRAPHIC GUI in MS-DOS. It looks GREAT! Kind of a cross between GEM and MS WINDOWS 3.0. ga HAIRMAN> Wow! Neat. GA .Ron <ym> I use the ST version of GFA for my own projects (and love it), and purchased the PC version as well. Where I work we had to convert some basic programs for windows and told them about GFA. They bought a copy when it first came out, but found it to be quite buggy, and have switched to Visual Basic. Almost all of my ST programs use GEM Dialog boxes, which do not directly convert to the PC. My question is as follows: Are there any plans for an analog of the Resource Construction Set for the PC or Windows versions, and how do the people where I work get the update to the Windows version? (They haven't received any info yet, and they bought GFA directly from you). BTW: In my own comparisons, GFA is only slightly slower than Laser C, and only if Laser uses register variables. GA .John @ GFA> If you have the first version of the WINDOWS BASIC. There have been 3 updates since then. You will get a Free upgrade with the Compiler. Switching to VB will, more that likely, cause more headaches then it is worth. The newest GFA-WINDOWS has a RSC that actually creates GFA code(as opposed to a RSC file.) ga .Ron <ym> Should we have received some sort of notification about the new version being available? .John @ GFA> Not really. It is being sent out on a first come/first served basis. You sould get it in a few weeks. ga .Ron <ym> Great. I will look forward to it. What problems should they expect with Visual Basic? .John @ GFA> It is VERY slow. you CAN NOT call the serial ports. Writing FULL BLOWN applications become incredibly hard. ga .Ron <ym> Hmmmm.... This application REALLY needs the serial ports. Well, at least I'm not involved in using the VB stuff. GA .John @ GFA> VB just can not do it. ga .FizzySoftDrink> Does G-Shell come with source code? And what can you tell us about GFA-Edit? .John @ GFA> G-SHELL does not come with sorce code. I don't think it ever will. I have never heard of GFA-EDIT. Is it a text editor for GFA-BASIC or general purpose? ga .FizzySoftDrink> It's a general purpose text editor. Made by GFA. .John @ GFA> When/where did you hear about it? .FizzySoftDrink> I saw it mentioned in the German magazine PD Journal. .John @ GFA> I will check on it, but I don't think we ever released anything like that. ga .Ron <ym> On the ST, I can dimension an array as large as the available memory (up to 4 meg). I've played with the PC version, and it seems to be limited to the 640K limit. What's the limit for the MS Windows version, for one contiguous array? Also, you'd better make sure that GFA-MAC works on Spectre! .John @ GFA> MS-DOS in general is limited to 640K. Most languages in DOS only allow arrays up to 64K. The WINDOWS version allows up to free "WINDOWS" memory or 20megs, which ever is lower. ga .Ron <ym> Great. One of my applications needs this. MICKEYANGELL> Will GFA be at the WAACE Show. If so, can we upgrade there? GA .John @ GFA> I'm sorry no. I want to go like you would not believe. But it is too close to COMDEX. For which, we are all ready obligated. ga .Gordie> This might be a good time to explain the upgrade procedure and prices, John. Who do we call and how much do we send? <g> .John @ GFA> OK. I will give all upgrade paths. -If you have 2.0(the real 2.0 with a book) the cost is $74.95 -If you have 3.0 with out a compiler the cost is $64.95 -If you have 3.0 and the compiler the cost is $49.95 -If you have the Basic for one platform and want it for another, it other version is HALF PRICE! -The 2.0 upgrade includes the full package as you would buy it in a store. -The 3.0 without compiler upgrade includes 2 new chapters for the new commands and a compiler manual. -The 3.0 with compiler upgrade includes the 2 new chapters. -Some people with 3.0 have the OLD Michtron spiral bound manual. That manual was kind of hard to use, so if you have 3.0 and would like the new manual, you can upgrade like the 2.0ers for $74.95. Of course that all includes the new 3.5 software. ga <Whew!> .Gordie> Hmmm. What about the ads that are running that say, 'Upgrade now to Release 3.5 for only $49.95'? Is that only from v3.0? The wording of the ad is a little unclear. .John @ GFA> Yeah, that ad assumes that you have 3.0 and the compiler. Since we were unable to get a real registered owner list from Antic, we did not realize that there were so many GFA-BASIC owners out there with 2.0 or 3.0 without the compiler. Sorry. ga .Ron <ym> I just read a review of GFA for the PC in some new Basic Programming magazine (forget the exact name). They thought it was real powerful, but their main complaints were about the manuals (GREAT in a few spots, REAL BAD in others), and about the lack of debugging tools (like a single stepper, break points, etc.) Any plans on solving either of these problems? (In the PC manual it doesn't seem to mention SHOWM and HIDEM, though when I ported an ST program they worked fine! I wonder what else is missing.) Also, how much to go from PC to Windows? .John @ GFA> Well the guy that did that review, did not like GFA-Basic at all. According to him GUIs and mouse drive applications are a niche market and "real people" don't want to use mice. So he REALLY didn't like us. The Big bullies "pushing" GUI down everyone's throat. I guess he doesn't realize that Microsoft has sold 5 million copies of WINDOWS 3.0 in the last year. We have some GREAT debugging tools. like being able to use multiple monitors or multiple computers to trace your program. We DO have Break points and the commands that were missing in your manual should be in the readme file and have been inserted into the newest manual. .Ron <ym> I don't recall reading that. It may have been a different review, though I didn't read it all the way through. It was a review of GFA and of something called ZBASIC. .John @ GFA> That is the same guy. He did not say that in the review, but rather to ME on the phone. .Ron <ym> Funny, since that magazine seems to be pushing Visual Basic. .John @ GFA> I know. It is amazing. He is not a "true" employee of the Mag. He is a freelancer. ga OZ1> I upgraded 3.0 for 3.5, the new manual, and MS-DOS versions, great stuff! Will more be available on compatability differences between the ST and DOS? .John @ GFA> I believe ABACUS is working on a Book right now. I think the president of GFA-DATA MEDIA(in the UK) is working on one as well. ga HAIRMAN> I got some source code from the databases recently but none of it is ASCII. .John @ GFA> Is it in 2.0 "BAS" format? What is the extender? XXXXXXXX.GFA or XXXXXXXX.BAS? HAIRMAN> I think it was .GFA. .John @ GFA> If it was XXXXXX.GFA you should be able to call it in directly to GFA-BASIC 3.0 or higher HAIRMAN> I don't have GFA. .John @ GFA> Oh. Well... HAIRMAN> But I would like to look at it anyway. Would that converter thingy work? .John @ GFA> I don't know what to say, except, find a friend with GFA. HAIRMAN> Why not just use ASCII in the first place? That's what standards are for. .John @ GFA> D.A.BRUMLEVE was making a suggestion for a converter. It is not a reality yet. HAIRMAN> I know. .John @ GFA> Because we save the code in a PSEUDO-ASSEMBLER format that makes loading faster and execution faster. Otherwise, we would be as slow as every other BASIC. .Gordie> I think the use of a tokenized 'save' is rather widespread. But when someone uploads code here, it'd be nice to see it in ASCII. I don't think GFA is breaking a 'standard' as much as the uploader might be. Just my observation, of course. .Ron <ym> I just remembered: one BIG problem when I port a program between the ST and the PC is the character for end of line remarks is different in the two versions. The ST uses ' and the PC uses !. This means that I can't use remarks, except for REM full line ones, if I want to port my program without major editing. Any good reason for this? Also, you going to the Chicago Show in Nov.? .John @ GFA> I don't know. I think that will be changed in a future version. As for Chicago, I hope so. I plan to. .Ron <ym> Great. ga MICKEYANGELL> I had missed the remarks after the $49 flyer. The flyer does not mention you have to have version 3.0. It does say you have 30 days to order and has an 800 number. I assumed I got this because I am a registered GFA 2.0 owner. .John @ GFA> That was an oversite due to the fact that we did not get a registered owner list from Antic and there for did not realize that we had so many 2.0 users out there. GA MICKEYANGELL> Does Maurice Giguere have any pull? The letter is sigened by him. .John @ GFA> I hope so. He is the President of the Company and my Boss. MICKEYANGELL> I know he is the president. <grin> Just hoping that your letter is correct. .Gordie> John, you want to make a special offer for just those of us here tonight? $49.95 to upgrade to v3.5 from any previous version? <grin> .John @ GFA> Gordie, SURE as long as that "ANY VERSION" is 3.0 .Gordie> Oh, fine, put conditions on it... <g> .Ron <ym> How about an upgrade for users of Turbo Basic XL on the 8-bit Atari? It was written by Frank Ostrowski, wasn't it? (hehe) .John @ GFA> ;} .Gordie> hehehe MICKEYANGELL> Is the upgrade a complete package or do I have to use a 3.0 manual or files? .John @ GFA> $49.95 = you need 3.0 $74.95 = FULL PACKAGE. .Ron <ym> What about upgrading GFA-PC to GFA-Windows? .John @ GFA> $147.50 until November 15. After that, $247.50. It retails for $495. .Gordie> (For GFA-PC to GFA-Windows?) .John @ GFA> For GFA(any version) to GFA-Windows. .Ron <ym> So it isn't an upgrade, but I would then be a registered user of THREE versions of GFA, right? .John @ GFA> RIGHT. It is a "Side grade" .Gordie> hehehe .Ron <ym> Maybe I'll see if I can buy the Windows version from where I work, since they aren't using it anymore. (Before they discover problems with VB :) .John @ GFA> hehehe .Gordie> Any closing remarks, John? .John @ GFA> Well. I guess just to say good night and if you want to talk to me (or someone else) call (508) 744-0201. .Gordie> I want to thank you, John, for talking with us tonight, and want to welcome you again to the ST Advantage here on DELPHI! .John @ GFA> Thanks, it was fun. **End of Formal Session** ________________________________________________________________ > WAACE UPDATES STR SHOW NEWS "THE PREMIER EAST COAST ATARI FEST!" =========================== WAACE AtariFest '91 Special Event Schedule ========================================== (times and speakers, subject to change) Friday October 10, 1991 8:00 PM Midi Concert, by Dave Kaufman's Midi Machine Saturday October 11, 1991 Seminar Schedule """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 11:00 AM What's New from Gribnif Rick Flashman, Gribnif Software 12:00 PM Atari Corporation Speaks Robert Brodie, Director of Communications, Atari Corp. 1:00 PM Dave Small: Live and in Person I Dave Small, Gadgets by Small 2:00 PM Mailing List and Desktop Publishing, with Tracker ST and PageStream 2.1 Nevin Shalit, Step-Ahead Software 3:00 PM Atari Myths and Mysteries David Troy, Toad Computers 4:00 PM STReport "Computers - Now & In the Future" Question and Answer Session Ralph Mariano, ST Report International Online Magazine 7:00 PM Pre-Banquet Social Hour (poolside weather permitting) 8:00 PM 1991 WAACE AtariFest Banquet Guest Speaker: Nathan Potechin, President, ISD Marketing Inc. and the President of International Association of Atari Developers Sunday October 12, 1991 Seminar Schedule """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 11:00 AM Hardware Acceleration Featuring developers of the latest technology for both 68000 and 68030 CPU accelerators. 12:00 PM eSTeem PILOT Tom Nielson, eSTeem, inc. 1:00 PM Dave Small: Live and in Person II Dave Small, Gadgets by Small 2:00 PM Software that isn't Here! Applications and Development Tools that never made it to the Atari ST. Andrej Wrotniak, Debonair Software 3:00 PM Meet the Atari Press Featuring members of the Atari electronic and print media: John Jainschigg, Publisher/Editor of Atari Explorer Magazine; Joe Waters, Publisher of Current Notes Magazine; Ralph Mariano, Editor of STReport International Online Magazine and Bill and Patty Rayl Publisher/Editors of Atari Interface Magazine; The Seminar Speakers: Ralph Mariano is the publisher/editor of the weekly STReport International Online Magazine. STReport has been going strong for four years now providing the ST community with up to date information on whats happening in the ST world and never hesitating to speak out on any issue in the Atari world. STReport is released every week at about 6pm on GEnie, Compuserve and Delphi online information services. Gribnif Software is the developer of NeoDesk 3.0 - The Desktop Alternative for the Atari ST, a complete desktop replacement for the ST. Gribnif Software is headed by Rick Flashman, Dan Wilga, and Tricia Metcalf. Currently they are busy developing new and exciting software for the ST, including CardFile 3, Stalker and Steno. NeoDesk is one of the best selling (if not the best selling) non-game utility software program for the ST. Dave Troy of TOAD Computers is the producer of the TOAD File 44 removable cartridge hard disk drive system. Dave has been involved with Atari computers for over eight years and is the co-owner of the TOAD Computers store in Severna Park, MD. Dave also writes a monthly column in Current Notes magazine titled "Atari Myths and Mysteries". Dave Small of Gadgets by Small requires no introduction to the Atari community. Mr. Small is the leading developer of Macintosh emulation on the Atari ST. His current products include the popular Spectre GCR Macintosh Emulator, the Mega Talk board for Mega ST computers and the SST 68030 Accelerator Board. Dave is also a featured columnist in Current Notes Magazine and noted Tesla Coil Enthusiast. J. Andrzej Wrotniak is the developer of the mathematical program El Cal (Elementary Calculator) and Star Base by Debonair Software and a regular columnist in Current Notes ("ST Toolbox") magazine. Andrej will explore the many applications and development tools that never made there way to the Atari ST. Nevin Shalit is the President of Step-Ahead Software and author of the popular and powerful mailing list/mail merge software package Tracker ST. Nevin is also a sysop of the SoftLogik Roundtable on GEnie, supporting the PageStream Desktop Publishing System. Tom Nielson is the developer of eSTeem PILOT, an authoring language for the Atari ST that allows the creation of tutorials, tests, simulations, games, laser videodisc programs, and interactive RS-232 control. Bob Brodie is the Director of Communications for the Atari Corporation. Hear what Atari plans for the future and be sure to bring all your questions concerning your favorite computers. Nathan Potechin is the President of ISD Marketing, Inc. and the President of International Association of Atari Developers. ISD markets the popular Calamus Desktop Publishing system and the forthcoming Calamus S and Calamus SL which will extend the envelope of desktop publishing on the Atari ST/TT computers. Nathan will explore the "Atari in the Middle Earth", a light-hearted look at the world of Atari computing. WAACE, Inc. AtariFest '91 Dates: -------------------------------- The Fest is scheduled for 12 and 13 October '91. The show hours are from 10am to 5pm both days. We also expect to sponsor some special events on Friday evening. The show will feature a full round of seminars and demonstrations. There will also be a swap meet. There will be a cocktail party and a banquet on Saturday evening. Further Information: -------------------- For additional Information please contact either of the following: General Chairman Vendor Coordinator Charles S. Smeton John D. Barnes P.O. Box 0122 7710 Chatham Rd Columbia, MD 21045-0122 Chevy Chase, MD 20815 GEMail: C.S.SMETON GEMail: J.D.Barnes CIS: 73047,2565 DELPHI: JDBARNES FNET: Charles Smeton, Node 500 Internet: JOHNBARNES@ENH.NIST.GOV *********************************************************************** :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ To sign up for GEnie service: Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo) Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN. GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and weekend access to more than 100 services including electronic mail, online encyclopedia, shopping, news, entertainment, single-player games, and bulletin boards on leisure and professional subjects. With many other services, including the biggest collection of files to download and the best online games, for only $6 per hour. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Any time during your first month of membership if you are not completely satisfied, just ask for your $4.95 back. WHAT'S NEW ON GENIE ------------------- 1. 4 New Basic Products on GEnie on Oct.1........................ 2. TWO Game Products go BASIC on Oct. 1.......................... 3. TWO NEW BASIC Leisure RoundTables come to GEnie Oct.1......... 4. New navigational menus in GEnie Value......................... 5. New GEnie User's Manual Now Available.........................*ORDER 6. Kids are going to the Birds in................................PET 7. CONTEST! Help us design our "Front Door"....................MAINFRAME 8. Win CA$H & connect time prizes in our online tournament.....BACKGAMMON 9. Take A COURSE Online This FALL................................CALC 10. LASER PRINTER repair and rebuilding secrets...................PSRT 11. Radio Control Toys....YOU WANT TO PLAY...............IN.......HOBBY 12. Trying to find ORG, The Official Recreation Guide.............OAG 13. Test drive your favorite Computing RT in November............. 14. Federation II - the adult space fantasy.......................FED 15. Do the software Deal of the Century...........................SOFTCLUB ATARI ST RT ----------- WAACE! -> Big Doings for Atari Enthusiasts !!!!!!! The PREMIER EAST COAST SHOW for Atari fans will be taking place on October 12th and 13th in Reston, VA. WAACE '91 will be offering an outstanding collection of Atari developers, Atari personalities, the latest in hardware and software, all at bargain prices. Check Category 11 topic 6 in the ST RT on GEnie and the latest issue of GEnie Lamp magazine for up to date details and contact points. This show really has "all the trimmings" - Make your reservations now! If you give your GEmail address to the WAACE registration desk you can get $1 off of a one-day pass or $2 off of a two-day pass (Not Valid in combination with any other discount). The ST RT's Darlah Pine, Jeff Williams, John Kennedy and Nathan Potechin will be there live and in person! Vince Averello and Richard Brown (GEnie Lamp) may be in attendance as well. We look forward to seeing you there! -* "Fast Technology will be offering a show special price on the fabulous TURBO20 accelerators...$300 each, CASH MONEY". -* ISD will be offering show specials on products old and new, which must be seen to be believed. :-) Expect incredible prices on anything that we bring, including the Calamus family of software and DynaCADD. We all look forward to seeing you there. -* "Step Ahead Software will be introducing version 3.0 of their Tracker/ST mailing list software, which now includes telephone dialing, duplicate-name warning and more. List price: $79.95. Show special: $49.95!" -* From Omnimon: Omnimon Rainbow...$499, normally $599 <- Free T-shirt D.E.K.A...........$99, normally $129 HDrive............$159, normally $199 OmniChrome........$299, normally $399 <- Free T-shirt Xwitchit..........$29, normally $59 Vlink.............$9, normally $19 Omnimon HiFi......$29, normally $59 -* GEnie will be holding a raffle for FREE hours used anytime that you see suited. Stop by the booth and fill out a ticket. It is the ONLY way you can WIN. GEnie will also be selling disks at their cost filled with software such as the latest Air Warrior setup kit, the latest RSCARDS package, latest Aladdin software, and the latest issue of GEnie Lamp. This is all packed into one disk and compressed. Utilities to extract are included. Get the MOST out of GEnie with this disk. Any querys you may have regarding GEnie, write them down and be sure to come by and ask. We will be GLAD to help you. See you there!!! Missionware Software is proud to present the demo of OFFENDER (file #20956.) We're looking for folks who enjoy shoot 'em up type games to take a honest look at this game demo and to tell us what you think. Please give us feedback on such items as graphics, playability, interest, challenge, etc. in Category 9 Topic 16 of the Bulletin Board. All comments will be passed on to the author. Step Ahead Software Announces TRACKER/ST v3.0, a Major Upgrade to their Mailing List/Mail Merge Program. See File #21151! GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission *********************************************************************** > The Flip Side STR Feature "...from a different view point.." ========================= A Little of This, A Little of That ================================== by Michael Lee This week's column is a mish-mash of various posts that I've had setting around but hadn't gotten around to publishing yet. There's some interes- ting tidbits to be found in them... ---------------- According to an Atari representative, if you want to use a non-Atari multisync monitor on the Mega STe, you should look for one that has at least a .31mm dot pitch but one with a .28mm or .25mm would be even better (and naturally, more expensive). One that can handle 1024x768 non-interlaced video would be nice in case you ever wanted to upgrade to one of the new graphics cards. You should be careful of the cheap multisync monitors that only have a .35mm (or larger) dot pitch. New Atari customer service number is 408-744-0880. ---------------- From S. Sanders (Software Development Systems) - Cat. 4, Topic 9, Msg. 105 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... Software Development Systems is now offering Avery Laser Labels in smaller packages as well as continuing to support the larger boxes of mailing and diskette labels. Here is our updated pricing schedule (Larger quantity purchases may qualify for discounted rates...contact us for details): AVERY Stock#5160 (3000 mailing labels) @ $34.95 per box ~ 2 5/8" x 1" ~ AVERY Stock#5161 (2000 wide mailing labels) @ $34.95 per box ~ 4" x 1" ~ (^^^ For upgrade only soon to be released ^^^) AVERY Stock#5196 (630 3 1/2" diskette labels) @ $34.95 per box ~ 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" ~ AVERY Stock#5260 (750 mailing labels) @ $12.95 per box ~ 2 5/8" x 1" ~ AVERY Stock#5261 (500 mailing labels) @ $12.95 per box ~ 4" x 1" ~ (^^^ For upgrade only soon to be released ^^^) Shipping is $3.00 per box plus $1 each additional box. Label orders must be pre-paid (no COD's). To order send check or money order to: Software Development Systems 996 Redondo Ave. #404 Long Beach, Ca 90804 (213) 595-9799 Stay tuned to this category and your favorite ST magazine for information about our soon to be released upgrade to the Deskjet Utilities Pak (called The Printer Utilities Pak -- registered owners will receive our newsletter). ---------------- Some discouraging comments by Jim Kudron - Cat. 13, Topic 2, Msg. 94 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... Last week, I sent WordPerfect Corp a letter stating my interest in a version 5.0 for the Atari platform. Today I received a reply from Liz Tanner (Corporate Communications). Below is the letter in it's entirety: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Jim, Thank you for your letter about WordPerfect Corporation'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 5.0 functionality in the Atari product, the revenues received are not enough to finance a full-fledged 5.0 development effort. Although we have not been able to upgrade the Atari version of WordPerfect 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 WordPerfect 4.1 for the Atari will continue to be of use to the Atari community. I am receiving quite a few letters like the one you sent. Perhaps you could pass this information along to other with similar concerns. I hope you continue to enjoy using WordPerfect for the Atari. If you have further questions or concerns, please write again or call me at (801) 228- 5004. Sincerely, Liz Tanner Corporate Communications -------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know about you, but I don't like the tone of this letter at all! First of all, I paid hard-earned, big bucks for this program. Then I get a reply from Ms. Tanner stating my concern that there will not be any more upgrades. But I think the real kicker is in paragraph four where Ms. Tanner states that she is getting "quite a few letters like the one you sent". (That's good - at least the Atari userbase is getting involved and voicing what they want). If you are receiving "quite a few" letters like mine, then maybe that tells you that "quite a few" Atari WordPerfect users want the upgrade and are willing to pay for it! But then the next sentence states "Perhaps you could pass this infor- mation along to others with similar concerns". GIVE ME A BREAK MS. TANNER!! Does that mean that WordPerfect Corp. does not want to be bothered by the userbase? I strongly urge all Atari WordPerfect users to start writing letters and voice your opinion. Let them know how you feel. Tell them that you want and DESERVE the upgrade (After all, you already spent the money for the original product!). ---------------- From Drew Kerr (author of "Captain Midnight's Game Room" - Cat. 18, Topic 17, Msg. 210 - from the ST Roundtable on Genie... I don't exactly love rumors but I heard some pretty nasty ones today. If you follow the Games category, you know that Spectrum Holobyte has practically yanked the plug on all future ST games -- Flight Of The Intruder seems to be their last. Today I heard Microprose is on the verge of doing the very same thing, here and in the UK. I also heard that Sierra-On-Line has a few ST ports sitting in their warehouses waiting to go, but they are holding them up. First, the European versions of many games come in well ahead of the American versions. FOTI's European versions came in well ahead of their US counterparts. But Spectrum Holobyte is only looking at the US numbers and needless to say, they look bad. Probably because many anxious ST gamers bought the European version. The losses of Microprose and Sierra would be severe blows to the ST. What you can do is the following: A) Make sure you have filled out your warranty cards and sent them in. Let these companies know that their games are being bought by ST users. If you have the European version of a game and don't want to mail the card to the UK, therefore letting the US HQ's know you bought the game, send it to the US addresses! B) Let Microprose, Spectrum Holobyte and Sierra know that you are buying their products. Their addresses on GEnie are, respectively, MICROPROSE, HOLOBYTE and SIERRA. C) If you bought the European version of FOTI, send them a note saying you have this version, please note! Don't let them think that they only sold 500 copies the first month! D) Sometimes e-mail doesn't reach the right person, so real mail is the way to go. Let them know what products you own and that they are NOT pirated: Bill Stealey Microprose Software 180 Lakefront Drive Hunt Valley, MD 21030 301- 771-1151 Gilman G. Louie Spectrum Holobyte 2061 Challenger Drive Alameda, CA 94501 415- 522-1164 415-522-3587 (fax) Ken Williams Sierra-On-Line Inc. P.O. Box 485 Coarsegold, CA 93614 ---------------- Some people (developers and users alike), are blaming software for not being well written, if a particular piece has problems running on some of the new graphic cards available for the ST. Here's some enlightening comments from Charles Johnson (Codehead Software) on Delphi... This "well-behaved software" issue needs some discussion. I think too many _perfectly_legal_, written-by-the-rules programs are starting to get the bad rap of being "badly behaved", because there is suddenly a popular idea that the only way to write legal ST software is to use nothing but VDI calls, and avoid Line A. This is NOT TRUE. In fact, the Line A calls supported by TOS have always been documen- ted parts of the operating system. The documentation actually urges developers to _use_ Line A in some places -- because it has less overhead than VDI and works faster in some instances. Recently, Atari seems to have decided that upgrading Line A to work with the new high-res color boards was too much work; so instead they essentially nuked a documented part of the OS, and started saying that developers should avoid Line A. Do you see my point? A program that uses Line A is _NOT_ necessarily an ill-behaved program. When it was written, the programmer was using a documented part of the ST's operating system, in a documented manner. There was no way anyone could have predicted that Atari would have chosen to simply erase Line A calls from their documentation. This is kind of a sore point with me, because I've written programs that use Line A. I don't like having my work called "ill-behaved"; I follow the rules as scrupulously as possible. And I don't like being blamed for not knowing in advance that Atari would be too lazy to update their documented system resources. By the way, while I was in Germany, I heard about a "Line A Emulator" that would let many of these "ill-behaved" (faw!) programs work with the Matrix and other high-res boards. ---------------- Some comments from Delphi from John Eidsvoog (the other Codehead) about the ST's internal clocks and hardware clocks... I think the missing link in the explanations has been that it hasn't be made clear exactly what the "ST's clock" really is. There are two internal "clocks" in your computer. But they are just memory loca- tions that store a number. As time passes, an interrupt routine increments the value stored in these locations. If you haven't got a battery-backed clock, the time will be lost when you turn off your computer. The clock on your hard disk controller is just another clock, but it has a battery to retain its time. Special software is required to read it, however, and that software also sets the internal memory clocks. It is one of the internal memory clocks which is used by the system to control all time functions, such as stamping files with the time/date. ---------------- Until next week..... _______________________________________________________ > SEYBOLD REPORT STR SHOW NEWS Eyewitness Reports from the show ============================ ATARI AT SEYBOLD ================ Compiled by Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr. After a two year lapse, Atari is again showing at Seybold, one of the premier desktop publishing shows in the world. Seybold consists of two halls totaling approximately 20,000 square feet. Anyone who is anyone in the DTP field comes to Seybold, and this year Atari is showing the DTPing world that Atari is indeed SOMEONE to be reckoned with!! According to sources on Genie, PUBLISH spent time in the Atari booth and seemed to be favorably impressed. An official Seybold Editor spent 2 1/2 hours with ISD's Calamus SL and TMS Cranach Studio, more time with Codehead's Avante Vector and is expected back in the future. The following is an uncomplete list of some of the ST notables showing at Seybold... Softlogic who has a TT workstation hooked up to a top of the line Linotype 530. Codehead is showing their new Avant Vector. Compo is across from Softlogic. Goldleaf Computerbild has three stations, one a workstation with Sherlook, a second with Didot Professional, and a third with Retouche Professional CD. ISD also has three stations. One has Calamus SL setup using its new Multimedia module with a video camera hooked up live and recording both picture and sound into Calamus for output to either the SLM605 or the Spectrastar color thermal printer. ISD's second station is displaying their not yet released, TMS Cranach Studio. It is connected to an Epson 300 dpi color scanner and Mitsubishi Dye Sublimation color printer. ISD's third station has straight Calamus SL hooked up directly to the LI2 port on a second L530 from Linotype. Here's a first hand report from Genie by Dave Flory: Atari-ST RoundTable Category 14, Topic 16 Message 3&6 Thu Oct 03, 1991 D.FLORY [ALERTsys*Cop] at 09:05 EDT Just got back from Seybold, first day, and the Atari booth compared quite well with those of names like Kodak, Aldus, etc. Atari develo- pers in the booth were demo'ing Atari software for people from Seybold itself, after the show. Specifically the Seybold people seemed quite interested in the Demo Retouche. I was very impressed with Calamus SL and Avant Vector. The former being demo'ed by Nathan Potechkin and one of his Canadian folks, and two of the programmers from Germany, sorry I didn't catch all the names. Pagestream was there, [also shown] along with a demo of FSMGDOS which has just had the last bug quashed and should ship next week to people like GoldLeaf, etc. I asked about the news reported here elsewhere that GE is in negotia- tions with Atari to do Atari service and was told that it is progres- sing and should be officially announced "soon". In my personal opinion this latter developement will be a real milestone in Atari development of credibility as a serious computer company. Maybe with GE service I can get my city to consider the best computer value I know of for my use at work too. There were about a dozen people manning the booth, and, while it was not mobbed when I was there, neither was most of the rest of the hall on Wednesday after-noon. I was told that a couple of serious DTP publications had shown _real_ interest in the Software and hardware they saw in Atari's booth. Seybold is the premier DTP and Graphics, animation, etc. show. The show this year is in the new San Jose Convention Center which covers a square block of San Jose. I'd hesitate to guess what the total for attendees is, but if I didn't see a couple of thousand people in there when I walked in, yesterday about 1:30, I've never seen a crowd. All the big names in graphics, like Radius, Silicon Grapics, every body who does sophisticated grapics processing goes to see the people who sell the hardware and software to do it. The demos feature some of the wildest computer simulations any of us have ever seen. Here's a first hand report from Genie by Nathan Potechin: Atari-ST Roundtable Category 11, Topic 8 Message 1 Thu Oct 03, 1991 ISD [Nathan] at 00:06 EDT For the first time in 2 years, Atari is officially participating in the most prestigious desktop publishing show of them all, Seybold...as well they should. :-) Depending on which door you use to enter the San Jose Convention Center, Atari is either towards the back or just off to the left side. Anyway, Adobe is on one side, LaserMaster on another etc.. Anyone that has anything to show in the field of DTP is present. As was the case at CEPS, the Atari booth is under the auspices of the Professional Systems Group in large letters. Much smaller letters indicate that this is a division of Atari. And no one is taking the Atari display lightly. Softlogic has a top of the line Linotype L530 with RIP hooked up to their TT workstation. Compo is across from them. Codehead is proudly displaying their new acquisition, Avant Vector. A sign that reads "Scaling Font Technology" or something like it is across from the Codeheads. Then over to my own stations; the first reads "Multimedia Publishing" and we have Calamus SL using its new Multimedia module, a video camera hooked up live and recording both picture and sound into Calamus for output to either the SLM605 or the Spectrastar color thermal printer. Our second station is displaying the new, not yet released, TMS Cranach Studio using an Epson 300 dpi color scanner and Mitsubishi Dye Sublimation color printer while the third station has straight Calamus SL hooked up directly to the LI2 port on a second L530 from Linotype. Then Goldleaf Computerbild has a workstation with Sherlook, a second with Didot Professional, and a third with Retouche Professional CD. If I've made a mistake or overlooked something, my apologies. Its been a long day and I'm still on east coast time. I invite any of my fellow participants to enlarge upon my small overview. I will try to do the same tomorrow. The point is though, that we are being taken very seriously indeed. Publish spent quite some time in the booth this morning and an official Seybold Editor spent an hour within the Atari booth this evening and plans on a few more hours tomorrow to see and meet with everyone there. This is very exciting and great news for us all. More later Atari-ST Roundtable Category 11, Topic 8 Message 7 Fri Oct 04, 1991 ISD [Nathan] at 02:02 EDT As Dave mentioned, this is a who's who in DTP and is attended by anyone either currently involved or about to become involved in DTP. Two halls, maybe 20,000 square feet or so. Jonathan Seybold is one of the most respected names in the business and his Seybold Report is a must have subscription for the trade. I am exhausted from another day at the show but I will say that one of the Editors of Seybold spent 2 1/2 hours with Calamus SL and TMS Cranach Studio this afternoon and this same person had already spent time with 3K product. He finished his day with a complete demo of Avante Vector from Charles and John and he is expected back tomorrow. This is exciting news. He took copius notes and I asked him if I should prepare a test for him the next morning to see if we overloaded him or he actually retained it. :-) This man was very sharp and very knowledgeable which was fine with us as we have a story to tell! All and all, another great day at the show. Nathan Potechin ISD (Calamus SL and Cranach Studio) :-) Here's a first hand report from Genie by John Eidsvoog of Codehead Software: Atari-ST RoundTable Category 32, Topic 23 Message 80 Fri Oct 04, 1991 J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead] at 02:11 EDT Greetings for the Seybold Desktop Publishing Exhibition. I thought you might be interested in an experiment we ran on a TT at the show. We found a brochure from the show which had a wood cut type of graphic on the front. We used Repro Studio to scan the picture in two passes of a hand scanner at 400 DPI. Repro Studio was able to glue the two halves of the scan together quite nicely. We traced the 350K file in Avant Vector. It took about 5 minutes (most tracing takes under a minute) and was saved as a 25K CVG file! The resulting vector was virtually perfect, requiring only the editing of one fill area. The vector graphic prints out beautifully on an Atari laser printer and is undiscernible from the original. We've been checking out as many auto-tracing programs as possible and in our (understandably biased) opinion, Avant Vector beats them all...usually in time, but always in quality. _______________________________________________________ > STReport's Editorial Page "SAYIN' IT LIKE IT IS!" ========================= From the Editor's Desk ---------------------- Waace is NEXT Weekend!! From the reports we have been getting in, the hotel is already BOOKED SOLID, but have hope, there are fine hotels in the immediate area that have some rooms available. The show's arrangements are all complete and the excitement of the WAACE is show is building with each passing day. Waace has become a "must do annual event" for most east coast Atari ebnthusiasts. If you've never attended an Atari show, this is by far, the one to do. Of course, there has to be a very good reason most of us come back every year to WAACE. Come find out for yourself. Its a wonderful show. See you there! Ralph...... """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" > STR Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard" ============= STReport's MailBag ================== An open letter to Atari... September, 1991 To: The Atari Corporation Subj: Laser Printer Suggestion Dear Sirs, I am considering the purchase of a new printer for my Atari Mega ST4 computer. My current printer (a Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Plus) has served me well, but now I want higher speed and better quality. I recently saw a demonstration of an Atari SLM804 laser printer, and I was very impressed with the throughput from a Mega 4 running the Calamus desktop publishing program. Such fast print time (< 30 seconds) is particularly impressive when compared to "industry standard" printers like the Apple LaserWriter. I often must wait 6 minutes or more to print complex MacDraw II documents on a Postscript LaserWriter IINT at work. When printing a similar Calamus document, even my DeskJet+ is faster than this! I think Atari made a really good decision when you chose to make a "dumb" printer with a fast interface, instead of a "smart" printer with a slow interface. Unfortunately, most other computer manufacturers chose the latter. Because of this, the Atari laser printer is difficult or impossible to use with an IBM PC or Apple Macintosh ("real" or emulated). And there are also times in Atari mode when at least a minimally intelligent printer is desirable. Not all ST programs support the Atari laser printer, and not all STs have enough memory to use it. The factors mentioned above have caused a lot of Atari owners (including myself) to buy other brands of printers. However, I think there is a way to sell more Atari printers, both to present and future Atari owners, and to owners of "other" computers. The replacement for the Atari SLM804, the SLM605, shares many internal components with the Epson EPL-6000 "Action Laser." But, unlike the EPL-6000, the SLM605 does not have the internal memory, processor, interface, or cartridge ports necessary to emulate the HP LaserJet II printer. I propose that the LaserJet emulation capability of the EPL-6000 be offered as either an option, or as standard equipment, on the SLM605. Depending on cost, either a smart (electronic), or a dumb (mechanical) switch could be used to select between the Atari direct memory access (DMA) port and the printer's parallel and/ or serial interfaces. This kind of switch is not without precedent in the printer industry. Apple LaserWriters have two interfaces (AppleTalk & RS-232), and the HP LaserJet III has three (RS-232, Centronics, and AppleTalk). This multi-mode capability would give the SLM605 owner the best of both worlds: fast DMA print-out from Atari programs that support the SLM804/605, and compatibility with other programs and computers (or emulators) that don't. And, because this printer would be compatible with all MS-DOS computers (including the line of Atari PC clones), it might even compete with other HP LaserJet clones like the EPL-6000. Just imagine the impact on the ST/TT market if there was an existing base of home and business printers out there with Atari DMA ports in them. Please tell me if you think this concept is technically or financially feasible. I would be willing to pay extra for a LJII emulation option, but considering the list prices of the EPL-6000 and the SLM605, this does not seem necessary. Sincerely, Ray Perry Director, Atari Special Interest Group McDonnell Douglas Recreational Computer Club 635 Burning Tree Drive, Apt. C Chesterfield, MO 63017 (314) 469-1214 (home) (314) 777-3879 (work) GEnie address: R.PERRY6 from GEnie, STReport's Category Category 26, Topic 2 Message 160 Mon Sep 30, 1991 ATARIUSER [THE KING] at 22:36 EDT LLoyd, I offer an alternative to the slide of membership rolls among Atari User Groups. I have been a member of such a user group since 1979 and have been it's president for more years than I want to think about. I have found that the basic type of person buying Atari computers have changed. In the old days, 8-bit and the first few years of the 16-bit, the people buying Atari's were hobbiests. They tended to join clubs because this was their hobby. I find that now-a-days the type of person buying ATARI computers are buying a tool and not a home computer, as a hobby. In L.A. we have more than a few musicians. They are buying a tool to ad to their studio and to help them make a living. Very few are hobbiests. We now have people that buy Atari's because they are perfect, low cost, DTP systems, etc. These people, too, are not hobbiests but are interested in the technical aspects of the machine and not the recreational pleasures. The two above mentioned types of recent ATARI owners tend not to have the time or inclination to regularly attend club meetings. They may come to a meeting, once, get some questions answered and are never seen again. This is my observation as to what I feel is the major reason for the decline of club memberships. I feel that this will hold true even as Atari ownership increases in the future. <sigh> JKT ------------ Got an opposing viewpoint? Let's hear from you. ___________________________________________________________ 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 Judith Hamner John Szczepanik Dan Stidham Contributing Correspondents: ---------------------------- Michael Lee Richard Covert Roger Stevens Brian Converse Oliver Steinmeier Tim Holt Andrew Learner Norman Boucher Ben Hamilton Neil Bradley Eric Jerue Ron Deal Robert Dean Ed Westhusing James Nolan Joe Mirando Vernon W. Smith 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.......................... 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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! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport International Online Magazine Available through more than 10,000 Private BBS systems WorldWide! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" October 04, 1991 16/32bit Magazine copyright 1987-91 No.7.40 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 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. 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