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==(((((((((( == Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE =========(( === ----------------------------------------- =======(( ===== May 3, 1991 Issue #91-18 =====(( ======= ----------------------------------------- ==(((((((((( == (c)1989-1990-1991, Z*Net Publishing CONTENTS Z*Net Newswire................................................ Bob Brodie Report....................................John Nagy Z*Net AtariWatch 1991......................................... AtariUser Magazine In Conference....................Ron Kovacs Gribnif Update - Part II.........................Press Release Calamus Tutorial - Part XI.......................Geoff LaCasse ColorScan and Seurat 2.2.........................Press Release Z*Net Software Shelf............................Ron Berinstein Great Lakes Computer Conference..................Press Release Public Domian Update.............................Keith Macnutt GFA Basic Update.................................Press Release ======================================================================= Z*NET NEWSWIRE -------------- ======================================================================= ATARI TO BEGIN DIRECT SHOW SPONSORSHIP The first Atari-run Atari show will occur this November in Chicago, with the local assistance of the LCACE user group there. This will pioneer a new effort to provide wide-ranging shows with a variety of companies involved, including non-Atari-specific vendors in a large trade show atmosphere. Real working seminars and training sessions are to be developed as well. The Chicago show is also planned to be a major gathering of 8-bit developers and users. Atari will not reduce their support for user-group sponsored shows, nor will they compete with them. FSM GDOS "Under $100", IN 60 DAYS Atari's Bob Brodie and Mike Fulton announced that the long-awaited scalable font GDOS will very likely be sold to existing users at a price "under $100" and that it will include a full single font family of Ultrascript fonts. Plans also are to include it automatically with new Mega STe and TT computers, already installed on their hard drives. WORDUP! PURCHASE BY ATARI CONFIRMED Atari is in fact purchasing the source code and rights to WORDUP!, a graphics and word processing system that pioneered the document processing field in the Atari market. While plans are not complete at this time, Bob Brodie said when asked at a Southern California user meeting that Atari may revise the program and re-name it. Possibilities include bundling it with the FSM GDOS and offering it as a free startup package in all new Mega STe and TT computers. While Atari is NOT supporting existing WORDUP! owners at this time, it is possible that the eventual Atari product will be made available as an upgrade for WORDUP! owners. WORD PERFECT PULLS ATARI DEVELOPMENT Word Perfect gave preliminary notice that they intend to abandon support efforts for the Atari platform for their high-end word processing system, currently at version 4.1 on the Atari and 5.x on most other platforms. Support has continued until now with small revisions and upgrades every few months. Reasons for the decision are based on the cancellation of a standing 10,000 unit order from Atari Germany, who had been including Word Perfect with all high-line Atari computers sold. The bundle has been canceled under pressure from German developers who don't want their own word processing products to be slighted. While the last word is not in on this matter, it looks dim for any hope of eventual new Word Perfect versions for the Atari. 1.44 MEG FLOPPY TO COME FOR MEGA, TT Existing Mega and TT computers still have the 720K drives, while many computers now offer higher density 1.44 meg drives. Atari explains that the Western Digital controller chip used by Atari (and required at the BIOS level for compatibility with nearly every ST program on the market) will not run at a sufficiently high speed to reliably handle the high density format at the unusually high data speeds used in the Atari computers. When negotiations with Western Digital began regarding a new custom chip, Western notified Atari that it wasn't even planning to continue to produce the unit Atari already uses. Agreements for engineering a totally new chip were made, and Atari's facility in Israel is nearly finished with a more capable alternative. Best news is that Atari made sure to SOCKET the controller chip on new machines, allowing even users to upgrade the chip and drive unit when they become available. LYNX AUTO ADAPTOR RELEASED Lynx owners will be able to plug in to the cigarette lighter in any automobile for power by using the new adaptor from Atari. To be released immediately, it will provide power for a pair of Lynx units, allowing ComLynx games to be used as well. Pricing was not available at press time but is expected to be well under $20. ======================================================================= "BRODIEFEST" A HIT IN SOTHERN CALIFORNIA ---------------------------------------- by John Nagy ======================================================================= Atari's Manager of User Group Services, Bob Brodie, has been making appearances at user group gatherings across the US for all of his 18 months on the job. But perhaps the most organized and largest appearance was last Saturday, April 27, in Glendale, California. Over 200 people from more than six different clubs came to see Bob in a theater setting above the Glendale Public Library. Bob addressed the group from a lectern on the stage, and had a warm reception to his talk about Atari, history, and his own experiences both before and after joining Atari. Of particular interest were his observations of where Atari is going now, and how recent professional shows were changing the perception of Atari in the commercial world. Bob spoke for about an hour, then returned after a break to take questions. These were done in an unusual manner. All visitors were given a numbered ticket when they entered, and tickets were pulled from a fishbowl one at a time for questions. While some persons did not have a question, most did, and in about an hour of Q&A, all tickets were drawn, assuring that every visitor had their chance to ask whatever they wanted. In the remaining half hour, Bob took more lively questions via traditional hand-raising. The answers to hard questions were characteristicly clear and pointed. Bob only said "I can't tell you the answer" when the matter was something he truly didn't know about... and he said so. Specific newsworthy announcements and information from the meeting are in the NEWSWIRE, but in general: * Atari is moving to market itself in the areas where it excels. These now include the Publishing field, as demonstrated at the recent CEPS show. Bob was himself impressed with the showing of professional level hardware and software at CEPS, and described the warm and excited reactions of the attendees there. * Future machines from Atari will continue as extensions from the ST/TOS lineup, and software portability up the range of coming machines is absolutely to be expected. * The 8-bit line is officially dead at Atari as a production machine. While still competent, it cannot compete in price comparison and marketing viability with the lower line ST. Bob talked about plans to institute a trade-in program for 8-bit Atari owners. It may come this summer or fall, and give a terrific discount on the remaining 520STFM units in stock. The 520STe is coming, and the older model is ripe for a special deal. It was suggested that ST owners be allowed a trade deal to move to TTs as well, and Bob promised to take that suggestion back to Atari President Greg Pratt, who is engineering the plans for the 8-bit trade deal. * Atari is taking a leadership role in organizing and producing what have been known as "Atarifests". There is to be careful avoidance of any stepping of user group efforts where the groups want to do them, and Atari will support responsible efforts wherever they can. But Atari will initiate and execute major shows of their own. These, too, may be using volunteer and paid help from local Atari clubs. The first of Atari's Computer Shows is scheduled for November in Chicago. It will be billed as a cross-brand show, sponsored by Atari, and efforts will be made to bring in other major manufacturers of computers and peripherals. Also attending the talk was Mike Fulton, Atari's newest technical support man for developers. Mike was able to add a great of tech detail for a variety of questions when Bob was out of his depth. Other notable visitors were representatives from CODEHEAD, SOFTAWARE, GADGETS BY SMALL, SLICCWARE, THE COMPUTER NETWORK, ST INFORMER, Z*NET, and ATARIUSER MAGAZINE. Copies of Z*Net Monthly and AtariUser were freely distributed and held the attention of most of the crowd through the break. When the meeting adjourned, it was only to re-form at The Computer Network, a nearby Atari Dealer. There, an open house had been advertised via direct mail and posters, as well as a handout at the Brodie talk. The above-mentioned developers had arranged display stations at the store, and refreshments were offered by the store. The crowds in the store were dramatic and enthusiastic. Special pricing was offered and snatched up by the buyers. Tony Lee, one of the co- owners of The Computer Network, reported that the three-day sales total for Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday (they are closed Mondays) around the open house was more than $25,000 above the average for the period (about $4,000). Needless to say, he's very happy. So are the developers who saw a great reception and sales resulting from their efforts. Visitor logs at the store show that people came as far as several hundred miles to see the Saturday events. The result of the very satisfying meeting and open house may bring about a new concept for Dealers and User Groups. "BrodieFests" are easy and inexpensive to arrange, and can give everyone a great Saturday event. Less than a show and more than a visit, this type of event can really offer an attractive forum for Bob and third-party developers to meet with users and to support dealers. This BrodieFest was arranged by John King Tarpinian and his group H.A.C.K.S. of the Los Angeles area. John has already begun plans for a series of similar events, and has invited such developers as Nathan Potechin of ISD (CALAMUS, DYNACADD) to give technical seminars or training meetings. Given the proven potential for attendance and sales, these targeted events could be the next wave for user groups to sponsor. ======================================================================= Z*NET ATARIWATCH 1991 CALENDAR ------------------------------ ======================================================================= Here's the schedule of 1991 Atari appearances as scheduled at this time. Entries marked "Bob Brodie at..." are typically speaking engagements or appearances at clubs, dealers, or small non-Atari specific shows. May 4-5 The Windsor Atari Users Group of Windsor, Ontario, Canada and the Washtenaw Atari Users Group of Ann Arbor, MI are hosting the Windsor/ Detroit International AtariFest on May 4 and 5 at the St. Clair College of Arts and Technology in Windsor. Atari Canada and U.S. will both attend. Contact Craig Harvey, WAUG - Ann Arbor at 313-994-5619 or Brian Cassidy, WAUG - Windsor at 519-966-0305. May 18 Bob Brodie in Orlando Florida June 1-4 Summer Consumer Electronic Show (CES) Las Vegas Nevada June 12 Bob Brodie in Sacramento California June 15-16 PACIFIC NORTHWEST ATARIFEST June 15th and 16th at the Steveston Senior Secondary School, 10440 Number Two Road, Richmond B.C. Canada. This is the first major Canadian Atari show west of Toronto, and is just across the US border from Seattle. Contact Terry Schreiber at (604) 275-7944, T.Schreiber1 on GEnie, or Node #505 Atari West BBS on F-Net. July 20 Bob Brodie at BRACE, Asheville North Carolina (Sheldon Winnick) July 27 A third AtariFest is planned at Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, July 27th, sponsored jointly by the user groups at Indianapolis and Bloomington known as MIST (Mid-Indiana ST). MIST AtariFest III will be held at CADRE, Inc., 6385 Castleplace Drive, Indianapolis, In. Leave mail on GEnie to (Bill) W.LORING1, or call 812-336-8103. August 8-11 GENCON Gamers Convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin August 23-25 Dusseldorf Atarimesse. This is the huge all-Atari show held annually in Germany. Contact Alwin Stumph, Frankfurterstrasse 89-91, 6096 Raunheim. Phone 49-6142-2090 fax 49-6142-209180 September 14-15 The Southern California ATARI Computer Faire, Version 5.0, also known as THE GLENDALE SHOW has been confirmed for September 14 and 15, 1991. Contact: H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203, or call John King Tarpinian, Faire Chairperson, 818-246-7286. October 12-13 WAACE show Washington DC October 21-25 Fall COMDEX Las Vegas Nevada November 23-24 Chicago Atari Computer Show BY ATARI. Contact Larry Grauzas, P.O. Box 8788, Waukegan, IL 60079-8788, phone 708-566-0671. Administrated by the Lake County Atari Computer Enthusiasts (LCACE). ======================================================================= ATARIUSER MAGAZINE IN CONFERENCE -------------------------------- Courtesy GEnie ST RT ======================================================================= Edited by Ron Kovacs <[Sysop] JEFF.W> The past few weeks have seen the premier of a new magazine for users of Atari products. AtariUser Magazine from Quill Publishing is here and we have some of the people who put it together with us this evening. Included among our guests are editor-in-chief John Nagy, assistant editor John King Tarpinian, and coordinating editor Gantry Gappmayer. They may have sneaked one or more staffers in on me, which is fine...the more the merrier. I'll let them introduce themselves. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Hi! Glad to see so many people interested in ATARIUSER! We used to be ST JOURNAL... but the glossy mag business is VERY expensive. We can do 10 issues in the ATARIUSER format for each we did in Gloss. We have done 30,000 issues in our first issue and it went out EARLY! Our turn around time is only about 1 week between final edits and mailing... making us almost as timely as the online magazines. But more colorful. I have lots to say, but lets go to questions, and I;ll fill in as we go. John King Tarpinian is the Vice-Editor and he is here too, along with Gantry Gappmeyer,office manager. <[Sysop] JEFF.W> Let's start with the cover price, guys. How can this magazine be free (or close to free)? I love great value like this, but how does that work? :-) <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> OK, well, we found that charging 4.50 wasn't enough to make a profit, so we dropped it altogether. Seriously, the turnout time for getting the cover price back to us from news stand sales made it unusable for real functioning as a startup magazine, so we tried something that has worked regionally here in California. The free computer mags are paid for by the ads. Its that simple. Now, making that work nationally with such disparate distribution, that's been the biggest hurdle. But the first 30,000 are gone, and we at least broke even. Next month, 35,000+ and maybe even a profit. <[Ronaldo] P.PEPIN> Where can I get this Magazine, I live in CT, and unfortunately there are not many Atari users here - I have only seen 2 ST magazines, START and ATARI Explorer.. <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> Ronaldo, leave us E-mail and we will tell you where we shipped. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We do 90% of our distribution to dealers of Atari "stuff", plus to every user group we can find. Bob Brodie was a help on both those fronts. We have a slew of corrections for him now, too! <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> We still have a lot of groups that only have P.O. boxes. We have to have a street address to ship UPS. <[Sysop] JEFF.W> Renaldo, are you a member of a user group? <[Ronaldo] P.PEPIN> Well, I just got an Atari a few months ago, when I was invited to a F.A.C.E. meeting (An Atari User group based in Fairfield) but for the last few months there has not been a meeting. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We have distribution through TOWER BOOKS and are trying to get into other chains, but we are hitting an understanding problem... They can't understand how to take a free mag. We even let them charge a dollar if they want to. They can't fathom it. We do offer a subscription program for those who cant find it otherwise. For $15, you'll get us every month at your home... call 1-800-333-3567 and we'll sign you up. We really want to get more dealer drops and user groups listed too. TELLUS. <[duane] D.BRANKLEY> Are you going to try to be like Current Notes, the mag for the Washington DC area? <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> For those who have not seen us yet, AtariUser is a newsprint-ish 40 page color and b&w magazine, covering all the Atari lines. Even the 8-bit. And we put it in dealers and groups FREE, 50 a pop. <D.BRANKLEY> I just got my frist issue Sat at my user group meeting. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We are not like any other mag, in that we are a professional Atari Monthly covering even the Lynx and Portfolio, NOT a user-group collective. We also go to 30,000 places, not a few thousand. How did it go over there, Duane? <[duane] D.BRANKLEY> it is great and please Include the Store L&Y electronics in woodbridge on your list to put them out... we L O V E it! thanks very much!!!!! <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Our writers are professionals from many other magazines who are excited about the direction we are taking... not preaching or pandering, just trying to help USERS to USE their ATARI's. We are offering a special deal for those attending tonight... not only do we have a free magazine, those here RIGHT NOW can have one 25 word FREE classified ad in our July issue. We normally charge $25 for this, and the reach (35,000 ATARIUSERS) is great. And we'll send email to each with the details. More goodies a bit later. <[Bad Dot] D.A.BRUMLEVE> I'd like to say that I am very impressed with the editorial content and features of your mag. But what I'd like to discuss is the mini-reviews. I'm afraid you may take some flack because they are not in-depth reviews, but, in fact, it's really neat to see four products on an open leaf. I hope you will expand this feature so that mini-reviews take up 4-8 pages. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We have had no negative comments (til now) about the short reviews... if you are complaining... we do want to go a third page anyway, but pages cost plenty. <[Bad Dot] D.A.BRUMLEVE> Your reviewers gave me a real feeling for whether I'd like these programs. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> That's our intention. Its great fun editing a 1,000 word review (the writers think that's short) to 300 for the mag. <[Bad Dot] D.A.BRUMLEVE> It isn't necessary to know about every feature to make that kind of judgment, and I hope the mini-reviews will continue. I hope also that you'll have the money to expand. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We will go to 48 pages soon (hopehope) We have a great 6 page review of Document Processors in the next issue by Jim Peirson Perry, doing 6 programs in depth. I am very impressed with this one. But i bleed when I see 6 pages go away. Oh well. You'll like it. <B.MALATESTA> Well first great magazine and second, have you ever thought about putting AtariUser were no Atari magazine as ever gone before. With the expanded information and the excellent price a freeby to lynx and other Atari buyers would certainly enhance Atari's position in the future. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Have you any suggestions as to where that might be? We want those ideas. Call us. <B.MALATESTA> Ok here goes, how about getting such a great magazine were the Atari buyers of tomorrow spend their money. Not just bookstores. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We also are doing some overseas and Canada distribution, but it COSTS A LOT to ship. That's why we ask Dealers to pay shipping, and we also are asking groups that CAN to send $6 a bundle too, to be sure we can ship to those who can't. <B.MALATESTA> See many people say " Atari they still" why not use this great product to let alot more people know on the other ends of the computer world. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We are working thru a list of 2,000+ dealers... We sure want to expand, and we find that we can probably place 100,000 copies into distribution... if we could PAY for it. We can't, not with the resources of the current advertisers. But we're working on it. <[Mike @ LCACE] M.BROWN56> John/all- Can you elaborate on the "preferred" method for authors to submit materials to you? What kind of material are you currently in need of for the mag? <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Mike, talk to us via EMAIL here. We need reviewlets most of all. We have a GREAT staff of writers... Clint Smith, he's here tonight too, does the LYNX column and is uniquly qualified to cover it. <[Mike @ LCACE] M.BROWN56> Also- would you please post a textfile with your ad rates? <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> BJ GLEASON, writer of PBASIC and great stuff for the Portfolio, is covering the Port. We have Norm Weinress, JKT here, Jim Pierson Perry, Dave Plotkin, and lots more. We have special articles authored by Nathan Potechin, George Woodside (VKILLER) and more. But submissions are welcome. Now the announcement: We are now going to include the well-known Z*NET NEWSWIRE service starting with the next issue. Z*Net is in STart magazine now, and is also part of the support for PD JOURNAL in Germany and soon to be in a major UK glossy. Jeff, can you have Ron Kovacs take a bow? <[Sysop] JEFF.W> Ron...take a bow. <[Ron Kovacs] Z-NET> Hi... Bowing...... <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Thanks, Mike! You too are part of Z*NET, so you are part of the base of AtariUser already. <[Ron Kovacs] Z-NET> John.. Just a note... You forgot to mention Dr. Paul Keith... and just another note to say thanks and good luck with AtariUser and we are pleased to be a part of it! <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> I want to ask any user groups to send me ideas for articles. My column is supposed to be for all clubs. I will consider any idea submitted. <[Mike @ LCACE] M.BROWN56> Thanks all- <[Chuck ==>] DATAQUE.1> I think for AU to hit the big ##'s, there has to be a good balance between the $15 Individual and $72 UG cost. There are quite a few small UG which cannot swallow $72, but do not want to take a freebee, or pitch half the mags. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Come again with the 72$ UG cost?? <[Chuck ==>] DATAQUE.1> $6x12 <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Oh, yearly. Sorry, that's to 600 issues. Divide that up and see if its cheaper. As I said, we are asking the groups who can afford it to pay, so that the others can ride it out. By the way, Chuch is the 8-bit writer for us, and does know the 8-bit Atari as well as anyone anywhere. <[Chuck ==>] DATAQUE.1> Well, if there are only 10-15 users, they end up pitching 40 mags. Just seems there could be a middle ground somewhere. Also, I think some larger bookstores (as you mentioned earliier) need to carry it, for those isolated people. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We also suggest that groups do a page or two newsletter and stuff AtariUser with it, place them at the dealer, and watch their membership grow. <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> We gave out 200 magazines with an insert when Bob visited Sat. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Pitching 40 copies is ridiculous.. put them at a library or school. I can't imagine not finding a home for 50. We also imagine that getting the new issue MIGHT be a draw for the meetings... just maybe,,, ;^} <[john@GE_Lamp] ST-GUEST> The $385 STe price on the inside cover. Have you figured a way around dealing with that @ keeping the "dealers" happy and the advertisers happy too? I can see both sides - who do you make happy? (BTW:Great issue!) <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Good question. Probably not. Seriously.... I am offended, at first, that dealers are upset with an ad in our mag that would not draw the first comment when it appears (SOON) in START or ST INFORMER... I suppose we must take a different profile to an extent because we are "free" whether it makes sense or NOT.... But we have made new policy re price ads for discounted Atari hardware. I think we will find a happy medium. I hope. Ideas, again, are solicited. <[john@GE_Lamp] ST-GUEST> Interesting situation. I feel for ya... good luck. Thanks <R.CARPENTE18> Exactly how does a user group (or a store, for that matter) get on your distribution list? <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> Our first mailing was to groups registered with ATARI. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> With the degree of reader support we have had to date, the dealer objections really pale, BTW. <[John King T.] G.GAPPMAYER1> The only registered groups that did not get them were those that had a P.O. Box. We have to have a STREET address for UPS. <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Thanks John... we are also helping Atari update their own list. Everybody wins. <R.CARPENTE18> Yep, how do we get you guys a street address? <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> Send EMAIL to ATARIUSER or call us 800-333-3567. Easy? <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We are still looking for suggestions for what to put on the T shirt OTHER than our logo... ideas? <[John Morales] ATARI-MIDI> some one say something watching Nolan Ryan do another no Hitter <[John Nagy] ATARIUSER> We considered. "I'm an ATARIUSER... please speak slowly..." just kidding. Winning so far is "ATARIUSER... FREE, PICK ME UP!" Any other ideas, let us know. If the world could see the SENDS I'm getting just now!!! Bob Brodie suggests, "FCC TYPE B Approved User" ======================================================================= (C) 1991 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables. May be reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on GEnie are *official* information services of Atari Corporation. 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 XJM11877, GEnie and hit RETURN. The system will prompt you for your information. ======================================================================= ======================================================================= GRIBNIF UPDATE - PART II ------------------------ Press Release ======================================================================= GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT TO CARRY CARDFILE™ PROGRAM HADLEY, MA (April 23, 1991) -- Gribnif Software is proud to announce that effective immediately an agreement has been reached with GT Software under which Gribnif Software shall take over all marketing, distribution, and support of GT Software's powerful CardFile™ address/ phone/appointment book program for the Atari ST. Rick Flashman, president of Gribnif Software, stated "CardFile is one of those practical programs that you can not do without. Probably its greatest attraction is its aesthetic simplicity, which makes it so easy to use". Gribnif Software will immediately be releasing a brand new version of CardFile which includes several enhancements and a brand new manual. Owners of previous versions of CardFile will be able to upgrade to the new Gribnif Software version for a reasonable fee. Registered owners of older versions of CardFile should contact Gribnif Software for upgrade information. CardFile™ is a trademark of GT Software. Exclusively marketed and distributed by Gribnif Software. All Rights Reserved. GRIBNIF SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES CARDFILE™ 3, AN EXITING NEW VERSION OF THIS AMAZING PROGRAM Gribnif Software is proud to announce the release of the newest addition to their software line: CardFile™ 3 - The Personal Information Manager This amazing program is a complete Rolodex® style address book and phone list manager. Each card holds up to 14 different fields of information. A powerful "filter" feature lets you instantly find any specific address or phone number. Its powerful appointment calendar keeps track of all your appointments and important dates. At the touch of a button, it will even print your daily or weekly agenda. Never forget another birthday or meeting! CardFile also can insert an address into your word processor, address envelopes, print mailing labels, or even dial the phone. To make things even more convenient, both program and desk accessory versions are included to allow access to your data at all times. CardFile data can easily be imported into your spreadsheet, mail merge, and database software. It works with all Atari computers and even has special hooks to interface with NeoDesk® 3 - The Ultimate Desktop. When you call CardFile, it displays its information in a convenient GEM window with all the necessary control buttons clearly visible within its window. This visual approach makes CardFile one of the easiest to use programs of its class. Owners of previous versions of CardFile should contact Gribnif Software for complete upgrade information. CardFile 3 is available immediately for $39.95 from Gribnif Software and includes a complete, easy to read, manual. To order, either call us at (413) 584-7887 or use the following order form: ==== CardFile 3 Order Form ============================================ Shipping Info: Name: _______________________________ Company: _______________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________ Town: ______________________ State/Province: _________________________ Country: ___________________ Zip/Postal Code: ________________________ Daytime Phone Number: _________________________________________________ (In case we have any questions about your order) Order Info: CardFile 3 - Personal Information Manager.................. __$39.95_ Shipping & Handling (USA $2, Canada $3, Foreign $5)........ _________ If in Mass, please add 5% sales tax........................ _________ Total...................................................... _________ Payment Info: Payment Method: Check ( ) MasterCard/Visa ( ) Money Order ( ) Credit Card #: ____________ - ____________ - ____________ - ___________ Expiration Date: ___ / ___ Bank card is issued by: ___________________ Cardholder's Name (exactly as on card): _______________________________ Cardholder's signature: _______________________________________________ Note: If paying by check or money order, be sure to enclose payment in U.S. funds issued on a U.S. Bank (or U.S. Branch). We cannot take payment on checks issued in a foreign bank (even if it is in U.S. funds) Mail To: Attn: CardFile Orders Gribnif Software P.O. Box 350 Hadley, MA 01035 Expect about 2-3 weeks to receive your order. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (413) 584-7887. We would be glad to answer any questions you might have. CardFile™ is a trademark of GT Software. NeoDesk® is a registered trademark of Gribnif Software. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders. CardFile is exclusively marketed and distributed by Gribnif Software. All Rights Reserved. ======================================================================= CALAMUS TUTORIAL - PART XI -------------------------- Copyright by Geoff LaCasse ======================================================================= GXR Systems, Vancouver, B.C. This session, I wrap up the Calamus tutorial with a discussion of several advanced topics. Calamus at its highest level is a very powerful program, but its mastery can take several hundred hours. Ten short sessions can do little more than indicate Calamus's areas of utility. Such efforts will be rewarded, but you will need to expand your vision beyond the bounds of this tutorial. Here are a few topics which need to be explored. I have alluded to--on several occasions--the CALAMUS.HLP file which forms an integral element in Calamus (located in the SYS folder). The HLP file supplies the help messages in the upper right screen, but more importantly is the means to a mouse-less quick-key command structure. We have seen a few examples: the main icon pads are accessible with the function keys f1 through f5, ALT-E brings up the Text Editor, and ALT-P the print menu. The HLP file is a text file with 'hooks' to Calamus's icon command structure. Use a text editor or word processor to look at the file. Each line begins with a number. The numbers 1-385 signify the tertiary icon pad (Calamus's basic commands); 2049-2087 are Calamus's secondary icon pad; 4097-4116, the primary icon pad; and 8196-8277, commands in the drop-down menus. To the right of each number is a familiar Calamus command, to its right in some cases a letter or number (the latter preceded by f or F). The letter is the keyboard equivalent for the icon, used in conjunction with ALT (ALT-E, ALT-P). The function keys differ slightly: f plus a number designates the standard function keys along the top of the keyboard, F includes the SHIFT key. Substitute custom for default values, add other keyboard keys, and save the file in ASCII format (no word processor codes). Keyboard 'quick-keys' are particularly useful when moving from one primary icon pad to another. No need to move your hands from the keyboard to the mouse, or waste time clicking on several levels of icons. Press ALT-A or B or C, or F1 or 2 or 3. These quick-keys provide one means to speed document production, macros are another. MACROS is one of the more powerful, albeit least understood, features of Calamus. Macro is probably a misnomer. Snapshot would be a better word: a snapshot of a current Text Ruler (including tabs and Paragraph Justification), Text Style (Font, Point size), or text. Import a moderate size plain text file (no codes) from your favorite word-processor into a document, load the default macro file which came with your Calamus disks, and open the text editor. Macros are active with the key combination CONTROL plus a designated key. Place the cursor at some point in the text, and insert one of the macros. Insert it again. Return to your document layout. The first insertion places a [TEXT RULER] or [STYLE] at the insertion point. The second insertion, because it's last in a chain, overrides the first and becomes the default value until the next [TEXT RULER] or [STYLE] code is encountered. One of the insertions is superfluous. Chaining can be a serious problem; different Text Rulers or Styles can mask one another. Insert the BODY TEXT macro, then the HEADLINE macro, at the same point in the text. When you return to the document, HEADLINE will take precedence. Because placement is critical, insert Rulers or Style changes in the Text Editor, rather than from the document. Indiscriminately adding macros at the document level can cause undesirable text changes. For example, replacing the Headline style with some other in the example above from the document will be successful only if we are able to place the cursor right after Headline. This will not always be possible, particularly in complex formatted documents. Delete the old and place the new from within the Text Editor. Create macros from clean, un-styled text. The macro menu (TEXT, far right icon pad) contains four icon options, including LOAD MACRO FILE, SAVE MACRO FILE, DEFINE MACRO, and CHANGE MACRO. MARK START and MARK END OF BLOCK (and their Text drop-down menu equivalents) are used with the text clipboards and not Macros. If you do not get what you want on the first attempt, go into the text editor and delete the old macro, then try again. When satisfied with the results, save your macros to disk. Different Macro files, each with a different purpose, may be saved and loaded. My thanks to Ron Grant for the material on Macros. ROTATING TEXT in Calamus is easy, and very powerful. Select a text frame (preferably a headline), go to FRAMES, ROTATED TEXT, and FRAME SPECIAL FUNCTIONS. Replace the default 0.0 (degrees) value with another, press RETURN, and click on ROTATE FRAME. Repeat the process with a new value. Rotation is from right to left in tenths of a degree. An entire frame contents will be rotated. Click on RECONVERT ROTATED TEXT to reduce angle to 0.0. MERGE DOCUMENTS from the FILE drop-down menu. Documents should have similar document formats (single or double-sided, letter or legal, portrait or landscape) otherwise Calamus may be unable to complete the task or rather unusual effects will occur. QUICK ST, TURBO ST, and BUTTONFIXER can improve Calamus's efficiency. Atari 1040s and old Megas have slow screen refresh and scrolling. Quick ST and TurboST will boost this performance substantially, certainly enough to justify their cost. Buttonfixer, a public domain program, improves selecting one frame from a stack. Buttonfixer is especially useful if you have TOS 1.4 and above. Calamus comes with two fonts, Swiss and Times. Neither are very satisfactory: kerning values are poor, and print quality sub-standard on a laser or inkjet printer. Use instead the Compugraphic fonts available from ISD or third-party from a variety of sources. I use Cherry Fonts because the quality is excellent (and the family font packages are cheaper than those available from Compugraphics). Some of the public domain fonts are good, but most have the same faults as those which come with Calamus. Other features include the ability to use a monochrome and high resolution (1280 by 960) monitor at the same time. Documents can be saved with or without creating a backup (.BAK) files. You can Search and Replace text and style features. Its possible to export text created in Calamus. Document size is limited only by available memory, although those longer than 20 pages can become unwieldy. Documents which exceeds your computer's memory will crash Calamus. I hope you enjoyed this rather brief introduction to Calamus. Within the next few months we should see the next generation of Calamus which will replace many of the features presented here. The wait will be worth it. Next week, I begin a column which I modestly entitle ATARI'S FUTURE. The column will focus on Atari hardware and software and their application to a rapidly changing computer environment. How does Atari fit in the computer world of the 1990's? What software will keep the company at the forefront and encourage sales? What does the user need and want? ======================================================================= COLORSCAN AND SEURAT 2.2 ------------------------ Press Release ======================================================================= ANNOUNCING THE COLORSCAN PROGRAM TURNS YOUR MiGRAPH HANDSCANNER INTO A COLOR SCANNER! An AMAZING New Product from SKWare One! IT DOES WHAT NO OTHER PROGRAM CAN! Don't you wish your MiGraph Handscanner could SCAN IN COLOR as easily as it does in Black-and-White? Wouldn't that be wonderful? Well, guess what, IT CAN! No, it doesn't require hardware modification. ALL YOU NEED is the Amazing New COLORSCAN program from SKWare One! COLORSCAN converts those scanned monochrome .IMG files that the Handscanner produces into sharp, detailed brilliant COLOR PICTURES! COLORSCAN's Great Color Conversions can be saved in virtually every Atari Picture Format, eight in all! You choose from Degas, NeoChrome, TINY, Deluxe Paint .IFF, Atari HyperPaint, the NEW GEM COLOR .IMG files (in ST/TT format), and extended range (20-color) SPECTRUM Files (in STe colors)! COLORSCAN is fully STe-4096-Color Capable and contains a powerful multi- featured palette editor so you can customize your colors! Yet, COLORSCAN is simple to use, with a host of convenient features (like self-scrolling windows) and lots of options. I can't compare the COLORSCAN program to any other program, because the totally NEW COLORSCAN is UNIQUE! There simply is NOTHING ELSE LIKE IT! And, it's as easy as 1-2-3! Just load your scanned .IMG file, click on the Convert button, and watch as COLORSCAN's fast and powerful algorithms turn black bits into a dazzling color picture that develops right before your eyes! Just save your great picture and you're ready for another... and another! COLORSCAN produces remarkable results at a surprisingly affordable price! (Have you priced a color scanner lately?) If you own the MiGraph Handscanner, the COLORSCAN program is a MUST BUY! COLORSCAN IS ONLY $59.95! With 6,000-word User's Manual on-disk (prints two-side on DeskJet). (Requires Color Monitor and 1-Meg ST/STe) MasterCard/VISA accepted THE ONLY WAY you can get the Amazing COLORSCAN is to send your Check, Money Order, or Credit Card Information to: SKWare One / P. O. Box 277 / Bunker Hill, Illinois 62014 USA SHIPPING: SKWare One pays postage on all USA AND CANADIAN orders. For overseas orders (not on North American continent), include an additional $3.00 for surface mail or an additional $4.00 for air mail delivery. (All prices given in US dollars.) UPGRADE POLICY: All Upgrades Are Free For Six Months From Date of Purchase! COLORSCAN will debut at the Windsor-Detroit International AtariFest, May 4-5. Come see it in action if you want to see if it's as good as I say! (It is!) Or, download the COLRIMG8.LZH from GEnie or other major national BBS (requires IMGVIEWR.PRG to view). Having previewed COLORSCAN at a local show last week, what I heard was "You made THAT picture with this program? Uhh, how can I get a copy?" If you have to see it to believe it, then you'll be convinced by seeing COLORSCAN! ANNOUNCING S E U R A T V E R S I O N 2 . 2 The BEST BARGAIN in Atari ST Graphics Programs CONTINUES to get BETTER! SEURAT Version 2.20 adds UNIQUE FEATURES to what was already a GREAT DEAL! * Now you can Create and Edit Graphics in virtually EVERY ATARI PICTURE FORMAT: Degas, TINY, NeoChrome, Deluxe Paint .IFF, MacPaint, and GEM IMG files, including the NEW GEM COLOR .IMG files (any size color .IMG, in ST/TT format; SEURAT is the first program to support these Color .IMG files)! Yes, Now SEURAT Loads and Saves Eight Atari Picture Formats! * EIGHT Image Buffers! Instead of having to work on only a single .IMG file in a single image window, with SEURAT you can edit and exchange between up to eight .IMG (and Degas and Tiny and IFF...) files at once! * Whether you are using the full resources of SEURAT to create and edit Mono .IMG's for your Desktop Publishing or giant Color .IMG's, you can use powerful raster tools and work in a familiar Paint Program environment with full-screen access to .IMG's! Enjoy the best of both worlds! * NOW STE-4096-COLOR Capable! SEURAT's Powerful Palette Editor, with video-like color controls which modify whole palettes with a single mouse stroke, now works in BOTH STe AND ST modes. And, if you work on a ST, it will save your pictures with STe-compatible colors! * SEURAT will load lo-rez COLOR pictures directly into the MONO program and convert them to mono .IMG files, and loads mono .IMG and pix into COLOR and converts them into medium-rez Color .IMG! Lo-rez color converted with editable dithers for superbly detailed printing of color images! SEURAT re-scales color pix to correct for monitor aspect ratio, automatically reproducing the true proportion of color images. No more squashed conversions! * PRINT FROM SEURAT! With built-in drivers for HP DeskJet (and LaserJet & all HP-compatibles), and Epson Nine-pin, too! DeskJet driver outputs at 75/150/300 dots-per-inch in BOTH Portrait and Landscape orientation, and it's positionable on the page to the dot! But that's not all... * Complete PRINTIMG.PRG (it's included with SEURAT) for GDOS printing! PRINTIMG.PRG offers the same capabilities as desktop publishing programs like PAGESTREAM and CALAMUS. Images can be scaled to ANY size, from full-page down to "thumbnail-sketch," re-proportioned, stretched or squished to fit, can be placed anywhere on the page you want it, and in either portrait or landscape orientation, all on any printer for which a GDOS driver exists! (GDOS program not supplied.) * With BOTH BEZIER and SPLINE CURVE DRAWING Tools! Lets your ST draw for you, with a virtually infinite variety of natural-looking curved lines. Quick and easy-to-use, they really speed up your drawing! And SlowMouse, variable-speed mouse makes free-hand drawing easier, too! * FAST Multi-Ratio Zoom (2X to 8X) and BEST ZOOM Interface! * SO MANY FEATURES! System, Degas and GDOS TEXT fonts to scale, style, color and rotate! 11 block functions to shape & twist image blocks; 92 color & mono fill patterns; 42 brushes including user-defined and multi- colored brushes; 4 graphic write modes & 21 block & mask write modes; circle, ellipse & filled disc in free, repeat & concentric modes; round & square-cornered rectangles & solids; rays; airbrush; clear-circle & clear-box; vertical, horizon- tal & free lines; polylines & polygons in line-edge or spline-curve; area & seed fill; user-set clipping; color remap; mirror; screen shift, flip, invert & rotate; fill editor; brush editor; line editor; gobs of great disk functions like Format and a Super File Directory; and a hundred or so other features & tools that there's no room to mention here... Whew! * INDISPENSIBLE for GEM .IMG graphics for your Desktop Publishing! More graphic tools and operations for creating and editing .IMG files than ANY OTHER PROGRAM (no matter how much it costs)! And NOW COLOR .IMG FILES, TOO! SEURAT Loads and Saves Almost EVERY Atari Picture Format! * DON'T BE MISLED by SEURAT's continued LOW PRICE! VERSION 2.2 is a POWER TOOL that out-performs many of the "big-name" programs! SEURAT VERSION 2.20 IS ONLY $39.95! Two-disk set, with 36,000-word User's Manual on-disk: COLOR AND MONO Programs! You Get BOTH! Plus 195 utility and application files (fonts, fills, pix)! (Requires 1-Meg ST with doublesided drive) MasterCard/VISA accepted. THE ONLY WAY you can get a copy of SEURAT is to send your Check, Money Order, or Credit Card Information to: SKWare One / P. O. Box 277 / Bunker Hill, Illinois 62014 USA DeskJet DOC Printer Disk Also Available: You can print out a self- collating two-sided copy of the 92-Page User's Manual on the Hewlett- Packard DeskJet in draft mode with this print package. (You just print the LEFT.DOC, put the stack of paper back in without re-arranging it, then print the RIGHT.DOC, and end up with a collated copy of the User's Manual printed on front and back sides, with staggered margins, ready for binding. If you want a copy of this print package, just ask for the "DeskJet DOC Printer Disk" and include an additional $3.00 ($4.00 overseas air mail). UPGRADE POLICY: All Upgrades Are Free For Six Months From Date of Purchase! And, yes, SEURAT owners, announcement of Version 2.2 means that YOUR upgrade disks will be coming in four to six weeks! ======================================================================= Z*NET SOFTWARE SHELF -------------------- by Ron Berinstein ======================================================================= It was an icy cold night... quickly we closed the car doors and ran to the house... A voice told me that I should be careful... I opened the house door slowly and inspected the room... With finesse I reached for the dimmer switch and created the mood. She swept passed me with the grace of a ballerina, and made her way to the tape collection... No doubt, she was seeking through the assembled collections of Vivaldi, Mozart, Pink Floyd and The Moody Blues. I closed the blinds, and then with deft touch, lit the candles. I imagined that she then would want me to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Looking up she asked for the soft wear... I knew I was on my way to home plate, she wanted to choose from the assortment of silks and satins reserved for "special" events. The show started and then like a lumber jack she stopped me, "Give me your back up tape," she yelled, ... it appeared that she was yet another woman out to only get my soft"ware." You want to play Games you say? CW.ARC (Shareware $5) Colawars v.1.0 is an unusual scrolling action, arcade like game. You will get to travel through five different worlds with only your soda pop projectiles to help you survive. CARD GAMES BY CHARLES BAILY features the first enhanced game of Hearts, with both regular and expert modes of play. Also included, a two deck, four handed Pinochle. HERO II DUNGEON contains four levels.. The first two are modified versions of the original dungeon. Expect to find this file much more difficult than the first. SPLATTER.ARC Two to four player strategy game to be run in low res. This game can very addictive. It is fashioned after REACTION. Source code is available for this game for $3.00. Well, to speak Graphically... WRLDBT.PRG is World Beat, a new STE demo from France. Noel, our STE Demo Spy, tells me that the graphics are "pretty nice." They picture a bouncing world! Also, a side note... This file contains some adult language. FUJISPIN.LZH is a cyber sequence animation of a spinning FUJI logo with it's shadow cast on a checkerboard background. Each frame was run through RezRender's Phong shading routine. You will need ANIMATE4.PRG or CYBER PAINT to view this file. WF_ICONS.LZH will please WordFlair owners... Within the file are custom made ICONS.. Those environmentally concerned computer users will like the RECYCLE ICON intended for use as a replacement for your ST's stock trash can. Has COMIC RELIEF come to ST Users? RICK KEENE COMIC BOOKS has been posted this past week. You will be able to download two computerized comic books, both by Rick Keene. These according to "Gordie" should be reviewed by you first and then if you wish, given to your kids. Calamus Fans can find a new font posted recently. BRNDTNGO.ARC contains Bernard Tangle, a clone of the Bernhard Tangle Font. It has two sets of upper case letters and a set of lower case letters. All of the International characters are included. Compatible with Calamus v.1.09N and with Outline Art. This font is an italicized font with a set of script style upper case letters. PageStream Fans also can rejoice. AMRCNHSD.LZH is the Dictionary Fix for PageStream 1.82 and above. Portfolio users wanting to transfer data may wish to download the file, STFOLIO.LZH. It will tell you how to build a cable to do exactly that between your Portfolio and your ST via the parallel interface. Transferring data is an important issue. Networking has been particularly popular amongst groups of young professionals on the rise in corporate America today. As it relates to ST's, well that is another story. Wanting to make that story a believable and realistic one though are the folks behind UNIVERSAL NETWORK, a low cost solution. They say that theirs is an easy to use network which supports Lantech and SGSnet hardware. You will find more information about this in, UNVET.TXT CALLMAXI.ARC This document describes how programmers can easily call CodeHead Software's powerful MaxiFile III utility, and use it as a "multiple item selector." (LGF's ARC Shell and Aladdin Extractor both make use of the MaxiFile "back door" to select multiple items in a directory.) Extremely detailed information is given here, with example code in assembly language and GFA Basic that can be plugged right into your programs with very little work. Possible applications: word processors (open several documents with one call), terminal programs (choose a list of files to send), graphics programs (load several pictures or images at once), etc. Copyright 1991 CodeHead Software. UIS3_TOO.ARC Read these ARCed files and you too can access UIS's directory buffer. Use UIS 3.3 to select multiple files! Sample assembly code included, as well as a ready to run GFA BASIC LIST file (you'll learn how to read Atari's Cookie Jar as well!). The first in their series of, "It's a GFA BASIC program AND a text file as well!" series of support files. DC_BOOTIT.ARC V.1.0 lets you run boot disks from the desktop. Choose drive A or B, 50 or 60 Hertz, and resolution. A needed addition for accelerated computer owners. LOW REZ ONLY! 100% Assembly. ST, STe, and TT compatible. FUNKALRT.ARC (shareware $10) a BRAND NEW utility from the development labs of LGF Software -- Funk Alert!, a really *tiny* (but powerful!) program that lets you use the function keys F1, F2, and F3 to select the buttons in any GEM alert box! Highly compatible with all ST/TT GEM programs, Funk Alert uses less than 1K of your precious memory when installed. The fully operational program and complete documentation are included in this ARC file. Funk Alert is Copyright 1991 Charles F. Johnson & Little Green Footballs Software. Support shareware! 2BSFKEYS.ARC V. 0.92 allows you to assign text macros to function keys (20 total). It can be run as a program from the desktop as well. The previous version required you to use DC_FKEYS. The program now works in low, medium, or high resolution. MAXI_PAT.PRG This small, easy to use program will patch two very minor bugs in CodeHead Software's recently released MaxiFile III, the file management SuperTool. Simply run the program and follow the prompts; be sure to modify a COPY of your MaxiFile III program file, just in case something goes wrong. And remember, CodeHead Software _means_ "support!" (NOTE: This program is NOT ARC'ed or LZH'ed. Just download it and run it.) VIDEO.LZH The Bells & Whistles Videotape database, version 1.2, a full- featured program which will help you keep track of your movies, specials etc. on videotape. Makes full use of GEM, with menus, buttons, and dialog boxes. DJENV141.ARC is an HP Deskjet envelope printing utility. Same recently posted by Las Benedict. CAL50.ARC which will allow you to display calandars, and remember dates is up on CompuServe. A major update with new features. Now, HotWire alarms and DC-Squish compatibility! With CAL50 you can see any calendar of any month/year. Also it allows you to attach events to days by date or position in month. CalShow runs as AUTO program OR as a GEM program or desk ACC! Browse over or search for events, etc. Custom Desk menu entry makes it easy to distinguish multiple copies (Birthdays, Holidays, etc). Preloaded with over 100 events! Runs on any ST/TT, any rez. And talking about CompuServe... QWKCIS.TOS QuickCIS version 1.60d - Automated CompuServe QuickCIS is a CompuServe navigator, capable of visiting CIS Mail and up to 6 forums, per call. Retrieve messages and post replies at the highest speed your modem will handle. Read and write offline, at your leisure, while the billing clock is off. Also supports downloading. 300-9600bps, color/ mono. Self-extracting archive. "Run" this file to dearc. TELEBA.ARC TELEBASE v1.4, GEM-Based Phone/Fax No. Manager Many enhancements and new features! 56 buttons per TBF file instead of 25! 15-character memory tickler buttons rather than 8 character.! Double the room for notes on each button! New SEARCH and PAGE features! Printing function completely revamped! Freeware. BROWND2.ARC This is a replacement for the one previously mentioned last week. If you downloaded the previous program, change the file BARRET. PI3 to BARRETT.PI3 and it that should work, or you can download this file. Programmers will find EMACS information up this week. UE_311.ARC This archive contains the Micro Emacs 3.11 text editor, the executable program and documentation, including a Postscript file of the manual and numerous command files. Emacs is freeware. UE311C.LZH, UE311H.LZH, UE311MAK.LZH will also be attractive. GPLDOC.ARC GNU G++ Documentation for TeX This is the TEX documentation for the GNU G++ Compiler Version 1.35. Same is from a distribution package from Tim Oren. The above files were compiled by Ron Berinstein co-sysop CodeHead Quarters BBS (213) 461-2095 from files that were either directly uploaded to CodeHead Quarters BBS, or downloaded from GEnie, Compuserve, and Delphi online services. ======================================================================= GREAT LAKES ATARI COMPUTER USERS CONFERENCE ------------------------------------------- Press Release ======================================================================= June 29th and 30th, 1991 Mercyhurst College Campus Center Erie, PA The Great Lakes Atari Computer Users Conference will be held Saturday, June 29th, and Sunday, June 30th at the Mercyhurst College Campus Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie is located on the southern shore of Lake Erie midway between Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, NY. It is within an easy drive of many other major cities including Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Toronto, London, Syracuse, and Albany. Many of these cities have strong user groups supporting the Atari computers who will be participating in this event. With fourteen flights daily, USAir provides the primary air service into Erie International Airport and is the host airline for the conference. For conference attendees traveling by air, USAir is offering 35% off regular round trip coach airfares and an additional 5% savings on published discount fares. Call 1-800-334-8644 (800-334-8644 Ext. 7702 from Canada) for reservations or additional information. Refer to Gold File Number 13190000 and the Great Lakes Atari Computer Users Conference. Most national motel chains are represented at the seven exits off Interstate 90 which provide access to Erie. Rates are reasonable and well below national averages. Mercyhurst College is located at 501 East 38th St. and is easily accessible from Exit 8 (PA Route 8 - Pine Ave./Parade St.) or Exit 7 (PA Route 97 - Glenwood Park Ave.) off I-90. Signs on the campus will direct you to the ample parking areas near the Campus Center. Show times are 10 AM to 6 PM om Saturday and 10 AM to 5 PM on Sunday. Tickets are only $3 at the door. Advance tickets are available through participating user groups and by mail at the discount price of $2. Door prizes drawings will be held throughout the day. Seminars on technical topics and commercial products for the Atari computers will also be offered on a continuing basis. To order tickets by mail, register as a seminar speaker or reserve exhibit space write to GLACUC, PO Box 10562, Erie, PA 16514 or call Patty Marshall (Vendor Contact) at 412-225-8637 or Dennis McGuire (User Group/Seminar Contact) at 814-833-4724. ======================================================================= PUBLIC DOMAIN UPDATE -------------------- by Keith MacNutt ======================================================================= TAKE NOTE CALCULATOR V1.1 J.L. Jacobi Take Note Software 285 Divisadero #3 San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 431-9495 Logging on to any BBS or PAY service will convince most people that calculators are not one of the things the ST is short on. They come in every size and description, in both acc or prg and even a few in tos formats, printing or non printing, memory misers or hogs and some that are included as features in 8 in 1 style programs. Now since I love utilities, I've possibly tried half to three quarters of all the calculator programs out there, looking for one that I could say did everything I needed. For the moment my search has ended, and though bigger or better, smaller or faster ones may come along, I think this one fits the bill for what I think I'll need in the future. This calculator has some very nice features such as the ability to rename the extender to acc or prg, print after each entry or as a group of entries, and one that I really love is the ability to reposition the calculator window anywhere on the screen. Even though it takes up 100k, most people will find that this is not a real problem if they have the extender named as a program instead of an accessory. TAPE BOX On the right hand side of the calculator there is a small window which is the tape box. Inside that window you can see 18 of the last operations with a limit of 999 before the window starts to over write itself. Under the window you will also find buttons to: 1) tape off - turn tape box off 2) dec- decimal (base 10) 3) print- print entire tape 4) clear- clear the tape 5) space- insert blank line between operations NUMBER FORMATS Six possible formats can be displayed. 1) dec- decimal or base 10 2) $ - decimal with values in dollars and cents 3) hex -hexadecimal or base 16 4) oct -octal or base 8 5) bin -binary or base 2 6) rt -running total OPERATORS/FUNCTIONS Programmers will find these helpful AND- logical AND NOT- LOGICAL AND + NOT OR - LOGICAL OR XOR- LOGICAL XOR SHR- SHIFT RIGHT SHL- SHIFT LEFT ROR- ROLL BITS RIGHT ROL- ROLL BITS LEFT LONG- controls the numbers of bits used by the shift and roll functions. BSET- set a bit on BCLR- set a bit off SIN- sin of a number COS- cosine of a number TAN- tangent of a number ATAN- the arc tangent of a number ASIN- the arc sine of a number ACOS- the arc cosine of a number DEG- convert radians to degrees RAD- convert degrees to radians SQR- the square root of a number LOG- the logarithm of x base e EXP- the xth power to the base number TRUN- return only the whole portion of a number FRAC- return only the fraction of a number ROUN- round the number off MOD- returns only the remainder or modulus of an integer of division SEND On the left of the calculator is a button called send. If this is selected and you were to exit the program, the contents in the top display box would be sent to any program monitoring the keyborad (such as word processors). PRINTER Normally all printing is done on the right side of the printing page, but if you click on left justify you will now have all calculations at the left, which is nice if you are using narrow calculator paper that comes in rolls. KEYSTROKES All numeric and regular keys are the same as the on-screen equivalents with the exception of these: F1 -cycle through the main display box format numbers F2 -cycle though the translation display formats F3 -cycle through the tape box formats UNDO -CE clear entry CLR/HOME -CA clear all ) - on the numeric keypad is equivalent to "^" / - on the numeric keypad is divide (ascii 246) The latest version has also included the ability to save all operations in the calculator box to disk. If you save one or more files to disk it will first look for tape####.asc and if it finds say a file called tape1.asc your calculations are then saved as tape2.asc. So as you can see there are more than enough features to satisfy most peoples needs in a calculator. ======================================================================= GFA UPDATE ---------- Press Release ======================================================================= GFA SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - NEWS RELEASES ENCLOSED DRAMMATIC RECEPTION OF COMPANY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS AT CeBIT '91 Hanover, Germany. March 20, 1991. GFA Systemtechnik GmbH, headquartered in Dusseldorf had very positive responses to its key announcements at CeBIT'91 this past week. First, the company announced the availability of GFA-BASIC for IBM compatible PC's. For the first time, programmers will be able to use the language's simple constructs to create applications that use Menu Bars, Windows, Alert Boxes, and Pop-up Menus under both the MSDOS and WINDOWS 3.0 operating systems from Microsoft. All GFA-BASIC programs written for Atari ST and Amiga are compatible to these new versions. The company also demonstrated for the first time the Atari TT version of GFA-BASIC. This new version brings to the TT compatibility with all software that has been written for the ST. GFA-BASIC is now compatible to all Atari, Amiga as well as IBM compatible programs. And finally, the company announced the establishment of its U.S. subsidiary, GFA Software Technologies Inc. to support and market its products in North America. Demonstration versions of these products are available for evaluation. GFA SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - NEW RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Maurice Giguere Tel: 508-744-0201 GFA OPENS US SUBSIDIARY TO SUPPORT AND SELL GFA-BASIC! Salem, Ma. March 20, 1991. GFA Systemtechnik of Dusseldorf, Germany, publishers of GFA-BASIC for the ATARI ST and Commodore AMIGA announces the formation of GFA Software Technologies, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary, to support and market GFA-BASIC in North America. Maurice Giguere, the President of this new subsidiary, announced that his goals were to "expand the use of this powerful language by providing call-in as well as bulleting board access to GFA technical personnel to assist programmers in their development efforts." The company currently publishes GFA-BASIC version 3.5 for the Atari ST and AMIGA computers. The current list price of the Interpreter and Compiler are $94.95 and $54.95 respectively. Also, GFA has recently released GFA-BASIC for MSDOS and Windows 3.0 which will allow ST and AMIGA programs written in GFA-BASIC to run also on these platforms. The List Prices start at $249 for the MSDOS 286 version and range to $495 for the 386 Windows 3.0 version. GFA is committed to helping its customers gain efficiencies and extend the value of their investment in ATARI ST and AMIGA programs that are written in GFA-BASIC. For more information contact: GFA Software Technologies Inc. 27 Congress St. Salem, Ma 01970 Tel: 508-744-0201 Fax: 508-744-8041 VISA/MasterCard accepted MCI MAIL: MGiguere Salem, Ma. March 20, 1991. GFA Software Technologies, Inc. today announced the availability of GFA-BASIC on the Atari TT. The typical Atari user was very happy to see the number one BASIC for the Atari on this new generation of Atari computers. Frank Ostrowski, chief technologist for GFA said "this implementation will exhibit all the speed and functionality we have appreciated on the other Atari platforms". The product is shipping with both an Interpreter and Compiler. The List Prices of each are $94.95 and $54.95 respectively. GFA SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. - BACKGROUNDER GFA Software Technologies, Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of GFA Systemtechnik of Dusseldorf, Germany. GFA Systemtechnik has been supplying high technology tools and solutions to companies like Mercedes Benz and BMW through its affiliates around the world. Based on his experience with computer language editors and compilers, Frank Ostrowski, the chief technologist for GFA saw an opportunity to develop a powerful higher level language that would provide portability across the most popular PC platforms. One year ago Mr. Ostrowski began development of this product which would provide the basis for allowing programmers to easily create applications which not only could run on many computers, but also would conform to the "Graphic User Interface" which most users would be demanding on PC's as they had on the Atari line of computers. The corporate goal was then apparent: give a simple, well-known language powerful commands to accomplish this task and bring to the PC the user friendliness of the applications that were possible on Atari. Mr. Ostrowski as the original developer of GFA-BASIC for the Atari had now created a tool which not only provides the power programmers need for this task, but also the variety of platforms needed whereby these applications can run effectively. GFA Systemtechnik in Germany has attractive an aggressive group of bright young developers dedicated to bringing to the applications programmer tools which he can use to maximize the market size for the systems he develops. GFA Software Technologies, Inc is the US subsidiary responsible for supporting these products. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ======================================================================= Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE - ISSUE #9118 - MAY 3, 1991 Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc. =======================================================================