DIAMOND¢By S.J.Murray.¢¢¢ Welcome to second Diamond column. This time we have the second part of the Alan Reeve interview which began in the last issue of Futura. Topics include overseas marketing, customer service, converting to Diamond, upgrades and the future of the 8-bit.¢¢¢THE ALAN REEVE INTERVIEW (PART 2)¢By Bill Pike.¢¢MARKETING OVERSEAS¢¢אΘ∮∮: You said you were talking to somebody about marketing Diamond in Europe but you hadn't had much luck. With the popularity of the 8-bit machine in Europe, do you have any other thoughts on that?¢IJ∮β∈: It looks like we will have to do it ourselves. I have had several inquiries from reviewers who are interested in reviewing Diamond. Obviously we don't really care to have Diamond reviewed if there is no sales outlet to supply the product. It's not much good reading about a product you can't buy.¢אΘ∮∮: If somebody reviews Diamond in Europe you might get somebody interested in selling it, contacting you and so on. So you have the flip side of the coin, too. Would you think of doing direct sales to Europe from your location?¢IJ∮β∈: I am more than happy to do direct sales. In fact I'm more than happy to do that for anybody who wants Diamond right now.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: You said something earlier about Australia. Did you say you had sold some to Australia?¢IJ∮β∈: We've received a couple of orders from England, a couple from Australia, and some from South America.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: Since they use a different television system in Europe is there any difference in the Diamond program sold to them?¢IJ∮β∈: No, it is the same program. We haven't had any problems yet.¢¢CUSTOMER SERVICE¢¢גβ÷ΘΣ: If people do have problems what is the best way to talk to you about them? Where can they go to get some simple questions answered?¢IJ∮β∈: The best way is either to contact me online on GEnie or write to me directly. That way you know it will get to me eventually. During the summer it is sort of hard to reach me by phone because I am in and out. During the school year after 4 p.m. Central Time the answering machine is off and there is someone there. Or before that leave a message on the answering machine and I'll try to get back.¢אΘ∮∮: Do you have your own section on GEnie now?¢IJ∮β∈: I have my own category in the Atari 8-bit section.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: Is that ReeveSoft?¢IJ∮β∈: Category 14 and I believe file section number 26.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: Are you hoping to get desktop applications up on GEnie so that anybody can download them?¢IJ∮β∈: Everything I have right now. Every little desk accessory that I have gotten from people we have put up on GEnie. And we have had other people put stuff up there as well.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: How hard would it be for the normal user to convert programs to run under Diamond? Do you have plans to make a conversion program of your own?¢IJ∮β∈: Each program is so different that it really wouldn't be feasible.¢אΘ∮∮: Could a program be written, something like a monitor program, that would check the load addresses of a program and show where there are conflicts with Diamond?¢¢CONVERTING TO DIAMOND¢¢IJ∮β∈: Converting programs to use the Diamond environment takes someone who knows what they are doing. A machine language program needs to have someone who has had the source code and can make changes so you have a Diamond interface in the program. BASIC programs likewise need a real programmer.¢ Speaking of programs that are not written for the Diamond environment, right now if you try to load a program without a .APP or .COM extender Diamond will drop out of the system and let the program run by itself.¢אΘ∮∮: So a Diamond program has to have a .APP extender?¢IJ∮β∈: Diamond-based programs have a .APP extender. Command lines (like the parameters for a ST .TTP file) have a .COM extender. Other than that, the Diamond kicks out and loads the program as if the cartridge weren't there.¢אΘ∮∮: In order to get the cartridge back you have to do a rest or a cold start?¢IJ∮β∈: It is possible to do it from software. But most programs were written before Diamond was produced and won't exit back to the Diamond Cartridge.¢אΘ∮∮: Diamond appears to be quite a challenge for programmers. What type of programs would you like to see from outside programmers?¢IJ∮β∈: I don't have any particular program that I would like to see. I think obviously spreadsheets, databases, terminal programs - all these would be great to see. That's what we need, more applications. I would just love to see the community support Diamond, and for the programmers to support it. Diamond sort of makes the 8-bit a new computer. The more Diamond-based software you have, the better it will be.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: What languages does Diamond support at present, aside from assembly language?¢IJ∮β∈: Again, it is not so much Diamond supporting the languages. It will run any of the OSS language cartridges. But the link to Diamond is through assembly language. All you have to do is load the accumulator with the function referenced and do a JSR to the Diamond vector and all languages have that power one way or another.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: How about C language?¢IJ∮β∈: We plan on coming out with a Diamond Assembler, a Diamond BASIC, a Diamond C and other languages eventually if the interest is there. There have to be enough users willing to purchase the languages. Like I say, I am only one person and I can't do it all by myself. I can't buy 200 printers to make printer drivers for all of them. I can't buy all the languages out there and convert them all to use the Diamond environment. If I did that the other major applications would never get ready.¢¢A "NEW" COMPTER¢¢אΘ∮∮: It sounds like what you have done with Diamond is make a new computer out of the 8-bit that is more friendly, more intuitive and easier to use - and it looks nicer.¢IJ∮β∈: That is what bugged me about one of the reviews, in Atari Explorer. The reviewer said it works great and everything looks fine, but I am used to the old way - so why should I get a new one?¢גβ÷ΘΣ: I have to admit that it is clumsy at first for someone who is used to typing things in. However, after you learn it, it's great.¢IJ∮β∈: It's like learning one program, then having to learn a different program that is more powerful. I think Diamond is more powerful. The icons and the menus that are available replace all the programming necessary to set up the user interfaces in an old-fashioned program. You just set up a few things and let Diamond take it from there. It also flattens out the learning curve on new applications, in that there is nothing unexpected in the user interface. The user is used to the display and what everything does.¢אΘ∮∮: Have you thought about writing an Icon editor for Diamond?¢IJ∮β∈: Not for the desktop. You are not going to be able to put your own icons in. They are burned into the ROM. I am thinking of a Font Editor to be included with the Diamond Paint program.¢אΘ∮∮: Speaking of font editing. Will the paint program support the traditional nine-sector Atari fonts?¢IJ∮β∈: With the font editor you could import those fonts and convert them into Diamond fonts. Diamond fonts are different.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: So there is a conversion program to take care of this operation?¢IJ∮β∈: The program is under construction now.¢אΘ∮∮: What about Print Shop icons?¢IJ∮β∈: I suppose that you could write a program to convert the file to a clip-art file. However, Print Shop icons aren't in a standard file format.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: Clip-art would be good especially since there are a lot of Print Shop icons out there, and you could send the clip-art into the publishing program.¢אΘ∮∮: NewsStation does that now.¢IJ∮β∈: And so will Diamond NewsStation when it is released shortly. It will also use the clip-art and graphics from Diamond Paint.¢גβ÷ΘΣ: In other words, it will be almost a carbon copy of what you have now?¢אΘ∮∮: Except you will use the mouse.¢IJ∮β∈: Yes, and you will have the Diamond environment with the NewsStation features with a couple of additions. One of them will be to reverse the background. (Sometimes if you load a picture from ComputerEyes you get a negative image.)¢¢UPGRADES AND 8-BIT FUTURE¢¢גβ÷ΘΣ: How about upgrades? What will it cost me to upgrade the version 1.0 cartridge to the version 2.0 cartridge you're working on right now? And where should I send it?¢IJ∮β∈: Upgrades for the cartridge that involve the ROM chip cost $15 and you can either send the cartridge back to us with a cheque for $15, or you can send us a cheque for $15 and we will send you the PROM and you can plug it into the cartridge.¢אΘ∮∮: You need to be a registered user in order to get the PROM.¢IJ∮β∈: Yes, I need to have your warranty card on file.¢אΘ∮∮: What do you think of the future of the 8-bit? My own feelings are that people want the newest thing on the block. Other than that, the 8-bit does just about everything I want it to do. I do recommend it to people who are just getting into computing and want to do programming. The 8-bit is a heck of a lot easier to program than the ST? Would you concur?¢IJ∮β∈: I don't know that it is a lot easier but it is a much better investment. You can spend a couple of hundred dollars and get a solid-based system. With the ST you spend a thousand dollars or more to get the same capabilities. The software is also less expensive for the 8-bit, especially with all the public domain programs and shareware coming out now.¢אΘ∮∮: There are still about 4,000 programs out there for the 8-bit - not including little utility programs and such.¢IJ∮β∈: The future of the 8-bit is really in the hands of the users. If people start supporting Diamond and programmers start using the Diamond shell and writing application programs it could have a bright future. But if people keep this wait-and-see attitude, I don't know. I'm only one person.¢אΘ∮∮: Diamond looks like the next stage for the 8-bit Atari computer - and possibly for the rebirth of the 8-bit machine, if enough people start putting out applications and using it. When the Atari first came out it was a challenge because it did so much. Then people started loosing interest. Now suddenly they have a new machine to work with. But I realise that the major software houses are not supporting the 8-bit, right now. I also realise that most of the support for the 8-bit is from programmers like yourself, users and user groups. So I guess that the bottom line is to support your local programmer and maybe that will get the big boys off their duffs. Well, thanks so much for talking to us, Alan Reeve. Do you have any last thoughts before we shut down?¢IJ∮β∈: BUY DIAMOND!!!¢¢-------------------------------------¢¢ Diamond GOS is available in cartridge and disk formats from Reeve Software, 29W150 Old Farm Lane, Warrenville, IL 60555, USA (Tel : 312 393-2317). Also try B&C ComputerVisions, 2730 Scott Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95050, USA (Tel : 408 986-9960).¢¢ The above interview with Alan Reeve first appeared in the April/May and June/July 1990 issues of Antic. Conversion to DOC files by S.J.Murray, North Of Scotland Atari User Group (NOSAUG).¢¢ In the next issue of Futura we will look at Diamond for beginners.¢
