¢FUTURA EDITORIAL - Issue #5¢by S.J.Murray, NOSAUG.¢¢¢The Public Domain¢¢ Futurians often ask me where I get the PD software featured on each issue of Futura. Within this editorial I will share some of my sources with you and examine the importance of PD software for the future of the Atari 8-Bit.¢¢ The most obvious means of getting your hands on the best PD is to purchase it from a PD Library. There are many of these for the Atari 8-Bit: Page 6, Bellcom, BaPAUG, ABBUC PD, LAPD, Ol'Hackers PD, NOSAUG PD, etc. Many PD Libraries offer hundreds of disks packed with top quality PD.¢¢ A great source of top quality PD software is the disk magazine. There are still dozens of great disk magazines for the Atari 8-Bit, including Futura (what's that!?), M.A.G.I.C., Ol'Hackers, Top Magazine, Mega Mag, Zong, Page 6, A.I.M., ABBUC, Excel, Pokey, etc. Even the disk mags which are sadly no longer with us can offer a rich source of PD. These include Antic, Start, Analog, Compute!, Aladdin, Atari User, Inside Info, etc.¢¢ Another source of PD is the contact. If you decide to write to fellow 8-Bitters you can swap PD software with them and gain access to their collection. Many contacts = many collections = lots of PD. I write to Atarians all over the world and enjoy swapping PD software with them - it's also great fun swapping letters and presents. Check out the Contact column in Page 6.¢¢ The most important source of PD is that written by yourself. If you have the ability (and time!) to write software for release into the public domain you can gain recognition all over the world. You also help to keep the Atari 8-Bit alive by providing it with new software. If you are a member of a user group why not suggest a joint project?¢¢ Public domain software has become the main source of software for the Atari 8-Bit. It now commands about 95% of all software releases. Only KE-Soft, Avalon, Tiger Developments and a few others are still releasing software commercially. Although there are currently thousands of PD titles in circulation for the Atari 8-Bit these need to be supported with new releases. Go for it! If you release your program as Shareware you may gain some rewards for your efforts. I've thoroughly enjoyed producing the first few issues of Futura and although I haven't made much money from them I have made a lot of new friends. I also feel I've done my part in keeping the 8-Bit going.¢¢ The PD software featured on previous issues of Futura has come from a variety of sources. Here are a few examples:¢¢SpeedScript - Best of Compute! 1987.¢To Kill A Commodore - Page 6 PD75.¢How To Meet Cows - Aladdin 3/87.¢Atari Drum Machine - Pokey, 10/90.¢Sound Monitor Professional - ABBUC PD.¢Triple Crown Racing - Aladdin, 3/87.¢3D Tetris - ABBUC 29.¢I.B.C. - RACC PD.¢Jane's Program - AU, in Inside Info.¢Shop Steward - Atari Computing 1.¢¢ Most of the other titles were gained from my 8-Bit contacts. Thanx to Dave, Sean, Michael, Bill and Kevin.¢¢ Well, there you have it. Check the InfoFile on this disk for the addresses of NOSAUG, Page 6, BaPAUG, Excel, LAPD, etc. Here are a few others worth mentioning:¢¢Stichting Pokey,¢Postbus 798,¢3100 At Schiedam,¢Holland.¢¢ABBUC,¢Wolfgang Burger,¢Weschenbeck 45,¢4352 Herten,¢Germany.¢¢Top Magazin,¢c/o T.Geuther,¢Alfred-Reinhardt-Str-73A,¢0-4073 Halle (Saale),¢Germany.¢¢Ol'Hackers Atari User Group,¢c/o Alex Pignato, Pres.,¢3376 Ocean Harbor Dr.,¢Oceanside,¢New York 11572,¢USA.¢¢ The support of these and all those mentioned in the InfoFile is vital for the survival of the Atari 8-Bit through the 1990s. Please support as many as possible. Even if your orders are small they will be much appreciated.¢¢¢¢Sound Monitor Professional Docs¢¢ I have just received ABBUC's full documentation for Sound Monitor Professional on Futura #2. Unfortunately, it is in German and requires a translation. Can anyone out there translate from German to English? If you can, please get in touch and I'll send you a printout of the German text file. If nobody can help I'll try requesting a translation from ABBUC themselves. Look out for further details on Futura 6. I have also obtained some more SMP .SNG files. Look out for these on Futura 6 or 7. ¢¢¢¢Thanx & Greetinx¢¢ Did you see the excellent review of Futura in Page 6 NAU #59? I was well chuffed! It's always good to see that others appreciate all your efforts. Thanx and greetinx go out to all at Page 6 and to all new Futurians who have placed orders with me after reading the review. You've made a wise decision.¢¢¢¢Futura - Full Speed Ahead!¢¢ Futura has developed a considerable amount since the first issue last May. New columns such as 8-Bit News, VCS Futura, Hints & Cheats and Software Scene have been added along the way. There are now over 400 sectors of literature on each disk. That's about 35-40 printed pages! The software has kept flowing too - Futura #4 had 17 top quality programs!¢¢ Since the first issue I have strived to include obscure PD titles rather than the usual Antic and Analog classics found on many other disk mags. Top quality programs such as SpeedScript, Cyrtabor, Atari Drum Machine, Sound Monitor Professional, Think & Work, Laser Demo, 3D Tetris, Triple Crown Racing, Multi-File Copy II, Manager 3003, My Jong, etc. have been included on Futura issues 1-4. This issue continues this trend with the amazing DeskTop 1.5, Gumballs, Flip, Visdom Demo, etc. Many Futurians have cited their desire for such obscure titles as their main reason for subscribing.¢¢ If you have purchased this issue of Futura from your local PD Library or have received it from one of your contacts please feel free to enjoy it and pass it on to others. However, I would be most grateful if you would consider purchasing the next issue (or some back issues) directly from NOSAUG. Issue #6 (March/April 1993) will be available from March 1st onwards priced ✓1.95 on disk (cheques/POs payable to S.J.Murray). Issues 1-4 are also ✓1.95 each. A six-issue disk subscription is only ✓11.00. By ordering Futura direct from me you will receive it approximately six weeks before it is released to the PD Libraries, e.g.-¢¢Futura #6 (from NOSAUG) - March 1st.¢Futura #6 (PD Libraries) - April 14th.¢¢ Your support is also crucial to the survival and development of Futura as it goes into its second year. I receive no money from PD Libraries for the sale of Futura and therefor rely solely on direct orders. Please carefully consider such an order. Why not send it now? You can order Futura from: S.J.Murray, NOSAUG, 71 Walker Road, Torry, Aberdeen AB1 3DL, Scotland. For full details on Futura check out the FUTURA.DOC file within this issue.¢¢¢¢See Ya!¢¢ Well, that's it for another Futura Editorial. Enjoy #5! Influences for this issue include: Ice Cube, MC Serch, Aberdeen FC, Citizen 120D+, Atari Classics, VCS Connection, Hypnotic Land, Page 6, DeskTop 1.5, Kick Off 2, Showbiz & AG, Ol'Hackers, Man Utd, Replay 16, and the great Miles Davis.¢¢All the best for 1993!¢¢Stu.¢
