Atari 8-bit News-Disk Issue 9¢-----------------------------¢¢Editorial by Dean Garraghty.¢¢Welcome to issue 9 of the News-Disk. I have lots of things to get through in the editorial, so let's hope I remember everything!¢¢I had zero response to my idea for a questions and answer page from last issue. Can I assume that nobody wants such a page? Can I assume you read the News-Disk?? Perhaps people just use them as blank disks?! PLEASE let me know if you want the page to continue. AND send some answers and/or questions in! As I always say, the News-Disk can't survive without your help.¢¢Thanks to Brian Walker again for submitting more articles. One of them tries to persuade YOU to write for the News-Disk!¢¢Most of the articles this issue are from the Cleveland Freenet in the US. Details of how to use the Freenet are included in each file.¢¢There is still a little time to claim your 10% discount voucher for AMS6. If you are coming, let me know in advance and save 10% on my stand!¢¢Digi-Studio is almost ready! After 2 years work, the system is nearly complete. You will soon have facilities to create your own tunes from sheet music. The old packages idea has been scrapped, and now it comes as one big package with all the software together. It has a 50 page laser printed fully typeset manual, and comes on 2 DS/SD disks. Because of this it costs a small fortune to produce. This means the price is going to be 12pounds a copy. It will be released at AMS6. BUT. If you are a registered user of either or both of the old packages, you can have a trade-in price. Bring your old package(s) to the show and get money off the new version! Bring just package 1 and get 2pounds off. Bring 1 and 1.5 and get 4pounds off! Bring your 10% voucher and save even more!! Due to the weight of the manual, Digi-Studio will cost 13pounds by post, so come and buy at the show!! Full sales blurb will be on the next issue.¢¢Digi-Studio is also to be made available in the US. It will cost $29.95. Ordering details will be posted to the newsnet/digest soon, or email djg0@aber.ac.uk.¢¢SALE: because the new version is out, I need to sell off all remaining copies of packages 1 and 1.5. Package 1&1.5 together will cost just 4pounds, and 1.5 on its own will cost just 2pounds. These are UK prices. In the US 1&1.5 will cost $10 and 1.5 only will cost $5. Pay using cash in US$. Order direct from:¢¢Dean Garraghty¢62 Thomson Ave¢Balby¢Doncaster¢DN4 0NU¢ENGLAND¢¢Buying the old packages is a good way to see what Digi-Studio is all about. You may also want to buy these if you don't want the facility of creating tunes.¢¢Another piece of news. I have been in touch with the German supplier, Power Per Post, and I've struck a deal to distribute the new Quick language in the UK. The manuals are being translated into English and should be ready in a month. Quick was briefly detailed on an earlier issue of the News-Disk. The game RUBBERBALL in the PD library was written in Quick, so you can see what it can do. Quick has a 35 page manual and one DS/SD disk. A PD demo disk of Quick is on its way from Germany and should be here for the show. The price of Quick is going to be 15pounds a copy. This cost is because PPP want a huge cut of that money. But, that's the only way I could get it for the UK. If you want to place an advance order (only 20 copies are initially being sent) then feel free to do so. Your copy will be sent as soon as I have them arrive. Sorry, you won't be able to get 10% off Quick if you order it at the show.¢¢STOP PRESS: The demo disk has just arrived! WOW! It contains demo programs of Quick's features, as well as 3 demos of games on side 2. This thing is powerful. They've sent me an English version of the info sheets as well. Here's some things Quick can do: use interrupts like simple subroutines, mouse support with built-in handler, play digitized sounds, move hi-res graphics with blitter functions, display PMGs with built-in commands, up to 60 times fater than Basic. The compiler creates straight machine code so your programs are FAST. The language looks a little like C, Pascal and Basic all combined! If you want a copy of the 3 page info they've sent then send 50p for a copy. The demo disk they've sent is PD. Check the PD library for info. Order the disk and get the info sheets for free. They say the English manuals should be ready at the end of November. Don't forget: the UK price will be 15pounds direct from me. I will start taking advance orders now.¢¢I have put one of the Quick demos on this disk. It's called INVADE.OBJ. It's a space invaders type game. Have a look and see what you think!¢¢The first issue of Atari Classics mag in the States is out! Anyone who sent their cards back during the campaign earlier this year will get a free copy soon.¢¢The ADVERTS file on this disk contains a commercial ad for a ribbon re-inking service. If you need any ribbons re-inking, then send them to William! He can also repair broken ribbons or any that have got clogged and tied up (I know because he repaired some of mine!). William will be helping us at the show, and will re-ink ribbons at the show. If you have any ribbons to re-ink then bring them to AMS6!¢¢Our plans for the show very nearly crumbled recently! Everything went wrong! The show organiser lost our booking form and we nearly didn't have a stand at all, our driver has other commitments and couldn't drive us down, Mike (our back up driver and helper last year) is away working, and Richard (our last resort!) couldn't get access to his van. Oh dear! But, Richard saved the day with a plan, and it looks like everything is sorted out! (I think!).¢¢There is some new PD available for this issue. I have the new MEGABLAST game. You've got to see this! Digitized sound track for 130XE users. But, it works on 800XLs as well! Great game! Also, the TOP 3 demo is available. Great stuff! Textpro 5 is available. Also I have finally sorted out the problem with the docs for TextPro 4.56XE. You are now free to order a copy if you wish. It now comes on 2 DS/SD disks. I have also been given permission by the author to include the MAC/65 sources for 4.56XE in the PD. They are supplied with a program to allow you to convert MAC/65 to ATASCII so you can read the sources. Invaluable reference to all M/C programmers. Check out side 2 of this disk for full details!¢¢For US readers, my PD catalogue is at the Atari Archive in directory Djg and is called PDLIST.TXT. This includes details of ordering from the US. Or, send me your email address and I'll Email you a copy (my email address is djg0@aber.ac.uk).¢¢Here's what's on this issue:¢¢ADVERTS.DOC - the adverts!¢¢FALCON.DOC - an article by Brian Walker on his views on the future for Atari.¢¢RESPOND.DOC - an article by Brian Walker on just how easy writing for the News-Disk really is!¢¢XF551.DOC - a review of the XF551 drive.¢¢XEP80.DOC - a review of the XEP80 80col. card.¢¢FORTRESS.DOC - a review of the PD game Fortress.¢¢ATARI.DOC - an article on the Atari 8-bit.¢¢LETTERS.DOC - a couple of letters from News-Disk readers.¢¢INVADE.OBJ - game programmed in Quick.¢¢Well, that's it! PLEASE come to the show if you can!¢¢Dean Garraghty.¢7 November 1992.¢
