*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*¢ ¢ ¢ NEWSLETTER REVIEWS¢ ¢ by Alan Sharkis¢ OHAUG Newsletter Librarian¢ ¢ We have just completed considerable¢ work on the OHAUG Welcome Disk, a¢ disk that we give to new members of¢ the group to help them understand¢ what we're all about. It includes¢ samples of what can be accomplished¢ with Atari 8-bit computers. The¢ original disk showed a lot of care¢ and hard labor by its creators,¢ including president ALEX PIGNATO,¢ but it was time for major revisions.¢ Interesting, then, that among the¢ newsletters we've received from other¢ user groups are signs that their¢ newsletters are undergoing a¢ continuous revision process. That's¢ as it should be. Stagnation doesn't¢ mirror the present and works against¢ a healthy future. Some may call 8-¢ BIT'ters fossils, but we're not.¢ We're alive, adaptable, and still¢ creating, as these club newsletters¢ will show.¢ ¢ The LVAUG Newsletter for August, 1992¢ has made an attempt to dispell the¢ dryness associated with user group¢ newletters. Interspersed among the¢ articles are little humorous sayings,¢ cartoons, one-liners and dialogs.¢ Some, unfortunately, I've seen¢ before, but you have to applaud their¢ efforts. So must you applaud the¢ efforts of ED BACHMAN who begins a¢ great tutorial on SpartaDos. Ed's¢ approach is interesting and¢ effective. He tells us what a¢ command-line processor is, and then¢ proceeds to explain SpartaDos¢ commands, comparing them directly to¢ the more familiar Atari Dos menu¢ choices. In this way, he shows how¢ the syntax of SpartaDos varies from¢ that of Atari Dos, and shows also how¢ it may be more flexible in some¢ situations. I'd like to see a three-¢ way or four-way comparison done at¢ some time, however. Maybe a chart¢ will do. There'd be Atari Dos, disk-¢ based Sparta (as Ed has done), SDX¢ (which I favor in many situations)¢ and one other (perhaps MyDos?) No,¢ I'm not volunteering for this one,¢ but it could be very useful. A¢ reprint of Name Game by "THE OLD¢ DOG", from NeoStag News. July 1991,¢ rounds out this issue. It's a¢ humorous look at commonly-used¢ initials.¢ ¢ The JACG Newsletter for September,¢ 1992 carries a first-page article by¢ editor DAVID ARLINGTON that I agree¢ (ur, half) with. Let me explain.¢ Dave got a 130XE, two additional disk¢ drives and a Commodore 1702 color¢ monitor. Now he feels he's in editor¢ heaven. I, too, like the 1702¢ monitor. I've admired them from afar¢ for many years. I even secured one¢ for OHAUG two years before I was able¢ to get my own. Now that I have my¢ own, I have to agree with Dave. The¢ characters are clear, there's a tiny¢ hint of artifacting that you have to¢ go out of your way to find, and color¢ purity is fantastic! But, keyboards¢ are much more of a subjective matter.¢ I'm typing this now on my 130XE, and¢ I absolutely HATE the keyboard! In¢ my mind, the best keyboard Atari 8-¢ bit computers ever used was the one¢ on my old 800. A second to that is¢ the Focus 2001 that I use with my IBM¢ clone. I know it's impossible to put¢ an 800 keyboard into a 130XE, but I'm¢ going to investigate the TransKey.¢ Still, if Dave is happy, I'm happy¢ for him. I know the new system will¢ help him produce and fight fatigue at¢ the same time. JOSEPH E. HICKSWA's¢ column on the 8-bit meetings was¢ interesting. It alluded to a method¢ of tying two 8-bits with different¢ power requirements together. SAM¢ COREY (also an OHAUG memember) seems¢ to feel that new magazine, The Atari¢ Classics Magazine may draw vital¢ resources and readership away from¢ AIM and Current Notes. I can't say¢ that I agree with him, because¢ Current Notes 8-bit editor RICK¢ REASER is actively soliciting¢ articles on FidoNet, and has made¢ several contacts in this way. AIM¢ has an agreement to share articles¢ with AC, and there is at least the¢ potential that an AC article will¢ appear in AIM and vice versa.¢ However, Sam does state that he will¢ support AC and urges others to do the¢ same. I can't agree more with that.¢ SAM also cites OHAUG as an 8-bit club¢ that continues to have a growing¢ membership, with members who actively¢ participate. If you'r an Ultima fan,¢ you need to read DAVID ARLINGTON's¢ column on that still-popular¢ adventure game. Finally, JOSEPH E.¢ HICSWA (another OHAUG member) writes¢ two great articles dealing with BASIC¢ programming. Way to go, JOE. One is a¢ listing that produces a beautiful¢ graphics display in only 20 lines of¢ code. The other deals with data¢ statements.¢ ¢ Nybbles and Bytes for¢ November/December, 1992 mentions the¢ OHAUG newsletters among the DOMS that¢ NWPAC President DALE WOOSTER is¢ collecting for their library. We're¢ honored, Dale. There are reprints of¢ the CHUCK SHWARK (CLAUG) article on¢ caring for floppy disks, and the BOB¢ WOOLLEY (SLCC) article on high speed¢ sector skews, how they work, and when¢ and where they can be used. MIKE¢ BROWN tells us how to change the¢ battery in an RTime8 Cartridge. DALE¢ WOOSTER ends with a column boosting¢ Atari Classics Magazine.¢ ¢ ACE of Syracuse Newsletter for¢ November/December, 1992 brings us a¢ couple of interesting discoveries¢ made by TOM FECTEAU. Tom found that¢ the Sega Genesis controller works,¢ though not perfectly, on an Atari 8-¢ bit system. If you're a gamer, and¢ you like the feel of this controller¢ or are just curious, read this¢ article. Tom also reports that the¢ old Electronic Arts game, M.U.L.E.,¢ which fascinated many of us in the 8-¢ bit world, has been updated and¢ released for the Nintendo system.¢ THOMAS J. ANDREWS(stillanother OHAUG¢ member reviewed the premier issue of¢ Atari Classics Magazine. It's a very¢ favorable review and, I feel, also an¢ objective one. Tom also reminds us¢ that the type-in programs that we¢ found in ANTIC, ANALOG, and Compute!¢ can now be found on CompuServe and¢ GEnie. Thanks, Tom.¢ ¢ The PSAN for November/December, 1992¢ continues a series of reviews of¢ European 8-bit software with a review¢ of AD 2044 from Poland written by KIT¢ CARSON (S*P*A*C*E). It's an¢ adventure game with a most¢ interesting history and user¢ interface. I won't give it away, but¢ just remember the changes that took¢ place in Poland in the last few years¢ ... KIT (otherwise known as Chris)¢ also reviews MISJA and FRED, two more¢ Polish games in an second column.¢ You have to read this column to¢ appreciate the situation with 8-bits¢ and software production in Poland.¢ How many explanations have you heard¢ for the initials IBM? Well, DR. ANON¢ E. MUSS (c'mon now!) has written a¢ short column that cleverly puts many¢ of these to work in a column called,¢ "IBMitis - Have YOU got it?" I¢ rolled on the floor laughing over¢ that one. JOHN PICKEN (G.C.A.C.E.)¢ has a beautiful presentation of¢ computer arithmetic that starts,¢ naturally, with binary arithmetic,¢ but includes binary-hexadecimal and¢ hexadecimal-binary conversion, which¢ is vital for any foray into the world¢ of assembly-language programming. It¢ also includes an often-overlooked¢ explanation of BCD (binary-coded¢ decimal) notation.¢ ¢ ACT and DEED for Winter, 1993 is the¢ premier issue of a new newsletter¢ which we welcome enthusiastically.¢ It's a joint effort of ACT, the¢ Affiliated Connecticut Groups. This¢ is the organization that promotes the¢ Connecticut AtariFest each summer,¢ and is looking for greater 8-bit¢ (hint, hint!) participation. This¢ issue reviews the last CT AtariFest,¢ announces a swap meet to be held in¢ Stamford on Tuesday, February 6, a¢ plan to organize excursions for¢ computer widows and other non-users¢ in conjunction with the next CT¢ AtariFest, and an article about a¢ book store that actually sells four¢ Atari-related magazines by DOUG¢ FINCH. Commercial advertising¢ abounds in this issue. We wish the¢ Connecticut groups the best of luck¢ on producing this fine newsletter,¢ now billed as a quarterly, and¢ eagerly await their spring offering.¢ ¢ 8:16 for Fourth Quarter, 1992¢ features an article by TERRY¢ CHAMBERLAIN on how to modify the¢ German 8-bit Mah Jong game, Taipei,¢ so that it can be played with an ST¢ mouse connected to the joystick port.¢ A BASIC listing and assembly source¢ code accompany the article. THOMAS¢ HOLZER runs down the options¢ available to you if you wish to use a¢ light gun with your 8-bit as well as¢ reviewing all of the games¢ specifically made for this¢ controller. MAX GERUM writes an¢ elaborate review of DAVID¢ RICHARDSON's Daisy Dot III Users¢ Guide. This manual is quite¢ elaborate, is endorsed by ROY¢ GOLDMAN, the author of DD III, and¢ consists of 5 ARC'd DSSD disks or 9¢ SSSD unarc'd disks. In addition to a¢ manual, there are extra fonts for all¢ kinds of special purposes, and some¢ of JOHN McGOWAN's conversion programs¢ and utilities to use DDIII¢ efficiently with TextPro. Perhaps¢ the best feature of the manual, says¢ reviewer Gerum, is the fact that it¢ is entirely in the public domain.¢ This issue of 8:16 also includes the¢ announcement of a new user group in¢ England, to be known as AAUSAC, the¢ Association of Atari Users in Schools¢ and Colleges.¢ ¢ (FR)ANTIC for December, 1992 is a¢ holiday issue, and, as such, has¢ almost no interest for outsiders.¢ However, if you want to associate¢ names and faces, there are¢ photographs of several of the members¢ reproduced in the issue. There is¢ also mention of the old APX series,¢ apparently being marketed by B&C¢ Computervisions with descriptions of¢ some of the well-known titles.¢ ¢ Between Bytes for December, 1992 goes¢ through correspondence of interest¢ the JACS has received. This issue¢ produces two rather important¢ letters. One is from the sysop of a¢ military Atari Club BBS that is based¢ in Japan. He desires equipment,¢ software and magazines for swap. He¢ also needs to know about the latest¢ upgrades and modules of PRO. A¢ second newsletter is from ED GALVAN,¢ editor of the ACCESS KEY (Sacramento,¢ CA) stating that 8-bit interest in¢ his club is declining and asking for¢ suggestions on keeping 8-bit interest¢ alive. SHAWN POULSON writes a¢ detailed article about interfacing a¢ hard disk to an 8-bit. ROGER HELLER¢ writes another one about¢ telecommunications.¢ ¢ The S.A.G.E. Scroll for December,¢ 1992 mentions OHAUG's newsletter¢ again in JAMES GURIEL's 8-Bit¢ Section. In fact, the column lacks¢ original writing by Jim, he states,¢ for lack of time. How many of us¢ have been there? At any rate, he¢ reprints an article that we, in turn¢ reprinted fromthe Mid-Florida Atari¢ Computer Club Newsletter. It's¢ CAROLYN HOGLIN's fine article on¢ preparing documents wih AW+ that can¢ be sued with WordStar or other 16-bit¢ programs, together with some material¢ on how to transfer these documents to¢ other machines. Jim follows this¢ column with a report on his visit to¢ a swap meet run by another club.¢ That's an interesting story by¢ itself.¢ ¢ The MUG Newsletter for December, 1992¢ is rather thick. Some of that¢ thickness, happily, is contributed by¢ the Atari News section written by the¢ members of NAPCO. NAPCO's offerings¢ have been a little slim of late, and¢ I'm glad they have recovered, though¢ I am a bit at odds with the¢ bitterness and pessimism expressed in¢ the longest article. This article is¢ the first in a series by DC Signorini¢ that outlines his, and AUA's position¢ regarding that controversy that¢ erupted in the Pittsburgh area.¢ Early in the article, Derek says that¢ he is finished badmouthing Atari, yet¢ he concludes with the opinion that¢ the ST is a dead-end platform and¢ that serious users should look to the¢ MacIntosh and Intel-based machines.¢ History since then, with regard to¢ the STe line and the projected¢ Falcon, may prove him in a minority¢ position. But, his bitterness can be¢ explained quite easily, as we follow¢ his and his groups noble efforts¢ against piracy. Of more 8-bit¢ specific interest is an article by¢ THOMAS J. ANDREWS, reprinted from the¢ ACE of Syracuse Newsletter about such¢ essential utilities as BASICON.COM,¢ Custom Print, Print Star, and Multi-¢ AUTORUN.¢ ¢ The LIAUG Light House for January,¢ 1993 contains a reprint from Z*NET of¢ January, 1992 of an article on¢ announcing and describing The Black¢ Box from CSS. This is very¢ informative, particularly if you are¢ looking for a hard drive interface¢ for your Atari.¢ ¢ *+*+*+*+*+*+*+* End *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*¢