*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*¢¢ NEWSLETTER REVIEWS¢ by Alan Sharkis¢ OHAUG Newsletter Librarian¢¢ Wow! The weather has been a see-saw¢ these past few days. I planned to¢ sit down and write this column today,¢ never suspecting that we'd have¢ temperatures approaching seventy¢ degrees on Long Island. Earlier this¢ week, April 1st to be exact, we were¢ hit with snow. No, it was no big¢ deal on Long Island, but it played¢ havoc with a good part of the¢ northeast. So, I'm debating with¢ myself whether to write the column or¢ go out and enjoy the weather, and I¢ just decided to write the column¢ early and then enjoy the weather. I¢ guess that's a good compromise.¢¢ Speaking of compromises, sometimes¢ that's what computing is all about. ¢ The perfect computer with the perfect¢ operating system and the perfect¢ software is a myth. Our needs vary,¢ and we have to go with the compromise¢ that suits those needs best. I've¢ been playing with computers for¢ fifteen years, and I've seen many¢ changes. Most of those changes are¢ part of an effort to achieve the best¢ (and most profitable) compromise for¢ a large number of users. For many of¢ us, the platform that remains the¢ best compromise is still the Classic¢ Atari. For others, like myself, the¢ Classic Atari no longer holds the¢ position of workhorse in our¢ computing lives, but remains a¢ comfortable old friend whose limits¢ have still not been reached. I try¢ to push those limits in my own way¢ and applaud the efforts of others who¢ continue to push them. As evidence¢ of the vitality of these two¢ categories of Classic Atari users, we¢ need only point to the continuance of¢ user groups and their newsletters,¢ which keep Atari users supplied with¢ technical support, the reliability of¢ kindred souls, and the challenges we¢ need to keep using our machines and¢ to keep pushing their capabilities¢ further.¢¢ (FR)ANTIC (AAUA) for December 1996 --¢ Editor MANUEL GARCIA's Editors Notes¢ column touches on the process of user¢ group survival despite serious¢ challenges to that survival over the¢ years. He gives a few hints on how¢ the group can continue in spite of¢ all the challenges it now faces. ¢ It's a MUST READ for everyone in this¢ user group. Should any of us wish to¢ visit San Antonio in 1997, the¢ group's meeting calendar is included¢ in this issue as well. An index of¢ ANALOG MAGAZINE, issues 1-66, by¢ article, is also included.¢¢ Cenacle-News for December 1996 --¢ Club Cenacle is a French user group,¢ and we've received their newsletter¢ only sporadically. However, this¢ issue was soon followed by a much¢ larger one (see below) and we hope to¢ get more. The front cover discusses¢ new products available to the club¢ from Micro-Discount in England,¢ reviews a series of programs from¢ Futura (NOSAUG, Scotland) and Polish¢ sources, notes with sadness the¢ passing of ALEX PIGNATO and gives the¢ new contract addresses for OHAUG.¢¢ LVAUG NEWS for January/February 1997¢ -- This is the Lehigh Valley AUG's¢ tenth anniversary issue. It contains¢ some retro material. There is a¢ reprint for an ad with specs for the¢ 800XL. There is a list of BBS¢ Commandments which Originally¢ appeared in the LCACE Journal of¢ March 1993, and which was reprinted¢ in the July 1996 PACESetter. There's¢ an article describing the Guttenberg¢ Project and how changes in the nature¢ of the Internet have disappointed¢ MICHAEL S. HART, the founder of this¢ project. In the days of massive¢ marketing campaigns filling up E-¢ Mail, Web and Usenet bandwidth,¢ Hart's project to put thirty books¢ per month on the Web remains a worthy¢ endeavor but must be frustrating. ¢ There is a type-in program that¢ provides us with exercises for our¢ peripheral vision. There is an¢ explanation of the various types of 5¢ 1/4" floppy diskettes and their¢ ratings. Although this information¢ may seem dated, consider for a moment¢ the fact that such media may becoming¢ scarce, yet it's what we Atarians¢ must use. A wealth of cartoons,¢ puzzles and humorous articles fill¢ out this issue.¢¢ Cenacle-News for February 1997 --¢ This issue is quite large (a 41-page¢ booklet) and gives a more thorough¢ idea of the club's activities than¢ I've ever seen before. ¢ Unfortunately, it is the last issue¢ to be done by Editor REMI GALLOPIN,¢ who's leaving Club Cenacle. It came¢ with two disks which will go into our¢ library. One of those disks contains¢ UNARC.COM and a tremendous set of¢ utilities in arced form, but these¢ files have been password-encripted¢ and will not unarc properly without¢ the password. (See the April Minutes¢ for the password.) The articles in¢ the issue include Remi's reviews of¢ programs from various sources, BRUNO¢ ROUDOT's rather complete 2-part¢ article on Atari disk¢ drives(including a description of the¢ functions of all 13 SIO lines), his¢ translation of RICH MOORE's "C"¢ copier (not the programming¢ language). There is a translation¢ into French (done by OHAUG member¢ DANIEL CARRODANO) of GARY S.¢ DOMBROW's (Analog, February 1986)¢ article on modifications to DOS. ¢ Daniel has also translated other¢ articles in the issue. In fact, the¢ articles are so numerous and so¢ informative that it would take more¢ than this column can hold to properly¢ summarize them. Therefore, I¢ strongly suggest that you brush up¢ your high school French (or get¢ someone who can do it for you) and¢ read the issue cover to cover.¢¢ (FR)ANTIC for February 1997 -- Check¢ out TODD SUNRUNNER's President's¢ Veiwpoint column. Todd's optimism¢ and enthusiasm is to be admired. His¢ vision for the future of AAAUA is¢ bright and exciting, and he has¢ specific agendas in mind. Pictures¢ of those attending AAAUA's February¢ meeting are included in this issue,¢ so now you can put a face to the many¢ familiar names from the San Antonio¢ group. Former president RUSSELL¢ STOWE brings up the concept of a¢ cross-platform club once again. Time¢ will tell if, unlike the last time,¢ the AAAUA members will accept it. ¢ There is also a short type-in program¢ to demonstate video artifacting (The¢ program works -- I've tried it -¢ ed.)¢¢ The PACESetter for March 1997 -- The¢ editorial by JEAN BROKAW makes the¢ point that it's time for PACE to¢ admit to the existence of other¢ platforms and perhaps carry articles¢ on cross-platform use in its¢ newsletter. They've chosen to begin¢ by reprinting my series on emulation.¢ (I'm flattered and grateful, but I¢ just wish to reiterate that what I¢ wrote was based on emulators as they¢ existed at the time I wrote about¢ them. They've improved even in the¢ few months between then and now, so¢ watch out for new version numbers and¢ features! -ed.) An article entitled,¢ "Let Your Fingers Do The Walking" by¢ BILL QUINN of the Tampa Bay Computer¢ Society Bits and Bytes calls our¢ attention to the government offices¢ on the WWW, and how these can be used¢ to get government publications, even¢ IRS forms, with computers. JEAN¢ BROKAW includes some tax tips and web¢ sites of her own, including a¢ delightful tax court story. Jean¢ also gives us a procedure for¢ designing Easter Eggs with the¢ graphic editor feature of The Print¢ Shop. There are also many puzzles,¢ one-liners, etc., in the PACESetter¢ tradition.¢¢ SLCC Journal for March 1997 -- This¢ newsletter clearly reflects the¢ cross-platform nature of the SLCC. ¢ But its 8-bit side is reflected in¢ several places -- the club minutes,¢ the DOM program list, the officer¢ list and the fact that BOB WOOLEY is¢ its editor.¢¢ (FR)ANTIC for March 1997 -- President¢ TODD SUNRUNNER has written a column¢ which exhorts AAAUA members first to¢ come to meetings and second to come¢ with lists of questions they'd like¢ answered. He has also imbedded two¢ type-in prorams in his column, both¢ of which work and are interesting¢ uses of BASIC. Try them out.MANUEL¢ GARCIA reviews Printpower. On the¢ back cover, Manuel also writes his¢ opinion of why the AAAUA should¢ include other platforms. He quotes¢ the constitution of the AAAUA to show¢ that such a change is neither¢ authorized nor prohibited by the¢ club's constitution. There's also¢ another type-in program from Analog¢ Magazine which does windo graphics. ¢ I've tried that one, too, and It's¢ quite good.¢¢ TYNE & WEAR for March/April 1997 --¢ This group from the UK has been¢ printing its newsletters in booklet¢ form for some time now. Each¢ newsletter is accompanied by a disk¢ or two, and the disk for this month¢ is quite good. The April minutes¢ should reflect some of the programs¢ on it. What is obvious in the¢ magazine is that there are several¢ members with STs who would like more¢ ST-related material in the¢ newsletter, and would like to find¢ out more about transferring text¢ files from the 8-bit to the ST. ¢ Articles include one on programming¢ sound for the 8-bit by TOMO, and one¢ on multiple 1029 printer fonts by¢ "TomoHawk" (are these the same¢ person?) We don't see the 1029 in¢ the United States. M. TOMLIN, who¢ contributed some programs to the disk¢ accompanying this issue, writes a¢ short note about the programs. MIKE¢ ROWE has a long article about¢ programming graphics display lists. ¢ MIKE BIBBY continues his series on¢ binary arithmetic. There is also an¢ article on the Atari Assembler-Editor¢ cartridge that summarizes all editor¢ commands.¢¢ LVAUG NEWS for March/April 1997 --¢ The minutes of the LVAUG March¢ meeting reflect the visit of PAT¢ MULVEY (President of LIAUG, member of¢ OHAUG and sysop of The New Nest BBS)¢ and MARK GLICKSMAN (President of¢ NEAR*US and Vice-president of LIAUG)¢ to thier meeting. As in the previous¢ issue, old Atari ads are reprinted --¢ these are for the 1400XL and the¢ 1450XLD, which never made it to¢ market. Articles include a humorous¢ Glossary of Computer Terms and a¢ reprint of a Beginners Column review¢ of Synfile by JOHN. W. DASHNER. ¢ Puzzles and cartoons again adorn this¢ issue.¢¢ XIO3 (GCACE) for March/April 1997 --¢ This issue features a lot of¢ information that's specifically 8-bit¢ and some general information we¢ should know. First, ROWLAND GRANT'S¢ News and Rumours column informs us of¢ happenings at JTS, the fate of Jaguar¢ systems and of relatively new¢ software that was produced for the¢ Jaguar, and a lot of ST developments,¢ including the development of more ST¢ clones. In his 8 Bit Affairs column,¢ Rowland writes about the release¢ Alternate Reality and Dungeon by¢ author PHILIP PRICE. He also goes on¢ to describe the ANTIC ONLINE project,¢ BEN SMITH's contributions as a¢ continuing Atari retailer, our own¢ CURT VENDEL's development of an IDE¢ interface for the 1090 expansion¢ unit, the sad news of MIKE HOHMAN's¢ apparent desertion, the release of¢ the Ice-T terminal program version¢ 2.72, and the continuing improvement¢ of MARKUS GIETZEN's XL-It! emulator. ¢ Also on the 8-bit side, JOHN PICKEN¢ has developed two new packages. One¢ is RAMJET, a package of two new¢ ramdisk handlers and utilities for¢ disk-based SpartaDos and a new set of¢ modifications for MyDos. ED HALL¢ contributes a great article called,¢ "Komputrz & Kre8ivity," which¢ explores the use of computers in¢ creative writing.¢¢ The PACESetter for April 1997 -- JEAN¢ BROKAW has raised an interesting¢ question -- one that was recently¢ raised in the comp.sys.atari.8bit¢ newsgroup as well -- "What do uou use¢ your computer for?" She includes the¢ results of a survey recently done by¢ Fannie Mae and asks club membes for¢ articles that answer that question. ¢ We could do with some on this end,¢ too! The club has reprinted our¢ July/August article on income tax,¢ and the second installment of my¢ article on emulaton. They have also¢ included a type-in program that¢ produces the sound of rain, and the¢ usual puzzles and riddles. They also¢ make reference to an "E-mail borne¢ virus." There is some clarification¢ needed here. The virus doesn't¢ affect Atari computers. Perhaps the¢ assumption is that the person¢ receiving the E-mail is doing so on a¢ PC. If that's the case, rest assured¢ that no E-mail message can affect¢ your PC, but a file attached to it¢ can! If you receive E-mail from¢ somebody you don't know, and there's¢ a suspicious file attached to it,¢ delete the file.¢¢ So, there you have it -- ample¢ evidence that user groups not only¢ continue to support the 8-bit for¢ what it has done to date, but they've¢ pushed for and achieved improvements¢ even in this "antiquated" platform of¢ ours.¢¢ And yes, for those of you who believe¢ that I've turned to my PC to write¢ this column, April Fool!¢¢ *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*¢¢¢
