+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+¢¢¢¢ NEWSLETTER REVIEW¢¢ by Alan Sharkis¢ OHAUG Newsletter Librarian¢¢ Looks like I have a pile of reviews ¢ to do this month! It's been a couple¢ of months since I got this many to ¢ do, but I think we're getting back ¢ into the old routine again.¢ ******¢ Update Atari for January, 1992 has a ¢ number of articles of interest to us ¢ as a club. First there is an article¢ by GEORGE IKEN exporessing his ¢ opinions on a merger between his club¢ (HACE) and HASTE. It seems that ¢ HASTE (exclusively ST) originally ¢ split off from HACE (still supporting¢ both machines) to form a club and ¢ that membership has now declined in ¢ both clubs. Should they merge or ¢ not? George has definite opinions ¢ about identifying needs before ¢ merging, and I feel that every Atari ¢ club member, whatever computer ¢ they're using, should read his ¢ comments. George has also printed an¢ article on the BASIC Disk Management ¢ System (not to be confused with ours)¢ which allows DOS operations from ¢ BASIC, and a separate article in ¢ which he uses this program as a ¢ tutorial in BASIC programming. ¢ PHILLIP KEEN reviews the Carina II ¢ BBS Version 2.5. He also provides us¢ with the program listing.¢ ******¢ The JACG Newsletter for January, 1992¢ came attached to the February issue, ¢ indicating that there had been a gap ¢ in publication for a while. It's ¢ good to see you back again, JACG! ¢ Editor DAVID ARLINGTON pointed out ¢ the problems that an editor sometimes¢ has when files are given to him in a ¢ format different from the one he uses¢ to assemble the newsletter. He gets ¢ articles, for example, in six ¢ different 8-bit word-processor ¢ formats, and several ST formats as ¢ well.¢ ******¢ (It's time to editorialize a bit.) ¢ David makes an important point. ¢ Writing may be simple for writers who¢ use a particular word processor, but ¢ difficult for the editor to convert ¢ to one format. In our own club, what¢ I give ALEX is in 1st XLENT format, ¢ but he doesn't know (and can't tell) ¢ where I originally wrote it. ¢ Sometimes, if I've done some writing ¢ on one of my non-Atari machines, ¢ rather than shutting down and booting¢ 1st XLENT, I'll write the column on ¢ that non- Atari machine and then ¢ null-modem it to the Atari, save it, ¢ and load it into 1ST XLENT. When I ¢ do, I have to check it carefully to ¢ be sure the conversion was done ¢ properly. So, multiply my case ¢ (voluntary on my part) by a factor of¢ at least 11 for the poor editor! But¢ remember that editors are also rather¢ selective gluttons for punishment. ¢ While they may not enjoy the ¢ mechanics of putting together a ¢ newsletter, they kind of revel in the¢ NUMBER of articles they can get from ¢ members. [Please write!]¢ ******¢ And now, back to JACG Newsletter! ¢ JACG was just given, as PD software, ¢ the programs Word Magic, Graphic ¢ Magic and Spell Magic. Author JIM ¢ THOMPSON handed them over to the ¢ club. DAVE ARLINGTON runs down some ¢ old issues of A.N.A.L.O.G. as an ¢ illustration of available and still ¢ usable 8-bit software.¢ ******¢ The JACG Newsletter for February, ¢ 1992 contains the news that the late ¢ KRIS HOLTEGAARD released all of his ¢ 8-bit programs into the public ¢ domain. Kris was, as we know, quite ¢ anxious for Ol' Hackers and JACG to ¢ get his files just a few short days ¢ before his untimely passing. ED ¢ SALVESON describes a program he is ¢ writing in BASIC that will generate ¢ crossword puzzles on a graphics 8 ¢ screen. He desires feedback from the¢ membership about who might want such ¢ a program before he will continue. ¢ The closure of GEMINI ENTERPRISES is ¢ mentioned with much sadness. Such is¢ the sad theme repeated in a few ¢ places in this issue.¢ ******¢ The JACG Newsletter for March, 1992 ¢ (I told you they would make up for ¢ their lag!) DAVID ARLINGTON mentions ¢ the fact that Sega Genesis ¢ controllers work well with both 8-bit¢ and ST Atari computers. Joe Hicswa ¢ gives us a way to run BASIC programs ¢ that have been LISTED to disk. SAM ¢ CORY writes about the late KRIS ¢ HOLTEGAARD and the despair shown by ¢ KRIS over apathy among 8-bitters. ¢ SAM also tells us that RON RICHIE has¢ the latest version of TEXTPRO ready ¢ to beta test. Our newsletter is ¢ mentioned for its great features, ¢ lack of ads, and tons of information,¢ as welll as for having a BASIC ¢ file or two in each issue. ROGER¢ KELLER has an interesting article¢ about getting his wife's 500-page ¢ dissertation (done on an 8-bit with¢ LJK Letter Perfect) converted so¢ that it could be printed with a more¢ modern printer. One of the last¢ pages has, without a word of¢ explanation, a block diagram of the¢ original 8-bit Atari (I guess it¢ could serve for 400 or 800).¢ ******¢ MilAtari Limited Edition for March, ¢ 1992 is a newcomer. It contains no ¢ specifically 8-bit articles, but does¢ contain two articles that are of ¢ interest to us all. The first is a ¢ biographical sketch of Jack Trameil, ¢ seemingly the official release. ¢ Then, MICHELLE GROSS writes an ¢ article stating how the ST fit her ¢ father's needs better than an MS-DOS ¢ machine, and that he is very happy ¢ with it. Michelle claims not to be ¢ bashing MS- DOS and I hereby state ¢ that I am not endorsing the ST as an ¢ upgrade path for 8-bitters. In my ¢ experience, the MS-DOS does some ¢ things well, and the 8-bit continues ¢ to do everything else well. Michelle¢ makes the point that 8-bitters may ¢ consider the MS-DOS something of a ¢ "summer home" but that people with no¢ computer experience will have a hard ¢ time with it. Both points can be ¢ argued. If you have SpartaDos, ¢ especially SDX experience, then MS-¢ DOS can indeed be a "summer home"¢ to you. On the other hand, there¢ are, admittedly kludgy, devices in ¢ software to shield the beginner from ¢ the cryptic and confusing nature of ¢ the MS-DOS operating system, making ¢ it almost MAC- or even ST-like! My ¢ solution has been to stay with the 8-¢ bit and add the MS-DOS for the few ¢ things it does better than the 8-bit ¢ so that I can stay in that ¢ artificially-induced mainstream out ¢ there.¢ ******¢ Nybbles and Bytes for March, 1992 is ¢ full, as usual, of interesting 8-bit ¢ information. Read vice-president ¢ MERLE BARNES' article, "What's In It ¢ For Me" when you get a chance. Also ¢ notice that the North West Phoenix ¢ Atari Connection's D.O.M.for ¢ February, 1992 is our Jan/Feb ¢ newsletter. You may also wish to see¢ a reprint of JEFF POTTER's article on¢ the Chicago Atarifest if you didn't ¢ see the original in AIM. CHARLES ¢ LAKE compares Print Shop and Print ¢ Power. There are also hints for ¢ commercial games and other items of ¢ interest.¢ ******¢ The SAGE Scroll for March, 1992 ¢ contains several pieces of 8-bit ¢ information. 8-bit Librarian ADAM ¢ CONOVER has put together a disk of a ¢ sound digitizing program and a ¢ program that converts sound files ¢ from ST, MAC, Amiga, etc., formats. ¢ Plans for building the hardware ¢ necessary are also included. ¢ Instructions for a graphics demo and ¢ how to set up a 16K ramdisk in an ¢ 800XL appear elsewhere in the ¢ newsletter, as well as a reprint of ¢ STAN SCHENFELD's article on the ¢ POSITION statement in BASIC. RON ¢ FETZER's article on The Programming ¢ Kit is also reprinted.¢ ******¢ The W.A.N.D. for March/April, 1992 ¢ begins with a reprinted of GERRY ¢ STOTTS' article on repairing XL/XE ¢ keyboards. A second reprint (this ¢ time from our March/April newsletter)¢ of KEVIN PACKARD's (WNYAUG) article ¢ on the CX-85 Keypad is followed by ¢ ROLLY HERMAN's article on modifying ¢ that keypad. Rolly also brings us ¢ information on the Atari keyboards. ¢ There is a reprint of a JOHN COLLINS ¢ (Nybbles and Bytes, July/August 1991)¢ Draw and Quartered article. Several ¢ more articles on numeric keypads and ¢ a review of Billboard by NICOLS J. ¢ Cup of ACORN with a follow-up by ¢ ROLLY HERMAN fill out the issue.¢ ******¢ The ACE of Syracuse Newsletter (no ¢ date, possibly March, 1992) has a ¢ printed demo and review of Typesetter¢ by VERNON H. SMITH and an expression ¢ of sympathy on the passing of KRIS ¢ HOLTEGAARD by fellow programmer and ¢ corresponding member of OL' HACKERS, ¢ TOM ANDREWS.¢ ******¢ (FR)ANTIC for April, 1992 is packed! ¢ President ALVAN SHERRILL's Beginner's¢ Column deals with the limitations ¢ (what?!!!) of our 8-bits. Of course,¢ he is speaking of the greatest number¢ of significant digits the computer ¢ will handle, how the computer ¢ expresses these in scientific ¢ notation, and like topics. ¢ Subscribing member JAMES S. MARTIN ¢ writes about Pride in the Atari ¢ Classic. ED HALL, another ¢ corresponding member and prolific ¢ writer talks about using Ataris for ¢ profit. It's an utterly fascinating ¢ article. Jack Lee brings us a ¢ wonderful little gem entitled, "The ¢ Owl, The Rat, and the Hacker." ¢ THELMA SUNVISON is on her "soapbox" ¢ again, and makes some excellent ¢ points about the AAAUA.¢ ****** The L.V.A.U.G. News for¢ April, 1992 reprints a Z*NET article¢ from January opposing the¢ Telecommunications Act of 1991. ¢ It's important to read this article,¢ and I urge all of our members to do¢ so. There is also a reprint of an¢ article on eyestrain and computer¢ use that was reproduced from¢ (FR)ANTIC in July, 1991 and ¢ originally appeared in ST Report ¢ Online Magazine in August of 1990. ¢ JIM HARRIS reviews BobTerm 1.21 (the ¢ article is reprinted from LIAUG ¢ LightHouse of July, 1991). Part II ¢ of MICHAEL STOLIKER's series of ¢ Sparta Tutorials is also reprinted.¢ ******¢ PSAN for April/May, 1992 contains the¢ third part of KIT CARSON's ¢ (S*P*A*C*E) review of programs on ¢ cassette from Europe. Kit warns us ¢ that the cassettes will probably have¢ trouble with the 400/800 OS and that ¢ loading instructions are incorrect, ¢ but that the games are quite good. He¢ goes on to review Mr. Robot and His ¢ Robot Factory and Stratosphere. the ¢ OnLine Echoes column features THIS ¢ WEEK IN ATARI HISTORY by RON KOVACS ¢ and is an interesting look back.¢ ******¢ The MUG Newsletter for May, 1992 ¢ contains the Atari News produced by ¢ NAPCO. This month, there are hints ¢ on using MyCopyR from ED HALL of ¢ Canada and KEN WICKERT (ACE of ¢ Syracuse), a reprint of the Mail ¢ Merge column from JIMMY BOYCE's ¢ (CACE) series on AtariWriter+, and ¢ THOMAS J. ANDREWS' (ACE of ¢ Syracuse and OL'H)article on¢ Assemblers- Interpreters and¢ Compilers.¢ ******¢ The SLCC Journal for May, 1992 ¢ features a Bob Wooley hack that will ¢ thrill those of us who fool with hard¢ drives. Bob uses his upgraded 1MEG ¢ 1200XL to access (believe it or not) ¢ an IDE hard drive! The job isn't ¢ quite finished, but Bob believes he¢ can make it work.¢ ******¢ Finally-the JACG Newsletter ¢ (what, them again!) for May, 1992¢ features JOSEPH E. HICSWA's article¢ which describes what he learned¢ about using the COLOR command in¢ graphics mode 0 by re-reading Your¢ Atari Computer by LON POOLE. A¢ miniprogram listing is included. ¢ Joe also shows us how to split text¢ files that are too long to be loaded¢ into memory in another article and,¢ yes, another program listing.¢¢ **** END ***¢¢¢
