INFO-ATARI16 Digest Fri, 20 Oct 89 Volume 89 : Issue 540 Today's Topics: (none) (none) GDOS & Outline Fonts (2 msgs) 386 vs the TT fortran Games for Sale INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 #538 Turboboost with GCR ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 20 Oct 89 16:02:44 GMT From: sdcc6!sdcc13!pa1329@ucsd.edu (pa1329) Subject: (none) Why not some ST developers work together to develop a outline-font-based GDOS? If the version can b e accepted by all developers as a standard, who cares what Atari think? It can be used by any ST developers in their program, and Atari's attitude will not be a problem. Outline font technology has existed in the ST since pub. partner was released. Meanwhile many other companies still struggle with the Atari GDOS. There is no need to continue using that junk. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Oct 89 17:38:16 GMT From: pasteur!cory.Berkeley.EDU!soohoo@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Ken "nmi" Soohoo) Subject: (none) GDOS & Outline Fonts In article <1379@sdcc13.ucsd.edu> pa1329@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (pa1329) writes: > >Why not some ST developers work together to develop a >outline-font-based GDOS? If the version can b e accepted by all >developers as a standard, who cares what Atari think? It can be >used by any ST developers in their program, and Atari's attitude >will not be a problem. >Outline font technology has existed in the ST since pub. partner was >released. Meanwhile many other companies still struggle with the Atari >GDOS. There is no need to continue using that junk. Yes, outline fonts are a really cool idea. Yes, the are a whole HECK of a lot of work to implement. Probably gonna be hard to convince the people who make Pub.Partner to part with their outline fonts, as they are the only ones (that I know of) out there... They pretty much corner the market. So, who designs the fonts? Who do we get the fonts from, certainly not Adobe... ;-? And then, what about the algorithm for scaling, that's worth a lot of money, people make their living off of that... Ok, so if you want outline fonts, wouldn't it make a whole HECK of a lot of sense to make the system GDOS compatible? That way, all the existing programs can continue to use fonts the way they always did... BUT how do you fix programs like MicroSoft Write (and MANY others) that inquire of the system what font sizes are available? Here's the problem: Outline Fonts enable any point size to be created. GDOS thinks only certain point sizes exist. Thus _currently_ a program polls to find out the sizes available, and limits the user to those sizes. As the Outline GDOS, what font sizes do you report on inquiry? You've _really_ got _anything_, so why limit the system, but then how does a program that allows the user to select from font sizes handle the now unlimited number of sizes . Certainly not in the current schema of "pick a size", as they can legally pick _any_ size. Anyway, just some thoughts on Outline Fonts and GDOS. I'm really preassuming that the Outline GDOS must stay GDOS compatible and not break existing software, otherwise, I suppose one could throw out all the currently available GDOS software... --Kenneth "kens" Soohoo (soohoo@cory.Berkeley.Edu) Atari Hacker (Atari's Hacker...) "It could be worse, you could get hit by a bus..." My opinions are my OWN, _not_ necessarily Atari's. But "hey", who knows? ------------------------------ Date: 20 Oct 89 19:23:25 GMT From: phoenix@g.ms.uky.edu (R'ykandar Korra'ti) Subject: (none) GDOS & Outline Fonts In article <18593@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> soohoo@cory.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP (Ken "nmi" Soohoo) writes: >Yes, outline fonts are a really cool idea. >So, who designs the fonts? Who do we get the fonts from, certainly not >Adobe... ;-? And then, what about the algorithm for scaling, that's >worth a lot of money, people make their living off of that... Why _not_ Adobe? They've placed their Type I fonts in the public domain, I understand. You'd get a recognized standard and lots of proven-ground technology (in an area where proven-ground tech is good) right off the bat. >BUT how do you fix programs like MicroSoft Write (and MANY others) that >inquire of the system what font sizes are available? Have the system throw a standard set of point sizes back? And when a particular size is requested, generate a pixel image. Not fast, but functional - and not necessarily as slow as you might think, either. I've seen other applications do it that way, and it's not too bad. >I'm really preassuming that the Outline GDOS must stay GDOS compatible >and not break existing software... If it's reasonably written, the above system might save a lot of headaches. Then again, maybe not; I don't know GDOS. - R'ykandar. -- | R'ykandar Korra'ti, Editor, LOW ORBIT | phoenix@ms.uky.edu | CIS 72406,370 | | Elfinkind, Unite! | phoenix@ukma.bitnet | PLink: Skywise | QLink: Bearclaw | ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1989 12:06 EDT From: Greg Csullog <01659%AECLCR.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU> Subject: 386 vs the TT Several users on my site have fast 386 machines. The problem is that most codes do not support memory beyond 640K. Thus, a 4 meg 386 has over 3 megs of useless RAM. PC people are always proud of fast 386's. With the lack of a common interface for applications (Word Perfect, dBASE, LOTUS, ChiWriter, etc.have no relationship to one another) huge amounts of time are wasted trying to pass data between applications. Who the hell cares if a number crunch takes 7 seconds instead of 21 when it takes 1/2 hour to move the result to a second application. Until PCs have a dominant common interface that allows rapid passing of data between appplications PCs will remain the dogs of the computing world. A survey has shown that in business, the average number of applications used by PC users is 1, the average by Mac users is 4. Why? Learning one PC appl does not tell you anything about the next. Learning one Mac appl or one GEM appl totally prepares you for the next ones. Sorry PC users, speed of processing is not the only determinant of productivity! ------------------------------ Date: 20 Oct 89 09:22:15 GMT From: eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!newcastle.ac.uk!tadhg!chris@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Chris Forker - Nav Arch-) Subject: fortran In article <3937.253ca865@uwovax.uwo.ca> 4224_5132@uwovax.uwo.ca writes: >I need help finding a GOOD fortran for my ST. > >Any suggestions...?-- > >-------------------------------------------------------------- >Andrew Semple ads@uwovax.uwo.ca >2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@uwovax.uwo.ca >The University of Western Ontario Semple@uwovax.BITNET >London, Ontario >Canada I'v used Prospero's Fortran for several years now, and find it reasonable. One of the good things is the ease by which code can ported too and from the PC without any changes if you use their PC compiler as well. The compiler is not the fastest around, but produces tight code. The actual workbench is v.good, and I find it very productive. The latest 'toolbox' from Prospero gives even greater flexibility to this environment. They also have MC68881 support as well. Hope this helps Chris. I only use the product, I don't have shares in the company. +-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--+--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-+ | mail: Chris.Forker@newcastle.ac.uk | Dept. Marine Technology | | voice: +44 91 2226000 X 6750 | Newcastle University | | fax: +44 91 2611182 | Newcastle upon Tyne | | | NE1 7RU ENGLAND | +-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--+--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-+ ------------------------------ Date: 20 Oct 89 19:55:22 GMT From: pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive! dogie.macc.wisc.edu!vms.macc.wisc.edu@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Neil Gilmore) Subject: Games for Sale In article <1989Oct16.214846.8337@agate.berkeley.edu>, c60c-4af@e260-4a.berkeley.edu (Teh Kao Yang) writes... >Thanks for all those replies to my message. However the games have >all been sold. Boy did they go quick! >Teh Kao Yang Quite so... even though your 'or best offer' clause didn't seem to make it into your posting. Sorry, folks, but this gentleman sent me email saying that I could purchase the items in question, as I was the first respondant to his posting. His next message told me that he would not sell me those items. I do not object to persons wishing to sell items for their best offer, but I would quite prefer that this information appear in the post. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Kitakaze Tatsu Raito Neil Gilmore internet:gilmore@macc.wisc.edu | | Jararvellir, MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3 | | Middle Kingdom Madison, Wi | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 89 15:43 CDT From: CANTIN%MMDEHN.SPAN@ricevm1.rice.edu Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 #538 unsubscribe info-atari16 signoff ------------------------------ Date: 20 Oct 89 16:46:00 GMT From: matthews@umd5.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) Subject: Turboboost with GCR In article <761@utacs.UTA.FI> jackin@utacs.UTA.FI (Markku M?enp??) writes: >Has anybody succeeded in using Spectre GCR with faster >processors (16Mhz) ? I would like to get my MEGA faster and >especially would like to see Spectre GCR roaming in 16 Mhz. > >! Markku M?enp?? ! I used Spectre (NOT GCR) with the JRI 16Mhz board no problems. I imagine the GCR will work as well -- I'll let you know if otherwise when my GCR comes [and my friend doesn't mind me borrowing his ST again]. Mike ------------------------------ End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #540 ***************************************** =========================================================================