INFO-ATARI16 Digest Wed, 8 Nov 89 Volume 89 : Issue 619 Today's Topics: *** ATARI PRESS RELEASE *** apology Atari bitmaps formats and PCW Looking for notation programs (DMCS, Finale')... Mega with TOS 1.4 crashes! questions, questions, questions (2 msgs) TT, TT030/2, STE TT and STE Vapourware!!! Want a fast Atari ST. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Nov 89 01:48:01 GMT From: mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watmath!ria!uwovax!4224_5132@tut.cis.ohio -state.edu (Andrew Semple) Subject: *** ATARI PRESS RELEASE *** It seems apropo to repost the Atari News Release I submitted at an earlier date, hopefully this will clear up some of the 'rumors' flying around about the TT. Also, I would like to personally thank Ken Badertscher of Atari Corp for his input lately in answering numerous questions from us users. Anyways... Taken from Z*net newswire, August 1989... "Atari Newswire Update Press release from Atari: To all Atari Owners: .... Premiering at the Dusseldorf Atari Fair, the TT, with the Motorola MC68030 processor, moves the ST family into the 32 bit realm, achieving a significant increase in computing power with full TOS compatibility. Our goal for the TT was to design an expandable computer that would combine ST compatibility with superior resolution, more computing power, and improved sound generating abilities. At the heart of the TT is a 16MHz MC68030 processor, which allows a high degree of 68000 compatability, while operating at a higher clock speed and providing streamlined internal operations which make it even faster. The 68030 has built in 256 byte instruction and data caches, and an internal Memory Management Unit. Next to it on the board is a socket for an optional math coprocessor (MC68881/MC68882). Memory on the TT is a full 32 bits wide, both the ST RAM which is shared by the video logic, and TT RAM which is not shared. These factors combine to result in a memory bandwidth that is four times greater and program execution speeds up to 17 times faster than on the ST. In both hardware and software, the TT is compatible with the ST. All hard- ware registers are in the same location as they are on the ST. The ST video modes work the same way on both TT and ST, because they are organized in memory the same way on both machines. Most important for ST compatability is the operating system in the TT: TOS. With TOS as the TT operating system, existing programs can automatically use the improved resolutions of the new video modes, as well as the larger colour palette, without any changing of the software. All this ST compatability has the obvious benefit of allowing TT owners to take advantage of the large and growing base of ST software. In addition to the three ST video modes, the TT has two new colour video modes available on it VGA monitor: 640 horizontal by 480 vertical resolution with 16 colours, 320 horizontal by 480 vertical with 256 colours. With a high resolution monochrome monitor, a 1280 by 960 monochrome mode is available. All the colour modes use a new, expanded 4096 colour palette which is also available in the ST modes. Even ST monochrome (640x400) is actually a two colour mode on TT; we call it "duochrome." The improved sound system uses stereo 8-bit PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). This allows the TT to function as a digital tape player. The hardware also includes an automatic variable low pass filter, a stereo balance control and bass and treble tone controls. This sound is mixed through the internal speaker as well as being output via two RCA phono jacks located on the back of the machine. These features, combined with the high powered computing capbilities of the 16 MHz 68030 allow the TT to produce a wide range of high quality sounds. In keeping with the design goal of expandability, the TT has all of the ports familiar from the ST: MIDI, parallel, serial, and the Atari ACSI DMA port (for Atari hard disks, laser printers or CD-ROM). The TT also includes a 25 pin SCSI port. One of the four TT serial ports can be configured as an industry standard medium speed SDLC network port. Of course, the machine also provides an internal speaker, a clock with battery backup, and a Mega ST compatible keyboard with ports for mouse and joystick. In addition to the expansion capabilities provided by the TT's external interfaces, the TT is expandable internally as well. The housing can hold an internal hard disk and add-in memory cards. These memory cards allow the standard 2 megabyte TT to be expanded to 8 megabytes, or as much as 26 megabytes when 4 Mbit DRAM chips become avaliable. Another example of internal expandability is the slot for a single standard "Eurocard" style VME card. This slot allows use of any of the large number of existing VME expansion cards. Some of the VME expansion options currently available include memory expansion, Earthnet and other network boards, coprocessors, graphics boards, and data aquisition (A/D and D/A converters). Already planned for TT VME expansion are an Earthnet board for networking, I/O port expansion, and graphic extensions. The work-station like capabilities of the TT will be complemented by an optional industry standard operating system. UNIX system V is being ported for the TT. Also available will be X windows as well as an X windows based graphic user interface, giving TT owners all the benefit of UNIX without all of the difficulties usually encountered. Here is a listing of TT specifications: + ST compatible operating system, giving TT an extensive software library + ST compatible hardware, including all ST interface ports + Three new graphics modes: 1280 x 640 pixels high resolution monochrome, 640 x 480 pixels with 16 colours, and 320 x 480 pixels with 256 colours + All colour graphics modes use an expanded 4096 colour palette + 16 MHz Motorola MC 68030 processor + Socket for optional MC68881/MC68882 math coprocessor + DMA with built in SCSI and ASCI ports + Two serial ports, expandable to four ports + Parallel interface + Detachable keyboard + Internal "Eurocard" VME socket (A24/D16) + Internal hard disk option + 8 bit stereo PCM sound + 2 Mbytes RAM, expandable to 8 Mbytes (26 Mbytes with 4 Mb DRAM) + Real time clock with battery backup + Network capable hardware The Atari TT continues the Atari tradition of delivering Power Without The Price! We reserve the right to change technical specifications without notice. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. August, 1989, Atari Corporation, 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (408)745-2000" This article appears exactly as it was in Z*net, August 1989. The '....' indicator represents material omitted on Atari's release of Rainbow TOS. It is also availiable on request. All spelling errors are my own. -- -------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca The University of Western Ontario Semple@uwovax.BITNET London, Ontario Canada "I think in the predicate calculus." - I. Newton :-) ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 06:39:57 GMT From: mcgill-vision!quiche!depeche@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Sam Alan EZUST) Subject: apology Regarding a question I re-posted about running unix on the non-tower TT, apparently Atari responded to my first article explaining that the St-World article which stated UNIX wouldn't run on the this version of the TT was a MISTAKE. For some reason the reply didn't make it to my site, so I didn't see it, but Greg pointed it out to me, so I cancelled the re-posting of my question. Sorry guys. I hope that'll never happen again. To Atari: if you still have this message on file, could you send a copy of it to me in e-mail? thanks! -- S. Alan Ezust aka "Depeche Modem" depeche@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca McGill University Computer Science Disclaimer: I claim everything! Montreal, Quebec, Canada (je pense que.... ) je me souviens "This kind of pornography is a matter of artistic creativity" ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 01:06:46 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!icdoc!tsun4.doc.ic.ac.uk!zmact59@uunet.uu.net (C A Newton) Subject: Atari bitmaps formats and PCW Hello there, Doe anyybody know of a program (either for the ST or the PCW) that will convert file formats between ANY of the many graphic formats on the ST any ANY of those used on the Amstrad PCW ? I have a lot of good stuff in PCW format and i'd really like to be able to incorporate them into my Atari software, Thanks, ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 06:20:06 GMT From: mcsun!unido!nixba!mike@uunet.uu.net (Mike Lyons) Subject: Looking for notation programs (DMCS, Finale')... In article <9715@zodiac.ADS.COM> jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) writes: >[ looking for notation software for the ST ] There was an issue of _Keyboard_ magazine a few months ago which had notation software as its theme. I'm no big Atari fan :-|, but I think there was a list of "everything" on the market. Peace, Mike -- Michael D. Lyons / Nixdorf Computer AG / phone: +49 911 6415 609 Donaustrasse 36 :: D-8500 Nuernberg 60 :: Federal Republic of Germany EUNET: mike@nixba.uucp NERV: lyons.nue OTHERWISE: ...unido!nixba!mike I'd change the world for the better...if I could get my hands on the source code ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 01:26:59 GMT From: portal!cup.portal.com!Xorg@uunet.uu.net (Peter Ted Szymonik) Subject: Mega with TOS 1.4 crashes! Hi Andy! And welcome to the club! I have the exact same problem and have been trying to hunt down the problem for over two months now. After many long discussions with people in the know (not to mention two wasted trips to my 'local' 60-mile away dealer) I'm convinced that what we are having trouble with is an overloaded bus due to the 2->6 chip upgrade, ROMs -> PROMS. Add Spectre GCR with its two Mac ROMs and forget it. The solution appears to be to remove to 'weak' 74LS373 chips and replacing them with stronger 74AS373 chips. My machine will probably go for a trip to have this work done (in addition to a RAM upgrade) I'll let you know what happens. Peter Szymonik ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 06:29:49 GMT From: mcgill-vision!quiche!depeche@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Sam Alan EZUST) Subject: questions, questions, questions In response to the fellow who was interested in terminal programs, I use a program called ST-TERM, written by Matthew R. Singer. The version I have is 3.7b. I am not sure if it is the most recent, but it is not very old. St-term used to be commercial, and I bought a copy then, but since has gone public domain, so anyone can take it. It supports an excellent phone dialer (you can dial numbers in sequence until it gets through to one of them) , keeps track of passwords and user numbers, baud rates, etc. It also supports 10 transfer protocols including SEALINK and ZMODEM. terminal emulation: vt100 and vt52 ONLY no gem support, or multitasking, but it is only 72k after "gerpackting", looks and feels like procomm, and is quite reliable. I like it and have never had even the remote desire to switch to flash or interlink, like most of the masses have. S. Alan Ezust aka "Depeche Modem" depeche@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca McGill University Computer Science Disclaimer: I claim everything! Montreal, Quebec, Canada (je pense que.... ) je me souviens "This kind of pornography is a matter of artistic creativity" ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 10:40:50 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.u iuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!uxf.cso.uiuc.edu!rjk752@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Subject: questions, questions, questions I have both Flash and Interlink. I think Interlink is slightly more friendly because of its point and shoot capabilities, but Flash is a more tested and reliable program from what I can tell. I got Interlink because it got such rave reviews, but when I found the vt100 and vt52 emulations wouldn't work properly with Unix on the Sequent Balance, I was forced to abandon Interlink as a loss. I am now using the vt100 emulation "mode ansi" on Flash, and it works fine with "vi" (which I am using to write this note). WithInterlink, I lost my precious arrow curser movement and my PF keys with the best setup I could find. (Screwed up results with the others). If I recal correctly, the Interlink vt100 in ANSI mode resulted in nothing being shown. This made Interlink unsatisfactory for use in dialing into a Unix system. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 02:27:29 GMT From: mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watmath!ria!uwovax!4224_5132@tut.cis.ohio -state.edu (Andrew Semple) Subject: TT, TT030/2, STE Here is some more news on the TT... From Z*net Newswire (November 1989) " ZNET EUROPEAN NEWSWIRE (Ed. note: Please be aware that the following is a EUROPEAN REPORT and SOFTWARE releases discussed here are NOT necessarily available in the United States, now or ever!) .... ---> Early 1990 is the date set for the UK release of the TT. The TT (TT030/2), includes a 68030 at 16MHz, 2 MbRAM, 30 Mb Hard Disk, and VGA standard colour monitor. The resident operating system called TOS030, will be a variation of the current TOS1.4. Not included is the Unix multi-tasking operating system or the PC emulator. ---> The 1040 should be phased out during March/April 1990 and replaced by the once called "ST Plus" or "Enhanced ST", now called 1040STE. The STE will include 1MbRam, fast hardware scrolling, 4096 colour palette, 8-bit stero PCM sound, TOS1.4 operating system, and four SIMM (single in line memory module) for easy expansion to 4Mb." All spelling errors are mine. The spelling of colour (in the correct manner) is also of my doing. To R. Covert: I refuse to fight with you over this. I guess this answers the question of which TOS the STE gets? Note: By correct manner, I mean Canadian, NOT CP-Style, relax :-) -------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Semple ads@hydra.uwo.ca 2nd Year Applied Math/Computer Science Andrew.Semple@hydra.uwo.ca The University of Western Ontario Semple@uwovax.BITNET London, Ontario Canada "I think in the predicate calculus." - I. Newton :-) ------------------------------ Date: 7 Nov 89 21:38:36 GMT From: nis!pwcs!stag!daemon@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU (John Stanley) Subject: TT and STE [soohoo@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Ken "nmi" Soohoo) writes...] >[larserio@IFI.UIO.NO (LarsErikOsterud) writes...] >>Will the STE run some STE software (i guess not) ? > > Yes, STE specific software is going to be developed. Since software has to be written to hit the widest possible market possible, only a very VERY foolish developer would write a program that can't run on anything but an STE. Most STE specific features may be emulated in software and thus hit a much larger market for a very small additional effort. >>What I'm aiming at is: Will TT-user have the possibility of using programs >>made for the STE (if the great TT user want to a game :-) > > In some cases, yes, in some cases, no. > Say, for example, you've got a new STE Paint program, why > then of course (as long as it doesn't scroll horizontally > using hardware) you can use it, and the 4096 colors, on > the TT! Problem with games is that they'll _probably_ use > the horizontal scroll... Any program written to use the "STE horizontal scroll" will probably be written to also have a comperable software scroll when run on non-STE machines... (Please, no flames about the sound or extended graphics not being emulatable in SW. Reasonable equivalents can be developed for non-STE hardware and will be for any programs that are going to be anything more than interesting very-small-market programs...) --- John Stanley Software Consultant / Dynasoft Systems ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 07:09:34 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!marque!carroll1!dnewton@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Dave 'Post No Nicknames' Newton) Subject: Vapourware!!! In article <8911070804.AA12600@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> 01659@AECLCR.BITNET (Greg Csullog) writes: >How many netters have actually used a NeXT computer or even seen one. Just Gee, Greg, I don't know. I have. Probably most people on comp.sys.next have. Most of the people from next.com have, seeing as how they work there and all. I wasn't too impressed with it, but it does represent a lot of computer for the money. But I'd much rather have an ATW. -- David L. Newton | uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton | The Raging Apostle-- (414) 524-7343 (work) | dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu | for the future-- (414) 524-6809 (home) | 100 NE Ave, Waukesha WI 53186 | for the world. "Isn't it fun to take two unrelated sentences and mix the batter lightly?" -me ------------------------------ Date: 8 Nov 89 01:21:55 GMT From: portal!cup.portal.com!Xorg@uunet.uu.net (Peter Ted Szymonik) Subject: Want a fast Atari ST. I know this: I upgraded to TOS 1.4 and added TURBO ST 1.6 (the software add-on) and my Mega 2 flies, adding the accelerator board must really make an ST steam! Peter Szymonik Xorg@cup.portal.com ------------------------------ End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #619 ***************************************** =========================================================================