========================================================================= INFO-ATARI16 Digest Wed, 17 Jan 90 Volume 90 : Issue 58 Today's Topics: AMCGDOS GNU and the ST INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #36 INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #55 Mouse RSC WAnted ST then and now TT availablity Who (where) is "ST Plus"? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 14:18:20 MEZ From: ONM07%DMSWWU1A.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Julian Reschke) Subject: AMCGDOS Message-ID: <9001171318.AA12360@hugin.math.dmswwu> AMCGDOS is the official GDOS version from Atari Germany (they bought a license from the author: Arnd Beissner, Scharnhorststr. 76, D-4400 Muenster). AMCGDOS is free except for commercial use. Usage is absolutely identical to the original GDOS. Drivers and fonts should be available at your local dealer. Julian F. Reschke, Hensenstr. 142, D-4400 Muenster, Tel.: 0251/861241 email: ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 90 15:48:25 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.ci s.ohio-state.edu (Richard E. Covert) Subject: GNU and the ST Message-ID: <48173ae2.14a1f@force.UUCP> You know, what with all the frustration with Atari not releasing the STe to the US, and not releasing the TT to the US, and not having outline GDOS fonts, and all of the other complaints that we have with Atari Corp-USA, I started reading the Mac newsgroups. Well, I am a diehard STer, and the thought of buying a Mac is almost enough to make me sick [ :-) ], but the support from Apple is great (at least there are lots of 3rd party vendors for Macs). Anyway, I am always looking for reasons why not to buy a Mac. My biggest are prices and the poor system design centered about QuickDraw (very slow graphics on all but the MacIIci). Also, Mac SW is VERY expensive. this is all leading to a message that I saw posted in the Mac newsgroup. Someone there wanted to know why GNU/Free Software Foundation hasn't ported their programs to the Macs. And another caller posted a file included with GNU SW which really rips into Apple and explains that FSF will NEVER support ANY Apple product, especially the Mac. I have included the message for those who haven't seen it. So, my point is that as bad as things are with Atari Corp at least ST is is recognized by FSF as a machine worthy of porting their products to. Most FSF programs have been ported to the ST. So there are *SOME* good things about the ST! *********Press N to Skip the MEssage ******************************** From asuvax!noao!ncar!mwunix.mitre.org!rtidd Wed Jan 10 12:39:08 1990 Path: force!gtephx!hrc!mcdphx!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!think!snorkelwacker!spdcc! merk!alliant!linus!chance!ccel From: ccel@chance.uucp (CCEL) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: YACC and LEX for Macs Keywords: apple, GNU Message-ID: <88099@linus.UUCP> Date: 10 Jan 90 19:39:08 GMT References: <1990Jan9.021314.5308@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us> <1570019@hp-ptp.HP.COM> Sender: news@linus.UUCP Reply-To: rtidd@mwunix.mitre.org Organization: MITRE-McLean Software Engineering Laboratory Lines: 83 In article <1570019@hp-ptp.HP.COM> steve@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Steve_Witten) writes: >/ hp-ptp:comp.sys.mac / shieber@harvard.harvard.edu / 6:13 pm Jan 8, 1990 / > >I have a Mac II running THINK C and am interested in getting a version >of Yacc and Lex for it. Has anyone written such a thing, or ported a >version? For instance, has anyone ported the GNU Bison and Flex to >Macs? (From the code I ftped, it didn't look like the GNU people >themselves had done the port.) Some time back, GNU got very upset at Apple over a lawsuit Apple tried against GNU for writing "look-and-feel" software; that is, software that "works even vaguely" like a Macintosh. Due to this, GNU doesn't support any Apple machines anywhere (especially the Mac). Pity, because the GNU software is not only excellent but free, and has source code and documentation provided. I'm not much of an Apple fan, and this certainly isn't the place to harp on Macs, so i'll leave it at that. Included is the "APPLE" file distributed with most GNU software: ------------------------------------------------------------------- @unnumbered Special Report: Apple's New Look and Feel You might have read about the new look-and-feel copyright lawsuit, Apple vs. Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. Apple claims the power to stop people from writing any program that works even vaguely like a Macintosh. If they and other look-and-feel plaintiffs triumph, they will use this new power over the public to put an end to free software that could substitute for commercial software. In the weeks after the suit was filed, USENET reverberated with condemnation for Apple. GNU supporters Richard Stallman, John Gilmore, and Paul Rubin decided to take action against Apple's no-longer-deserved reputation as a force for progress. Apple's reputation comes from having made better computers; but now, Apple is working to make all non-Apple computers worse. If this deprives the public of the future work of many companies, the harm done would be many times the good that any one company does. Our hope was that if the user community realizes how destructive Apple's present actions are, Apple would lose customers and have more trouble finding employees. Our method of action was to print 5000 buttons that say ``Keep Your Lawyers Off My Computer'' and hand them out at the West Coast Computer Faire. The center of the button shows the rainbow-apple logo with a Gigeresque mouth full of ferocious teeth. The picture was drawn by Etienne Suvasa, who also drew the cover for the GNU Emacs manual. We call the picture ``Apple's New Look and Feel''. We gave out nearly 4000 buttons at the show (saving the rest for afterwards). The result was a great success: the extent of anger at Apple was apparent to everyone at the show. Many of the invited speakers at the show wore our buttons, spoke about them, or even waved them from the podium. The press noticed this: at least one Macintosh user's magazine carried a photo of the button afterwards. Some of you may be considering using, buying, or recommending Macintoshes; you might even be writing programs for them or thinking about it. Please think twice and look for an alternative. Doing those things means more success for Apple, and this could encourage Apple to persist in its aggression. It also encourages other companies to try similar obstructionism. [It is because of this boycott that we don't include support for Macontosh Unix in GNU software.] You might think that your current project ``needs'' a Macintosh now. If you find yourself thinking this way, consider the far future. You probably plan to be alive a year or two from now, and working on some other project. You will want to get good computers for that, too. But an Apple monopoly could easily make the price of such computers at that time several times what it would otherwise be. Your decision to use some other kind of machine, or to defer your purchases now, might make sure that the machines your next project needs are affordable when you need them. Newspapers report that Macintosh clones will be available soon. If you must buy a Macintosh-like machine, buy a clone. Don't feed the lawyers! ------------------------------------------------------------- Cheers Randy Tidd rtidd@mwunix.mitre.org #define DISCLAIM TRUE -- Richard E. Covert, Lead Engineer of Software Tools Group AG Communications Systems, Phoenix AZ (602) - 581-4652 TCP/IP: covertr@gtephx UUCP: ?ncar!noao!asuvax | uunet!zardoz!hrc | att?!gtephx!covertr ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 13:15:06 EST From: kushnier@NADC.ARPA (R. Kushnier) Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #36 Message-ID: <9001171815.AA28519@NADC.ARPA> ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 18:41 N From: SURF066%KUB.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #55 RE: VIP professional. I have encountered the same horizontale streaks! They only appear when i have the harddisk driver installed. I think this problem can be solved when (and if you have it (i don't)) you use a install program. Greetings maurice melotto ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 16:00:59 GMT From: Jan Ameij Subject: Mouse Message-ID: <9001171558.AA02023@uk.ac.ox.prg> Dear Gang, I am asking this for a colleague, so please email and I'll pass it on. Summary back, of course. I'm intrigued by it as well..... Question: Does anyone know how to make the mouse pointer move half as far as normal (ie mousdoub.prg~(-1))? Ie move the mouse twice as far as usual for the same effect on the screen. Ie oh sod it isn't that clear? Supplementary: Why don't the bios calls re mouse in Atari ST Internals work on our TOS1.2ed MEGA4? What's a good source of info on the MEGA as opposed to these little 520 thingies? Ignore the wierd address at the top, replies please as ever to ameij % uk.ac.oxford.vax @ some-janet.gateway.or-other Love n kisses Jan pp chum Mark ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 90 15:49:58 GMT From: pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!asuv ax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Richard E. Covert) Subject: RSC WAnted Message-ID: <48173c45.14a1f@force.UUCP> I really need/want a GEM Resource Construction Set Editor. I have the one that comes with Mark Williams C, and the one from HiSoft called WERCS, and an old one from Kuma. I like the WERCS best, but it keeps trashing the HRD File for a very large RSC that I am developing. The HRD file in WERCS stores the variable names for objects in your RSC. In my case I have about 8 dialogue boxes with many objects, and lots of variable names. WERCS keeps trashing the HRD file and thus I have to reenter the darn names!! Very frustrating!!! My copy was purchased in early 1989. So it may be an old version. Could someone from Over The Pond tell me what is the current version of WERCS?? I really like most of its features, but the way it keeps trashing my HRD files makes it unusable. HELP!!!!!! P.S. I could write up a small review of WERCS if anyone wants one. -- Richard E. Covert, Lead Engineer of Software Tools Group AG Communications Systems, Phoenix AZ (602) - 581-4652 TCP/IP: covertr@gtephx UUCP: ?ncar!noao!asuvax | uunet!zardoz!hrc | att?!gtephx!covertr ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jan 90 14:31:37 GMT From: njsmu!telesci!cciolori@princeton.edu (Christopher Ciolorito) Subject: ST then and now Message-ID: <920@telesci.UUCP> It has been a long time since I have worked seriously with my ST. I got mine back in like '85 and I actually had to boot TOS from disk! (Now that's an old ST) When I went to college, it was mandatory to buy a Macintosh (I attend Drexel U. in Philadelphia). This is one of the reasons I haven't used my ST in a while. Actually having used the Mac extensively for about 2 or 3 years, I have to admit that I still have a yearning for the ST. The ST is just a great machine! And for the price, you can't beat it. There were many things about the Mac I liked(like a ton of FREE software put out by Drexel),but I would much rather use the ST. It just beats the Mac hands down in just about everything but market distribution. I am still annoyed at the fact that there is no authorized dealer in my area.(I reside in Atlantic City, NJ) It has been 4 or 5 YEARS since I bought my ST and still no dealer! But there is something about that ST that I love. (Besides I buy everything mail order anyway...cheaper!) This brings me to the point of this posting. When I bought my ST way back a million years ago, everybody told me I was crazy because Atari would be out of business in like maybe a year. And they are still saying it! Give me a break...5 years have past and my ST is still humming along mighty fine. And Atari is still in business. I love the way these people give these stock quotes and use them as a basis for saying Atari is going out of business. That's EXACTLY the same thing they were doing 5 years ago, too. The way the stock market is today, it is no indication. SO please shut up! ST users are sick of hearing this! If you have some useful stock info...fine, but don't come off saying that because Atari has a quarterly loss they are doomed. Back in 1985 there were many people and analysts(analysts aren't people) who predicted Atari and the Tramiels would NEVER pull it off...but they did, and are still going. And I wish them the best of luck in the future. Thank you Atari..for listening! I paid only $700.00 for my 520 when I got it...as compared to $1800.00 for my Mac SE. The ST is as good or better than the SE, and this comes from someone who has used both machines a lot.(And who likes his Mac) Anyway, since I have been out of things on the ST for a while, could someone give me some info on some descent software. I am looking for a couple of good programming languages..C and COBOL...some word processor stuff...games..data base..etc.. Chris ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 90 16:33:00 GMT From: apollo!rehrauer@eddie.mit.edu (Steve Rehrauer) Subject: TT availablity Message-ID: <481762d6.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> In article <5343@blake.acs.washington.edu> ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj) writes: >On December 27th, I posted an article about the "show and deliver" >policy of Atari's: New products will be shipped within 90 days of >an announcement. At least, this is what i understand Atari's "new" >policy to be. I gather the Dusseldorf "show" of August 25th 1989 was >NOT an announcement, as there are zero TT's being shipped to dealers >in Europe. I did get personal mail from an inside Atari engineer >saying that the Dusseldorf "announcement" stated a 1st quarter '90 >release. We've still got 8 weeks or so before the end of the quarter. >However, the very same engineer made it perfectly clear that the TT was >still being designed. Furthermore, if one calls Atari Developer's >support, one discovers that the TT developer's kit is unavailable. >This all leads to very interesting and disappointing conclusions. At this point, I think Atari's policy should be to not say ANYTHING until a product is actually shipping. _Shipping_, not on the boat from Singapore, not in final FCC clearance, not in Beta sites, not prototyped, not in design; but really and actually going out the door to end-users or dealers or whomever. "This is our official announcement of model XYZZY. You want one? Call this number, give us a VISA #, and it'll be UPS'd to you the next day." No, I don't think all (or even most) companies do or should do this. But Atari has a lot of skeptics, including me. Maybe this would silence a lot of them. Personally, I still don't expect to see a TT here, on the East Coast, until mid-summer at earliest. I hope Atari proves me wrong, of course, and ships the dang things next week, and they wow everyone & cause peace and prosperity & cost $500. :> >A friend of mine is visitng for a week to finish up a development >project we are working on together. He brought his Mac SE/30. >Very nice.. hmmm... and seeing how cheap these things are getting.. >hmm.. I wish Apple and Atari (or someone, aka "Dave Small" perhaps :-) would get together to make low-cost, lower-end Macs. Let Apple chase the fast '030 and '040 designs, and let someone else make a Mac of reasonable performance that I can afford; say, an SE/20 for under $1500. (Oh please don't tell me about the Spectre GCR; I already know about it.) Just a wish. -- >>"Aaiiyeeee! Death from above!"<< | Steve Rehrauer, rehrauer@apollo.hp.com "Flee, lest we be trod upon!" | The Apollo System Division of H.P. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Jan 90 17:44:35 GMT From: dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!squibby@CS.BU.EDU (Clark L. Breyman) Subject: Who (where) is "ST Plus"? Message-ID: <18563@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> One warning on said Berkley dealer: It was discussed a while ago on the net basic bad vibes from Microworld in Berkley which _I believe_ is associated with Zephyr which was just mentioned as the vendor for ST Plus. One cute aspect of their sales policy at Microworld: 2 day warranty on hardware, 25% restocking charge on returned merchandise. Sinc, Clark ------------------------------ End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #58