-------------------------------- ** ** ** ----------------------------- -------------------------------- ** ** ** ----------------------------- -------------------------------- ** ** ** ----------------------------- -------------------------------- ** ** ** ----------------------------- ------------------------------- ** ** ** ---------------------------- ----------------------------- *** ** *** -------------------------- ---------------------------- *** ** *** ------------------------- ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE MAGAZINE June 14, 1992 Volume 1, Number 4 Issue #92-04 Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation ||| PUBLISHER - Bob Brodie, Director of Commuications ||| EDITOR - Ron Kovacs ||| CONTRIBUTING EDITORS - Ed Krimen, Ron Berinstein ||| Z*NET NEWS SERVICE - Ron Kovacs, John Nagy | | | TABLE OF CONTENTS | | | /// Publishers Workstation.............................Bob Brodie FontGDOS commentary and more.... /// The Editors Desk...................................Ron Kovacs Commentary and Z*Net Newswire /// The Z*Net Newswire........................................... Latest Atari and Industry News Update /// Batman Returns............................................... An interview with John Skruch /// AtariWatch 1992 Calender..................................... 1992 Show Schedule Update /// ISD Announces Calamus Winners...................Press Release Winners listing for the 2cd Annual ISD contest /// Perusing Genie......................................Ed Krimen Genie messages! /// APB - Accessories-Peripherals Bulletin.............Don Thomas First part of the Atari Portfolio bulletin /// Atari MIDI Users Update.............................Ron Stein Reprint from AtariUser Magazine /// Lynx Owners Update................................Robert Jung AtariUser interviews Tom Schenck /// Commentary On Education and The Computer..........Bob Woolley User commentary /// Atari Classics Update............................Ben Poehland Atari 8-Bit Users update! New Magazine! /// IAAD Membership Directory.................................... June update! /// Supra Tech Bulletin.......................................... May 1992 Update | | | THE PUBLISHERS WORKSTATION | | | By Bob Brodie, Atari Director of Communications | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- Wow, what an exciting two weeks we've had! I've been impressed, and amazed with some of the reactions to the things that we've been doing with Atari Explorer...both the online and the printed version!! Preliminary reactions to the exciting May/June issue of Explorer have been very complimentary. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you think. In this issue of Atari Explorer Online, we give an extra look at the Portfolio, Atari's amazing pocket PC. Don Thomas, Portfolio Marketing Manager for Atari Corporation has been putting out the "APB- Accessories Peripherals Bulletin" for the Atari Portfolio for two years now. This handy guide is a pocket size reference tool to everything that's anything for the Portfolio. We've transferred much of Don's information into ASCII in this issue of Atari Explorer Online. During the weeks ahead, we will excerpt part of the publication. If you like what you see here, you can get the real thing by contacting Don Thomas at Atari. Drop him a line at our main address in Sunnyvale: Atari Corp., 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale CA., 94089-1302, att: Don Thomas. Apologies are in order for those that are confused by FontGDOS. I heard from a number of people that they were having problems getting FontGDOS to run. Not a landslide of "...it just doesn't seem to work", but more of "...this is taking more effort than I would have liked." It seems that the majority of the problems are caused by people not reading the documentation. Please recognize that when we write documentation, we have to try to deal with ALL of our customers in the marketplace. That means the guys that are fully prepared to re-write our OS in optimized assembly code, and the people that fear they will electrocute themselves if they turn on their computer. Frankly, it's a tough job writing docs for such an expansive group. But in view of the HUGE number of downloads off of GEnie, it's also self-evident that Bill Rehbock and Mike Fulton are to be congratulated for having done a good job. The good news is that once people have FontGDOS installed, they're very happy with the results that they're getting. The new printer drivers are significantly faster than the original drivers. While I haven't personally tried it yet, I'm told that the new drivers also work just great with G+Plus from CodeHead Software. If you haven't downloaded it yet, check for the file FONTGDOS.LZH on GEnie. It's obvious to me that my time for onlines has dramatically diminished. So I want YOU to help me decide what networks I need to be on. Right now, I have accounts on GEnie, the FNET, CIS, and Delphi. It's my opinion that I'm being unfair by having those accounts if I'm not going to be online there. So this is your chance to guide my decision about what networks I should be on. I'll be tracking my e-mail in the next month closely on all of these services, looking to see where the most activity is. My guess is that it will end up being GEnie and the FNET. But I don't want to guess! Please send me your feedback on where you'd like to see me online to the following addresses: GEnie: BOB-BRODIE CompuServe: 70007,3240 Delphi: BOBBRO FNET: Bob Brodie at Node 319 I can also be reached via FAX at 408-745-2088, or send me a letter at the address listed above. | | | THE EDITORS DESK | | | By Ron Kovacs | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- In response to some of the comments being spread around during the last two weeks, there are a few points that require direct attention. The FontGDOS file we attached to the issue last week WAS NOT the complete version. The actual file was over 400K in length and contained all of the printer drivers. The attached file is capable of being used without a large amount of work, however, we do understand the confusion. Thanks for reading! | | | Z*NET NEWSWIRE | | | Latest Atari and Industry Update | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- USER GROUP OFFER ON PBS STATION While user groups across the nation are folding or suffering from declining enrollment, MilAtari Ltd., the Milwaukee Area Atari User Group, is making creative efforts to increase their membership roster. Ten membership packages were donated to the local Public Broadcasting Network for their yearly week-long television auction. Items for sale are displayed while a corresponding script is read, and the viewing audience calls in with their bids. The highest bid takes the item after a 10 minute period. All ten MilAtari packages sold and the club is now enjoying a hefty increase in membership. "I feel it is important to seek out all current Atari owners, rather than move towards a multi- platform user group. While many users are still complaining about Atari's corporate polices, and blaming their membership woes on them, we are putting our energies into promoting ourselves and our favorite computer, and the results are astonishing. I'd like to think that our group is a leader in this area." --Michelle Gross, Editor, MilAtari Limited Edition FAMILY ROOTS AVAILABLE Floppyshop recently announced the release of "Family Roots". The program is designed around a fully functional integrated workbench which is deal for both the serious and beginner user. The program is compatible with both high and medium resolutions and run on ALL Atari ST models. The user creates his or her family tree graphically on the screen by linking directly between the individuals. The growing tree can be zoomed, scrolled, altered, scanned, printed and manipulated. The database function can be viewed instantly. Marriage partner(s), children and parents are all easily and instantly accessible. The printing section supports both graphic and text output. Family tree graphics can be printed as multiple screen dumps or converted into an ASCII file. Disk output is also available. For more information or to order a copy of Family Roots, send œ24.95 to: Floppyshop, Post Office Box 273, Aberdeen, AB9 8SJ. A demo disk is available for œ1.00. Postage to Europe œ1.50, to USA œ3.00. Payment must be made in UK funds and drawn on a UK bank. Review copies also available by contacting Steve Delany at (0224) 586208. SILHOUETTE VERSION 1.37 - NOTES Two versions of Silhouette version 1.37 have been uploaded to bulletin boards and online services - an ST and TT version. You must install GDOS at boot-up in order to run Silhouette. If you already have a GDOS program installed, Silhouette can share the ASSIGN.SYS file that is available. Place the files - SILOETTE.PRG, SILOETTE.RSC, HELP.SIL in the same directory path. The last file is the demo's help file. Silhoette runs on any ST or TT with 1 MB or more of RAM, and in ST or TT High Resolution. It will also run on the Moniterm monitor. Graphics output is in the formats: SGF (Silhouette), GEM, GEM3, EPS, DXF and IMG bit-image. Graphics input is in the formats: SGF, GEM, GEM3, MacPaint, IMG, DEGAS, and TINY bit-image formats. Other New Features: Full FSM support including conversion of FSM fonts to bezier curves, GDOS Print function directly from Silhouette, Conversion of Ellipses to bezier curves. Version 1.37 of Silhouette is shipping now at a cost of $94.94 for the ST version and $103.95 for the TT version, plus shipping cost. Silhouette - $100, Arasbesque + Convector - $250, Avant Vector - $500. Current registered users can upgrade for $9.00 to the TT version. For more information, assistance in running the demo program or to purchase Silhouette: Maxwell CPU, 2124 W. Centennial Dr., Louisville, CO 80027, (303) 666-7754, M-Sa, 8AM - 5PM FBI RAIDS ALLEGED PIRATED BBS FBI agents raided a Boston computer BBS this week suspected of illegally distributing copyright software to subscribers in 36 states and 11 foreign countries - including Iraq. No arrests were made in the raid on the Davy Jones Locker BBS in Millbury, Mass., but computers and telecomunications equipment were seized, along with financial and business records. The raid was conducted using a search warrant issued on the basis of evidence gathered by investigators for the Software Publishers Association. Following the raid, the SPA filed a civil suit in federal court charging board operators with copyright infringement and seeking an unspecified amount of compensatory damages. The SPA said the BBS offered subscribers more than 200 pirated programs, such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Lotus 1-2-3. Even AutoCAD, with a suggested retail price of $3,500, was among the pirated offerings. The SPA investigation showed Davy Jones Locker even had beta copies - pre- release versions of programs sent to colleagues, selected major customers and reviewers for evaluation and suggestions - of a number of programs. Even a beta version of IBM's new OS/2 Version 2.0 operating system was available on the BBS before the final program was available from IBM. The SPA estimates software pircacy, worldwide, costs the industry $10 billion to $12 billion a year. MACRONIX SHIPS NEW FAX MODEM Macronix Inc. is now shipping its new $695 14.4 Kbps fax/data pocket modem. The unit is a V.32bis/V.42bis data modem (with MNP2-4 error correction and MNP5 data compression) and a V.17 Group III (with Class 1 and Class 2) send/receive fax modem. The system comes with MaxTalk fax software for DOS, Delrina WinFax fax software for Windows and Tradewind Software COMit data communications software. MCI'S MCGOWAN DIES OF HEART ATTACK MCI Chairman William G. McGowan died this week at age 64 after suffering a heart attack. McGowan underwent a heart transplant in April 1987, but continued as chief operating officer until last December. McGowan, who stepped aside as CEO, was replaced by president Bert C. Roberts Jr. MCI did not immediately named a successor as chairman. McGowan took over Microwave Communications Inc. from its founder Jack Goeken in 1968 and, comments The Associated Press, "built it from a firm grown out of dissatisfaction with AT&T's long distance service between Chicago and St. Louis into today's multi-billion international long distance telephone corporation." It was MCI that challenged AT&T's monopoly in a suit that led ultimately to the breakup of AT&T in 1984. QUANTUM 80MB/160MB 2.5-INCH DRIVES Quantum has unveiled two 2.5-inch hard disk drives with either 80MB or 160MB of storage. Evaluation units of the Go- Drive GRS 80 and 160 drives will be available next week. Mass production shipments to OEMs will begin this summer. Both drives are available with either an SCSI/SCSI-2 or IDE-AT interface. OEM evaluation units cost $395 for the Go Drive GRS 80 and $595 for the Go Drive GRS 160. | | | BATMAN RETURNS - ATARI WELCOMES THE CAPED CRUSADER | | | An Interview with John Skruch | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- Plug: Batman Returns, starring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Danny DeVito, opens nationwide, June 19th, at selected theatres near you! And while you're waiting in line to see Batman, Catwoman, and Penguin slug it out on celluloid, you can get psyched for the film by plugging Atari's hottest new property -- Batman Returns for Lynx -- into your portable game system! Produced by Atari Entertainment in cooperation with Warner's, Batman Returns for Lynx will be on dealer shelves the day of the premiere. Based closely on the plot of the movie, Batman Returns for Lynx is one of the most complex and realistic video games that Atari has ever produced. Though hardly larger than a movie ticket, its 256K card contains detailed animations, backdrops taken directly from the film, thrilling sound effects and music, and some of the hottest gameplay that's ever cramped a trigger-finger! Though full details are still under wraps, we were able to speak with John Skruch, Director of Entertainment Software Development at Atari's Sunnyvale headquarters and Producer of Batman Returns for Lynx, about the intense labor of producing the game in keeping with Warners' exacting and ambitious specifications. Atari Explorer: What can you tell us about the scenario of Batman Returns for Lynx? John Skruch: Not much! Until the premiere, on June 19th, we're strictly limited by non-disclosure agreements. Because the game closely follows the plot of the movie, talking about specifics would let the cat out of the bag! In fact, because of this close association, we'd like to think the game and the movie enhance one another, mutually. Though it's not necessary to see the movie in order to play Batman Returns for Lynx, many of the subtle fine-points of background, animation, characterization, and scenario can only be fully understood by someone who has. Moreover, in designing the game, we really tried to bring out the major conflicts in the film -- at least insofar as these can be expressed in a videogame action format. Thus, somebody who's played the game should be able to "get into" the movie at a deeper level. Needless to say, we're real enthusiastic about the film. Our design team is already planning a field trip to see it on opening night. AE: What about the game's overall format? JS: Batman Returns for Lynx is a classic action game that pits the Dark Knight against his arch-enemies, Catwoman and Penguin, in four, horizontally-scrolling waves. By "classic," I guess I mean about four things. First, the game was designed to make use of standard Lynx control systems, meaning that anybody who's played Lynx versions of games like Rygar, which involve a realistically-animated figure that runs, jumps, throws objects, etc., should be able to "play into" Batman Returns without having to learn anything new. Second, like all really good action games, we designed Batman Returns around classic play-elements that will appeal to the intermediate-to- advanced Lynx gamer. The foundation of the game is the hero's battle against apparently-overwhelming odds. It's important to recognize and understand the enemy, and to develop strategies for dealing with each scenario. And the game requires some learning: there are situations you can survive one way or another, but if you choose the wrong strategy, things will backfire, later on. You'll have too few weapons to overcome a level boss, or too little energy to survive threats you'll encounter, later in a wave. Overall, it's a difficult game to master. In fact, review copies of the game will have "trapdoors" built into them, to make it possible for reviewers to experience each level by deadline time. Third -- there's Batman. Truly a hero in the classic mold. We've worked really hard to portray Batman in a fashion consistent with the vision of the movie, and the classic DC comics. Our animators have worked overtime to flesh out movement in the game in such a way that some of Batman's inherent mystery and drama comes across. For example, as Batman walks, his cape curls around his shoulders and lower legs; when he leaps, it billows out around him like a pair of wings. The bat costume is supposed to strike terror into the hearts of criminals, and we think we've put this idea across, rather well. The end of the game is also particularly well-done, and well worth the effort it will take the player to reach it. AE: Who were the personnel involved in designing Batman Returns? JS: The programmers were Eric Ginner and Jerome Strach, who programmed Ms. Pac-Man, Checkered Flag, Shanghai, and, most recently, Rampart. The visuals team was headed up by Susan G. McBride, who's worked on Klax, Rampage, Warbirds, and others. Helping her were Melody Rondeau -- a really able cartoonist -- Eric Elliott, Robb Mariani, Philip Temple, and Eric Blumrich. Mariani was flown in from Atari's Chicago Entertainment Headquarters, and Temple and Blumrich were brought in on contract for the project. All made important contributions. Sound and music are by Bob Vieira, who's contributed to many of our top-selling Lynx games. AE: What was the design process like? JS: We first undertook to do Batman Returns back in September of '91. But because of the movie's tight production schedule, we didn't get a preliminary synopsis until November. At that point, we were able to begin figuring out some conceptual things, and when stills and a shooting script began showing up in January, we were ready to start programming. There was some free time early in the production cycle, but our programmers used the time to program Rampart, so it was win-win. Once programming started, the only problems we encountered were the irreducible ones brought on by designing a game based on a movie at the same time the movie is being made. For example, one of the reasons it took so long for stills and visual materials to reach us is because, according to union and individual contracts, each actor portrayed in a publicity still must approve of its use before the still is distributed. Other problems were the result of the kind of editing that goes on when movies are being shot. Editing is an important part of the creative process -- and it's common, when producing major motion pictures, for whole scenes to end up "on the cutting-room floor." Every few weeks, we'd receive another stack of adds and cuts for the shooting script we were working from. In one instance, we had to design a new wave to replace one based on scenes that didn't make the final cut of the film. Because we'd elected to have the game ready by the time the movie was released, the schedule was so tight that we had to work 12-hour days during the week, and 10-hour days on weekends, for months. We had to make special arrangements to keep the air-conditioning at Atari's Sunnyvale headquarters turned on, over the weekends. All in all, however, we found the experience of working on Batman Returns to be totally exhilarating. It's going to be a blockbuster of a film, and we really feel we've designed a game to do it justice. | | | ATARI-WATCH 1992 CALENDER | | | 1992 Shows and Events | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- June 14 - The Second Milwaukee Atari Show sponsored by the Milwaukee Atari ST User Group (MAST). Hours will be 10 AM to 5 PM at the Bowlero Red Carpet Lanes in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Admission will be $3, and information is available from President of MAST, Bruce Welsch at 414-463-9662, P.O. Box 25679, Milwaukee, WS 53225-0679, or GEnie address R.CARPENTE18. This event taking place this weekend, Please attend! July 18 - The Blue Ridge Atari Computer Enthusiasts (BRACE) will offer the Third Annual Blue Ridge Atarifest. The one-day affair will again be held from 10 AM to 6 PM in the Westgate Shopping Center in Asheville, North Carolina, off the I- 240 loop at the Westgate/Hilton Drive Exit. Contact Van Estes, 704-685-8358, or Sheldon Winick of Computer STudio, 704-251-0201. July 25 - Mid-Indiana ST's MIST Atarifest IV in Indianapolis. An annual strong midwest "small scale" show, last year's event brought over 500 individuals from surrounding states. Admission is $3. Contact Dan Ward on GEnie (D.WARD10), by phone at 317-254-0031, or by US Mail at 1752 Alimingo Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46260. August 15th-16th - The Connecticut AtariFest '92 at the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. A joint effort by FACE, STARR, and D-BUG, the sponsorship organization is called ACT. Contact Brian Gockley, chairman, 18 Elmwood Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06605, phone 203-332-1721. August 21st-23rd - Germany's massive all-Atari computer event, the Dusseldorf Atari Show. New products and trans-oceanic deals mark this show as the Christmas of the Atari world. August 20th-30th - The year's biggest (15,000 last year) gaming and roleplay convention is GENCON, held annually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the MECCA Convention Center. Atari will again be represented by MilAtari, Ltd., a local user group that operates an all-Atari game area at the show. September 12th-13th - 1992's Southern California Atari Faire, also known as the GLENDALE SHOW. John King Tarpinian is president of The Hooked on ATARI Computer Knowledge Society (HACKS) and coordinator of the show. The Glendale Show has had the largest annual attendance of any continuing show series and is expected to keep that record this year. For more information about the Glendale Show, contact John King Tarpinian at 818-246-7286. September 22nd-25th - The Fall Seybold Show will be another top industry trade show specializing in high-end publishing. Atari made a major showing at Seybold last year and got extensive press attention. The show will be held in San Francisco, California and is not open to the general public. For more information, contact Atari Corporation. October 10th-11th - The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts are currently planning the 1992 W.A.A.C.E Atarifest, which has traditionally been the largest East coast Atari show. The '92 event will be held on Columbus Day weekend, October 10th and 11th, once again at the Sheraton Reston hotel in Reston, Virginia. Charles Hoffmann is now Acting President of WAACE Inc., and can be contacted via GEnie at address S.HOFFMANN, by phone at 703-569-6734, or by US Mail at 5908 Bayshire Road, Springfield, VA 22152-1146. November 16th-20th - Fall COMDEX, the biggest computer trade show in the USA. Atari will again have a major presence at the Las Vegas, Nevada show. December - The Northern California Atari Expo has been rescheduled from July to a date in December to be announced, at the San Jose Exhibit Hall, 145 W. San Carlos, San Jose, CA. This will be the second major joint show and the first in two years from ABACUS, SLCC, and Sacremento ST Users clubs. Contact the Northern California Atari Expo c/o SLCC, P.O. Box 1506, San Leandro, Ca 94577, or call 510-352-8118. GEnie Address: M.WARNER8 | | | ISD ANNOUNCES WINNERS | | | Announcement - Press Release | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- ISD Marketing, Inc. is proud to announce the winning entries in the 2nd Annual Calamus Family Creativity and Design Contest. To recapitulate; the entries could have been either text, graphics or a combination of both. Submission could and did include; business card designs, logo's, fonts, freehand drawings, posters, illustrations, cartoons and graphical effects just to name a few examples, using any one of the Calamus family of products, including, Calamus, Outline Art, the Font Editor or any combination of the three. This years contest effectively ran from August 20, 1991 until February 28, 1992 and just about everything that could possibily disrupt proceedings, did so. Murphy reigned supreme in fact. :-) Finally, winners were selected from the files uploaded into our Email address on GEnie at ISD or mailed directly to our offices. The 3 actual judges this year were: Geoffrey Earle, General Manager of Atari (Canada) Corp., Mario Georgiou, ISD's own Art Director and in-house graphic artist extraordinaire and Jesus Diaz, Art Director of Atari Explorer Magazine. As stipulated in the original Rules, although the author retains any copyrights to their entry, all winning files shall be considered 'publicly distributable files' and may be made available for downloading from CompuServe, Delphi and GEnie. As well, the winning entries will be published in Atari Explorer magazine, our official magazine sponsor, with the appropriate Author quoted and the prize won indicated. *** "Art always comments on both its subject and -- reflexively -- on *** its medium." Diaz says. "When art is produced on computer, using a *** sophisticated program such as Outline Art, it always tends to reveal *** something of the computer and the software, as these shape the *** artist's vision." *** "But what surprised us about this years entries" continues Georgiou *** "is how well-integrated the influences of computer and software *** tended to be with the overall process of artistic creation." *** "We think the Atari is a great tool for artists" concludes Geoffrey *** Earle. (Editor's Note: He is certainly biased but I happen to agree *** with his conclusion.) :-) I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that submitted an entry. This year the entries were truly remarkable in many areas and I am quite proud to have had the pleasure once again, of co-sponsoring this contest. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John Jainschigg and Atari Explorer, who acted as co-sponsor. Wait until you see the top 5 winners in the upcoming issue. I think you will join with me in congratulating their efforts. And the winners are: First Prize Winner of $1,500.00 worth of AGFA Compugraphic fonts for use in both Outline Art and Calamus, (compliments of ISD) has been won by Dan Marusich of Absolute Visuals out of Tuscon, Arizona. His logo designs are simply first class! Second Prize Winner of an Atari SLM605 laser printer (compliments of Atari) goes to Rolf Berger of Images Unlimited in Ottawa, Ontario. Some of you might already be familiar with Rolf's Acura and F16. Third Prize Winner of a complete Calamus SL package (compliments of ISD which I happen to know he already owns so I will replace it with equivalent value in fonts and new Calamus SL modules if he so chooses) goes to a familiar face, Joey (REALM) Sherman, whose "Grog, Bob, and the Almost Oval-Looking Red Thing with No Real Purpose," a personal favorite of mine, can only be described as incredible! In fact, it must be seen to be believed! :-) Fourth Prize Winner of complete font packs compliments of and from both Cherry Fonts and MS Designs, as well as $100.00 connect time usable on either Compuserve, Delphi or GEnie, (compliments of the respective service) has been won by Jamie Todd of Chimera. Jamie and his band, Radio Silence, also use their Atari equipment for music composition and performance. Fifth Prize Also Winner of complete font packs, compliments of and from Ms Designs and Cherry Fonts as well as $100.00 connect time to either Compuserve, Delphi or GEnie, (compliments of the respective service) goes to Steve (T-Shirts are my life) Kaleita for his T-Shirt design, ROBOT. Some of you might be familiar with Steve's entry, in fact, you might even be wearing it. :-) All of the above Winners plus the following 5 entries receive a one year subscription to Atari Explorer Magazine, compliments of Atari Explorer: Honorable Mention: James Tackett's excellent Clipart font, CLIP001.CFN. Honorable Mention: "Flowers of the Mind" by Don Harris. WOW. :-) Honorable Mention: A stylized glider design by Martyn Phillips. Honorable Mention: Michael Nilsen's entry presents his vision of a city. Honorable Mention: Robert Gillies submitted an amazing Saxophone Player. I will upload all of the above entries to the online services. In most cases you will require either Calamus 1.09, Calamus SL or a Calamus DEMO version of either to view them. Once again, my thanks to all that submitted entries to this years contest. Your participation made this contest a great success for the entire Atari community. Nathan Potechin President ISD Marketing, Inc. | | | PERUSING GENIE | | | Compiled by Ed Krimen | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- Editor Note: Some messages may have been edited for clarity, correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. A LITTLE FONTGDOS HELP ---------------------- -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14) -=> from the "FSM GDOS" topic (18) Message 8 Sun May 31, 1992 B.POSTON [Barney] at 19:57 EDT The only doc that was in the full FontGDOS download (file #24310) says "Our install program will set your system up so that everything will be placed in the correct location." Hmmm..., in almost 1/2 a meg download and I didn't get anything called INSTALL.PRG! What do I do now? Barney Poston ---------- Message 12 Mon Jun 01, 1992 FB [ST Librarian] at 22:18 EDT Barney, The first thing you have to do is install either the .CPX files or the .ACC files. Don't put FONTGDOS in the AUTO folder yet though. Make sure you read the docs because you set up everything from the FSM Font Manager and the FONTGDOS Printer selector. One writes the new ASSIGN.SYS and the FSM Font Manager writes the EXTEND.SYS file. Fred Beckman ST File Librarian ======================================= STICK WITH THE ROMS ------------------- -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14) -=> from the "TOS 1.4 Questions" topic (10) Message 117 Sat Jun 06, 1992 TOWNS [John@Atari] at 19:14 EDT To remind those that don't know.. There are significant differences between newer versions of TOS and the older versions. It is actually possible to cause data damage to your hard disks if you boot an older soft-loaded TOS from disk. Please..do yourself a favor. Stick with the ROMs. -- John ======================================= DOVER RESEARCH NEWS ------------------- -=> In the "Hardware" category (4) -=> from the Dover Research Corp. (AlberTT & ISAC) topic (28) Message 142 Tue Jun 02, 1992 J.CRASWELL at 19:42 EDT Whew! Message -o- Ramma. Thanks Jim A. for helping out (as usual!). The phone number is (612) 492-3913. Dover Research is really NOT a big company. Just a VERY busy small company. My advise on the [NEC] 3D [monitor] is this. Buy the ISAC in 800x600 mode and switch to a 48KHZ monitor when you can afford to do it. The change to the ISAC is really simple. Just plugged in parts to swap. LEONARDO is a design of mine that is meant to sell with Lexicor software. We have made up units that work in VGA speed for our friends in the software world to develope on. Currently we are waiting for the release of a super cool chip that will let us output NTSC and SuperVHS as well as a rock solid VGA screen for non Video type output. We are also hoping that the software (in the form of applications and drivers) will all be available at the same time so that the board won't lack a reason to exist. The VGA only cards "may" be made available to people who are interested in them when the software (and the new output) are finished. We have not released it for a number of technical reasons. The main one being that I did not approve of the NTSC output that we had on the VGA only cards. It was pretty sad and we don't want another piece of "JUNK" for the ST market. I want to put out the best. The Standard for others to try and match. ======================================= INTERSECT SOFTWARE IS STILL ALIVE --------------------------------- -=> In the "Software Library and Other Utilities" category (2) -=> from the "I'm looking for..." topic (25) Message 138 Wed May 27, 1992 D.BOWMAN9 [DAVE B] at 21:05 EDT Hello there all, Just got off the phone with a spokesman for Intersect Software and learned of the following: 1. They are still in business and supporting the Atari!! 2. Latest version of Revolver is 1.1 (with MultiTOS coming out do not expect a newer version) 3. They just got the new version of Lattice C and are rewriting Interlink to take advantage of all ST/STE/TT (and Falcon?) resolutions. Will have a Remote answer mode. 4. New address is - 3949 Sawyer Rd., Sarasota, Fl 34233 5. Phone nos.: voice 1-813-828-0130 BBS 1-813-924-4590 800# THEY NO LONGER HAVE The person I talked to seemed very nice and helpful. Give their BBS a call and tell them to keep up the work and hope to see another Atari product out soon. later, dave b ======================================= BERNOULLI, BERNOULLI -------------------- -=> In the "Hardware" category (4) -=> from the "Removable Hard Drives" topic (55) Message 168 Sun May 31, 1992 K.FARRELL [Kevin] at 07:32 EDT Yes, it is possible to use Bernoulli removable drives with the ST. I currently have two, a 44 meg and the 90 meg. Both are the Bernoulli transportables. I use the 90 meg version only for hard drive backups. They are daisy-chained together off of my ICD AdSCSI Plus host adapter. The 44 megger is older and has an access time of around 54 mS. The 90 is newer and has an access time of around 34 mS. ICD's formatter formats the cartridges with no glitches. The transportables are great!!! I use them with my IBM PS/2 at work, and also with an IBM laptop. I just have to remember which cartridges are for the ST, which ones are for the IBM, and which ones are for the Mac (I have a GCR, which also works flawlessly with the Bernoullis). - Kevin - ======================================= CALAMUS SL: THE UPS AND DOWNS ------------------------------- -=> In the "ISD Product Support" category (16) -=> from the "Calamus S/SL" topic (20) Message 149 Sat Jun 06, 1992 S.SAMUELS [ICE CREAM] at 07:39 EDT Lou, "Be patient" ...??? Hell man, I've been patient! I've been patient for the first release of SL for over a year and 90 days patient for the upgrade! It may sound like like heresy to some of you (it would have to me too, a month ago!), but I'm now looking into a 486 machine. Why? Because Adobe Illustrator 4.0 for Windows is now released and this month Quark Express for Windows is being released. AND they both offer cross- platform-compatible files with their relatives on the Mac platform. Why? Read the PUBLISH magazine articles about what platform has the best, most complete program for controling color separations, with chokes and spreads and UCR. Go figure....I can't stay in business with telling clients to be patient while other people can do what they need right now! Corel, Harvard Draw, Streamline, Postscript, Quark Express, Word Perfect 5.2, Type 1, True Type, 24-bit true color, Video Capture, 3D-Studio, Image In, Lotus, Publisher's Prism, etc. and Lino output on 'every corner' in ANY major city. Think about it folks. Is the question still "Power Without the Price?" Seems to me the real question is "Power or No Power"...never mind the price! ice cream (I really do!) PS....I know and appreciate Nathan's and Mario's and Lou's noble work and effort to bring SL up to speed. I'm not angry with any of you. Please know that! It's just that DMC and Atari has either got to make some changes and corrections fast if they expect to fly in the face of the rest of the world of DTP. SL may be the 'only game in town' in Germany, but that just ain't so in North America. Believe me, I WISH it were so! ---------- Message 150 Sat Jun 06, 1992 S.RAMIREZ [Sam] at 07:55 EDT To: Everyone at ISD and others involved in making SL a reality. I have had Calamus SL since about the first week of May and I just now completed the tutorial section! Hey! Don't laugh! Remember what happened to the hare? It's just that I haven't had the time spend in front of my computer recently. However I have been able to follow the messages on GEnie since I have access to a computer and modem at work. I am just now beginning to understand what it is that people are talking about. I realize that by completing the tutorial I have learned to use about 1 tenth of 1% of the features in SL. At this rate, I should become fully SL literate by the time Color Laser Printers @ 1200 dpi become available at consumer prices! Let me just say that I am impressed with the program despite its apparent bugs and omissions (I say apparent because I have used it so little that I have hardly experienced malfunctions). Great work [DMC] and ISD! :^) It is ironic that while not having had time to play with SL, I have had learn PageMaker 4.0 for Windows at work. Since I made the mistake of letting people, at the radio station where I work, know that I was into DTP my boss figured he'd get PageMaker for the PC for me to do some of the promotional material. To make a long story not as long, I had to produce a cover page for a cassette album that we were sending to listeners who had donated to our station (Non-Profit). I had a whole 2 days of fooling around with PM and unaware of the upcoming task. I must admit that I find PM a nice program to use. However, I immediately noticed that it is not as flexible as SL (or 1.09N for that matter!) nor as configurable. Right now I have about 20 hrs. on PM and about 2 hrs. on SL. Though I find that PM handles a little smoother I consider SL to have the edge in control. I know this isn't much to evaluate these two programs on but it's what I think at this time. Just let me say once again, "Calamus ist ein schon kuntstwerk." Sincerely, Sam Ramirez ---------- Message 181 Tue Jun 09, 1992 N.B.GARDNER [BRUCE] at 01:05 EDT Nathan, I took your advice and ordered a Jim Allen of Fast Technology's Turbo 030 board to speed up SL. I have had it installed now for just over a week and would like to give some input to others who are considering something like this. In short, I almost couldn't be more pleased with the results. SL is so fast now, that you can easily edit text right in the window. I really liked all the features that SL offered over 1.09n, but I seemed to be constantly using the older Calamus because I just didn't have the time for the screen updates. SL is much easier to learn just because everything updates so quickly. On complex screens they are still not instantaneously redrawn, but are very acceptable. The board itself is impressive in its simplicity. The hardest part of installing the board is removing the old 68000 chip. Jim is always just a phone call away and seems to me to be as helpful and Nathan or Mario. Bruce Gardner ---------- Message 183 Tue Jun 09, 1992 ISD [Mario] at 12:58 EDT As we have received many comments on the HP DJ 500C I have made the time to outline the procedures that I have learned work best for me. If you follow these steps, you should have absolutely no difficulty using your HP DJ500C and Calamus SL. After trying some of the various samples of paper that I have, I realized that this printer is not really capable of producing the color black from the CYM color inks used in the unit. (Perhaps a third party vendor has a better cartridge?) The best approximation I have been able to achieve is a very dark green color. This is due to the actual chemical composition of the inks and the reaction that they have when they are used on certain kinds of paper. The best results have been achieved using some of the premium clay coated laser papers such as Hammermill Laser plus. I have also achieved excellent results using coated stocks such as Chromecoats and a synthetic paper called Kimdura. These coated stocks should be allowed extra drying times as they do not readily absorb the ink. To correctly use Calamus SL with the HP DJ500C the following settings must be used on the DIP switch banks: Bank A: Switch 8 in the up (on) position. Bank B: Switch 2 in the up (on) position. S.Sanders2: 1. The Mount and Print module will soon be available and is just the thing for doing print signatures. The module allows you to select a variety of signature templates. As to availability and price please look for a product mailout in the near future. Outline Art II is planned for release later this year. and it will do color as well as a few other enhanced capabilities. 2. The problems you are having with rasterisation of TIF images is very much a result of incorrect settings in the raster generator. To correct this please do the following: Create one frame of each frame type on a page (text, raster area, line, raster and vector graphic), then select all frames and execute the raster generator module. The first dialog will appear. Click on the frame icon and the second dialog will then appear. Change your settings to those you have found to be the best for your printer. Once you have adjusted your settings click on "Done" in both dialogs and then save your settings for Calamus SL. All documents you subsequently create will have these new settings. 3. High resolution bureaus require the following information. a. The type of media to be output; Film or Paper. b. Resolution; 1270/2540 dpi c. Treatment or effect; Mirrored and/or inverted. Scale 100%, 200% etc. d. Include any special fonts not part of the bureaus library. The Raster generator should be applied to the document to allow the settings to take effect when outputting at high res. See some of the sample CRI files that are included on your disk (2540_50.CRI and 2540_60.CRI). All the Best Mario @ ISD ======================================= | | | APB - ACCESSORIES * PERIPHERALS BULLETIN | | | By Don Thomas (Part 1) | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------- This, the newest edition of A.P.B., includes several new features. With the growing popularity of the Atari Portfolio handheld computer, the demand and use of A.P.B. has increased substantially. Now A.P.B. is even easier to use as an important Portfolio resource. You will note that the library of software and peripherals is growing. Atari Computer Corporation has spent significant time and capital working with third parties to help produce new products swiftly (sometimes at the expense of new development on their own). A.P.B. includes most of the known products available in the United States. See the European Software page for information regarding international products. The catalog is now alphabetized for easy reference. New items are duly noted and a new graphic icon system has been implemented for your convenience. The back of the book includes the popular tutorials and tips. The continued success of this catalog is 100% dependent on your valued patronage. We look forward to issue new updated issues and discover new ways to support your long term enjoyment of the Portfolio. Please tell your friends and business associates how much you can do on an Atari Portfolio and how much less it cost than the other guys! 'Til next issue . . . Donald A. Thomas, Jr. A.P.B. Editor Many of the products described in this catalog are marked by a graphic icon. The icon will help to immediately identify whether the product is a peripheral or software and the type of application. Below is an enlargement of the icons and their meanings. Note that the designations refer to what the product includes, NOT what the product requires. For instance, a terminal program requires a serial interface, but may not include the interface when purchased. Also note that the designations of software and peripherals are those which are "run" or are "attached" directly to the Portfolio. Products which compliment the Portfolio, but are used on other systems are not illustrated with an icon. This reprint will continue in future editions.... AC Adapter (HPC-401) This economical addition to the Portfolio is a must! It pays for itself. Connect it to the Portfolio at night or while using other peripherals and extend battery life significantly. Buy two adaptors. . one for home and one for the office. See your Atari Computer Dealer. $12.95 each. ADCALC (ACC-1000) Here is a powerful print advertising calculator and dataase. Perfect for media buyers who agonize over "what-if" scenarios and how production fees influence advertising costs. Includes Co-Op calculator, automatic dailing, automatic line/inches conversions and much more. ($5.00 DEMO available on floppy). See your nearest Atari Computer Dealer or call Artison Software at (209) 239-1552. $149.95 Alpha Paging Interface (SAMpage) Use the Portfolio to send text messages to alpha pagers. The text paging interface allows users to send messages using the Portfolio's built -in auto -dial speaker. After entering the message, the user holds the speaker to the telephone handset during transmission. The system features voice prompts for use and notification od successful transmissions. For more information, call TekNow at (602) 266-7800. $89.99. Astrologer (HPC-728) Now you don't have to worry about missing your morning newspaper to find out what the future holds for you. Find out what the stars say about love, wealth, health and pleasure. Available soon! Atari Explorer Magazine Keep up with the latest news on Atari products and peripherals. Read up to date reviews on hundreds of third party software and hardware products which support all of Atari's extensive line of computers. Each bi-monthly issue packed with features including the hottest mail order sources. See your Atari Computer Dealer or call (218) 723-9202 to subscribe for home delivery. $14.95 per year. PORTFOLIO TIPS The Atari Portfolio is a powerful tool. It will grow with your needs and require only a basic understanding of proper computer care for trouble-free use. The following are hints and tips for optimum productivity and enjoyment from your Portfolio computer. Some users may consider the suggestions as basic computer knowledge. Others will benefit a great deal as they use the Portfolio more and more. If you seem to have difficulties with Serial Interface file transfers, make certain the Serial Interface is initialized. This can be done within the RS-232 port option in the SET UP menu. Install peripherals and Memory Cards only while the screen of the Portfolio is turned "OFF". This avoids occasional electrical static during installation and better ensures that the operating system of the Portfolio "knows" that these devices are installed. If your batteries appear to offer unreliable operation, gently tilt the Portfolio from side to side. Should you suspect that the batteries may not be firmly in place, then responsibly bend the positive metal connector in the battery compartment outward to induce a tighter battery fit. Some "AA" batteries are slightly different in length depending on manufacturer and job lot. When installing batteries in Memory Cards, mark a date eight to ten months later on the label in pencil. Reference that date for battery replacement. This timeframe should apply to all size cards. If using a Memory Card (which is highly recommended), set the size of your "C:" Drive to 8K. If you plan to use the Calendar/Diary alarm functions, then set the "C:" Drive to 16K. From that point on, read and write your data files directly to the "A:" Drive. Refer to the FDISK command for setting the size of the "C:" Drive. The Portfolio User's Manual will make no attempt to teach the use of DOS, Spreadsheets or Word Processing. These subjects sometimes justify accredited college courses depending on the level of expertise you wish to apply. It is suggested that users visit their local library or bookstore for books on these subject(s) if additional information is required. Using the Editor, write the following batch file and save it as A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT. The line: A:\Update requires that an update program be moved to your RAM card from the FILE MANAGER card. If you do not have access to the UPDATE.COM program, then omit this command line from your batch file. @Echo Off Prompt $p $ A:\Update Cls App Many Portfolio Users' Manuals contain an error in reference to the creation of a CONFIG.SYS file. The proper entries are as follows: FILES=20 BUFFERS=32 COUNTRY=001 If a MEMORY FULL error is encountered, try changing the BUFFERS=32 entry in the CONFIG.SYS file to BUFFERS=8 and retry the operation without using the FILE MANAGER environment. Once low batteries begin to disrupt operations, do not rely entirely on an AC adapter. It is important to replace bad batteries even if the AC adapter is being used. The BATTERY LOW message is reliable only under specific circumstances. Do not depend on seeing it during the limited time that the Portfolio is capable of detecting and displaying such a condition. You may change the battery in the RAM Memory Card without losing the data saved on the card. To do so, install the Memory Card in a Portfolio while plugged in an AC adapter. Press a key to turn "ON" the screen and replace the battery before the screen shuts itself off. Conservative users may wish to copy the files to the "C:" Drive as a precaution. The battery used in a RAM Memory Card is a CR2016 and may be found in most electronics stores. You may prolong the length of time before the screen shuts "OFF" by occasionally pressing any key. If you encounter a DEVICE WRITE ERROR while attempting to save a file to the "A:" Drive, check the write protect switch. Make certain it is in the "OFF" position. If this error is encountered on the "C:" Drive or on the "A:" Drive while the write protect switch is "OFF", then there may not be enough room on the drive for the file. You may salvage most of your work by deleting small portions of your file as it exists in memory and making another attempt to save the file. If you installed the RAM Memory Card while the screen is "ON", the Portfolio may not know that the card is installed. In that case, try to save the file on the "C:" Drive. A warm boot may be required if the operating system needs to be informed that the "A:" Drive is installed. A DIVIDE BY ZERO or SYSTEM ERROR may occur for a number of reasons. If encountered, perform a warm boot and make an attempt to copy "C:" Drive files out to a Memory Card. Even if the operating system appears to be restored after that, perform a cold boot through the battery compartment to ensure that the problem has been adjusted internally. The Portfolio will make every attempt to reload the last file you used in each application. If an error occurs while the application attempts to load the last file, delete the PERMDATA.DAT file within the SYSTEM directory on the "C:" Drive. You may also change your CONFIG.SYS file to set a lower number of buffers. Performing a warm boot after doing so may release enough memory to load the data file properly. You may also attempt to enter the application out of the FILE MANAGER environment as the FILE MANAGER does require space in RAM. Many people misinterpret the SAVE YES/NO option when exiting an application incorrectly. When selecting "YES", the existing file on disk will be erased and a new file is created. If the file in memory is incorrect, incomplete or corrupted, the old data will be permanently lost. It is suggested that you always answer "NO" when exiting applications to avoid this possibility. To save a file, use the F1 option labeled as SAVE AS and deliberately name the file as you wish. The F1 window in all applications may also be accessed by pressing the Atari key. If you accidentally exit the FILE MANAGER and wish to have it operating again, turn the Portfolio off, install the FILE MANAGER ROM Card and type A:\fm at the system prompt. Avoid entering and manipulating files within the SYSTEM directory on the "C:" Drive. The only exception is the DIARY.DRY file which must be in that directory if you wish alarms to sound. To determine the available space on a Disk, use the DIR command from the DOS prompt. The CHKDSK command makes many calculations and assembles groups of numbers which are often confusing. The "ON" and "OFF" designations of the Portfolio refer to full operation, not complete power. A Portfolio which is turned "OFF" must still monitor alarms, data, date and time. This is important to know for expectations of battery longevity. The ADDRESS BOOK application may be used as a database for more than just names, addresses and phone numbers. You may also establish files for inventories, recipes and other subjects. If you detect a periodic "blip" across the screen while the Portfolio is turned "OFF", check the display modes within the SET UP menu. Make certain they are all set to normal or the batteries will drain at an accelerated pace. The Portfolio is engineered to operate and interact with state-of-the- art peripherals. Sometimes you may experience incompatibility with the slower responsiveness of battery operated printers or Atari Computer Corporation may find things in the operating system which can be enhanced or corrected. A small program exists in the public domain called: UPDATE.COM. A copy of this file may be found on the FILE MANAGER/TUTORIAL ROM Card. Later versions may be found on on-line services and on the Atari bulletin board. If you are experiencing problems which appear unexplained, obtain the latest version of this program and run it immediately following a cold-boot. See an earlier tip for automatically installing the UPDATE.COM program using an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The products and services mentioned in this brochure are trademarks or registered trademarks of their manufacturers. Prices and descriptions have been compiled from the most up-to-date materials available, but are subject to correction or change without notice and may vary by specific model. Prices indicated are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Pricing (MSRP) indicated in U.S. funds and do not include applicable shipping or sales taxes. Prices may vary when purchased from a retailer. Atari assumes no liability for the claims of products and services of other companies. Products manufactured by Atari are protected by the prevailing warranty at time of purchase. Copyright =1992 Atari Computer Corporation.