› *******************› HELLO ALL YOU ATARI COMPUNUTS- HOPE› YOU ENJOY READING OUR CLUB MINUTES!› *******************›› MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 1991› MEETING››› GENERAL MEETING:›› ALEX PIGNATO opened the FEBRUARY OL'›HACKERS ATARI USER GROUP meeting with›a "MOMENT OF PRAYER" for our service›men and women in the Gulf, in›recognition of their loyalty and›sacrafices. In addition the OL'›HACKER'S MARCH/APRIL issue of our›newsletter will be DEDICATED TO THEM!›One previous newsletter, in MAY 1987,›was dedicated to the service men who›were killed when an Iranian missile›hit the U.S.S. Stark.›› Then ALEX introduced,JOHN HARDIE,›direct from (FR)ANTIC, San Antonio,›Texas. The Alamo Area Atari User›Association, (AAAUA), (FR)ANTIC like›the OL' HACKERS, it is strictly an›ATARI 8-Bit User Group. JOHN orginally›from New York, was sent to Texas as a›member of the U.S. Air Force. He›considered this a plus as there was a›large community of ATARI Users in the›area. JOHN had brought his first Atari›in 1984. In a matter of a couple of›months he was giving club›presentations of DOS and Programs. For›this he was made their Vice President.›Being very active he enjoyed being a›club member because he learned a lot›and soon became a fanatic. Then he›became a collector of ATARI›Memorabilia, displaying two rare›items, a 1090XL Expansion System and a›XTC201 ATARI Thermal Color Printer.›JOHN has fond memories of his ATARI›life in Texas and now hopes to›continue it in New York. Upon›contacting AAAUA, they then put him in›touch with our club. Here's hoping›JOHN has found his Atari Utopia with›the OL'HACKERS.›› RON FETZER donated a large quantity›of Antic Magazines for club members›use. They were immediately put into›our hard copy library. ALEX supplied›the members with a listing of the many›books donated by ALAN SHARKIS and NIEK›VANDERLEE at the January meeting. This›library has already been set into›motion, as a couple of the members›have taken advantage of this new›library, which contains many out of›print books. › MINUTES/TREASURY REPORTS:›› ALEX next read the lengthy January›minutes report and AL ATKINS gave his›up todate Treasury Report. Both were›accepted as read.›› MAIL & CORRESPONDENCE:›› Surprise mail came to our Oceanside›address from FRANCE, to be exact, an›Atari Newsletter and Library Listing,›in French no less. It was from "CLUB›CENACLE ATARI", containing news of the›XL/XE. The newsletter was passed to›JACK GEDALIUS for translation and›reporting back at the March meeting›The CENACLE CLUB is a nation wide›French ATARI User Group. Their purpose›is to make the worth while 8-Bit live,›though French supporters have›considered that these computers were›dead (sound familiar?). For over three›years they have been publishing›newsletters with disk, containing›rograms born from the creativity of›their members. They also have a Public›Domain Library for which some members›have produced hard and software. They›are interested in corresponding with›ATARI User Groups throughout the world›for an exchange of information and the›exchange of membership of Atari›Groups. ALEX responded "Tout De Suite"›endorsing their ideas and forwarded›copies of our last three newsletters.›› "CLUB CENACLE", B.P. 49, 95110›Sannois, France. ›› ALEX read a letter from HORST DEWITZ›who said he cannot attend regular›meetings. HORST our international›correspondence member, is as well, a›member of LIAUG and ABBUC, GERMANY. He›would like to continue to act as the›connecting link and perform the›coordination of activities between›GERMANY and the USA. ›› DR. R.B. HERMAN, President of "THE›W.A.N.D.", WESTCHESTER ATARI NEWS›DIGEST an all 8-bit ATARI club, was›contacted by ALEX at the suggestion of›ROLAND FETZER. DR. HERMAN has agreed›to an exchange of N/L's and articles›between the clubs.› KEN WICKERT, A.C.E., SYRACUSE has›really jumped into "DESERT STORM". He›brought his 8-bit computers into the›local school systems and to the›support system for wives and families›of affected servicemen and women. He›has taught word processing to families›to allow them to send mail to their›loved ones, either paper mail or›"GENIE". He also printed hundreds of›mailing labels for families as well.›TOM ANDREWS at a minutes notice, has›composed for him a new version of the›program "COL40.CTB", called "REFORMAT"›that allows him to take a letter›composed with Atari Writer and›reformat it to send over Electronic›Mail with the least amount of wasted›space. ›› TOM ANDREWS our honorary member›lives in upstate N. Y., in MANLIUS. He›is a dedicated 8 BITTER, who helps his›family run a large dairy farm. He has›an Electrical Engineers degree, but›from seeing his programs, I think he›cut clases and went to computer›school instead. Way to go, TOM!›› JOAN RYAN, A.C.E., ST LOUIS wrote›very favorable comments concerning the›OL' HACKERS bimonthly newsletter. She›especially liked printing it in two›columns with "TWOCOL.BAS" from ANTIC.›In addition JOAN thought including a›game or two on the reverse side was›super. SURPRISE!! With this disk, she,›(and you) will now be able to print it›in 3 columns, thanks to our›programmers!›› ALAN SHARKIS volunteered to compose›and send a letter to START (ANTIC)›Magazine for permission to include›their typein programs on our›newsletters. The entire 8-Bit world›would benefit if we could include›these programs on the newsletter. The›OL' HACKERS are a not for profit club›and these disks are exchanged with›other clubs, not sold.›› DOOR PRIZES:›› To no ones surprise, HARRY TUTHILL'S›number instantly popped up when "DOOR›PRIZE was run. After so many years the›members agree that the odds have to be›astronomical that month after month›HARRY walks up and claims his "DOOR›PRIZE". As he picked up his prize he›seemed to be mumbling something about›"Positive Thinking". Almost unnoticed›were the other winners, RON FETZER and›JACK GEDALIUS.›› DEMONSTRATIONS:›› HAROLD PEGLER started the demos with›"Menu Plus", version 2.5, put on disk›as an Autorun program. All files›entered on the disk is by a number.›You have a choice, as in DOS, to run,›load, enter, copy, make an autorun.›Everything that you can do with DOS.›The demo disk happened to be programs›of tapes converted to disk (no new›programs here). Mostly this disk›consisted of educational programs, in›basic only. Before we knew what had›happened HAROLD had us playing "States›and Capitals".›› Then "TV TEST", color bars to allow›you to make television alignments. You›can get crosshatch (our monitor passed›with flying colors), Horizontal,›Vertical, Wide, Dots, Grey scale, test›patterns. This program will really›tell you what ails your monitor or TV›set. ›› "B Copy" Antic 1988 bonus disk. B›Copy has an excellent use for›converting double and enhanced density›to a single density disk. The program›will not copy DOS or DUP, so when you›format a disk put DOS on it. Your›drive or drives, including RAM Disk›can be selected. Hitting the start key›will produce a directory of programs›in drive #1. Use the arrow keys to›make file selections, then hit return›to lock highlighted programs. After›marking programs using this method,›hit start and then the programs›selected will be transferred to a new›disk. ›› "Info Bits" came next, another Antic›program, a real simple little data›base program. You have to generate a›disk you want to use that will have›"INFO BITS" on it. Then establish a›file called "Info Bit File" and you›are then limited to 119 characters,›approximately three lines of print.›HAROLD used Info Bits to catalog a lot›of his tapes, normally using about›three lines for name, number and title›of his music cassettes. You have a›choice of adding to the file or make a›search. Then he exhibited the search›excellant feature of the program.›› CARLOS HURTADO started his demo with›"TEXTPRO", version 3.2, (he has passed›up version 4.5, with help key),›feeling more comfortable with 3.2.›CARLOS passed out handouts containing›information about the program and›stated he used "TEXTPRO" for letters›and our newsletter. While performing›the "TEXTPRO" demo he went through the›following steps:› a. CTRL/M key to bring up the› directory› b. Used the arrow keys to make a› selection› c. CTRL/L key to load selection› d. When using a harddrive, make›selection, then hit the insert key to›open up a sub directory› e. To return to the main directory›use clear key› f. Then q1 to justify the margins.›Using q1 turns justification on and q0›turns it off› g. Using CTRL/S, the text will be›saved› h. Then using CTRL/H to bring cursor›to top of file, CARLOS typed in "Print›File>DI:" to print to disk› i. When reformatting text file he›uses "FIXUP"› j. Then taking a text file submitted›by ALAN he went through all the steps›for making it compatible with the›newsletter program. ALAN used "ATARI›WRITER PLUS to submit his article,›CARLOS using the Global Search feature›was able to instantly correct the text›for "TEXTPRO".›› ALEX PIGNATO followed with his demos›starting with "File Verifier" from TOM›ANDREWS, The program will check if a›file has been copied correctly. Any›variation from the orginal file will›be noted.›› Next came "DOS 2.5 Modified" when›used with a 800XL or 130XE, somehow,›it seems to make two ram disks that›you can configure the DOS to name,›such as; D3 and D8, D4 and D8. DOS D3›will have DOS and DUP and D8 will have›DUP and MEMSAV. ALEX named this›program "DBLRMDOS.BAS" and the›documentation is in the program. The›DOS sets up a 90K Ramdisk that can be›assigned D2 to D7 when used with a›256K upgrade providing RAMDISK. COM is›on the disk. The second ramdisk needs›to be formatted after being powered›up. How good it is??? Members will›have to play with it.›› "Wall Calendar" was demoed next,›this program displays one year by›months. You have the option of›highlighting any date or dates you›select, then it prints out the end›results. ›› Then "IRA.BAS" will calculate›interest with or without taxable›income for "N" years. Good whether you›are retiring or thinking of it!›› Next a potpourri of old familiar›programs, "LUNAR LANDER", "FILE›RECOVERY", "DISKEDIT:DOC" and›"FUJIBONk". A lot of the programs›were typed in by JOE LEBER. Thanks›Joe.›› To finish the demos for this month,›a super program was saved for last,›"Print Star" by TOM ANDREWS. This›program allows you to select your size›of type for the text. The selection›allows two columns of print having six›or eight lines to an inch. Another›choice is three columns of text with›six or eight lines to an inch.›› FUTURE MEETING DATES:›› Future meeting dates for the OL'›HACKERS ATARI USER GROUP are:›› MARCH 9, 1991 MAY 11,1991› APRIL 13, 1991 JUNE 1,1991›› All dates are SATURDAY and are›scheduled for the PLAINVIEW/OLD›BETHPAGE LIBRARY.› REMEMBER........the next OL' HACKERS›ATARI USER GROUP meeting is scheduled›for MARCH 9th, at 11:30am.›› Respectfully,› AL ATKINS›› So long for now!› *******************› ›