=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=››         NEWSLETTER REVIEWS››         by ALAN SHARKIS, member of the›         OL' HACKERS A.U.G., Inc.››LIAUG LightHouse for March, 1991 --›This issue is packed with 8-bit›material.  The reprint of Rick Burton's›(RACE) The Basics of BASIC article from›January, 1991 AIM examines the SETCOLOR›command in detail.  Robert Anisko's›BetaZine article compares Tetrix,›Fortress and Atartris, three popular›8-bit Tetris clones.  Both of the Bit›Byter articles are full of news about›the German club, and of a new club in›The Netherlands.  The disk descriptions›(disk #23) make me want to look at that›disk myself!  One of the programs›refers to a 1029 printer.  Have you›ever heard of that one, or is that a›misprint?›     St. Louis Newsline for March, 1991›-- Charles Parson tells us how to›upgrade a 256K MIO to 1 Meg.  This can›be a very tricky project, but a very›rewarding one.  You do need a 1 Meg MIO›because the ROM from it must be copied.› Joan Ryan's Gatebits column is an›excellent illustration of how›networking on BBSs can help users from›all over the country solve problems. ›Joan's Bits of Eight column contains›many interesting references, THE›MARITY OF THEM DIRECTLY RELATED TO›OHAUG.  ››S.L.C.C. Journal for April, 1991 -- Bob›Wooley keeps his promise and brings us›his 80-column board.  The article›continues from a "rough-sketch" done›previously, but this time there are›construction outlines, a complete›schematic, and the assembly source code›that puts the board to work.››ACE of Syracuse Newsletter for April,›1991 -- Ken Wickert tells us how to get›onto GEnie in Full Duplex.  Tom Andrews›reviews Rail King, an exciting railroad›game for the 8-bit.  Speaking of Tom,›there is a full page devoted TO HIS›CONNECTION WITH OHAUG and how he and›Kris Holtegaard cooperated on the›newsletter program and how Ron Fetzer›is a member of ACE of Syracuse and on›and on and ...  IT'S GRATIFYING.››(FR)ANTIC (AAAUA) for April, 1991 --›Read everything!  Hidden in Alvan›Sherrill's column, Presidential›Ponderings are news, reviews, club›program suggestions,›telecommunications, you name it! ›Editor Manuel Garcia tells us where›Hi-Tech Expressions is now located and›who is doing support for the Muppet›Learning Keys.  Alvan Sherrill has a›terrific article for beginners about›printers.  Ed Hall, AAAUA's Canadian›member, describes England's Page 6's›latest effort, a magazine with DOM›called New Atari User.  (It's not to be›confused with AtariUser magazine, which›is American.)  Chuck Leazott's article›about ICD's closeout sale is reprinted.››ACE St. Louis NewsLine for April, 1991›-- Joan Ryan reviews the 8-bit DOM,›which contains two interesting games. ›Her Bits of Eight column is full of›important files and products.  Her›Slowmo Reviews column, likewise. ›Finally, there is an article (author›not mentioned) about some of the›idiosyncracies of programming in›MAC/65.››ACE of Syracuse Newsletter for April,›1991 -- Tom Andrews has written an›excellent article about Assemblers,›Interpretors and Compilers.  Ken›Wickert has extensively quoted Chuck›Leazott's ICD sale article (mentioned›above).  Vernon W. Smith writes about›some of the entries in the›Addison-Wesley "Atari Software 1985". ›Some of the software mentioned then is›still going strong today.››B.A.C.E. Line (Bakersfield) for May,›1991 -- Although there are no›8-bit-specific articles, there are some›interesting features.››Between Bytes (JACS) for May, 1991 --›There is some 8-bit news scattered›around, but not under any specific›heading.  Read it all.››S.L.C.C. Journal for May, 1991 -- Bob›Wooley continues his his article on an›80-column card with a correction of the›circuit presented last time, several›important enhancements, and hints to›those who desire to write a›word-processor program for the card.››MUG Newsletter for May, 1991 -- The›NAPCO material is getting mighty thin! ›However, there's substance here in an›article decrying the split of Atari›users into 8-bit and ST camps, a›reprint of John Aalto's comments›detailing new articles and products for›the 8-bits, and a reprint of›AtariWriter+ Part VI, Jimmy Boyce's AIM›article.››  0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›››           Newsletter Review››            by Alan Sharkis›    Ol' Hackers Newsletter Librarian››This is going to be a relatively›short review column.  I didn't plan›it that way, but I didn't get a very›large stack of newsletters, either. ›It's also hard to stretch what isn't›there, and some of the newsletters I›have for review simply don't have›much to review.  Is the field drying›up?  Is it just a coincidence that›this month brings little 8-bit news? ›I sincerely hope so.››Between Bytes for November, 1991›mentions our disk-based newsletter as›something that the JACS members›should not forget.  This issue›mentions an article we ran about›building power supplies.››The SAGE Scroll for January, 1992 has›rerun JEFF SUMMERS' (Acorn Kernel,›January 1990) article on the role of›CIO in Atari BASIC.  Now, honestly,›Jeff, how can I get a copy of your›handler for the W: (Watusi) device? ›There is also Jeff's article from May›about doing file transfers between›the 8-bit and the PC, which I wrote›about in a previous newsletter›review.››The January, 1992 LIAUG LightHouse›contains PART IV of my article on›choosing modems and›telecommunications software.  There›is a reprint of a Z*NET article›giving some tips for using a BBS. ›And, yes, for all of you who tried to›answer my question last month about›which publication is associated with›Rovac Ind. Inc., I've discovered the›answer in this month's issue of the›LIAUG LightHouse!  It's F-NET, of›course!  But, you all knew that. ›This month's captured article›concerns ChromaCad and how to order  it.››NewsLine (ACE of St. Louis) for›January, 1992 reprints ZMAG Issue›200's article on "The 8-bit State". ›It's a good summary of the "serious"›uses to which our 8-bit can be put,›together with a list of software to›do the job.››The January, 1992 issue of (FR)ANTIC›features an article by LARRY ALLEN on›Spartados X Tips, a continuation of›ALVAN SHERRILL's Beginners' Column›series of the AtariWriter cartridge,›the first of a series on Atari Art by›subscribing AAAUA member MATTHEW›BAKER, an interesting column by ALVAN›SHERRILL on the use of the word,›"club" to describe AAAUA, RUSSELL›GIBSON's Left-Overs column, Ed Hall's›"What's In A Name", and JAMES›MARTIN's, "There I Was".  Whew!  Was›that a Casey Stengel sentence, or›what?  The articles are ALL worth›reading, so do request this issue and›take a look.››L.V.A.U.G. News for February, 1992 is›also quite full/  there is a JOHN›NAGY article describing his rating›system for text files.  There is also›a reprint of an October, 1988 A.C.E.›St. Louis Newsline article by MAT*RAT›(Matthew Rattcliffe) called, "Oranges›and Apples", which is quite timely in›view of opinions I have seen›expressed on FidoNet that the ST was›a "natural upgrade path" for 8-›bitters when it came out, and that we›all should have switched.  It takes a›clear head like Matthew's to set the›record straight.  MICHAEL P. BOROWSKI›describes a disk management nightmare›he experienced for which we have a›solution!  But the problem he›describes is all too common, and if›you recognize a little of yourself in›this article, help is not far away. ›KEN WICKERT's (ACE of Syracuse)›article on ramdisks is reprinted›here.  The editorial column mentions›the fact that we sent LVAUG a›wordprocessor that makes two-column›printing easier.  An extensive list›of filename extensions and their use›is included, as well as a warning and›appeal to users of information›services that their rates will›increase if action is not taken.  A›copy of our ad for the Disk›Management System appears.  Rounding›out the issue is an interesting›comparison of programming languages›and motor vehicles, originally›written by DANIEL SOLOMON and David›Rosenblueth of the University of›Waterloo.››NYbbles and Bytes for February, 1992›reprints the JEFF McWILLIAMS Campaign›letter.  The issue also contains a›short review of ANSI/term by CHARLES›LAKE.  Charles also writes a short›history of PAUGS and a review of PRO!›Colony, an on-line game available on›many PRO BBSs.  MERLE BARNES writes a›short article about choosing modems. ›JOHN COLLINS brings us a collection›of facts about 8-bits, including a›short type-in program that will flash›a picture on the screen.››The January-February, 1992 issue of›ACE of Syracuse Newsletter features a›review of Sign Maker by Thomas J.›Andrews, complete with samples of›what the program can do.››The February, 1992 issue of SLCC›Journal proves that BOB WOOLEY is›really hung up on that speech module›that CURTIS VENDEL sent him.  Check›out the article to find out what›might have been if the 1450XLD was›released.  As many of you have›realized, I usually try to find a›common theme for the newsletters I›review each month.  This month, the›item most mentioned in the›newsletters was the resignation of›Gregg Pratt.  Gregg was U. S.›President.  The Atari community has›become so accustomed to changes in›the company that SLCC has chosen to›place the following on their front›cover:›    (in small print)  Due to more ›    important stories the following›    articles are not found››    (then, in larger print)›    INSIDE:›    Pratt Resigns!›    Stock goes up 30%!›    TT & Mega/STe prices cut!›    Was he really making THAT much?››    Lincoln vs Gorbachev:›    Two views on secession››    Buy American›    What does it mean -›    Buy a Dodge made in Japan or›    Buy a Toyota made in California?›    The first enriches Iococca,›    the second enriches a few›    hundred workers.›    You Decide!››If you miss the small print, you miss›the editorializing that takes place›on the front cover, but it's typical›of the sense of humor expressed by›this club in each and every issue. ›It's a treat to read, as usual.››*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›