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Welcome to the
____
/ ___) *StarShip* 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast
/ (_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___)
/ (__ very weekend the *StarShip* on GEnie presents a new 5-MINUTE Weekend
(_____) Newscast in Communications Room 10 in the Real-Time Conference Area.
Featuring late-breaking stories from the Amiga community, these dynamic,
scrolling newscasts cycle every 5 minutes, so you can stop by between 6PM and
3AM Eastern time on Friday, or 3PM and 3AM Eastern time on Saturday or Sunday
and learn everything that happened during the preceding week. Industry news,
product announcements, upgrades, rumors, special *StarShip* activities, trade
show reports, GEnie usage tips, humor, recommended files to download...
... the works -- and it ONLY takes 5 minutes!
Each 5-MINUTE Weekend Newscast is available on *StarShip* Menu #10 during the
following week. Periodically, newscasts are combined and made available for
downloading from the *StarShip* Library.
____________________________________________________________
// \
|| -*- IMPORTANT! -*- |
|| |
|| As long as individual stories are kept intact and credit |
|| is given, this material may be reproduced in ALL or PART |
|| on a privately owned BBS or in a user group newsletter. |
|| See wording for proper credit at the end of this Newscast. |
\\____________________________________________________________/
|| |
|| |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Denny Atkin, Editor,
COMPUTE's Amiga Resource,
for his generous input.
Here we go!...
DateLine: January 15, 1993
This 5-MINUTE Newscast presents the following stories:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Commodore Features New Amiga Systems with Consumer Multimedia
Applications at Consumer Electronics Show
2. St. Clair Designs and Packages Industry Leader Kiosk Systems
3. Freedom Floptical Drives for Amiga -- Available Now!
4. Next Week's *StarShip* Calendar -- Special WINNING Conferences! Blue
Ribbon SoundWorks, Mark Thompson on LightWave, INOVAtronics, Blackbelt!
5. Incredible A600 Packages from TENEX Computer Express
6. Gold Disk Announces Professional Page 4.0
7. SoftWood Releases Proper Grammar V2
8. Commodore Features New Amiga Systems with Communication Multimedia
Applications at INFOCOMM Show
9. Maxis Releases A-Train for Amiga Computers
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
1st of 9 Stories
Better late than never...
Commodore Features New Amiga Systems With
Consumer Multimedia Applications at Consumer Electronics Show
____~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___) Las Vegas, NV -- January 7, 1993
/ /
/ (__
(_____)ommodore Business Machines,Inc. will feature and demonstrate a full
range of Amiga (R) products at the Consumer Electronics Show, Booth #10041 in
the North Hall, from January 7 - 10, 1993. Commodore's presentation at CES
will focus on consumer multimedia applications and retail kiosk systems.
Product demonstrations will include the new Amiga 1200 and 4000 Advanced
Graphics Architecture TM (AGA) based machines, the entry-level Amiga 600, the
Commodore Dynamic Total Vision (CDTV (R)) player, and a variety of peripheral
products.
Also included in Commodore's booth will be six third-party developers who
will demonstrate a number of sophisticated Amiga multimedia applications for
the home and professional user. The following is a list of the developers and
a brief description of their products to be shown in the booth.
The Miracle Piano Teaching System (TM)
The Software Toolworks, Inc.
The Miracle Piano Teaching System, the first piano which teaches users how to
play, has 1,000 piano lessons with fun and exciting video games and popular
songs. The system comes with built-in stereo speakers, AC Adapter, and
earphones. The keyboard has velocity-sensitive keys, a sustain pedal, and
full MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) compatibility. It can
produce over 100 exciting digital music instrument sounds. The Miracle, with
its three components -- software, a 49-key keyboard, and a cable connection
to the user's computer -- has a suggested retail price of $479.95.
G-Lock
Great Valley Products
G-Lock, a very affordable, high quality, versatile genlock rivals even the
most expensive genlocks on the market. Compatible with all Amiga models, this
feature-packed unit is completely software controllable through its user
friendly control panel software, or through ARexx or the CLI. It can accept
two composite on one Y/C input, and provides composite, Y/C, RGB or YUV
outputs at all times. Many adjustable parameters affecting the incoming video
are available and full suprOJ:k-Hists in the U.S. fk2$449.00.
AmiLink
RGB Computer & Video
AmiLink/CII (Consumer Industrial) is a derivative of AmiLink TM, RGB Computer
& Video's professional desktop video editing system. CI offers cuts and A/B
roll editing with the power of professional post-production systems. It also
offers complete interface to the Video Toaster and control of up to six
source and one record Panasonic AG 1960.
Video Director
Gold Disk
Video Director is a videotape editing system for camcorder enthusiasts and
professionals. Familiar VCR style controls make it easy to select and catalog
videotaped moments or "clips." Clips from multiple tapes can be arranged in
any order desired and VideoDirector will control a camcorder and VCR to
produce a cleanly edited tape. VideoDirector includes a special Smart Cable
serial port interface for controlling most popular VCRs and camcorders.
St. Clair Interactive Communications
St. Clair designs and develops custom interactive kiosk systems for a broad
range of applications, including retail information and merchandising systems
and customer service programs. The company will feature several of their
Amiga-based kiosk systems, such as the K-Mart (R) Coupon Center, in the
booth.
Commodore Business Machines, Inc., based in West Chester, PA, is the U.S.
subsidiary of Commodore International Limited. The company manufactures and
markets a complete line of Amiga computers and peripherals for the business,
consumer, education and government markets. The company's worldwide installed
Amiga user base is presently almost four million.
Commodore and CDTV are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Limited. Amiga and
Advanced Graphics Architecture are trademarks of Commodore-Amiga, Inc. G-Lock
is a trademark of Great Valley Products. The Miracle Piano Teaching System is
a trademark of The Software Toolworks. AmiLink is a trademark of RGB Computer
& Video. Digital EditMaster is a trademark of Digital Micronics, Inc. Video
Toaster is a trademark of NewTek, Inc. K-Mart Coupon Center is a trademark of
K-Mart Corporation.
For more information contact Commodore Business Machines, Inc. 1200 Wilson
Drive West Chester, PA 19380 (215) 431-9100
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
2nd of 9 Stories
St. Clair Designs and Packages Industry Leader Kiosk Systems
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___)
( (__ West Chester, PA -- January 4, 1993
\__ \
___) )
(____/t. Clair Interactive Communications today announced that they have
developed a line of NEW, HIGH PERFORMANCE interactive, multimedia kiosk
systems. These custom packaged, turnkey models are standardized and tailored
for retail markets at a price level that sets them apart as an industry
leader.
St. Clair Interactive Communications is a full service company that has been
developing custom, multimedia information systems, commonly known as kiosks,
for the last ten years. Their new line of three standardized interactive
kiosk systems are designed to be flexible, exceptionally cost-effective and
easy to use while maintaining the highest level of performance. Unlike many
other systems in the market today, these kiosks are custom designed by one
source that includes a team of professional specialists in the specified
retail markets AND are packaged as a turnkey product at an extremely
competitive price level.
St. Clair is also pleased to announce that they have selected Commodore
Business Machine's Amiga as the computer component for their three new,
innovative turnkey systems. With the inclusion of the Amiga system, each one
of these kiosk models has multimedia capabilities that can exceed other
industry standards. They include quality digital audio, exquisite graphics
and multimedia capabilities that are all designed for mass market retail
applications.
Included in each system is the kiosk equipment, software and the interactive
multimedia program. The Basic unit includes a simple enclosure, digitized and
painted graphics with 50 custom graphics screens, animation and audio, plus
authoring and run time software. This basic unit is best suited for tourist
and visitor centers, store information, corporate and employee directories.
In quantities of 100, this system is available at an MSRP of $2,850.
The Deluxe system is based on a high speed multimedia computer which includes
a 32bit processor, 100 MB hard drive, a touch screen, digitized and painted
animation using 256,000 color pictorial graphics, stereo digital audio, text,
an upgraded enclosure, modem and communications software capabilities. This
model is targeted for P.O.P. couponing, vendor merchandising, customer
service, real estate, ticketing and reservations applications. In quantities
of 100, this system is available at an MSRP of $5,500.
The Premier system includes all the features of the deluxe system plus a
faster processor, 10 MB RAM, 100 MB Hard Drive and full motion video from the
hard drive. In addition, there is a printer, graphics processors, a central
control panel for remote updating for graphics, audio, video and text.
Applications for this system include fashion merchandising, travel, product
catalogs and corporate communications. In quantities of 100, this system is
available at an MSRP of $9,600.
"The interactive information market is exploding. With the number of retail
kiosk applications expanding rapidly, we anticipate sizeable growth. We
especially feel confident that our custom developed, professional systems
with full service networks far exceed the present industry standards in
content, operational and multimedia capabilities. Plus, these custom packaged
systems are complete turnkey kiosks from just one source AND are one of the
best price/performance systems in the industry," commented H. Douglas Peter,
president, St. Clair Interactive Communications.
"We are also pleased to announce that we have chosen the Commodore Amiga as
the exceptional multimedia computer component. The Amiga's quality digital
audio, digital video and multitasking capabilities tremendously enhance each
system's delivery performance. We know this from experience since St. Clair
has already developed and installed successfully running multimedia kiosks
that incorporate the Amiga. Some of these prestigious installations include
The Logan Airport, Massachusetts; K Mart Coupon Centers; and The National
Auto League in Ontario, Canada," added Doug Peter.
Commodore is a trademark of Commodore Electronics Limited. Amiga is a
trademark of Commodore-Amiga, Inc. St. Clair TM is a trademark of St. Clair
Interactive Communications.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
3rd of 9 Stories
Freedom Floptical Drives for Amiga -- Available Now!
______ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(__ __) Bellevue, WA -- January 1993
/ /
/ /
(_/he Freedom Floptical Drive from Purple Mountain Computers has quickly
become a standard on other computer platforms because of its versatility and
low price. Floptical disks and drives are more portable than Removable Hard
Drives and they allow compatibility with 1.44 MB disks. PMC is proud to take
part in the advancement of technology in the Amiga field, as well as serving
the Amiga community!
Here's what you get when you buy a Freedom Floptical Drive:
Versatility Read/write 720K/1.44 MB/21 MB 3.5" disks.
Compactness Small footprint (4.7 x 7.8 x 2 inches).
Expandability 5 (FIVE!) Floptical disks included = 100 MB of storage.
Buy more disks to expand as needed.
Portability 21 MB disks are standard 3.5" disk size, just slip 'em
in your pocket and you're off!
Quality Hundreds of people now have Freedom Drives and their
testimonies are positive:
"I've been using the Freedom Floptical drives for
many months now and have never had a problem since
connecting it to my system. With the prices of
Floptical disks dropping in price, the floptical
has become a very economical alternative in storage.
I have recommended your company to many people that
I know, with the secure feeling that they will
receive the same outstanding service and product
that I have."
- Dennis H. Yogi
Low Price Price is one of the most important aspects, and with
the Freedom Floptical Drive you get the lowest price
guaranteed (we'll meet or beat any legitimate
advertised price for the same components). The
Freedom Drive is JUST $399 for internal model or $419
for an external model!
What Do Ya Get? Freedom Floptical Drive
For $399 5 (FIVE!) Floptical Disks
For $419 Case (in addition to the above items)
Power Supply
All you need is a SCSI Host Adapter (most such as GVP, ICD, etc. support
Floptical drives, just call your respective manufacturer for details). Just
plug the drive into the adapter, and step into the future of disk technology!
Additional Floptical disks: $19.95 each (or $18.95 each in paks of 5).
To Order:
Send check or money order for $399 + $15 (Federal Express shipping/insurance)
to:
Purple Mountain Computers, Inc. (PMC)
15600 NE 8th St. Ste. A3-412
Bellevue, WA 98008
206-399-8700
For more information send GE Mail to: PMC.INC
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
4th of 9 Stories
__________________________________________________________________________
| |
| *StarShip* Amiga Conferences |
| |
| _ |
| / )____ _____ __ __ ____ ___ __ __ |
| __ / // _ ) / _ )/ / / // _ ) / __)/ / / / |
| ( (_/ // (/ / / / ) // (_/ // (/ / / / / (_/ / |
| \___/(_____)(_/ (_/(_____((_____)(_/ (___ / |
| ___/ / |
| (____/ |
| Except where noted, Conferences begin at 10PM Eastern Time in the Amiga |
| Conference Rooms at Page 555;2. Amiga Programmers meet Wednesday nights |
| at Pro/Am on Page 670. Amiga/GEnie HelpDesk EVERY Night at 9PM Eastern. |
|__________________________________________________________________________|
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Humpday |Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Help@9EST| Help@9EST|Help@9EST| Help@9EST|Help@9EST| Help@9EST| Help@9EST|
|__________|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________|
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |21 | 22 | 23 |
|5-MIN News| | Blue | |vv-Video!| New |5-MIN News|
| 3PM-3AM | DeskTop | Ribbon's| AmiGames | Radient |*StarShip*|9:Hardware|
| -*- |Publishing|One-Stop | ------ | Images' | 5-MINUTE |10: Guest!|
|10PM: | Night |MusicShop|Programing| Mark | Newscast INOVAtronics
| Graphics | |& Prizes!|at Pro/Am |Thompson!| 6PM-3AM | & Prize! |
|__________|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________|
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |28 | 29 | 30 |
|5-MIN News| | | |Blackbelt| New |5-MIN News|
| 3PM-3AM | DeskTop | o/~ | AmiGames | Ben |*StarShip*|9:Hardware|
| -*- |Publishing| | ------ | Williams| 5-MINUTE | Clinic |
|10PM: | Night | Music |Programing| with | Newscast |10: Amiga |
| Graphics | | Night |at Pro/Am | Prizes! | 6PM-3AM | |
|PartyNight|__________|_________|__________|_________|__________|__________|
|__________|
-* Special WINNING Conferences Coming these Next Two Weeks! *-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blue Ribbon SoundWorks -- Tuesday, January 19 at 10PM EST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learn about the fabulous new One-Stop Music Shop, and how you can get a
Special FREE MusicWare Disk just for mentioning GEnie when you order one!
Pick from BEATLES DISK #1 (8 Days a Week, Back in the USSR, Daytripper,
Good Day Sunshine) or CLASSICAL PLUS (Ballade 1, Opus 23; Nocturne&March,
Canon; Toccata&Fugue in D Minor) or HIP-HOP DISK (MegaMix, Pump Up the Jam,
Bad Girls, Tom's Diner, Neutron Dance) -- a $24.95 value, FREE when you
mention GEnie. Order the One-Stop Music Shop now for $629 (regularly $649)!
Plus, a lucky GEnie member will WIN his/her choice of one of these
MusicWare Disks at this special conference with featured guest (and
One-Stop Music Shop expert) Dave Miller.
Mark Thompson of Radient Images -- Thursday, January 21 at 10PM EST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Video Toaster/LightWave expert Mark Thompson is featured as our special
guest this evening. Mark will share tips, secrets and insiders info on
using NewTek's exciting industry-standard equipment to YOUR advantage!
INOVAtronics -- Saturday, January 23 at 10PM EST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The gang's all here! INOVAtronics Programmers and Tech Support Staff with
news on their latest and greatest: CanDo Authoring System, Dir OPUS 4.0,
GigaMem, TURBOprint, and their entry into entertainment software, Vektor
Storm! Someone's going to win a FREE copy of Dir OPUS 4.0 - will it be YOU?
Watch the *StarShip* Software Library for new CanDo demos and other
goodies!
Blackbelt -- Thursday, January 28 at 10PM EST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not one.. not two.. but THREE lucky conference participants will win their
own full-featured image manipulation system, Imagemaster, Blackbelt's
flagship product, including -- as soon as it's available -- a free upgrade
to Imagemaster V10, a revolutionary NEW image processing product for the
Amiga! Three others will win Blackbelt's NoteBook software, a unique
personal productivity tool. That's over $750 worth of prizes to *StarShip*
members tonight alone! Special guest Ben Williams will also talk about
Blackbelt's PackeTerm, a packet-radio handling program for HAM radio
operators.
HelpDesk *EVERY* NIGHT @ 9PM Eastern Time!
Got a problem? If you have questions about learning to use your
Amiga, the *StarShip* or GEnie, we have answers! Stop by Conference
Room 4 ANY EVENING from 9 to 10 EST for live, on-the-spot help.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
5th of 9 Stories
Incredible A600 Packages from TENEX Computer Express
_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ \ Mishawaka, IN -- January 1993
/ - \
/ ___ \
(_/ \_) TENEX Computer Express mail order catalog arrived at our mailbox
this week. A second cover had been placed over the original, and printed on
flourescent orange paper are incredible Amiga 600 prices. Among other things,
it says:
"News SO Hot - it Was LITERALLY Too Late to Stop the Presses!"
"IGNORE the price inside the catalog -- We NOW have the Lowest Price IN
THE UNIVERSE on the Amiga 600 -- $ 299.99. Includes HUGE Software Value."
Four Different Amiga 600 packages are offered inside as follows:
_______________________ ______________________________
/ \ / \
| $299.99 | | $499.99 |
| Amiga 600 Bonus Pack | | Amiga 600HD Bonus Pack |
| | | |
| Includes: | | Includes: |
| Amiga 600 Computer | | Amiga 600HD Computer |
| | | with 40 MByte Hard Drive |
| Software: | | |
| Robocop 3 | | Software: |
| Beast III | | Virtual Reality Studio 2.0 |
| Myth | | Microtext |
| Microtext | | Graphics Workshop |
| Graphics Workshop | | PushOver |
\_______________________/ \______________________________/
________________________ ______________________________
/ \ / \
| $469.99 | | $669.99 |
| Amiga 600 Graphics Pack | | Amiga 600HD Graphics Pack |
| | | |
| Includes: | | Includes: |
| Amiga 600 Computer | | Amiga 600 Computer |
| Amiga 1084 Color Monitor | | with 40 MByte Hard Drive |
| with stereo sound | | Amiga 1084 Color Monitor |
| | | with stereo Sound |
| Software: | | |
| Robocop 3 | | Software: |
| Beast III | | Virtual Reality Studio 2.0 |
| Myth | | Microtext |
| Microtext | | Graphics Workshop |
| Graphics Workshop | | PushOver |
\________________________/ \______________________________/
Tenex Computer Express has been serving Commodore and Amiga owners by mail
order for years. For more information contact Tenex Computer Express, 56800
Magnetic Drive, Mishawaka IN 46545, 1-800-PROMPT-1, 1-219-259-7051, Fax:
219-259-0300.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
6th of 9 Stories
Gold Disk Announces Professional Page 4.0 --
New Features Give Amiga Users More Publishing Power
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Professional Page 4.0 To Support Commodore Amiga 4000
and 1200 AGA Chipset Displaying up to 256 Colors On Screen;
Special $75.00 (USD) Upgrade Offer to Current Users of
_____ Professional Page 3.0
/ ____)
/ /___ Toronto, Canada -- December, 1992
/ /( )
/ (__) /
(______/old Disk Inc. today announced a new version of Professional Page, the
company's award winning desktop publishing program for the Commodore Amiga
personal computer. Professional Page 4.0 is fuly compatible with Commodore's
new AGA Chipset and includes free-of-charge a hot-linked paint program for
fast changes to graphics as part of the company's aggressive $75.00 USD,
$85.00 CDN upgrade program for current users of Professional Page 3.0.
"Gold Disk is acutely aware of the changing needs of Amiga desktop
publishers, and our announcement of Professional Page 4.0 demonstrates the
company's commitment to provide users with state-of-the-art desktop
publishing tools," said Kailash Ambwani, CEO and president of Gold Disk Inc.
New features included in Professional Page 4.0:
- Support for the new Commodore AGA chipset
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This new chipset is found on the Amiga 4000 and 1200. Bitmapped images can
now be displayed on-screen using up to 256 colors giving users the benefit of
true WYSIWYG viewing and more exact on-screen proofing.
- A hot-linked graphics editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The graphics editor is a full featured paint program. The paint program is
used for the creation of bitmapped images or editing existing images and
allows for automatic export from Professional Page 4.0 for quick and easy
editing. A hot-linked text editor has been a standard part of Professional
Page since version 2.0.
- Enhanced graphic handling with new graphics import filters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Users can now import graphics generated in IBM PC and Macintosh GIF, TIF,
PCX, BMP and EPS file formats. On screen TIFF preview is included. In
addition, Adobe Illustrator and Aldus Freehand EPSF files can be imported and
edited using Professional Draw 3.0. Professional Page 4.0 includes a hot-link
to Professional Draw 3.0 making it posible to export structured drawings to
Professional draw, edit the drawing and return it to Professional Page 4.0
for inclusion in a document.
- Additional text handling features
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These new features include enhanced text styles such as drop shadow effect
and pattern filled text; a built-in visual Pair Kerning editor to adjust the
kerning of any font to pre-defined specifications; a font preview window that
aids in the selection of typefaces, and a new text import filter for
AmiWrite, WordsWorth and Kindwords 3. Professional Page 4.0 supports 15 DOS
and Amiga wordprocessor text imput filters.
- User-definable display modes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Users are now able to define their display modes in an editable two-page view
and utilize the zoom-in capabilities from 10 percent to 400 percent (in 1
percent increments).
Other new features includes the visual Page Sorter that allows users the
capability to arrange pages within a document and a "stick-on" note feature
that enables users to add non-printed messages or instructions to a document.
Professional Page 4.0 also includes a selection of new time saving Genies.
Genies are automated macros that aid in the creation of documents and in the
execution of difficult or tedious tasks. Introduced in Professional Page 3.0,
Genies automate such functions as envelope addressing, automatic mail merges
from external databases and automatic grid and table creation.
"The addition of these new features makes Professional Page 4.0 the desktop
publishing tool of choice for Amiga users," said Mike Iampietro, sales and
marketing manager for Gold Disk's Amiga products. "Professional Page is easy
to use from start to finish and is generally recognized as the product with
the highest quality output for the Amiga. We are committed to delivering
quality products for all levels of users."
System Requirements, Pricing and Distribution
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Professional Page 4.0 will run on any Commodore Amiga with at least 2 MB of
RAM and a hard disk drive, is Workbench 1.3, 2.0 and 3.0 compatible, and is
available through Amiga Dealers or from the company direct. Suggested retail
price is $295.00.
Other Gold Disk products include Professional Draw, a professional graphic
illustration package, VideoDirector, a complete personal videotape editing
system, ProfessionalCalc, a spreadsheet program, and PageSetter 3, an
entry-level desktop publishing system.
Gold Disk Inc., founded in 1984, is the leading developer and publisher of
desktop presentation and business productivity software for Windows-based PC,
Macintosh and Amiga computer users, and is a software licensee of the MPC
trademark, developing products to support this multimedia standard. Gold
Disk, privately held, is based in Mississauga, Ontario with sales and
marketing offices in Torrance, California.
-*-
*StarShip* Amiga *Flash*
7th of 9 Stories
SoftWood Releases Proper Grammar V2
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ _ ) Phoenix, AZ -- January 1993
/ ___/
/ /
(_/roper Grammar (TM) utilizes the Houghton Mifflin CorrecText(TM) Grammar
Correction System, a powerful expert system that uses context-sensitive rules
of grammar to analyze writing and to detect and correct errors in syntax,
usage, punctuation, spelling and style. It is the first and only interactive
language-aid system on the Amiga that corrects documents by identifying the
grammatical function and relationship among words.
Proper Grammar takes the guesswork out of good grammar by detecting 95% of
all writing errors. It identifies and corrects embarrassing errors making it
a valuable proofreading tool designed to improve writing.
Proper Grammar is the perfect accessory to your favorite word processor. Use
it with your word processor. Open, check, edit and save Final Copy 1.3.2 and
Final Copy II, ProWrite 3.3, QuickWrite, Pen Pal, Excellence!, TextCraft
Plus, KindWords 3.0, TransWrite, Scribble! and ASCII files. This release no
longer supports compatibility with WordPerfect documents. You can also create
a document with Proper Grammar's fast, built-in text editor, correct it, and
save it in the format of your word processor or text editor. ARexx and
Clipboard are also supported.
Interactive Grammar Correction checks your documents for errors in grammar,
spelling, punctuation and style. As errors are found in your document Proper
Grammar highlights the text, tells you what is wrong, and lets you make the
changes directly on screen. All processing is completely interactive. Error
messages are clear and informative. Helpful explanations are given where
appropriate.
Proper Grammar includes complete document statistics which display
readability information along with word, sentence, and paragraph counts.
Readability information includes: Flesh Reading Ease Score, Flesh Reading
Ease Grade Level, Flesh-Kincaid Score, and Gunning's Fog Index. It is ideal
for business, personal, government, and educational use.
It checks for and corrects such things as:
o Wordy Expressions o Mass vs. Count: A vs. An
o Redundant Expressions o Verbal Group Consistency
o Inappropriate Prepositions o Subject-Verb Agreement
o Informal Expressions o Agreement with Here or There
o Cliches o Pronoun Rules
o Weak Modifiers o Commonly Confused Words
o Weak Quantifiers o Word Usage
o Ungrammatical Expressions o Style Parameters
o Open vs. Closed Spelling o Repetitive Expressions
o Multiple Negation o Informal Usage
o Overused or Misused Words o Double Negatives
o Jargon Expressions o Jargon Words or Expressions
o Pretentious Words o Nonstandard Modifiers
o Archaic Expressions o Clause Errors
o Misspelled Foreign Expressions o Format Errors
o Noun Phrase Consistency o Punctuation Errors
o Spelling Errors
System requirements for Proper Grammar V2 includes any Amiga with 1 megabyte
of RAM and a hard drive. Suggested retail price is $99.95.
For more information contact Softwood, Inc. at P.O. Box 50178, Phoenix, AZ,
85076, or call 1-800-247-8330.
-*-
*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
8th of 9 Stories
Commodore Features New Amiga Systems with
Communication Multimedia Applications at INFOCOMM Show
____ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ ___) New Orleans, LA -- January 14, 1993
/ /
/ (__
(_____)ommodore Business Machines, Inc. will feature and demonstrate a full
range of powerful Amiga (R) products at the INFOCOMM Show, Booth #2147, from
January 14 - 16, 1993. Commodore's presentation at the show will focus on
"pioneering" communication multimedia applications featured on the new Amiga
1200 and 4000 Advanced Graphics Architecture TM (AGA) based machines, the
Commodore Dynamic Total Vision (CDTV (R)) player, and a variety of peripheral
products.
Also included in Commodore's booth will be industry leading third party
developers who will demonstrate a number of sophisticated Amiga multimedia
applications for the business professional user. The following is a list of
the developers and a brief description of their exciting products to be shown
in the booth.
IG-Lock
Great Valley Products
G-Lock, a very affordable, high quality, versatile genlock rivals even the
most expensive genlocks on the market. Compatible with all Amiga models, this
feature-packed unit is completely software controllable through its user
friendly control panel software, or through ARexx or the CLI. It can accept
two composite/I.C. or one Y/C input, and provides composite, Y/C, RGB or YUV
outputs at all times. Many adjustable parameters affecting the incoming video
are available and full support is provided. G-Lock lists in the U.S. for
$449.00.
Video Director
Gold Disk
Video Director is a complete videotape editing system for camcorder
enthusiasts and professionals. Clips from multiple tapes can be arranged in
any order desired and VideoDirector will control a camcorder and VCR to
produce a cleanly edited tape. Familiar VCR style controls make it easy to
select and catalog videotaped moments or "clips." VideoDirector includes a
special Smart Cable serial port interface for controlling most popular VCRs
and camcorders. No additional hardware is required.
Art Department Professional TM
ASDG, Inc.
Renowned for its speed and quality, Art Department Professional (ADPro) is a
complete professional image processing system offering total input,
processing and output flexibility with full ARexx programmability. ADPro
reads and writes many image formats, performs thousands of image processing
functions and utilizes JPEG de-compression, as well as prints 24-bit data to
Preferences printers. It also includes animation features and is expandable.
SCALA MM 200
SCALA Inc.
The SCALA Multimedia 200 software allows users to create spectacular
multimedia presentations that can include animations, sound and special
effects for a number of professional business, government and educational
applications.
St. Clair Interactive Communications
St. Clair designs and develops custom interactive kiosk systems for a broad
range of applications, including retail information and merchandising systems
and customer service programs. The company will feature several of their
Amiga-based kiosk systems, such as the K-Mart (R) Coupon Center, in the
booth.
Commodore Business Machines, Inc., based in West Chester, PA, is the U.S.
subsidiary of Commodore International Limited. The company manufactures and
markets a complete line of Amiga computers and peripherals for the business,
consumer, education and government markets. The company's worldwide installed
user base of Amigas exceeds three million.
Commodore (R) and CDTV (R) are trademarks of Commodore Electronics Limited.
Amiga (R) and Advanced Graphics Architecture are trademarks of
Commodore-Amiga, Inc. G-Lock (R) is a trademark of Great Valley Products. Art
Department Professional is a trademark of ASDG, Inc. K-Mart (R) Coupon Center
is a trademark of K-Mart Corporation.
For more information contact Commodore Business Machines, Inc. 1200 Wilson
Drive West Chester, PA 19380 (215) 431-9100
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*StarShip* NEWS *Flash*
9th of 9 Stories
Get on the Railroad to Riches!
Maxis Releases A-Train for Amiga Computers
_ _ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/ \/ \ Orinda, CA -- Janurary 1993
/ \
/ /\ /\ \
(_/ \/ \_)axis has released the Amiga version of its best-selling
simulation game, A-Train(TM), for $69.95. The DOS version of the game has
been on top-ten lists since its release in May 1992.
A-Train, the latest Software Toy from Maxis, challenges you to build the
metropolis of your dreams, with a railroad as the transportation hub, and
prove that a prosperous city can develop around a clean and efficient public
transit system.
Each of A-Train's six scenarios start you off with building materials, cash,
and a playing field in various stages of urban development. Then you buy land,
lay track anyplace for 19 different freight and passenger trains, and
schedule their runs. The trains will transport people and building materials
to areas under development, laying the groundwork for the housing, jobs and
recreational centers that your city needs to grow.
Your trains zip around in a landscape that includes trees, farmland, hills,
houses, even cows. The simulation cycles through day and night, and through
the seasons of the year for a heightened sense of realism.
As your city grows, you build wealth by speculating in real estate or
dabbling in the stock market. Advisors will pop onto your screen with
business and construction advice, which you can act on or ignore, as you
choose.
With your newfound wealth, you develop office buildings, hotels, apartments,
factories, amusement parks, ski resorts, malls, stadiums, and golf courses.
On-screen balance sheets of revenues vs. expenses help you track which
investments are winners, and which are money pits.
You'll need a sharp eye for good business opportunities, and the guts to act
on your instincts quickly. Otherwise, competing entrepreneurs may buy prime
land out from under your nose for their own development projects.
If you succeed in developing a large city, you will be rewarded with a Bullet
Train for high-speed transport. If you go broke... well, you can always start
over and try again.
In a sense, A-Train is the capitalist's SimCity -- the private sector
approach to urban development. It combines city-building with railroad
management and sophisticated financial modeling to provide a depth of play
that will keep you challenged for weeks, months, and even years. Later this
month, Maxis will release the A-Train Construction Set for the Amiga, which
allows players to create custom playing fields for greater flexibility,
experimentation, and challenge.
The A-Train Construction Set lets you create your own custom playing field,
expanding on A-Train's six scenarios. With the Construction Set, you can:
o Change saved games and scenarios, or build a landscape from scratch.
o Sculpt your playing field with mountains, forests, and lakes.
o Add trains, tracks, land, and business subsidiaries -- for free!
o Donate nearly a billion dollars to your favorite charity -- you!
o Set up a simple city or challenge yourself to manage an urban disaster.
A-Train is the U.S. version of a game originally published in Japan in 1990
by Artdink(R), based on a series of games that began in 1986. A-Train has
sold over 100,000 copies, won major awards, and has consistently ranked #1 in
Japanese consumer polls.
Maxis, based in Orinda, CA, and founded in 1987, publishes Software Toys(R),
which let players learn through exploration, with no traditional way to win
or lose. Maxis' first game, SimCity(R), was published in 1989 and has been a
consistent top seller ever since. SimCity was joined on the best-seller list
by SimEarth(R) in 1990, SimAnt(R) in 1991, and A-Train in 1992. Other
software titles include RoboSport(TM) and the recently-released SimLife(TM).
Maxis is among the fastest-growning software companies today.
All Maxis products are distributed in the U.S. by Broderbund Software, CA:
415/382-4400; 800/521-6263. Software Toys, SimCity, SimAnt are registered
trademarks and SimLife and RoboSport are trademarks of Sim-Business. A-Train
is a trademark of Artdink. A-Train (C) 1992 Artdink and Sim-Business. All
products and corporate names are trademarks and registered trademarks of
their respective companies. All rights reserved.
-*-
Over a GIGABYTE of Amiga files in our Library!
Catch your limit of Fred FISH Disks from the *StarFish* Library.
If you are after a SINGLE PROGRAM on a Fish Disk, SEARCH for it
before downloading the disk. Most are available separately!
_______________________________________________________________
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