wrd@tekigm.UUCP (Bill Dippert) (07/29/85)
1) Atari Technical Notes (exact title I am not sure about)
2) For telecommunitions use A.N.A.L.O.G.'s "Chameleon" program.
For wordprocessing use Atari's Atariwriter + program (when available)
For other uses, who knows. Atari is supposed to be bringing out an 80
column b-w monitor, but it may have been cancelled. For the above items
Chameleons works with horizontal scrolling, so no special monitor needed,
color tv is what I use. Atariwriter + will require a color monitor (Teknika TJ-22 monitor will work -- TJ-22 is what I remember model number to be, but
not having literature with me, I may have letters wrong. It is a three way
monitor, RGB, composite and separated colors.
3) Atari 1050 (stock). There are ways to double denisity this drive, and
various DOS's, but I use stock with no problems.
4) DOS 2.5 from Atari. I have used DOS 2.0S and DOS 3 from Atari, but have
converted everything to DOS 2.5. If you use DOS 3, run--do not walk--to
your nearest Atari user group and get a copy of 2.5. It allows you to
simply convert all DOS 3 files to DOS 2.5. DOS 2.5 can be single or enhanced density (ala DOS 3) and is compatible with early Atari disc drives. (Ex-
cept that they cannot access all files on a enhanced denisty disc. Some-
how 2.5 squeezes more files in around the existing DOS 2 files. An 810
drive will see the disc as a single density disk, a 1050 will see the
same disc as enhanced density.) DOS 2 is directly compatible with DOS 2.5,
although you might want to reload your files onto an enhanced density disc.
One comment, if you use 3 or 4 1050 disc drives together, you do have to
do a modification of dos.sys. It consists of POKE'ing 7 (3 drives) or 15
(4 drives) into a specific location--if I had access to my hardcopy files
I would give you the POKE location, but alas I am at work now and naturally
the files are at home. (Murphy corollary?)
5) I use A.N.A.L.O.G.'s Chameleon program to access Tektronix Unix system all
the time. It works real well, it gives docs on termcap needed. If you
are at Tek, we have the termcap already installed at C1. It allows you
to do functions (i.e. mail, vi, talk, etc.) using the VT52XL (or VT52)
emulation modes. (Chameleon allows emulation of 6 different terminals plus
the imaginary VT52XL which is an enhanced VT52.)
6) I have never run into the compatibility problems, but I do not run games
on my 800XL. I also have an 1200XL which I prefer, altho at the moment
it is dead due to chip failure (I think). I do have translater discs
that originally came out from Atari, altho I understand that they have
some problems and there is a commercial translater disc out now that
resolves the probems--except that it must be purchased. I use a BASIC
version C cart which solves all of the built in BASIC problems, as well
as Microsoft BASIC II. OSS puts out a OS XL chip/board--I am not sure
which it is. It sells for $69-79 and cures all problems as it
essentially is the 800 OS for the XL's.
Bill Dippert,
Tektronix, Inc.,
Clark County (C1/775),
PO BOX 3500,
Vancouver WA 98668-3500
Phone 206-253-5394
or eMail: tekigm2!wrd