wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (Bill Dippert) (10/29/86)
I was called to task for not mentioning OMNIVIEW. OMNIVIEW has been available for a couple of years and works with 3 wordprocessors: Atariwriter Plus, OmniWriter and Letter Perfect and a database: Data Perfect and a new communications program: OmniCom. OMNIVIEW is distributed by CDY (David Young) and is a true 80 column adaptation for the Atari 8 bit machines. Furthermore I was informed that John Scrutch of Atari has made the statement that the XEP80 Atari 80 column board/device will not make it out by Christmas (apparently when originally announced last June, they stated it would be out by October). This last sounds strange to me (would Neil @ Atari care to comment?) as I saw a working model at the Atari exhibition here in Portland earlier this month. The indications that I had then was that it would be out soon. Not being able to take the box apart, I was not able to see the state of the circuit board, it may have been an early prototype. The mechanical aspect of it was production quality (case, cables, etc.). Secondly, before I get many more blasts, I use both my Atari 8 bit machines and my IBM XT primarily for wordprocessing, secondarily for telecommunications and thirdly for spreadsheets. For both wordprocessing and telecommunications, the Atari is equal to or better than the XT. For the amount of spreadsheets that I use, the Atari is just as good as the XT, but I don't create spreadsheets nine yards wide with an infinite amount of forulas, etc. I still maintain that for general office type work (i.e. wordprocessing and light spreadsheeting) that the Atari 8 bit is as good as the XT. (Have you ever looked at the lettering that a color monitor IBM gives out? Huge letters with many layers of bland pixels!) The letters that Atarwriter Plus may be a little crude, but they are as readable as the XT, IN MY OPINION! I have not personally seen OMNIVIEW letters so cannot comment, I have seen Letter Perfect and PaperClip and they are all as legible or better then the XT color letters. If you are extensively into programming (in c or other) then probably most of the comments that I hear are correct, the ST outperforms both IBM and Atari 8 bit machines. Certainly the ST is superior to the 8 bit for CAD. If we are going to get into a general micro discussion, however, I agree that we should switch to net.micro. --Bill Dippert--
wrd@tekigm2.UUCP (Bill Dippert) (10/29/86)
Sorry, make that "blank" pixels -- anyone who has ever used an IBM color monitor will know what I am talking about. All Atari (ST and X-) are infinitely better when it comes to screen graphics (alpha numeric or other). --Bill Dippert--
chaney@ukecc.UUCP (Dan Chaney) (11/04/86)
To Whom It May Inspire to Help-
Some years back I read an article (possibly in COMPUTE!) regarding the
use of a servo via the joystick ports. The interesting part of the article was
the explanation, and subsequent programs, allowing the joystick port to be
accessed for *output* from BASIC. If anyone has this article or relevant ones, I would be very appreciative. The end goal is to run a UART-based switching
system for the Atari 800.
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Dan Chaney