UD040164@NDSUVM1.BITNET (a.d. jensen) (10/03/86)
Hello...
Well, I have had my ST for about 6 months now, and I have developed a
few problems or questions, which follow. Much thanks in advance for
the help...
1) I have heard (or think I did) a rumor that the CP/M emulator was
put into the public domain, and was available from the Atari BBS.
Any truth to this? As well, how compatable is compatable? Which
video emulation is available?
2) I have also heard tell of a MS-DOS software based emulator which
will be available shortly at around 100-150$. Any truth to this?
I heard it flunks the Flight Simulator test, and is twice as slow
as the IBM ( which is awfully slow to start with ). Can it run
BASICA programs?
3) Finally, and most importantly, GEM under OSS Personal Pascal is
completely useless to me, for everytime I run a program (one I
have written, or the spelling checker recently posted), I get:
Bus Error Accessing $4675636B
Error in *unknown*
at PC $00FECC08
Is this a problem with Personal Pascal or my ST (gulp)? I have no
trouble running TOS P.P. programs, or GEM programs written with any-
thing else, so I'm lost... I have a 520ST with rev B. TOS in ROM and
512K. I bought the P.P. with the revised manual (all the mistakes had
been fixed.)
I have tried in vain for a week or so to get through to OSS, but all I
have managed to get is a busy signal and a sore finger.
FLAME ON:
I bought Personal Pascal for many reasons, but one was that I had
heard that they offered "great" support. I don't know about that,
but the support can be as great as you want, and if no one can get
through because you don't have enough people to handle the masses,
then we get screwed. I bought the system, I sent in my registration
card, but I can't even get through on the 'Pay for it' line. Pretty
aggravating... And I don't think providing a 'free' BBS is much of
a solution, either. If I want that approach, I have to get a modem,
and then pay for the privilege of long distance charges while I "sign
up" and then keep calling back until I am answered. I can't ask
questions without another phone call.
I have the same gripe about some of the retailers. Living in the
wilds of the far north, the nearest STore is 300 miles away, and I
am forced to use mail-order. For P.P. I shopped around, and decided
that Black Patch offered the best deal. However, in a couple days of
trying, all I got was the busy signal. Finally I said "to hell with
them" and called someplace else that was higher, but that I got through
to on the first try. They continue to get my business.
After all, if you are doing _that_ much business, it seems intelligent
to add more staff and another phone line to increase your revenue. It
doesn't seem, however, that this has occured to any of them at all.
When I called 47th Street Photo to order my ST, I got through the
first or second time, and was through with my transaction in minutes.
I may be at university, but that doesn't mean my time isn't valuable.
FLAME OFF.
Sorry about the griping...
a.d. jensen,
Department of Geography
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
<ud040164%ndsuvm1.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
"Forty below keeps the riff-raff out." - (North Dakota state motto)neil@atari.UUcp (Neil Harris) (10/06/86)
In article <8610031818.AA03032@ucbvax>, UD040164@NDSUVM1.BITNET (a.d. jensen) writes: > 1) I have heard (or think I did) a rumor that the CP/M emulator was > put into the public domain, and was available from the Atari BBS. > Any truth to this? As well, how compatable is compatable? Which > video emulation is available? We hope to make it available shortly. One snag -- if you download CP/M and the utilities, there is no way to get the utilities into the CP/M format. The utility to transfer files from TOS disk format to CP/M disk format happens to be written under CP/M. If any of our European friends know of a solution to this (it is rumored that CP/M is being passed around on BBSs over there) please let me know right away! > 2) I have also heard tell of a MS-DOS software based emulator which > will be available shortly at around 100-150$. Any truth to this? > I heard it flunks the Flight Simulator test, and is twice as slow > as the IBM ( which is awfully slow to start with ). Can it run > BASICA programs? The PC emulator will be a bit more costly than described and will function a whole lot better. It will be approximately the same speed as a PC. It should pass the FS test. -- --->Neil @ Atari ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil BIX: neilharris CIS: 70007,1135 Delphi: NEILHARRIS GENIE: nharris WELL: neil Atari Corp. BBS 408-745-5308 US Mail: Atari Corp. 1196 Borregas Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 "I'm a 20th century man but I don't want to die here." -- Ray Davies
bammi@cwruecmp.UUCP (Jwahar R. Bammi) (10/10/86)
In article <436@atari.UUcp> neil@atari.UUcp (Neil Harris) writes: >In article <8610031818.AA03032@ucbvax>, UD040164@NDSUVM1.BITNET (a.d. jensen) writes: > >> 1) I have heard (or think I did) a rumor that the CP/M emulator was >> put into the public domain, and was available from the Atari BBS. >> Any truth to this? As well, how compatable is compatable? Which >> video emulation is available? > >We hope to make it available shortly. One snag -- if you download CP/M and >the utilities, there is no way to get the utilities into the CP/M format. >The utility to transfer files from TOS disk format to CP/M disk format >happens to be written under CP/M. If any of our European friends know of a >solution to this (it is rumored that CP/M is being passed around on BBSs >over there) please let me know right away! > We had posted a way to do this from TOS a long time ago, right here. If you want it again just holler. The Cp/m emulator is being passed around on MANY BBSs right here in USA. I feel that atari made a bigmistake by distributing it free in europe and not here, as it will be quite impossible to convince people to shell out $$ for something that you are giving away for free somewhere else, that they can get a hold of. >> 2) I have also heard tell of a MS-DOS software based emulator which >> will be available shortly at around 100-150$. Any truth to this? >> I heard it flunks the Flight Simulator test, and is twice as slow >> as the IBM ( which is awfully slow to start with ). Can it run >> BASICA programs? > >The PC emulator will be a bit more costly than described and will function a >whole lot better. It will be approximately the same speed as a PC. It >should pass the FS test. > ***** FLAME ON **** The following is my opinion on the subject of all these emulators. I know a lot of people want them. It is quite evdident that atari has excellent but extremely limited resources, to support the ST line. My opinion is that atari should be spending these resources on getting out new and wonderful things like the TT etc, and providing better support to existing developers( like Gdos that has almost become a joke, working copies of rcs, hdx, floating point on Alcyon V 2.14 was obviously never even tested, maybe even some documentation and so on....). Let third party developers put out things such as games, emulators and other addon and end user products. ****** FLAME OFF **** -- usenet: .....!decvax!cwruecmp!bammi jwahar r. bammi csnet: bammi@case arpa: bammi%case@csnet-relay compuServe: 71515,155
neil@atari.UUcp (Neil Harris) (10/15/86)
In article <1595@cwruecmp.UUCP>, bammi@cwruecmp.UUCP (Jwahar R. Bammi) writes: > We had posted a way to do this from TOS a long time ago, right > here. If you want it again just holler. OK, I'm hollering. > The Cp/m emulator is being passed around on MANY BBSs right here in USA. I > feel that atari made a bigmistake by distributing it free in europe > and not here, as it will be quite impossible to convince people to shell > out $$ for something that you are giving away for free somewhere else. Who said anything about charging? Once we have the utility we'll post the real, final version and all the files that go with it. Free. > ***** FLAME ON **** > It is quite evdident that atari has excellent but extremely limited > resources, to support the ST line. My opinion is that atari should be > spending these resources on getting out new and wonderful things like the > TT etc, and providing better support to existing developers... > Let third party developers put out things such as games, emulators > and other addon and end user products. In this case, we feel it is important enough for the total marketability of the ST to devote the resources to the PC emulator. That doesn't mean that you or I want them, but lots of business types do. -- --->Neil @ Atari ...{hoptoad, lll-lcc, pyramid, imagen, sun}!atari!neil BIX: neilharris CIS: 70007,1135 Delphi: NEILHARRIS GENIE: nharris WELL: neil Atari Corp. BBS 408-745-5308 US Mail: Atari Corp. 1196 Borregas Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 "I'm a 20th century man but I don't want to die here." -- Ray Davies