aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys) (09/02/90)
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\ August 26,1990 Vol.I No.2 /
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/___|_|_|_________ CLEVELAND FREE-NET _________| |___________/
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/____/__|__\________ ATARI SIG ________| |________/
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() /________\ ON-LINE NEWSLETTER /_________\ ()
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//_________||ATARI ||_________________________|| ATARI ||____________\\
-\|| || ST || || XE || ||/-
\| ||______|| Supporting the ||_______|| |/
|\ /|________|\ /|_________| _/|
||\_ /____________\ Atari XE, XL, 800 | / ||
|| \__| /|\ ___ | | |\___/| / ||
|| _|____________| ST, STe, Mega, | ___________ ____ ||
|| | \| ///////// | | __ | ||
|| \ ____________ _ Stacy, Portfolio, |___________| | __ | ||
|| |/////////// | \ |______/////| | __ | ||
|LLLLLLLL LLL| _ & Lynx systems |LLLLLLLLLLL| | __ |
|LLLLLLLL LLL||'| |LLLLLLLLLLL| |____|
|_[____]_____| - |__[_____]__| \_-/
(aka C.A.I.N. - Cleveland Atari Information Network)
__________________________________________________________________________
216/368-3888 | 300/1200/2400 bps | type 'Go Atari' at any menu
__________________________________________________________________________
Atari SIG, P.O. Box 21815, Cleveland, Ohio, 44121
___________________________________________________________________
Contents
Words from the Editor...........................Len Stys
Atari SIG Mini-Expo.............................Len Stys
Responses from first Atari SIG Newsletter.......
Blood, Sweat, and Smears........................Kevin Steele
Computer Packages available in Europe...........
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG related news.......
SEX (Synchro Express) (Review)..................Scotty Meredith
A recession/depression- will Atari survive?.....Len Stys
Two different versions of the STe?..............
The Children of War Campaign....................Mark Leair & Joyce Brabner
The Jin GOLDENImage Mouse (Review)..............Kevin Steele
______________________________________________________________________
Accessing Free-Net by Internet- IP address: "freenet-in-a.cwru.edu".
____________________________________________________________________
Sending Atari SIG e-mail from Compuserve or other systems through Internet:
>INTERNET: xx004@cleveland.freenet.edu
__________________________________________________________________________
Sending Atari SIG e-mail from BITNET systems usually found in colleges:
xx004%cleveland.freenet.edu@cunyvm
______________________________________
Words from the Editor
As you may have heard, the Atari SIG was going to and did have a
Mini-Expo. Was it a success? What happened at the Mini-Expo? What would
we do that we didn't do this year if we have another expo next year? All of
these questions will be answered in a special Atari SIG Mini-Expo report in
this newsletter.
Also in this newsletter is going to be some information on why Atari
shouldn't get frustrated yet over the upcoming depression that experts say
we are headed for. We will have information on the new Atari STe and
how there might actually be two versions of the same machine out in
the U.S. - one that works and one that might be full of bugs- both being sold
to you. We will give you information on some new things going on with
Free-Net and how we can take advantage of Free-Net Version 2.2. A way to
get around the lack of a file transfer section on the Atari SIG? It seems
as if we have figured a way and two Atari SIGOps are organizing it.
The Computers for Children of War campaign is taking off and we will
have more information on that. A time, date, and channel to converse in
multi-user chat for Atari users! Yes, multi-user chat is in place and we
are taking advantage of it!
We also have some reviews such as the one about SEX (not what you think)
by Scotty Meredith. Also a reprint of a few articles by Kevin Steele from
NOAH Newsnotes. Kevin is not only the editor of NOAH Newsnotes but he is also
the Atari SIG's new SIGOp on Free-Net. As a writer and desk top publisher who
needs a computer that can crank out diagrams and charts that look
professional he has a lot of experience using the ST for professional use.
He should be pretty helpful to anyone that has any questions on how powerful
the ST is in a business.
The Atari SIG users listed in the user directory on the SIG will be
receiving a special version of this newsletter concerning some recent
information released from Atari concerning Cleveland. And again- this
newsletter promises to be yet another informative issue for Cleveland and U.S.
Atari users.
Len Stys
******************************************************************************
The Atari SIG Mini-Expo
By Len Stys
The Atari SIG Mini-Expo is now over and it was an expo that was
very unique. Unlike other expos, the Atari SIG Mini-Expo didn't go to
a motel or gymnasium and invite the public to come special for it, the
expo went to where the public was going to be already. It was held during the
Slavic Village Harvest Festival that was suppose to attract 100,000 people.
Unfortunately, it rained a bit that weekend which not only drove a good
number of people away but also Atari users as well. The main idea behind
the expo was to get Atari users in the Greater Cleveland community together
while also showing off some very nice Atari computing and Lynx equipment to
the public who weren't aware of what Atari's could do outside the 2600.
The Mini-Expo was publicized by Atari User Group newsletters (NOAH
specifically), flyers, Z*Net Online Magazine, and surprisingly a subscribed
Atari user group newsletter called NEO-STAG. All of these things promised
great user attendance but many thought that the rain cancelled the festival
thus cancelling the expo. The festival however wasn't cancelled and neither
was the Mini-Expo. It did not even rain in the area of the festival as
much as it did throughout the rest of the city. The expo was also located
inside of a store so even even if it did rain bad, we wouldn't be effected
by it.
What went on at the Mini-Expo? We got to finally Lynx-Up with other
Lynx owners which was pretty incredible and in my opinion - the Lynx is ahead
of its time- way ahead. I believe even with NEC's Turbo Express around the
corner, it still won't beat the Lynx in linking up with other systems. By
the way, a good number of kids came down and played and played with the
Lynx vowing that they would get one or ask for one from Santa. There were
also ST and XE computers set up by myself, Scotty Meredith, Doug
Wokoun, and John Dernar. There were two STes at the expo supplied by Len
Olenik from a company called, "TGIA Computers" which stands for Thank
Goodness It's an Atari! I think that title says it all. Len sold software
and products at about 30% off or better than retail. He claims that he will
match any price of any mail order so as long it isn't ridiculous. He also sold
European magazines for only $9 with disk! Monitor stand power surge
protectors for only $20! And special Mini-Expo deals on software at the cost
of only $10 each! Len said that he will continue the 30% discount or
better on software and special deals on hardware for Atari SIG users only.
So if you are on the SIG's directory then I think you are about to save some
money... His number is in the area code 216 but is still long distance
so you must first dial a 1 then 336-2215 when calling. Please note
that you should still support your local dealers but if you were going to
buy mail order anyways, you may want to give him a call... He was the only
vendor that cared to show up for the expo and we didn't charge him a vending
fee.
Overall, the Mini-Expo was a success. We showed people who came
in the store what Atari's can do and they were glad they came by. The
people that didn't make it are now hearing that it was pretty good and
wish they came. Hundreds upon hundreds of people walked past the store front
and looked through the window and read the signs stating ATARI COMPUTER
DEMONSTRATIONS but did not come in. But by us being there and those signs
being there, we made aware these people that Atari sells computers!
We also had some pretty big poster signs (thanks to Mark Leair's sister,
Sue) on top of the store stating Atari POWER Computing Demonstrations
that could be seen down the street by thousands... The only real misfortune
that we had was unexpected and that was several tents placed in front of the
store in which the expo was in. These tents belonged to the street vendors of
the festival and had never been placed there in the 12 years of the festival
before. This blocked most of the store from view and many people weren't even
aware that we were there. But overall, we had fun and the Atari users that did
show up didn't leave disappointed. And the Atari vendor that showed up assured me that it was worth his time and effort and that the other dealers
didn't know what they were missing- especially future customers.
Will we do it again next year? You bet if the store is still vacant
and if no one thinks of a better idea. We will also take care of some problems
that we had this year. We will make sure that there is no obstruction in
the way of the store front. We will have speakers on top of the store
window playing the STe's stereo sound and perhaps even pass out some helium
Atari balloons...
******************************************************************************
What people thought of the first Atari SIG Newsletter
-Message #6 (47 is last):
-Date: Tue Jun 19 19:39:24 1990
-From: af611@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Anthony V. Fernando)
-Subject: Re: Atari SIG Newsletter Vol.I No.1
-To: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
When I first joined Free-Net, I ran an Atari 800 personal
computer with 48k. About a year ago I got an 130XE.
I'm supprised that Atari has begun to give up support of the
Atari ST line. The ST quickly phased out the 8-bit Atari's.
In short, I'm glad the Sig still exists.
Anthony Fernando
af611
-Message #7 (47 is last):
-Date: Sat Jun 23 15:11:04 1990
-From: ac165@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Robert R. Coulter)
-Subject: Re: Atari SIG Newsletter Vol.I No.1
-To: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
Thank you for the newsletter. I'm very strong into using the
Atari for all my needs. In fact the school where I teach will be
converting to the ST during the school year 1991 - 92. I've had
an ST in my room, social studies, for three years now and other
teachers began to realize the power of the ST. The computer
teacher was so amazed that he began the process of converting. It
took a lot of convincing to get the administration to approve the
switch from Apples to Atari's. As of this year there are six ST's
in our school and by the end of the upcoming year there will be
about 15. Maybe sometime you might be able to start an
educational column. If so, maybe I can be of help. I do have
some educational software that I use in class. I'm always
looking for more. Once again, thanks.........
Bob Coulter ac165
-Message #8 (47 is last):
-Date: Sun Jun 24 18:26:16 1990
-From: ae143@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mr. William H. Sindelar)
-Subject: Re: Atari SIG Newsletter Vol.I No.1
-To: xx004@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
I still own the ST and use it just about every day. I can see that you have
done some homework and recruited a number of good people to help with this
SIG. If you need any other help, just let me know.
******************************************************************************
Blood, Sweat, and Smears
(or: How I Got Started in Atari DTP)
Copyright 1990, by Kevin Steele.
All Rights Reserved.
(Reprinted from NOAH Newsnotes by author)
Okay, so I finally did it--I quit my job and went Freelance
on a full-time basis. This step was similar to stepping out
of a 17th-story window on the assumption that someone below
will just happen to have a safety net in their pocket, ready and
eager to save your stupid skin. My previous jobs, namely thati]
of Documentation Specialist and Technical Editor, had already
introduced me to the wonderful world of publishing, and all
of the erratic rules thereof. I was prepared for any
potential publishing problem thrown my way, my head swelling
with terms like 'pica,' 'keyline,' 'repro,' and 'kerning.'
What I was not prepared for were things like project
proposals, quarterly estimated taxes, and devious little
things called 'penalty clauses' hidden deep within contracts.
Well, to make things short, I managed to live through the
experience, but after the smoke cleared, the problem still
remained of how to equip my new 'Home Office' (actually, the
second bedroom in my apartment) with all the necessary
high-tech goodies and still somehow manage to eat on a
semi-regular basis.
Step one was buying a computer. I was once given some very
good advice on buying a computer: first, figure out what it
is you want to do with a computer, then find the software
that will let you do what it is you want to do, then find the
computer that runs the software that lets you do what you
want to do. Quite a mouthful, but good advice nonetheless.
When the time came to equip my home office with a computer, I
took that maxim to heart. As a writer, I wanted a 'friendly'
computer to primarily use for writing and desktop
publishing--so I wanted a Macintosh, right?
Wrong. My specialty is technical writing, and I had been
trained on Ventura Publisher, which is a wonderful system for
long documents. Okay, then, should I buy an IBM? I couldn't
bring myself to buy one--I hated to have to give up all those
wonderful Mac programs that have made it the top contender in
the desktop publishing market. Should I buy both? This was
completely out of the question, as I was on a very, very
tight budget, and couldn't even afford to buy a basic Mac
system, let alone both a Mac and an IBM computer. My
solution? I bought an Atari Mega ST.
To someone unfamiliar with the Atari ST, this step would have
seemed like buying a Yugo because you couldn't decide between
a Ferrari or a Porsche. Luckily, I knew better. Like the
Volkswagen GTI, the ST packs a lot of power under an
unassuming front. I bought the ST primarily because of the
emulators available, as I had serious plans on using IBM and
Macintosh software for business, and maybe, just maybe, using
the computer in standard ST mode to play a few games. As of
this date, I have yet to use an emulator for any serious
business application.
The reason I have sorely neglected my emulators is that the
ST has met all of my writing and desktop publishing needs,
and at a very reasonable cost. Sure, I could have gone out
and bought Ventura Publisher, but why bother when an ST
program like PageStream or Calamus meets my needs for
$500-900 less? Like a bargain-hunter gone mad, I have found
myself drawn again and again back to ST software over
equivalent Mac and IBM software. The best part is, that quite
often the ST version of a software package has features
superior to the corresponding IBM or Mac version.
For instance, take WordPerfect on the ST. It includes such
'revolutionary' features as drop-down menus, mouse control,
and re-sizable windows. The latest version of WordPerfect on
the IBM, namely 5.1, has just now added mouse-controlled
menus, and it still doesn't offer the same versatility with
windows as the ST version. Another desktop publishing package
that has superior features to the corresponding IBM or Mac
counterpart is PageStream. With PageStream, you can rotate
text and graphics, work on up to six documents at the same
time, and produce color separations with crop marks. You can
do none of these with PageMaker. With impressive ST packages
such as these, I have had no need to buy the pricier,
less-powerful IBM or Mac equivalent.
Since starting my writing career, my ST has been used to
write manuals, articles, and stories; produce technical
diagrams, maintain client lists, and track overdue invoices;
and kill a few Dungeon Master baddies now and then (hey, all
work and no play...). In all of these endeavors, I have
managed to gain a detailed, nay, an intimate relationship
with my software packages, and all of their associated bugs.
Normally, a bug is nothing more than a minor annoyance.
However, when your livelihood depends on your computer, each
bug somehow suddenly manages to become a deep personal
crisis. There's nothing like seeing two hours of work go
'poof!' the night before a project is due to help speed up
the balding process, let me tell you from personal
experience.
Well, I hope that this article has helped to provide you with
the 'big picture' on my background, and how I got started in
the fun-filled world of Atari DTP. I've managed to make a
living as a freelance writer with my Atari computer now for
almost two years, and I see no reason that my ST and I can't
continue working together for years to come. In the final
analysis, the true acid test of a business computer is
whether or not it can produce the kind of
professional-caliber results that you require. The ST may not
be considered a serious 'business computer' by most, but
don't tell that to my Mega!
******************************************************************************
What computer packages are being sold in Europe?
***** 520 STfm Discovery Package *****
High quality, good value package based around the 520STfm computer including 512k RAM, 1MB Drive and built-in TV modulator. Also supplied is
STOS Game Creator
Carrier Command
Space Harrier
First BASIC
Outrun
Bomb Jack
Neochrome
Atari ST Tour
plus "Discovering your Atari ST" book
All for around $450 American money
******* 520STe Power Pack *******
Includes the latest 520STe with 1MB drive, joystick, mouse, user guide, 5 disks of public domain software, plus an incredible selection of chart-topping software (value of around $800 American money). Sofware List includes:
R-Type
Afterburner
Double Dragon
Super Hangon
Space Harrier
Overlander
Pacmania
Starglider
Super Huey
Eliminator
Predator
Bombjack
outrun
Bombuzal
Xenon
Guantlet II
Black Lamp
Starray
Nebulus
Stargoose
First Music
First Basic
Organiser
All for around $550 American money
**** 1040STe Professional Package ****
Superb starter package consisting of a 1040STe with an excellent selection of starter software. Pack includes:
Kuma Wordprocessor
Kuma Database
Kuma Spreadsheet
Kuma Business Graphics
First BASIC
Hyper Paint
'Prince' game
STAC Adventure Creater
All for around $750 American money
-
These seem pretty good but Atari isn't the only one selling packages.
Here's a few from its rival- Commodore:
***** Flight of Fantasy - Amiga *****
Includes 512k RAM, 1MB disk drive, mouse, T.V. modulator, workbench software, Basic Language disk, F29 Retaliator, Rainbow Islands, Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters.
All for around $700 American money
****** Batman Pack - Amiga ******
Includes 512k RAM, 1 Mb Disk Drive, mouse, T.V. Modulator, Workbench software, Basic Language disk, Deluxe Paint II, Batman the Movie, New Zealand Story, Interceptor.
All for around $700 American money
******************************************************************************
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG Related News
___Atari Conferencing using Multi-User Chat!___
_______________________________________________
The Atari SIG users will be chatting online every Sunday at 8:00PM
on channel 1040.
The multi-user chat has just been implemented on Free-Net and we are
going to take advantage of it! Be there!
___Atari SIG founder retires as SIGOp___
________________________________________
Jim Haynes, one of the first original Atarians and founder of the
Atari SIG on Free-Net will no longer be a SIGOp for the Atari SIG. However,
you will still see him around the Atari community and hopefully the Atari SIG.
Thanks goes out to him especially for getting the ball rolling.
___File Transfer? On Free-Net?___
_________________________________
As you know, the Cleveland Free-Net does not have upload/download
sections for computer users but individual file transfer has just
been implemented.
Scotty Meredith is working on an ST P.D. file list for Atari SIG users.
Doug Wokoun is working on an 8-bit P.D. file list for Atari SIG users.
If you see a file you want on the list, you would make a request for it to them
and they will send it to you through file-mail. Also, if you have a file
that you don't see on the list then you would send it to them through file-mail
for them to place on the list and give to other users who may want it.
When asked when they would complete their list, Scotty and Doug
both stated that Free-Net will first have to increase the time the file
stays in a person's account. It is presently at 1 day before deletion
and that is really just too short. It needs to be there for at least several
days.
___New Free-Net version goes on-line!___
________________________________________
1) Multi-User Chat
NOTE: Due to the nature of multi-user communication
(ie. lots of people typing at the same time) this
program requires the use of a "smart" terminal.
(for example vt52, vt100 or ANSI)
2) Kermit and Xmodem will be made available to everyone.
This will allow you to upload and download files to
your private work areas and transfer files among
yourselves. Because there is a limited amount of
disk space available there will be a limit on the
size and number of files you can put in your work
area. Also the files in your work area will be
deleted after 24 hours. Due to security issues that
we are not prepared to deal with, we will NOT provide
a "public" area for the uploading/downloading of
files at this time.
3) The ability to have your mail sent to another address.
For those of you that have accounts on another system
on Campus or on the Internet, you can have your Freenet
mail sent to you there.
4) The ability to create private mailing lists.
You will be able to create your own list of mail aliases
so that you can mail to groups of people easily.
5) Minor additions to the news reader:
o Search and backwards scrolling within news articles.
o Marking articles as unread.
6) Improved Help files.
7) Database feature
8) SIG Directories installed
___Recent news now availabe on Free-Net daily___
________________________________________________
<<< THE NPTN/UPI NEWS CENTER >>>
1 About the Electronic News
2 Almanac and Headlines
3 International News
4 U.S. National News
5 Editorials and Commentary
6 Special Reports
7 National Business News
8 The Sports Desk
9 UPI's "Today's People" Column
10 Entertainment
11 Health News
12 Education Today
13 Computer and Technology News
14 The Weekly "Tops"
15 Weather: Ohio and the U.S.
16 The Rest of the News...
------------------------------------------------
___Atari SIG directory now installed___
_______________________________________
The Atari SIG directory of users is now installed and users listed are
receiving special benefits such as discounts on software and hardware plus
a special version of the Atari SIG's On-Line Newsletter.
******************************************************************************
Synchro Express
Review by Scotty Meredith
(C) 1990
I have owned an Atari ST for several years now. When the ST
first came out, I heard how powerful it was. This machine can do
it all! I saw the graphics, sound and all the other features that
the original eight bit system could not match. After getting the
system home, Unpacking it, and putting it all together, I was
ready to "Unleash the power" of this fantastic machine. After
buying some software to take advantage of the features, I ran in
to a problem. There was no real disk copier that would back up
these valued gems. How could this be??!! The eight bit line has
a happy drive to copy ANY disk, and this new machine with all it's
power does not? "It will only be a matter of time" I said to
myself. "Surely with all that memory and power they will have
something"! Finally, a program called ProCopy came along.
ProCopy was fine, but with new software titles came new
protection, witch lead to new ProCopy's. Soon there were a dozen
versions of ProCopy. Another problem was, when you bought an older
title (Don't laugh, I just bought Infocomm's The Witness last
week!!) you would have to try each version of ProCopy until you
found which version copied it. Contrary to popular belief, the
latest version of ProCopy will not copy every title that older
versions would. Micro League Baseball is another problem. I am
not giving a course on how to pirate software, but Micro League
Sport's Association has a really good method of copy protection.
Before you ask, YES, I OWN THE ORIGINAL! I still have not sent my
warranty card in..... But I do have a store-bought original. If
you copy the disk, and load the copy, it works! or does it?
Sometimes you can make it through a complete game with no
problems, other times (95% of the time) you are'nt as lucky. Mid-
way through the game, the scoreboard will say "WXYZZZ DOES NOT
WORK!" and the players will run out of the stadium, out in to left
field. It is disappointing to be throwing a no-hitter in the
bottom of the ninth, and never know what would have happened.
Then a friend introduced me to SEX. No, not the kind that
teenage girls are discovering at a younger age, but SEX on the
computer. How can you have Sex on a computer? The average male
weighs 200 lbs. and the average female 120. That is 320 lbs!!
Can the ST support all that weight??!! The fact is, I have had SEX on
my computer for a couple of month's now, and it has never ran
better! Even a backup copy of Micro League Baseball works! Ok,
before I get the parent's of America sending me nasty letters, let
me explain. SEX is short for Synchro EXpress. A new disk copier
from Coast to Coast Technologies. The package comes with a disk,
and a over-sized printer connector with a disk drive socket and a
tail with a disk drive plug on it. I have heard of a similar
device called the BLITZ cable, that you can make yourself. I cant
bring myself around to believe that a disk copier that claims to
copy it all, would be free (except for parts). I have had bad
dreams about BLITZ, actually being a hardware virus. THIS IS NOT
A FACT OR AN OPINION, IT IS ONLY A DREAM. I am not saying it is
or is not, I just cant figure out, why someone would develop a
product as wonderful as this, and release it for free. Getting
back to SEX (sorry), Synchro Express. This is the disk copier I
have been waiting for. I have only ran across one program that it
would not back up. That being GUNSHIP. I don't know why, but I
could not copy it. I even tried twice. but it DID copy dozens of
other programs. The real advantage to SEX, is it does it FAST! A
single sided disk is copied in 22 seconds. A double sided in 44.
The destination disk does not even have to be formatted! I have
two Indus disk drive's on my system, and it was something to see
both track indicator meters displaying the same number all the way
through the entire copy. As i Said, Synchro Express plugs in to
both the printer and disk drive port of your ST. If you are one
of the poor souls (like myself) that have the old 520, there is a
problem. You plug Synchro in to the printer port, but the drive
connector plugs in to the back of your second disk drive. In
other words, you leave drive A plugged in to the back of your ST,
Synchro plugs in to the back of drive A, and drive B plugs in to
the back of Synchro. You have to set drive A on top of your
computer (by the function keys). Since I do not make daily back-
ups, I can live with this small inconvenience. If you have any
other model ST, you have a relatively easy setup. The one problem
I was disappointed to find out is, You can not leave Synchro
connected. You will not be able to access drive B. If you do not
use drive B for anything, you can leave it connected, but I have
other uses for my second drive. All in all, Synchro is a great
product. It works as advertised. Also included on the disk is a
program to format your disk's to load quicker. I personally have
not tested it. I am happy with the standard TOS format. If you
have any questions on Synchro Express, you can write me at
Internet: AA519@Cleveland.Freenet.edu.
*****************************************************************************
A recession/depression will Atari survive?
By Len Stys
Ok, everyone? Ready for a recess? Oh, don't get depressed on me just
because our economy is falling flat on its face! Atari's stock this Thursday
dropped to an all time low of $2.50 a share! That is certainly one way to
end a companies future in a country. But if I was Atari, I wouldn't get
depressed over this just yet. You see, in playing the stock game, there are
two pretty safe type of companies to invest in during a depression and that
is a toy company and a candy company. The reason for this is because parents
are usually willing to give up something that they want for what their
children want even during a depression out of love. And children usually want
candy and toys... And Atari does make an incredible toy but the question
remains! Do parents love their children enough to dish out $179.95 on
a video game unit especially when $179.95 will look like $1079.95 during
the depression?? We'll have to see. But that certainly isn't my main hope
for Atari! My main hope for Atari is the fact that they sell actual
Macintosh and IBM look alikes (but are better of course) for about 2-3x less!
Will a company buy one Macintosh or three STes during a depression especially
when both do the same thing??? Will a company buy one IBM or three STes during
a depression especially when both do the same thing? Or even 2 STes with IBM
and Mac emulation? Atari can make money out of this depression if
they play their cards right. During a depression, you play by
different rules and Atari better be finding out what those will be.
******************************************************************************
Two different versions of the same machine?
Two interesting things that were found out during the Mini-Expo that
may be of interest to you. The first thing is that the STe was running
the software version of PC-Ditto with about the speed of a regular IBM PC/XT!
Yes, the new STe has speed and it has power. The only other thing that
needed to give it some help was a program called Quick ST II by Branch
Software. Who needs any PC hardware emulation with the new STe???
The next little fact that is "seemingly" the case and we have reason
to believe is true is that there were two versions of the STe released. One
version seems to have major compatible problems, DMA problems, and anything
else that you can think of. This version may have been sold to some
Atari dealers for a special low price since it is a bugged up version.
The dealer then sells it to you for an amazingly low price (around $600)
and you end up with a buggy computer while the dealers blame Atari.
However, there is a fix disk you can get seperately which can help it
with the software incompatible problem but the DMA problem still exists.
The other version is a good version in which is being sold by Atari at a
higher price tag (for around $700). This version seems to have no
DMA problem and with the fix disk, no software compatible problem.
We put the STes through the test at the Mini-Expo and it ran EVERY SINGLE
TITLE! Believe it or not! So if you are thinking about buying an STe then
you may want to (A) Bring a whole bunch of ST software and hardware with you to
test on the machine. (B) Ask your dealer if he/she has found any problems
with the machine. (C) Make sure the price tag isn't too low unless you have
tested the machine out yourself and find nothing wrong with it. (D) Check
with all Atari dealers' STes in your community to make sure you are getting
the same computer from wherever you might buy it. (E) Do all the above- my
best advice.
Atari still hasn't confirmed if they will indeed replace all TOS 1.6
chips with TOS 1.62 so you will not need the fix disk.
If you are an Atari dealer and have a buggy STe and figured all were
alike then you might want to look into the fact that people are claiming bug
free DMA STes and find out exactly what is going on.
******************************************************************************
The Children of War
Constructed by Mark Leair from
information provided by Joyce Brabner
Every two years since 1984 young people from countries like South Africa,
Isreal, Palestine, Cambodia, El Salvadore, Northern Ireland, and the U.S. get
together to tour several American cities, and talk about what it's like to live
in a war zone. This year's tour also included environmental disaster areas --
three Russian teenagers from Chernobyl, and kids caught up with the cycle of
gang violence, from places like East L.A. and South Boston. (Why? Anywhere
kids are being shot in the streets is considered a war zone.)
What happened? Young people who have seen family or friends killed, who
have themselves survived torture, or been imprisoned, who have had to flee
their countries and start over as refugees, got the chance to ask other young
people in the U.S. for help waging peace. They also formed very close
friendships with each other during the tour.
These friendships are very important. Someone from El Salvador, who lost
family to death squads knows what it's like for a Cambodian teenager to live
with memories of "the killing fields." A teenager of Palestinian student's
hurt, when classmates make fun of the "terrorists!". An inner city gang member
got his head put on straight after hanging out with two South African teenagers.
What are we doing. Well, since the Children of War tours ever two years,
many children are far away from these friendships they have established, and
many times are back in the war zones that they have grown up in. To many of
these children, a simple phone call is affordably impossible, and a simple
letter either takes too long, or never is received by the addressee. In an
effort to allow these friendships to continue, a very small group of people in
Cleveland, which include members of the Cleveland Atari Information Network
(C.A.I.N.) that runs the Atari SIG on Free-Net are putting together
small-inexpensive Atari computer systems for these children to hook themselves
into Peace*Net. Peace*Net is an international nonprofit computer system that
people from all over the world can access from their homes via a telephone
modem hook-up on their personal computers.
How can you help? In order to subsidize the cost of these computer
systems we are asking for donations. This can be in many forms. A cash
donation of any amount can be mailed to the Children of War Project P.O. Box
21815 Cleveland, Oh 44121. Checks and mail-orders can be made payable to the
Children of War. Lastly, any computer hardware donation will be considered.
If you have any computer equipment (preferably Atari equipment, but other
computer hardware will be considered) that you would like to donate you can
send us a list to the address above or the Atari SIG telecommunication address
located at the beginning of this newsletter. Please be sure to include your
name, address, and telephone number. Donations are tax-deductable! Write to
the above address for further details.
******************************************************************************
The Jin GOLDENImage Mouse
Review by Kevin Steele
(Reprinted from the NOAH Newsnotes by author)
Mouse reviews have got to be some of the most subjective reviews in the
computing community. I mean, if the mouse works as advertised, what else
is left for the reviewer to comment on besides how the mouse "felt" during
use? The mouse used by your ST is, by design, the main interface between
you and your computer. How it feels when you use it can make a major
difference in how well you "interface" with your computer.
Ideally, the mouse should be "invisible" during use--that is, you should
be able to concentrate on using the computer, and not be concerned with
how you are handling the mouse. "pointing and clicking" with your mouse
should be simple, intuitive, and almost second nature.OK^?
Which mouse design appeals to you depends on what you hold to be important
in a mouse. Since this is going to be a very subjective review, let me
fill you in on what I find important in a mouse.
First, the mouse should fit well in my hands. I like a smooth, sculpted
design. Second, the buttons should be large (so I can hit them without
feeling around for them), easy-to-click (I hate having to really push down
a mouse button), and should have a solid, positive "click" feel when they
are pressed (so when the computer doesn't respond to your double-clicks,
you know it's the computer's fault and not yours). Third, the mouse should
have a high tracking resolution. In simple english, this means that the
mouse should be capable of tracking even very minute movements. It should
also mean that the on-screen mouse cursor moves all the way across the
screen without having to lift the mouse and reposition it on the mouse
pad.
The Jin Golden Image mouse fits all of these requirements, and also just
so happens to be one stylish-looking piece of hardware. The mouse sports a
zippy 280 dpi tracking resolution, meaning that very little movement is
needed to send the cursor soaring across the screen. After the sluggish
Atari mouse this may seem a bit hard to control, but after a week or so of
using the Jin mouse, you'll find the Atari mouse unbearably lethargic.
Unfortunately, the Jin mouse does not have a very high tracking speed,
meaning that you may find the mouse cursor occasionally "going crazy" when
you move the mouse too fast. (This problem is easily fixed by installing
the Public Domain MACCELL2 mouse accelerator program, at the slow setting,
into your AUTO folder.)
The Jin mouse has very light, responsive mouse buttons with large tops. These
buttons have a nice, solid click, making double-clicking a breeze. A six-foot
cord was a bit much for my needs, however. The mouse doesn't come with any
instruction manual (some would ask if a manual is even needed), but the Jin
mouse does come with its own mouse pad, a small smooth-surfaced pad that I
found let the mouse glide over it like a wet icecube.
As you can tell, I've become rather enamored of the Jin GoldenIMAGE mouse.
I'm not going to try and justify my feelings, as they are just
that--feelings. I'd recommend you play around with this mouse a bit before
you buy one. I'm fairly certain you'll like it, and since it retails for
the same price as the Atari mouse ($49.95), it makes a wonderful
replacement if your Atari mouse should ever scurry off to rodent heaven...
******************************************************************************
______________________________________________________________________________
If you have any articles, reviews, product releases, or news that you wish to
contribute to this newsletter, you are welcome to send them to us. We cannot
guarantee that your contribution will be published in the next newsletter but
probably will be. If you wish to send us a letter, or your contribution,
you can send it to us by our U.S. mail address, Internet address, Bitnet
address, or Free-Net address that can be found in the beginning of this
newsletter. You will receive full credit for any contribution published.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG | Your Atari SIGops are:
____________________________ |
| Phillip M. Chow, Mark Leair, Scotty Meredith,
Newsletter (c) 1990 | Kevin Steele, Len Stys, and Doug Wokoun ____________________________________________________________________________
The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG Newsletter is a bi-monthly released
publication covering the Cleveland Atari Community as well as nationally.
Opinions and commentary included in this newsletter are that of the authors
and do not reflect those of the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG in any way.
The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG Newsletter is copyright 1990 by the
Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG. Any article included in this newsletter
may be reprinted as long as they remain unedited and the Cleveland Free-Net
Atari SIG, Issue Number, and author is included at the top of the article.
The Atari name and symbol are copyrighted by Atari Corp. This newsletter
is in no way affiliated with Atari Corp. Information contained in this
newsletter is believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed.
____________________________________________________________________________
Thanks and until next time, keep the faith strong in Atari.
Your Atari computer is and always will be #1.
--