TK0GRM1@NIU.BITNET (Gordon Meyer) (05/04/89)
Where in the world is the new TOS??? What's the problem Atari?!? Sheesh...
rjung@sal13.usc.edu (Robert allen Jung) (05/04/89)
In article <8905040321.AA21585@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> TK0GRM1@NIU.BITNET (Gordon Meyer) writes: >Where in the world is the new TOS??? What's the problem Atari?!? According to the April ST Informer, Atari announced at CeBIT that they will release TOS 1.4 when it works on _both_ the ST and the upcoming Atari TT computer. So if the TT comes out in August (estimated date), then so wil TOS 1.4. Can anyone at Atari confirm/refute this statement? --R.J. B-) ============================================================================= Disclaimer: This message was written with my authorization # ## # # ## # Mailing address: rjung@nunki.usc.edu ## ## ## (It's easier to just use the reply function, tho) #### ## ####
kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) (05/06/89)
In article <3752@nunki.usc.edu> rjung@sal13.usc.edu (Robert allen Jung) writes: | In article <8905040321.AA21585@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> TK0GRM1@NIU.BITNET (Gordon Meyer) writes: | >Where in the world is the new TOS??? What's the problem Atari?!? | | According to the April ST Informer, Atari announced at CeBIT that they | will release TOS 1.4 when it works on _both_ the ST and the upcoming | Atari TT computer. So if the TT comes out in August (estimated date), | then so wil TOS 1.4. | | Can anyone at Atari confirm/refute this statement? Refute. It's in the pipeline, people, and it's out of my hands. I'm one of the engineer-types here at Atari that turns TOS source code into eproms. Since it's out of my hands now, that should tell you something. It is most definitely NOT true that we are waiting for TT support before releasing TOS 1.4. TOS that runs on the TT will be as compatible as we can make it, but it will (obviously) be different. Registered developers will be able to buy TOS PROMs RSN (and I DO mean REAL soon); contact jpatton@atari now for details. Other people will have to wait until we have actual ROMs manufactured and in distribution to service centers. For the non-techweenies out there, PROM chips are like ROMs, but they are programmable. ROMs are cheaper than PROMs because we can make them cheaply in mass quantities. However, it takes longer to get the ROMs manufactured; PROMs can be ordered in (relatively) small lots with (relatively) fast turnaround from many companies that provide that kind of service. -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include <disclaimer>
etelree@dutrun.UUCP (C. van Reeuwijk) (05/08/89)
If TOS 1.4 is available for ROM, why don't you (someone at Atari that is) submit it to the Atari binaries newsgroup? There are enough people on the net who would be prepared to put TOS into (E)PROM themselves. If you want to be REAL sure, just add a small program that does a CRC check on the new ROMs to ensure that they are ok. Or even better, include a verify routine in the ROM itself. Kees van Reeuwijk Delft University of Technology email: reeuwijk@duteelb.UUCP
greg@bilbo (Greg Wageman) (05/10/89)
In article <719@dutrun.UUCP> reeuwijk@duteelb.UUCP (C.van Reeuwijk) writes: >If TOS 1.4 is available for ROM, why don't you (someone at Atari that >is) submit it to the Atari binaries newsgroup? There are enough people >on the net who would be prepared to put TOS into (E)PROM themselves. > >If you want to be REAL sure, just add a small program that does a CRC >check on the new ROMs to ensure that they are ok. Or even better, >include a verify routine in the ROM itself. I don't work for Atari, and I don't pretend to speak for them, but I can see why this would be a real bad idea, for them. Since TOS is really the "soul of the machine" (to coin a phrase), the operation not only of the ST's built-in features, but every program which runs on it could be adversely affected by a bad EPROM or a bad installation. Your ROM check theoretically would catch this, but would require a few more tens of bytes of precious space (CRC values in each ROM and a program to generate a CRC for each ROM for comparison). In addition, if the installation was bad the ST might not even be able to execute the ROM test to diagnose the problem. I can imagine an ST owner getting TOS 1.4, burning in his EPROMs, and then damaging them or the motherboard with static, or bending a pin on insertion and flaming the living daylights out of Atari because "TOS 1.4 doesn't work!". If you think this situation is unlikely, you haven't been reading the net for very long. Atari has to make sure that the ROMs work. They can't afford the costs of fixing all the ST's that would get broken by novices trying to install their new OS. I use my ST almost every day, and rarely do the TOS bugs get in my way. It's become almost second-nature to me to avoid them. I can wait a little longer for Atari to get their mask-programmed ROMs made. Longish .signature follows. Skip now, or don't complain. Greg Wageman DOMAIN: greg@sj.ate.slb.com Schlumberger Technologies UUCP: ...!uunet!sjsca4!greg 1601 Technology Drive BIX: gwage San Jose, CA 95110-1397 CIS: 74016,352 (408) 437-5198 GEnie: G.WAGEMAN ------------------ "Live Free; Die Anyway." ------------------ Opinions expressed herein are solely the responsibility of the author.
wheels@mks.UUCP (Gerry Wheeler) (05/11/89)
In article <954@snjsn1.SJ.ATE.SLB.COM>, greg@bilbo (Greg Wageman) writes: > In article <719@dutrun.UUCP> reeuwijk@duteelb.UUCP (C.van Reeuwijk) writes: > >If TOS 1.4 is available for ROM, why don't you (someone at Atari that > >is) submit it to the Atari binaries newsgroup? > ... every program > which runs on it could be adversely affected by a bad EPROM or a bad > installation. I don't think every ST user who wants TOS 1.4 is going to have a dealer install the new ROMs anyway, so what's the difference? Either they'll be installing real ROMs, or they'll be installing EPROMS made from a binary from the net. As long as the EPROM contains the correct data, and that can be verified by a CRC or checksum, the net effect is the same. However, while it may be an interesting exercise, I don't expect Atari to post TOS 1.4 anyway. I don't think I would. There may be lots of side affects, such as some legal ramifications to posting a copyrighted piece of code. -- Gerry Wheeler Phone: (519)884-2251 Mortice Kern Systems Inc. UUCP: uunet!watmath!mks!wheels 35 King St. North BIX: join mks Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2W9 CompuServe: 73260,1043