kis@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Kris Iskandar) (01/13/89)
Hello STer:
I am new to the Atari world (I am considering buying one).
I have several questions for all the ST gurus on the net.
1. How good is the ST as a graphic machine?
2. Can I run UNIX (or UNIX like) on it?
3. What are the differences between Magic Sac and Spectre?
(What are those things anyway?). What else do I need
to run Mac software?
4. What do I need to run IBM (MSDOS) software?
5. What is the best C compiler for the ST?
6. What are the differences between the 1040 ST and the Mega ST?
7. Is there any Genlock or Frame grabber for the ST?
That's all for now folks, your answers might create more :> ).
I'll summarize all the answer and post it back to the net.
Thanks. Happy hacking.
--
|-^-~--v^v--^^~v~---^-- Kris Iskandar ---^-~~v^-v^---~--v^v^-~v^---~~v^^----
Electrical Engineering Dept. | INTERNET: kis@beach.cis.ufl.edu
University of Florida | BITNET : iskand@ufeng
Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A.| UUCP: ...gatech!uflorida!beach.cis.ufl.edu!kis ecs40hw036@minnie.ucdavis.edu (0000;0000048984;3200;250;205;ecs40hw) (01/13/89)
The Atari ST is a very good graphics machine. There are programs that make
the ST's graphics comparable to the Amiga. Obviously, the ST cannot match
the graphics of a $20,000 workstation, but many users of $20,000 ws use the ST
with the legendary CAD/3D as an experimenter.
Yes, you can run UNIX on the ST, or, for that matter, on any ASCII machine.
If you mean within the ST itself, the answer is also yes. As you know, the
ST uses a mouse-type interface, but there are many programs out there for the ST
that enable an ST to be a UNIX-type command line computer.
The Magic Sac and Spectre are both Mac-emulators for the ST. The designer of
the Magic Sac, David Small, quit the company making his creation and formed his
own company to market Spectre, which, in the opinions of some, is better.
(You also need Mac ROMs, which is not hard to get)
To run IBM software, you can use the classic pc-ditto, a software-based
IBM emulator for the ST. (Costs only $70!) There are other emulators which
are hardware based. (But after you start using the ST, you wouldn't want to
switch back to the Big Blue)
The best C compiler? Treading on hot territory here, but here's some favorites:
Megamax(now Laser), Aztec, Lattice, Manx, Mark Williams, Alcyon(Atari's),
there's more, including some pretty good public domain ones.
The only difference between the new 1040STs and the Megas is memory. There
are more differences between older 1040STs and newer 1040STs and Megas, however.The Megas have a blitter chip, a supposed cleaned-up TOS, and a clock.
And yes, the ST now has genlock capability.
(Hope you join the ranks of super-loyal Atari users -to the computer, not
necessarily the company)
****ahsiung@ucdavis {INTERNET} kis@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Kris Iskandar) (01/14/89)
Hi, there loyal STer, it's me again. I am in the process of compiling
all the answer to my ealier questions about the ST. I'll post it to the
net as soon as I can clear some confusions to the answer to the question
of the ST and Mac compatibility. Thanks to all who reply. Now if
somebody can give a definite answer to the following questions, I can post
the summary.
- Can I use the MagicSac or the Spectre on the COLOR monitor?
If not, can I run Color and Monochrome monitors at the same time?
- Are the MagicSac/Spectre and Translation One the only devices that I
need to read/write and run Mac software, i.e., Can I just put the
Mac disks into the ST disk drive and run the programs?
- What are the differences between the 64K and the 128K Mac ROMS?
Another question is
- What is the best communication program for the ST?
Is there any VT100 emulator for the ST outthere (how about Kermit?).
--
|-^-~--v^v--^^~v~---^-- Kris Iskandar ---^-~~v^-v^---~--v^v^-~v^---~~v^^----
Electrical Engineering Dept. | INTERNET: kis@beach.cis.ufl.edu
University of Florida | BITNET : iskand@ufeng
Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A.| UUCP: ...gatech!uflorida!beach.cis.ufl.edu!kis peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (01/16/89)
In article <3491@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, ecs40hw036@minnie.ucdavis.edu (0000;0000048984;3200;250;205;ecs40hw) writes: > The Atari ST is a very good graphics machine. There are programs that make > the ST's graphics comparable to the Amiga. This is not possible. The Atari has a maximum possible resolution, using every trick in the book, of something like 262 by 704 by 512 colors. The Amiga has a maximum resolution, again using every trick in the book, of 525 by 704 by 4096 colors. You can't get a non-interlaced image with 3-bit DACs to equal an interlaced image with 4-bit DACs. Either will, of course, beat up on machines like the Apple-IIGS. -- Peter "Have you hugged your wolf today" da Silva `-_-' Hackercorp. ...texbell!sugar!peter, or peter@sugar.uu.net 'U`
rm@inmet (01/20/89)
A Unix-like operating system, Idris, is available for the ST from Whitesmith's Inc. It's got most of the Unix toolset. rm
V112PDL5@UBVMS.BITNET (01/26/89)
Actually the Apple IIgs has a 3200 color mode by using similar
tricks.
See the GS again beats a game machine on it's own turf! :-)
Informatively yours,
Mark "3200 beats 512 anyday" Cromwell