rrwood@contact.uucp (roy wood) (10/19/90)
I stopped off at the local computer store tonight to look at the Spectre GCR. The salesman was a real sleazoid, and he also was the most incompetent computer "professional" I've ever met. Even after a dozen or so tries, he never did get the thing running. This experience was enough to make me say "no thanks", but I thought I'd ask the opinion of those of you who actually own and use the GCR. What problems have you found? How does it compare to, say, a Mac Plus for speed? What would you advise someone who was considering purchasing one? And is there a cheaper place to scam the Mac ROM's? Oh-- I would also appreciate it if someone could post or send me the address of the manufacturer of the Spectre GCR. Thanks in advance..... -Roy Wood
bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu (brian ayers) (10/22/90)
rrwood@contact.uucp (roy wood) writes: >This experience was enough to make me say "no thanks", but I thought I'd >ask the opinion of those of you who actually own and use the GCR. What >problems have you found? How does it compare to, say, a Mac Plus for speed? >What would you advise someone who was considering purchasing one? And is >there a cheaper place to scam the Mac ROM's? > I am a very proud owner of the GCR and can honestly say that the installation took me only about 20 minutes, and considering how paranoid I was about handleing the Mac ROMs. I have had VERY few problems with it other than a few old games that go straight to the Mac hardware. If you want to talk about stability, I have 4 megs RAM in my 1040 ST on a custom board and MultiFinder hasn't given me any problems. If you really want speed, I can't vouch for it since I mainly work with Mac SE's & II CX's, but Gadgets advertises that it operates 20% faster than a Plus, but you have to remember that the clock rate of the ST's are a few tenth's of a Mhz faster than the 68000's that Apple put in the Pluses and early SE's. The REAL benefit that I enjoy is the decent size screen that you get with Atari's monochrome monitor, you'll hate working on those 9" screens after using the GCR. >Oh-- I would also appreciate it if someone could post or send me the address >of the manufacturer of the Spectre GCR. > I got it from BRE software distributors, and the ROMs were only $130 in their spring '90 catalog : BRE Software 352 W. Bedford Ave, Suite 104 Fresno, CA 93711 >Thanks in advance..... > >-Roy Wood Anytime. JT internet : bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu or help_jt@vax1.acs.jmu.edu
silvert@cs.dal.ca (Bill Silvert) (10/22/90)
In article <1990Oct22.002655.13851@hub.cs.jmu.edu> bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu (brian ayers) writes: >I am a very proud owner of the GCR and can honestly say that the >installation took me only about 20 minutes, and considering how >paranoid I was about handleing the Mac ROMs. I'm also delighted with the Spectre GCR. I'm not into fancy games, but everything I have tried works fine. I should add that I only have a 1 Meg 520 ST, so programs that are too large for the 832 Megs I have left won't run -- the only problem I have encountered is HyperCard scripting, as earlier reported on the net. I have a Mega-2 coming which should solve that problem. Also, I can't get sound to work, so if you like games that might be a problem. -- William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca
bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu (brian ayers) (10/23/90)
>I should add that I only have a 1 Meg 520 ST, so programs that are too >large for the 832 Megs I have left won't run -- the only problem I have >encountered is HyperCard scripting, as earlier reported on the net. I >have a Mega-2 coming which should solve that problem. Also, I can't get >sound to work, so if you like games that might be a problem. >-- >William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography >P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 >UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill >BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca Hypercard, well, I've given up on it because of all of the problems I had with it under the original release of the GCR software. As far as sound goes, I haven't had any problems. I'm using version 2.65 of the GCR software and System 6.0.3. The sound works just fine for me, the only disappointment is that I can't change the warning bell sound. Good luck with the Mega-2, I've heard that people have had problems with the power supply not being strong enough to support the GCR, resulting in frequent crashes, but this is also supposed to show up in ST mode as well, so you should be able to find out if you are going to have any problems right off. JT Internet : bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu or help_jt@vax1.acs.jmu.edu
silvert@cs.dal.ca (Bill Silvert) (10/24/90)
In article <1990Oct23.002208.3847@hub.cs.jmu.edu> bayers@hub.cs.jmu.edu (brian ayers) writes: [in response to my recent posting] >>I should add that I only have a 1 Meg 520 ST, so programs that are too >>large for the 832 Megs I have left won't run -- the only problem I have >>encountered is HyperCard scripting, as earlier reported on the net. I >>have a Mega-2 coming which should solve that problem. Also, I can't get >>sound to work, so if you like games that might be a problem. > >Hypercard, well, I've given up on it because of all of the problems I >had with it under the original release of the GCR software. As far as >sound goes, I haven't had any problems. I'm using version 2.65 of the >GCR software and System 6.0.3. The sound works just fine for me, the >only disappointment is that I can't change the warning bell sound. I was wrong about HyperCard. I checked it again and scripting works OK, although the paint tools don't have enough space to load. I've tried 6.0.3 (I now have 6.0.4) with GCR 2.65 and sound doesn't work. In fact, it causes slowdowns and system problems, occasionally requiring a reboot. Any hints? Actually what happens is that the bell works, but programs that do fancy sound don't work. >Good luck with the Mega-2, I've heard that people have had problems with >the power supply not being strong enough to support the GCR, resulting >in frequent crashes, but this is also supposed to show up in ST mode >as well, so you should be able to find out if you are going to have any >problems right off. You didn't exactly make my day! -- William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca
iam@stbimbo.UUCP (Ian Mercado) (10/24/90)
I didn't think that the sound in Systems 6.0 and above worked yet in Spectre. Am I wrong? I DO know that the Hypercard paint tools work if you have more than 1 meg of memory in your ST. So will Foxbase/Mac. Spectre is quite cool. It's time for me to get my own instead of drooling over my friend's! -- -------- ---- ---- -- | Ian Mercado: iam@salestech.com | -- - - ----- -- | gatech!stiatl!iam | -- -------- -- ----- | | -------- -- -- -- ---- | "Can't keep my mind from the circling sky" |
gjh@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Graham Higgins) (10/25/90)
Booting with a different system/finder combination, basic fonts and as few DAs
as you get away with (ControlPanel & Chooser) will get you further. When
pressed, I use a 4.odd, 5.odd combination (less whistles and bells than 6.0.*).
It allows me to use the Hypercard paintbox on my 1040 and I have also seen
FoxbaseMac running on my 1040 (it's cute!). However, even with 6.0.4, I can use
all of Hypercard bar the paintbox stuff, I haven't experienced a scripting
problem. Try and keep those DAs to a minimum if you're operating Spectre under
a 1040.
Graham ("Fonts, what fonts?") Higgins.
(funcall 'text-apply ':readtime 'std_disclaimer)selick@bucsf.BU.EDU (Steven Selick) (11/06/90)
I have a spectre gcr and it works fantastically on my 1040st. You MUST buy a monochrome monitor, even though it offers color support, it genuinely sucks. The mono support is unbelievable, and the only thing (aside from only having 832k in mac mode) that didn't work was fastback, a commercial hard disk backup program. The address for the company is: Gadgets by Small Inc. 40 W. Littleton blvd.,#210-211 littleton, Colorado 80120 phone w03-791-6098 I recommend the product wholeheartedly! -Steve Selick selick@bucsf.bu.edu