1347 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
1347 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
_____________________________________
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ZMAGAZINE ^^^ June 29, 1987
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Issue #59 HOT Atari News and Reviews
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_____________________________________
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Zmag Staff:
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Ron Kovacs-Editor/Publisher
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Ken Kirchner-Assistant Publisher
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Susan Perry-Assistant Publisher
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_____________________________________
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Xx SPECIAL NOTE
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This weeks edition is larger than the
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recent issues because we have been
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receiving many articles for
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publishing. We are also closing out
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the month with our older articles.
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_____________________________________
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Xx ZMAG INDEX 59
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/*/ XModem and PC Pursuit
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/*/ CompuServe Watch
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/*/ CompuServe Control Key Guide
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/*/ FCC Proposal Part 2
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/*/ ZMAG Newswire
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/*/ Flash Help
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/*/ New Product Announcement
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/*/ 30 Secrets of the Old Atari
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/*/ Software Review by Steve Godun
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/*/ Upgrades and Expansions
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_____________________________________
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Xx TELETALK ISSUE 12 EXCERPTS
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Why is X/Modem so slow on PC Pursuit?
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_____________________________________
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QUESTION: -I use XMODEM across the
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system and transfers take twice [or
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thrice] as long as they should. Why?-
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ANSWER: As best as I can tell, the
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information we were passed from the
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Net Exchange BBS was well-meaning but
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wrong. Here is the scenario as I
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figger it--someone let me know if I'm
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wrong, too.
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XMODEM sends data in a 132-byte block
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that resembles a mini-packet:
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<----------Direction of transmission
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[SOH] [#] [#] [DATA] [CHK]
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| | | | |___ChkSum
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| | | +128 bytes of data
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| | |_________ block number
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| |_____________ Block number
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|_____Start of header (ASCII 01)
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This closely matches the size of a
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Telenet packet (generally 128 bytes)
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and can, for our purposes, be
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considered a packet's worth of data.
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PC Pursuit is set to forward data
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only on full packets and on
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expiration of idle timers (which are
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set for 1/10 second).
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The delay occurs because a connection
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through PC Pursuit goes through four
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modems and two entirely separate data
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transmissions. Each block of data
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must undergo the following (assuming
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a download from the BBS to the user):
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_____ _________ __________
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| |__ ( )__ | |
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| BBS | /__( PDN ) /___|PCP user|
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|_____| (_________) |________|
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|_____| |_______| |_______|
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| | |_____ 1.1
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| |_Variable (0.1/1+
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|__________1.1 seconds
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That's potentially 3+ seconds to
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transfer data that would take
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slightly over 1 second to transmit in
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a direct connection--maybe 35%
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efficiency.
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To make matters worse, the
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acknowledgment (ACK) from the user to
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the BBS may take upwards of a second-
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-instead of a fraction of a second-
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-to be transmitted back into the
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network, have idle timers expire, be
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forwarded to the outdialer, and be
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transmitted to the BBS. As you can
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see, though, the real delay is *not*
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because of the delay in sending the
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ACK, but because the block size and
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packet size so nearly match, the two
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computers are almost never working
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simultaneously.
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A protocol that uses a larger block
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size--YMODEM, for instance--will run
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faster over the system, but not
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because it needs fewer
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acknowledgements. Instead, while
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sending the larger block, it causes
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data forwarding on a full-packet
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condition. After the first packet
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gets sent, both machines are doing
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work for most of the rest of the
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transmission, as such:
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BBS USER
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--- ----
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Start of 1K block
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Sends packet 1 Does nothing
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Sends packet 2 Receives packet 1
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Sends packet 3 Receives packet 2
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Sends packet 4 Receives packet 3
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Sends packet 5 Receives packet 4
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Sends packet 6 Receives packet 5
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Sends packet 7 Receives packet 6
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End of 1K block
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Sends packet 8 Receives packet 7
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Does nothing Receives packet 8
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(Of course, the BBS is not really
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sending the *packet*, just a packet's
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worth of data.) In effect, YMODEM
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wastes only 2 of every 9 128-byte
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transfers; it should run at about 75%
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efficiency. In addition, since it
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only has a single ACK per kilobyte
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(instead of 8), less time is spent in
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waiting for the idle timer to expire.
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Of course, to make things more
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confusing, there are XMODEM packages
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using 256-byte and 1K blocks and
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XMODEM packages that allow a -window-
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of unacknowledged blocks to be sent,
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among other flavors.
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Recently, the default parameters for
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the PC Pursuit ports were changed; by
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whom, I don't know. For best results,
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users should break to command mode
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and set X.3 parameters 1 and 10 to 0
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(disables break to command mode and
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word wrap) and set ITI parameter 57
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to 1 and parameter 63 to 0 (enable
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8-bit transparent mode). This is all
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done with similar commands as those
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issued when connecting to Exec PC.
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_____________________________________
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Xx COMPUSERVE WATCH
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...HAPPY IBM FILE CONVERTER...
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...MINDSCAPE UPDATE...
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_____________________________________
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Capture from CompuServe's Atari8 SIG
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#: 190292 S3/Utilities
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20-Jun-87 13:08:26
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Sb: IBM to Atari and back
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Fm: SYSOP*Bill Aycock 76703,4061
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To: ALL
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Still looking for a way to transfer
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files between your Atari and your IBM
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machine? If you have a Happy-enhanced
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1050 disk drive, you're in luck!
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I just received in the mail today
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Revision 7.10 of Happy's Warp Speed
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Software. One of the claims made for
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this revision was a -feature that
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allows converting files to and from
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IBM PC format using the HAPPY 1050
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ENHANCEMENT.-
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After a very brief test, I can say
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that this feature works! The steps
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are pretty simple:
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1. Format a SINGLE-SIDED disk in your
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IBM, using the command 'FORMAT
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A:/1'.
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2. Copy the IBM files onto this disk.
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3. Boot your Atari with a Warp Speed
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DOS, and run the program
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IBMXFR.AUT which is on the back
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side of the distribution disk.
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Make sure you have an Atari-format
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disk handy!
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4. Select a few options, such as
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translation of CR/LF to EOL, then
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tell the program to copy from IBM
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to Atari.
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That's it! Swap disks as directed,
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and the file you choose is copied
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from IBM format to Atari format.
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Going from Atari to IBM works much
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the same way. This should work for
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any kind of file, but is most useful
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for text files. Or, you could
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download Atari programs on an IBM,
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then transfer them to an Atari disk
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to run them.
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As I said, my test was very brief.
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I'll do some more testing later and
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try to time how fast the program
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runs. If you have any questions, let
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me know!
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--bill--
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#: 189751 S7/HOT News/Rumors
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13-Jun-87 09:49:10
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Sb: MINDSCAPE/ATARI GAMES
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Fm: SYSOP*Mike Schoenbach 76703,4363
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To: All
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Online Today OLT-291
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MINDSCAPE TO PUBLISH ATARI'S
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STAND-ALONE ARCADE GAMES FOR HOME
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Mindscape Inc. has signed an
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exclusive agreement with Atari Games
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Corp. to publish home computer
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versions of the Milpitas, Calif.,
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company's stand-alone video games
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that now usually are found in coin
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arcades.
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According to a statement from the
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Northbrook, Ill., software publisher,
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first in the line-up of new titles
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will be Atari's Paperboy and Gauntlet
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games. Then, over the next few years,
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Mindscape expects to publish Road
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Runner, Road Blasters, Gauntlet II
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and others in home computer formats.
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-There are tremendous growth
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opportunities in the retail versions
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of coin-op games,- says Mindscape
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President/CEO Roger Buoy. -We look
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forward to working with Atari
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because, with their consistently
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high-quality products and keen
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perception of the market, they are
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far and away the best company with
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which to be associated.-
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--Charles Bowen
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_____________________________________
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Xx COMPUSERVE CONTROL KEY GUIDE
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_____________________________________
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Control Keys on CompuServe
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By:SYSOP*Charles McGuinness 76701,11
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KEY Description
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=== ================================
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^A Stop at end of line (delayed ^S,
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sorta)
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^B Type-ahead control C. -hits-
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when the program next asks for
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input.
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^C Interrupt. Either kills the
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program outright or tosses it
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into an interrupt routine.
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^D Disconnect. If you're direct
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connected to a node, this is the
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equivilent to hanging up.
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^E
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^F
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^G Beep! Break character...
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^H Backspace
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^I Tab
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^J Line feed. Break character
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^K Vertical tab
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^L Form feed
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^M Return
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^N
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^O Disable/enable output toggle.
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Output is bit-bucketed until
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another ^O or the program
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explicitly turns it back on.
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(Note the SIG is very good at
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turning it back on just before
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prompts)
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^P -soft- interrupt -- flushes
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output, sets a bit program can
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check. Like ^C, but gentler.
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^Q Resume from ^S or ^A
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^R
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^S Suspend output
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^T Use to give a job status in the
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old days, nothing now
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^U Abort current line
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^V Retype current line
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^W Alternate version of ^Q
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^X
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^Y
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^Z End of file. One of the fun
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ways to get a program to end
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occasionally, usually with messy
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tracebacks. The SIG program is
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immune, but there's always some
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program floating around that
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isn't careful enough.
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-- charles
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_____________________________________
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Xx FCC PROPOSAL Part 2
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_____________________________________
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In a move that could sharply increase
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telecommunications costs, the Federal
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Communications Commission last week
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proposed that enhanced service
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providers no longer be exempt from
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paying interstate access charges as
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of January 1, 1988.
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The charges could include a 3 cent
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per minute traffic-sensitive access
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charge, a 4.3 cent per minute
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terminating access charge, and a 2
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cent per minute originating charge,
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depending on such factors as whether
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the call is local said Ruth Milkman,
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an attorney in the policy division of
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the FCC's common carrier bureau.
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Affected services include Telenet,
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Tymnet, Compuserve, and Dow Jones
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News/Retrieval.
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Paulo Guidi, president of Telenet
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Communications Corp of Reston,
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Virginia, called the proposal
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misguided and said it would
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discriminate against users of
|
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computer oriented services.
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-It's an issue we're going to be
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looking at very carefully- said Ken
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Allen, executive director of the
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Information Industry Association, a
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lobbying group in New York.
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The FCC is presently inviting
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comments from interested parties.
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_____________________________________
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Xx ZMAG NEWSWIRE
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_____________________________________
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SSI/TSR AGREEMENT?
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Strategic Simulations Inc. and TSR
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Inc. have signed a letter of intent
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to enter into a strategic alliance.
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The five-year licensing agreement
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gives SSI exclusive worldwide rights
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to produce and market a product line
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series of games based on TSR's
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classic Advanced Dungeons and
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Dragons(r) fantasy role-playing game.
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SSI will be the first company to
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bring TSR games to the computer. The
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agreement is valued at up to several
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million dollars over the contract
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period.
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At least ten different role-playing
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and several action game versions are
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planned by SSI for the most popular
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microcomputers, including C-64/128,
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Apple II series, IBM/compatibles,
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Atari ST and Amiga. Versions are also
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planned for family game systems, such
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as the Nintendo. The games will
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appear on the market beginning early
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next year and will be sold in SSI
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packaging with joint SSI/TSR logo
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identification. The games will be
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marketed through SSI distributors,
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retail, and hobby store channels
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amounting to over 10,000 outlets
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worldwide.
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Randy Broweleit, Vice President of
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Sales at SSI, states: -It's a high
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mark of recognition to be selected by
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TSR, the giant of the industry and
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creator of the most famous and
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popular fantasy role-playing game of
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all time, as their exclusive partner.
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We expect to create wonderful
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exciting new computer games based on
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a very complementary relationship.-
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Michael Cook, Vice President of New
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Product Development at TSR said: -We
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are also pleased to begin a long-term
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relationship with SSI, whom everyone
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recognizes as a leading quality games
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producer. SSI's credentials as one of
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the finest creators of computer
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games, and their proven product line
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allows us to combine strengths to
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produce the best possible fantasy
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role-playing and action computer
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games.-
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_____________________________________
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Xx FLASH HELP
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Common Questions and Answers about FLASH terminal program
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_____________________________________
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<1>
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I have a touch tone line. How do I
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tell FLASH to dial using touch tone?
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Answer:
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Go to the menu-bar and select DIAL
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DIRECTORY from the EDIT section.
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Click on the button that says 'ALTER
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SETTINGS' and change the Prefix to
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ATDT. Then hit return to exit the
|
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dialog and select SAVE from the FILE
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section. When the File Selection
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dialog box appears, click on
|
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-Configuration- and save the
|
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configuration as the default name
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FLASH.CNF. This makes sure that the
|
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dialer prefix will stay as ATDT the
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next time FLASH is run.
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<2>
|
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I'm trying to upload a message to
|
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CompuServe using Ascii upload but the
|
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text appears scrambled and there are
|
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missing characters.
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Answer:
|
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Change the ASCII upload setting to
|
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set METERING on. If you are using the
|
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SIG editor that gives you line
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numbers, then set PROMPTING on and
|
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enter ':' as the prompt character.
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<3>
|
|
All of a sudden the cursor is moving
|
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on the screen, but I can't see any
|
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text being displayed. What's happened
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and what can I do to fix it?
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Answer:
|
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Line noise has resulted in FLASH
|
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being sent an escape sequence that
|
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has changed the text color to the
|
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white. The same error can cause text
|
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and background colors to become
|
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reversed. If you are using a color
|
|
monitor then you may see strange
|
|
combinations of text and background
|
|
color e.g. red text on a black
|
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background.
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|
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The solution is to use the MODE
|
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command to reset the terminal
|
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emulation mode. Press on ALT-M and
|
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hit enter. This will reset the colors
|
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to their default values while leaving
|
|
the terminal emulation type
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unchanged.
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|
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<4>
|
|
While uploading or downloading a file
|
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using Xmodem I see error messages on
|
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the bottom line of the screen. Does
|
|
this mean the file transfer was bad?
|
|
|
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Answer:
|
|
Xmodem is very good at recovering
|
|
from errors due to line noise and
|
|
it's quite normal to see occasional
|
|
error messages such as Checksum error
|
|
or Sector number error. If a fatal
|
|
error occurs, FLASH will always put a
|
|
message on the bottom of the screen
|
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which includes the phrase 'Xmodem
|
|
Aborted'.
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|
|
In addition, the other computer will
|
|
usually realise that a fatal error
|
|
occurred and also display an error
|
|
message. FLASH will typically try at
|
|
least ten times to send/recieve each
|
|
block of the file before giving up.
|
|
|
|
<5>
|
|
How do I edit the FLASH DO files?
|
|
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Answer:
|
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Simple! Just load them into the FLASH
|
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capture buffer and edit them in place
|
|
then save them back to disk. To embed
|
|
control codes in a DO file, simply
|
|
hold down the control key and press
|
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the appropriate key, e.g. control-C
|
|
shows up as an arrow facing right.
|
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|
|
To load a file into the FLASH capture
|
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buffer, select LOAD from the FILE
|
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heading of the menu bar and select
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CAPTURE from the dialog box that
|
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appears. To save the entire capture
|
|
buffer, select SAVE from the FILE
|
|
heading of the menu bar and click on
|
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the CAPTURE box. You can save just a
|
|
part of the capture buffer by marking
|
|
out a block and saving it. The block
|
|
commands are all under the BLOCK
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heading of the menu bar.
|
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|
|
If you want to load in a DO file for
|
|
editing without clearing out all the
|
|
other text in the capture buffer,
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select MERGE from the FILE heading of
|
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the menu bar and then select the
|
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filename to merge into the buffer.
|
|
You can then edit that file and,
|
|
after marking it as a block, save it
|
|
back to disk using the SAVE BLOCK
|
|
option under the BLOCK heading of the
|
|
menu bar.
|
|
|
|
BRODERBUND, UNISON DROP LAWSUIT
|
|
(June 22)
|
|
|
|
Broderbund Software and Unison World
|
|
said today they have settled their
|
|
legal dispute over the similarities
|
|
of their respective graphics
|
|
programs, The Print Shop and
|
|
PrintMaster.
|
|
|
|
In a joint statement this week, the
|
|
two publishers said, -Whatever our
|
|
differences have been in the past
|
|
with respect to this lawsuit, we both
|
|
feel our time, effort and money would
|
|
be better spent in developing and
|
|
marketing new and better software
|
|
than in expensive, protracted
|
|
litigation.-
|
|
|
|
Broderbund and its affiliate,
|
|
Pixellite Software, filed a US
|
|
District Court suit in May 1985
|
|
alleging that Unison World's
|
|
PrintMaster infringed the copyright
|
|
of their Print Shop program.
|
|
|
|
FCC ATTORNEY EXPLAINS RATIONALE
|
|
BEHIND CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSAL
|
|
|
|
The Federal Communications Commission
|
|
recently proposed to eliminate the
|
|
exemption from interstate access
|
|
charges enjoyed by commercial online
|
|
database services since 1983.
|
|
|
|
Such a move, according to FCC
|
|
attorney Ruth Milkman and co-author
|
|
of the proposal, has been considered
|
|
by the agency for several years. She
|
|
told Online Today that when the
|
|
charges were first assessed in 1983,
|
|
it was felt that -enhanced service
|
|
providers- (such as CompuServe) would
|
|
suffer from the enormous increase in
|
|
user fees that would result.
|
|
Consequently, the FCC decided to
|
|
gradually implement the policy over a
|
|
period of years.
|
|
|
|
If this proposal passes, it will take
|
|
effect Jan. 1, 1988.
|
|
|
|
Milkman said the charges are assessed
|
|
to those companies that use the local
|
|
telephone exchange for interstate
|
|
purposes. -It's a way of making the
|
|
people who use the local exchange and
|
|
incur the cost pay for it,- she
|
|
explained.
|
|
|
|
She added that the direct financial
|
|
effect on individual users is
|
|
difficult to determine, since the
|
|
cost will vary in different parts of
|
|
the country depending on the cost of
|
|
the local telephone exchange.
|
|
|
|
According to Milkman, the FCC said it
|
|
was concerned that the charges
|
|
currently paid by enhanced service
|
|
providers did not contribute
|
|
sufficiently to the cost of the
|
|
enhanced access facilities they use
|
|
in offering services to the public.
|
|
Concerns about rate shock might
|
|
justify a temporary, but not a
|
|
permanent, exemption from access
|
|
charges.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx ZMAG NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
GOOD NEWS COMPUSERVE USERS!
|
|
---------------------------
|
|
|
|
INTERLINK ST is now shipping!
|
|
INTERLINK is the most advanced yet
|
|
easy to use terminal package for your
|
|
ATARI ST.
|
|
|
|
-INTERLINK ST is an outstanding
|
|
telecommunications program for the
|
|
Atari ST and my personal choice for
|
|
ease of use and speed.-
|
|
- Dave Groves Sysop
|
|
Compuserve's ATARI Forums
|
|
|
|
-INTERLINK ST has been my terminal
|
|
program of choice for several months
|
|
note and I don't even have the final
|
|
version yet.-
|
|
- ST-LOG April 1987
|
|
|
|
With features such as:
|
|
|
|
* MINI BBS collects messages and
|
|
uploads/downloads files
|
|
|
|
* Run programs from inside INTERLINK
|
|
ST
|
|
|
|
* Loadable transfer and emulation
|
|
protocols
|
|
|
|
* GEM Based
|
|
|
|
* Full disk commands
|
|
|
|
* Advanced auto dialer
|
|
|
|
* Super Recorder/Playback lets you
|
|
handle those repetitive chores,
|
|
like getting those same stock
|
|
quotes every day
|
|
|
|
* Clip Board
|
|
|
|
* Custom translation tables
|
|
|
|
* 48 line display option on
|
|
monochrome
|
|
|
|
* Full continuous status display
|
|
|
|
* Type-ahead buffer lets you enter
|
|
and edit a line before sending
|
|
it (great for chats)
|
|
|
|
* Online help gives you a quick
|
|
reminder when you need it
|
|
|
|
* Buffer window with powerful entry
|
|
and edit capabilities, works like a
|
|
word processor
|
|
|
|
* Connect Chimes with true carrier
|
|
timer gently remind you of your
|
|
connect duration every fifteen
|
|
minutes
|
|
|
|
* 20 Macro keys
|
|
|
|
* Built-in password protection and
|
|
encryption for your logon data and
|
|
macro keys
|
|
|
|
* Supports baud rates 300, 600, 1200,
|
|
2400, 4800, 9600, and 19200
|
|
|
|
* Word wrap
|
|
|
|
* RS-232 spooling
|
|
|
|
* And much more.......
|
|
|
|
Come and join the revolution step up
|
|
to INTERLINK ST.
|
|
|
|
Retail price: $39.95
|
|
|
|
Act now until July 30th 1987 and we
|
|
will give you $15 dollars off
|
|
INTERLINK ST when you send in your
|
|
old commercial brand terminal
|
|
program.
|
|
|
|
Toll Free 800-826-0130
|
|
in Florida 813-923-8774
|
|
|
|
INTERSECT Software Corp.
|
|
3951 Sawyer Road Suite 108
|
|
Sarasota, Fl 33583
|
|
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx 30 Secrets of ATARI Part 1
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
1. Nolan Bushnell, Atari's founding
|
|
father, originally named the
|
|
company Syzygy (the sun, moon,
|
|
and earth in total eclipse). He
|
|
renamed it to Atari because
|
|
another company already owned the
|
|
name Syzygy.
|
|
|
|
2. Bushnell is generally believed to
|
|
be the author of Pong, Atari's
|
|
first game. Actually, Magnavox
|
|
released the Odyssey 100, the
|
|
first home video game system,
|
|
which included a game remarkably
|
|
similar to Pong, several months
|
|
before Pong's debut in the
|
|
arcades in 1972. Years later,
|
|
Bushnell admitted in court that
|
|
he had seen an Odyssey prototype
|
|
on display earlier in 1972. The
|
|
Odyssey 100 was designed by Ralph
|
|
Baer.
|
|
|
|
3. Bally/Midway rejected Bushnell's
|
|
Pong when he demonstrated the
|
|
game in its Chicago offices in
|
|
1972. Bushnell went back to
|
|
California and started Atari.
|
|
|
|
4. Given a choice between Mappy and
|
|
Pole Position, two arcade
|
|
creations by the Japanese firm
|
|
Namco, Bally/Midway amazingly
|
|
opted for Mappy. Atari had to
|
|
settle for Pole Position, which
|
|
went on to become the biggest
|
|
game of 1983.
|
|
|
|
5. Gravitar was one of Atari's
|
|
worst-selling arcade games. So
|
|
they took the game out of the
|
|
cabinets and converted them all
|
|
to Black Widow.
|
|
|
|
6. Mike Hally designed Gravitar. He
|
|
recently redeemed himself as the
|
|
project leader for Atari's
|
|
spectacular Star Wars game.
|
|
|
|
7. Rick Mauer never programmed
|
|
another game for Atari after he
|
|
did Space Invaders for the VCS.
|
|
He is said to have earned only
|
|
$11,000 for a game that grossed
|
|
more than $100 million.
|
|
|
|
8. Todd Fry, on the other hand, has
|
|
collected close to $1 million in
|
|
royalties for his widely
|
|
criticized VCS Pac-Man.
|
|
|
|
9. The man for bringing Pac-Man home
|
|
to Atari- Joe Robbins, former
|
|
president of coin-op- was
|
|
severely reprimanded by the
|
|
chairman of the board Ray Kassar
|
|
for making the deal with Namco
|
|
without consulting him. It seems
|
|
Robbins was in Japan negotiating
|
|
a legal matter with Namco at the
|
|
time, and Namco demanded that
|
|
Atari buy the home rights to
|
|
Pac-Man as part of the
|
|
settlement. Pac-Man had yet to
|
|
take off, but when it did,
|
|
Robbin's gutsy decision paid off
|
|
as Pac-Man went on to become the
|
|
company's best-selling cartridge
|
|
ever.
|
|
|
|
10. The man for bringing E.T. to
|
|
Atari? None other than Warner
|
|
Communications chairman, Steve
|
|
Ross. So convinced was he that
|
|
E.T. possessed video game star
|
|
quality, Ross paid Steven
|
|
Spielberg an enormous sum (did I
|
|
hear $21 million?) for the rights
|
|
to the little extraterrestrial
|
|
bugger. Designer Howie Warshaw
|
|
spun the game out in four months,
|
|
only three million cartridges
|
|
were sold and Atari began to
|
|
announce million dollar losses.
|
|
E.T. is now selling for as little
|
|
as $5 in some stores.
|
|
|
|
Next week 11-20...
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx ZMAG PRODUCT REVIEW
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
By:Steve Godun
|
|
|
|
Bop'n Wrestle
|
|
Mindscape, Inc.
|
|
PO Box 1167
|
|
Northbrook, IL 60065
|
|
Sug. Retail Price: $29.95
|
|
|
|
Many of Mindscape's games (such as
|
|
Infiltrator, High Roller, and Balance
|
|
of Power) are or were among the top
|
|
10 programs in Billboard's listings,
|
|
but they were only available for the
|
|
Apple and Commodore computers,
|
|
leaving the large Atari 8-bit field
|
|
longing for some attention. The
|
|
people at Mindscape FINALLY opened
|
|
their eyes and say this vast amount
|
|
of Atari 8-bit computers and decided
|
|
to convert their best selling titles.
|
|
-Good!- Atari owners cried. I almost
|
|
thought that Mindscape would start a
|
|
trend that other software companies
|
|
would follow. If BOP'N WRESTLE is
|
|
the start of this trend, then pray
|
|
that the other companies improve on
|
|
it. Drastically.
|
|
|
|
Put simply, BOP'N WRESTLE is one of
|
|
the worst programs I've ever seen for
|
|
the 8-bit Atari. Not since the days
|
|
of CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN have I seen
|
|
such slow animation, awkward control
|
|
setups, and poor use of color,
|
|
graphics and sound. I have seen
|
|
BASIC wrestling games that are better
|
|
than this (if the BASIC ones were
|
|
compiled, they would be better than
|
|
this attempt).
|
|
|
|
One look at the game will tell you
|
|
that BOP'N WRESTLE is a direct (I'm
|
|
talking DIRECT) translation from its
|
|
Apple parent. Sure, the sound was
|
|
spruced up a bit (and ONLY a bit) for
|
|
the Atari, but the graphics and
|
|
colors are almost identical to the
|
|
Apple version. The controls (joystick
|
|
or keyboard) are extremely
|
|
complicated, and sometimes you'll
|
|
move the stick the right way but
|
|
nothing will happen on-screen.
|
|
|
|
Also, the opponents you face are
|
|
(naturally) faster and more agile
|
|
than you could ever pray to be, so
|
|
don't expect to get very far until
|
|
you've played it for a few hours
|
|
straight (not that you'd WANT to). A
|
|
little more fluid animation would
|
|
have done wonders for the game, as
|
|
would some more colors and sharper
|
|
detail. Several times I have gotten
|
|
confused as to which on-screen player
|
|
was me and which was the computer.
|
|
True, there are distinct traits that
|
|
each wrestler has (one looks like
|
|
Hillbilly Jim, another one resembles
|
|
a punk rocker - complete with spiked
|
|
purple hair), but quite often (like
|
|
right after getting into a clinch or
|
|
after performing a move) the two guys
|
|
-mix- and looks like a speckled blob
|
|
until one of 'em gets up.
|
|
|
|
Controling the man with the joystick
|
|
isn't that easy. Simple left, right,
|
|
up, and down is fine (of course,
|
|
diaginal moves are -too hard- and
|
|
weren't put in the game). The
|
|
problem arises when it's time to
|
|
apply a hold or move on your
|
|
opponent. There is no set direction
|
|
for applying any move - it depends in
|
|
the direction your man is facing. For
|
|
example, if you just slammed your
|
|
opponent into the mat and you are
|
|
facing right, a simple elbow drop
|
|
would be accomplished by facing your
|
|
downed opponent, pressing the button,
|
|
and pushing up on the joystick. Now,
|
|
let's say you have the same situation
|
|
except that your wrestler is facing
|
|
downward (-facing- you, so to speak).
|
|
If you wanted to do a elbow drop now,
|
|
you would have to press the button
|
|
and push the joystick to the RIGHT.
|
|
This can get EXTREMELY confusing at
|
|
times. I also like making a small
|
|
reference card that I can stand up
|
|
when I'm playing so I don't forget a
|
|
function or move. With this game, I
|
|
can't do that because there isn't a
|
|
set direction for any given move.
|
|
|
|
One more minus to BOP'N WRESTLE; For
|
|
reasons that God only knows, the
|
|
program takes up both sides of a
|
|
diskette and takes around 3-5 minutes
|
|
to load. This is too long for me,
|
|
especially since this game doesn't
|
|
even show an effort on Mindscape's
|
|
part.
|
|
|
|
There are a FEW pluses to this game
|
|
that I should mention. First, there
|
|
IS a two-player option available.
|
|
Second, it seems that the list price
|
|
of $29.95 is being cut drastically by
|
|
a few mail order places to around $15
|
|
-$20. Third, if you can handle the
|
|
controls, there is a variety of moves
|
|
available to you. Among them are the
|
|
very popular suplex, pile driver,
|
|
head-but, airplane spin, elbow drop,
|
|
the not-so-legal superfly, and the
|
|
slingshot. I haven't been able to
|
|
find any of the more popular moves
|
|
such as the face rake, sleeper hold,
|
|
or even a standard punch! The
|
|
simplest moves available are a
|
|
pseudo-punch (looks more like
|
|
clobbering the guy over the head with
|
|
your arm), shin kick, and the very
|
|
pleasant knee-in-the-groin. Kicking
|
|
your opponent when he's down is also
|
|
very possible (not to mention very
|
|
effective).
|
|
|
|
Overall, I think Mindscape should
|
|
have held back on the release of
|
|
BOP'N WRESTLE until the program was
|
|
improved (or maybe finished?). It is
|
|
DEFINATELY not worth $29.95, or even
|
|
$20. $15...maybe. There is one good
|
|
result of this program. It's so bad
|
|
that the people won't even WANT a
|
|
pirated copy.
|
|
|
|
Mindscape, if you want your future
|
|
Atari conversions to work, PLEASE
|
|
don't rush it.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx UPGRADES and EXPANSIONS
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
New, improved and better than ever.
|
|
|
|
by D.F. Scott
|
|
|
|
This month, we'll focus on upgrades
|
|
and expansions to every Atari
|
|
computer currently -out in the
|
|
field.- It appears that, by 1987, if
|
|
you own an Atari -- from a 400 on up
|
|
to a 1040ST -- there will be an Atari
|
|
-made expansion available for it. New
|
|
operating systems, new graphics chips
|
|
and new monitors are to be expected.
|
|
|
|
Among our sources this month are:
|
|
John Skruch
|
|
Manager, Atari's 8-bit product line;
|
|
Larry Samuels, Director of Sales
|
|
Marty Taucher, Public Relations of
|
|
Microsoft Corporation in Redmond,
|
|
Washington. Other sources wish to
|
|
remain unnamed.
|
|
|
|
Once again, this portion of the
|
|
Status report gives primarily the
|
|
Atari 8-bit story. For the total
|
|
picture, please see the ST section on
|
|
page 45ST.
|
|
|
|
At the heart of the XE is an eight
|
|
-year-old mother board design, in a
|
|
market that demands faster, brighter,
|
|
bigger machines. The first attempt to
|
|
-modernize- the 8-bits, the 1200XL,
|
|
failed to work -- and failed to sell.
|
|
Once the final versions of the XL
|
|
were completed, they still retained
|
|
-incompatibility- problems with the
|
|
original 400/800s.
|
|
|
|
I can recall no previous attempt to
|
|
modernize any 8-bit computer which
|
|
has resulted in a perfect track
|
|
record in the software compatibility
|
|
category. Forever inscribed in the
|
|
annals of incommunicability with
|
|
their predecessors are the Apple IIe;
|
|
the Tandy 4D (formerly a TRS-80); and
|
|
(in large, bold letters) the
|
|
Commodore 128. Modernization randomly
|
|
casts some unfortunate programs into
|
|
the realm of future uselessness.
|
|
Third-party software producers do not
|
|
wish to be held captive, waiting for
|
|
their star programs to be declared
|
|
useless at the whim of a computer's
|
|
manufacturer.
|
|
|
|
Atari's 8-bit development is at an
|
|
extremely crucial phase. Several
|
|
software companies are shifting their
|
|
concentration over to the ST, and
|
|
others, not ready for the arrival of
|
|
16-bit prominence, are shifting their
|
|
concentration away from Atari. So, in
|
|
considering ways to make good their
|
|
investment in the 8-bit line, Atari
|
|
had to discuss something more than a
|
|
mere facelift. In order to win back
|
|
8-bit software producers' support,
|
|
the corporation could not redesign
|
|
the XE.
|
|
|
|
Atari has come to a compromise. It
|
|
feels the best way to expand the XE
|
|
is externally. A study of external
|
|
expansion methods resulted in the
|
|
corporation's asking itself, -Why not
|
|
provide an expansion to every 8-bit
|
|
computer in the field?- Surprise,
|
|
400/800/XL owners, the 80-column
|
|
expansion unit is for you, too.
|
|
|
|
The 80-column box, as yet unnamed, is
|
|
planned to plug into the joystick
|
|
port on all 8-bit units--most likely
|
|
port 2. The SIO (serial input/output)
|
|
port is thus saved for daisy-chaining
|
|
through the disk drives. The mother
|
|
board is left untouched, installation
|
|
costs are wiped out, and you don't
|
|
need an 850 interface! All that's
|
|
required to sell it is a package, a
|
|
salesman, a good monitor and the
|
|
usual 90-day manufacturer's warranty.
|
|
|
|
What will this expansion unit do?
|
|
Here's what we know: the box connects
|
|
the micro to a composite monitor,
|
|
monochrome or color. General output
|
|
for graphics and all alphanumerics
|
|
printed directly to screen memory,
|
|
besides buffered output through an
|
|
input/output control block, will
|
|
still appear in 40-column mode. Only
|
|
text sent through the control block
|
|
(IOCB) E:, number 0 -- called the
|
|
screen editor -- will be converted to
|
|
80-column.
|
|
|
|
At first thought, this might be a
|
|
disappointment to some who expected
|
|
an instantaneous improvement in
|
|
output. Consider, though, the
|
|
resulting calamity if all text were
|
|
converted, so that all output flooded
|
|
just the left half of the screen.
|
|
Nearly all the 8-bit software
|
|
currently available is geared toward
|
|
a 40-column screen; there are a few
|
|
pieces that offer 60-column
|
|
emulation.
|
|
|
|
How many programs can you name that
|
|
use the screen editor IOCB instead of
|
|
memory-mapped output? Not even
|
|
AtariWriter Plus uses E:. Because of
|
|
this little inconvenience, Atari
|
|
plans to revise AtariWriter Plus yet
|
|
again, to a sort of -Double-Plus-
|
|
version, becoming the first company
|
|
to capitalize on the new display.
|
|
|
|
What hasn't been disclosed is whether
|
|
or not doubling x-axis resolution
|
|
will have the expansion box providing
|
|
a new, ST-competitive graphics mode
|
|
for 8-bits. Such a mode, if feasible,
|
|
may work like graphics 9-11 does on
|
|
the GTIA chip, representing a pixel
|
|
by a letter. If there's an expansion
|
|
graphics chip in the box (which I'll
|
|
call the E-box after the E: IOCB), it
|
|
could receive ATASCII text delivered
|
|
to it by IOCB 0 (since that's all an
|
|
IOCB handles) and, after being
|
|
toggled by a -delimeter- or control
|
|
character like reverse-%, go to
|
|
-graphics 12,- and convert the datum
|
|
following the reverse-% to a graphics
|
|
pixel with a representative color or
|
|
hue value. Having created a graphics
|
|
-11-like screen that acts like a 640-
|
|
column by 200-line text output screen
|
|
and with the main computer still
|
|
under the impression it's operating
|
|
the screen editor, the data would be
|
|
output to the monitor in pixel form,
|
|
positioned by tabs, spaces, line
|
|
feeds, or the POSITION statement in
|
|
Atari BASIC.
|
|
|
|
Again, Atari has not confirmed that a
|
|
new graphics mode will be made
|
|
available, but it hasn't denied the
|
|
possibility of one, when asked. A
|
|
four-color 640x400 8-bit screen would
|
|
have to have 32K of memory, most
|
|
likely in the -E-box.- The graphics
|
|
speed would be dependent upon how
|
|
fast the screen editor wants to work.
|
|
To provide the mandatory power for a
|
|
new graphics mode, the E-box would
|
|
need to be a half-computer itself.
|
|
|
|
It has a projected price of $79.95,
|
|
which should be plenty for half a
|
|
computer. So -graphics 12- is not out
|
|
of the question. It would compel
|
|
8-bit software producers to treat the
|
|
XE as a new machine entirely. Perhaps
|
|
this will generate some new interest
|
|
in the machine; on the other hand, it
|
|
might make obsolete the existing
|
|
software base, and thus reduce the
|
|
amount of current production. There's
|
|
still a bit of shaky ground here.
|
|
|
|
If Atari were considering an overall
|
|
consolidation of the computer line,
|
|
in operation as well as in
|
|
appearance, it might consider a
|
|
graphically-oriented DOS, similar in
|
|
appearance to GEM on the ST. One
|
|
report is that Optimized Systems
|
|
Software is redeveloping its ADOS
|
|
text-driven system for use with the
|
|
3.5-inch format. Statements from
|
|
Atari contradict this, claiming it is
|
|
developing its own system, but the
|
|
company is keeping its mouth
|
|
curiously shut as to what this new
|
|
DOS should contain and how it will
|
|
operate. It hasn't denied, though,
|
|
the possibility of the system's being
|
|
a graphic one.
|
|
|
|
Assuming such a system were released,
|
|
it could not feasibly be implemented
|
|
as an operating environment, as is ST
|
|
GEM. Programs could not be run in a
|
|
-windows- environment unless the
|
|
environment were part of the program
|
|
itself. But an alternate operating
|
|
system called GEOS for the Commodore
|
|
64 shows that a point-and-click,
|
|
-desktop- operating environment is
|
|
feasible -- and good-looking -- for
|
|
6502-based machines, even if it
|
|
doesn't speed up such machines.
|
|
|
|
File-access and storage capacity in
|
|
the Ataris would most certainly
|
|
improve, and the current ST mouse can
|
|
already plug into an 8-bit unit. If
|
|
the old AtariWriter could fit into an
|
|
8K ROM cartridge, certainly a super
|
|
enhanced version with drop-down
|
|
menus, string search-and-replace and
|
|
cut-and-paste could fit into 64K,
|
|
with plenty of space left over for
|
|
text, especially on the 130XE. What
|
|
some people would spend thousands of
|
|
dollars for when purchasing a
|
|
Macintosh, they may be able to get at
|
|
around $400.00, with color and disk
|
|
speed as a bonus.
|
|
|
|
The E-box and the 351 may tempt some
|
|
current Atari owners to extract their
|
|
units from closets, where many 8-bits
|
|
rest in limbo.
|
|
|
|
There was a time when it was
|
|
difficult to find a purpose for a
|
|
home computer. We found out it
|
|
couldn't walk the dog, hand the kids
|
|
a diploma, or balance the budget --
|
|
though it could balance one's
|
|
checkbook. In eight years, we've been
|
|
able to clearly define absolute
|
|
purposes for owning a home computer,
|
|
and word processing is near the top
|
|
of Atari's list -- though game-
|
|
playing, as Leonard Tramiel has said,
|
|
is -what most people use them for.-
|
|
|
|
Ataris certainly aren't deficient at
|
|
game-playing, but in word-processing,
|
|
limited disk storage capacity and
|
|
that 40-column screen are drawbacks
|
|
to efficient applications. So,
|
|
certainly, the company is making the
|
|
right diagnosis and applying the
|
|
proper solutions. For the Christmas
|
|
season, the XEs will be in a more
|
|
competitive stance against such
|
|
machines as the Laser 128, the low-
|
|
cost Apple IIc-clone now sold in
|
|
major department stores.
|
|
|
|
One important note: Atari no longer
|
|
has plans to build a monitor (at one
|
|
time called XC 1411) for the 8-bit
|
|
line. Anybody wanting a composite
|
|
monitor to attach to his E-box will
|
|
have to look to other sources. The
|
|
8-bit product line manager, John
|
|
Skruch, tells us his division has
|
|
more important business at hand than
|
|
to take some other manufacturer's
|
|
monitor and conceive a fancy box for
|
|
it.
|
|
|
|
For the ST, programs like Flash! and
|
|
ST-Talk should work with the SX,
|
|
though, since it will operate in a
|
|
totally different manner for the XE
|
|
than the XM 301 and its predecessors,
|
|
Atari will have to come up with a new
|
|
piece of terminal software -- for
|
|
both 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch disk
|
|
formats. For the experienced 8-bit
|
|
modem user, it will have to compare
|
|
with 1030 Express.
|
|
|
|
Following up from last month: Sales
|
|
and Marketing Director Larry Samuels
|
|
tells us XE advertising for TV is in
|
|
production now, with plans currently
|
|
to buy only into local air time, not
|
|
expensive national network time.
|
|
|
|
Author's Biography:
|
|
|
|
D.F. Scott is an artist, writer,
|
|
educator and programmer living in
|
|
Oklahoma City. He is currently
|
|
engaged in the study of quantum
|
|
physics, computing and other ways in
|
|
which elementary particles interact
|
|
with each other. Otherwise, he fills
|
|
infinite pieces of paper.
|
|
|
|
This article ctsy of the HELP BBS.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
ZMAGAZINE ISSUE 59 June 29, 1987
|
|
Please contribute (c)1987 Ron Kovacs
|
|
_____________________________________
|