626 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
626 lines
27 KiB
Plaintext
_______________________________________
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ZMAGAZINE 80 NOVEMBER 20, 1987
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_______________________________________
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Published/Edited by: Ron Kovacs
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_______________________________________
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For advertising information call the
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Zmag BBS @ (201) 968-8148 300/1200 Baud
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_______________________________________
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Xx Zmag Update
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_______________________________________
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This weeks edition is in 80 column format. We are trying out this new format
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and would appreciate your thoughts on this change. Since there has been a
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great number of requests for the 80 column edition, we are trying this format
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out.
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We are in the middle of a few developments with Zmag. I am looking for some
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input from User Group Editors. If you are an editor, Please leave me a
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message on CompuServe at PPN: 71777,2140 or GEnie at R.KOVACS. I will
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respond with a full explanation of my thoughts.
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Attention Zmag carriers!! I need to know who you are!! I want to add your
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system to the list. I have extended the expiration date for your BBS info
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submissions. Write up an article, or capture your artwork and main menu and
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send it in!! I will publish all submissions in the end of 1987 issue.
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Now on with this weeks Zmagazine!
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_______________________________________
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INDEX 80
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_______________________________________
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<*> Hardware Review--Supra 2400 Modem......................Glenda Stocks
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<*> Atari User Group Registration Form
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<*> R-Time 8 Cartridge--Battery Replacement Tips...........Mike Brown
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<*> ZNews Update...........................................Bruce Kennedy
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<*> Origin of the Zmag Name................................Bruce Kennedy
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<*> Atari Scuttlebits......................................Bob Kelly
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<*> XE Game Expansion......................................Ray McGoldrick
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<*> GEnie Services Help Guide Part 1.......................Ctsy GEnie/Atari
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_______________________________________
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HARDWARE REVIEW
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_______________________________________
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by Glenda Stocks
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SupraModem 2400 (Tm)
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Suggested Retail price $199.95
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Supra Corporation
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1133 Commercial Way
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Albany, OR 97321 (503) 967-9075
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|_______________|
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| DESCRIPTION |
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|_______________|
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The SupraModem is a 100 % Hayes compatible modem, which operates at 300,1200,
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and 2400 bits per second. SupraModem connects to your computer with an RS-232C
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cable, and connects to a modular telephone jack. The SupraModem has a
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nonvolatile memory, in which can be stored one telephone number and one modem
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configuration.
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The SupraModem is software configurable, and there are NO dipswitches available
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to be set. The modem measurements are 1 inch tall, by 4 and 5/8 inches wide,
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by 6 and 1/2 inches long; about the same size as a standard paperback book.
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The unit has a silver-look metal casing, on the front of which are 8 indicator
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lights and an ON/OFF button. There is a phone jack on the rear of the modem to
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hook up your telephone receiver.
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|_______________|
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| FEATURES |
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|_______________|
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The SupraModem 2400 has the features listed below:
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> Command Buffer That Holds 40 Characters.
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> Six Different Self tests.
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> Call Progress Monitoring Features:
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- wait for dialtone
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- detect busy
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- wait for silence
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- detect answer tone
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> Standard Result Codes.
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> One Inch Speaker (Underneath) With Programmable Volume Control.
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> The Following Indicator Lights:
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- High Speed (HS)
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- Auto Answer (AA)
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- Carrier Detect (CD)
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- Off-Hook (OH)
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- Receive Data (RD)
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- Send Data (SD)
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- Terminal Ready (TR)
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- Modem Ready (MR)
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> User Modifiable, nonvolatile RAM That Stores The Following Configuration
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Settings:
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- one telephone number
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- S0_ring to answer on
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- Ex_command echo
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- Qx_result codes
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- Vx_word or # codes
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- Tone or Pulse dial
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- &D_handling the DTR
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- &C_handling the DCD
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- Yx_long space disconnect
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- Lx_speaker volume
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- Mx_speaker control
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- Xx_result code options
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- &P_make/break ratio
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- &T_for tests
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- 300,600,1200,or 2400
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- Parity
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- &G_guard tones
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- delay to DTR (S25)
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- RTS/CTS delay (S26)
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All of the above settings are saved in RAM by the AT&W command, and are
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restored by the ATZ command, or when the modem is powered down and then powered
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back up.
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|_______________|
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| COMPATIBILITY |
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|_______________|
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I tested the SupraModem 2400 while running my OASIS BBS and calling out with
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both EXPRESS! 850 v.3.0 and the OASIS terminal program. The SupraModem 2400
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worked fine with the following RS232 interfaces:
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- ATARI 850 interface with RS232.COM R: handler
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- ICD P:R connection with PRCSYS.COM R: handler
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- ICD MIO internal RS232 port with NO R: handler
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I was able to run my BBS in all three configurations. Of course no external R:
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handler was necessary to run EXPRESS! 850 v.3.0. Also note that the SupraModem
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2400 will operate with the DTR signal from the ICD MIO internal RS232 port.
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Another compatibilty note is that the SupraModem can be used by software that
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is looking for the AVATEX modem, or a HAYES modem. I used both configurations
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on the BBS. Lastly, under 24 hour operation, the SupraModem 2400's casing
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temperature is still cool to the touch.
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|______________|
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| AVAILABILITY |
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|______________|
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The SupraModem 2400 is available for purchase from Z Innovators at a discount
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price. To contact Z Innovators CALL:
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XBN BBS
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617-559-6844
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300/1200/2400
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24 hours
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Main Menu Option [P]
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WRITE:
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Z Innovators
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1344 Park St.
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Stoughton, MA 02072
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Answering Servive Number: 617-586-3335
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_______________________________________
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ATARI USER GROUP FORM
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_______________________________________
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USER GROUP PROFILE
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Name of the Group:
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Mailing Address:
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Name/Phone Number of the User Groups Liason: (Note: This number to be given out
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to the public)
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Names/Phone Numbers of Group's Officers: (Note: Please note the numbers you do
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not wish to make public)
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Meeting Date/Time/Location:
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Name of Newsletter:
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BBS Name/Phone Number:
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Number of Members:
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Month/Year Group Founded:
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Special Interest Groups:
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Other Notes of Interest about your Group:
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Send the above form to:
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Neil Harris
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c/o Atari Corp.
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1196 Borregas Ave.
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Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086
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_______________________________________
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_________R-Time Resurrection!________
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_______________________________________
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by Mike Brown
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Possibly one of the neatest, but least understood of ICD's fine product line is
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the R-Time 8 cartridge. Simply put, this inexpensive module allows you to
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automatically enter the TIME and DATE into your system, from a battery backed
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up clock.
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If you are running SpartaDOS or a BBS, it is handy to have your files
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automatically -timestamped-. It is useful to know how -old- a file is
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sometimes, especially if on-line disk space is limited. If you are using BBS
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EXPRESS, it will -look- for the R-time and update the Time, Date, and Day of
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the Week for you at BBS initialization. True, it is not a big deal to enter
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these values each time you start the BBS, but if you are like me, it is so much
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nicer to have your computer -tell time-!
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Like anything that runs on batteries, the day will come when a new battery is
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needed. This day came for me just this past week. Suddenly the time/date
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functions were all whacko, ranging from before world war II to the 60's! It was
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time to fix the way-back machine, Mr. Peabody.
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Prying open the case that the R-time 8 is enclosed in (looking like a new-wave
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video game cart) gave both good news and bad news: First the good news- The
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battery used in the RT is similar to a standard 3 volt lithium -coin style-
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(looking like an overactive thyroid watch battery) style that is used in
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popular IBM-PC multifunction boards. The bad news- It is SOLDERED ON to the RT
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printed circuit board (Actual Ray-O-Vac part number BR2325-T3)! Faced with the
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prospect of a long wait in the mails to get it fixed at ICD, I knew there must
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be a better way.
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Having had some experience with having a battery like this go dead on an (IBM
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Type) AST SixPack multifunction card, I went to the shop where I had that board
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fixed to see if they had the battery and the -holder- in the style that the AST
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board used (Snap In-- Not Solder!).
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I have to give these guys credit, they threw themselves into it with vigor- It
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took Ken and Tom about 2 mins. flat to rip the old soldered-in battery out, and
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solder in the new pop-in holder (about $2). After that work was done, it was a
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simple matter to pop a BR2325 battery (about $3).
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If you are ever in Ashland, OH, please stop in to INFOPRO on Main Street; they
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have been super in helping with my Atari-related questions (even though they
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sell Kaypros).
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Wow, less than 5 mins work, and now I can change my own batteries, and -never-
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have to worry about it again. The catalogs I have show the battery ICD used at
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about $4.40, and the holder/battery combination that I used costs less than $5.
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I wonder why ICD went that route? Be sure to trim the excess length of the
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leads on the non-component side of the PC board, and be sure you get the
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POSITIVE (+ Generally the side with all of the printing) side of the -coin- UP.
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Those are the only two tricky parts to this installation.
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Note of CAUTION! If you have not worked with soldering components to PC boards,
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get an experienced friend to help you. Too much heat can damage your R-Time 8
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badly! We cheated and used a Vacuum desoldering station; nice if you can afford
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one.
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Of course, this modification will VOID your ICD warranty! When you plug the
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R-Time 8 back into your computer, be sure to do a TIME and DATE command if you
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are using SpartaDOS to reset the R-Time 8's clock! (other DOS users should
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consult the ICD documentation to set the clock)
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If you have further questions about this modification, please call me on the
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Balloon Works (419-289-8392 300/1200) and we'll help as best we can.
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_______________________________________
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ZNEWS FROM BRUCE KENNEDY
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_______________________________________
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EasyPlex
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Date: 07-Nov-87 13:58 EST
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From: BRUCE KENNEDY 72327,1500 [72327,1500]
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Subj: STUFF FOR ZMAG
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Date: 04-Nov-87 12:26 EST
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From: gerry feid [74146,162]
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Subj: News from CLAUG.
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Message response to BEKENNEDY. My Genie address is G.FEID. I rarely get on CIS
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anymore -
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DO IT YOURSELF HARD DISK DRIVE
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The only CLAUG project being worked on right now is a Hard Drive project. It is
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being done as an educational program where the group is getting together all
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the parts for a 20meg Hard Drive, including the drive, cables, a Berkeley
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BMS-100 board, case and power supply for approximately $400, and the people who
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have ordered and paid for them will all get together in a one or two night
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session and assemble the units for themselves. This will accomplish several
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things - First, it will allow an ST owner to get a brand new HD for $400 or so.
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Second, it will give the uninitiated a new look at the inside workings of a
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Hard drive, and Third, it will give the drive owner a sense of accomplishment
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because they are literally building it themselves from a pile of parts.
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CONNECT STANDARD IBM DRIVE TO ST
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Yes, it is VERY possible to attach a 5 1/4- IBM drive DIRECTLY to your ST. All
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you need is an inexpensive 360k 5 1/4- floppy drive and a cable with a 34 pin
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connector on one end, and an ST drive connector on the other. Plug the 34 pin
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edge card connector into the circuit board on the IBM drive, and plug the ST
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DIN connector into your A drive, and you are ready to go! This can be done
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fairly inexpensively by ordering the case, power supply, and drive separately -
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as low as $126, and then getting the cable. Make that $125. The cable is the
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hard part. There is only one place I know of that makes them for sale, and that
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is E. Arthur Brown in (I believe) Minnesota. They want $40 + shipping for the
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cables. If there is enough interest from your group I suggest that you get a
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local supporting dealer to order you a bunch of cables, drives, cases, etc.,
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and that you hold the same type of seminar - have the people assemble their own
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drives as a project. It saves them money, they get a drive they need, and it
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gives people who are basically afraid of the inner workings of hardware a
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chance to 'Get their feet wet' a little by doing something that is NOT
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technical or dangerous. If you want more info, let me know - I'll be glad to
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help.
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Gerry.
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Messages uploaded with permission by Bruce Kennedy. CIS: 72327,1500. Genie:
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BEKENNEDY
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_______________________________________
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ORIGIN OF THE ZMAGAZINE NAME
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_______________________________________
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The following are excerpts from a message from Bruce Kennedy. The subject
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discussed is the origin of the Zmag name.
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I PICKED IT UP FROM TWO BBS MENUS IN THE CHICAGO AREA. ALAN REEVE WAS THE ASST.
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SYSOP ON ONE OF THEM, WHICH HAS SINCE CLOSED DOWN. THE OTHER WAS Gerry Feid's
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Claug II board which has since become Blue Moon. Those old Boards ran a Zmag
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section but nobody was contributing. When I made it happen, that's when it
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started. I liked it on a menu because it always scrolled up at the bottom. My
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objective was to target new users and emphasize user friendly programs
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epitomized by KL's 1030 Express!
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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* *
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* FoReM BBS Coupon Offer *
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* The Most Powerful BBS System for Atari ST & IBM *
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* Exclusively for the Readers of Zmagazine/ST-Report *
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* *
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* NEW 2.0! * $59.95 *
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* *
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* Fifteen dollars off if you send in this coupon to: *
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* *
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* Commnet Systems *
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* 50 Eaton Road *
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* Farmington, MA 01701 *
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* (617)877-0257 (Voice) *
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* (617)877-8756 (BBS) *
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* Specify ST or PC Please *
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* *
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* This Offer May be Withdrawn At Any Time *
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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_______________________________________
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ATARI SCUTTLEBITS--NOVEMBER
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_______________________________________
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By Bob Kelly
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ATARI and It's Competitors .........
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Prior to -Black Monday- (October 19, 1987), the stock market had been in a
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period of decline since August. Atari stock at closing on October 16, 1987
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stood at $10, down over 30% in the last month and a half (see September column
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for more details). Rumors about Atari continued to circulate in the user
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community: Gary Tramiel was focusing on shaping-up Federated stores while Sam
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runs Atari, implying, of course, that Jack lost interest in running both;
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dealers didn't have the new products on the East Coast and Canada, implying
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either poor management or a break down in the Far East supply chain. The rumors
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multiplied and I could not verify a single one of the many. Complicating the
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picture is one known fact, Atari fired the last three successive Vice
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Presidents for marketing, faster, it seems, than the blitter chip can refresh
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the screen.
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To the outside world, this turmoil makes Atari seem not only to be at war with
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itself, but also with its customers. Thus, by either inference or divine
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judgement many investors believed something to be wrong in the house of
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Tramiel. Now along comes Black Monday, the stock market falls by 508 points.
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Atari's stock (ATC) drops another 20% to $8 per share. Coupling the general
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economy-wide factors negatively impacting the stock market with Atari's
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perceived unsettled management situation leaves an investor less than
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optimistic about short-term performance potential. I have placed an automatic
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sell order to minimize my loss should ATC decline further.
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While this story has been unfolding, other computer manufacturers reported
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impressive returns for 1987.
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Apple:
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It was all smiles at Apple Corporation prior to October 19. The firm
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experienced its second record growth quarter in a row. For the quarter ending
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September 25th, sales were $786 million versus $511 million for the same period
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last year, an increase of 54%. For the preceding quarter, sales increased by
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42%. For the entire fiscal year of 1987 sales were roughly $2.7 billion versus
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$1.9 billion in 1986, a 40% increase.
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In the final quarter of the 1987 fiscal year, it is believed Apple sold more
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than 175,000 MacIntosh computers, compared with 85,000 for the same three
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months of 1986.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that some analysts believe Apple can continue
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pricing the MacIntosh at what the market will bear since IBM will not have a
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comparable graphics machine for at least 18 months, more likely 24 months. It
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would appear, market analysts simply do not feel Atari at this juncture is a
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threat to the dominance of the Mac. Quite simply, the Atari ST appears an
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also-ran in the business market where the MacIntosh is now considered to be a
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significant force (see table below).
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Market Share By Manufacturer
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(Jan-Aug. 1987)
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IBM...........40.3%
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Apple.........19.1%
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Compaq........15.5%
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Epson..........4.1%
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AT&T...........3.1%
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Kaypro.........2.8%
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Others........15.1%
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Source: InfoWorld
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Despite the success of the Mac, Apple still relies quite heavily upon the Apple
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II computer line estimated to account for nearly 40% of the company's total
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sales. A considerable portion of the Apple II sales are to the educational
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market. Although IBM introduced a machine specifically targeted at the
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educational market last September, sales have been a disappointment to-date.
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This criticism can also be aimed at Atari, which seems to have had little
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impact in the educational market. School systems in the Washington D.C. area
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which were in the earlier years committed to the Atari 8 bit line do no seem to
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be purchasing either the 520 ST or 1040 ST as they upgrade.
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Apple closed at $36.5 on October 19, down more than $25 per share in the last
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month. It looks like a good buy at this price.
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IBM:
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International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation announced it's first
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significant increase in profit since early 1986. For the 3rd quarter of 1987
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profits rose by 12.2%. For the 9 months of 1987, total revenues rose by 5.5%
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to $36.2 billion from $34.3 billion for the same period of 1986. (Did you
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notice that IBM's total revenues over the last four quarters are more than 25
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times larger than Apple total sales for fiscal 1987.)
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Despite this impressive gain, IBM stock did not appreciate prior to Black
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Monday. Investors held back puzzled as to why IBM's profitability failed to
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improve more significantly given that 14,000 employees were laid off at the end
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of the second quarter. On the other hand, IBM profitability was aided by the
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fall in the U.S. dollar which added roughly $300 million in profits and over $2
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billion to revenue over the first 3 quarters of 1987.
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IBM closed at $125.25 per share on October 19. If I only had some more cash on
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hand to buy. This market close was more than $50 below its August high.
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However, be prepared to move out again quickly with the blue chips such as IBM.
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Nibble Bits:
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o WordPerfect 4.1 for the Atari ST is now available. It has all the pull-down
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menus and features that accompany the MacIntosh version released last month.
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Early purchasers say it has a few bugs but knowing the folks from Word
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Perfect, they will be corrected in very short order. L&Y Computers in
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Woodbridge is selling version 4.1 for around $200.
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o A high resolution color monitor is being made for Atari right now in the Far
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East. It will be compatible with both the ST line of computers and the Mega.
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Look for this monitor around June 1988.
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o According to a rumor reported in InfoWorld, look for Steve Jobs of Apple fame
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to share with Atari Corp. a custom graphics chip. According to this report,
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it will be shown at Atari's booth at COMDEX.
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Next month some Christmas suggestions for both the ST and 8 bit machines and
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|
electronics in general.
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_______________________________________
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XE GAME EXPANSION
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_______________________________________
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(C) 1987 The Computer Cache 11/02/87
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128K 130XE COMPATIBLE RAM EXPANSION FOR THE XE-GAME SYSTEM
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by Ray McGoldrick
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I have tested this expansion and found it to be fully compatible with the 128K
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Atari 130XE, HOWEVER I can assume no responsibility for how this expansion is
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installed. The procedure requires soldering directly to IC chips in the XE-GAME
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System and should be preformed by an Atari service center or someone
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experienced with this type of procedure.
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I've made up a 'kit' with all the required parts for $25.00. To receive the kit
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send check or money order to.
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The Computer Cache
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Service Dept.
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700 E. Benson
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Anchorage,Alaska 99503
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or call (907)-272-9941
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Call our 24hr BBS, The Hole in The Wall (907)-243-3522 300/1200/2400
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Visa,Mastercard,AMEX & Discover cards excepted, we can also make arrangements
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to install this upgrade for you. (C)1987 The Computer Cache
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_______________________________________
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Your Source for Sales and Service!
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Flat rate repairs on all Atari 8 bit!
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Quick turn-around on ST repairs!
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We also do flat rate repair on 8 bit Commodore equipment, and also can fix
|
|
your Amiga or Apple computers! We also offer service contracts on all
|
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computers, call for rates today! Be sure to take advantage of our flat rate
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repair on VCR's, Video Cameras, and Camcorders---->$99 (covers all parts and
|
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labor except heads and Nuvicon)
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Midtown TV-----------> 27 Midway Plaza Tallmadge, Ohio 44278 (216)633-0997
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_______________________________________
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GEnie SERVICE HELP GUIDE PART 1
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_______________________________________
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(C) 1987 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari ST Roundtable. May be
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reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on GEnie are
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*official* information services of Atari Corporation.
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To sign up for GEnie service, call (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection
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type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type XJM11877,GEnie
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and hit RETURN. The system will prompt you for your information.
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===============================================================================
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Welcome to the World of Atari on Genie!
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Make sure your terminal program is set in ASCII. Genie is available at 300/1200
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baud and 2400 baud at a premium cost in some areas. Genie works better in Half
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Duplex but if you prefer Full Duplex type CONTROL R (^R) between the -U#=-
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prompt and your user ID and password. Note: In Full Duplex your password will
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|
not be displayed.
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SETUP:Type SETUP at any prompt to change your prompt character, Break
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character, Character Delete character, Line Delete character, Terminal type,
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Page Width and Length. Be sure to set your Character Delete Character to 8.
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(ASCII 8)
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Shortcuts: When signing on to Genie, you can go DIRECTLY to an area by typing
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its page number after your password. Example: U#= user number,password,475,4
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The above example will bring you you to the St Roundtable and selection 4 more
|
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directly to the Software page.
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Pause: Pausing text flow is as easy as holding Control S and Control Q to
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resume the flow. Your break Character selected on the SETUP page will break you
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out of most functions on Genie.
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INDEX: By typing Index at any prompt, you will recieve the following menu to
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help you find an area of interest.
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Index of Services
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1. Short description in page # order
|
|
2. Short desc. in alphabetical order
|
|
3. Long description in page # order
|
|
4. Long desc. in alphabetical order
|
|
5. Keyword Search for Products
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|
|
Enter #, <P>revious, or <H>elp?
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|
|
Selection one will give you a list of areas on-line by page number. Selection
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two will give you a list in alphabetical order. By typing M (page number) or by
|
|
typing the Mnemonic, you can reach your selection very quickly.
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|
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Who is on line: By typing U ALL you can see everyone online. By typing U ST you
|
|
can see who is on the ST area only. U ATARI8 will tell you who is on the Atari
|
|
8-bit area.
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|
|
Locate/Notify: After checking who is on-line you can locate where the user is
|
|
by typing L (username) or notify them by typing N (username) then the text you
|
|
want to send up to 2 1/2 lines. Be aware that the user will NOT get the
|
|
messages if he is in the Bulletin Board or downloading/uploading in the
|
|
software library. The message will reach the user when he exits these areas.
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|
|
MAIL: You do not have to go to mail to Read or Send Mail. You can type SEND at
|
|
any prompt and you will be prompted with TO: Mail address you want to send your
|
|
letter to. CARBON COPY: user you want to copy your letters to. SUB: The subject
|
|
of the letter. Then enter the text of the letter. TYPE *H to get Help in
|
|
editing your letter. Be sure to save your letter with *S
|
|
|
|
Real Time Conferences: A regular weekly conference is held with several Atari
|
|
folks and Developers joining in weekly. A banner is posted when a -formal- more
|
|
specific topic is to be discussed on the door to the Roundtable.
|
|
|
|
Atari ST Conference every Wednesday 7PM PST 10PM EST
|
|
Atari 8-bit Conference every Thursday 7PM PST 10PM EST
|
|
MICHTRON Conference every Saturday 7PM PST 10PM EST
|
|
|
|
By typing M 475;2 you will enter the St Conference. While in one of the
|
|
conference rooms, Type /HELP and recieve a list of commands available to you or
|
|
feel free to ask the users on-line. Everyone is always willing to help.
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|
|
|
Help online is available on-line from any of the sysops. You can choose to
|
|
notify us or send mail no matter what the problem or query is. Below is the
|
|
list of the sysops on the appropriate Roundtables.
|
|
|
|
Sysops: Atari 8-Bit Roundtable Page 665
|
|
--------------------------- -----------------
|
|
Darlah Hudson DARLAH
|
|
Marty Albert MARTY.A
|
|
Neil Harris NHARRIS
|
|
Darryl May DMAY
|
|
Fred Beckman FREDBECKMAN
|
|
Greg Kranich G-KRANICH
|
|
John Towns TOWNS
|
|
|
|
Sysops: Atari St Roundtable Page 475
|
|
--------------------------- -----------------
|
|
Darlah Hudson DARLAH
|
|
Neil Harris NHARRIS
|
|
Mark Booth STACE
|
|
Fred Beckman FREDBECKMAN
|
|
|
|
Sysops: Atari Developers Roundtable Page 565
|
|
---------------------------- -----------------
|
|
All the sysops available DEV$
|
|
|
|
Technical folks online in the Developers area:
|
|
------------------------------------
|
|
John Feagans ATARIDEV$
|
|
|
|
Other Atari helpful folks on the Developers RT:
|
|
------------------------------------
|
|
Cary Gee CGEE
|
|
Jim Tittsler JTITTSLER
|
|
Allan Pratt APRATT
|
|
Neil Harris NHARRIS
|
|
Jose Valdes VALDES
|
|
Richard Frick RFRICK
|
|
Cindy Claveran CINDY.C
|
|
|
|
Feel free to send mail to any of the sysops in the appropriate areas. Send mail
|
|
to CINDY.C to gain access to the Developers RoundTable.
|
|
_______________________________________
|
|
ZMAGAZINE ISSUE #80 Volume 2 No.47
|
|
(c)1987 Syndicate Services/Rovac
|
|
_______________________________________
|