867 lines
42 KiB
Plaintext
867 lines
42 KiB
Plaintext
ZMAGAZINE WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE
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Wednesday, August 3, 1988
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Issue #117
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AMERICAN PUBLISHING ENTERPRISES, INC
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Post Office Box 74
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Middlesex, New Jersey 08846
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PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR ZMAG EDITOR
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Ron Kovacs R.F. Mariano John Deegan
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ZMag Hdqts North ZMag Hdqts Midwest ZMag Hdqts South Zmag Hdqts West
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(201) 343-1426 (216) 784-0574 (904) 786-4176 (916) 962-2566
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=========================================================================
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ZMagazine available exclusively on the following services:
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* CompuServe * GEnie * Delphi *
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=========================================================================
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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<*> Deegans Desk <*> Another One Bites The Dust
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<*> Atari Scuttlebits <*> Tips For Online Game Writers
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<*> 130XE Console Key Fix <*> GEnie Offers Ymodem Transfer
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<*> ZMag BBS Systems
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**************************************
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DEEGANS DESK
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**************************************
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by John Deegan (Editor)
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Here comes the slowest period for BBS systems and the services. Slow
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activity is expected as the summer begins it's 1988 close. I hope you all
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are enjoying your vacations and any time off!
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A few weeks ago we included a survey request, I have received approx 13
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responses, I am really looking forward to seeing more!! So, PLEASE!! Let
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us know your thoughts on ZMAG going to a hard copy format. To get in
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touch with ZMAG directly, you can call the LAUNCH PAD BBS at (201) 343-
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1426. Ron Kovacs will be there if you want to leave any feedback.
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A note for the Carina fans about the articles we printed over the last few
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weeks. Last weeks response written by Jim Stiles did NOT bring a single
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response from the people commented on. Perhaps the article produced the
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missing facts or back-up to previous comments made by Zmag. It is
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interesting though that no comments have been made.
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In this issue: Bob Kelly (Ctsy Current Notes) reports on the financial
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status of Atari Corp, Console Key fix for the 130XE (ctsy of AtariTech
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BBS) and much more....
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Thanks for reading!!
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======================================
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Another One bites the dust!
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======================================
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by Gordon Totty [CIS: 73157,1212]
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I did it. I crossed over the line, fell off the wagon, gave up the faith,
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succumbed to temptation, sinned in my heart (but not like Jimmy, this
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time), slipped on one of life's little banana peels, flew the coop, went
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over the wall ..... yes, all of this, and more. There are so many ways
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to leave your lover, as Mr. Simon pointed out. Before you criticize me,
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though, answer where were you when I needed you. I faced this crisis all
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alone, and through my cursed weakness of flesh and meanness of spirit,
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failed. Yes, another eight-bitter bites the big bits, because I bought a
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1040ST.
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That's why I haven't been around much lately. I have changed my habit
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patterns. I've been burning a lot of midnight oil playing with a mouse,
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and trying to coax it to do tricks for me. Too often, when I point at
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something particularly interesting and bang the little fellow on the head,
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the computer bombs out. I have created displays of up to ten bombs for
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one tiny infraction. But I'm having fun!
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While I am still very new to the 1040, it might be valuable to my friends
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still residing entirely in eight-bit land to read a few of my first
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impressions. Among these are...
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The 130XE still seems to have a better keyboard for typing, at least with
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respect to the -feel- of the keys. Neither keyboard, by the way, has a
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little raised bump on the -f- and -j- keys, something IBM and others
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offer. This is a nice touch for a touch typist to use to locate the home
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row keys with tactile assurance. I solved this on both computers with a
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small bit of tape on the two keys. It is amazing how little it takes to
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send a signal through the fingertips.
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The ST has many more keys for many more uses, as I am sure you know, but
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also has the advantage of placing the apostrophe to the right of the
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semicolon, just like IBM and others. This is the biggest stumbling block
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as I move from one computer to the other. I have to stop and think every
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time I make a contraction or possessive. Other key assignments differ,
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too, but none cause me the problem of the apostrophe placement.
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I suppose I should be embarrassed to admit that I did not know that the
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ST's three screen resolutions were not all available in color. The highest
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resolution is not. One of the things that motivated me to buy an ST was
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looking at a monochrome display of a word processor running on an ST. I
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was stunned at the clarity and crispness of the display. I leaned closer
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and peered through my bifocals to study each letter closely. I was looking
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for the fat pixels and the spaces between them, and saw none. -Wow!- I
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said, and that summed it up. Double wow. It was beautiful. It is also
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nonexistent on the color monitor. My early impression is that letter for
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letter, and considering that the 80-column display makes letters smaller
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than the 40-column display, I am experiencing a sensation of no better
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resolution doing word processing on an ST compared to my 130XE. This is
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a very subjective assessment, possibly influenced by bifocals and false
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expectations based on the monochrome display, so please don't write in to
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snow me with technical data. I merely caution those of you who have not
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crossed the big divide to consider the importance of this to you before
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you jump, and do some good A/B comparisons to experience it first. Avoid
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being disappointed like I was. Then jump; it's still worth the trip.
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As for resolution, the ST's medium resolution mode is weird! There is a
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distortion where the vertical is exaggerated relative to the horizontal.
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Things look tall and skinny, distorted -- there's no better word for it.
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This is another disappointment. It does not show up in a lot of the
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commercial software as they appear somehow to compensate for this in the
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graphics, but text is another matter. I see this distortion in the text
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of my word processor, though not quite to the degree as it appears in the
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icons in the initial screen.
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Speaking of software brings me to the major advantage of the ST. The
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programs are, largely, awesome. I am amazed to remember the days of the
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400 with its 16K limit, and contrast them to today's ST software. It is
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nothing for these programs to use 200K, 300K, or more! I even have a
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couple of demo disks that will not run on an unexpanded 520ST. And,
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splurging on the bytes shows in what you see on the screen and what you
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can do. Thank goodness for the cheap chip.
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I'm going to stop here with that train of thought, as my intention is not
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to do a complete comparison (what would be the point!), or even to do a
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complete catalog of what might be right or wrong with the ST. I have
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shared with you what I intended: the most important of my first
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impressions. Unfortunately, some were strongly negative, but I am glad to
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be an STer. Overall, it is quite a machine!
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As of this writing, A.N.A.L.O.G. owes me 16 issues, as I renewed just as
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they ran into -printing difficulties-. I am still wondering if the main
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printing difficulty is getting cash to the printer. So, while looking
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around for something else in which to read about the ST, I came across ST
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X-PRESS. By all means, get a copy of this magazine if you haven't seen it
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yet. It is jammed with ST news and reviews. The two issues I have seen
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are each about 80 pages long, and this is 80 pages of nearly uninterrupted
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text. So far, ST X-PRESS carries very little advertising. ST X-PRESS
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just celebrated the end of its first year of publication, and I hope my
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favorable comments haven't given it the -kiss of death.-
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My regular readers (i.e., honey and the kids) will remember that I wrote a
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glowing review of Home Computer Monthly, just in time for that publication
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to die. In fact, my review may have been written after their last regular
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issue, although they did finish out my subscription with some less
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professional product. I am not complaining; they were honorable and paid
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off their obligation to me, which is much more than I can say about a
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certain not-to-be-named furniture dealer in North Carolina who took my
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deposit with him into bankruptcy court, and then sent me discount coupons
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in case I wanted to buy from his reconstructed company again! And that,
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friends, is what a southerner taught a northerner about the evils of
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reconstruction. End of history lesson.
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There are bargains galore in the Atari software market. It's scary. Seems
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like people everywhere are practically giving away the 8bit stuff, which
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I am still buying. Rumor has it that unfavorable announcements about the
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Atari market were made by Electronic Arts and Infocom. I won't repeat
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any of them as I have heard and read different versions of each. These
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rumors may have started another round of dumping.
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I was elated and depressed (a dangerous condition, I assure you) by a
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recent ST software sale. A local merchant decided to no longer stock ST
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software or hardware. Sales personnel told me two reasons. First, they
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are very upset over what they said Atari is expecting from Mega dealers.
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According to them, Atari was demanding that they attend a two week seminar
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at their expense, and buy a tool kit costing about $3000. The tool kit
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upset them more than the trip to the seminar. Second, they said that the
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Atari software took up too much shelf space. Ouch!! This store stocks
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Apple software, as well as Amiga and IBM. I think that the comment can
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only mean that proportionately they are making more per foot of shelf
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space on the other stuff, and believe the space devoted to Atari is holding
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the store's profits down.
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I will not name the store, as I might not have heard what I was told
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correctly, or I might have misinterpreted the significance of the comment
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about Atari software. For whatever reasons, however, this store ran one
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heck of an Atari sale --- 70% off all software. My elation, tempered by
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sadness at seeing another one bite the dust, came from my just happening
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to walk into this place at just the right time. The sale had just begun;
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the ad had not yet run! (Good Lord, poetry too?) I immediately grabbed
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about seven titles plus a book off the shelves, and went back the next
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morning to buy six more titles. A buyer's bonanza. It felt good, but I
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hope I do not see any more of this. Come on folks, I just got here!!!
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Let's stay in business, shall we?
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One thing that hurt was my budget. I walked away from a laser printer for
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less than $1,000. And I had to swallow an urge to say, -I'll take all of
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the software!- Wouldn't I have been a hero on rummage sale night! Or
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swap night, or whatever it is that we call my favorite meeting night.
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Last thought for this month: Are you an -Atarist- or an -Atarian-? I'm
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seeing Atarist showing up in publications lately. I prefer Atarian,
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because it preserves the Atari name, both when pronounced and when read.
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I hope this doesn't turn into another group splitting debate, like eight
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vs. sixteen you-know-whats. I plan to continue using both computers, and
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have already installed a data switch for both to access my printer. As
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for the names, whichever you choose has got to be vastly preferable to
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being described by as ugly a word as -Michigander-. Good grief, I'd
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rather be goosed!
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P.S. Drop me a line on CompuServe, or on GEnie (GORDON-TOTTY). I'd love to
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get some reactions to my written rantings. Since my very first submission,
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when Anne McBain Ezell called me at home, I never know if I'm wasting your
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time or not. As for me, I usually smile when I see my articles printed
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(ego trip!), then fly into uncontrollable rage if the editor changes a
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comma (BIGGER EGO TRIP!!). That's not enough psychic income, folks,
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which may be the real gripe when people say volunteer work is -thankless.-
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Please understand that I'm fishing for feedback, not just strokes. So,
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feedback, please.
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======================================
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ATARI SCUTTLEBITS Bob Kelly
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======================================
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Atari Market Happenings .......
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I. Annual Report:
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In mid-May, as an Atari stock owner, I received the 1987 annual report.
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Some investors will tell you that a firm's annual report is largely a
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propaganda exercise. This simply is not correct. The reports are
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required to present general financial data in compliance with Federal
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statutes that are of value and interest. The table below, from the 1987
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annual report, lists the major stockholders and salaries of those running
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the corporation.
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Common Stock Ownership* and the Five Highest Paid Executive Officers
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Amount
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Name (millions Percent Dollar (1)
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of Owner of shares) of Stock Compensation
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J. Tramiel 25.3 43.9% ---
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Warner Comm, Inc. 14.2 24.6% N.A.
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Sam Tramiel 1.1 1.9% 211,798
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Leonard I. Schreiber .220 ---
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Samuel Chin .193 --- 158,207
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Gregory A. Pratt .177 --- 157,632
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Michael Rosenberg .050 ---
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Taro Tokai ? --- 198,720
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Steven Kawalick ? --- 109,618
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* As of April 11, 1988
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(1) Compensation includes salaries, bonuses and employer contribution to
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life insurance policies.
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There are some unfamiliar names presented in the table. Mr. Chin is a
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Vice President and served as General Manager of Atari's Taiwan
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manufacturing facility from 1985 to 1987. Mr. Schreiber is, in essence,
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Jack Tramiel's personal counsel while also a member of the Board of
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Directors. Mr. Pratt is the Vice-President for Finance/Chief Financial
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Officer for Atari. Mr. Rosenberg is a member of the Board of Directors.
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Mr. Tokai is the Vice-President and General Manager for Atari, Japan. Mr.
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Kawalick is Atari's Treasurer. Except for Mr. Kawalick and Mr. Rosenberg,
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all senior executive officers at Atari worked for Commodore Ltd., at one
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time or another.
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A few of the more interesting facts/claims presented in the 1987 annual
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report are:
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<*> Federated stores' operating losses are expected to continue for the
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first three quarters of 1988. By year end, Federated is projected to
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achieve break-even by Atari.
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Comment: The fourth quarter holiday sales period is the critical variable
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in this projection. In essence, Atari's overall growth in the price of
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its stock by the end of 1988 will largely depend upon the speed of
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Federated's recovery.
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<*> Research & Development outlays, as a percent of sales, declined from
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6% in 1986 to 5% in 1987.
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<*> In West Germany, Atari computers represent 10% of the total market for
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computers selling over 1000 Deutsch Marks (roughly equivalent to U.S.
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$600).
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<*> In Switzerland, the Atari ST's share is about 30% of the educational
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market.
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<*> In the United Kingdom, Atari sales accounted for some 40% of the 16
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bit computer market.
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<*> In the U.S., over 1000 schools use ST's for math, reading, and
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language skills.
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In 1987, Atari's revenue (net sales) from the electronic products division
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(computers) was $362 million and for retail operations (Federated Stores)
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$131 million yielding a total of $493 million. The operating income was
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$72 million for the electronic products division while Federated stores
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experienced an operating loss of $6.4 million. Interestingly enough, of
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the total $493 million in revenues, $267 was generated in North America
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with Europe's share amounting to roughly $204 million. Europe's revenues
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were all computer related while Federated sales of $131 million must be
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deducted from the U.S. and Canada net sale figure to be somewhat
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comparable. Thus, as best can be determined, European computer sales were
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roughly $50 to $65 million more than those of North America.
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Finally, earnings per share for the electronic products division alone
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rose from 53 cents in 1986 to 80 cents/share in 1987, an increase of 51%.
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Considering this performance, one would expect Atari's current stock price
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to be on the rise. However, it remains below the average of $10 7/8 for
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the week prior to the Oct. 19, 1987 crash (as of early June the price per/
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share ranged between $7 & $7 1/2).
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II. Glasnost and Atari:
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A U.S. firm will be the first to publish a personal computer magazine in
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the U.S.S.R. The magazine to be printed in the Russian language will be
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under the editorial control of the publisher of PC World - IDG.
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The first issue of the magazine is scheduled for publication this month
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and will cost the equivalent of U.S. $3.20 per copy. Currently,
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the number of PC users in Russia is small and little information about
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computer developments is transmitted to the general population. About a
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third of the magazine's content will focus upon developments in Russia
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with the remainder covering the U.S. and European computer markets. The
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first issue is expected to be a run of 50,000 copies. The Soviet staff
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of the magazine will consist of seven writers and editors.
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What does this have to do with Atari? Atari will advertise in the
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magazine. The other companies planning to advertise are: Ashton-Tate,
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MicroSoft, and Siemens. The first issue will be about 150 pages with 20%
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of the available space devoted to the advertisers. Ad space is not cheap.
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This looks like a major long-range marketing effort by Atari.
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The ultimate goal of this initiative, according to an unidentified Atari
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spokesperson, is for every computer classroom and factory in the U.S.S.R.
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to have an ST on the desk and a picture of Jack on the walls next to Lenin
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and Gorbachev. Za Zaslugi, Nagradit' Tramiela Dzhaka (Ordenom Lenina).
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III. Europe, Midi, and Atari:
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The Financial Times of London recently reported that the European recording
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industry is experiencing financial difficulties. Recording studios in
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Hamburg, Paris, and London are being forced out of business. The problem
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stems from the introduction to the music world of the personal computer
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and the midi interface.
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During the 1970's and up to the mid-1980's, recording artists did most of
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their rehearsing in record company studios. The ratio of rehearsal time
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to actual recording time was on the order of 6:1 (usually measured in
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months). However, in the past few years, an increasing number of
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recording artists are conducting their rehearsals at home with the aid of
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a personal computer, midi interface, and music design software. Some
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studios faced with the loss of the rental income from rehearsals have
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attempted to lure artist back by purchasing the latest, most sophisticated
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computerized recording technology. This has stretched the finances of
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many companies. Lately, the major European studios have been reducing
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their prices in an attempt to draw back former customers. The smaller
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companies, unable to purchase advanced recording equipment owing to
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capital constraints and the inability to significantly reduced prices have
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but one option available - close their doors.
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By the way, the home computer which dominates the European recording
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market is ... the Atari 1040. Now, you know the rest of the story and
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why Atari assigns such a high priority to attending the Midi Expos in
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Anaheim and New York in September and December 1988.
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IV. Video Games:
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A quote from a recent article in Advertising Age:
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-The demand is greater than supply, and the demand has stayed much
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stronger than expected . . . Last year, the majority of U.S. sales came
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from video games.-
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The speaker was Michael Katz, President of the Atari entertainment
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electronics division. What he is really saying is the U.S. public's
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perception that Atari is a video game company is CORRECT.
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Total video game sales in the U.S. in 1987 amounted to roughly $1.1
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billion and Atari has about 16% of the market based on dollar sales
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(market share is 35% for the number of game units sold). Nintendo has
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about 70% of the market based on dollar sales and between 55 and 60% when
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calculated on unit sales. The best -guestimate- is that XE game related
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sales accounted for roughly $140 to 170 million of Atari's total revenue
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in 1987.
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Atari has hired a new advertising firm to help market its video games.
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The XE game advertising account is valued at roughly $10 million. Note,
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the Atari computer division is without an advertising agency in the United
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States. I leave you with this fact to ponder and its implications for the
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priority assigned by Atari to Mega and ST sales in the U.S. for the
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remainder of 1988. Enjoy the rest of your summer and minimize the time
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on that computer till fall.
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That's all for now folks.........
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======================================
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Tips for Online Game Authors
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======================================
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by Jeff Kyle, ACORN
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I suppose everyone's been noticing a lot more games on their favorite BBS
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lately. What with the release of Carina II and BBS Express Pro, there are
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bound to be more and more games available to play on your logon. And of
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course, as will always come when there is such a market, there is the
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inevitable dreck. I'd like to offer some tips to the aspiring authors to
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help raise their games to popularity. I'll start off by discussing three
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different BBS programs and how they handle online games. Of course, the
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-big two- right now are BBS Express Pro (hereafter Pro) and Carina II
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(hereafter Car2).
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Here in Rochester, NY we have a third that is more popular (in terms of #
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of BBSs using it) than the other two combined, that is the beta test Puff
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BBS II (hereafter Puff II). I'll make notes of how the three compare from
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a game author's point of view.
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Carina II offers a nice way to write games, just by using a MOE (Modem
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Operating Environment). Simply put, MOE lets the programmer write their
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game simply writing to the screen like normal, except that when it is run
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through MOE, the text is sent through the modem and the modem user can
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send data back as if he was right there typing it.
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Also, it allows the programmer to easily imbed the person's name,
|
|
password, or other stats into a print statement through a few simple
|
|
commands. CarII also offers a few extra features of the MOE, that allow it
|
|
to do such things as easily center text, depending on the user's screen
|
|
width. However, they have to error trap for loss of carrier and sometimes
|
|
other modem occurances.
|
|
|
|
Pro uses by far the most difficult method, in that the programmer must use
|
|
many special commands and calls in order to send or recieve bytes to/from
|
|
the modem. This makes it virtually impossible to write one in Basic, so
|
|
all Pro games have been written in Action or ML.
|
|
|
|
Since it is so difficult to easily use the modem, the quality and
|
|
sophistication of the games often suffers on Pro. Puff II uses a MOS
|
|
(Modem Operating System) that basically performs the same task as CarII's
|
|
MOE. It also has many built-in features to display various statistics as
|
|
well as quick access to most stats.
|
|
|
|
For instance, the programmer can even use a Position statement and the MOS
|
|
will automatically use the correct cursor movements to perform the
|
|
function. It also automatically supports the VT52 cursor positioning. In
|
|
addition, the MOS also automatically traps for a loss of carrier as well
|
|
as any other problems. Now for the actual tips on writing em!
|
|
|
|
First off, TEST the programs, again and again. Try all things that the
|
|
user might try and make sure that it doesn't cause an error and trap the
|
|
user somewhere in the BBS. If you are using a high score list, make sure
|
|
that your routine properly functions and doesn't die if the high score
|
|
file is gone. And also test to make sure that it works online and doesn't
|
|
die when played over the phone.
|
|
|
|
Secondly, make it USER-FRIENDLY. Tell the user what they're doing and how
|
|
to do it. Make sure that it is easy for the person to exit to the BBS
|
|
easily if they want to logoff. And if you know of any problems that might
|
|
influence the user, tell them about it so they'll know what to expect. You
|
|
should also often have instructions somewhere in the program, so the new
|
|
user can know what they're doing. Another aspect is SPEED.
|
|
|
|
The users are tying up their phone lines to play your game, they don't
|
|
want to have to sit and wait. One of the worst things to appear in online
|
|
games is the DELAY loop. Different people have different speeds, so the
|
|
faster the program can go, the better. This doesn't mean the program has
|
|
to be in ML, just that it ought to never leave the user sitting. Basic is
|
|
usually fast enough for most games. If you have something that the user
|
|
should read, and then you're going to clear the screen, just put in a
|
|
-Press Any Key- prompt, rather than a delay loop. This way, the person can
|
|
read it as fast as they want. I've been a little wordy here, but I can't
|
|
stress enough that your programs should be able to run as fast as
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
Another thing that can help a game is LOOKS. If a game looks good, people
|
|
would rather play it than an ugly game that does the same thing. Cosmetics
|
|
are important, and you should quickly decide if you want to have ATASCII
|
|
character graphics. Some games don't need it (straight text games),
|
|
others pratically scream for ATASCII. If you DO opt for ATASCII, you
|
|
ought to have a flag in the program to check whether the user in in ASCII
|
|
so you can have it be able to work correctly in both translations.
|
|
|
|
Another thing is if you're writing for a BBS with many ST users it's
|
|
always nice to have support of VT52 cursor movement. In fact, if you've
|
|
decided to make it ST VT52 as opposed to regular VT52, you can include
|
|
delete and insert lines, as well as color text which makes things
|
|
interesting.
|
|
|
|
An extension of speed is the way your program UPDATES the screen. If you
|
|
can, it is usually better to use cursor positioning to update the screen
|
|
instead of redrawing it. Also, plenty of clear-screens are nice as
|
|
opposed to your text going off the bottom. More and more games are saving
|
|
the top X high scores. This brings up the problem of whether to allow a
|
|
person to have more than one score or not. I think that if you're saving
|
|
the top 20, unless your program will be on a very populated BBS, you don't
|
|
have to worry about one person hogging the scores. However, when saving
|
|
the top 10 or 5, it's very easy for one person to dominate the list.
|
|
That's when you should only allow one score per person. Another nifty
|
|
thing to try to do with a high score list is put everyone's names in lower
|
|
case, so as opposed to seeing, say JEFF KYLE on the high score list, you'd
|
|
see Jeff Kyle which looks nicer.
|
|
|
|
Another basic idea is your CONCEPT. There are games that should and games
|
|
that shouldn't be online games. Some obvious games that are fun online are
|
|
word games, such as Hangman and Lingo, and games that are simply too
|
|
boring to make a game worth playing, such as Russian Roulette, Guess the
|
|
Number, or Computer Mindreader, and the card game War. Other card games
|
|
and board games often make fun games.
|
|
|
|
A key thing is PRACTICE. A nice way to begin writing online games is
|
|
translating them from other computers. A good way of doing this is by
|
|
going to a bookstore and picking up a copy of a Microsoft Basic game book.
|
|
I use Basic Computer Games, More Basic Computer Games, and Tim Hartnell's
|
|
Giant Book of Computer Games. All three have many nice games that many of
|
|
which will translate into good games. My games of Wumpus II, Four in a
|
|
Row, and Calvacade of Puzzles were translated from Microsoft Basic.
|
|
|
|
One thing that helps after you've got the program up and running with
|
|
people playing it is to get FEEDBACK from the users. Ask them what they
|
|
like and what they don't. Their input can be very valuable towards how
|
|
popular and often-played your programs turn out to be.
|
|
|
|
After you've read all this rambling on, I hope you've thought of some
|
|
things you can do to improve any online games you might be thinking about.
|
|
I hope this will help some people with their game writing, and -if at
|
|
first you don't succeed, try try again-...that's the best advice. After
|
|
mastering translations, go for some originals.
|
|
|
|
So far, I've written SpuddoDOS 4.1 (a joke program), The Noose, Mixed,
|
|
and Twenty-One! from scratch. It takes a while longer, but it's worth it
|
|
to see people up there having fun playing your games and vying for the
|
|
high score. So get out there and write some games!
|
|
|
|
======================================
|
|
130XE CONSOLE KEY FIX
|
|
======================================
|
|
|
|
The Atari 130XE is one of the BEST 8-bit computers available today. But
|
|
as with all computers, it does have a few small -warts-. One of these
|
|
is the keyboard itself, the console keys in particular.
|
|
|
|
The type of keyboard used is known as a -Low-resistance contact-, the
|
|
resistance being about 1000 ohms or so. As you use the keyboard, the
|
|
resistance of the contacts tend to go up. For the regular keyboard and
|
|
the RESET key, this increase in resistance causes no problems. But the
|
|
console keys (OPTION, SELECT, and START) are read by a different IC, and
|
|
the change in resistance will eventually keep the console keys from
|
|
working. (The HELP key is actually read as just another letter key).
|
|
|
|
The fix to the problem is to add just enough resistance in parallel to
|
|
the key so that it is high enough not to make the computer read the key
|
|
as pressed, but low enough that when the console key is pressed, the
|
|
computer will recognize it.
|
|
|
|
The original idea for this fix came from Alan Haskell from the book -Mods,
|
|
Fixes, and Upgrades- available from Best Electronics, 2021 The lameda,
|
|
Suite 290, San Jose, Ca.5126.
|
|
|
|
One minor problem with the fix, however - it wouldn't work on the 130XE
|
|
that was given to me to repair. After several hours of pulling out my
|
|
hair over this thing, (and anyone who has seen my balding head KNOWS I
|
|
can't afford to do too much of that!) I determined the problem.
|
|
|
|
The resistor value given - 3000 ohms - was too low, for this machine at
|
|
least. This value was just slightly above what the computer registered
|
|
as a key pressed. Any random electrical noise would cause the computer
|
|
to read the key as pressed, which would cause problems with the BBS
|
|
program that was being used. A higher resistor value was needed.
|
|
|
|
Theres no -correct- resistor value to use, as it varies between different
|
|
130XEs. You may need to do some testing (as I did) to make sure it works
|
|
properly.
|
|
|
|
What You Need:
|
|
|
|
Soldering Iron and Solder
|
|
Wire Clippers
|
|
(3) 4700 Ohm Resistors, 1/4 watt
|
|
A small Phillips screwdriver
|
|
Needle-Nosed Pliers
|
|
|
|
How to do it:
|
|
|
|
1) Unplug all of the wires from the computer.
|
|
|
|
2) Turn the computer over and remove the four screws that hold the top
|
|
cover on.
|
|
|
|
3) Turn the computer back over and THEN take off the top cover.
|
|
|
|
4) Lift the keyboard up and forward and you should see the ribbon
|
|
connector at the lower right corner. Gently remove the ribbon from
|
|
the connector.
|
|
|
|
5) Remove the screws that hold the motherboard to the lower half of the
|
|
case. Lift the front part of the motherboard up and then forward to
|
|
remove it from the case.
|
|
|
|
6) Straighten the tabs that hold the top and bottom shields on and remove
|
|
the shields.
|
|
|
|
7) Turn the board over with the keyboard connector facing to the front.
|
|
The connector pins are numbered from right to left. Pin #3 is the
|
|
ground connection, and Pins #21, 22, +23 are the pins for START,
|
|
SELECT, and OPTION keys, respectively. These are the connections you
|
|
need to make for the repair.
|
|
|
|
8) Take the three resistors and solder the wire from one end of one
|
|
resistor and solder it to the second resistor, at the spot where the
|
|
wire comes out from the connector, being sure to cover them with a
|
|
short piece of insulation as well.
|
|
|
|
9) Check your wiring to be sure that there are no shorts!
|
|
|
|
10)Use as little solder as possible, and make the connection as fast as
|
|
you can, using as little heat as possible. Place a short piece of
|
|
electrical tape under on the board under the resistors, if needed,
|
|
and press the resistors close to the board.
|
|
|
|
11)Reassemble the shields and check to see that the resistors are not
|
|
shorting against the lower shield.
|
|
|
|
12)Reattach the keyboard to the motherboard, taking care not to bend the
|
|
ribbon - it WILL crack. It helps to insert one edge first, then
|
|
carefully work the other edge into the connector.
|
|
|
|
13)To test the repair, power up the computer and in BASIC type:
|
|
|
|
10 PRINT PEEK(53279):GOTO 10
|
|
|
|
and type RUN. You should see a vertical row of 7's. Pressing OPTION will
|
|
give you 3's. SELECT will give you 5's and START will give you 6's. The
|
|
value should not change while any one key is held down. This should
|
|
return the normal function of the console keys.
|
|
|
|
Special Note for Techs:
|
|
|
|
You can use the following method to determine the exact resistor value
|
|
that you need. It might save you time and aggrivation:
|
|
|
|
What you need (in addition):
|
|
|
|
Multitester (digital best)
|
|
10K Multiturn Potentiometer
|
|
Some short pieces of thin wire
|
|
|
|
This should be done between steps #4 and #5 of the above procedure:
|
|
|
|
A) Connect one short piece of wire to the center pin of the pot, the
|
|
other to one of the other pins.
|
|
|
|
B) Solder the free end of one wire to the ground pin (Pin 3). These
|
|
connections will only be temporary. Solder the other free end to one
|
|
of the console key Pins (21,22, or 23).
|
|
|
|
C) Adjust the pot for maximum resistance.
|
|
|
|
D) Reconnect the power and monitor. Reconnect the keyboard. Turn on
|
|
the computer with the option key pressed - you should get the
|
|
diagnostic screen. Select the KEYBOARD TEST and hit START.
|
|
|
|
E) Adjust the pot until the tone just starts to sound intermittently.
|
|
Measure the resistance by connecting the probes to the center pin and
|
|
the unused pin on the pot. Subtract the measured value from the rated
|
|
value of the pot to get the proper value. Record it.
|
|
|
|
F) Adjust it again until the tone sounds continuously. Record the value
|
|
the same way as in step E.
|
|
|
|
G) Turn the computer off, and disconnect the cables and the keyboard.
|
|
Unsolder the wires from the keyboard connector.
|
|
|
|
H) The proper resistor value to use will be the closest value that is
|
|
both HIGHER than the highest value recorded, but around DOUBLE the
|
|
lower value. The resistors you will use will probably be between 3000
|
|
and 5000 ohms. Continue on to step #5 as above.
|
|
|
|
If you have any questions about this or any technical questions about
|
|
Atari 8-bit computers, you can call the AtariTech BBS at (813) 539-8141
|
|
or write to:
|
|
|
|
AtariTech BBS
|
|
P.O. Box 974
|
|
Clearwater, Florida, 34618
|
|
|
|
We have many files on easy-to-build hardware projects, memory upgrades,
|
|
fixes and mods.
|
|
|
|
======================================
|
|
GENIE OFFERS YMODEM TRANSFER
|
|
======================================
|
|
(C) 1988 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables. May be
|
|
reprinted only with this notice intact. The Atari Roundtables on GEnie
|
|
are *official* information services of Atari Corporation. To sign up for
|
|
GEnie service, call (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH
|
|
(RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type XJM11877,GEnie and
|
|
hit RETURN. The system will prompt you for your information.
|
|
|
|
Ymodem Download Help by Marty Albert Atari 8 RT SysOp
|
|
|
|
Section 1 --- Terms Used
|
|
|
|
The following terms will be used in this document and are correct for the
|
|
actual meanings for use on GEnie.
|
|
|
|
XMODEM
|
|
|
|
A file transfer protocol where packets of 128 bytes are sent along with
|
|
an ending arithmetical checksum to prevent errors.
|
|
|
|
XMODEM CRC
|
|
|
|
Xmodem CRC -- A file transfer protocol where packets of 128 bytes are
|
|
sent along with a cyclic checksum to prevent errors. Note that Xmodem
|
|
and Xmodem CRC are NOT the same and the terminal program must support the
|
|
type selected for file transfer. Xmodem CRC is more error free than
|
|
Xmodem and should be used if possible.
|
|
|
|
1K-XMODEM
|
|
|
|
A file transfer protocol similar to the Xmodem CRC but with 1024 byte
|
|
packets and the cyclic checksum. On many terminal programs, 1K-Xmodem is
|
|
wrongly called -YMODEM-. See the Ymodem type below.
|
|
|
|
YMODEM
|
|
|
|
Sometimes called -Ymodem Batch-. This is a protocol whereby a group of
|
|
files may be transferred all at once by the 1K-Xmodem method. The filename,
|
|
extender, and file length <along with other unused data> are all sent as
|
|
a -header- block of 128 bytes. The file itself is sent as a number of
|
|
1024 byte blocks. The CRC checksum is used.
|
|
|
|
Section 2 -- 1K-Xmodem
|
|
|
|
At this time, the only Atari 8-bit terminal program that supports 1K-
|
|
Xmodem is Amodem 7.52. Amodem 7.52 calls this protocol -YMODEM-. 1K-
|
|
Xmodem, under ideal conditions, is faster than Xmodem or Xmodem CRC. But,
|
|
if there is sizable line noise, Xmodem CRC may be faster. This is because
|
|
if there is a line noise hit on the data block, 1K-Xmodem must resend 1024
|
|
bytes while Xmodem CRC need only resend 128 bytes. My own tests have shown
|
|
1K-Xmodem to be about 20% faster than Xmodem CRC.
|
|
|
|
To download a file from GEnie with 1K-Xmodem, simply select that option
|
|
from the download protocol menu. When GEnie tells you that the file is
|
|
ready and to start your 1K-Xmodem receive, do so.
|
|
|
|
WAIT FOR GENIE TO TELL YOU TO START!
|
|
|
|
For Amodem 7.52, you may set up your receive file before you tell GEnie
|
|
to download the file by pressing SELECT to go to the menu. Press -R- to
|
|
receive a file. Type in your file name with device ID. <ie, D1:TEST.BAS>
|
|
Then select the letter for the -YMODEM- transfer. <Amodem has wrongly
|
|
called 1K-Xmodem this!> When GEnie tells you the file is ready, just
|
|
press START to begin the download.
|
|
|
|
It is rumored that PC-Term and Express! will soon support the 1K-Xmodem
|
|
format. Let's hope that the names are right when they come out!
|
|
|
|
Section 3 -- GEnie Commands
|
|
|
|
The GEnie commands for 1K-Xmodem were covered in Section 2. This section
|
|
will deal only with the commands for Ymodem transfers.
|
|
|
|
Doing a Ymodem batch download from GEnie is easy! Just follow these
|
|
simple instructions:
|
|
|
|
1> Determine the NUMBERS of the files that you want to download.
|
|
2> Select the DOWNLOAD A FILE item from the library menu.
|
|
3> At the -Download what file?- prompt, enter ALL the file numbers
|
|
with a comma <,> between each file number. <ie; 3,39,463,2900>
|
|
4> GEnie will then show you a list of the names of each file entered
|
|
and ask you if you want to download these files with Ymodem.
|
|
5> If no, press -N- and hit <return>. You will go back to the library
|
|
main menu.
|
|
6> If yes, press -Y- and hit <return>.
|
|
7> GEnie will then tell you that the files are ready and to start your
|
|
Ymodem receive.
|
|
|
|
WAIT FOR GENIE TO TELL YOU TO START!
|
|
|
|
8> From here on, the process is automatic! GEnie and your terminal
|
|
program will take care of file names and so on for you!
|
|
|
|
See below for how to set up your terminal program for a Ymodem download.
|
|
|
|
If you have a number of files that you want to download from GEnie, Ymodem
|
|
is the way to go since it takes care of typing in the filenames for you.
|
|
|
|
Section 4 -- Amodem 7.52 Commands
|
|
|
|
This section will tell you how to set up Amodem 7.52 for a Ymodem
|
|
download.
|
|
|
|
There are really 2 different versions of Amodem 7.52 out. The first is
|
|
the -standard- version as it was written. The other is a -patched-
|
|
version that also supports the CModem protocol for use on CARINA II BBSs.
|
|
This text will address ONLY the -standard- version. The procedure for the
|
|
-patched- version is similar, but some menu items have been changed in so
|
|
far as to what letter to press to get a given function.
|
|
|
|
First off, it is much easier to set up Amodem for the Ymodem receive
|
|
before you set up GEnie. This way, when GEnie tells you that it is ready,
|
|
you need only press one key to begin the transfer.
|
|
|
|
Just follow these instructions to do a Ymodem download:
|
|
|
|
1> Press SELECT to get to the Amodem menu.
|
|
2> Press -Y- for Ymodem Batch Receive.
|
|
3> You may be asked if the buffer may be cleared. Clear it to continue
|
|
the download set up.
|
|
4> Next, you will be asked on what drive to store the files. Enter
|
|
the number of the drive that you want the files to be sent to. BE
|
|
SURE THAT THE DRIVE HAS ENOUGH ROOM TO HOLD ALL THE FILES THAT YOU
|
|
WISH TO DOWNLOAD!!!
|
|
5> At this time, you will be returned to GEnie with the note from
|
|
Amodem to press START to begin your receive file.
|
|
6> Refer to Section 3 to set up GEnie and begin your receive file.
|
|
|
|
A Few Notes....
|
|
|
|
A few notes just for your information are in order about the way that the
|
|
various transfers are handled.
|
|
|
|
One of the disadvantages to Xmodem is that there may be a number of
|
|
-extra- bytes appended to the end of the downloaded file. This is commonly
|
|
called -padding- and is there to fill up the file to the next multiple of
|
|
128, or 1024 in the case of 1K-Xmodem. This means that with Xmodem/Xmodem
|
|
CRC, you may have as many as 127 bytes of padding and for 1K-Xmodem you
|
|
can have as many as 1023 padding bytes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ymodem overcomes this by sending the file length as part of the header
|
|
block. The actual file length is all that is saved on the receiving end.
|
|
This alone should be enticement enough to use Ymodem!
|
|
|
|
As stated in Section 1, when using Ymodem, you need not specify a file
|
|
name. This is done for you. In other words, to download 4 files with
|
|
Xmodem, you need to type in manually 4 filenames and actually set up your
|
|
terminal program to receive 4 different files. With Ymodem, you do one
|
|
set up with no filename. Ymodem does the rest for you.
|
|
|
|
For those that wish to download a large number of files, this can be a
|
|
real time saver!
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
|
|
|
|
Now you know how to do 1K-Xmodem and Ymodem downloads from GEnie with your
|
|
Atari 8-bit computer. We hope that this will speed up your downloading
|
|
considerably, thereby saving you time and money.
|
|
|
|
Thanks for your support!
|
|
|
|
======================================
|
|
ZMAG BBS Systems
|
|
======================================
|
|
|
|
Here are a few ZMag BBS Systems!
|
|
|
|
Reg. Number BBS Name Number
|
|
==================================================
|
|
X004-609 CCCBS 609-451-7475
|
|
X006-718 Dateline BBS 718-648-0947
|
|
X008-301 Ratcom BBS 301-437-9813
|
|
S112-403 68000 Mice 403-242-0706
|
|
Z139-707 Elsinore Brewery 707-437-6366
|
|
Z154-415 Eagle BBS 415-565-9742
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zmagazine Issue #117 August 3, 1988 (c) 1988 APEInc
|
|
All Rights Reserved.
|