1039 lines
28 KiB
Plaintext
1039 lines
28 KiB
Plaintext
_____________________________________
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ZMAGAZINE JUNE 15, 1987
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ISSUE 57
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_____________________________________
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR-----> RON KOVACS
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ASSISTANT PUBLISHER--> KEN KIRCHNER
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80 COLUMN EDITOR &
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ASSISTANT PUBLISHER--> SUSAN PERRY
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_____________________________________
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Xx ZMAGAZINE OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS
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The Syndicate BBS (201) 968-8148
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The Gateway BBS (609) 931-3014
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_____________________________________
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Xx ZMAG INDEX 57
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<1> PUBLISHERS PAGE
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<2> ZMAG USER GROUP OF JUNE
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<3> LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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<4> ANTIC'S CES REPORT PART 1
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<5> INTERVIEW PART II
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Tom Harker of ICD
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<6> ZMAG ATARI REPORT
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<7> NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE
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<8> HACKING THE JOYSTICK PORT
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_____________________________________
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Xx PUBLISHERS PAGE
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With this issue we introduce to you
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Susan Perry from the Gateway BBS.
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Sue will be re-editting ZMAG issues
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and formatting into true ascii 80
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column format.
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I have decided to make the Gateway
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BBS an official ZMAG Headquarters
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system for 80 column editions. So, if
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you are interested in 80 column
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editions, Please give the Gateway a
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call at: (609) 931-3014
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Starting July 1st, 1987 Zmag will
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have an exclusive BBS. The Syndicate
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BBS will be put to rest and the
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ZMAGAZINE INFORMATION NETWORK will
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take over. New format and new name,
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and 70% text oriented system. You
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will now find every issue, Chicago
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issues, Upgrade information, OTHER
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online magazines, documentation,
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Technical Assistance, 12+ Message
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bases, and more yet to be decided.
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The number is (201) 968-8148.
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Another Online magazine has hit the
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BBS world. It is called GUM, more
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details next week.
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_____________________________________
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Xx ZMAG USER GROUP OF THE MONTH JUNE
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.....Rhode Island Atari Computer
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Enthusiasts RI ACE.....
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_____________________________________
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You can become a member of RI ACE by
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sending a check or money order to:
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RI ACE
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c/o Steve Dunphy
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192 Webster Ave.
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Cranston, R.I.
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The dues are $20.00 yearly. 24 hr BBS
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# 401-521-4234 in Prov. R.I.
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_____________________________________
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Xx LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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_____________________________________
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Ron thanks for the review you
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recently published in ZMAG covering
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the Oasis BBS System. I felt the
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over all review was very fair in
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covering the Oasis BBS program.
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The reason I am asking you to publish
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this in your next issue of ZMAG is
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because of a problem some may have
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had with the review in finding out
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what the number of the HELP BBS in
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Wichita, Ks is because a couple of
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characters were missing in the ZMAG I
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downloaded from CompuServe.
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The number to reach to find out more
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information and ordering instructions
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on the Oasis BBS System is:
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HELP BBS
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316-683-7514
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3/12/2400 Baud
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24 Hours
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Ron thank you and your staff for
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running what I consider one of the
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top information services available to
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the Atari family. I am sure we can
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expect to see bigger and better
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things from ZMAG in the future.
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Leo Newman, Sysop
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HELP BBS
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Leo, I will take this space to thank
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you for your letter. I apologize for
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the error. However, I think the error
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was only in the CompuServe edition
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because I failed in locating it on
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the other services. Since I uploaded
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the issue to CIS, I am at fault,
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Again, my aplogies and thanks for
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your continued support of Zmag.
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_____________________________________
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Xx ANTIC'S CES REPORT PART ONE
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_____________________________________
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ANTIC PUBLISHING INC., COPYRIGHT 1987
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REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.
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By:NAT FRIEDLAND, ANTIC EDITOR
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* Atari's 8-bit computer line is far
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from dead -- with a new double-speed,
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double-density 5 1/4 inch disk drive
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due this summer, as well as the long
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awaited 1200 baud plug-in modem and
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the 80-column box...plus the XE Game
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System that comes with 64K, a
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keyboard, a light gun and Flight
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Simulator II.
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* The ST has yet another new wave of
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remarkable and mind boggling products
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on the way. Within our first hour at
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CES we saw a 4-megabyte memory board
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that goes into any ST without
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soldering, and the Hybrid Arts ADAP
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Soundrack CD- quality stereo sampling
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and editing system that competes with
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the vastly more expensive Synclavier
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and Fairlight in high-end MIDI.
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And these are just quick first
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impressions from the opening hours of
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a Consumer Electronics Show that
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supposedly was not going to produce
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any major new Atari announcements...
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So let's get right to the opening
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round of news:
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8-BIT UPDATE
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We'll start with the good news for
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8-bit users. The XF551 disk drive is
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the big surprise. It's a compact 5
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1/4 inch drive in XE gray, about 3/4
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the size of the now discontinued 1050
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drive and priced in about the same
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$160 range as the 1050. The XF551 is
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also claimed to be 2.9 times faster
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than a 1050 and boasts true double
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density -- as well as automatic
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compatibility with every other
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density format ever used for the
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8-bit Atari. It seemed clear from
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talking to a number of Atari sources
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that a 3 1/2 inch disk drive for the
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8-bit computers is now unlikely to be
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produced.
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The XF551 drive will have a new ADOS
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operating system which is nearing
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completion by OSS, the creators of
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DOS 2 and DOS 2.5. Promised features
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of ADOS include a tree structure
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allowing directories and easy toggle
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between menu or command operations.
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According to Atari's Jose Lopes, the
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key engineer/designer of the new XE
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products described in this dispatch,
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the first XF551 drives can be
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expected to start trickling into the
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stores by July. The same July arrival
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date now holds true for the 80-column
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XEP80 display box and the new 1200
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baud SX212 modem. Valdes says both
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products have been delayed by a wait
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for delivery of main chips, but all
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other components and packaging are
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stockpiled in readiness for assembly
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at Atari's Taiwan factory.
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AtariWriter Plus 80 was operating on
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the XEP80 in a razor-sharp 80-column
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display at the Atari Booth. The SX212
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modem will be bundled with a new
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version of Keith Ledbetter's famed
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Express software which the author is
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scheduled to demonstrate later in the
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show.
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XE GAME SYSTEM
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The first working pre-production
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prototypes of the XE Game System were
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on view atop the roof of Atari's
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large booth structure, along with a
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real Cessna airplane that Atari
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somehow got into the new CES North
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Hall. The Game System is essentially
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a two-piece 65XE computer that costs
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as much as a 130XE.
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But instead of 128K memory, you get
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a light-gun, a joystick and three
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games -- Flight Simulator II on
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cartridge, Missile Command in ROM and
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|
a pistol game called Bug Hunt. At
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|
least 18 arcade and disk best-sellers
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are now promised for Atari cartridge
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by Christmas, including 1 On 1, Gato,
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Midnight Magic, Karateka, Choplifter
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and Blue Max. Most titles are to
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sell for $19.95 each.
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Atari Software Director John Skruch
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says the XE can get as much as 256K
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on a bank-switching cartridge.
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Flight Simulator II only required
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128K. Two hard-hitting TV
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commercials for the Game System were
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on Display. The system is designed
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to be sold in separate pieces
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overseas. Eventually the light-gun
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will be available in the USA as an
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8-bit peripheral. An ST mouse will
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work on the XE Game System in
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trackball mode -- CONTROL-T.
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ANOTHER ST BONANZA
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This CES had another dazzling array
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of ST computer products on display.
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We'll be looking at a lot more of
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them in our later reports. During
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just our first hours around the
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crowded Atari area, here's what we
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found that seemed especially
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impressive:
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Micro D of Canada was showing a
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prototype 2/4Mb memory upgrade board
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that is supposed to install inside
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any ST without soldering. The
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Data-Free Board will sell for $159
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without RAM chips. The 4-megabyte
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upgrade requires 32 chips and the 2Mb
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takes 16. The chips cost $30 each
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from Micro D or you can shop for a
|
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better price on your own.
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Hybrid Arts, the king of Atari MIDI
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developers, was showing their $1995
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ADAP Soundrack digital sampling
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system, which will be on sale in
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July. ADAP offers the sound quality
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of compact disks -- in true stereo if
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you get a dual hardware setup. On a
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stage in the Atari area, ADAP was in
|
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action -- effortlessly pulling
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selected portions off any tape and
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manipulating the sound in real-time
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with a simple visual interface.
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Sounds could be played back in
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reverse, cut and pasted, stretched,
|
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faded and otherwise manipulated, as
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fast as you could click a mouse.
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Frank Foster of Hybrid Arts told
|
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Antic that Tom Hudson is looking into
|
|
the ADAP math co-processor box for
|
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speeding up certain math-intensive
|
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operations of his graphics software
|
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(DEGAS, CAD-3D) such as ray tracing.
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Springboard was showing their little
|
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-publicized ST conversion of
|
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Certificate Maker at the Atari booth.
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Shelbourne Software's 3D
|
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Breakthrough, the first ST game using
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the Stereotek 3D Glasses, was a
|
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spectacular sight. You move through
|
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an elaborate maze by shooting your
|
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way through flashy barriers. The
|
|
disk will also include a non- 3D
|
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version that doesn't require glasses.
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Next week, Zmagazine will present
|
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parts 2/3 of this report.
|
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_____________________________________
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Xx INTERVIEW WITH TOM HARKER OF ICD
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(c)1987 HDUG Hard Disk Users Group
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_____________________________________
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PART 2:
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Last week we began this series of
|
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articles with this interview with
|
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Tom Harker of ICD and Chuck Leazott
|
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of the HDUG. Last week we covered
|
|
the discussion of software, HD
|
|
controllers.... This week we continue
|
|
with Part 2:
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CL) Does ICD specialize or prefer any
|
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particular brand name of Hard
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Disk or controller?
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TH) No, not really. We sell all new
|
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equipment though, not used.
|
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Whatever you request, we'll fix
|
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up for you.
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CL) Great! Do you have any HD
|
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packages ready for the market?
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TH) Sure, several.
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CL) Whats the price range?
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TH) Well, to start, a single 10 MEG
|
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box....
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CL) Box?
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TH) Yes, Hard Drive, Power Supply,
|
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case and controller. All prices
|
|
are current, but may fluctuate
|
|
later on. Anyway, a 10 MEG box is
|
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$499.00, a 20 MEG box is $649.00,
|
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2 10 MEGS (double case) runs
|
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$695.00, and 2 20 MEGS (double
|
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case) goes for $995.00. We also
|
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have a 30 MEG box, which is
|
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really not a sellable product
|
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right now, for $849.00.
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CL) Those all sound reasonable, but
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now let's get to the MIO. I know
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you don't like talking about
|
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problems with ICD hardware, but
|
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let's do it anyway, just for
|
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grins. What, if any, problems
|
|
have you seen in the MIO board,
|
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the R-Time 8 cartridge, the US
|
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Doublers, and the PR: Connection?
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TH) Well, the only problem with the
|
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R-Time is the fact that the
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battery only lasts 3-5 years.
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The Doublers don't present any
|
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problems, and as far as I know
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there is only one piece of
|
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software that they won't run, and
|
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that's Atari's Planetarium. The
|
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copy protection is strange, and
|
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Atari is looking into the
|
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difficulty as we speak.
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The PR: Connection has had some
|
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minor compatibility problems with
|
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some printers and modems.
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CL) How about the MIO?
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TH) The worst problem with the MIO is
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the actual assembly procedure.
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The MIO is so complex, compact,
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and densly built, that there's
|
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all kinds of room for errors.
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When we first started getting
|
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them to folks, we had quite a
|
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large turn-around rate. We would
|
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ship it out, and it would be
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returned because of a faulty
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circuit. Basically, just getting
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them set up and burned in takes
|
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a lot of time.
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CL) How does it look now? Are you
|
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getting very many returns?
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TH) No, actually the drop out rate
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has gone down to about 5% or less
|
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which is standard for complex
|
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hardware products. Every day that
|
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rate goes down. You have to
|
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remember, when you come out with
|
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a product like this one, it's
|
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new, and there will always be
|
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something a little strange. It's
|
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hard to please everyone, but we
|
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try.
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CL) When is the next revision of the
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MIO coming out, and what will be
|
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revised?
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TH) That should be within a month or
|
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so for revision 2.0, amd we'll be
|
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working on the printer buffer.
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SynFile+ doesn't work properly
|
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with it, so we've been working on
|
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that.
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CL) Ok, how about those folks that
|
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have purchased the MIO already.
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Will they be sent the revision at
|
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no cost?
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TH) We're not sure yet. SEND IN THOSE
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SERVICE CARDS!!
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CL) Does ICD sell modems? I heard
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that you did.
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TH) Yes, and I'm glad you brought
|
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that up. Since this newsletter
|
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is a new publication, we would
|
|
like to give your readers a deal.
|
|
We have a limited supply of
|
|
Smarteam 300/1200 baud modems
|
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left. We are selling them for
|
|
$219.00, but we'll let your
|
|
readers get them for $189.95. In
|
|
fact, let's have a blow-out sale
|
|
here and let them go for $169.95.
|
|
However, this price is only good
|
|
for as long as we have them in
|
|
stock. They sell quite fast.
|
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|
[ed. This offer is not valid as of
|
|
this writing. This offer was an
|
|
exclusive offer to the HDUG. We
|
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print this for subject matter only.]
|
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|
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CL) Now that lot's of folks are
|
|
purchasing the Hard Disks, is
|
|
there a possibility of a special
|
|
Hard Disk version of Spartados
|
|
being written? I mean, there are
|
|
many folks who dream for a
|
|
directory structure that can hold
|
|
more than 127 files per
|
|
directory.
|
|
|
|
TH) No. I'm sure you're wanting the
|
|
extra-length directories for use
|
|
with BBS Express! Many people
|
|
have asked the same question and
|
|
we feel having more than 128
|
|
files in a directory really slows
|
|
things down, whether you use a
|
|
floppy, a Hard Drive, or even a
|
|
RAM disk. It's possible, but not
|
|
practical as the DOS really gets
|
|
bogged down in a search.
|
|
|
|
CL) WOuld you consider an upgrade to
|
|
Spartados in any way for the
|
|
Hard disk users?
|
|
|
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TH) If there's a real special need
|
|
for something, we'll think about
|
|
it, but not at present.
|
|
|
|
CL) Is there a maximum logical limit,
|
|
in MEGAbytes, that the 8-bit
|
|
machine can run?
|
|
|
|
TH) Well, using a hard drive you can
|
|
have 16 MEG per logical drive,
|
|
and a single file 8 MEG in size.
|
|
Since Spartados, and some other
|
|
DOS's utilize eight drive
|
|
configurations rather than
|
|
Atari's 4 drive set-up, you can
|
|
have 8 drives, each with 16 MEG.
|
|
So, 8 x 16 MEG comes to 128 MEG
|
|
on a single 8 bit Atari. Of
|
|
course, this will devoid any use
|
|
of a floppy. You can still use
|
|
the MIO RAMdisk as a 256K or 1
|
|
MEG printer buffer.
|
|
|
|
CL) If I can't use the floppy, how
|
|
can I set up all 8 Hard disk
|
|
partitions? I mean, how do I get
|
|
all those files onto that 8th
|
|
partition?
|
|
|
|
TH) Simple. You fill up the first 7
|
|
partitions using the floppy as
|
|
usual, then, using the MIO, swap
|
|
one of the partitions (make one
|
|
invisible). Then you fill the 8th
|
|
up and get rid of the floppy as a
|
|
drive configured in the MIO.
|
|
|
|
CL) When will the 80 column MIO card
|
|
be done?
|
|
|
|
TH) Actually it's all finished. The
|
|
hardware is complete, and now
|
|
were working on getting the
|
|
software to work with it. Soon.
|
|
|
|
CL) Will both the Sparta-X cartridge
|
|
and the 80-column Board be
|
|
totally compatible with the
|
|
current versions of Spartados?
|
|
|
|
TH) Yes. The 80-column will require
|
|
some extra consideration, so
|
|
we'll be sending out a disk
|
|
version of SpartaDos 3.3a along
|
|
the the 80.
|
|
|
|
CL) Do you have any plans for a
|
|
back-up system in store for us
|
|
Hard Disk users?
|
|
|
|
TH) Yes. We're working on a piece of
|
|
software that will allow you to
|
|
back-up all the hard disk files
|
|
to floppy. Basically, it will
|
|
gather the files and copy them to
|
|
floppy, breaking files in between
|
|
so that you can swap disks.
|
|
|
|
CL) Would you consider a tape drive
|
|
back-up system?
|
|
|
|
TH) No.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx ZMAG ATARI REPORT
|
|
...Press Releases from CompuServe...
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
ATARI ANNOUNCES 40 NEW GAMES AND
|
|
LICENSING AGREEMENTS WITH COMPUTER
|
|
GAME AND ARCADE COMPANIES
|
|
|
|
CHICAGO, May 30, 1987 -- Atari Corp.
|
|
will preview new video game
|
|
cartridges at the Summer CES being
|
|
held at McCormick Place this week.
|
|
|
|
Among the 40 new games announced are
|
|
16 games for the 2600, 10 games for
|
|
the 7800, and 14 game cartridges for
|
|
the new XE game system, said Mike
|
|
Katz, executive vice president for
|
|
marketing and entertainment
|
|
electronics.
|
|
|
|
The new titles for the 2600 include
|
|
boxing, baseball, football and
|
|
shooting games as well as
|
|
translations from arcade games.
|
|
|
|
Atari has licensed Cross Bow, a hit
|
|
coin-operated shooting game from
|
|
Exidy; the arcade classics Donkey
|
|
Kong and Donkey Kong, Jr. from
|
|
Nintendo; Mouse Trap and Venture from
|
|
Exidy; and Qbert from JVW.
|
|
|
|
In addition, new titles for the 2600
|
|
are being offered by Activision, Epyx
|
|
and Absolute Entertainment Inc.
|
|
Activision announced Kung Fu Master
|
|
and Commando; Epyx announced Summer
|
|
Games and Winter Games; and Absolute
|
|
Entertainment will be introducing
|
|
wrestling and skateboarding games.
|
|
|
|
Games for the 7800, released or about
|
|
to be released by Atari, include
|
|
Desert Falcon, Choplifter and
|
|
Karateka by Broderbund; Touchdown
|
|
Football, One-on-One Basketball and
|
|
Sky Fox by Electronic Arts; Summer
|
|
Games, Winter Games and Impossible
|
|
Mission by Epyx; and Hat Trick by
|
|
Bally Sente.
|
|
|
|
Atari's new XE video game system,
|
|
which can play games for the XE and
|
|
XL computers, has hundreds of games
|
|
that are playable on cartridge or
|
|
disk format. Atari is currently
|
|
converting some of the most popular
|
|
disk-based games to cartridge so they
|
|
can be played on the XE game system
|
|
without a disk drive. The XE game
|
|
system cartridge allows over 256
|
|
kilobytes of program to play on the
|
|
game machine. -This is twice as much
|
|
memory as offered by our
|
|
competitors,- Katz noted.
|
|
|
|
Atari has licensed cartridge versions
|
|
of Hardball and Fight Night from
|
|
Accolade; Touchdown Football, One-on
|
|
-One Basketball and Archon from
|
|
Electronic Arts; Ballblazer and
|
|
Rescue From Fractalus from Lucas Film
|
|
Games; Lode Runner, Blue Max and
|
|
Midnight Magic from Broderbund; and
|
|
Crowsbow from Exidy.
|
|
|
|
Atari's own new cartridge games for
|
|
the XE game system will include Food
|
|
Fight, Battle Zone, Star Raiders II
|
|
and two new shooting games.
|
|
|
|
The top-selling game Flight Simulator
|
|
II, Missile Command and Blast 'Em, a
|
|
new shooting game, will be offered
|
|
free with the system.
|
|
|
|
Atari Corporation is a leading
|
|
manufacturer and marketer of personal
|
|
computers, video game systems, a
|
|
broad line of peripherals and a
|
|
growing library of computer and video
|
|
game software. Atari Corporation is
|
|
located at 1196 Borregas Ave.,
|
|
Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Telephone: (408)
|
|
745-2000. Atari's stock is listed on
|
|
the American Stock Exchange and
|
|
trades under the ticker symbol ATC.
|
|
|
|
THE ATARI PC: THE FIRST IBM PC-
|
|
COMPATIBLE WITH BUILT-IN EGA
|
|
|
|
The Atari PC is the first IBM PC
|
|
compatible with built-in EGA
|
|
(enhanced graphics adapter).
|
|
|
|
The new computer has more power and
|
|
features than the IBM PC, said Sam
|
|
Tramiel, president of Atari.
|
|
Designed around the Intel 8088 chip,
|
|
the switchable system performs at
|
|
either 4.77 or 8.0 megahertz and has
|
|
512 kilobytes of memory, expandable
|
|
on the motherboard to 640 kilobytes.
|
|
|
|
It is the first IBM PC-compatible
|
|
product that includes support for the
|
|
EGA graphics mode as a standard
|
|
feature. Other graphics modes
|
|
supported by the custom-designed
|
|
graphics chip are CGA, IBM monochrome
|
|
and the Hercules graphics card. The
|
|
Atari PC has built in a Centronics
|
|
parallel port for printers and an
|
|
RS232 serial port for modems and
|
|
serial printers.
|
|
|
|
It will be sold with a detachable
|
|
IBM-style keypad, a mouse and mouse
|
|
port and will be bundled with the GEM
|
|
desktop from Digital Research.
|
|
|
|
The Atari PC will be sold through
|
|
mass merchants and computer specialty
|
|
stores. The Atari PC system
|
|
including a computer, disk drive and
|
|
monochrome monitor is priced at $699.
|
|
The computer and disk drive will sell
|
|
for $499.
|
|
|
|
ATARI TO BEGIN SHIPMENTS OF NEW XE
|
|
GAME SYSTEM BUNDLED WITH THREE
|
|
POPULAR GAMES
|
|
|
|
Atari Corporation will include three
|
|
popular cartridge games at no
|
|
additional cost when it begins
|
|
shipping the new XE video game system
|
|
in July.
|
|
|
|
Games bundled with the XE game system
|
|
are the top-selling hit Flight
|
|
Simulator II, from SubLogic; the
|
|
Atari classic, Missile Command; and
|
|
Blast 'Em, a shooting game being
|
|
specially developed for the XE. The
|
|
new game system is being demonstrated
|
|
in Atari's booth (6540) at the Summer
|
|
Consumer Electronics Show starting
|
|
today at McCormick Place.
|
|
|
|
-The XE is the ultimate game system
|
|
for the serious game player,- said
|
|
Michael Katz, executive vice
|
|
president for marketing and
|
|
entertainment electronics. -It has
|
|
more features and power than any
|
|
other game system, and we're
|
|
including $80 worth of free games
|
|
with every system. No other game
|
|
maker is offering anything close to
|
|
it.-
|
|
|
|
The XE game system features a console
|
|
with 64 kilobytes of memory, an
|
|
attachable game-playing keyboard,
|
|
video gun, and a Joystick.
|
|
|
|
Its memory, equivalent to an 8-bit
|
|
computer, is the largest in any game
|
|
system. That gives it superior
|
|
graphics, dramatic animation and
|
|
realistic sound, and the power to run
|
|
advanced computer games, Katz noted.
|
|
|
|
The cartridge for the XE game system
|
|
can store over 256 Kilobytes of
|
|
program, which is twice as great as
|
|
any other comparable system, Katz
|
|
added. Atari is also selling a disk
|
|
drive for players who prefer desk-
|
|
based software.
|
|
|
|
The attachable keyboard and video gun
|
|
make it easy to play hundreds of
|
|
sophisticated games such as Flight
|
|
Simulator II, which requires keyboard
|
|
interaction. The target gun is
|
|
attached to the console to
|
|
electronically -shoot- at images on a
|
|
TV or monitor.
|
|
|
|
The XE can play more games than any
|
|
comparable system, and the library
|
|
grows steadily as Atari converts disk
|
|
games to cartridges, Katz said. The
|
|
XE game system can play games written
|
|
for the Atari XE and XL computer
|
|
systems.
|
|
|
|
The XE, which complements Atari's
|
|
popular 2600 and 7800 video game
|
|
systems, carries a suggested retail
|
|
price of around $150.
|
|
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE
|
|
........New Epyx Products..........
|
|
........Internal ST Clock..........
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
In an effort to reach a broader
|
|
market of computers and video game
|
|
systems, Epyx has released versions
|
|
of their popular 500XJ joystick for
|
|
the Apple II, the IBM PC, the Sega
|
|
Master System, and the Nintendo
|
|
Entertainment System.
|
|
|
|
All of the new units have the same
|
|
hand-held styling and features of the
|
|
original 500XJ (for the Atari and
|
|
Commodore computers). The only two
|
|
visual differences are (obviously)
|
|
the type of connector used and the
|
|
color of the box (C-64/Atari is red,
|
|
Apple/IBM is blue, Sega is yellow,
|
|
and Nintendo is green).
|
|
|
|
List price for the Atari/Commodore,
|
|
Sega, and Nintendo joysticks is
|
|
$19.95. The Apple/IBM controller
|
|
can be bought for $39.95.
|
|
|
|
Epyx has also gotten into the floppy
|
|
disk market by releasing its own line
|
|
of premium 5.25- and 3.5- computer
|
|
disks. The 5.25- disks (DSDD only)
|
|
are list priced at $9.95 for a pack
|
|
of 10 (also included are reenforced
|
|
hub rings, Tyvek sleeves, labels, and
|
|
write-protect tabs). The 3.5- disks
|
|
(also sold in packs of 10) run for
|
|
$24.95 (SSDD) and $29.95 (DSDD).
|
|
|
|
EPYX, INC.
|
|
1043 Kiel Court
|
|
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
|
|
|
TransTech Industries is offering a
|
|
$25 internal, ten-year real-time
|
|
clock for the Atari ST line. Sold as
|
|
a commodity component (the clock is
|
|
actually the Dallas Semiconductor
|
|
DS1216E, an industry-standard
|
|
component found in many clocks
|
|
today), the clock fits underneath a
|
|
ROM chip inside the 520ST/1040ST.
|
|
|
|
The clock is being sold under the
|
|
name of -SmartWatch-. According to
|
|
TransTech, the user of the clock is
|
|
entirely responsible for all physical
|
|
damage to the SmartWatch or to the
|
|
computer during use (or during
|
|
installation). A fairly good
|
|
understanding of electronics is
|
|
necessary to install the clock, and
|
|
TransTech won't do it for you. Your
|
|
local Atari dealer will probably
|
|
install it for you for another $20.
|
|
|
|
Software is NOT packaged with the
|
|
SmartWatch. Instead, it is being
|
|
released as a public domain TD.ARC
|
|
file (available on BBS's, GEnie, and
|
|
CompuServe). This allows for easy
|
|
upgrades to the software and (they
|
|
hope) for a greater market range.
|
|
|
|
A special installation kit (the -EZ-
|
|
Kit-) for the 1040ST can be bought
|
|
for another $15 and saves you the
|
|
trouble of having to cut a small
|
|
metal bracket. Special discounts
|
|
(5%-10%) are available if bought in
|
|
quantity.
|
|
|
|
TRANSTECH INDUSTRIES
|
|
P.O. Box 880668
|
|
10509 S.D. Mission Rd., Ste. T
|
|
San Diego, CA 92108
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
Xx HACKING THE JOYSTICK PORT
|
|
.......By Chuck Grimsby.......
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
As every Atari Basic programmer
|
|
knows, the joystick port can be used
|
|
to produce nine different actions or
|
|
commands (excluding the center or
|
|
'null' position), utilizing the
|
|
STICK(x) and STRIG(x) commands. The
|
|
numbers your programs look for are:
|
|
|
|
value stick posistion
|
|
----- ---------------
|
|
14 UP
|
|
13 DOWN
|
|
7 RIGHT
|
|
11 LEFT
|
|
6 UP RIGHT
|
|
5 DOWN RIGHT
|
|
9 DOWN LEFT
|
|
10 UP LEFT
|
|
15 CENTER (NULL)
|
|
|
|
0 FIRE, (USING STRIG(0)
|
|
1 NOT FIRE
|
|
|
|
You may have noticed that there are
|
|
some numbers missing from that list,
|
|
and from all lists that show you how
|
|
to use the STICK(x) command. Where
|
|
are the numbers 0-4, 8 and 12?
|
|
|
|
Well, actualy those numbers are there
|
|
and are readable, but you can't use a
|
|
normal joystick to produce them. You
|
|
either need a numeric keypad (like
|
|
the old Atari CX-85) or a special
|
|
'joystick' consisting of buttons in
|
|
place of a single stick.
|
|
|
|
I built myself a special joystick to
|
|
use as a non-moving mouse (my desk
|
|
space is VERY limited) and discovered
|
|
I had also created a joystick that
|
|
would produce those non-standard
|
|
numbers.
|
|
|
|
My brother has dubed this device a
|
|
'Dead Mouse' and it has proved to be
|
|
very handy. It also works great as a
|
|
very accurate joystick for
|
|
MicroPainter.
|
|
|
|
The new STICK(x) list using the Dead
|
|
Mouse looks like this:
|
|
|
|
VALUE BUTTON(S) PRESSED
|
|
----- -----------------
|
|
0 UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT
|
|
1 DOWN LEFT RIGHT
|
|
2 UP LEFT RIGHT
|
|
3 RIGHT LEFT
|
|
4 UP DOWN RIGHT
|
|
5 DOWN RIGHT
|
|
6 UP RIGHT
|
|
7 RIGHT
|
|
8 UP DOWN LEFT
|
|
9 DOWN LEFT
|
|
10 UP LEFT
|
|
11 LEFT
|
|
12 UP DOWN
|
|
13 DOWN
|
|
14 UP
|
|
15 NONE (NULL)
|
|
|
|
The numbers produced through the Dead
|
|
Mouse can also be used to simulate
|
|
the numeric keypad IF you have the
|
|
proper AUTORUN.SYS file AND press the
|
|
FIRE button with the other keys.
|
|
|
|
The following list shows the funtions
|
|
that the Dead Mouse key presses will
|
|
return. Remember to ALWAYS press the
|
|
FIRE button as well.
|
|
|
|
FUNCTION DEAD MOUSE KEYS
|
|
-------- ---------------
|
|
DELETE UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT
|
|
YES UP DOWN LEFT
|
|
NO UP DOWN RIGHT
|
|
- NONE
|
|
+ENTER UP
|
|
0 UP DOWN
|
|
1 DOWN LEFT
|
|
2 UP LEFT
|
|
3 LEFT
|
|
4 DOWN LEFT RIGHT
|
|
5 UP LEFT RIGHT
|
|
6 RIGHT LEFT
|
|
7 DOWN RIGHT
|
|
8 UP RIGHT
|
|
9 RIGHT
|
|
|
|
The construction of the Dead Mouse is
|
|
simple, due to the fact that every
|
|
joystick made actualy uses four
|
|
buttons on the inside activated by
|
|
moving the stick. All you need to
|
|
make the Dead Mouse are five
|
|
momentery contact buttons, a female
|
|
D9 conector, a six conductor cable,
|
|
and a project box.
|
|
|
|
You can save yourself some time and
|
|
trouble by using the cable from an
|
|
old broken joystick, or buying a
|
|
joystick extension cord and cutting
|
|
off one end instead of making a new
|
|
cable.
|
|
|
|
Start by drilling five holes for the
|
|
buttons in the lid of the project box
|
|
a little bit larger then the size of
|
|
the buttons, and one hole in the side
|
|
of the box for the cable to the
|
|
computer.
|
|
|
|
Next mount and secure the five
|
|
buttons in the holes and pass the
|
|
cable through the hole in the side of
|
|
the box. Make a knot in the cable on
|
|
the inside so the cable wont pull
|
|
out.
|
|
|
|
Now solder the wire from the cable to
|
|
the switches following the table
|
|
below. NOTE: Solder to ONLY ONE SIDE
|
|
OF THE BUTTON!!
|
|
|
|
u 1 2 3 4 5 u
|
|
\ O O O O O /
|
|
u\ O O O O/u
|
|
6 7 8 9
|
|
|
|
PIN # BUTTON
|
|
----- ------
|
|
2 RIGHT
|
|
3 LEFT
|
|
4 DOWN
|
|
5 UP
|
|
9 FIRE
|
|
|
|
Now solder pin #7 to the other side
|
|
of ALL the buttons. This is the
|
|
common or -ground- line.
|
|
|
|
Put the lid on your box, and your
|
|
Dead Mouse is ready to use.
|
|
|
|
From experience, the Dead Mouse is a
|
|
very poor joystick, Don't even bother
|
|
to try and use it for game playing.
|
|
It is ,however, a more profesional
|
|
looking device for use as a mouse
|
|
than a joystick, and a accurate
|
|
drawing tool for MicroPainter.
|
|
_____________________________________
|
|
ZMAGAZINE ISSUE #57 JUNE 15, 1987
|
|
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE (C)COPYRIGHT 1987
|
|
RON KOVACS/SYNDICATE SERVICES.
|
|
REPRINT PERMISSION GRANTED
|
|
_____________________________________
|