You know, one of the nice things about rumors is that by the next issue, a lot of last issues hot items are changed, so here goes the latest from "FUNNYVALE":
SINGLE DRIVE DEPT. - The 810 disk drives now coming off the assembly line are supposed to have two major improvements. First, the famous model "c" ROM that allows fast formatting is installed. For those of you who don't know the difference, fast formatting allows the drive to both read and write about 50% faster! Also included is an update to the electronics that lets those of us who have tried to read disks from other drives, you know what a blessing this will be. Now for the best news. ATARI says that once the assembly line has enough parts to meet supply needs, then the improvements will be offered through service centers as you bring your drives in for service!!
OVERDRIVE DEPT. - There is a new ATARI operating system, called (with love) OZ-2. The chips I received were marked as a "b" revision and went into my board very easily. These too will be put into new production starting soon and be offered to you by your service agency about 3 months after they are in production. The changes consist of the following: 1) The disk drives will no longer stop and then restart during use. This has been especially upsetting to those of us in the habit of removing our disks by the sound of the drive and not the busy light; 2) The computer itself will not go to sleep anymore to the O.S. It will, however, go to sleep if the contacts on any of your boards get dirty; 3) The TV. display should no longer go crazy under certain 1/0 conditions. This has really got me mad a couple of times; 4) Sending SIO the hex number $FF as part of an address for a buffer will no longer put the unit into an infinite timer; 5) Pokey timer #4 now works, although I personally have no idea what it does; 6) A vector has been added for the break key. This means programs can be written for us that use the break key to do something besides stop the program.
Now think of this ... If these were the only errors that ATARI could find to change in two years, then maybe we've got a great computer to start with!!
QUAD DRIVE DEPT. - Have you ever heard of a certain 815 dual density drive that was supposed to be sold a year ago. Well the latest rumor (and this is strictly a rumor, not fact as above) is that since ATARI took so long to market it, other companies have gone beyond double to quad density. So, we hear, ATARI will go back to the drawing boards to re-engineer the unit for the higher capacity. They had better be quick, as I understand a device to allow SHUGART drives to run with the ATARI is almost ready to be marketed by an independent vendor!
LAST DEPARTMENT DEPT. - Some misc. items: Optimal Systems SOFTWARE, who bring you BASIC A+ (these are really nice people) are offering an execute only version of A+ for people who write software to use. This is big news for some of us since BASIC A+ offers many improvements in speed and power. For the rest of you it means better programs to buy, so everyone benefits.
Another bit of good news. There is a new series of programs available (advertised in the issue) from Santa Cruz Software that teach you to use the graphics power of the ATARI 400/800's. These are low cost lessons with many practical examples for each subject. Also, the computer is used for most of the calculations, so even beginners can start the lessons, save some of the enclosed examples on their own tape or disk, then write a new program around the method taught. For us hackers who have gone crazy trying to figure our 12 page magazine articles on graphics, these "TRICKY TUTORIALS" are a blessing.
Finally, the word on the light pens is that they may never be released. Write your congressmen then see the review in this issue.
Vic Zinn Music Center
83 South 9th Street
Noblesville, IN 46060
South Bay Atari Computer Enthusiasts
c/o Gerald J. Bransford, President
2301 Artesia Blvd. Redondo
Beach, CA 90278
Michigan Atari Computer Enthusiasts
c/o Ashby Woolf, President
6236 Worlington Road
Birmingham, MI 48010
Atari Computer User Group of Chicago
c/o Larry Hitz, President
15 Mohawk Drive
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
Orange County Atari Computer Associates
c/o John Branom, President
9108 Helm Ave.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708