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INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Fri, 20 Apr 90       Volume 90 : Issue  464
 
Today's Topics:
                          Atari ST Software
           Looking for a Graphics Standard beyond ANSI VDI
                   Message for os9paul@gkcl.ists.ca
                      One world, One CPU, One OS
                      QuickST on the STart Disk
                             TOS 1.4 info
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Date: 19 Apr 90 21:51:27 GMT
From:
 news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!attcan!ncrcan!hcr!jonathan@rutgers.edu
  (Jonathan Fischer)
Subject: Atari ST Software
Message-ID: <1990Apr19.215127.15376@hcr.uucp>
 
    ***************** ATARI ST Software for sale ******************
    All prices are reasonable.  So reasonable, in fact, that
    you feel an irresistable urge to take the whole lot...
    Everything's below 1/2 of the current list price, I'm pretty sure.
    (Some things _well_ below).
 
    Also, I still have the receipts and/or registration #'s for
    the non-game programs (WordPerfect, dBMAN, etc.), so you
    can continue to get updates.
 
    SHIPPING INCLUDED.
                                                       CDN     U.S.
    WordPerfect (I actually paid $175, *sigh*)...      $50      $42
    dBMAN 3.0 (dBase III clone)..................      $35      $29
    CAD 3D 2.0 - incredibly fun program..........      $30      $25
    Cyber Control (= BASIC for CAD 3D)...........      $30      $25
    Video Titling for CAD 3D.....................      $10       $8
    Mark Williams C Compiler 3.0, PLUS: Cdb source level
      debugger, and Resource Construction pgm....      $75      $63
    MT C-shell (multitasking environment)........      $20      $17
    VSH (Visual shell for MT C-shell)............      $20      $17
    MAPLE (symbolic math pkg from Waterloo)
      (requires hard drive)   WORTH $495.........  (Best offer)
 
    Dungeon Master *** with maps and spells ***..      $16      $13
    Chaos Stikes Back ** with maps and spells **.      $14      $12
    Gauntlet II..................................      $16      $13
    Stunt Car Racer..............................      $15      $13
    Populous.....................................      $16      $13
    Boulder Dash Construction Set................      $10       $8
 
    ALSO, the following books:
    ST Internals (Abacus)........................      $10       $8
    ST Gem Programming (Abacus)..................      $10       $8
    Gem Programmer's Guide (Sybex)...............      $10       $8
    68000, '010, '020 Programming (Sybex)........      $13      $11
                       All 4 books ------------->      $35      $29
 
    Reply via email, or at the following address:
        Jonathan Fischer
        2350 Dundas St. W., #1807
        Toronto, ON, CANADA
        M6P 4B1
 
        (416) 534-1314
--
Jonathan Fischer             HCR Corp               Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 14 Apr 90 11:07:23 GMT
From: ecsgate!ecsvax!dukeac!tcamp@mcnc.org  (Ted A. Campbell)
Subject: Looking for a Graphics Standard beyond ANSI VDI
Message-ID: <1854@dukeac.UUCP>
 
Looking for a Graphics Standard:
 
I have been developing for some time a project called "Space Flight
Simulator."  Up to this point I have been utilizing ANSI-standard
VDI graphics routines because (a) an implemenation of the ANSI VDI
standard exists on the Unix micro I have (AT&T Unix PC) and (b) I
thought that it might be possible to port the routines over to other
computers for which there are ANSI VDI implementations, such as the
Atari STs.  I have written my own implementation of (some of) the
ANSI VDI routines for PC-type computers, utilizing Microsoft's QuickC.
 
The ANSI VDI standard does have some shortcomings, however.  At least
as implemented on my machines, (a) it does not allow me to write to
a buffer (from which I can blit portions of the buffer to the screen),
and (b) its mouse functions (vrq_locator() and vsm_locator()) do not
allow me to poll the mouse to see if a button has been pressed:
vrq_locator() waits until a button has been pressed, and vsm_locator()
(actually shuts down my Unix PC but) is only supposed to give the current
mouse coordinates with no information about buttons pushed.  Moreover,
(c) I'd like to try the program running on a workstation, possibly with
X or MGR.
 
This leads me to question whether I should try to re-port the graphics
routines to another standard.  But there are problems here, too. (a) It
can be argued that X is an emerging standard, but of course I don't need
the whole panoply of X (servers, clients, etc.) -- all I really need is
routines for graphics manipulation (lines, points, fonts, etc.) and mouse
handling.  (b) A similar problem would exist with MGR, although it has
the advantage (to me at least) of having been ported to the Unix PC.  In
either case (c) I suspect that I would have to rewrite a graphics library
for PC style computers based on either X or MGR.
 
So -- is there a limited set of X or MGR graphics/mouse routines that
could be implemented on PCs, allowing me also an easy way to port my
application to other computers, especially workstations?  I'd like
very much to hear from you on this.
 
Ted A. Campbell
tcamp@numen.bacchus.org
tcamp@dukeac.ac.duke.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Apr 90 23:41:13 GMT
From: prism!vovut@cs.orst.edu
Subject: Message for os9paul@gkcl.ists.ca
Message-ID: <17768@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU>
 
   Paul,
 
      I tried to e-mail a message, but it came right back.
 
      Anyway, thank you very much for the info on the SONY drive.
 
      vovut@prism.cs.orst.edu
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Apr 90 14:24:51 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!rodan!jfbruno@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
 (John F. Bruno)
Subject: One world, One CPU, One OS
Message-ID: <3063@rodan.acs.syr.edu>
 
In article <4652@hub.UUCP> 6600raft@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Michael Wise) writes:
 >In article <1990Apr13.160323.3616@wam.umd.edu> dmb@wam.umd.edu (David M.
 Baggett) writes:
 >
 >>In article <93.26244db9@desire.wright.edu> demon@desire.wright.edu writes:
 >>>              What does Apple have to lose by liscensing the Mac OS to
 >>>Commodore and Atari?
 >
 >I remember when it seemed like the Apple ][ line had the PC market about
 >locked up until IBM came out with the PC.  The main difference in courses
 >of action IBM has taken in comparison to Apple is that IBM has provided
 >the opportunity for clones, vastly incresing their "standard."  One just
 >has to think back to the days of Franklin Computer to see Apple's
 >course of action which contunues today.
 
Do you really think that IBM "provided the opportunity for clones"? Their
main reasons for being successful are that they:
 
   1) Provided card slots in the PC so 3rd party manufacturers could release
      cards to compensate for an inferior machine.
   2) They have an infinite supply of $$$ and a large following of people
      that shout "Now we have a standard!" every time they release something,
      even if it uses technology 10-15 years old.
 
 >
 >If Apple were to license their OS to Commodore, Atari, or whoever, I
 >don't think their sales would really lessen, but that overall demand
 >for the Mac-OS would increase across the board, including demand for
 >the Macintosh.
 
But I bet they would charge so much for the licensing that Amiga and ST
prices would skyrocket to the level of Macintosh pricing.  Overall demand
for the OS would increase because there wouldn't be any more competition!
 
 >When other MS-Dos machines emerged, sales of IBMs
 >didn't drop through the floor, conversely, they have remained strong.
 
Didn't they stop making PCs after the market was flooded with clones?
 
 >I believe Apple has the reputation to insure that their sales would
 >continue to be strong.  Furthermore, a little more competition in the
 >Mac-OS industry certainly couldn't hurt.
 
True, more competition wouldn't hurt, but I don't consider licensing out
the Mac OS as competition, the only difference between the machines would
be the box they come in.
 
 >=========================================================================
 >| Internet: 6600raft@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu    | All opinions stated are mine.|
 >| BITNET:   6600raft@UCSBUXA.BITNET      |      **Save The Earth**      |
 >=========================================================================
 
---jb (jfbruno@rodan.acs.syr.edu)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 90 11:00:32 EDT
From: Bob Stewart <stewart@xyplex.com>
Subject: QuickST on the STart Disk
Message-ID: <9004201800.AA18499@xap>
 
I'm typing this via Flash to my Unix system, with QuickST from the May STart
disk running.  It leaves cursor blobs all over the place and often doesn't put
the cursor where it belongs.  Yucky.  I'd feel bad about distributing software
that doesn't work any better than that.  On the other hand, there is an
interesting mixed motivation.  If it works too well will I want to buy the
upgrade.  But if it doesn't work very well, I have the same question.
 
Now I'm curious to see the response of the co-author...
 
        Bob
 
-----------
Bob Stewart (rlstewart@eng.xyplex.com)
Xyplex, Boxborough, Massachusetts
(508) 264-9900
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Apr 90 20:59:59 GMT
From: chinet!saj@gargoyle.uchicago.edu  (Stephen Jacobs)
Subject: TOS 1.4 info
Message-ID: <1990Apr19.205959.2109@chinet.chi.il.us>
 
A question was asked about having multiple links to a file on the ST.  This
was hashed out recently for the PC in another newsgroup.  It isn't handled
very well (remember that the filesystems are the same).  The central problem
is that changes aren't handled automatically (deleting one name, for
instance, marks the clusters as available in the FAT even if the file still
has another link).  Anybody wanna do a filesystem?
                                   Steve J.
 
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Date: Fri, 20 APR 90 10:28:03 GMT
From: CSTMCS%cr83.staffordshire-polytechnic.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK
Message-ID: <000011A6_00118588.009357B15A5F7660$8_1@UK.AC.STAFPOL.CR83>
 
subscribe
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #464
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