=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Thu, 30 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 729
 
Today's Topics:
                     'Form' math prog details....
                        A LEGAL Mac emulator!
               ICD Software: Many thanks and a question
                       LaserPrinters and the ST
                   MacDraw,PS,ED,Diction,NEODESK...
                     Mega chips & drive questions
                               META.SYS
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Date: 30 Nov 89 16:02:29 GMT
From: eru!luth!sunic!tut!tukki!suhonen@BLOOM-BEACON.MIT.EDU  (Timo Suhonen)
Subject: 'Form' math prog details....
Message-ID: <2230@tukki.jyu.fi>
 
In article <89332.135731JJL101@PSUVM.BITNET> JJL101@PSUVM.BITNET (J.J. Lehett)
 writes:
>
>      Does anyone have any details on the Form symbolic math program?
>What is the minumum set-up it takes.... etc.  Use, applications.....
>
In manual (or in readme-file) it says that FORM needs 1M RAM and a HD
(not sure about that; I just feel I read it from somewhear). But I think
you should be able to use it at lest for small problems with SS floppy
disk and 1M memory. I have used FORM 1 (one!) day with my 1M 520ST and
a HD. It works really fine!!!  I think FORM is one of the best programs
I have for my ST.
 
Hope this helps a little...
 
--
Timo Suhonen                                           suhonen@tukki.jyu.fi
                     I logged in, therefor I am
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 18:54:38 GMT
From: image.soe.clarkson.edu!news@uunet.uu.net  (Scott K. Opiela,,,2684025)
Subject: A LEGAL Mac emulator!
Message-ID: <1989Nov30.185438.6755@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>
 
I want a mac emulator for my ST that is 100 percent legal.
Is this too much to ask?  Isn't this the "moral" thing to do?
Isn't this what everyone is trying to do?
 
 
I priced the most inexpensive LEGAL mac emulator I could find, please tell
me if there is a more inexpensive way to go:
 
                                         Spectre 128...      $129.95 (retail)
 
(Now the 128k roms, which can only be
LEGALLY attained from Apple Computer Inc.)
 
(AND the System and Finder software that
ARE ALSO COPYRIGHTED BY Apple Computer
Inc. for use exclusively on Macs)
 
(Apple has a nice little package that includes
the 128k roms, and the System software,
PLUS they throw in a Mac Plus for free!
[minus roms and System software])       Mac Plus package...  $909 (edu. price)
 
                                                             -----
                                                             $1038.95 (LEGAL?)
 
This is of course excluding the price of the St to run it on.
 
Doesn't anyone realize this?
 
--------------------------
Totally "tongue in cheek"...
opielask@clutx.clarkson.edu
naas17@snypotba.bitnet
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 17:40:09 GMT
From: shlump.nac.dec.com!engage.enet.dec.com!oldtmr!wallace@decwrl.dec.com  (Ray
 Wallace)
Subject: ICD Software: Many thanks and a question
Message-ID: <1366@engage.enet.dec.com>
 
In article <8911300807.AA08786@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, VBRANDT@DBNUAMA1.BITNET
writes...
>   BUT:  The included ICDFMT.DAT file says Version 3.00 and lists only "d" type
>entries, ie. only disk drives, no more controllers, such as for my Maxtor.
The following is from ICD's READ.ME file -
    In brief, here are a few things you SHOULD know about this software:
 
    o   This current release includes full support for Omti 3520/3527(a) SCSI
        controllers and drives connected to them, most embedded SCSI drives,
        and support for Adaptec 4000(a)/4070 SCSI controllers (only high level
        defect mapping is supported with Adaptecs).  SASI controllers are no
        longer supported.  Use our older version software for use with SASI or
        else purchase a new Omti controller.  It will be much faster than SASI.
 
Sounds like you can't use ICDs V4 software with anything but OMTI, ADAPTEC,
and embedded SCSI drives.
---
Ray Wallace
                (INTERNET,UUCP) wallace@oldtmr.enet.dec.com
                (UUCP)          ...!decwrl!oldtmr.enet!wallace
                (INTERNET)      wallace%oldtmr.enet@decwrl.dec.com
---
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 16:10:26 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E.
 Covert)
Subject: LaserPrinters and the ST
Message-ID: <4725e878.14a1f@force.UUCP>
 
Well, I have finally done it. I sold my Atari SLM804 laser printer.
As you all know by now, I have spent the last 20 months trying to
get decent support from Atari Corp for their product. I couldn't
even get Atari to fix their buggy Diablo 630 Emulator, much less
release the Epson Emulator for the SLM804. There has been a German
Epson Emulator called LaserBrain, which I got a copy of over a year
ago with German docs (which I can't read). but, Atari USA has yet
to release an American version of LaserBrain.
 
And then there is the problem of using the SLM804 with Spectre/GCR. It
seems that Dave Small does have a 144 dpi printer driver for the SLM804,
but not a 300 dpi printer driver. So, even with a Spectre and a SLM804,
I can't get decent print outs. To do so would require spending another
$500 for UltraScript. I wish Dave Small could bundle UltraScript with his
products. Maybe that would lower the price of UltraScript to something
affordable by more people. What say Dave, could you talk to the fine Imagen
folks about bundling UltraScript with the GCR??
 
Anyway, as I really want to use Spectre/GCR, and as I would like to get a
HW PC Emulator one day, I need a printer that is more adaptable than the
SLM804. So, I have narrowed my choice down to two laser printers, the
new Hewlett-Packard LaserJet IIp (IIp) and the Panasonic 4450. Both printers
have serial and Centronics parallel interfaces.
 
The IIP is the cheaper of the two lps. I can buy it locally for $995, but
need to add an additional 1 meg board which costs $200 (third vendor board,
the HP memory board costs $400). So, for $1200 + %$100 sales tax I can get
the IIp. The problem with the IIp is that it is slow, at about 4 pages per
minute (4 ppm), and it lacks Epson emulation. So, while the IIp is cheaper
than the Panasonic it lacks some necessary features.
 
The Panasonic 4450 lists for $2500 but the street price locally is about $1600.
I can buy the 4450 from a mail order place in chicago for $1269, add another
$230 for the necessary additional 1 meg of RAM and you are at $1500. And since
it is mail order I don't have to pay sales tax. The 4450 is 11 ppm, which is
 faster
than the slm804. The 4450 has builtin Epson fx-286e, panasonic 1092i, diablo
 630,
ibm proprinter, and Laserjet+ emulation. This should allow most, if not all,
software to print on it. The 4450 also has dual 250 sheet trays, with optional
envelope and other size trays. The 4450 has optional font cartridges, and I
believe a PostScript cartridge (though that isn't needed with the availability
of UltraScript now). The 4450's toner cartridge is $35 and is rated at 5,000
sheets.
 
So, all in all, the Panasonic 4450 is the laser printer that I will probably
buy.
 
The purpose of this message is twofold. First, I would like to hear from anyone
who has the 4450 printer. what are your feelings about it? Has it worked well
with your ST?? Has it worked well with Spectre/GCR?? Would you buy it again?
 
And secondly, this message points out that Atari users have more choices now
 than
a year ago. The local price of the SLM804 is $1200 w/o UltraScript, and $1500
with UltraScript. Compare that price to the local price of $1200 for the 1.5 meg
version of the HP IIp, or the $1800 local price of the 1.5 meg version of the
Panasonic 4450 and you see that Atari has some stiff competition in the laser
printer area. Also, both Hewlett-packard and Panasonic have a better reputation,
at least to me, for QUALITY and SUPPORT than Atari does. I can buy the 4450
and immediately use it with more ST and Mac programs than the Atari SLM804. I
still can't use programs like AwardMaker or Certificate Maker with my SLM804
since those programs require an Epson printer.
 
Anyway, the net (pun intended :-) )result of this is
 
        NO MORE SLM804 GRIPES FROM RICHARD COVERT
 
on usenet or anywhere else!!!
 
richard (Free at last, Thank God, I am free at last!!) covert
gtephx!covertr  (uucp address, force is my apollo node name ).
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 05:48:10 GMT
From: nsc!amdahl!drivax!g1@hplabs.hp.com  (Bruce Holloway)
Subject: MacDraw,PS,ED,Diction,NEODESK...
Message-ID: <2574BF1B.4092@drivax.UUCP>
 
The SuperPaint native file saving mode is simply PICT2 format, as
described in _Inside Macintosh: Volume 5_. (SuperPaint 2.0, that is.)
MacPaint format is described in some tech note or other -- it's not
very hard. I think MacDraw uses PICT or PICT2 format; PICT2 is a superset
of PICT, so if you build a decoder for PICT2, you get the other one for
free.
 
I've written a PICT2 decoder as part of a larger project. It isn't hard,
just tedious.
 
- Bruce
 
--
*******************************************************************************
* Bruce Holloway - Terminal Netnews Addict       uunet!amdahl!drivax!holloway *
* ALBATROSS, ATARI*TROS @ Plink                            ALBATROSS @ Delphi *
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 15:13:58 GMT
From:
 zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax
 !hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: Mega chips & drive questions
Message-ID: <4725b5fe.14a1f@force.UUCP>
 
In article <5440088@hplsla.HP.COM>, andyc@hplsla.HP.COM (Andy Cassino) writes:
> mjv@iris.brown.edu (Marshall Vale) writes:
>
> |I have several questions about chips in my Mega2.
> |
> |I also noticed that there was a very tiny board on top of the 68000 with a
> |_SCST74LS74B1_ in it and a wire running to an unlabeled spot on the
> |board just above and to the left of the 68000.  Anyone know what its for?
> | It seems like it was a rather last minute change and the glue job was
> | very sloppy.
>
> Hmmm, my Mega has a similar kludge except the extra chip is piggy-backed on
> another small TTL chip. It's pretty sloppy, too. I assumed the dealer did
> this in the ROM upgrade, maybe not, eh?
>
 
 
There has been quite a discussion on GEnie in Jim Allen's Fast Technology
Turbo16 Topic about just this subject. It seems that when Jim Allen came
out with the T16 various Blitters would fail at the higher speed. so,
for some Megas, you have to replace the Blitter. You should contact
Jim Allen at Fast Technology, or d/l the T16 Topic from GEnie.
 
Anyway, the tiny pc board attached to the 68000 cpu on SOME Megas to correct
a timing problem with some Blitters. It seems that Atari has more than one
source of the Blitters, and not all have the same timing characteristics.
So, some Megas have the little board to correct this. Again, I got this info
from Jim Allen of Fast Technology.
 
I would recommend that you get a GEnie account and contact Jim Allen there.
Jim is probably the most knowledgable hw hacker for the ST outside of the
engineers at Atari Corp.
 
I hope this helps someone out there.
 
P.S. I am a happy T16 owner myself. Jim has been a great support getting my
Mega ST working with his T16. Thanks Jim!
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 16:48:10 GMT
From: clubok@husc4.harvard.edu  (Ken "The Snake" Clubok)
Subject: META.SYS
Message-ID: <3298@husc6.harvard.edu>
 
Hi, folks.  I recently got OPUS, which seems to be a really great
spreadsheet (especially for shareware).  However, I have a problem
with charting.  The manual says that one should have the necessary
files if one has a GDOS application, but try as I might, I cannot
find META.SYS on my original Wordup disks or anywhere else.  If
it is legal, could someone please send me META.SYS?  If it is not
legal, or you have some other response, please send me e-mail; Try as
I might, I just can't keep up with this group.  (Thanks to the high
volume of slush :? )  Thanks in advance.
Ken Clubok
clubok@husc4.bitnet
clubok@husc4.harvard.edu
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #729
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