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INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Sun,  3 Dec 89       Volume 89 : Issue 744
 
Today's Topics:
                        DC Formatter problems
                     Mega chips & drive questions
                       NOTATOR vs. FINALE (mac)
                      What Kermit/UNITERM bugs?
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Date: 3 Dec 89 18:59:49 GMT
From:
 zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!uhnix1!uhnix2!ua
 ce0@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Michael B. Vederman)
Subject: DC Formatter problems
Message-ID: <921@uhnix2.uh.edu>
 
In article <891202130458427.GKWQ@RAI.CC.FSU.EDU> BAILEYS@FSU.BITNET (NOLES #1)
 writes:
>Could someone please reitterate the problems with DC Formatter's format
>routine?  I remember some net space being devoted to it, but I had not had
>any problems, so I didn't really look at it.  Now, two of my floppys have
>bitten the dust, for no apparent reason, and I become concerned.  Please
>include which version is flawed (if it is flawed), I have both 3.01 and
>3.02, and would like to know if there is any advantage to using one over the
>other.  Also, is it true that an ACC version is available via Shareware cost?
>I have not yet gotten around to sending it in!
>
>
>
>Bob Marley
 
Version 3.02 fixes a bug which existed in the verify routine.
 
The problem would occur if a bad sector was encountered on one of the first two
tracks.  An alert would come up and say '0 bad sectors.  Mark bad?'
 
If you marked them bad (or even if you didn't) the disk was unusable.  V 3.02
has an alert that comes up and says 'Error in FAT/BOOT sectors'  and that is
that.  If an error in format occurs on the first two tracks, the disk is not
usable.
 
DCF 3.2 is available for a shareware fee (you decide how much).  On the disk
that you get back, you get alot of our other programs too.  It is quite a
deal.
 
As for your disks getting trashed, disks have been known to go bad, and no
formatter can be flawed in such a way that they stop working after a given
amount of time...
 
- mike
 
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Double Click Me | Double Click Software | P.O. Box 741206 | Houston, Tx, 77274
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support BBS: (713)944-0108 | SHADOW | DC FORMATTER | DC UTILITIES | and others
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 1 Dec 89 15:58:23 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E.
 Covert)
Subject: Mega chips & drive questions
Message-ID: <472ae52a.14a1f@force.UUCP>
 
In article <1833@atari.UUCP>, kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) writes:
> Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik) writes:
>
> | Spectre GCR was unuseable.  When I had the 4 meg upgrade done they aslo
> | replaced the two LS 373 chips with AS373 chips.  Since then the machine has
> | been 100% without a bus error to be seen and Spectre GCR is 100%.
>
 
Ken, a friend of mine wanted to buy my SLM804 laser printer. So, as I was
going on a 2 week vacation around Thanksgiving I loaned my SLiMe to him. And
guess what, it wouldn't work on his system! He has a stock 1040ST ( a newer
model where you can just yank the 1/2 meg of RAM and replace them with 1 meg
chips to upgrade the ST to 2.5 megs). Anyway, there he is sitting with a 2.5 meg
1040ST, a SH205 megafile 30 and a SLM804, but the hard drive won't boot!
So my friend scratches his head, re-addresses the DMA port on the SLM804,
and still no go. The slm804 works fine w/o the sh205, the sh205 works fine
w/o the slm. But add the slm804 and the sh205 won't boot.
 
My friend's solution was to go to Computer Works (God Bless Henry Ahle at CW!)
and Henry suggested replacing the Atari host adapter with an ICD host adapter.
And miracles of miracles, the system works fine now. My friend loves the SLM804
(unlike me who grew to *HATE* the beast). But, he couldn't get it to work in a
stock Atari system. It took a third party vendor board (the ICD host adpater)
to finally get the system working. So much for quality and good design at
Atari!
 
So, Ken, any ideas WHY my friend's system wouldn't boot with the Atari
host adapter? Oh yes, he was using the 6 EPROM TOS 1.4 and the AS373. Henry
did the new TOS installation and everything (includeing his Spectre cart)
worked fine until the SLM804 was hooked up.
 
> The hardware guys at Atari are looking into this problem.  It looks like it
> may be a bus loading problem caused by the GCR.  I wonder, has anyone noticed
> this problem occurring _without_ a cartridge plugged in?  The Atari hardware
> guys I've talked to say that the cart port is on the hairy edge - basically,
> if you hang anything but ROM's out there, you're asking for trouble.  It was
> _designed_ this way, the intent of the cart port is to provide ROM space,
> nothing else.
 
Ken, WHY was the cart port designed that way?? Are you guys just too CHEAP
to add a decent buffer chip to the cart port??
 
>
> One other thing, there were some Mega 2's which were produced that are NOT
> upgradable to 4 megs because of the parts used in manufacture.  I don't know
> the details, but just thought I'd let people know, in case you're thinking
> of dropping an extra 2 megs of RAM in, it may not be that easy.  Atari
> dealers should be able to get the scoop on this from the dealer support folks
> at Atari.
> --
 
You know Ken, that is ONE reason why I refuse to buy the new TT. If you can't
even upgrade a Mega ST2 to 4 megs because of some manufacturing decision to
save 10 cents by using a MMU chip that can't address 4 megs, then what does
that tell me about Atari?? It is INSANE to sell a Mega ST2 that is crippled
so that it can't be upgraded to 4 megs. That is another example of Atari's
No Upgrade Policy. Why do you folks do that??
 
And are you folks going to change this policy with regards to the TT/p? Or
if I want to add more memory after I purchase a TT/P will I have to sell
it and buy another TT/p with more memory??
 
>    |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
>    |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
>   / | \  #include <disclaimer>
 
 
The sad thing is that I sold my SLM804 and am buying a Panasonic KX-P4450
laser printer. Much faster (11 ppm vs, 8 ppm for the SLM) and has builtin
LaserJet+ and Epson emulation (and a whole host of other features). And
the 4450 doesn't load the DMA port so I won't have problems with my
130 meg hard drives! I know that the slm804 is faster than any other
printer, but the added features in the 4450 will allow me to use the
4450 with both Spectre/GCR and pc ditto/pc speed. And I couldn't do that
with the slm. also, I will be able to use more ST software, programs which
contain only printer drivers for Epson printers (such as Certificate Maker).
 
 
I am staying with the ST, and will try to buy a TT/p as a Registered Developer
simply because, even with all of the ST's warts, and with all of Atari's
lack of support, the 680x0 cpus are my cpu of choice. And the ST is MUCH
easier to program than the Mac!! But, I am buying as much non-Atari peripherals
as possible in the future. I own two ST systems and NEVER has Atari brand
hard drives.
 
Oh well, life goes on.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Dec 89 19:54:59 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!caesar.cs.montana.edu!blake!ramsiri@tut.cis.ohio-state.ed
 u  (Enartloc Nhoj)
Subject: NOTATOR vs. FINALE (mac)
Message-ID: <4739@blake.acs.washington.edu>
 
For those who are reading this newsgroup and debating
between the mac and the atari for a music notation system,
consider the following:
 
With NOTATOR and the *****  ATARI  LASER  ******  i can
print a 7 page score in under 7 minutes...  and it looks  BEAUTIFUL!
 
I am told by a colleague of mine who runs FINALE ... the much raved
about notation package for the mac, that it can take as much as
a FULL HOUR to print a SINGLE postscript page of music.
 
Unfortunately, i still know people who are buying macs for music..
While ATARI at this time has the upper hand in music sales...
they could easily clean up if they put some effort into getting
ATARI systems in the high schools and universities.. in studios etc..
 
Word is out in the electronic music magazines that NOTATOR is the best
available for any of the home computers.  Fortunately, NOTATOR will
NEVER be ported to the MAC... ATARI should jump on this put some
serious thought and effort into breaking into the education market.
Between music and desktop publishing and all the other great software
already available.. people can't help but catch on to the fact that
this machine is great.
 
A TT would be a great server for an education system... as well as
a fast music processor... fast enough for professional studio
work as well.  I am shocked to have learned the other day that
the developers of NOTATOR who are from GERMANY.. where there are
over 350,000 ST's.. have yet to get their hands on a TT.  David
Small does NOT have a TT yet...   In addition to all the other
virtuoso developers out there..  these guys will make THE difference
for ATARI.  POINT:  "ATARI.. hurry up .. and get the TT out here!"
Unfortunately, timing IS a factor in the industry!
 
As much as i complain about the marketing of ATARI etc.. i still am
a number one fan... encouraging people daily to look into the ST line.
I want ATARI to succeed.  Hopefully, the new ATARI marketing group
can put ATARI in its rightful place.
 
 
-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Dec 89 18:54:53 GMT
From: psuvm!sml108@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu
Subject: What Kermit/UNITERM bugs?
Message-ID: <89337.135453SML108@PSUVM.BITNET>
 
On the subject of kermits and ST's...
 
I also use the Uniterm Kermit to transfer to and from my ST.  it works fine wit
h VAX computer systems, however weird, VERY WEIRD stuff happens with Unix sys-
tems, both System V and 4.3bsd.  It works fine transferring text files, but
gives a potpourri of errors with binary files.  This DOES NOT HAPPEN ON VAXES!
  Ther really weird bit about the erros is that if you set the maximum allowabl
e number of erros high enough, it eventually succeeds in transferring the block
s it has trouble with.  I have no idea why this happens.....
 
Has anyone else figured this one out...
 
Scott Le Grand aka SML108@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #744
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