INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Thu,  2 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 598
 
Today's Topics:
                       atari-bashing/vaporware
                            Bashing mania
                    Calamus PD and Shareware fonts
                         GDOS and Postscript
                        GNU C and sizeof(int)
                           PageStream 1.80
                       Spectre GCR Drive speed
                            TT's VME-slots
                        WordPerfect and the ST
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 23:11:11 GMT
From: b.ee.engr.uky.edu!parsons@g.ms.uky.edu  (Greg Parsons)
Subject: atari-bashing/vaporware
 
     Well, as a matter of fact, you CAN buy a 1450XLD...  A limited few of
them WERE made, and sold.  Seriously!
 
 
--
parsons@b.ee.engr.uky.edu
Born with a stearing wheel in my hand, and lead in my feet!
The small furry one... Rat
All statements belong to someone, who I'm not quite sure.....
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 20:05:05 GMT
From: asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@handies.ucar.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: Bashing mania
 
In article <2201@hudson.acc.virginia.edu>, gl8f@astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg
 Lindahl) writes:
> In article <4694c052.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve
 Rehrauer) writes:
>
> >    Yes, but NeXT put a defacto standard page-description language,
 PostScript,
> >    into its interface.
>
> The NeXT Postscript for its printer is almost exactly like Ultrascript
> for the ST, except the NeXT also uses Postscript for its display,
> while the ST uses GDOS. GDOS, by the way, can drive the Atari Laser Printer
> to "it's fullest" in many respects.
>
> Richard Convert is not exactly the best expert for opinions concerning
> the capabilities of Atari hardware.
>
> ------
> Greg Lindahl
> gl8f@virginia.edu                                             I'm not the NRA.
 
 
Well, I have owned an Atari SLM804 laser printer for over 18 months.
Have you Greg?? And I can tell you from personal experience that
GDOS is at best a clumsy interface. Sure, GDOS may allow 300 dpi
printer on the SLM804 but so does PostScript. An PS has an almost
infinite source of fonts. Where do you get GDOS fonts?? Well, you can
design your own, but that is very time consuming. Or you can try to
convert Mac fonts to GDOS using the FONTZ! program from Michtron.
But, with GDOS you need to create a separate font for each font
point size. So, a single Mac font, or PS font, will convert to
a separate font for EACH point size, and for EACH output resolution.
So, you need a low/hi rez screen font, a med rez screen font, a
9 pin printer font, a 24 pin printer font, a 300 dpi laser printer
font, etc. And as the font size increases the size of the font file
increases. So, a 300dpi 48 point font could be over 500K bytes!! And
that is just for the printer font!! Figure that you will need at least
ONE screen font so the 48 point font could take over a megabyte of
disk space. And system memory. How many LARGE fonts can you load into
4 megs of RAM??
 
Also, you need to load EACH GDOS font into memory to be used. So, your
bootup time increases, and your available memory decreases as you
install fonts. I can tell you from personal experience that a ST with
the SLM804 lp is TOTALLY useless for graphics w/o at LEAST 4 megs of
system memory. and I would like even more but my Great Business Computer,
the Mega ST can't handle more then 4 megs. And there aren't any mega
slot card to expand beyond 4 megs.
 
Also, there are many programs which use GDOS and which are incompatible.
So, it is a trial and error approach to using GDOS.
 
And finally, in order to use GDOS you have to write an ASSIGN.SYS file
which is read by GDOS at bootup. And it is almost a Black Art to write
your first ASSIGN.SYS!!
 
If you think that GDOS is a PLUS for the ST then you should read messages
on GEnie. People have more problems with GDOS then any other aspect of
the ST. And then you have to get a good GDOS driver for your printer.
Luckily I have a half-way decent SLM804 GDOS driver, but for a novice
ST GDOS user it is frustrating to the nth degree. Just last night I read
a message on GEnie verifying this. A friend, Craig Daymon, wrote a GREAT
shareware program called MANUAL MAKER which prints out text files double
sided. It prints all of the front and then all of the back sides. It works
GREAT on my SLM804. But it uses GDOS. And last night Craig got a message
from a new MM user who couldn't get MM to print on his 24 pin printer.
Turns out that he had a bad 24 pin printer GDOS driver. So, the new MM
user has to BUY a 24 pin printer GDOS driver from Neocept or Migraph.
 
GDOS does add versatility to the ST. You can print out to many more
devices then say a Mac could. But, GDOS is clumsy to use, requires
megabytes of disk storage to hold the fonts, and many megabytes of
system memory to run the fonts. And a GDOS Wizard to install it the
first time!!
 
sorry to have gone on so long but GDOS is complicated and future
users need to know that it IS hard. I would be happy to post some
sample ASSIGN.SYS files if folks want them. Also, I just saw a
ShareWare program called ASSASSIN on GEnie. It is supposed to
be a GEM program to write ASSIGN.SYS files. I haven't tried it
yet though. So, don't give up on GDOS.
 
P.S. I have gotten MS WRITE, MANUAL MAKER, EASY DRAW, and
TIMEWORK's PUBLISHER ST to work with GDOS.
 
P.P.S. But GPLUS from Codehead Software. GPLUS is a GDOS
substitute which takes much of the pain out of installing
GDOS fonts, and it is much quicker then GDOS. And excellent
product.
 
Richard Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 17:07:54 EST
From: David Megginson <MEGGIN@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Calamus PD and Shareware fonts
 
Since I mentioned that there were over 50 PD and shareware Calamus
fonts already available, I've been swamped with requests for more
information.  I called ISD, and they're working hard on Outline, so
do not write to them for copies of the PD fonts.  The official source
of Calamus support software, including PD fonts, is Genie in the Atari
Library (p.476).  Call up menu #8 and go into library #30, which is
the ISD customer support library.
 
I am not on Genie, and I do not use PD fonts (we have almost half of the
CG fonts now), so I cannot help.  Could someone please start posting
the PD fonts to the net? There is a lot of interest.
 
 
      David Megginson, Centre for Medieval Studies, Toronto
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 21:43:53 GMT
From: haven!uvaarpa!hudson!astsun8.astro.Virginia.EDU!gl8f@purdue.edu  (Greg
 Lindahl)
Subject: GDOS and Postscript
 
In article <814@carroll1.UUCP> dnewton@carroll1.UUCP (Dave 'Post No Nicknames'
 Newton) writes:
 
>   It's nice that GDOS can drive the SM804 (or whatever the atari laser is
>called) to "it's fullest" in many respects, but it's still not standard.  I
>think PostScript would have been better so we Atari folks could transfer
>PostScript files to other machines which is sometimes useful.
 
Well, you can do it two different ways.
 
The Mac uses essentially two different systems to image things:
QuickDraw for the screen, and Postscript for their "good" laser
printers. This means your application needs to know two different ways
to generate output, and has to be able to make them look the same.
Read comp.sys.mac someday and you'll see the occasional screams about
this.
 
Alternately, you can use the same system for both the screen and the
printer.  NeXT does this by using Postscript for both. But that's
expensive in both licensing cost and CPU and memory. The ST does it
using GDOS.
 
Now your application can do it either way. You can use GDOS for both,
or GDOS for the screen and generate Postscript/Ultrascript for the
printer.  Or, you can use your own outline font system for both.
You'll find desktop publishing programs that use each of these
strategies. You get different costs and different features with each
approach.
 
It would be nice if someone would write an outline font GDOS
replacement.  Then we could have more of the nice features of
Postscript without paying the price in speed. Additionally, it is
possible (if you know the resolution of the output Postscript device)
to automatically translate GDOS metafiles into Postscript. Anyone want
to make a not-so-quick buck?
 
 
------
Greg Lindahl
gl8f@virginia.edu                                             I'm not the NRA.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 21:40:06 GMT
From: oahu!stephen@cs.ucla.edu  (Steve Whitney)
Subject: GNU C and sizeof(int)
 
In article <30975@watmath.waterloo.edu> rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray
 Butterworth) writes:
 
>Has anyone made a 16-bit GCC and library and done a comparison?
 
You can always use this simple hack:
 
#define int short
 
But you have to be careful with constants.  If you pass 3 as an argument
to a routine expecting a 16 bit integer, it will pass 00 00 00 03 instead
of 00 03.  To get around that, pass your constants as (short)3 instead.
 
Of course if you haven't written your program yet, just write stuff to
use shorts instead of ints.
 
 
Steve Whitney   "It's never _really_ the last minute"       (())_-_(())
UCLA Comp. Sci. Grad. Student                                | (* *) |
Internet: stephen@cs.ucla.edu              UCLA Bruin-->    ?  \_@_/  ?
GEnie:    S.WHITNEY                                           `-----'
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 18:08:52 GMT
From: asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@handies.ucar.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: PageStream 1.80
 
 PageStream 1.80 for The ST Ships!!
 
I have owned Soft-logik's products since the
original Publishing Partner was released back
in 1987. I still use PP 1.03 instead of Page
Stream as I was never satisfied with the
reliability of PgS 1.5.
 
Well, I don't have PgS 1.80 yet, but I did get a
real nice package in the US Mail from Soft-Logik.
The package was 70 page, small-manual sized
newsletter titled "Soft-Logik Review Vol. II,
No. 1". I was surprised to receive the newsletter
as I haven't heard anythin from SL in six months.
I had tried PgS 1.5 was decided that Calamus 1.09
was better. So, I stopped reading GEnie messages,
and talking to SL.
 
The newsletter is very nicely organized with an
attractive cover page, a Table Of Contents, six
appendices, and an index. The newsletter is designed
to slip into your PgS manual binder, which is a
nice touch.
 
The newsletter describes the new features in PgS
1.80, how to order it, and the SL BBS.
 
The next chapter (section) describes two new features,
irregular text runaround and Rotation.
 
There is a chapter on PostScript printing, and a
new Beginners Tutorial. the Beginners Tutorial
shows how to install the PgS software, and gives a
sample personalized letterhead and document.
 
The newsletter ends with two chapters on additional
products for PgS. One chapter covers fonts and
other SL products.
 
The last chapter is probably the best part of this
newsletter. It is a collection of third party
fonts, cliparts, and PgS designs. There are samples
of many of the fonts and some of the clip art. So,
you can view the fonts before purchasing them. SL
has even included ads for text special effects
produced with PgS. One ad is for business cards
prepared by Roland Steele in duncacville Texas.
 
All in all, I am impressed by this newsletter. I
especially liked the third party ads which show
the support that Soft-logik provides third party
vendors. It is enough to encourage someone to
develop PgS fonts or docs and submit them to SL.
 
I congratulate Soft-Logik on a fine newsletter.
I will submit a review of PgS 1.80 once I get
my update from SL. I sent them a check (only
$10 for this update!!) today.
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 23:35:01 GMT
From: cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!2fhdbeak@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Spectre GCR Drive speed
 
I have a question for all the Happy Users of the Spectre GCR.
 
I know from experience with the old Spectre that it was significantly
faster than a Mac Plus when doing drive I/O to native Spectre/Magic Sac
disks.
 
Is this speed lost when the new GCR reads/writes to Mac GCR disks, or is
it the same or faster than a Mac?
 
Thanks,
Jim Sisul
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 20:22:25 GMT
From: asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@handies.ucar.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: TT's VME-slots
 
In article <2202@hudson.acc.virginia.edu>, gl8f@astsun.astro.Virginia.EDU (Greg
 Lindahl) writes:
> In article <4695035f.14a1f@force.UUCP> covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert)
 writes:
>
> >Well, that's the answer then. The MEga lacks "profit potential"> I wondered
> >why no cards are being marketed for the Mega ST.
>
> There are cards for the Mega.
 
OK, just tell me about these Mega cards?? The oNLY one I can buy, off the
shelf is for the Moniterm 19" monochrome monitor. And, if Atari still
haves them, just maybe a Math Coprocessor Mega card. But, my dealer doesn't
stock the Math Coprocessor card, so I don't know about it for sure.
 
Please, tell me about all of those Mega cards!!
 
>
> >Internal high speed modem?? Nope.
>
> Why internal? Get it on RS232 and then it doesn't have to be VME or TT
> specific.
 
Because internal IBM modem cards are cheaper then external modems. Just
price them yourself. So, an internal modem for the TT should be cheaper
then an external modem. As far as resale value goes, a used modem is only
worth 50% of retail at best. And even less as faster modems are introduced.
 
 
>
> >You see there are lots of potential internal addons for the TT.
>
> Yes, things like D/A boards. But many conventional type devices ought
> NOT go in an internal slot, especially when you can take a product and
> sell it for the Mac *AND* ST *AND* TT because it interfaces to SCSI.
>
> You can continue to loudly claim that you have the right answers. But you
> have no proof, and you make little sense.
>
> ------
> Greg Lindahl
> gl8f@virginia.edu                                             I'm not the NRA.
 
Furthermore, wouldn't it be nice for Atari to sell a truly open
system and let the Marketplace decide what to add to it. I place
a lot more faith in third party vendor then I do in Atari!! So,
if the TT Tower EVER comes out, which I have very serious doubts
about, I might consider another Atari computer. But the TT Plastic
is just another closed, limited support, game machine to me.
 
P.S. Do you know why Atari Corp doesn't just quit pretending to be
a SERIOUS computer vendor and go back to making Game Machines??
Could it be because of the Atari Stock Prospectus filed with the
USA SEC?? which says that Atari will make COMPUTERS?? If Atari
stopped pretending to make computers and concentrated on making
GAME MACHINES, they make commit fraud?? Actually, the TT
sounds like one hell of a GOOD Game Machine!! IT should be
marketted as such!!!
 
*************** GOOD NEWS SECTION *******************************
Craig Daymon wrote an excellent ShareWare program called MANUAL MAKER.
MM is used to print out hlaf-page sized manuals, on double sided printouts.
MM has macros which allow for bold, italic,underlinging, footers,
and headers. It is GDOS, but given good GDOS fonts you can make
excellent printouts. MM prints out all even pages and allows you
to re-feed the sheets to print the odd pages on the back side.
MM has some canned cover sheets you can use. Unfortunately, MM
doesn't allow you to include graphics. but, Craig has indicated
that with the proper encouragement (shareware $$) he could add
such. Craig asks $15 for MM. Please connect Craig on GEnie. I will
post his name and address here if asked. All in all, Manual Maker
is execellent for printing out small manuals.
******************************************************************
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 02 NOV 89 15:00:38 CST
From: Z4648252 <Z4648252%SFAUSTIN.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: WordPerfect and the ST
 
Mark Johnson writes:
 
> That seems strange, since Word Perfect Corp took their ST version off
>the shelf and put the Amiga version there instead.
 
    How so?  WordPerfect has just released their new version for the ST
and is asking for input on new features.
    Such statements as these are neither helpful or of benefit to anyone.
 
Larry Rymal:  |East Texas Atari 68NNNers| <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #598
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