INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Mon, 13 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 642
 
Today's Topics:
                              ascii code
                        Digidesign Sound Tools
         European software purchase procedure from the U.S.A.
                               HDX 3.01
                        Languages!!! (2 msgs)
                     SeaGate 296n information...
                             TEX files!?
                    TOS 1.4 release notes arrived
                      What's wrong with the AMY?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 20:35:23 GMT
From: brunix!iris.brown.edu!mjv@uunet.uu.net  (Marshall Vale)
Subject: ascii code
 
This is a rather simple question but I can't find any answer in my limited
resources, but what is the ascii code for the _Delete_ key? I need this info for
 a term program under Mac mode.  Flash works fine but in Mac mode, it isn't send
 the right code (well the _delete_ is disabled but the backspace doesn't work
 either.) The term program has options to set key codes so I need the ascii for
 the break key under TOS so I can set it for the Backspace key under Mac...sigh
Thanks in advance.
 
-- mjv@iris.brown.edu
"And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
 Bring me a big, red india-rubber ball."
                                   A.A. Milne "Now We are Six"
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 19:56:01 GMT
From: ogccse!blake!ramsiri@ucsd.edu  (Enartloc Nhoj)
Subject: Digidesign Sound Tools
 
Just got off the phone with a rep from
Digidesign who works on the Sound Tools project
for the MAC ... the 16 bit digital to disk package that
has been available for the MAC for a long time now.
 
He assured me I would be wise to purchase a MAC... that
they have never seen a TT or ATW... though they talk with
ATARI all the time.  Given ATARI's reputation, the rep told me
that they didn't want to gamble with a machine that may
"never be released, or not show up for a long, long time.."
 
 
No, Hybrid Arts is not good enough.
 
-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 11:28:00 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!dcl-cs!gdt!gdr!exspes@uunet.uu.net  (P E Smee)
Subject: European software purchase procedure from the U.S.A.
 
In article <891108.09364408.070835@SFA.CP6> Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET (Z4648252)
 writes:
>    Many of the European ads offer to sell product internationally
>but don't give the procedure:  1) Do we convert $$$ to European currency?
>2) Is there an airmail option rather than ocean mail? 3) Is there an
>internation reply coupon option?
 
You should write to them and ask.  The answers are (1) probably, (2)
probably, and (3) probably not.  Sure worked for me (in the opposite
direction) in dealing with the Smithsonian mail-order shop and with
L.L.Bean.  Though I've probably got an edge since I still have a
checking account in my Boston bank.
 
>    Secondly, what about American duty charges?
 
You pay them.  If duty is due, you'll have to pick up the package in
person at the Post Office where they will collect the duty.  (Sometimes
this seems to get ignored for smallish packages, depends how lucky you
are.)
 
>    Finally, why is it that the more polished European ST magazines
>are CHEAPER than the U.S. magazines?
 
Probably to compensate us for the fact that the hardware tends to be
more expensive. :-)  Actually, it's probably just competition.  There
are probably about 10 ST-specific mags in the UK, plus of course other
'general computing' mags which give the ST more or less cover.  The
population of the UK is on the order of 50 million (not all of whom own
ST's :-).  In short, there are a lot of mags fighting for a share of a
small market.
 
--
 Paul Smee               |    JANET: Smee@uk.ac.bristol
 Computer Centre         |   BITNET: Smee%uk.ac.bristol@ukacrl.bitnet
 University of Bristol   | Internet: Smee%uk.ac.bristol@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
 (Phone: +44 272 303132) |     UUCP: ...!uunet!ukc!gdr.bath.ac.uk!exspes
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 07:24:50 GMT
From:
 mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!bigsur!bnrgate!bcar
a13!fortinp@purdue.edu  (Pierre Fortin 1573589)
Subject: HDX 3.01
 
Allan,
While using HDX 3.01 to format my old 10Meg drive for testing purposes, I
noticed a couple of anomalies...
1. After the format was done, the program claimed that it was checking the
   drive for bad sectors.  Actually, the sector numbers were rolling along,
   but the drive's head positioning actuator was NOT moving.  Then the
   actuator moved about 25% of the way in (like a seek); then about 50%, etc.
   There is no way the format program could be checking the drive properly
   with this kind of head movement.  My drive's head actuator is fully visible
   which is how I noticed this anomaly.
2. Every time I format a drive with HDX 3.01, I ALWAYS get the message which
   tells me I have 8 bad sectors (no more, no less).  Any ideas?
 
I recently obtained HDX 3.02 (actually, just the formatter).  Apparently,
only the formatter changed in this version.  Is this the case?  Can you
tell me if the formatter was re-issued to cover the above situations? Or,
was it re-issued for other reasons?
 
Thanks,
Pierre Fortin
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 21:39:13 GMT
From: davidli@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU  (Dave Meile)
Subject: Languages!!!
 
In article <3289@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU> RICK@JHUVM (Eric Ruck) writes:
>Strikes me that older versions of GFA Basic are in the public domain.
 
Much as we might like them to be, all past and present version of GFA BASIC
are _NOT_ in the public domain.  Version 2.0 was published on the January 1989
disk that goes with START magazine, but unless stated otherwise, programs in
START are _NOT_ public domain.
 
This crops up about once or twice a year, and it would probably be wise for
people posting such information to make _SURE_ that they have their facts
straight, or some poor soul out there is going to have an unpleasant suprise
when s/he's accused of "software piracy".
 
On the other hand, Jim Kent _HAS_ acquired the rights to the last version of
what used to be called Aegis Animator, and has released a shareware version
under the name AniST.  The program was published in the November 1989 issue
of START magazine, and was posted to GEnie.  I don't know about the other
services (CompuServe?...).
 
Anyway, I wanted to prevent some less-than-correct information from spreading
across the network.  Now, back to your regularly scheduled "my computer is
better..." :-(
 
-- David Paschall-Zimbel
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 21:50:00 GMT
From: apollo!rehrauer@EDDIE.MIT.EDU  (Steve Rehrauer)
Subject: Languages!!!
 
In article <8911110458.AA06278@jupiter.nmt.edu> ehsnsr@JUPITER.NMT.EDU (Eric
 Hobbs) writes:
>     I am looking into trying to learn a new computer language,
>but I really don't know which one to try out. The only things that
>I must have is a language that is in the Public Domain or it is
>Shareware (I'm a poor college student!), the language must support
>graphics and sound without too much hassle, and it _MUST_ be able
>to run on a 520STfm with 512K and a 360K SS/DD disk drive. Well
>that narrows it down, doesn't it. I don't really want to learn
>68000 assembly language and I only know BASIC and a little bit of
>Logo. (Pretty Limited, Huh?).
>     You guys and gals are my last hope! Save me from expensive
>languages and ST BASIC!!!!!ARRRRGH!
 
If you just want a better BASIC, I'd suggest GFA BASIC.  I've never used it,
but most people seem to like it well enough (certainly can't get much worse
than ST BASIC, eh?).  I _believe_ the interpreter is (or was?) public domain?
At least, I'd swear I saw a copy of the GFA BASIC interpreter on a STart
magazine disk last year...
 
Your system memory & disk size is probably going to encourage you to use an
interpreter (of whatever language), since they tend to be smaller than a
compiler for the equivalent language.  I can vouch that the OSS Personal
Pascal compiler (_VERSION 1_ !) is _barely_ usable on a stock 520ST with
one 360K drive.  I emphasize _barely_!  Useful as a learning tool, at any
rate -- you'll be able to keep SMALL programs all on the (copy of the)
compiler disk, in fact, and avoid disk-swaps (though a RAM disk makes
things less painful -- putting the compiler's temp files on the RAM disk
speeds things up a bit, too).  The documentation is even pretty good.
 
As for availability, sorry.  I don't know if Optimized Systems Software
is still around, and you don't want PPascal 2.0 on that configuration
(v2.0 grew a bit) anyway, so I'd suggest finding someone who is selling
their copy of v1 (pay no more than $20-$30; it retailed for $79, and
commonly sold for under $50) or find a mail-order "firesale".  (Sorry,
I'd like to keep my copy of v1.0 -- I don't use it anymore, but I'm a
pack-rat. ;-)
 
(Alas, I think you'll soon find yourself straight-jacketed by Pascal's
strict type-checking on the ST.  Although OSS wrapped a decent interface
around a substantial chunk of the GEM/TOS functions, they weren't all
there in PPascal.  And IMO, it was a real pain to go outside of the OSS-
supplied interface when you needed to, largely because of type-checking.
They extended the ISO standard in other ways; why they didn't add some
sort of type-cast (beyond variant records, which I LOATHED using) is
beyond me.)
 
All of the other ST compilers I've had occasion to use require either more
memory than 512K, or another drive, or a hard-drive, or all three to be
useable & relatively pain-free.  Really, you may want to shop around for
another SS drive at the very least.  Or, better yet, upgrade to 1M of
memory and use a big RAM disk.
 
--
>>"Aaiiyeeee!  Death from above!"<< | Steve Rehrauer, rehrauer@apollo.hp.com
   "Flee, lest we be trod upon!"    | The Apollo Computer Division of H.P.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 NOV 89 14:50:24 CST
From: Z4648252 <Z4648252%SFAUSTIN.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: SeaGate 296n information...
 
    I know that this has been thrashed royally here before, but could
someone send me the particulars of the problems with the SeaGate 296n
hard drive mechanism?  As I understand it, there is a problem with
REVISION 8, or is it 7?  1:1 interweave chokes, etc...
    Private e-mail would be fine since this has been discussed rather
heavily in the net before.  Many thanks!!!
 
Larry Rymal:  |East Texas Atari 68NNNers| <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 16:47:23 GMT
From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!romp!auschs!awdprime!woan.austin.ibm.com!ron@apple.com
 (Ronald S. Woan)
Subject: TEX files!?
 
In article <89317.044722JJL101@PSUVM.BITNET>, JJL101@PSUVM.BITNET (J.J.
writes:
>
>     I am running a 1 meg 520 ST with 2 single sided drives....
> I have a number of TEX files which I wish to view, and the are
> labeled as xxxx.TEX.  Can someone explain the necessary programs and
> all that will allow me to do this?  I simply want to read these files!
> Anyweays, I have messed with some DVI progs and all...but need
> more explicit info I guess, as I have had no success!
 
You need to run the .TEX files through TeX and then use a DVI viewer
to view the the resulting .DVI files. If you need more information on
TeX, you might post to comp.text ...
 
                                                Ron
 
+-----All Views Expressed Are My Own And Are Not Necessarily Shared By------+
+------------------------------My Employer----------------------------------+
+ Ronald S. Woan  (IBM VNET)WOAN AT AUSTIN, (AUSTIN)ron@woan.austin.ibm.com +
+ outside of IBM       @cs.utexas.edu:ibmaus!auschs!woan.austin.ibm.com!ron +
+ last resort                                        woan@peyote.cactus.org +
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 07:46:51 GMT
From:
 mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!bnr-vpa!bnr-fos!bigsur!bnrgate!bcar
a13!fortinp@purdue.edu  (Pierre Fortin 1573589)
Subject: TOS 1.4 release notes arrived
 
In article <1989Nov12.070610.4467@chinet.chi.il.us>, saj@chinet.chi.il.us
 (Stephen Jacobs) writes:
> I'd like to thank Atari publicly for getting the Rainbow TOS release notes
> to registered developers (or at least to this one).  Nice meaty stuff, with
> a fair amount of example code.  Came with a 3-ring binder.  A much-appreciated
> early Christmas present.
>                                      Steve J.
 
Well, as usual, the Atari Canada folks are showing their skin-flint nature
if this posting is typical of US developers.  Here in Canada, all we are
getting from Atari Canada is a set of VERY BAD photocopies with TWO pages
per single sided sheet. Yes, that makes each page a WHOPPING 5.5"X4".
 
We need magnifying glasses and have to be quite skillful at reading within
context as most of the stuff is illegible.
 
Sounds like Atari US is beginning to provide better support for its registered
developers.  Now if we could only get Atari Canada to straighten out their
act, things would start looking up.
 
Cheers,
Pierre
(The eternal optimist; but reality in this case is like a 9-iron to the temple)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 13 Nov 89 21:43:12 GMT
From: davidli@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU  (Dave Meile)
Subject: What's wrong with the AMY?
 
In article <23991@cup.portal.com> Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes:
>unfortunately, you've got to cross ANALOG and
>ST-LOG off your list, since Atari Corp's capricious treatment of the US
>marketplace has forced ANALOG out of business after many years of trying to
>support Atari.
 
Actually, I understood from the rumor mill that ANALOG and ST LOG weren't
losing enough money for Larry Flint, so he decided to retire them.  (Rumor
#1 - Larry Flint bought the magazine as a tax write-off and then got disgusted
when it began making money for him...)
 
-- David Paschall-Zimbel
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #642
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