=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Fri,  1 Dec 89       Volume 89 : Issue 735
 
Today's Topics:
                       How to get new members??
                     INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 #725
                          Portfolio Concept
         Seagate 296N with SH204 Host adapter. Does it work ?
                          STE vs ST Shifter
                          Still searching...
                      THE MAC LAPTOP and STacey
                             TOS *.* ROMs
                        Ultrascript experience
                           Who's got ZOO ?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 1 Dec 89 07:43:34 GMT
From: fox!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle@apple.com
Subject: How to get new members??
Message-ID: <24623@cup.portal.com>
 
Richard Covert asks about getting new members for Atari Users' Groups:
 
You've probably hit on the best way to contact new ST owners, by getting
in touch with the dealers who are selling them. If you post flyers
in the stores too, you can make the club known to people who already
own STs as well...
 
One thing MACE has done (the Michigan Atari Computer Enthusiasts.. I'm
the ST disk librarian this year, and I've been in various other offices
in past years...), is to put together a disk of the "basic" few programs
a new ST owner will need.  Things like ST Writer, ARC, a simple terminal
program, an easy to use database... things like that... with text files on
how to use them, and an offer of help at the club meetings for new users.
By having the dealer give a disk away with every ST sold, it gives the new
owners a boost by supplying them with something to use their shiny new ST
to run, and the dealers like to be able to give their customers something
for free (especially when it doesn't cost them anything..!).
 
Of course, the disk also has information on when and where the club meets,
and phone numbers for more information.
 
As far as meeting places, that's always a tough question.  A few years ago,
when MACE's membership stood at around 2000 members, we could fill a large
civic center pavillion to capacity.  Now we use a smaller room, and are
looking for something smaller (and cheaper).  One thing about the university
meeting rooms to look into is whether the club could qualify as a school
sponsored group if they have enough active students as members.  The
University of Michigan has a really good deal for their groups.
 
As far as Atari, I guess I better not comment about the screwing over that
MACE received from Atari when we put on the AtariFest that Atari asked us
to do.  Those who were involved in that are gone now, and there's a new
person in charge who is really good.  Call Bob Brodie, the new User Group
Coordinator and talk to him about how to register your club.  As long as
the "Atari Revolving Door" doesn't snag him, Atari User Groups  are going
to be very well treated.
 
BobR
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 01:15:20 MST
From: INFO-ATARI16%WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 #725
 
>The file `atari.mf' is packed with the various previewer packages that
>we've distributed.  Its purpose is to provide those with metafont, the
>setup information required to generate the screen fonts.  It is not a
>TeX/LaTeX file.  Apparently, metafont is available for the ST series.
>
>       Tyler
 
Metafont for the ST is FTPable from terminator.cc.umich.edu
I've used it.  It takes a long time to generate fonts on the
ST, but you can set up a batch file in GULAM to run for a
couple of days to generate all the standard TeX and LaTeX
fonts you'll need or you can use the atari.mf on a bigger
box the has metafont available.  I ran it on our VM/CMS
system here.
 
                        Brian Holmes
                        UCC Operating Systems & Communications
 
PHONE:    (313) 577-3750  FAX=577-5626          Wayne State University
BITNET:   BHOLMES@WAYNEST1                      5925 Woodward
INTERNET: Brian_Holmes@UM.CC.UMICH.EDU          Detroit, MI 48202  U.S.A
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 1989 10:01 EST
From: Greg Csullog <01659%AECLCR.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Portfolio Concept
 
I like the Portfolio concept but I think that Atari should extend it. Just
about everyone I know who has had to lug a Zenith, Toshiba, etc laptop with
a 20 meg drive agrees that its a pain (in the shoulder as well as other
places). Myself and a few others have taken to travelling with the old
Radio Shack Model 100 because it is light, has a good keyboard, nice
built in software and a modem (albeit 300 baud). The M100 keyboard is also
preferred to the Portfolio's.
 
A few years ago, an 8K M100 sold for $299 Canadian - the bargain of the
century.
 
Atari should get its OEM to bring out an M100 sized portable that has:
 
1. an 80 x 24 LCD display
2. an internal 1200/2400 baud modem
3. DOS (80c88) or TOS (CMOS 68000)
4. parallel/serial ports
 
If NEC could engineer the M100 about 4/5 years ago, Atari should be able to
do something similar with a DOS/TOS system this year.
 
There is a large number of people who hate heavy laptops and would love a light
laptop. Unlike the Poquet or the Portfolio, it does not have to be ultra small,
like I said, the M100 scale is great. If a popular WP and SpreadSheet were
included (Word Perfect Executive and Quattro) the system would sell well.
 
Hell, Atari could buy the rights for the M100 and sell it as is. Believe me,
the concept of a light portable would do well if marketed right (then again
Atari has not been known for its marketing skill!)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 02:21:14 -0800
From: heiden@kbomfg.enet.dec.com (Matthias Heiden, Advanced System Process
 Development  01-Dec-1989 1017)
Subject: Seagate 296N with SH204 Host adapter. Does it work ?
Message-ID: <8912011021.AA01660@decwrl.dec.com>
 
        Did somebody succeed in getting the  famous Seagate 296N drive
        to work with the host adapter of a SH204?
        What was the transfer rate and was it possible to boot from the
        harddisk? Which formatting software and HD driver was used ?
        Thanks for any reply.                          Matthias Heiden
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 1 Dec 89 11:51:51 GMT
From: pasteur!cory.Berkeley.EDU!soohoo@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (Ken "nmi" Soohoo)
Subject: STE vs ST Shifter
Message-ID: <20157@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
 
There's been quite a few ponderings in the last few days about the
possiblity of an STE shifter that's pin-pin compadible with the
ST shifter -- I just wanna add my $0.02 ;-)
 
The STE shifter outputs 4 bits of color per gun, which means that
the DACs required to go to your video are gonna be different, no?
It would mean Atari would have to lay out another chip that's
an ST replacement shifter w/o the extra color bit... Seems kinda
pointless for them, lots of R&D $$, little return, plus they'd
need lots of packages to hit all the shifter versions out there...
 
Sigh, that's the way it seemed to me, not likely to be an ST STE
shifter out any time soon...
 
 
--Kenneth "kens" Soohoo                         (soohoo@cory.Berkeley.Edu)
  Atari Hacker (Atari's Hacker...)
  "It could be worse, you could get hit by a bus..."
  My opinions are my OWN, _not_ necessarily Atari's. But "hey", who knows?
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Nov 89 08:33:00 GMT
From:
 ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!glk01126@iuvax.cs.indiana.ed
 u
Subject: Still searching...
Message-ID: <111500075@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
 
        You silly goose, if 50% were taken off the price of a TT, then
everyone would send in the $500 to become a registered developer!
 
        -Spieu!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 01 DEC 89 08:10:10 CST
From: Z4648252 <Z4648252%SFAUSTIN.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: THE MAC LAPTOP and STacey
Message-ID: <891201.08100897.017890@SFA.CP6>
 
    Folks, I finally got to see one.  At our Macintosh User's Group
meeting, a Macintosh representative brought a Mac laptop in and I thought
that I'd share a few impressions...specifically, with the Stacey in mind.
    Right off, the much-hyped LCD display was a disappointment to me.  Recall
that Apple spent a small fortune in giving an easy to read and FAST LCD.
It is also larger than the standard 9 inch Mac screen.  Refresh is
incredibly fast, no lag at all.  But the let down for me was the dimness
and restrictive viewing angle.  Other than screen refresh speed, I see
no improvement at all over the bluish SuperTwist displays used by the
IBMish laptops.  If the Stacey ever makes it to market and it sports the
SuperTwist, then we will be in good shape.
    The much-hyped case was also a disappointment.  Advertisements have it
that the laptop uses the same plastic as that of motorcyle helmets.  Maybe
so, but I could flex the case.  It creaked and would squeak.  It did not
have the same tightness as commercial-grade portable electronic typewriters
and their construction.
    Positive features were noted, i.e., configurable keyboard (you can swap
the roller ball and keys, or install a ten keypad [very nice]).  "Third Party"
circuits (also known as 'cartridges') plug in a yawning space located
within the case.  In other words, these do not hang off the side as they
do for the Stacey.  Oh, how I wish that cartridges could be mounted likewise
on the ST in a manner sort of similar to that of the ATari 800.
    This particular laptop had a 40 meg hard drive mounted inside.  It
was the quietest that I have ever heard.  Indeed, I never heard it.
    After examining the laptop carefully (yep, the rep allowed us to take
the case off and poke inside), I'm convinced that ATari is correct in
holding production until everything is RIGHT.  When examining the Mac Lap,
it is obvious that a lot of pain was involved.  Regarding the STacey,
delays are unfortunate, particularly in a marketting-point of view, but
the STacey needs to be RIGHT before it enters the consumers' hands.
    With the heavy weight, the physical integrity of the box is going to
have to be secure.  Apple paid dearly for their design and I'm convinced
after handling their expensive laptop that Atari is going to pull a major
coup with the STacey (price in mind).
 
Larry Rymal:  |East Texas Atari 68NNNers| <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 11:28:16 GMT
From: Malcolm Ray <malcolm%tower-unix.city-poly.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK>
Subject: TOS *.* ROMs
Message-ID: <25701.8912011128@unixa.clp.ac.uk>
 
Firstly, (sigh) the non-availability of TOS 1.4 in the UK: much as I'd like
to join Neil Forsyth on the soapbox, I recognise that radical changes of
policy take time (even assuming Atari UK can be persuaded to change at all!),
so it might be better for us to look elsewhere.  So, what's to stop me
buying TOS 1.4 ROMs from the US, sussing out what changes need to be made
for UK use, then blowing my own modified copy?  Never having met a US ST
I'm not sure what the differences are (beyond the obvious) - has anyone done
a comparison of the ROMs?
 
My first thought was shamefully profiteering.  I considered buying a stack
of TOS 1.4 ROMs and reselling them along with details of the UK patches, to
punters who would then blow their own EPROMs.  Trouble with that is that many
of the buyers would then flog the Atari ROMs, so I'd be encouraging piracy
(and the fact that Atari UK brought it on themselves has no bearing on the
legality).  Anyway, I've got bugger-all capital.
 
Moving on, it seems questions about ROM versions are flavour of the month.
Perhaps it would be a good idea if apratt or kbad could post a complete list
of all ROM-based TOS versions in the field, with the following information
for each:
 
1.  Version number
2.  Date hex-string (for identification)
3.  Machine (i.e. 'STE only' for 1.6)
4.  Hopefully, a *brief* list of salient features, such as bugs fixed since
    last release and known bugs
 
Is this a reasonable request?  It occurs to me that registered developers
may already have this, but it'd be nice if the rest of us could as well.
 
 
JANET:          malcolm@uk.ac.clp.unixa
Internet:       malcolm@unixa.clp.ac.uk
EARN/Bitnet:    ditto
 
You faint from lack of ROMs.--More--
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 1989 08:57 EST
From: Greg Csullog <01659%AECLCR.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Ultrascript experience
 
One netter asked if anyone had UltraScript experience. One work group at my
company is PC based but one Atari enthusiast convinced the group to buy a Mega
an SLM804 and UltraScript. Now, the PC users direct their PostScript files to
the ST and everyone is VERY happy with (i) the quality and (ii) the cost
effectiveness of the system. We have a lot of STs on site and the SLM804 has
wowed a number of people - hopefully we can get more on site.
 
RE: Rich Covert, maybe it's YOU who has the problem and not Atari
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 01 Dec 89 04:38 PST
From: Ralf Werner <werner%vax1.informatik.fh-regensburg.dbp.de@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Who's got ZOO ?
Message-ID: <20:werner@vax1.informatik.fh-regensburg.dbp.de>
 
Hello world.
Ok, I got all 17 parts of the "FORM" posting. But... could someone be so kind
to mail me the unZOOing software? Or at least tell me where and how to get it.
 
Thank you!                    Ralf
 
  Ralf Werner - werner%vax1.informatik.fh-regensburg.dbp.de@relay.cs.net
 
- No disclaimer or cookie (they're often bigger than the message itself) -
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #735
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