INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Wed, 20 Dec 89       Volume 89 : Issue  836
 
Today's Topics:
                  How to upgrade a mega2 & questions
questions about memory extensions, deskjet plus, laserjet IIp (2 msgs)
                             spreadsheets
                  USENET -> GEnie uplink now working
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 10:31 EST
From: STJLHI33%WATSON.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU
Subject: How to upgrade a mega2 & questions
 
Since some mega2s aren't expandable what can be done about it?  What
workarounds (read: kludges) can be used to get the extra 2 megs?  I still VERY
MUCH DISLIKE seeing Atari go to the trouble to give a very good computer a
very stupid limitation but It would probably be better to do something about
it rather than flaming people who didn't have anything to do with the decision.
(something about biting the hand that feeds you...)
 
Some honest (and hopefully fireproof) questions & comments:
 
I.      How many colors can the STe display at the same time?  4K colors would b
e
useful for fine shading _if_ you could display enough of them.  With only 16
the extra shades are nearly useless.  Is there a mode similar to Amiga HAM?
 
II.     Does the STACY have the STe's sound chip?
 
III.    Thank you Atari for using SIMMs on the new STs!  (I can be a
cheerleader too! 8?D rah! rah!)
 
        -- Happy Holidays!
 
Frustration:  Getting your first 'Out of memory, request denied' message and
finding out your computer isn't expandable on the same day.
--------
        Jason Steiner   STJLHI33@WOOSTER.BITNET      |   In my opinion my
"This country ain't got no problems that a few   |   opinions are
plastic explosives won't cure!" - Steve Taylor   |   just opinions.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 18:10 N
From: "Frits Dumortier/R.U.G." <FD%BGERUG51.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: questions about memory extensions, deskjet plus, laserjet IIp
 
Dear Atari-networkers,
 
Some time ago I asked a number of questions about memory-upgrading
the Atari Mega ST1 and using the Deskjet Plus. As I did not receive
many valuable answers I will fire my questions again :
 
1) Is it possible to upgrade an Atari Mega ST1 to a Mega ST2 or even
   a Mega ST4? Are there any commercial vendors for this hardware (please
   give any references, preferably in Europe), or can I do it myself?
   In that case I want a precise descriptioon on the procedure that has
   to be followed (I am not a hardware specialist!).
 
   As I only bought my Atari Mega ST1 recently , I have not yet opened the box
   as this would screw up my guarantee. I'd rather wait some more time
   for this. Can anyone give any details on the hardware differences between
   the Atari Mega ST1 (or Mega 1), the Atari Mega ST2, the Atari Mega ST4?
 
2) Some time ago, I wanted to by a HP Deskjet Plus, to connect to my Atari.
   For the 1st Wordplus text processor, people at our lab developed a driver.
   In Timeworks the Laserjet driver can apparently be used without any
   difficulties. If you want to use the Deskjet from within GEM-Draw or
   EASYdraw, we don't have an appropriate driver. An alternative here is to
   use the EPSON-emulation cartridge, but this has it's disadvantages :
   low resolution, bad quality (ink problems with bold because of repetitive
   strike-overs), and slow!! (You can however get screen dumps in that case!)
 
   In 1st Wordplus the Deskjet functions reasonably fast, but from within
   Timeworks it acts unbelievably slow. To produce one A4-paper for a
   publication (several fonts and graphics), it takes appr. 1 hour! This
   is unacceptable!
 
   Can anyone give any comments this?
   I very recently saw a HP Deskwriter (RS422 serial interface for connection
   with Apple computers, and it worked much faster, certainly an order of
   magnitude : minutes vs. hours. The machine very much resembles a Deskjet
   Plus externally. I wonder if this could be connected to an Atari?
 
3) In Europe the HP Laserjet IIp appeared recently. Can somebody give remarks
   on the connection Atari - Laserjet IIp? I recently noticed a number of
   E-mails which were not in favour of this combination. One of the reasons
   was the low speed? Is this true, and/or are there any other inconveniences?
 
Many thanks in advance.
 
Frits Dumortier
(FD@BGERUG51)
Automatic Control Laboratory
State University of Ghent
Belgium
 
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 18:10 N
From: "Frits Dumortier/R.U.G." <FD%BGERUG51.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: questions about memory extensions, deskjet plus, laserjet IIp
 
Dear Atari-networkers,
 
Some time ago I asked a number of questions about memory-upgrading
the Atari Mega ST1 and using the Deskjet Plus. As I did not receive
many valuable answers I will fire my questions again :
 
1) Is it possible to upgrade an Atari Mega ST1 to a Mega ST2 or even
   a Mega ST4? Are there any commercial vendors for this hardware (please
   give any references, preferably in Europe), or can I do it myself?
   In that case I want a precise descriptioon on the procedure that has
   to be followed (I am not a hardware specialist!).
 
   As I only bought my Atari Mega ST1 recently , I have not yet opened the box
   as this would screw up my guarantee. I'd rather wait some more time
   for this. Can anyone give any details on the hardware differences between
   the Atari Mega ST1 (or Mega 1), the Atari Mega ST2, the Atari Mega ST4?
 
2) Some time ago, I wanted to by a HP Deskjet Plus, to connect to my Atari.
   For the 1st Wordplus text processor, people at our lab developed a driver.
   In Timeworks the Laserjet driver can apparently be used without any
   difficulties. If you want to use the Deskjet from within GEM-Draw or
   EASYdraw, we don't have an appropriate driver. An alternative here is to
   use the EPSON-emulation cartridge, but this has it's disadvantages :
   low resolution, bad quality (ink problems with bold because of repetitive
   strike-overs), and slow!! (You can however get screen dumps in that case!)
 
   In 1st Wordplus the Deskjet functions reasonably fast, but from within
   Timeworks it acts unbelievably slow. To produce one A4-paper for a
   publication (several fonts and graphics), it takes appr. 1 hour! This
   is unacceptable!
 
   Can anyone give any comments this?
   I very recently saw a HP Deskwriter (RS422 serial interface for connection
   with Apple computers, and it worked much faster, certainly an order of
   magnitude : minutes vs. hours. The machine very much resembles a Deskjet
   Plus externally. I wonder if this could be connected to an Atari?
 
3) In Europe the HP Laserjet IIp appeared recently. Can somebody give remarks
   on the connection Atari - Laserjet IIp? I recently noticed a number of
   E-mails which were not in favour of this combination. One of the reasons
   was the low speed? Is this true, and/or are there any other inconveniences?
 
Many thanks in advance.
 
Frits Dumortier
(FD@BGERUG51)
Automatic Control Laboratory
State University of Ghent
Belgium
 
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89  17:42 GMT
From: Jan Ameij <AMEIJ%vax.oxford.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK>
Subject: spreadsheets
 
Dear World,
 
I want a spreadsheet for my Mega 4. It has to be fast, and it should ideally
support either an HPLJ+ or HPGL for graphics output. Can anyone make any
recommendations? Email me, and I'll summarize back.
 
Jan Ameij
ameij%uk.ac.oxford.vax@however.you-get.to.janet
 
PS It came with VIP Professional. It's lousy. I hate it. Please don't recommend
it. I mean, a piece of software with a list price of 130 quid that can't work
with a hard disk?
 
PPS Info for Laser printer debate. I've got a Qume CrystalPrint Series II. It's
very nice indeed - HPLJ+ plus for 100 quid a good HPGL cartridge. Seems pretty
cheap to run, nice and small, great for TeX (real computer users use TeX). I'd
recommend it. It was about 1100 quid, including HPGL card, but is probably less
by now!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Dec 89 16:20:24 GMT
From: matthews@umd5.umd.edu  (Mike Matthews)
Subject: USENET -> GEnie uplink now working
Message-ID: <5806@umd5.umd.edu>
 
In article <935@crash.cts.com> canada@crash.cts.com (Diane Barlow Close) writes:
>What I object to the most is the fact that the link is one way (and will
>stay that way due to GEnie's commercial nature).  I don't like Usenet being
>``raped'' to supply GEnie's commercial pockets.  If GEnie is that ``tapped
>out'' for knowledge that they are desperate enough to plunder Usenet, then
>perhaps GEnie should be disbanded.
>--
>Diane Barlow Close
 
I agree with you, to an extent.  However.  The flow of information should be
regarded as a good thing.  It would me MUCH better if EVERYONE could access
Usenet, but that ain't so.  I'm lucky; I'm a student who happens to work in the
computer labs, so I have Unix accounts everywhere.  Other people who would
like to know have no means of getting to this information.  I'd post the info
to the local BBSes if I had the time (a working computer would help, too).
But I don't.  Not for all of it, at least.
 
Mike
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 89 16:01:53 mez
From: Burkhard Stapper <stapper@ct2.chemietechnik.uni-dortmund.de>
Message-ID: <8912201501.AA10844@ct2.chemietechnik.uni-dortmund.de>
 
help
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Dec 89 15:43:05+0100
From: Andreas Magun <magun@sun.iap.unibe.ch>
Message-ID: <66*magun@sun.iap.unibe.ch>
 
help commands
 
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #836
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