INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Sun, 22 Oct 89       Volume 89 : Issue 545
 
Today's Topics:
                       official tos 1.4 release
                    On-Line Magazine Mailing List
                          PD Word Processors
                          Strange Keyclicks
                         Turboboost with GCR
                          Twister & TOS 1.4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 21 Oct 89 05:37:05 GMT
From: att!chinet!saj@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (Stephen Jacobs)
Subject: official tos 1.4 release
 
In article <1734@atari.UUCP>, towns@atari.UUCP (John Townsend) writes:
>
> As for the serial port, We found the problem and we fixed it via the
> TOS 1.4 patch. Unfortunately, it was not found until after the release of
> the ROMs. To verify this, we did not receive a single SPR on this problem
> from the developers that had the Beta version of TOS 1.4 or any reports
> from anyone until AFTER the ROMs had been finalized.
>
> But, the end result is that the problem was reported, we looked into it,
> found there was a problem, fixed it, and released a patch program via the
> Networks and Dealer Network. What more do you want from us??
 
At the risk of seeming picky, I'd like a few things from a company whose
president announced the release of new operating system ROMs in front of
developers and press at Spring COMDEX.  I'd like my dealer (Software Plus,
a local Chicago-area chain) to get decent supplies of ROMs.  I'd like those
ROMs to be honest-to-pete mask programmed ROMs by now, not PROMs or (heaven
help us) EPROMs.  I'd like to be able to buy a Mega with the new operating
system installed as original equipment.  That's a fair fraction of what I
want from Atari.
    Is there any special reason why the TOS 1.4 rollout is going so
fitfully?  Suggestions that it's going smoothly will be cheerfully laughed
at.  Suggestions that ROMs always have startup problems this bad will be
greeted with incredulity.
                                       Steve J.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 22 Oct 89 03:23:31 GMT
From: haven!uvaarpa!hudson!bessel.acc.Virginia.EDU!gl8f@ames.arc.nasa.gov  (Greg
 Lindahl)
Subject: On-Line Magazine Mailing List
 
Three oneline magazines are available via a mailing list. They
are:
       ZMagazine     (Atari 8bit)
       ST ZMagazine  (Atari ST)
       ST Report     (Atari ST)
 
If you are interested in subscribing to these magazines, please send
me mail (do _not_ post an article) asking to be added.  All 3
magazines are weekly and run 40k to 80k in length.
 
Back issues are (allegedly) available via anonymous FTP from the
Terminator archive.
 
------
Greg Lindahl                                       Apprentice Quantum Mechanic
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 Oct 89 22:16:26 GMT
From: mailrus!um-math!hyc@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Howard Chu)
Subject: PD Word Processors
 
In article <5229@ubc-cs.UUCP> buchanan@grads.cs.ubc.ca (John Buchanan) writes:
>>>In article <3968@blake.acs.washington.edu> themod@blake.acs.washington.edu
 (Chris Hinton) writes:
>>>>
>>>>  Hello you netters, I need some help.  I need a good PD Word Processor.  I
>>>>have (gak!) 1st Word, but I hate it with a passion.  I also think spending
>>>>$100+ for any program is just plain stupid.  Any suggestions?
 
>3)     I bought my Atari so that I could get cheap software.
>               Ok, remember cheap software more often than not = poor soft-
>               ware.
 
Hm... WordUp is available for about $50. This is a pretty darn good
word processor. I suppose "more often than not" is the key phrase here.
While there certainly may be a lot of freeware/shareware/cheapware that's
garbage, there's also a lot that's real good. (There has to be, or else
people would stop using it, right?)
>
>Paying $100 dollars for software is not just plain stupid.
 
Depends on the software package, I guess. I'd saying *paying* *any*
money for a terminal emulator is stupid, with Uniterm around. Of
course, a shareware donation wouldn't be out of the question...  ?-)
On the other hand, paying $100 for a decent CAD program would probably
be a bargain... It all depends...
--
 -=- PrayerMail: Send 100Mbits to holyghost@father.son[127.0.0.1]
 and You Too can have a Personal Electronic Relationship with God!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 22 Oct 89 00:18:00 GMT
From: psuvm!sml108@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu
Subject: Strange Keyclicks
 
Hello out there once again, I have been working on a video game which reads the
joystick port via event reporting.  It seems to work just fine, but occasionall
y, mving and holding the joystick causes a series of keyclick noises as if I
was holding down a key, and in fact, Bconin will detect keyclicks at the same
time (repetitive for as long as I hold the joystick in whatever position it
was in when it started making the keyclick noises)
  This does not occur on a friend's 1040ST.  Here comes the big question
(Anyone at Atari listening):  My keyboard was replaced several months back
before I started working on this game, it was originally a C070240-011, and
is now a C070075-011.  Could this somehow have a slight compatiblity problem
with my computer which would only manifest itself at VERY odd times ?
  This problem also occurs when I play the game Falcon.....
 
Scott Le Grand
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 22 Oct 89 04:20:16 GMT
From:
 gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!shadooby!mailrus!um-math!hyc@tut.cis.ohio-state.
edu  (Howard Chu)
Subject: Turboboost with GCR
 
In article <5496@umd5.umd.edu> matthews@umd5.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) writes:
%In article <761@utacs.UTA.FI> jackin@utacs.UTA.FI (Markku M?enp??) writes:
%>Has anybody succeeded in using Spectre GCR with faster
%>processors (16Mhz) ? I would like to get my MEGA faster and
%>especially would like to see Spectre GCR roaming in 16 Mhz.
%>
%>! Markku M?enp?? !
%
%I used Spectre (NOT GCR) with the JRI 16Mhz board no problems.  I imagine
%the GCR will work as well -- I'll let you know if otherwise when my GCR
%comes [and my friend doesn't mind me borrowing his ST again].
%
%Mike
 
I saw a message from Dave Small on Compuserve the other day, saying that
Spectre runs about 45% faster with the FAST Technologies Turbo16 board.
12MHz, I guess I could live with it...  ?-)
--
 -=- PrayerMail: Send 100Mbits to holyghost@father.son[127.0.0.1]
 and You Too can have a Personal Electronic Relationship with God!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Oct 89 19:13:30 GMT
From:
 gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!shadooby!sharkey!um-math!hyc@tut.cis.ohio-state.
edu  (Howard Chu)
Subject: Twister & TOS 1.4
 
I was curious, supposedly TOS 1.4 was going to fix the timing
problems with floppy disk I/O. (Seek w/ verify instead of plain old seek, etc.)
Well, just fyi, from Quick Index 1.5: using double sided disks formatted
at 80 tracks and 10 sectors per track, I get:
 
                Normal  Twister
GEMDOS          100     100
 file creation
DMA speed       100     181
 
So I guess I'll keep on formatting my floppies with the Twisted sector
skewing...
--
 -=- PrayerMail: Send 100Mbits to holyghost@father.son[127.0.0.1]
 and You Too can have a Personal Electronic Relationship with God!
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #545
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