INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Sat,  4 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 606
 
Today's Topics:
                    Atrocious Atari dealer (LONG)
                              BIOS help
                     computer equipment for sale
                       Dungeon Master Question
                    Piggiback ROMs (2 TOS versions
                        Prolog 10, Common LISP
                         question SPECTRE GCR
                          TOS, Zoo, or Zen?
   Trying to read an Atari St Gem-Dos disk on a Mac SE using FD/HD
                            unix on the TT
                     WordPerfect for the Atari ST
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Nov 89 22:24:46 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!vms.macc.wisc
.edu@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Neil Gilmore)
Subject: Atrocious Atari dealer (LONG)
 
In article <19096@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, jlemon@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Jonathan
 Lemon) writes...
 
>This article is a flame, intended as a warning to others, specifically
>those who are considering buying from Microworld.
(long list of nasty stuff deleted)
 
And even with that, we would love to have it here, where there isn't
even a single Atari dealer. We used to have one in town, but he moved
twice and left (there is rumors of his continued existence, but I can't
find him) and one out of town, which definitely doesn't deal in Atari
anymore. Oh, I can get software, if I want some other dealer to get it
special order, but what's the point? I might as well mail order.
 
Currently, my main source of St stuff (aside from my own) is the
panarthea archive. Lotsa useful stuff. Thank you, Mr. Grimm.
 
 
 
>--
>Jonathan     ...ucbvax!cory!jlemon    or    jlemon@cory.Berkeley.EDU
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Kitakaze Tatsu Raito  Neil Gilmore     internet:gilmore@macc.wisc.edu |
| Jararvellir,          MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3       |
| Middle Kingdom        Madison, Wi                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 89 07:26:34 EST
From: David Megginson <MEGGIN@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: BIOS help
 
I want to intercept Bconin and Bconout and put their i/o in a GEM
window. How can I do this? If the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the BIOS is
helpful and up-to-date here, I would appreciate it if anyone could
mail me a copy. By the way, I work in C, so assembler examples are not
too helpful (I can figure them out sooner or later, though).
 
 
 
 
 
   David Megginson, Centre for Medieval Studies, Toronto
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Nov 89 01:54:14 GMT
From: ambi@CS.BU.EDU  (Michael Amirault)
Subject: computer equipment for sale
 
 This is a repost from a month or so ago. The asking price has been recuced
by 40%.
 
                  COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE FOR SALE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 Atari 520ST Computer System
        1 MEG memory (expanded by EZ-RAM II, expandable to 2.5 megs)
        3 1/2" single sided disk drive
        Z-time clock chip
        mouse, 2 joysticks
 
 Atari SF314 3 1/2" double sided disk drive
 Supra 20 meg Hard Drive
 Atari SM124 Monochrome Monitor
 Atari Sm1224 RGB/Color Monitor
 Monitor Master
 Avatex 1200 baud modem
 
 BASIC
 Mark Williams C Compiler V 2.1.7
 Dr. T's MIDI Recording Studio & MIDI cables
 Test Drive (game)
 Ultima IV (game)
 Falcon F-15 (game)
 Dungeon Master (game)
 The Pawn (game)
 Winter Games (game)
 Championship Wrestling (game)
 MicroLeague Baseball V II (game)
        1987 MLB Team Disk
 Gridiron Football (game)
 Leaderboard Golf (game)
 Ballyhoo (game)
 Gauntlet (game)
 
 Programmers Guide to GEM (book)
 Atari ST application programming (book)
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  I will sell the above equipment as a bundle only. $900 or best offer takes
it. Everything is in great condition and cost me over $2500 new. I can be
reached by email at ambi@bu-it.bu.edu or by phone (617) 353-2780 (day) and
(617) 787-2629 (night).
 
 Mike Amirault               "I don't think my employer would even let me
 ambi@bu-it.bu.edu            speak for them."
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Oct 89 19:33:20 GMT
From: peregrine!ccicpg!cci632!rit!ultb!drp9500@uunet.uu.net  (D.R. Paradis)
Subject: Dungeon Master Question
 
You can address you addorations andquestions to Andy Jaros (pron. Yaros)
at FTL.  I knew his phone number at one time and I had an opportunity to
talk to him at one time after I completed DM.  I'm waiting for DM2!!
 
But Andy is VERY anxious to talk to the users of their programs and
LOVES to hear from them.  So call him or write him.
 
      Bob
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Nov 89 04:25:05 GMT
From: rochester!rit!ultb!clf3678@cu-arpa.cs.cornell.edu  (C.L. Freemesser)
Subject: Piggiback ROMs (2 TOS versions
 
In article <657@winnie.fit.edu> la062594@zach.UUCP ( John Karp) writes:
>
>I have been reading many complaints lately about the price of TOS1.4, and
>while I have to agree that $99 is a bit steep for me,
 
[Rest Deleted]
 
You think $99 is expensive?  Listen to this one:
 
Our local Atari "dealer" had difficulty getting TOS 1.4 because of the
stupid rule Atari has/had that said they could only get as many sets of
ROMS as they have desktop publishing systems.  Since this "dealer" does
not sell Megas, they couldn't get any.  Our user group prez interceeded,
and the dealer got some ROMS.  At first, they said it would be $100, or
$130 installed.  When they got them, they returned the favor WE (as in
our user group) did for THEM by raising the price to $110, or $140
installed.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the highest price in
the country.
 
This dealer also got the new PageStream upgrade disks, but RETURNED them
because they didn't want to be bothered with upgrading people's
versions.  Even getting them free from SoftLogic, and being able to
charge what they want for the upgrade, they still don't want to do it.
Doesn't seem to be much of a dealer anymore, eh?
 
By the way Atari, I'm talking about Software House in Rochester, NY.
Maybe you aughta talk to them a little.....
 
 
 
 
Chris Freemesser, Rochester Institute of Technology :BITNET:%clf3678@RITVAX
    |||        ____________                         :GEnie: C.FREEMESSER
    |||       /___    /          (and 8-bit too!)   :USENET: Don't bother,
   / | \   ______/   /                              :        it doesn't work
Call the A.C.O.R.N BBS (716)436-3078, 300/1200 baud :<-or my BBS
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 89 07:16:12 EST
From: David Megginson <MEGGIN@vm.epas.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Prolog 10, Common LISP
 
I address this especially to continental European ST users:
 
Auf Deutschland gibt es ein Prolog 10 oder ein Common LISP?
Ich kenne Cambridge LISP und MProlog, aber sie sind nicht, wass ich
suche.
 
Es tut mir Leid, dass mein Deutsch nicht so gut sei, aber weil soviel
ST Gebraucher Deutsch sind, glaubte ich, dass sie hier English immer
lesen nicht mussen woellten.
 
Danke,
 
     David Megginson, Centre for Medieval Studies, Toronto
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 16:12:25 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ladcgw!rdahp!za
rdoz!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: question SPECTRE GCR
 
In article <23589@cup.portal.com>, Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik)
 writes:
> on an ST.  There IS a program included with Specter GCR called TRANSVERTER
> which does allow you to move files between the two different disk formats
> however.
> Peter Szymonik
> Xorg@cup.portal.com
 
 
As far as I know Transveter 4.50 (TV450) does not allow transfer from a
Mac HFS floppy or hard disk partition. So, to get your Mac files from
Mac to ST you need to either create a Mac MFS floppy, or a Mac MFS hard
disk partition. That is in addition to the Mac HFS partition, which is
required to run MOST new Mac programs.
 
So, the Mac has two totally different file systems.
 
Makes the ST's standard DOS-like file system look great!!
 
Now, if Dave Small & Co. would just modify TV450 so that it can
xfer between Mac HFS floppies and hard disk partitions to ST Spectre
would be really useful.
 
An example of when you need a Mac MFS parition is if you need
to xfer a Mac file that is bigger then 800K. 800K is the size of a
Mac MFS floppy. If the Mac file on the Mac HFS hard disk partition is
llarger then 800K then it won't fit on a Mac MFS floppy. So, you need two
types of Mac hard disk partitions. One for HFS and one for MFS. And you
use the MFS to xfer files back to the ST world using TV450.
 
Mac has to make everything more complicated!!
I wish that TV450 could xfer between Mac HFS and ST, then you wouldn't
need a Mac MFS hard disk partition, or Mac MFS floppies.
 
so, PLEASE Dave or Dan ADD that feature to TV450!!!
 
Rich Covert (no longer flaming aout SLM804 & Spectre)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 16:17:28 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ladcgw!
rdahp!zardoz!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: TOS, Zoo, or Zen?
 
In article <1765@atari.UUCP>, kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) writes:
>
> It is possible that it is due to Zoo mishandling DTA management.
> GEMDOS DTA handling (in the internal* part of the DTA) was changed,
> possibly in the time between the developer release and the final TOS
> release.  Another problem is that GEMDOS _uses_ the DTA differently
> in the final Rainbow TOS version than previous TOS versions... to wit:
> if you don't save out DTA information between Fsfirst/next calls, when
> the last call fails (with file not found), the DTA _will_ contain
> garbage.
>
>    |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
>    |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
>   / | \  #include <disclaimer>
 
Ken, I use Mark Williams C version 3.09 (mwc). Will MWC have to be changed
to support the new TOS 1.4?? From the above message it seems that the
programmer just needs  to restore the DTA after the last call. It doesn't
seem to impact AES/VDI libraries, or am I mistaken??
 
If I was a developer would I get this kind of info earlier??
I am thinking about applying 'cause of some Forem Utilities that I
want to market as ShareWare.
 
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Nov 89 01:20:52 GMT
From: snorkelwacker!paperboy!pnh@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Peter Harbo)
Subject: Trying to read an Atari St Gem-Dos disk on a Mac SE using FD/HD
 
Has anyone tried this? yes, I know about Spectrum and its successors
but I need to read ST disks and write them on the Mac, using the FD/HD.
I don't think it's possible w/ Apple File Exchange (I know it isn't, because
it recognizes the disks as MS/DOS, 720 K but can't read the directory
structure and only offers to format them) but it might be possible w/
MacTar or something--has anyone tried this?
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 16:26:29 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ladcgw!
rdahp!zardoz!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: unix on the TT
 
In article <1768@atari.UUCP>, kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) writes:
> depeche@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca (Sam Alan EZUST) writes:
>
> [ read in a magazine... ]
> | THE DESKTOP MODEL WILL NEVER WORK WITH UNIX
> | only the TOWER will....
>
> | if this is true, WHY?????
>
> Because the magazines don't know what they're talking about.
>
>
> --
>    |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
>    |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
>   / | \  #include <disclaimer>
 
 
Ken, I have made this comment on GEnie, but briefly I think that the
TT could be a killer machine if two things are done:
 
1) It must be an OPEN system with plenty of card slots for third party vendor
   addons. This is really an important feature for an expensive workstation
   class machine.
 
2) It must have AT&T System V Release 4.0 UNIX with X Windows. AT&T has
   publicly announced binary compatibility between all Sys V Rel 4 UNIX
   on the same cpu. So, with X Windows you have a common platform to develop
   applications for many different machines. This means that the TT Tower
   could run programs from Sun or maybe even Apple.
 
I have heard rumors that Atari is going to buy some strange non-AT&T UNIX
type OS w/o X Windows. I hope that this is NOT true because UNIX/X Windows
could blast Atari into the 1990s!! Especially if the TT/Tower is cheaper
then a Sun or an Apple Mac A/UX system. so, please tell your folks at the
shop that AT&T UNIX (and the new one Rel 4) with X Windows is mandatory for
the TT/Tower.
 
I personally couldn't care less what you put on the TT/Plastic as I don't
plan to buy another Atari computer w/o plenty of card slots. And the TT/Tower
with its 5 full VME card slots looks good to me. so, produce the TT/Tower
with UNIX/X Windows and you will have a killer machine. Produce anything less
and you have a Game Machine!!
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 16:04:26 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!usc!henry.jpl.nasa.gov!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!hacgate!ladcgw!rdahp!za
rdoz!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: WordPerfect for the Atari ST
 
In article <23588@cup.portal.com>, Xorg@cup.portal.com (Peter Ted Szymonik)
 writes:
> I can verify the fact that WP still supports the ST 100%, I just
 
Yes, but do they support the Atari SLM804 laser printer?? That was my
main comment, that because of the bugs in the Diablo Emulator supplied
by Atari, WP wouldn't support the SLM804. Has this changed with the
new release??
 
 
>
> Peter Szymonik
> Xorg@cup.portal.com
 
 
I own the SLM804 and one reason I never bought WP was because of the
poor performance of WP with regards to the SLM804. I hope that this
has changed.
 
Rich Covert
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #606
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