INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Fri,  3 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 604
 
Today's Topics:
                        5 1/4" Drive Question
                         Floppy stepping rate
             Memory upgrade affects performance? (2 msgs)
                TOS 1.4 Incompatibility List: Populous
                    Translation of modula2 read.me
                            TT's VME-slots
                    TT vs 386 boxes and Apples...
          What is Vaporware? (was: atari-bashing/vaporware)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 12:11:00 GMT
From: pur-phy!tippy!roger@ee.ecn.purdue.edu
Subject: 5 1/4" Drive Question
 
I'd llike to use a Percom 5 1/4" DS/DD disk drive (designed for Atari 8-bit
computers) to transfer IBM 5 1/4" disks to 3 1/2" for use with PC Ditto.
Can this be done? If so, does anyone know where I can get a cable to hook
up the Percom drive to my ST?
 
Thanks in advancroger
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 09:00:57 GMT
From: mcsun!unido!uniol!rode@uunet.uu.net  (Dirk Rode)
Subject: Floppy stepping rate
 
Hello,
 I have a problem.
 I use the TOS 1.4 Developper Version from the 08.08.1988.
 Does anybody know the adress or a function where I can
change the stepping rate for Disk Drives?
 I will use a TEAC FD55 Drive and I will read 360K MS-DOS Disks.
So I have to change the stepping rate from 3ms to 6ms.
 
 Thanks in advance
            Waldi
 
************************************************************************
*  Dirk Rode                   *   UUCP: ...!unido!uniol!rode          *
*  Zwischenahner Str. 64       *   Bitnet:   077481@Doluni1.Bitnet     *
*  2910 Howiek                 *****************************************
****************************************   Nickname: Waldi             *
*  Irre oder nicht Irre ...         ************************************
***************************    DAS ist hier die Frage !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *
************************************************************************
*  Arbeitsgruppe Rechnerbetrieb Informatik der                         *
*  Universitaet Oldenburg (FB 10 - ARBI)                               *
************************************************************************
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 19:52:29 GMT
From: crdgw1!brspyr1!tim@uunet.uu.net  (Tim Northrup)
Subject: Memory upgrade affects performance?
 
dmk@cbnewsi.ATT.COM (daniel.m.kuster..jr) writes:
>The thing I don't understand is that the computer takes at least
>4 times as long to boot (possibly longer).  Is TOS running some
>kind of memory test, or is it just zeroing out RAM?  Even worse,
>once that system is up and running, it takes a lot longer for
>applications to load and run.  Is the system slowed down by the
>dynamic RAM refresh cycle?  I thought that the MMU handles that?
>
>The one thing that I noticed is that if I configure and install a
>large RAM disk (?1.5 Meg) the loading and running of applications
>goes much faster.
>
>Any ideas on what's going on?
 
This has been covered before ... what you are noticing is that when the system
loads and runs an application, the first thing it does is clear all
available memory from the end of the program and up.  When there is only
512K of RAM to clear out, less your application and any DA or RAMdisk
memory, this goes in a flash.  Now that you have 2 Meg or so free to be
cleared, it is noticable.
 
Some (poorly behaved) software relies on this memory space being zeroed
out, some do not.  For those that don't there are a couple of PD programs
which will tell TOS not to clear RAM on invocation.  This means things will
launch much quicker (especially with 2-4 Meg of RAM), but also that some
things will not function well at all.  Check the archives near you for
such a program.
 
                                                -- Tim
--
Tim Northrup                      +------------------------------------------+
+---------------------------------+         GEnie:  T.Northrup               |
UUCP: uunet!crdgw1!brspyr1!tim    |   Air Warrior:  "Duke"                   |
ARPA: tim@brspyr1.BRS.Com         +------------------------------------------+
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Nov 89 03:35:41 GMT
From: watmath!watserv1!bmaraldo@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (Commander Brett Maraldo)
Subject: Memory upgrade affects performance?
 
        A friend of mine, who hacks the atari, assures me that the atari
bios zeros the memory before it launches an application.  This leads to
longer and longer delays before the program begins (as with booting).
When you boot, every desktop application will prompt this delay.
        I have also upgraded my vintage '85 520st to 2.5megs.  I assure you,
I expereince the same delay effects you do.  This is 'normal', well...
normal for atari's brain-damaged bios.
 
Brett L Maraldo
 
 
 
--
               --------     Unit 36 Research     ---------
                        "Alien Technology Today"
                      bmaraldo@watserv1.UWaterloo.ca
                   ?uunet!clyde!utai?!watserv1!bmaraldo
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 01:31:55 GMT
From: imagen!atari!danscott@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (Dan Scott)
Subject: TOS 1.4 Incompatibility List: Populous
 
in article <267@mirsa.inria.fr>, colas@trinidad.inria.fr (Colas Nahaboo) says:
>
> Yes, Most of the greatest ST games do not work with TOS 1.4: Populous,
> dungeon master, Falcon, Rick Dangerous...
>
> At least there are some good news: It is only the PROTECTION on
> populous  which crashes, my original do not work, but my cracked copy
> I have for everyday use works perfectly (I try never to use originals, as a
> power cut will fry the disk inside a ST drive...)
>
> bad news: even the cracked versions of falcon and DM do not work.
 
Really?
 
 
I have both Falcon and Populous on a MEGA 4 w/ TOS 1.4 installed in it
(six chip ROM set-production release) and both of those games work fine on
my computer.  I haven't tried Dungeon Master in for a few months but I *THINK*
I remember trying it and it ran as well.
 
 
Anyone else have any problems with these programs?
 
 
Dan
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 22:15:39 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!wuarchive!uwm.edu!marque!carroll1!dnew
ton@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Dave 'Post No Nicknames' Newton)
Subject: Translation of modula2 read.me
 
   Has anyone undertaken a translation of the modula2 docs?  I know (remember)
very little German, enough to get a little start, but not a whole lot.  If
anyone has done this, could they shoot me a copy?  Thanx in advance.
 
   If no one replies pretty soon, I'll request the services of our German
teacher here at school and post the translated version.
   Is that legal?
 
--
David L. Newton       | uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton  | The Raging Apostle--
(414) 524-7343 (work) |    dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu     | for the future--
(414) 524-6809 (home) | 100 NE Ave, Waukesha WI 53186  | for the world.
"Isn't it fun to take two unrelated sentences and mix the batter lightly?" -me
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Nov 89 02:31:41 GMT
From: dino!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!shamash!odeon!bga@uunet.uu.net  (Bruce
 Albrecht)
Subject: TT's VME-slots
 
In article <1771@atari.UUCP>, apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt) writes:
> Remember (as has been pointed out before) no vendor HAS to design
> hardware specifically for that slot: it's already been done.  That's
> why we chose a standard bus interface.
 
Only part of the design process is the hardware.  If the vendor doesn't see
the TT as a large enough market, the customer will have to write the device
drivers, which would be a major undertaking for the average TT owner.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 20:15:31 GMT
From: hp-sdd!ncr-sd!ncrlnk!ncrcce!rogers@hplabs.hp.com  (Bob Rogers)
Subject: TT vs 386 boxes and Apples...
 
Seems to me the big difference between the TT and and a 386 PC is that the one
is available and the other isn't!
 
--
----
Bob Rogers                    rogers@stpaul.ncr.com  or  rogers@pnet51.cts.com
NCR Comten, St. Paul, MN      GEnie: R.C.ROGERS
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 20:40:10 GMT
From: cbmvax!daveh@uunet.uu.net  (Dave Haynie)
Subject: What is Vaporware? (was: atari-bashing/vaporware)
 
>>I still say that a product that can't be purchased MONTHS or YEARS after
>>it was announced is VAPORWARE. And the STacy, the Lynx,the 1040STE, and the
>>TT/P are all 100% VaporWare!!
 
First of all, most folks get real confused about what constitutes a real
announcement.  Believe it or not, it's not what you read in the "rumors"
column of your favorite computer rag.  To pick a more netural territory,
take for instance the Apple IIx that was mentioned here earlier.  Apple
never announced such a machine.  Never.  There were big-time rumors that
Woz was working on such a beast a few years back, when in fact I think
he was doing university stuff and really nothing for Apple at all.  Then
there were more rumors about how Apple axed the IIx and canned the whole
II line, then shortly thereafter the IIgs emerged.  Most likely, the IIx
rumors were based on the IIgs project -- judging by the work that went
into the IIgs, it wasn't exactly a slam-dunk project (carrying the
architectural baggage necessary to remain compatible in these older
machines usually means lots of otherwise unnecessary complexity).  But
you'll find boat loads of Apple fans who'll swear that the IIx was a
real, announced product.  At least 5% will even claim is was what the
IIgs "should have been".  Chances are, nothing even close to what they're
raving about ever even existed.
 
It's not entirely the fault of the computer groupies, either.  It used
to be common practice (circa 1985 and earlier) to show stuff at consumer
oriented shows that were basically trial balloons.  These shows aren't
for the public; they're the way vendor and distributer get together.  A
company would show a prototype, sometimes a barely functional prototype.
And they wouldn't tell anyone that it wasn't complete.  The idea was to
attract vendors.  If there was no interest, the project went no further.
In many ways, this substituted for a lack of true market research.
 
Nowadays, I don't think anyone really does this, and I'm sure no one gets
away with it.  It just doesn't work when you're dealing with real computers
instead of toy computers.  That's not to say that no one every shows a
product that never ships; of course they may.  But they aren't doing it
intentionally; products get cancelled for a variety of reasons: management
changes, market changes, new technology, etc.
 
In the case of Atari, there are certainly some products there that aren't
what I'd call Vaporware, even obvious to an outsider.  Lynx, for instance,
is a technology they acquired from a group at Epxy (former Amiga folks, I
might add).  The ATW was also an acquired technology.  While there's often
an element of NIH (Not Invented Here) in any such aquisition, a smart
company doesn't by true vaporware, and they don't interfere with it too
much once they buy it.
--
Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Systems Engineering) "The Crew That Never Rests"
   ?uunet|pyramid|rutgers?!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: hazy     BIX: hazy
                    Too much of everything is just enough
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #604
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