=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Sun, 11 Mar 90       Volume 90 : Issue  311
 
Today's Topics:
                            40-Folder Bug
                Adaptec + Seagate hard drive question
           Bob Brodie speaks to Fort Worth/Dallas users!!!
                             Flaky 1040st
                          Hard disk problems
                          SIMMs for the STE
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Date: 10 Mar 90 16:48:08 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!watcgl!electro!ignac@tut.c
 is.ohio-state.edu  (Ignac Kolenko)
Subject: 40-Folder Bug
Message-ID: <1482@electro.UUCP>
 
just a simple question: if the same foldrxxx.prg fixes both tos 1.0 and tos
1.4, why wasn't foldrxxx.prg put in the tos 1.4 roms at release time? makes
sense to me!
 
 
--
=====Ignac A. Kolenko (The Ig)=====watmath!watcgl!electro!brasoft!ignac======
     co-author of QuickST, and the entire line of Quick Software!!!!
  Branch Always Software Box 2624, Station B, Kitchener, Ont. CANADA N2H 6N2
=============================================================================
 
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Date: 10 Mar 90 17:31:57 GMT
From: obryan@gumby.wisc.edu  (Mark O'Bryan)
Subject: Adaptec + Seagate hard drive question
Message-ID: <1990Mar10.173157.14559@gumby.cc.wmich.edu>
 
In article <1184@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU> bwhite@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Bill White)
 writes:
>
> which is what I got the Adaptec for.  True, SCSI mapping would be nice,
> but then again, that'd make me lose a TRACK for every bad sector (wasteful
> IMHO).  Besides, can you imagine how much time backing up and restoring a
 
Actually, I don't believe that's true.  At least, on my 105 meg Conner
SCSI drive there are 34 physical sectors per track, with 33 of them
available for data.  I.e., there's a spare sector on each track, in
addition to the spare tracks that all drives have.  Not only do you
not lose an entire track due to one bad sector, you also avoid a per-
formance hit due to having to seek to a spare track.
 
I'm not sure if this is the case for all SCSI drives or not.  I suppose
it could depend on the particular implementation of the smart controller
imbedded in your SCSI drive.  You might want to check to see which way
your individual drive handles it.
 
--
Mark T. O'Bryan                 Internet:  obryan@gumby.cc.wmich.edu
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI  49008
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 11 MAR 90 01:12:40 CST
From: Z4648252 <Z4648252%SFAUSTIN.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Bob Brodie speaks to Fort Worth/Dallas users!!!
Message-ID: <900311.01123891.034431@SFA.CP6>
 
Hello all,
 
         In these days of ST uncertainty, no doubt exaggerated by so
many factors, it is refreshing to hear honesty and truths.  Bob
Brodie arrived at a coordinated users' group meeting conducted by three
Texas clubs in the Fort Worth/Dallas area:  North Texas Computer Team,
Atari Users of North Texas, and Dallas Area Atari Enthusiasts.  Meeting in
an auditorium at the InfoMart complex, he gave an informative
session, demoing everything that the ST had to offer, short of the ATW,
030, and HOTZ box.
         I thought that I'd share part of the meeting with you and do admit
that I feel a bit better about my ST investment.
         Bob started the meeting saying that "Atari enthusiasts are moving into
cooperate headquarters now."  Interpret that as you may.  The impression
given is that the spirit is returning to Atari U.S.A. and a lot of ground
breaking.  Here are some brief facts given which he said may be quoted:
 
  1.  Atari STe's in U.S.A. -- Seriously, any day.  This is not the old
         REAL SOON NOW phrase either.  I expect the STe's to be available
         very quickly.
 
  2.  Mega STe's (!!) -- There is real serious talk on the Mega platform.
        We have talked with developers and are getting ideas.  Currently,
        we are investigating whether to build Megas with the standard
        internal port or an internal VMI port.  Most developers have
        opted for the VMI.  This is exciting and that is about all that I
        can say on it.  Just stay tuned.'
 
  3.  Stacey -- Should be ready by April/May.  The unit here at InfoMart
        is not the same as what will be in production.  In fact, this
        Stacey is version #2 [Bob flipped the STacey over and sure 'nuff,
        there it was--a numeral '2'].  Here are some changes that we are
        doing:
 
        a.  We are working from the high end STacey (four meg ram/40 meg
             hard drive) to the low end, rather than the other way around.
 
        b.  There will not be a battery pack.  The STacey sucks the life
             out of batteries too fast.  Instead, we are working with a
             third market company that is producing an external bolt-on
             pack which gives about four hours of life on the four megged
             STacey.
 
        c.  Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac said that this would be no
             problem for his use since electricty is available at concerts
             and studios (referencing no battery packs).
 
 4.  The Lynx -- Available now at Sears.  [hmmmmmmmmmmmm]  Production is
        cranking now and it should be available nation-wide for dealers.
 
 5.  MIDI-TASKING -- This is the multi-tasker that has been mentioned in
        the magazine.  As far as I know, it will be available during the
        latter part of summer.  The various configurations are being
        experimented with.  It really is quite solid and will be $12.95.
 
 6.  The EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE program -- Objections to high costs of exchange
        are noted but there is a reason.  Too many individuals were using
        the program to exchange older units for newer.  520 STs with the
        older singled sided drives were being exchanged for units with
        double sided.  The cost was horrific all in all to Atari.  The
        rest of the users are having to suffer for the conduct of a few.
 
 7.  Monochrome monitor shortage -- GoldStar was holding back on production.
        A threat by our part to use JVC resulted in the resumption of
        production.  The problem should ease by the end of the month.
 
 8.  STe's and memory chips -- They are all SIMMS chips, no SIPPS in spite
        of what has been said on UseNet [hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm].
 
     ========
 
      I was impressed with Bob and his answers.  Perhaps we are getting
ready to see a Winter Thaw for this spring.
 
Larry Rymal:  |East Texas Atari 68NNNers| <Z4648252@SFAUSTIN.BITNET>
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 9 Mar 90 16:46:46 GMT
From: tiamat!mjbtn!raider!dlh@uunet.uu.net  (Dana L. Holt)
Subject: Flaky 1040st
Message-ID: <193@raider.MFEE.TN.US>
 
In article <9003072218.AA03079@vuse.vanderbilt.edu>,
 cantwell@VUSE.VANDERBILT.EDU (Jeff Cantwell) writes:
> Help!  My 3 year old 1040ST seems to be getting a bit flaky lately.  I
> get frequent bombs when trying to run software that used to be fine.
> Mostly I get three bombs (address error), or two bombs (bus error),
> and an occasional TOS error #35. I am also getting messages that the
> disks are unreadable or may be damaged, but after several tries, or
> rebooting they work fine. I am using commercial and public domain
> software that has not been any problem in the past, such as
> Starglider, WordPerfect, ABCD, Daleks, etc. These reside on different
> floppy disks.  I just have the one doublesided floppy drive (no hard drive),
> and I have never performed any maintenance on it.  Could I simply have
> a dirty disk mechanism or do I have more serious troubles?  If so, is there
> a drive cleaning kit available for the ST? I have also considered the
> problem of heat, but leaving the machine off all night and trying
> programs in the morning does not help at all.
>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        It sounds like (to me) that it's a disk problem. I'd get a 3.5 in.
drive head cleaner and give that a try TOS #35 error code is (*I THINK*)
'a corrupted (unexecutable) program'. Hope this helps..
                                dlh@raider.MFEE.TN.US
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 8 Mar 90 17:07:28 GMT
From: att!dptg!lzsc!hcj@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (HC Johnson)
Subject: Hard disk problems
Message-ID: <1371@lzsc.ATT.COM>
 
In article <1777@loria.crin.fr>, domen@cartan.crin.fr (Eric Domenjoud) writes:
> Some days ago, my hard disk got completely corrupted: I first noticed
> that some files were mixed on the disk and looking at the FATS and the root
> directory, I saw that a prt of file was written in the root directory and
> some clusters were allocated to more than one file. It's actually the third
> time it happens but I never exactly identified the problem before. I have
> then two questions:
 
Well, something is failing.
First choice is that the disk read wrong, and did not report the error.
If you have a standard SH204, this is true.  There is a PLA fix from
Berkeley Microsystems (USA) for this.
 
Second choice on the hard disk is that it read wrong, but the checksum was
OK.  Not all that likely, but just as fatal.
 
Third choice is an unfortunate memory failure.  This may be detectable with
a memory check program; but the ultimate test of memory is using it.
 
Least likely is the file selector.  It really cannot direct disk data to
random locations.
 
Howard C. Johnson
ATT Bell Labs
att!lzsc!hcj
hcj@lzsc.att.com
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 10 Mar 90 16:29:57 GMT
From: mcsun!sunic!lth.se!newsuser@uunet.uu.net  (Ralph Haglund)
Subject: SIMMs for the STE
Message-ID: <1990Mar10.162957.26323@lth.se>
 
Here it goes again.....   Alan Pratt repeats his "don't expect to be able
to upgrade your STE", but refuses to comment on what some German wrote
recently, that there the STEs are advertised as "easily upgrradeable to 4Mb" or
 similar.
Let's forget the hints that it actually should be rather easily upgradeable to
16Mb. Anyway -
I like the rainbow - this tells he's got a sense of humour, that he works
late evenings and I would probably like to share a beer with him.
BUT - his disclaimer is all wrong! He is 2, possibly 3 persons. Couldn't he
reveal for us netters a way of knowing who he is for the moment, ending with
one, two or three dots maybe? Just as long as no officlal Atarian could under-
stand it. Sometimes he is just himeself talking freely, that is good. Some-
times he is an Atari representant, refuting the disclaimer about Atari Corp.,
like in this case about the SIMMs. And sometimes the part ".. or anyone else"
in the disclaimer is valid, like when he, both publicly and privately scolds
me and others for telling secrets, like about the STE - especially when I
reported the use of the addresses/registers but also clearly mentioned I
had got it from a German magazine and just translated it. He never ever
asked for an excuse for the scolding. The argument that Atari corp has to
suffer if the info is wrong is so infernally stupid so that too has to be
referred to his 3rd personality - when he represents noone.
IN ANY CASE - whatever Atari ST you have, use SIMMs! piggybacking is out.
Even if you upgrade a 520 to an 1040 use it. So much easier to solder wires
to a SIMM holder than piggybacking expensive chips.
Concerning STEs - never buy anything but 520s, then upgrade the memory yourslef.
Someone on the net talked about the net about the 520STE and 1040STE, that the
520 had 2 256x8 while the 1040 had what??? Impossible of course, SIMMs always
come in pairs, 8 bit each. A 1040STE cannot come as 1040x8, it must come as
256x8x4. That is, 4 256x8 SIMMs.
Hmmm, sorry my bad Swenglish. Should i refer to the late G Gamow, of whom it
was said, that he spoke 10 languages atrociously - but everyone understood
him....
 
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
|  Want to talk to me? Try:                                   |
|  QRALPH@SELDC51  ||  QRALPH@SELDC52  ||  qralph@dna.lth.se  |
|  My name? In official Sweden it is: 4.901.185.654 (secret)  |
|  Anywhere else: Ralph Haglund                               |
|  Disclaimer: If it works, it's out of date.                 |
|_____________________________________________________________|
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #311
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