=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Wed, 17 Jan 90       Volume 90 : Issue   58
 
Today's Topics:
                               AMCGDOS
                            GNU and the ST
                     INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #36
                     INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #55
                                Mouse
                              RSC WAnted
                           ST then and now
                            TT availablity
                      Who (where) is "ST Plus"?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 14:18:20 MEZ
From: ONM07%DMSWWU1A.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Julian Reschke)
Subject: AMCGDOS
Message-ID: <9001171318.AA12360@hugin.math.dmswwu>
 
AMCGDOS is the official GDOS version from Atari Germany (they bought
a license from the author: Arnd Beissner, Scharnhorststr. 76, D-4400
Muenster). AMCGDOS is free except for commercial use. Usage is
absolutely identical to the original GDOS. Drivers and fonts
should be available at your local dealer.
 
Julian F. Reschke, Hensenstr. 142, D-4400 Muenster, Tel.: 0251/861241
email: ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 17 Jan 90 15:48:25 GMT
From:
 zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.ci
 s.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: GNU and the ST
Message-ID: <48173ae2.14a1f@force.UUCP>
 
You know, what with all the frustration with Atari not releasing the STe
to the US, and not releasing the TT to the US, and not having outline GDOS
fonts, and all of the other complaints that we have with Atari Corp-USA,
I started reading the Mac newsgroups. Well, I am a diehard STer, and the thought
of buying a Mac is almost enough to make me sick [ :-) ], but the support from
Apple is great (at least there are lots of 3rd party vendors for Macs). Anyway,
I am always looking for reasons why not to buy a Mac. My biggest are prices and
the poor system design centered about QuickDraw (very slow graphics on all but
the MacIIci). Also, Mac SW is VERY expensive. this is all leading to a message
 that
I saw posted in the Mac newsgroup. Someone there wanted to know why GNU/Free
Software Foundation hasn't ported their programs to the Macs. And another caller
posted a file included with GNU SW which really rips into Apple and explains
that FSF will NEVER support ANY Apple product, especially the Mac.
I have included the message for those who haven't seen it.
 
So, my point is that as bad as things are with Atari Corp at least ST is
is recognized by FSF as a machine worthy of porting their products to.
Most FSF programs have been ported to the ST. So there are *SOME* good
things about the ST!
 
 
 
*********Press N to Skip the MEssage ********************************
 
 
 
From asuvax!noao!ncar!mwunix.mitre.org!rtidd Wed Jan 10 12:39:08 1990
Path:
 force!gtephx!hrc!mcdphx!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!think!snorkelwacker!spdcc!
 merk!alliant!linus!chance!ccel
From: ccel@chance.uucp (CCEL)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: YACC and LEX for Macs
Keywords: apple, GNU
Message-ID: <88099@linus.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jan 90 19:39:08 GMT
References: <1990Jan9.021314.5308@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us>
 <1570019@hp-ptp.HP.COM>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: rtidd@mwunix.mitre.org
Organization: MITRE-McLean Software Engineering Laboratory
Lines: 83
 
In article <1570019@hp-ptp.HP.COM> steve@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Steve_Witten) writes:
>/ hp-ptp:comp.sys.mac / shieber@harvard.harvard.edu /  6:13 pm  Jan  8, 1990 /
>
>I have a Mac II running THINK C and am interested in getting a version
>of Yacc and Lex for it.  Has anyone written such a thing, or ported a
>version?  For instance, has anyone ported the GNU Bison and Flex to
>Macs?  (From the code I ftped, it didn't look like the GNU people
>themselves had done the port.)
 
Some time back, GNU got very upset at Apple over a lawsuit Apple tried
against GNU for writing "look-and-feel" software; that is, software
that "works even vaguely" like a Macintosh. Due to this, GNU doesn't
support any Apple machines anywhere (especially the Mac). Pity,
because the GNU software is not only excellent but free, and has
source code and documentation provided. I'm not much of an Apple fan,
and this certainly isn't the place to harp on Macs, so i'll leave it
at that. Included is the "APPLE" file distributed with most GNU
software:
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@unnumbered Special Report: Apple's New Look and Feel
 
You might have read about the new look-and-feel copyright lawsuit,
Apple vs. Hewlett Packard and Microsoft.  Apple claims the power to
stop people from writing any program that works even vaguely like a
Macintosh.  If they and other look-and-feel plaintiffs triumph, they
will use this new power over the public to put an end to free software
that could substitute for commercial software.
 
In the weeks after the suit was filed, USENET reverberated with
condemnation for Apple.  GNU supporters Richard Stallman, John Gilmore, and
Paul Rubin decided to take action against Apple's no-longer-deserved
reputation as a force for progress.  Apple's reputation comes from having
made better computers; but now, Apple is working to make all non-Apple
computers worse.  If this deprives the public of the future work of many
companies, the harm done would be many times the good that any one company
does.  Our hope was that if the user community realizes how destructive
Apple's present actions are, Apple would lose customers and have more
trouble finding employees.
 
Our method of action was to print 5000 buttons that say ``Keep Your Lawyers
Off My Computer'' and hand them out at the West Coast Computer Faire.  The
center of the button shows the rainbow-apple logo with a Gigeresque mouth
full of ferocious teeth.  The picture was drawn by Etienne Suvasa, who also
drew the cover for the GNU Emacs manual.  We call the picture ``Apple's New
Look and Feel''.
 
We gave out nearly 4000 buttons at the show (saving the rest for
afterwards).  The result was a great success: the extent of anger at Apple
was apparent to everyone at the show.  Many of the invited speakers at the
show wore our buttons, spoke about them, or even waved them from the
podium.  The press noticed this: at least one Macintosh user's magazine
carried a photo of the button afterwards.
 
Some of you may be considering using, buying, or recommending Macintoshes;
you might even be writing programs for them or thinking about it.  Please
think twice and look for an alternative.  Doing those things means more
success for Apple, and this could encourage Apple to persist in its
aggression.  It also encourages other companies to try similar
obstructionism.
 
[It is because of this boycott that we don't include support for Macontosh
Unix in GNU software.]
 
You might think that your current project ``needs'' a Macintosh now.  If
you find yourself thinking this way, consider the far future.  You probably
plan to be alive a year or two from now, and working on some other project.
You will want to get good computers for that, too.  But an Apple monopoly
could easily make the price of such computers at that time several times
what it would otherwise be.  Your decision to use some other kind of
machine, or to defer your purchases now, might make sure that the machines
your next project needs are affordable when you need them.
 
Newspapers report that Macintosh clones will be available soon.  If
you must buy a Macintosh-like machine, buy a clone.  Don't feed the
lawyers!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Cheers
 
Randy Tidd
rtidd@mwunix.mitre.org
#define DISCLAIM TRUE
 
 
--
 Richard E. Covert, Lead Engineer of Software Tools Group
 AG Communications Systems, Phoenix AZ   (602) - 581-4652
 TCP/IP: covertr@gtephx
 UUCP: ?ncar!noao!asuvax | uunet!zardoz!hrc | att?!gtephx!covertr
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 13:15:06 EST
From: kushnier@NADC.ARPA (R. Kushnier)
Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #36
Message-ID: <9001171815.AA28519@NADC.ARPA>
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 18:41 N
From: SURF066%KUB.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #55
 
RE: VIP professional.
 
I have encountered the same horizontale streaks!
They only appear when i have the harddisk driver installed.
I think this problem can be solved when (and if you have it (i don't)) you
use a install program.
Greetings maurice melotto
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 90 16:00:59 GMT
From: Jan Ameij <ameij@oxcnvx>
Subject: Mouse
Message-ID: <9001171558.AA02023@uk.ac.ox.prg>
 
Dear Gang,
 
I am asking this for a colleague, so please email and I'll pass it on.
Summary back, of course. I'm intrigued by it as well.....
 
Question: Does anyone know how to make the mouse pointer move half as far as
normal (ie mousdoub.prg~(-1))? Ie move the mouse twice as far as usual for the
same effect on the screen. Ie oh sod it isn't that clear?
 
Supplementary: Why don't the bios calls re mouse in Atari ST Internals work on
our TOS1.2ed MEGA4? What's a good source of info on the MEGA as opposed to these
little 520 thingies?
 
Ignore the wierd address at the top, replies please as ever to
 
ameij % uk.ac.oxford.vax @ some-janet.gateway.or-other
 
Love n kisses
 
Jan pp chum Mark
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 17 Jan 90 15:49:58 GMT
From:
 pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!asuv
 ax!hrc!force!covertr@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Richard E. Covert)
Subject: RSC WAnted
Message-ID: <48173c45.14a1f@force.UUCP>
 
I really need/want a GEM Resource Construction Set Editor. I
have the one that comes with Mark Williams C, and the one from
HiSoft called WERCS, and an old one from Kuma. I like the WERCS
best, but it keeps trashing the HRD File for a very large RSC
that I am developing.
 
The HRD file in WERCS stores the variable names for objects in your
RSC. In my case I have about 8 dialogue boxes with many objects,
and lots of variable names. WERCS keeps trashing the HRD file and thus I have to
reenter the darn names!! Very frustrating!!! My copy was purchased in early
 1989.
So it may be an old version. Could someone from Over The Pond tell me
what is the current version of WERCS?? I really like most of its features,
but the way it keeps trashing my HRD files makes it unusable.
 
HELP!!!!!!
 
P.S. I could write up a small review of WERCS if anyone wants one.
 
--
 Richard E. Covert, Lead Engineer of Software Tools Group
 AG Communications Systems, Phoenix AZ   (602) - 581-4652
 TCP/IP: covertr@gtephx
 UUCP: ?ncar!noao!asuvax | uunet!zardoz!hrc | att?!gtephx!covertr
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 16 Jan 90 14:31:37 GMT
From: njsmu!telesci!cciolori@princeton.edu  (Christopher Ciolorito)
Subject: ST then and now
Message-ID: <920@telesci.UUCP>
 
It has been a long time since I have worked seriously with my
ST. I got mine back in like '85 and I actually had to boot
TOS from disk! (Now that's an old ST)
 
   When I went to college, it was mandatory to buy a Macintosh
(I attend Drexel U. in Philadelphia). This is one of the reasons
I haven't used my ST in a while. Actually having used the Mac
extensively for about 2 or 3 years, I have to admit that I still
have a yearning for the ST. The ST is just a great machine! And for
the price, you can't beat it. There were many things about the
Mac I liked(like a ton of FREE software put out by Drexel),but
I would much rather use the ST. It just beats the Mac hands down
in just about everything but market distribution. I am still annoyed
at the fact that there is no authorized dealer in my area.(I reside
in Atlantic City, NJ) It has been 4 or 5 YEARS since I bought my ST
and still no dealer! But there is something about that ST that
I love. (Besides I buy everything mail order anyway...cheaper!)
 
This brings me to the point of this posting. When I bought my
ST way back a million years ago, everybody told me I was crazy
because Atari would be out of business in like maybe a year.
And they are still saying it! Give me a break...5 years have past
and my ST is still humming along mighty fine. And Atari is still
in business.
I love the way these people give these stock quotes and use them
as a basis for saying Atari is going out of business. That's
EXACTLY the same thing they were doing 5 years ago, too. The way the
stock market is today, it is no indication.
 
SO please shut up! ST users are sick of hearing this! If you have
some useful stock info...fine, but don't come off saying that
because Atari has a quarterly loss they are doomed. Back in 1985
there were many people and analysts(analysts aren't people) who
predicted Atari and the Tramiels would NEVER pull it off...but
they did, and are still going. And I wish them the best of luck in
the future. Thank you Atari..for listening! I paid only $700.00
for my 520 when I got it...as compared to $1800.00 for my Mac SE.
The ST is as good or better than the SE, and this comes from
someone who has used both machines a lot.(And who likes his Mac)
 
Anyway, since I have been out of things on the ST for a while, could
someone give me some info on some descent software.
I am looking for a couple of good programming languages..C and
COBOL...some word processor stuff...games..data base..etc..
 
                                   Chris
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 17 Jan 90 16:33:00 GMT
From: apollo!rehrauer@eddie.mit.edu  (Steve Rehrauer)
Subject: TT availablity
Message-ID: <481762d6.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM>
 
In article <5343@blake.acs.washington.edu> ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
 (Enartloc Nhoj) writes:
>On December 27th, I posted an article about the "show and deliver"
>policy of Atari's:  New products will be shipped within 90 days of
>an announcement.  At least, this is what i understand Atari's "new"
>policy to be.  I gather the Dusseldorf "show" of August 25th 1989 was
>NOT an announcement, as there are zero TT's being shipped to dealers
>in Europe.  I did get personal mail from an inside Atari engineer
>saying that the Dusseldorf "announcement" stated a 1st quarter '90
>release.  We've still got 8 weeks or so before the end of the quarter.
>However, the very same engineer made it perfectly clear that the TT was
>still being designed.  Furthermore, if one calls Atari Developer's
>support, one discovers that the TT developer's kit is unavailable.
>This all leads to very interesting and disappointing conclusions.
 
At this point, I think Atari's policy should be to not say ANYTHING
until a product is actually shipping.  _Shipping_, not on the boat from
Singapore, not in final FCC clearance, not in Beta sites, not prototyped,
not in design; but really and actually going out the door to end-users or
dealers or whomever.  "This is our official announcement of model XYZZY.
You want one?  Call this number, give us a VISA #, and it'll be UPS'd
to you the next day."  No, I don't think all (or even most) companies
do or should do this.  But Atari has a lot of skeptics, including me.
Maybe this would silence a lot of them.
 
Personally, I still don't expect to see a TT here, on the East Coast,
until mid-summer at earliest.  I hope Atari proves me wrong, of course,
and ships the dang things next week, and they wow everyone & cause peace
and prosperity & cost $500. :>
 
>A friend of mine is visitng for a week to finish up a development
>project we are working on together.  He brought his Mac SE/30.
>Very nice..  hmmm... and seeing how cheap these things are getting..
>hmm..
 
I wish Apple and Atari (or someone, aka "Dave Small" perhaps :-) would
get together to make low-cost, lower-end Macs.  Let Apple chase the fast
'030 and '040 designs, and let someone else make a Mac of reasonable
performance that I can afford; say, an SE/20 for under $1500.  (Oh
please don't tell me about the Spectre GCR; I already know about it.)
Just a wish.
--
>>"Aaiiyeeee!  Death from above!"<< | Steve Rehrauer, rehrauer@apollo.hp.com
   "Flee, lest we be trod upon!"    | The Apollo System Division of H.P.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 17 Jan 90 17:44:35 GMT
From: dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!squibby@CS.BU.EDU  (Clark L. Breyman)
Subject: Who (where) is "ST Plus"?
Message-ID: <18563@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
 
One warning on said Berkley dealer: It was discussed a while ago on the net
basic bad vibes from Microworld in Berkley  which _I believe_ is associated
with Zephyr which was just mentioned as the vendor for ST Plus. One cute
aspect of their sales policy at Microworld: 2 day warranty on hardware,
25% restocking charge on returned merchandise.
 
        Sinc,
        Clark
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #58
