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INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Fri, 19 Jan 90       Volume 90 : Issue   70
 
Today's Topics:
                            Aegis Animator
                         Answers to questions
                  Atari Joystick ColorCode & Pinout
                       Hard Disk Parition Block
                             IBM Floppies
                  IBM PC / ATARI ST Disk Screwed Up
                     INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #63
                                 Lynx
                        PC Emulators (2 msgs)
                         Shareware MICRO RTX
                     STs and Colleges: A Proposal
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Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 10:56:04 EST
From: "Hiscocks, Peter" <FCTY7284%RYERSON.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Aegis Animator
Message-ID: <90Jan19.110305est.57398@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
 
I bought Aegis Animator some time ago for an animation project I was doing
 for a local museum. Not bad, but the animation script language was much
 more useful than the GUI that is the main part of the package. The animation
 script language is not that well described in the manual, so I worked backward
 : look at the results and then examine the scripts to determine how the script
 works.
Anyway, I have the manual and would be willing to make copies for people, now
 that Aegis is in the public domain, providing this doesn't violate the
 copyright and especially that it doesn't interfere with the author's royalties
.
Any comments on this, pro or con?
                                 Peter
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 10:43:08 EST
From: "Hiscocks, Peter" <FCTY7284%RYERSON.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Answers to questions
Message-ID: <90Jan19.110017est.57894@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
 
An eprom burner is apparently available from:
        MAXON Computer Gmbh
        Industriestrasse 26
        D-6236 Eschborn
        Germany
  for DM 229 plus postage DM 10.
 I will write them for details an post if there is any interest.
 
The streaks on the screen during VIP Professional, seem to be caused by GDOS in
 the auto folder. I removed it, and the streaks disappeared. Anyone have any
 idea why? Other programs don't seem to have this problem, so my bets are on
 VIP.
 
A cartridge port board is available from Douglas Electronics at:
        718 Marina Blvd
        San Leandro, Calif 94577
        (415)483-8770
for $10 US each. They take Visa, and I got mine in a few days after ordering.
 
Thanks to those who posted answers.
                                   Peter
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 16:08:46 GMT
From: castor.ucdavis.edu!ccjason@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu  (Jason Gabler)
Subject: Atari Joystick ColorCode & Pinout
Message-ID: <6507@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
 
        A friend of mine who has a Commadore 128 is using an Atari joystick
with it.  It recently broke and he asked me to fix it and gave me the joystick
and the 128 manual.  The manual has the pinout (commadore end) for the DB9p, but
no colorcode for the DB9s on the joystick chord.  I could take some educated
guesses but the only I would chance is that black is ground ;).
        Does anyone know the colorcode for the original-type Atari joystick?
 
 
Thanx ,
 
jase
 
 
p.s. *pLeAsE* E-MAIL responses to  adress below.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason Gabler
Data Communications Group, Computing Services, UC Davis,  Davis CA
ccjason@castor.ucdavis.edu    jygabler@ucdavis.edu     edu!ucdavis!jygabler
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord, rather than men. ><>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 17:12:40 GMT
From: rochester!kodak!nelson@PT.CS.CMU.EDU  (Bruce Nelson)
Subject: Hard Disk Parition Block
Message-ID: <2285@kodak.UUCP>
 
Could someone send me, or tell me where to find, the layout of the partition
info sector of a hard disk, preferably Supra's version?
 
For some reason, TOS thinks I have 12 partitions enabled while I have only
6 set up. Accessing I-M gives errors. Supra's partition editor shows info
ok for C-H and zeroes for I-M, while a dump of the sector shows some other
random ASCII strings which aren't in the same sector of my newer drive. I'd
to see the format so I can try and clean up some of the garbage w/o a reformat.
 
Bruce Nelson
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 17:16:51 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!econadm5@tut.cis.ohio-stat
 e.edu  (BENTLEY BH - ECONOMICS)
Subject: IBM Floppies
Message-ID: <674@watserv1.waterloo.edu>
 
>Rich Covert asked how to format 3.5" floppie's on the ST for compatibility with
>with Apple File Transfer.  I've found the best way to do this is to use the
>Mac or a PC to format the floppy.  The ST has always been able to read Mac
>or PC formatted floppies for me.  You can format MS-DOS floppies in Apple
>File Exchange if you insert an unformatted floppy while in the program.
>Just make sure you use a DSDD disk or else the Mac will format it at 1.44Mb.
>
>I haven't had a chance to experiment with various ways of formatting with the
>ST.  I wonder if the twisted format that the Mega roms use would confuse
>the Mac?
>
 
 Speaking of drives here a special note to those who want cheap 3 1/2 inch
 drives. Electronic Stores in toronto(Active Surplus and Computronics) are
 selling brand new 3 1/2 inch drives for 49.95 canadian. Thats right
 90 day guarantee and can be put into 520 Single sided ST machines.
 
 I plan on getting one sometime if anyone out there is interested a new
 shipment of 100 just arrived. My Nec for instance formats to 85 tracks
 no problem. I get about 960 K in 11 sectors format and 800+ in Ten and
 have little problem with either. So go out and buy a cheapo before
 they are sold out.
 
 Dave Tomesch, Super BBS (519)749-1206, Kwest Exec. , StarTrak Inc.
 "Never say Never"
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 08:24:44 GMT
From: thelake!steve@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU  (Steve Yelvington)
Subject: IBM PC / ATARI ST Disk Screwed Up
Message-ID: <0019900224441671@thelake.mn.org>
 
[In article <2646@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu>,
     ia4@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu (Imran Anwar) writes ... ]
 
> I use an Atari 1040 ST on which I can prepare and save text files on PC format
> 720K 3.5" disks. These I take to school and use them in the NCR PCs there for
> printouts as I have no printer :-(
>
> Recently the school added some HP PCs with 1.4M 3.5" floppies. There seems to
> be a compatibility problem as the 1.44M drives do not read 720K floppies made
> on the NCR PC compatibles (or my Atari ST).
>
 
I've had all sorts of bizarre problems with PCs and compatibles not being
able to read each others' disks. We have several dozen PCs at the Star
Tribune, and I don't trust them as far as I can spit. Perhaps it's a drive
alignment problem, or perhaps it's that PC disk controllers aren't very
smart.  The 1.44MB drives have a reputation for being even more flaky than
the run of the mill when asked to read/write 720K disks.
 
On the other hand, just this evening I copied the DeSmet Personal C
compiler and some source code off my ST's hard drive onto a preformatted
720K 3M Corp. disk (from a good Minnesota company), took it to work, stuck
them in a couple of '286 and '386 PS/2s with 1.44MB drives, and ran the
compiler just fine.* So PCs and clones can work when they want to. (Sorry;
I know that doesn't help.)
 
--
     *This is not to be taken as a suggestion that I think the DeSmet
      PCC is worth the price of a floppy disk, let alone the shareware
      fee. Sozobon C has spoiled me rotten.
--
   Steve Yelvington at the (thin ice today*) lake in Minnesota
   UUCP path: ... umn-cs.cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve
 
   *16 cars through the ice so far this year! Yes, you, too, can
    have that sinking feeling....
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 17:09:49 GMT
From:
 snorkelwacker!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!be
 ach.cis.ufl.edu!cr1@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Christopher Roth)
Subject: INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 #63
Message-ID: <21835@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
 
In article <9001190819.AA12755@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> MBERNAR@ERENJ.BITNET
 (Marcelino) writes:
>There has been extensive discussions recently on selling the Atari computers
>in colleges.  I hardly think that this is the forum for such discussions.
>If you're really so interested in selling ST's, get a job with Atari.
>Leave this group to its original purpose: ST programming and technical
>discussions.
>
>Regards,
>Marcelino Bernardo
>mbernar@erenj.bitnet
 
 
And where IS the proper forum for discussing the selling of Atari
computers in colleges?  I personally enjoy seeing these discussions,
and feel that this is a good place as any for it.  I also find the use
of the command 'K' to be handy when something bores me.  Why don't you
just skip over those topics?
 
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
*     Christoper Roth                         *  "Machines have no
*     InterNet  :  cr1@beach.cis.ufl.edu      *   Conscience..."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Post No Bills-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 90 11:01:24 EST
From: "Hiscocks, Peter" <FCTY7284%RYERSON.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Lynx
Message-ID: <90Jan19.110414est.57505@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
 
Just out of vulgar curiosity, what is inside the Lynx? Anything that would be
 modifiable for control applications? Or is it all ASICs?
 
                              Peter
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 14:24:32 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv1!watdragon!poppy!ljdickey@t
 ut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Lee Dickey)
Subject: PC Emulators
Message-ID: <19981@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
 
In article <2277@kodak.UUCP> nelson@kodak.UUCP (Bruce Nelson) writes:
>AvantGarde posted a message on CompuServe on 1/17 saying that many of the
>boards they shipped were DOA due to a bad chip. They are working with their
>manufacturer to come up with a (hopefully painless) solution.
>
>They've sure had a run of bad luck!
>
>Bruce Nelson
 
I feel sorry for the guys at PC Ditto II.  I hope they are able to
get their product working soon.
 
 
    L. J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo.
        ljdickey@water.UWaterloo.ca     ljdickey@water.BITNET
        ljdickey@water.UUCP             ..!uunet!watmath!water!ljdickey
        ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 16:08:18 GMT
From: mcgill-vision!quiche!calvin!depeche@bloom-beacon.mit.edu  (Sam Alan EZUST)
Subject: PC Emulators
Message-ID: <2009@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca>
 
This is to jimh@ultra.com
 
I can't send you mail. I tried jimh@ultra.com, as well as
ultra!jimh@ames.arc.nasa.gov and
jimh@ames.arc.nasa.gov.
 
please send me mail.. I will try auto-reply, but if that doesn't work,
give me another suggestion on how to reach you. Once I can mail you,
you will get the fixed version of laserC.
 
--
S. Alan Ezust                                   depeche@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca
McGill University School of Computer Science -  Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    If pro is the opposite of con, what's the opposite of progress?
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 16:15:51 GMT
From: sdcc6!sdcc10!cs163wed@ucsd.edu  ( )
Subject: Shareware MICRO RTX
Message-ID: <6226@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
 
Now that a multi-tasking TOS is available, perhaps it is time for
someone to try to add a windowing system on top of it, like Desqview
for the IBM, which allows different kinds of programs to run in
windows, GEM or TOS programs alike?  (GEM is so stupid that this
windowing system should be on top of GEM, that is, it will allow GEM
windows and other junks to be inside the new windowing system's
window....)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Jan 90 16:43:38 GMT
From: pwp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (Paul Purdom)
Subject: STs and Colleges: A Proposal
Message-ID: <33440@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
 
At Indiana University we use the ST1040 for assembly language programming. In
order of importance the reasons we got were
1. There was information available about enough details of the hardware and
operating systems.
2. In has a 68000 CPU.
3. The price was right.
 
We also use Minix in the operating systems course, but that is done on clones
of IBM I believe.
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #70
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