=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Mon, 19 Feb 90       Volume 90 : Issue  230
 
Today's Topics:
            "ATARI ELITE..."-- * PLEASE CHANGE SUBJECT!!!
                           9600 baud modems
           Autostart for TOS1. and hard disk info required
                             ibmpc-->st?
                         Need a Math Program
                  Need answers for question (2 msgs)
                               ST World
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 18:53:56 GMT
From: silver!stowe@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (stowe)
Subject: "ATARI ELITE..."-- * PLEASE CHANGE SUBJECT!!!
Message-ID: <36333@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
 
[Dan and a lot of other people talk about Piracy/Software Thieves and
User Groups.  Dan complains about their user group being defamed because
it has the word Elite in the name.]
 
Dan,
 
Although I can sympathize with the "innocent until proven guilty" concept,
it's also a very difficult (read: impossible) task to redefine a term that
has been so closely associated with software theft for probably 10 years now.
There are many terms that people use as a cloak to cover up their real
meaning.  The word "elite" is one that software thieves use.  Unfortunately
for your user group, having that word in the name will probably forever
associate your group with software theft in the minds of people.  I don't
know when or how your group was named, but it was not the best choice for
that reason alone.  Perhaps the group once began as a theft group and has
since changed its ways, I don't know, but it's unlikely that as long as
it retains "Elite" in the name that people will not think of software theft.
Perhaps (and sadly) your group should consider a name change.
 
It's sad how often perfectly good words have been redefined into something
totally unrelated and often with negative connotations.
 
Holly
 
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
stowe@silver.ucs.indiana.edu                        You're not strange.  I am.
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 16:56:55 GMT
From:
 eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!cernvax!chx400!fatcat!acadch!impch!var@bloom-beacon.mit.ed
 u  (Raju Varghese)
Subject: 9600 baud modems
Message-ID: <1908@impch.imp.com>
 
Hi netters,
 
I would like to have the folowing information from those
of you who are using a 9600 baud MNP5 modem with their Atari ST:
 
  1. brand, model number and cost of your modem
  2. problems encountered , if any
  3. terminal emulation/ data transfer software which you use
     and/or recommend
  4. effective data rate achieved with
       a) ascii files
       b) binary files
       c) compacted (arc'd or zoo'd) files
  5. any other pertinent information.
 
If there is sufficient interest, I'l summarize and post it
on the net.
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Raju Varghese       var@impch.imp.com
Switzerland.        ..!mcvax!cernvax!chx400!impch!var
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Mon,19 Feb 90 15:27:04 GMT
From: D.Wade%sysd.salford.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK
Subject: Autostart for TOS1. and hard disk info required
Message-ID: <19 Feb 90 15:27:04 A100DC@UK.AC.SALF.D>
 
Thanks to all who pointed out that TOS1.6 will Autoboot programs from the
INSTALL APPLICATION menu. I got a little side-tracked trying to get some
disks built on an old STFM to work on my STE. They used Medium Res. and had
an autostart program. By the time I had sorted out the Medium Res. problem
my brain was a bit fuzzed. By the way for anyone with an STE there is a
program on UK.AC.PDSOFT (PDSOFT.AC.UK for those outside the UK) which does
a much neater job of fixing up the DESKTOP.INF files that the official ATARI
fix To access via MAIL mail HELP to archive-server@PDSOFT.AC.UK. I can't
try this from outside the UK but I think it should work.
 
Whilst I am on does any one know of a reasonable priced UK source of
ASCI=>SSCI adaptor cards. The only one I have seen advertised was 100 Pounds
Sterling which seems rather pricey when compared with some of the US prices
quoted for example for the ICD adaptor.
(Or how hard is it to make your own ??).
 
 Sorry no signature file but replies outside the UK may be sent to:-
 D.WADE@D.SALF.AC.UK - Most Places, MS2@UKACRL - Bitnet.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 18:37:18 GMT
From: silver!stowe@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (stowe)
Subject: ibmpc-->st?
Message-ID: <36328@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
 
In article <36263@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> cline@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nicholas
 Cline) writes:
>This is probably a novice question, but... Could anyone tell me how
>I can transfer files from a PC to an ST? Are the disk formats
>compatable? Is there a program for either that will allow it to
>read the other's disks? Thanks,
>
>Nick Cline
>cline@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
>
 
Nick,
 
The PC and the ST use the same basic file structure.  You can take a 3.5"
disk that was formatted and written on a PC and read it and write to it
on an ST.  The exception to the rule is, obviously, disks that have been
formatted on a high density (1.44Meg) drive on the PC.  The ST has 720K
drives currently.  Secondly, if you format a disk on the ST with a TOS
earlier than 1.4, you will need to use a different format program other
than the one that comes with the ST.  The IBM looks for a particular boot
block that, until TOS 1.4, the ST didn't write onto the disk.  There are
several ST programs that will format the disk with the IBM boot blocks
in place, however, not the least of which is NeoDesk.
 
Hope that helps.
 
Holly
 
 
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
stowe@silver.ucs.indiana.edu                        You're not strange.  I am.
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 18:12:15 GMT
From:
 usc!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!neat.cs.toronto.edu!omicron.cs.fsu.ed
 u!fsucs.cs.fsu.edu!boyd@ucsd.edu  (Mickey Boyd)
Subject: Need a Math Program
Message-ID: <9002191812.AA09903@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu>
 
In article <9002170803.AA28633@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, JOHNMAR@IITVAX.BITNET
 writes:
>I am looking for a math program such as 'tk solver' or 'mathcad' for the
>ST.  I haven't had any luck at my local dealer and have heard of no such
>program written for the ST.  If there is such a program for the ST please
>tell me where i may get it.  I would like it to solve systems of complex
>equations.
>
>thanx
>
>Mark Johnson
>johnmar@iitvax
 
I have a small collection of math programs for the ST that I have used
extensively.
 
      Ultragraph:  from ST-Log, november something I think.  Can plot/graph
                   algebra/trig functions in a bunch of different ways, in
                   two and three dimentions.  Very nice graphics, not much
                   use in calculations, but very good for visuallizing stuff.
 
      Matricks:  Available from terminator, really comprehensive matric algebra
                 package.
 
      Sub_Cal:  PD form of El_Cal, written by J.A. Wrotniak (sp?), who writes
                for Current Notes.  Really nice program, I think it has the
                capability you are looking for, and it only costs $4 from
                the CN PD library.
 
All of these are some form of free, I encourage you to get them all.  I could
probably come up with the exact issue of ST-Log for Ultragraph, if you like.
 
--
 
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
              Mickey Boyd            |    "Nobody can be exactly like me.
         FSU Computer Science        |      Even I have trouble doing it."
      mail:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu   |              - Tallulah Bankhead
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 11:14:00 GMT
From:
 zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt
 !tmsoft!masnet!canremote!david.schreiber@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (DAVID
 SCHREIBER)
Subject: Need answers for question
Message-ID: <90021910143087@masnet.uucp>
 
  I've been looking for ST Informer, which I've heard is an excellent,
newspaper-format ST journal. Is subscription the only way to get it?
---
 * Via ProDoor 3.2aR
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 19:04:32 GMT
From: silver!stowe@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (stowe)
Subject: Need answers for question
Message-ID: <36334@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
 
In article <90021910143087@masnet.uucp> david.schreiber@canremote.uucp (DAVID
 SCHREIBER) writes:
>
>  I've been looking for ST Informer, which I've heard is an excellent,
>newspaper-format ST journal. Is subscription the only way to get it?
 
No.  If you have a local Atari dealer or good bookstore, try them.  We carry
it in our store.
 
If you don't have a dealer, see if you can find a bookstore owned by real
people and ask them to carry it.  (This may not work if you're the only
ST owner in a 100 mile radius, however.  But, the good news is that you
may find other ST owners who didn't know you were there...)
 
Holly
 
 
 
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
stowe@silver.ucs.indiana.edu                        You're not strange.  I am.
-=-=-                              -=-=-                                 -=-=-
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90  19:20 GMT
From: Vision Newspapers <SOCS18%vaxb.york.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject: ST World
 
Keywords : ST World, "Stars" accessory, STE
 
Today I spoke (at last!) to Dave Stewart, editor of ST World, who told me that
 
"There are no plans to shut down ST World."
 
It seems that I was a little pessimistic, and I apologise if I got anyone
worried. I didn't actually say that ST World was going to disappear, just that
it looked as if it would. However, it appears that ST World will continue to be
published and there will be a small item in the next issue explaining what the
current ownership situation is.
 
Next month's issue (March) _should_ also see the start of a series on
programming the STE (but don't hold your breath...)
 
 
To all those who have mailed me asking for a copy of my 'Stars' screen blanker,
I've had a technical hitch with the ST to VAX link, and am now in the process
of getting a copy of uuencode for the ST (Thankyou Pete Fenlon). I should be
able to mail you all the uuencoded archive later this week.
 
 
Similarly with STE documentation - I'll post it when I've managed to type it
all in and got it across to this VAX.
 
 
Regards,
 
Mathew Lodge
***********************************************************************
* c/o Dept. Computer Science    * "Baldrick, fetch me a turkey _so    *
* University of York            * big_, you'd have thought its mother *
* Heslington                    * had been rodgered by an Omnibus"    *
* York, UK                      *                                     *
* YO1 5DD                       * JANET : SOCS18@uk.ac.york.vaxa      *
***********************************************************************
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Thu Feb 15 16:09:00 1990
From: hase%hase_1.UUCP%TUB.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
Message-ID: <9002151609.AA04258@hase_1.UUCP>
 
To: INFO-ATARI16@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL
Subject: Re: more drive woes
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.info-a16
References: <INFO-A16%90021408333148@MARIST.BITNET>
 
In bit.listserv.info-a16 you write:
 
>I STILL have yet to get my floppy "upgrade" working.  What I have is:
>Toshiba 1.44M drive
>The parts of an Atari SS/DD drive
 
What kind of sigle sided drive?
Is it one of the SF354 that has an 8049 microcontroller on the little PC
board adapting the STs version of the Shugart bus to the 'real' bus?
 
This microcontroller does a lot of weird things, it seems.
 
 
To connect Your Toshiba drive to the St just build a cable from Your old
round cable: cut off one of the round connectors and connect a 34-pin
connector to the wires. That should be not to tricky.
 
If You need the specs for the cable, look inside the ST manual
(description of the floppy output) and compare the signal names to the
signal names in the drives manual (or write to hase@netmbx.mbx.sub.org
:-).
Maybe You want to use the old adaptor-PCB to adapt the power connector,
but build You own "adaptor" cable to connect the drive.
 
>I also tried connecting the line from the computer to the drive directly,
>but this did not work.
Well, I suspect very much, You have the microcontroller controlled
drive.
The 8049 does some sort of "consistency check" on the signals and stops
the drive, if he doest like the combination of input signals; for
example, it is impossible to make an unmodified SF354 work with the
BLITZ copier cable, cause this asserts both drive select lines at the
same time: the 8049 thinks, they must not be asserted at the same time...
 
>Any clues anyone?
 
>PS. I've already done the pin 10 - pin 14 jumper and I can get SS/DD
>performance.
 
Hmm, say nothing to me. What does this do, and where is it done??
 
hase
---
Hartmut Semken, Lupsteiner Weg 67, 1000 Berlin 37 hase@hase_1.UUCP
Dennis had stepped up into the top seat whet its founder had died of a
lethal overdose of brick wall, taken while under the influence of a
Ferrari and a bottle of tequila. (Douglas Adams; the long dark teatime...)
 
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #230
*****************************************
