Info-Atari16 Digest         Thu, 27 Jun 91       Volume 91 : Issue 357
 
Today's Topics:
                Amiga is better then what??? (2 msgs)
                     ICD Host Adapter for Sale...
                         Looking for software
    Possible GCR sale...  What is the real value of a Spectre GCR
                    Profile editor for Dr.T's X-oR
                      Sybex STe/TT systems book
                         This week's program
                          TT Tos extensions.
                        What archiving format?
             What do I use to view 'sps' images? (3 msgs)
 
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 26 Jun 91 19:23:56 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!sol.ctr.columbia.ed
 u!ira.uka.de!fauern!faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!csbrod@arizona.edu (Claus
 Brod)
Subject: Amiga is better then what???
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
don@chopin.udel.edu (Donald R Lloyd) writes:
 
>        I can get a 24-bit card for $299 (list).  It takes advantage of the Amiga's
>built-in coprocessors.  For about $100 more I can get one that also includes
>a slow-scan video digitizer.  This one (DCTV) has been demoed at shows paging
>full-motion, full-color video off a HD and displaying it through this advice in
>real time (Watched a few minutes of Back to the Future III...)
 
A 24-bit card with complete screen drivers for all the applications you have?
I doubt that.
 
>        Besides, if you have a problem with your 500, you FedEx it back to
>Commodore (at CBM's expense) & it's promptly replaced or repaired & sent back.
>If your 2000, 2500, or 3000 go bad, and your warranty is still valid (1 year
>warranty on all models, w/option to purchase an extension), Commodore sends
>someone to your home to fix it there.
 
You must be kidding. At least here in Germany, nobody cares when your A2000
breaks down. Especially Commodore won't care.
 
>        I've seen the so-called blitter on an ST.  I was not impressed.  The
 
You have probably seen the desktop build up windows with and without a
blitter, using TOS 1.02. This means you ain't seen nothing yet.
Blitter support in TOS is not as it could be, and in general one
is tempted to say that Blitters Are Not Important. You can speed up
graphics a lot more by software.
 
>Amiga's blitter performs most operations about as fast as a 14 MHz 68020
>(according to Dave Haynie, a CBM hardware guy who frequents c.s.amiga.*).
 
The ST blitter won't stand much behind in these terms. It's just that
the Amiga OS and architecture much more relies on the fact that there
is something like a blitter and therefore uses it much more than TOS.
 
>     Of course, for about $10 (probably less) you can pop a 68010 into your
>Amiga & make up for that difference.  Unless Atari has finally released a
>non-TT TOS version that supports 680(1+)0 chips, ST owners don't have this
>option.
 
TOS 1.06, TOS 2.05, TOS 3.01 and TOS 3.05 support the 68010. Nevertheless,
you won't gain much from a 68010, as experiments have shown.
 
>        In what way are they more complete?  Do they include a shell environment
>as well as a GUI?  Do they support multiple simultaneous screens of different
>depths, resolutions, and pallettes?  (Can the ST even change resolutions yet
>without a reboot?)  Shared libraries & interprocess communication? (Oops!
>No need... no multitasking!  Sorry.)
 
Sigh. We've had cooperative multitasking from the start. Applications
and accessories can send messages to each other. And I don't think the
Workbench is much of a real GUI - not before Kick 2.0, at least.
 
>     Workbench is just as easy to use as any most other GUIs.  Double click
>the icon & away you go...
 
Just try to view all files in a folder with the standard workbench.
You won't get them. Instead, you have to confine yourself to a command
shell. That's not the way GUIs were meant to work.
 
>CLI(1):artm
>CLI(2):iprefs
>CpuBlit V1.00
>AssignX
>FaccII
>ForFacc
>RexxMaster
>CLI(4):c:snap
>CygnusEd
>CLI(3):loadwb
>jr-comm
>DMouse
>Virus_Checker
>jrcomm-clock
>SD
 
If you look at this list closely, you'll realise that most of the
processes mentioned are equivalents of TSRs. CpuBlit is a text output
speeder (BTW, interesting to know that you're using CpuBlit while
you're claiming that your blitter is much faster than a ST blitter).
DMouse is a screen saver/mouse speeder package. Virus_Checker is also
of the TSR type. If you think about it, you'll see that the list
above was no good example for real multitasking. When working with
my ST/TT, I have at least that many processes and resident programs in
my computer.
 
Don't get me wrong:
I don't question the usefulness of preemptive multitasking. It's just
that you gave a bad example of your usage of this feature.
 
>        How is this superior to the Amiga's 4 channel 8 bit stereo sound?  (8 bit
>on all 4 channels, not just 2 of them).  There's even software (Octaplayer?)
>that supposedly pushes out 8 voices.  Of course, unlike the ST, the Amiga's
>sound is driven by yet another coprocessor, so it takes almost 0 CPU time to
>play a musical score or a digitized sound (as a background process in your
>multitasking environment, while you work on something else).
 
I couldn't care less if my computer has 3 or 4 digital voices. It just
doesn't matter. If you're making professional music, you can't make use
of the home-computer bleep-style digital channels the STe and Amiga
offer; instead, you will use MIDI devices (that's why the ST has a
MIDI port built-in). If you're running standard applications, you don't need
sound except the occasional beep when you've done something wrong.
 
For your information: The STe/TT digital sound chip has an own DMA
channel, just like the Amiga.
 
>        Applied Engineering and Commodore both make Ami HD drives.  The problem
>with HD drives on the Amiga is that the floppies are controlled by a
 coprocessor
>(yes, another one!) that allows me to do things like formatting a floppy (which
>I'm doing now via the SD process listed above) with little loss of CPU time.
>This coprocessor, though, cannot handle the throughput speeds of high density
>drives (twice that of the older drives), so workarounds have had to be found.
 
To my knowledge, there is no HD drive for the Amiga that handles standard
MFM disks. A real pain when shuffling data to a PC.
 
>     No?  Why not?  That .86 MHz doesn't make much of a difference...
 especially
>if the ST also has to use the CPU to do I/O and/or graphics stuff at the same
>time.  Oops!  Forgot again... no multitasking.  Never mind.
 
See above. The floppy controller and the ACSI bus have an own DMA channel.
In the TT, there is a second SCSI DMA channel.
 
>     On the subject of memory, what exactly is the difference between "ST
>memory" and "TT memory" on the TT?  Is ST mem 16 bits wide?
 
To the video chip, it is even 64 bits wide.
 
>        If I remember the TT specs correctly, the only grahics mode the TT has
>that can outdo a stock Amiga 3000 (or any other model, if it weren't for the
>flicker in interlace mode on <3000 Amigas) is the 1024x960 mono mode which
>needs a special monitor.  With the CBM A2024 monitor or Moniterm Viking, any
>amiga can do 1008x800 (1008x1024 in PAL mode) mono.
 
1280x960. 72 Hz. Without a special graphic card. IMHO, a big advantage and
one of the reason why I bought a TT.
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Claus Brod, Am Felsenkeller 2,                  Things. Take. Time.
D-8772 Marktheidenfeld, Germany                 (Piet Hein)
csbrod@medusa.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Claus_Brod@wue.maus.de
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 26 Jun 91 22:56:04 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!ukma!lunatix!jmay@arizona.edu
 (Jimmie Mayfield)
Subject: Amiga is better then what???
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I generally try to stay away from computer wars regardless of the platforms
involved so I'll be brief.
 
In article <677913506.0@therip.FidoNet> Rod.Fulk@f24.n228.z1.FidoNet.Org (Rod
 Fulk) writes:
>However there is a 24bit card available for $800 with a coprocessor of some
>sort for really good graphics...
 
There are 24bit cards for the A500 that run as low as $400 list.  Granted
these don't include racy processors such as i860s or anything but they
offer good displays for a good price (you can even choose between RGB or
composite (in case you're a video professional) ).
 
>Adding things to the ST come alot cheaper over all then on the amiga and the
>standard equipment atari sells is of better quality on average.
 
How about some supporting for this?
 
>Compare....
>An Ste with tos 1.6 and blitter performs pretty well...
>Compared to an Amiga 500 the amiga only has a slight edge over the Atari..
 
Again, please support your assertions with benchmarks, etc. otherwise they're
ineffective as arguments.  I'm not an Atari expert so I'd like to see some
numbers.
 
>Compare OS's... The St is built with a much more complete OS then ANY of the
>amiga OS's.. (The 2.0 doesnt really count at this point since last time I
>looked it was not available on amiga 500's yet)
 
From what little I've read in this newsgroup, there seem to be more than a few
people who think that TOS should be trashed (and, of course, some people who
think that TOS still has merits).  I'm curious how friendly the ST's OS is
to program.  Is it library-based or something else.  From a programmer's POV,
the Amiga's libraries make programming even an enjoyable process :-)
 
>It is easy to use HD floppies on an ST.. I have yet to see on on an amiga...
 
I agree with you on this point.  Thus far, Amiga HD floppies aren't compat.
with the 1.4 meg standard (to my knowledge).
 
>Comparing an ST to an Amiga at purely CPU intensive things the Amiga can not
>be compared very favorably.
 
How so?  Again, benchmarks and the like please.
 
>ALL the memory can be used in an ST as compared to the amigas limitation of
>chip memory...
 
This only applies to applications which utilize the custom chips.  This has
currently been increased to 2 MB though there are ways around the limitation.
 
>You must waste memory on
>an amiga to do double buffered graphics and digital sound at the same time.)
 
Exactly how does the Amiga waste memory doing this?
 
>The sound systems are for the most part the same.. Differences can be over
>come by the speed of the processor. If you REALLY push it the amiga can do a
             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Which _should_ be considered an important factor.  If I offered an engineer
two systems identical systems (note that I am not implying that the
ST and Amiga are identical...) with the exception of processor speed, one
may assume that the engineer will choose the faster of the two.
 
>few things better in the graphics arena though.. Over all though you have no
>bussiness stating the ST is no where as good as the amiga.. It is not true..
 
I have made no such claim.  However, I have found no facts which state that
the ST is the better of the two.
 
>(Multi tasking doesnt make a better machine but since most people dont realize
>they are not gonna need it they think they need it and might lewt it make some
>sort of an effect on them..)
 
I suppose the trend towards multitasking operating systems is bogus then?
Now I'm not going to say that "I'm running a WP, this terminal program, and
am archiving a big program while I type this" because I'm not :-)  BUT, I
do have a virus checker running in the background, and I have the aformentioned
multitasking that the OS does on its own going on as I type this.  Question:
when you load a program from disk, does the rest of the system come to a halt?
I don't know the ST that well but I will vouch that this doesn't happen on
the Ami.
 
>
>
> * Origin: The R.I.P.  (616)235-2313   [HST] (1:228/24)
 
Jimmie
 
--
                  Jimmie Mayfield - TRA# 1226
                 UUCP: lunatix!jmay@ms.uky.edu
                      BitNet: S0E3@TRANSY
        #include <stddisclaim.h>   "Climbin' the Walls"
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 91 08:29:09 CDT
From: Mike Dorman <MDORMAN1@UA1VM.UA.EDU>
Subject: ICD Host Adapter for Sale...
To: Atari List <INFO-ATARI16@naucse.cse.nau.edu>
 
I have a *brand new* ICD Host Adapter Plus for sale.  It has been opened,
tested, and put back in the box (it's a long story).  I bought it approx.
1 week ago.  I'd like to recoup what I can, so I want to sell it.  The list
price was $99, and ended being $106 with shipping.  I'd like to get $80
for it.
 
It also includes all necessary cables, the ICD software (I don't know what
version, it's still in its sealed plastic bag), and a detailed manual.
 
Somebody make me a deal--It's the first step toward getting that hard drive
you always wanted.
 
Mike.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Michael Alan Dorman   :                                                     :
: MDORMAN1@UA1VM.UA.EDU : Hobbies are things people do when they should be    :
: BIX: syssupport       :   sleeping.  --M.A.D.                               :
: GEnie: M.DORMAN2      :                                                     :
: PostalNet:            :                                                     :
:   Box 8068            : Stonehenge was built by two drunks with no          :
:   Tuscaloosa, AL      :   witnesses.  --P.S.McGhee                          :
:               35486   :                                                     :
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 04:28:37 GMT
From: esvax.hamavnet.com!n6vbg.hamavnet.com!system@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: Looking for software
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hello, good people,
 
I am looking for a used copy of the Atari Flight Simulator, complete with
manuals and all.
 
If someone has this package, and want to part with it, please contact me to
system@n6vbg.hamavnet.com.
 
Thanks,
 
Javier
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 05:36:50 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!csn!cc
 ncsu!lamar!sytang@arizona.edu (Shoou-yu tang)
Subject: Possible GCR sale...  What is the real value of a Spectre GCR
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
 Although Mac plus ROM is not as easy to find as last year, If one post a wanted
 message in comp.sys.mac.wanted still possible to find a set for about $100 to
 $150.(There is a set going now for bid >$90 in there) The only thing is get the
 ROM first then buy the Spectre.
 As system 7 goes, even a lot of Mac add on accerlator has trouble with it, one
of the Mac developer that I know has a SE with 030 board crash with system 7.
 plus without 030 or PMMU, there is not much advantage to jump except probably
 the true type font. And to run true type font does not require system 7, the
6.0.7 can handle true type font,only need to get the true type font init from
the ftp.apple.com located in a file call personal-laserwriter-tool.sit ( the
actural name might be silcely off, it's the new laser writer Apple introduced
eariler) and get the true type fonts from the same place in the other file call
true-type-font****.sit.hqx
 Under GCR, you don't need the superdrive to import PC(or STE)files. Run the
apple file exchange from the Mac mode then insert the PC disk. The directory of
 the PC disk will show up in the file exchange dialog box and ready for you to
transfer to Mac or vise versa.( Better then Mac SE).
 Tang
 sytang@lamar.colostate.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 26 Jun 91 14:15:07 GMT
From: aurs01!whitcomb@uunet.uu.net (Jonathan Whitcomb)
Subject: Profile editor for Dr.T's X-oR
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
A new version of E-oR, the profile editor for Dr.T's X-oR universal
patch editor/librarian is now available for the Atari ST.
 
For the uninitiated, X-oR is a program that manages all the
system exclusive messages for any MIDI capable machine (be it a
synth, effects box, MIDI mixer, switcher or whatever).  The catch is,
someone has to write a "profile" for your machine.  This profile
converts your machines system exclusive data into parameters that
may be used by X-oR.  E-oR is a tool that allows you to do write,
modify and test profiles for X-oR.  It has its own interpreted
command language (XORCL), although much of writing a profile consists of
setting up data and parameter tables.
 
Once a profile has been written, it may be used with any of the
four platforms for X-oR (ST, Mac, PC and Amiga).  For now, E-oR
is only available for the ST.
 
E-oR V1.3 has an improved XORCL editor screen, with improved program
branching and tracing capabilities.  A feature that non-programmers
will especially like is the new parmob editing features.  This lets
you highlight any object or group of objects on the editing screen
with the mouse (sliders, text boxes, envelope boxes, etc.) and
manually move them with the cursor keys.  This means that if you
don't like the screen layout on one of your existing profiles, you
can change it easily.
 
Various other changes and bug fixes have been made.  Writing a new
profile from scratch is still no picnic, but many of the more
tedious tasks have been simplified.
 
E-oR can be downloaded from GEnie (if you own a registered Dr.T's
product), and can probably be gotten from Dr.T's directly by calling
their customer service line (617-455-1454).  The program doesn't
cost anything if you own X-oR (and why would you want it otherwise?),
although you'll probably have to pay for the disk and postage if
you have it sent.
**********************************************************************
Jonathan Whitcomb                    UUCP: <whitcomb%aurgate@mcnc.org>
Alcatel Network Systems, Raleigh, NC                GEnie: J.WHITCOMB3
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 08:26:46 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!uhccux!uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu!kiki@uunet.uu.net (Jack W.
 Wine)
Subject: Sybex STe/TT systems book
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET (Julian F. Reschke) writes:
 
>It contains all information you need about TOS and GEM (well, I HOPE so...),
>including all new features up to TOS versions 2.05 and 3.05. The second half
>of the book contains lots of technical details about the hardware (again
>including the STE/Mega STE and TT hardware; SCC, SCSI and so on).
 
It sounds like a great resource!  If you are able (and allowed) to provide
complete information on the mysterious GAL chips, it would be a relief.  In-
structions about the VME bus is needed and an indepth review of Atari Unix
would be welcomed too.
 
I'll get it in whatever language available, although most of my knowledge
of German comes from watching the interesting ITV shows, "Derrick" and "Drei
Damen Von Grille" (Three Ladies and their Wiener Mobile).
 
>The price will be DM 89.- oder 99.-. And yes, we (the authors) and Sybex
>*ARE* interested in translations. Please contact Sybex U.S. or an other
>US book company, if you are _really_ interested that this will be done.
 
The person to contact at Sybex US is Diane King.  She said that they are open
to suggestions, so if everyone gives her a friendly call, it could favorably
influence her decision to commission a translation.
 
Someone mentioned that there were software-based German-to-English translators
so maybe that method can be tried.  Does anyone has experience with them?
 
The following is a list of all the Sybex divisions.  People outside of US
might want to express their desire for the book/translated editions by calling
their nearest sales representative and request that they contact Diane King
at Sybex USA, so that she may gauge the depth of interest world-wide.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
[Title: Atari STe/TT systems book, author: Julian Reschke, ISBN: 388 745 8885]
[release date: ?]
 
Sybex U.S.
Phone: 800 227-2346, (415) 523-8233 (ext. 356, Diane King)
Fax  : (415) 523-2373
Telex: 336311
 
Sybex Verlag GmbH (Germany)
Phn: (49) 211 618020
Fax: (49) 211 6180227
Tlx: 8588163
 
Sybex S.A.R.L. (France)
Phn: (33) 1 42099595
Fax: (33) 1 42090145
Tlx: 211801
 
Sybex Uitgerverij B.V. (Netherlands)
Phn: (31) 2155 27625
Fax: (31) 2155 26556
 
Australia and New Zealand
The Law Book Company, North Ryde, NSW
Phn: (61) 2 8870177
Fax: (61) 2 8889706
Tlx: 27995
 
Canada
Firefly Books, Ontario
Phn: (416) 499-8412
Fax: (416) 499-8313
 
Caribbean Basin, Latin America
Computer & Tech Books, Miami, Florida
Phn: (305) 593-9199
Fax: (305) 593-1300
 
Greece
Klidarithmos, Athens
Phn: (30) 1 3632044
Fax: (30) 1 3617950
 
Hong Kong
Leed & Wood Co.
Phn: 852 602 1066
Fax: 852 602 4725
 
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh
BPB Publications, New Delhi
Phn: 3267741, 3272329
Fax: (91) 11 519825
Tlx: (31) 66971 - Gyan In
 
Israel
Bug Computers, Bnei Brak
Phn: (972) 3 5794711
Fax: (972) 3 5708174
Tlx: 361595/Danet Il Attn: Bug
 
Japan
Toppan Company, Tokyo
Phn: (81) 3 3 3295-3461
Fax: (81) 3 3293-5963
 
Middle East
Micro-tech Publications, Dubai
Phn: 532382
Fax: (971) 4 528549
 
Portugal and Spain
Lidel Edicoes Tecnicas, Lisbon
Phn: (351) 1 534437
Fax: (351) 1 577827
Tlx: 15432
 
Southeast Asia (except Taiwan, Korea)
Tech Publications, Singapore
Phn: (65) 2914595, 7449113
Fax: (65) 7449835
Tlx: 56791
 
United Kingdom
Pitman Publishing, London       Southport Book Distributors (Trade orders)
Phn: (44) 71 379 7383           Phn: (44) 704 26881/24331
Fax: (44) 71 240 5771           Fax: (44) 704 231970
Tlx: 261367 Pitman G            Tlx: 67457 Bxnter G
 
Venezuela
Tecni-ciencia Libros, Caracas
Phn: (58) 2 782 8697
Fax: (58) 2 782 3431
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 00:41:20 GMT
From:
 munnari.oz.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!brolga!uqcspe!cs.uq.oz.au!warwick@uunet.uu.net
 (Warwick Allison)
Subject: This week's program
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
>> >This week's program will copy a file that has a bad sector(s) somewhere in
 the
>>
>> >100% assembly
>>
>>      ~ Oh.  In that case, I will not use it.
 
>  By all means,   PLEASE DON'T!  :~)
 
>  I guess I just don't understand that line of thinking......
 
Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with assembly - I use it often - but
I just don't think it is the "language-of-choice" for writing I/O programs in.
Too scary for me.  I don't care if a game crashes and deletes the high-score
file.  Sure, it's a bummer, but it IS `just a game'.
 
Then again, I guess if you can't trust a DC program, what CAN you trust!  TOS?
 :-!
 
Warwick.
 
 
--
  _-_|\       warwick@cs.uq.oz.au
 /     *  <-- Computer Science Department,
 \_.-._/      University of Queensland,
      v       Brisbane, AUSTRALIA.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 91 13:06:32 +0100
From: Stephen Kendrick <stephenk@cogs.sussex.ac.uk>
Subject: TT Tos extensions.
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
        Are there any developers out there that would be willing to post copies
of the documentation for the exended TT ROM routines? I only ask because I am
a hobby-programmer, and if I can't have documentation for these extensions, it
might be a wee bit difficult to use them, and that would be a shame after
giving Atari my hard earned cash for this excellent but overpriced machine.
 
        Am I right in assuming that I could otherwise only get this documentation
if I pay Atari for the privelidge of having access to such details, which would
allow me to program software that might make their machine a more attractive
prospective purchase?
 
        Something's wrong here...
 
                                                        Steve.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 12:04:38 GMT
From: mcsun!unido!laura!tommy!klute@uunet.uu.net (Rainer Klute)
Subject: What archiving format?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <A0b7mrze@nathan.ruhr.de>, ue@nathan.ruhr.de (Udo Erdelhoff) writes:
|> You haven't ever used LHArc 1.1321, have you? Give it a try and start
|> thinkig about using LHArc again...
 
Whatever the advantages of LHArc 1.1321 might be (faster?), it does solve
the problem of those many incompatible LHarcs. Using LHarc of whatever
version could only under the following conditions be tolerated:
 
- There is only one LHarc version at a time.
- The source code is maintained by a single person or team.
- The source code is completely written in C (no assembly
  "optimizations").
- The source code is suitable for most (better: all) machines and
  operating systems.
 
--
  Dipl.-Inform. Rainer Klute      klute@irb.informatik.uni-dortmund.de
  Univ. Dortmund, IRB             klute@unido.uucp, klute@unido.bitnet
  Postfach 500500         |)|/    Tel.: +49 231 755-4663
D-4600 Dortmund 50        |\|\    Fax : +49 231 755-2386
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 08:38:13 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!so
 l.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.uka.de!fauern!faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!lsmichae
 @arizona.edu (Lars Michael)
Subject: What do I use to view 'sps' images?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
mwtilden@watmath.waterloo.edu (Mark W. Tilden) writes:
 
 
>Pulled the NAGEL image files off of atari.archive, none of my viewers
>can show them.  Is there an atari.archive picture viewer that understands
>'x.sps' images?
 
>Thanx in advance.
 
Try spslidex.prg from atari.archive, it should work.
BTW, SPS-files are SPectrum Squeezed pics.
 
Have fun,
---
 
                                                                Lars
 
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|     lsmichae@faui43.uni-erlangen.de    |    | | |                         |
|             Lars Michael               |    | | |   "Down with ATARI,     |
|  Graduate Student of Computer Science  |   /  |  \  Long live the ST !"   |
|    at University of Erlangen/Germany   |  /   |   \                       |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------|
|  "May the Schwartz be with you!"                                          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 09:03:57 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.u
 ka.de!fauern!forwiss.uni-passau.de!eva.fmi.uni-passau.de!iws9060@arizona.edu
 (Thorsten Guenther)
Subject: What do I use to view 'sps' images?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Jun27.083813.10159@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
 lsmichae@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Lars Michael) writes:
>
>Try spslidex.prg from atari.archive, it should work.
>BTW, SPS-files are SPectrum Squeezed pics.
>
 
I thought it were SPectrum 512 Sequences, i.e. films like the .GL files in
the PC area. BTW is there a possibility to convert .GL to .SPS? Perhaps by
converting the single images and then re-linking them? Are there programs to
rip .GL files into .GIF and to combine .SPC or .SPU to .SPS? Which System,
Atari or MesS-DOS?
 
                                    Thorsten Guenther
                                    aka Weregoose
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Jun 91 09:36:53 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!ira.u
 ka.de!fauern!faui43.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!lsmichae@arizona.edu (Lars
 Michael)
Subject: What do I use to view 'sps' images?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
iws9060@eva.fmi.uni-passau.de (Thorsten Guenther) writes:
 
>I thought it were SPectrum 512 Sequences, i.e. films like the .GL files in
>the PC area. [... stuff deleted]
 
No, no sequences. Here is an extract of Dave Baggetts ST picture
formats list:
 
---------- CUT HERE -------------------
 
 ...
 
<Spectrum 512 (Smooshed)>          *.SPS
 
   This format compresses Spectrum 512 pictures better than the standard
method.  There are at least two programs that support this format, SPSLIDEX
and ANISPEC, although the two seem to differ slightly in their interpretation
of the format.
   One point of interest: Shamus McBride deciphered this format without an ST!
 
1 word          5350 (hex) ("SP")
1 word          0 (reserved for future use)
1 long          length of data bit map
1 long          length of color bit map
<= ? bytes      compressed data bit map
<= ? bytes      compressed color bit map
----------
< ?  bytes      total
 
 ...
 
---------- CUT HERE -------------------
 
Hope this ends the discussion,
---
 
                                                                Lars
 
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|     lsmichae@faui43.uni-erlangen.de    |    | | |                         |
|             Lars Michael               |    | | |   "Down with ATARI,     |
|  Graduate Student of Computer Science  |   /  |  \  Long live the ST !"   |
|    at University of Erlangen/Germany   |  /   |   \                       |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------|
|  "May the Schwartz be with you!"                                          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
------------------------------
 
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************
