Info-Atari16 Digest         Sun, 31 Mar 91       Volume 91 : Issue 180
 
Today's Topics:
                             BIGCOLOR.PRG
                           Character sets?
                     Info-Atari16 Digest V91 #179
                           memory problems
Mr. Pietrzak responds to: "Mr. Choi" responds to Atari (a flame) (2 msgs)
          Need a cooling fan for my 1040ST with ZRAM upgrade
                           Opinions on gcc
                        rant and rave (2 msgs)
                    SPC Pics from Umich, corrupt?
                     Telecom program help needed
                            Time Bandit...
                         TRHall and Notebook
       Type faster than write? (was Re: ST Pad specs) (2 msgs)
                           Uniterm & Kermit
 
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 16:15:49 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!wuarchive!m.cs.uiuc.edu!vela!lwwarpup@arizona.
 edu (Lonnie W. Warpup)
Subject: BIGCOLOR.PRG
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Has anyone else had any problems with the BIGCOLOR color monitor
emulator?  It boots up ok only about 20% of the time.  I am running on
TOS 1.0, but it is supposed to work with all TOS version.  Any
suggestions?
 
--
/-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-\
| "It's only wafer thin."     | Lonnie Warpup |           Internet:         |
|    -"The Meaning Of Life"                   lwwarpup@vela.acs.oakland.edu |
\-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-~-v-/
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 05:05:09 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!uflo
 rida!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!nu!boyd@arizona.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Subject: Character sets?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <4qukZ1w162w@fquest.fidonet.org>, mspacek@fquest.fidonet.org (Mark
 Spacek) writes:
>
>    I've never messed much with character sets on the ST.  Never had any
>installed but the system default.  Never thought about it much.  UNTIL, a
>guy showed me a little program the other day.  It was called MACINTOS, I
>think.  It was like 4270 bytes long, went in his auto folder, and changed
>the font to a Mac-type font.  It changed the font on the GEM menus on the
>desktop and the font all through programs that were run.  So..
>    I got to thinking about installing an ANSI character set to make a
>VT-100 terminal work better with a PC ANSI BBS, etc.  So, I'd kinda like
>to get some feedback about what character set editors are out there.
 
Neodesk 3.0 comes with a PD font editor, and a small auto program that can
replace the system font at boot time.  Alternately, you can use a different
font just within Neodesk (but have the regular one when you run programs).
Pretty nifty.
--
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "Kirk to Enterprise.  All clear
          FSU Computer Science       |      down here.  Beam down
        Technical Support Group      |      yeoman Rand and a six-pack . ."
      email:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu  |
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 91 12:35:56 EST
From: Greg <ACDGREG@vm.uoguelph.ca>
Subject: Info-Atari16 Digest V91 #179
To: "RE:  Mr. Choi " <Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu>
 
Well said, Mr. Choi.  ATARI has long been known to dump its woes (mostly
self-caused) onto others.  When AMIGA Co. was hitting hard times, they
did their best to dump them further down under the pretense of buying
them out due to Mr. Tramiel's petulance over a perceived slight.
I have been a dedicated ST user for many years (5), but I've finally
grown exhausted and jumped ship.  I still have my 1040 for Nostalgic
reasons, but I also own an Amiga.
 
Sometimes, Mr. Choi, one can be right but be arguing with idiots.
It's not worth your time.  Please, no more of these letters on the
list server!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 20:48:31 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!hayes
 .ims.alaska.edu!acad3.alaska.edu!fnjlh1@arizona.edu (HARRIS JAY L)
Subject: memory problems
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
     While chasing some problem that caused intermittent lockup w/ black screen,
after trying heat and cool spray, and getting random bomb numbers, I finally
removed the ZRAM, removed the MMU, treated the little pins w/ Cramolin (neat
stuff), and reinserted. I tried to be carefull and worked on a static mat, tried
to account for the little interrupt insulation that the ZRAM uses on one pin,
but still ended up with .5M instead of the normal unenhanced 1M. I found this
very discouraging.
    Is there a specific pin that addresses each bank of memory, and where,
as exactly as possible might it be on the mmu? Or should I bark up another
tree entirely? I also fiddled with the video shifter in the ZRAM removal if
 thart
could be implicated.
    Thanks for any help. Stuck on my wife's 1M st... J Harris
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 15:22:23 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!agate!usenet.ins.
 cwru.edu!skybridge!pietrzak@arizona.edu (John Pietrzak)
Subject: Mr. Pietrzak responds to: "Mr. Choi" responds to Atari (a flame)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Mr. Choi.  I've just read through your thesis on how you have been persecuted
on this board, and by Atari in general.  In the last week, you have been
quite active in writing to comp.sys.atari.st; let me summarize what you've
said:
 
Saturday, March 23rd
Subject: Re: ST Pad specs
   A message describing how pen-based computing has been established in the PC
world, plus your opinion:
>I doubt Atari will really go the whole 9 yards with this. They have just
>jaded me too often in the past. I have STacy, so I know what Atari doesn't
>do right :~(!
 
Saturday, March 23rd
Subject: Re: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT
   A message giving your "wish list" of what you want in a notebook PC, now
that they've designed one at Atari.  Plus, your opinion:
>BTW, I have  STacy, and so I know how badly Atari can screw up in the
>portable market!
 
Monday, March 25th
Subject: Re: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT
   A reply to a previous description of the design choices of the notebook ST.
You refute them, and point to the PC world as well.  Plus, your opinion:
>This thing would sell like mad if they could get it out in time (ie.
>before apple comes out with its soon to be released mac notebook) but
>I doubt atari learns anything from the past, and so I do not think this
>will happen.
 
Monday March 25th
Subject: Re: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT
   In your disgust of current Atari hardware (especially the notebook ST) you
bring up the point that Atari may be attempting to perform monopolistic
practices, forcing people to buy Stacys instead of notebook STs.  Plus, your
opinion:
>I know th ST can be *used* in these other fields, but it is not versitile
>enough, and nopt good enough in any of these fields, except DTP/MIDI to
>really catch on. The hardware is O.K. for a lot of it, but the
>software/OS stinks.
 
Thursday, March 28th
Subject: Re: Two New Computer Announcements - CeBIT
   An Atari employee attempts to explain design procedures for your earlier
requests.  Again, you refute him, pointing to your wish-list of notebook PCs,
especially the external monitor request.  Plus, your opinion:
>[...] But Atari the company. It *is* Blind/Dumb! And excruciatingly
>slow as well.
 
Which brings us to the message I am replying to.
Saturday, March 30th
Subject: "Mr. Choi" responds to Atari
You reply to several posts from people angry at you.  You "defend you honor"
with a long reply, again refuting most of the discussion of design
considerations, as well as commenting on their style of posting.
Some of your opinions:
>My responses were amicable and polite in reference to all individuals
>involved.
 
>Your above contentions are both misinformed, and misinforming. I expected
>better.  And you think you know the market. You scare me.
 
>If you look at my posts, it is obvious that what I said was to improve
>the product, I even stated as much.
 
>If you read my post, I find it hard to see how you can think anything I
>say berated TRH, let alone rudely (can one do otherwise?).
 
My point?  Sir, you are WHINING.  You have WHINED in every single post you
put on the board last week, and you are WHINING in this one.  Your style
is corrosive; your opinions are self-centered; your "facts" are dubious,
come from third-party sources, and are used incorrectly.  You want something
you cannot have, and are throwing a tantrum of great proportions to a
network which sends your messages over the entire world.
 
Stop it.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 07:15:40 GMT
From: daffy!cat7.cs.wisc.edu!carter@rsch.wisc.edu (Gregory Carter)
Subject: Mr. Pietrzak responds to: "Mr. Choi" responds to Atari (a flame)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
What i would Like to know, is why can't everyone just leave others alone.
 
If someone has something to say, let them say it.  Just because you feel
something isn't of worth, then hit the N or Q or K key OK?
 
I hardly believe my eyes, sometimes.  Those of you who critque others on
simply writing messages, regardless of topic.
 
The technology you have access to you take for granted, thats a shame.
Few people realize the things they do and the impact they have on rn.
 
--Please, let people speak, and leave them alone.
 
--Gregory
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 00:23:00 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!bl
 oom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!isgate!krafla!adamd@arizona.edu (Adam David)
Subject: Need a cooling fan for my 1040ST with ZRAM upgrade
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In <1991Mar26.192606.8264@cs.wayne.edu> pbh@jake.cc.wayne.edu (Patrick Haggood)
 writes:
 
>> J. Harris writes about how his ST with ZRAM stops running after a few
>> hours, then when left off for 2-3 hours, boots fine.
 
>I've been having the same problems with my ST.  I figured it was heat,
 
It could be heat affecting the memory board, heat from the power supply
spreading through the metal shielding and motherboard, or the Atari power
supply is pushing its limits.
 
By far the most heat in the computer is the power supply. I haven't
calculated the power loss in that supply but it doesn't look very efficient.
There are two choices available. A fan was already mentioned. The best place
in a 1040 for a fan is just to the right of the power supply, blowing upwards.
A good fan would draw most of its air from the side where the power supply is.
Venting slats also have to be opened up in order to get a reasonable airflow.
 
I chose the other (and probably simpler) solution. I removed the power supply
altogether and fitted a diskdrive power connector where the switch used to be.
Plug in any off-the-shelf power supply and go. All the heat is outside where it
belongs, also there is no danger of accidently pulling out the (DC) power cord
because it is a snap fit. I have room in the computer box now for an internal
hard disk and am not restricted to using the standard Atari PSU with all its
shortcomings. If the standard PSU must be used it can be mounted in an aluminum
box. To avoid RFI leakage it is a good idea to use a screened cable for the DC
power and close with metal the hole where the AC power cord used to plug in.
 
I hope this will help someone.
--
Adam David.  (adamd@rhi.hi.is)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 22:39:07 GMT
From: xanth!xanth.cs.odu.edu!jason@ames.arpa (Jason "dedos" Austin)
Subject: Opinions on gcc
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
        I recently noticed that an st version of gcc was available,
and I would like to know something about it before taking the time to
download and set it up.  One thing I'm interested in is support for
AES/VDI system calls and how easily programs written with other st
compilers can be converted to work with this one.  There is also a
mound of gcc related files at the archive site; does anyone have a
list of what's needed?
--
Jason C. Austin
jason@cs.odu.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 03:53:29 GMT
From: fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: rant and rave
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
L.J...  does your "kill file" include "potty mouth" comments from our
revered "Atari representatives"...?
 
Funny how they can drag a discussion down into the muck with personal
attacks and foul language.. ("piss in my coffee"...  "you haven't the
faintest idea what-in-the-fuck you're talking about")  and still have
the resident Atari cheerleaders jump to their defense...
 
Is this any way for representatives of a major computer company to talk
to the public..?  We're all in pretty serious trouble if we have to
accept abuse like this just to have the "honor" of their presence here...
 
BobR
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 07:43:13 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!mintaka!wookumz.gnu.ai.mit.edu!e
 ntropy@arizona.edu (entropy)
Subject: rant and rave
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <40715@cup.portal.com> Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes:
   L.J...  does your "kill file" include "potty mouth" comments from our
   revered "Atari representatives"...?
 
   Funny how they can drag a discussion down into the muck with personal
   attacks and foul language.. ("piss in my coffee"...  "you haven't the
   faintest idea what-in-the-fuck you're talking about")  and still have
   the resident Atari cheerleaders jump to their defense...
 
It's also funny how some users of this newsgroup can drag a discussion
down into the muck by continually pissing in everyone's coffee and
babbling on and on when they haven't the faintest idea
what-in-the-fuck they're talking about.
 
   Is this any way for representatives of a major computer company to talk
   to the public..?  We're all in pretty serious trouble if we have to
   accept abuse like this just to have the "honor" of their presence here...
 
No one is forcing you to read the messages by anyone from Atari, just
put atari.UUCP in your kill file and you won't have to take any more
abuse, at least from them.  You'll still get abuse from the rest of us
unless you stop bitching and griping and start posting something
useful here.
 
By the way, most of the Atari folk here are on Usenet on their own
time, NOT as representatives of Atari (or have you failed to read the
disclaimer attached to their messages?)  Personally I really appreciate
their presence here and wish assholes like you would quit giving them
reasons why they should discontinue that presence.
 
Your friendly resident Atari cheerleader,
entropy
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 12:23:16 GMT
From: exeter.ac.uk!avalon@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Subject: SPC Pics from Umich, corrupt?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
The other day I downloaded several SPC pictures from bart, but when
I tried to view them on my ST, using a specshow programme I found
on bart, only the top quarter of the pictures was visible...the
rest was a mess of lines...could the files be corrupt, or is my
viewing programme just buggered?
 
Thanks,
Scott
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 10:10:29 GMT
From: mixcom!uuvvuu@uunet.uu.net (Craig L. Stodolenak)
Subject: Telecom program help needed
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I just purchased a used 1040 ST and SC1224 about a week ago and have a
few questions.  Okay, really just one question:  Which telecommunications
package do you use and why?
 
My observations so far:
 
     UniTerm     A really spiffy interface with some functions just where
                 I want them, others a mile away, or lacking altogether.
                 The emulations are immaculate from what I can tell,
                 but lack of Zmodem, or even batch Ymodem is a big
                 no-no for me.
 
     Interlink   Lots 'o features with a so-so interface.  At least
                 everything seems available reasonably quickly.  Why
                 I don't have control over whether or not a LF is
                 inserted when I hit CR in the buffer window is beyond
                 me.  I'm currently using v1.82; I've heard that the
                 latest is v1.85 but it's buggy.  The emulation .EMU
                 files I have seem old and definately have bugs; the
                 protocols work reasonably well.  Dialing menu is too
                 short for me.  I'd like a built-in _full_-featured
                 Zmodem.
 
     ST TalkPro  v2.0 is supposedly still unfinished, but again
                 supposedly has a lot of nice features.  I haven't seen
                 it to comment.  Have any of you?
 
     Vanterm     I was told to look into this product.  I have yet to
                 see it or to hear any more than, "get it".  Should I?
                 Why?
 
Since telecommunicating is the #1 thing I do with my computer, the
associated software is of prime importance to me.  Any help with this
would be greatly appreciated.  Please post, my E-mail quota is full (yes,
we have off-site quotas here).
 
Thanks!
 
--
Craig L. Stodolenak           "Then have sent to my chambers two young boys,
mixcom!craig%uunet.uu.net      a pumkin, and the schnauzer.  After this meet-
craig@mixcom.com               ing I shall wish to be depraved."  -- E. Weiner
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 29 Mar 91 13:48:56 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!samsung!cg-atla!tremblay@arizona.edu
 (Ken Tremblay)
Subject: Time Bandit...
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
 In article 33676 Sean asked for help on Excalibur, a puzzle in Time Bandit
 I tried to mail some info to Sean but I'm not sure if the address worked.
 But while I'm posting ... can anybody offer some hints to level 3C of
 Guardian. There is a riddle that has to be answered , correctly of course,
 before you can advance and this has me stumped. I've been able to solve all
 the other puzzles.  Any help is appreciated.
 
--
         AGFA Compugraphic               cg-atla!tremblay
         200 Ballardvale
         Wilmington, Ma.        rectum? Shit, nearly killed 'em!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 30 Mar 91 22:25:40 GMT
From: beguine!Duncan.Lewis@mcnc.org (Duncan Lewis)
Subject: TRHall and Notebook
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Having departed the ST arena for the slightly greener pastures of the
(*gasp*) Amiga world, I find it refreshing to see a new  face on the net
from Atari.  I'd really like to get more information on this Notebook
pc since I still have alot of interest in a portable notebook like
ST.  I see this more as an accssory to an ST-desktop system  tho.
 
I wonder if there's a 68040 station on the horizon for Atari?  Maybe
a workstation with some real horsepower. I found the TT a disappointment of
sorts.  Time for 24 bit color and big resolution.  Anyways back to
Mr. Hall, can you point me and others to a soruce of info on thsi
notebook?
 
Thanks
 -Duncan
 
--
=============================================================================
        Extended Bulletin Board Service, Research & Development
Office of Information Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
              internet: bbs.acs.unc.edu or 128.109.157.30
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 28 Mar 91 03:54:51 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!news-server.
 csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!geac!maccs!johns@arizona.edu (Conan the Barbarian)
Subject: Type faster than write? (was Re: ST Pad specs)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Mar27.163030.4500@ccu.umanitoba.ca> bright@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Bob
 Bright) writes:
>[...]
>       This sounds pretty nifty, but will the machine also allow a
>normal keyboard to be plugged in?  The HCR interface would be very
>handy for portable use, but I can type a lot faster than I can write,
>and it would be nice to have the option available.
>[...]
 
        I agree that you can probably type a paragraph of prose faster
than you can write it out by hand.  But what about a mathematical proof or
the solution to a physics problem with all its special symbols?  I also
move the cursor up and down a lot when I type, and that takes quite a bit
of time, relatively speaking.  I think in some circumstances, I would be
more productive if I could use a pen instead of a keyboard.   I think I
can type a paragraph faster than I can write it, but I think I could
write a page faster than I could type it.
 
--
John Schmitt
johns@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca
!unet!utai!utgpu!maccs!johns
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 31 Mar 91 04:45:43 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!news.cs.indiana.edu!pwp%iuvax.cs.indi
 ana.edu@arizona.edu (Paul Purdom)
Subject: Type faster than write? (was Re: ST Pad specs)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Once you get use to TeX you can type math faster and neater than you can
write it long hand. Also, although text editors are not good symbolic
algebra systems, they can go substitutions so they are of some use.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 29 Mar 91 21:04:04 GMT
From: nuchat!lobster!mwk!wrightgr@uunet.uu.net (Greg Wright)
Subject: Uniterm & Kermit
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
>>>Help!  I'm having big problems trying to get Uniterm to download
>>>files with kermit.  Can someone send me a detailed message on what to
>>>do?
>>>
>>I'd be interested in any advice people have as well.  I download some-
>>thing to my ST, and when I try to unarc it, the arc usually comes up
>>with a comment like "This uses 13 bits I can only handle 12."  Can anyone
>>tell me why the files I try to downloaded after ftp'ing keep getting
>>smashed?  The text files are ok, its just the binaries that are getting
>>creamed.
>
> Sometimes I had a similar problem while downloading bigger archives from
> our VAX. The transfered file was about 30% bigger than the original and
> (guess!) it got broken, no matter what sort of archive. I'm shure the
> kermit settings were correct. After wasting some time with unsuccessful
> downloads, I decided to use another program which also has a built-in
> kermit, but I miss the enhanced features of uniterm.
> Anyone got an idea what could be wrong? (Btw. sometimes the transfer
> completed successfully, using the same settings!?)
 
This might be a little late, but I've been away for a few weeks.  Anyway, if
your going through a VAX system you have to change the format of the file to
fixed length records before you download.  If you don't, it changes all
linefeeds to carriage return-linefeeds.  I don't know how other systems handle
it.
 
There is a program called BILF for the VAX to do the conversion for you.   BILF
changes your file from stream-linefeed format to 512 fixed format and
vice-versa.  I don't like using 512 fixed length though because it pads the end
of the file with nulls to fill out the last record.  I wrote my own conversion
program to use 1 byte fixed length records so that when you get it downloaded it
has the correct length in the directory listing.
 
Hope this helps,
Greg Wright
--
Internet: wrightgr@mwk.uucp             /M\            The M.W. Kellogg Company
UUCP:     uhnix1!mwk!wrightgr         KELLOGG          601 Jefferson
          lobster!mwk!wrightgr          \W/            Houston, TX 77210-4557
BITNET:   mwk!wrightgr%moe.rice.edu@harvunxw.bitnet    (713) 753-3414
 
------------------------------
 
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************