
                    ST REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE 
                         Monday, MAY 09, 1988 
                             Vol I  No. 34 
                              ========== 
                         APEInc.   P.O.  BOX 74 
                      Middlesex, N.J.  08846-0074 

                         Publisher: Ron Kovacs 
Managing Editor                                       Technical Editor
T."Rex" Reade                                            W. K. Whitton 

                      Headquarters Bulletin Boards 
                      ============================ 
ST Report  North          ST Report  Central          ST Report  South 
  201-968-8148              216-784-0574                904-786-4176 


                              CONTENTS
                              ========
* Editor's Comments                  * FoReM V-2.2 Update             
* Contest Rules                      * GEnie AIR WARRIOR CONFERENCE   
* Apple against ?                    * The Drive Mysteries Unravel    
* EasieST RAM                        * SLM 804 BUGGY?                 
* Word Starved                       * The Saga Continues             
                     * Visit with an Old Friend                       

======================================================================
 Serving you on:        Comp-u-serve  -  Delphi  -  GEnie 
======================================================================

From the Editor's Desk.......... 

Over the past month I have watched the reader reaction to the various
articles we have published and the one thing that stands out like a sore
thumb is the only reaction we have seen is the messages about Issue # 27.
The subsequent issues must not have been read by anyone!  Here, at
ST Report we try to bring to you the latest news and "rumors" FOR YOUR
OPINIONS and THOUGHTS.  How else are the powers to be in any area to know
what you like or dislike about a planned product or upgrade if we don't
hear from you?  Our staff is dedicated to bring you ALL the facts and
opinions that are current and available.  Some you may or may not
like, that is your right.

Ever since # 27, we have put a simple policy in place, that is to 
be sure to tell just like it is, no sugar coatings, no fluff and we will 
present "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". 

I noticed on one service that it was represented that T.Rex Reade "made 
peace" with Word Perfect, well I am sure that Word Perfect will agree that 
Rex never made war with them but merely amplified on the original releases 
and that after having gone over the finer points of what actually occurred 
over that time period, both Rex and WP did in fact agree!  Oh well, life
goes on, currently, we are featuring articles about software, Atari Corp.
and our Art Work Contest....We have some of the finest people in the Atari
Circles as judges and feel that the winning submission will be a dilly!
Be sure to get your work in before the deadline and most of all, HAVE FUN.

ST Report sincerely hopes you enjoy reading our magazine and do 
encourage your participation....if you have an article you wrote, or care 
to have a letter published, just send it in....SEND ALL your opinions to 
any of the services or to either of our support BBSs and we will either 
publish them or reply to you and make sure you wish to have it published. 
Please stick to the issues as that's what directly effects us all. 
 
                       Let us know how you feel, 
                             The Editor 


------------------------------------------------------------------------


ST-Report Official Contest Rules 
================================ 

                           THE JUDGES LIST 
                           =============== 
           Service                                Name 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

           CIS                                    Ron Luks 
           CIS                                    Dan Rhea 
           CIS                                    Mike Schoenbach 
           Delphi                                 Clayton Walnum 
           Delphi                                 Charles Bachand 
           Delphi                                 Maurice Molineux 
           GEnie                                (3) to be announced 

We are waiting for confirmation from Darlah, Sysop GEnie, and whomever
else she cares to appoint from the Sysop list of GEnie's Atari area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

No purchase necessary. 
 
Deadline for consideration in this contest is midnight August 31, 1988. 
 
Winners will be annouced in ST-Report on September 12, 1988.  We 
guarantee to award all prizes. 
 
All readers are eligible to enter except employees of APEInc.,
CompuServe, GEnie, Delphi and their immediate families. 
 
This contest void where prohibited or restricted by law.  We are not 
responsible for lost, delayed or undelivered artwork. 
 
All submissions must be drawn with any Atari ST drawing program. 
 
All submissions must be drawn by the original artist. Copyrighted artwork 
will not be accepted. 
 
All submissions become the property of APEInc. 
 
All submissions must be uploaded to specified BBS systems by the deadline 
date. All systems have time and date stamping capability. Any entry dated 
after 8/31/88 will be void from the contest. 
      ~~~~~~~ 
Artwork Requirements 
-------------------- 
 
All artwork considered for this contest must be drawn with any Atari ST 
drawing program. 
 
Any person submitting artwork must leave an address and telephone number, 
and drawing program used. 
 
Artwork must contain the following: 
 
ST-REPORT 
 
The winning entry will be used at a later date for a newsletter or 
magazine cover. 
 
All submissions become the property of APEInc. 
 
                               PRIZE LIST 
                               ---------- 
 
             [1] - WORD PERFECT      first place prize. 
 
             [2] - TIMEWORKS DTP     second place prize 
 
             [3] - NEODESK           third place prize 
 
All entries will be acknowledged 
 
More prizes will be announced as they are received by the participating 
Software Publishing Companies.  We at ST Report request that you support 
the companies that are helping this Art Work Contest be a success. 
 
Where to Send 
------------- 
 
All artwork may be uploaded to the following systems.  More will be added 
during the contest. 
 
         Syndicate BBS   (201) 968-8148 
         Bounty ST BBS   (904) 786-4176 
 
Entries by mail are also permitted. PLEASE use a S/S, 3.5 ST Disk.

                            You may send to: 

                         ST-Report Logo Contest 
                          Post Office Box 74 
                    Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0074 
 
  (Please include your name, address and telephone number) 
 
Updates 
------- 
 
This contest will update uploading areas every two weeks.  Contest rules 
will not be changed, but judges may be added during the run of the 
contest. 
 
This contest commences May 2, 1988 and will end Midnight August 31, 1988. 
 
If you have any questions, Please leave email on the services at the 
following addresses: 
 
                CompuServe:   71777,2140 
                GEnie     :   ST-REPORT 
                          :   R.KOVACS 
                DELPHI    :   RONKOVACS 
                The Source:   BDG793 
 
Rules and Regulations
 
1).  Use any full color program written exclusively for the ST to draw 
     your own personal design of an ST-Report logo. 
 
2).  Artwork ported over from any other computer is void. 
 
3).  No X-rated artwork will be accepted. 
 
4).  Winners will be announced by mail, email, phone call or equivalent 
     on or before September 12, 1988. 
 
5). Judges decisions are final.   


 
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 


                      A VIEW FROM ANOTHER ANGLE
                      =========================

                         Apple Versus Whom?

As most computer users are aware, Apple has initiated legal action 
against Microsoft (MS) and Hewlett-Packard (HP).  The suit by Apple is 
brought against HP's New Wave interface manager and MS's Windows 
(Presentation Manager).  Several market pundits have stated that the suit 
by Apple is really designed to stop IBM from developing a graphics 
interface capability similar to the MacIntosh.  In other words, the suit 
concerns the "look and feel" of HP/MS software, not an issue of coding. 
 
A number of strategic business issues are related to this suit (aside 
from the potential impact upon Atari).  A very interesting column 
explaining the situation is Jerry Pournelle's in InfoWorld on April 4, 
1988.  Additional insight was provided by a full page article in the 
Washington Post of April 10, 1988 (Outlook section, P. B3) written by Gary 
Hoffman and Geoffrey Karny, legal specialist.  Some excerpts from this 
article follow - (Note, a patent traditionally protects designs and 
inventions while copyrights are granted to written material): 
 
"A patent may be viewed as a social contract.  Society grants the 
inventor the right to exclude others from making, using or selling his 
invention for a limited period of time.  In return, the patent must fully 
and publicly disclose the invention by describing it in sufficient detail 
to enable a 'person skilled in the art' to make and use it.  In this way, 
society can immediately begin to build upon the new technical knowledge. 
 
Until 1981, patent protection for software inventions in the United 
States was relatively difficult to obtain.  The Patent and Trademark Office 
approached computer software as a written expression of a mathematical 
algorithm, and hence adamantly opposed protection on the grounds that no 
one can have exclusive rights to mathematical functions. 
 
Copyright protection has been accorded to the program code of computer 
software for several years.  But recently courts have had to confront the 
issue of whether that protection should cover not only the exact, literal 
expression of the program code but the idea behind it as well - the 
so-called "look and feel" of the software as perceived by the operator.  An 
analogous case would be extending a fiction writer's rights beyond the 
written words to the plot and characters of his novel. 
 
The trend is clear:  Because Congress has failed to enact a new body of 
law to adequately protect software technologies, courts have been obliged 
to fill the gap.  And in doing so, some courts have expanded the scope of 
copyright protection beyond the original intent of Congress.  If that 
protection is construed to cover the basic concepts of the sequence, 
structure and operation and not the expressed details of the program, then 
copyright passes into the realm of the protection of ideas - for which the 
patent laws have been devised. 
 
Such an extension could have a stifling effect on software innovation by 
effectively preventing developers from enhancing or modifying an overall 
program design once it was created.  As courts deal with the troublesome 
cases now at issue, their decisions will have a dramatic impact on the 
future of America's software industry and its ability to compete in markets 
abroad." 
 
Naturally, HP and Microsoft state in their counter-suits the interface 
techniques are not copyrightable.  From my readings, most industry analysts 
believe Apple's legal case is shaky.  I agree.  Apple must eventually find 
a graceful way out of this situation or risk possible damage to its 
corporate image.  The circumstances of this case are not similar to DRI's 
(developer of Atari's GEM interface).  HP, MS and IBM are corporations with 
considerable financial resources and will not shy away (or fold as did DRI) 
from a prolonged legal battle.  With Apple targeting the business 
community, a prolonged legal encounter could steer large corporations away 
from purchasing the Mac.  Thus, Apple loses in or out of court - it's their 
choice. 
 
Apple's legal action in the future may be regarded as a classic example 
of a corporation going to the well once to often.  Apple Computers and the 
MacIntosh up to now have grown in acceptance (penetration of markets) not 
on myth, but substance.  Their machine is easier to use than keypunching 
the IBM.  Why else would firms develop similar graphic techniques?  Apple 
should return to substance.  How about the slogan " Why not purchase the 
real Mac-coy ?" 
 
 The Blundering Giant?.....Not Hardly! 
 
Myth has it that IBM got where it is in the PC market because it just 
happened to have the right idea and right people at the right time.  Oh, 
what a lucky corporation!  This story has been carefully handed down for 
quite a few years and surprisingly many people believe it.  DON'T, because 
it just ain't true!  IBM is a calculating, highly competitive firm that got 
where it is today by smarts, not luck. 
 
IBM is ready to make another move and I am glad I don't own stock in a 
clone.  Some examples: 
 
IBM has announced drastic price reductions on its PC models over the next 
18 months that will drive some clones out of business. 
 
IBM has announced a flood of new products that will severely strain the 
financial resources of many of its competitors to keep up. 
 
IBM is reported to be buying DRAM chips while a portion of its production 
facilities remain idle.  IBM is paying top price for the chips.  As a 
result, fewer clones will be produced at higher prices. 
 
Some dealers are complaining they cannot meet the quotas set by IBM and 
their margins are very low.  IBM's goal is to recapture market share.  The 
most likely response by IBM will be to let the inefficient dealers fall by 
the wayside. 
 
This, my fellow users, is not myth, it is hardball.  Capitalism is not 
dead.  Pardon a play on words, but the only blue to be seen will be 
manufacturers pounded by IBM. 
 
Thanks to Computer Notes ....ED. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------ 


              easieST RAM Upgrade for the ST Computers  
              ========================================  
 
by T."Rex" Reade 
 
The AERCO ram board for the ST is a compact, plug-in memory expansion 
that  can be configured in three progressively larger stages.  
Maximum versatility is provided for the user since memory can be 
expanded  whenever needed or as the budget allows.  The RAM board utilizes 
the  latest state-of-the-art 1 megabit RAM chips in stages 2 and 3 to 
provide  the maximum possible memory that can be addressed by the 
computer's logic.   You can, of course, proceed to any stage at any time 
without any soldering or trace cutting on the mother board.  
 
The easieST board taps into the MMU and Video Shifter chips on the 
mother  board.  A small extender board fits between the chips and sockets.  
The  RAM board has provisions for a total of thirty two ram chips.  It is  
designed to be as dense as possible to enable proper fit under the RF  
shield while providing access to the processor and other chips.  It can be  
completely removed by simply reversing the installation procedure.  
 
Stage 1 is the foundational setup and consists of sixteen 256k RAM 
chips  for a total of one megabyte.  This essentially makes the 520ST a 
1040ST.  
 
Stage 2 requires the insertion of sixteen 1 megabit RAM chips in the 
front  bank and the removal of the original 256k chips from the rear bank.  
No  other rework is required on the ram board for this stage.  The total  
memory will be increased to 2.5 MB.  
 
Stage 3 requires some minor rework to the ram board.  The rear bank of 
sockets originally used for the 256k chips must be modified for 1 megabit 
chips.  Some soldering and cutting on the RAM is needed to implement this  
stage since the 1 megabit RAM chips are not pin compatible with the 256k  
chips.  The total system memory is increased to 4 megabytes.  
 
For more Info call:  
                                     AERCO  
                                 PO BOX 18093  
                             Austin, Texas  78760  
                                 512-451-5874  


------------------------------------------------------------------------- 


                              Word STarved 
                              ============ 
by Bob Rosendale 
 
Not everyone started out with ST computers.  Even some with ST's didn't 
even start out with "Atari" computers.  I have seen the "Atari" community 
starving for information.  Of course, there are some periodicals for the ST 
computer, while other publications only hint about the ST, either a column 
or assorted small articles.  Some of the more well known ones are "ST 
Quarterly", "STart", "ST X-press", "Atari Explorer", ST Log", "ST Report" 
that are aimed directly at the ST while "ANTIC", ANALOG, COMPUTE!", and 
"Computer Shopper" have either a column or several articles concerning 
the  ST. 
 
There are several missing from the above lists.  One I have heard of from 
way back in 1985 but only recently found it for purchase, "Current 
Notes". It is published by Current Notes, Inc., 122N Johnson Rd., 
Sterling, Virginia 22170 ($20 a year/$36 for 2 years).  Current Notes is 
 edited and published by Joe Waters. 
 
The copy I currently have in front of me is the March 1988 (1987 if you 
believe the cover page date [-grin-]). 
 
The editorial in this edition is superb and Joe needs to be commended for 
another fine piece of work.  Desktop publishing is discussed, actually how 
CN has been put together over the last couple of years to its present 
form. Including the "trials and tribulations" of getting "WordPerfect" 
working with a MEGA and the laser printer, AND an example of a page done 
with "Publishing Partner" that took over 20 minutes to print out also 
using the laser printer.  Want to know more about the reason for the 
problems?...... Finish reading the editorial. 
 
Another pleasant surprise in the March 1988 issue was the column entitled 
"IT'S A SMALL WORLD" a copyrighted article by Dave Small that is worth the 
$3.00 cover price of CN just to read. 
 
Before I got carried away talking about "Current Notes", I mentioned there 
were several other sources of noteworthy reading, have you guessed where 
this is leading?  User group newsletters!  For every user group there is 
one kind or another newsletter, from minutes of the previous meeting, to 
feature articles or reprints included from other newsletters.  Not every 
user group prints out their newsletter but adds it to their monthly disk. 
 
User Group newsletter publishers should start tapping the membership as a 
resource for article submissions and see how much you will learn about 
your membership when the quality and content can be pointed at with a 
member's pride of accomplishment.  If you are a member of a user group 
that has not started a newsletter go ahead and start one.  Remember that 
review of a piece of software/hardware that you didn't agree with?  Did 
you find a correction or a better solution?  I mentioned at the beginning 
that not everyone started with an ST and the new user is starved for 
information about his or her new computer and newsletters are a great 
resource in obtaining information, besides, reading is FUNdamental. 
 
 As you may well have noticed, the above paragraphs were written over 
a month ago.  When I first showed the article to several fellow ST 
owners they said "But every user group has a newsletter."  I have 
spent the last several weeks trying to convince them I was correct.  I 
was able to finally give them a 2 word reply: "Wanna bet?"  So what 
did I do for research?  I went to my user group and asked to see a 
show of hands of members who have had their ST for less than a year.  
I then asked those who had raised their hands to write down on a piece 
of paper as many publications that they knew of that "covered" the ST 
computer.  Of the 5 people who participated here are the results: 
 
        Person 1: (ST owner 3 months, no prior experience) 
                   Compute! (Not a subscriber) 
 
        Person 2: (ST owner 5 months, had an Atari 800XL 2 years) 
                   ANTIC  (reads a friends copy) 
                   ANALOG (subscription STOPPED) 
 
        Person 3: (ST owner 1 month, C-64 owner 2 years) 
                   Only the ST-JAUG newsletter (disk) he received 
                   the night he joined and didn't know how to unarc 
                   files. (ARC.TTP is now on our new user disk.) 
 
        Person 4: (ST owner 9 months, 130XE owner 1 year) 
                  (The only one of the 5 with a modem) 
                   Computer Shopper 
                   ST Report (on a local BBS) 
                   ANTIC  ST Quarterly 
 
        Person 5: (Wife of Person 2) 
                   Saw an ad for ATARI on TV a long time ago, and 
                   her husband "hogs" the copy of ANTIC. 
 
  I then read my article to the user group and displayed several 
copies of the different publications.  Since then, with our weekly 
meetings being attended by 25 to 30 people REGULARLY, I thought I 
was going to have to search each person to make sure they weren't 
sneaking out with my mags (grin).  The first question I was asked was 
"Do you have any more at home that you can bring in next week?"  Last 
week I brought to the meeting 2 early issues of ANTIC and ANALOG and had

those that were interest browse through them and tell what some of the 
prices were of some of the early Atari computers and drives and 
commercial programs. I can still hear the noise of several jaws hitting 
the floor! :-) 


*************************************************************************


IMPORTANT NOTICE!
-----------------
As a reader of ST Report Magazine, you are entitled to take advantage of
a special DELPHI membership offer.  For only $29.95 ($20 off the standard
membership price!), you will receive a lifetime subscription to DELPHI, a
copy of the 500-page "DELPHI: The Official Guide," and a credit equal to
one free evening hour at standard connect rates.

Signing up with DELPHI
----------------------
Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI
services via a local phone call.

Join--- DELPHI
--------------
1. Dial 617-576-0862 with any terminal or PC and modem (at 2400 bps, dial
   576-2981).

2. At the Username prompt, type JOINDELPHI.

3. At the Password prompt enter STREPORT.

For more information, call DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005, or
at 617-491-3393 from within Massachusetts or from outside the U.S.

DELPHI is a service of General Videotex Corporation of Cambridge,
Massachusetts.

**************************************************************************


                               GOOD NEWS! 
                               ========== 
by T."Rex" Reade 
 
                For the Super Forem BBS System Operators....... 
 
    COMNET SYSTEMS of Framingham, Maryland  has just released VERSION 
               2.2 of the now very famous FoReM ST BBS. 

       Additional Changes/Enhancement to FoReM PC/ST Version 2.2 
 
MESSAGE EDITOR

FoReM will automatically select the storage requirements for a message 
based on its length.  A message less than 21 lines is stored in the 
message data file, other wise it is stored as a file.  The user 
no longer has to select between "standard" and "extended" messages. 
 
 
US ROBOTICS HST modem usage 
 
   FoReM now supports the fixed link mode of the HST modem.  This will 
   allow the bbs to always talk to the modem at 19200 bps.  This works 
   with all PC compatible and Atari ST machines running with the  
   new "Mega ST" tos roms. 
 
   To use this mode, use any terminal program to write the following 
   settings into the HST modem's nram. 
 
   AT  &H1 &I0 &B1 &R2 &W  
 
   You should be talking to the modem at 19200 when doing this. 
 
   Then, edit the FoReM.OPT file and change the default baud rate 
   number to the word HST. 
 
NEW MESSAGE SEARCH OPTION 
 
   Message may now be searched by date. Using the message [L]ocate
   command, you may now select to read messages entered after
   a given date. 
 
 
NEW OPTIONAL TEXT FILES 
 
   Upon entering a file area, the file "SUBDIR".TXT is displayed where 
   SUBDIR is the name of the file area.  Example: if the directory is 
   \forem\games, the file \forem\games.txt (\forem\txt\games.txt) will 
   be displayed. 
    
 
   DATNOTE.TXT is a DATED NOTICE file.  If the file time stamp is later 
   than the callers last logon date, this then this file is displayed 
   after notice.txt and before the general bulletins. 
 
   MESAGEX.TXT (ie: mesage1.txt, mesage2.txt) is an optional text file 
   displayed upon entering a message base. 
 
   SYSPAS.TXT  may be sent before the system password. 
 
   GETPHONE.TXT  may be sent before the request for phone number. 
 
 
FILE SYSTEM CHANGES 
 
   The file FTYPES.LST is now optional.  If not there, the file 
   application in a verbose list will be blank.  (And no application 
   will be asked for on an upload) 
 
 
   Listing of NEW files is now done by the last time any file 
   area was accessed instead of the last call date. 
 
 
UPLOAD CHANGES 
 
   The prompt about upload size is only displayed when there is 
   less than 500K bytes free.  
 
   The prompt about Ascii or Binary uploads is only displayed if 
   the file extender is not recognised. 
 
 
BATCH TRANSFER CHANGES 
 
   Command R from the FILES CMD> prompt may be used to remove a file 
   from the BATCH ARCDL CHANGES 
 
   FoReM may now add a non ARC'ed file to ARCDL.  This requires that 
   ARC.TTP (ST) or ARC.EXE (PC) be "findable" by the system and that 
   you have enough ram to run ARC. 
 
   A option has been added to the ARCDL tools to remove a file from 
   the ARCDL archive.    
 
 
NEW FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS 
 
   Zmodem protocol.  The new standard for fast error free file
   transfers. 
   I tested it at 2400bps and it sent 224 chars a second; which is 
   93% efficient. 
 
   Ymodem G.  This is yet another X/Y modem variant meant for error  
   correcting modems.  Ymodem G does no ACK/NAK. 
 
UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD RATIO 
 
   The upload download ratio is now set for each individual user via 
   the # command from the password editor. 
 
UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD COUNTERS 
 
  You may now edit a users count of uploaded and download files 
  using the < and > commands from the password editor. 
 
 
FNET CHANGES 
 
   Entries in FNETNODE.DAT may have an access level for the node at 
   column 75 (starting at 0).  The user has an associated fnet access 
   level (0-255) set with command I at the pw> prompt. 
 
 
   Privilege 27 has be added to restrict sending of FMAIL through FNET. 
 
 
SYSTEM LOGON REQUEST 
 
    F8 when hit while a user is online  will  toggle reserving the bbs 
    for a console logon when the  current caller logs off.  The BBS will
    bring the modem offhook for 15 minutes.   
 
USER LOGON REQUEST 
 
    From the sysop prompt, the R command will ask for a users name. 
    Only this user will be allowed to log on, until it is cancelled by
    entering R again or pressing the F8 key. 
 
 
MULTIPLE DOORS MENUS 
 
   For multiple doors files: 
 
    Edit a file DOORMENU.TXT. This is just like dbsel.txt as in: 
         1) Games 
         2) Quizzes 
         3) Music 

    Then for each type, generate a "fdoorsX.dat file" 
    So all games would be in FDOORS1.DAT 
 
DOORINFO.DEF 
 
   FoReM 2.2 supports the new standard for passing information to Doors 
   programs.  A new line has been added to FOREM.OPT just after the via 
   message base line.  On this line, should be the full path name to 
   where doors programs reside.  In this directory, FoReM will write 
   DORINFO1.DEF . This file is defined as: 
 
   1 BBS NAME 
   2 SYSOP'S FIRST NAME 
   3 SYSOP'S LAST NAME 
   4 COMPORT COM1 COM2 NO COLON 
   5 1200,PAR,DATABIT,STOPBIT    1200,E,8,1 
   6 NETWORKING                  0 
   7 USER'S FIRST NAME 
   8 USER'S LAST NAME 
   9 CITY STATE 
   10 GRAPHICS ON OFF FOR ANSI ONLY    0 or 1 
   11 SECURITY LEVEL OF USER            
   12 TIME LEFT IN MINUTES 
 
 
BAUD RATE LOCKOUT 
 
   FoReM 2.0 let you not allow 300 baud users to log on. In 2.2, this 
   has been expanded to all baud rates.  In FOREM.OPT, where previously 
   an "ON or OFF" value was entered to turn on the 300 baud lockout, now,
   you may enter the minimum baud rate to allow on your system. 
 
 
LOGOFF BATCH FILE 
 
   LOGOFF.BAT is a command file which works just like the documented 
   FMAINT.BAT file except that it is executed after each user logs off. 
 
 
 
MONTHLY BATCH FILE 
 
   MONTHLY.BAT is a command file just like LOGOFF.BAT which is executed 
   at MIDNIGHT on the first of each month JUST BEFORE accounting is
   done. 
 
   This might be used, for example, to run program to read the 
   password file and print bills. 
 
 
DAILY BATCH FILE 
 
   DAILY.BAT is a command file just like LOGOFF.BAT which is executed 
   at MIDNIGHT. 
 
 
PASSWORD APPLICATION CHANGES 
 
   The password application has been rewritten.  The user is no longer 
   asked to verify each input, but will be given the chance to edit 
   his input before it is saved. 
 
 
NUMBER OF DRIVES ALLOWED 
 
   FoReM will now support up to 16 partitions/drives.  Sysgen will 
   still only allow 8. 
 
 
DATA BASE CHANGES 
 
   FoReM 2.1 allows user to use file transfer protocols for the 
   sending of data base files.  USR bit # 11 controls if this 
   is on or off for each user.  The user may change this with 
   command T from within any data base. 
 
   If you have more than 1 data base, FoReM will display a menu 
   of them when entering the database area via the D command from  
   the main menu. 
 
 
Other misc changes: 
 
   Existing extended messages up to 200 lines long may now be edited. 
   The lock/unlock status of a message may be changed by using the I 
   command at the end of reading the message. This requires privilege 
   # 28. 
 
 
   The date of an FMAIL message may be updated by the U command after 
   reading the message.  This is useful if an fmail message you send 
   is about to expire and you want to give the user more days in which 
   to log on and get his file. 
 
 
   The use of doors may now be restricted by time.  The file CONTIME.DAT
   which for version 2.1 had two entries per line, now has 3 entries per
   line.  Each line of this file now contains: 

       time_percentage     access level     door access level 

   Ex:       50                6               10 

    If this were the first line in CONTIME.DAT, then between 12 midnight
    and 12:30 am, only those users with access level 6 and above would 
    be allowed on the system.  Of those users, only those with level 10 
    and above would be able to run doors.  Additionally, anyone let on 
    the system would only be granted 50% of their normal access time. 
 
TEXT PAGING 
 
   The paging option has been improved.  When a user first logs on 
   or via the * command from the main FoReM> prompt, he may elect 
   to turn on text paging and set the number of lines at which to page. 
   Paging will only occur for text files and for messages. 
   On a console logon, the number of lines will always be 17 unless 
   the no local window option is used. 
 
                     FoReM PC Version Enhancements 
                     ============================= 
              Running FoReM PC under Quaterdeck's DESQview: 
 
FoReM PC version 2.2 dated 4/7/88 or later can take advantage of 
DESQview 2.01 or later using EEMS or LIM version 4.0 memory to 
 
1) Run FoReM PC in the background 
2) Give full memory space to "Doors" programs 
 
You must "install" under DESQview both FOREMPC.EXE and RUN_DOOR.EXE. 
When running DESQview, FOREM will execute RUN_DOOR.EXE telling it what 
door to run. FoReM will then suspend and wait for RUN_DOOR to notify it 
that it is done. 
 
What to do: 
 
Install FOREMPC.EXE under DESQVIEW, setting the following parameters 
 
Memory size: At least 384K 
Does not write directly to the screen 
Does not display graphics 
Can be swapped:  If not using expanded ram, enter Y, otherwise it is 
better to enter no. 
Does not require floppy disk 
 
Install RUN_DOOR.EXE into DESQview.   
SET THE "KEYS TO USE TO OPEN MENU" to  RD. 
Memory size at least big enough to run your largest DOOR plus 50K. 
CANNOT be swapped. Make sure the path default directory are correct.
RUN_DOOR should reside in the default directory FoReM is run from. 
 
Exit DESQview.  The DESQview directory, there is a file named  
rd-pif.dvp.  Copy this file to the directory FoReM is run from. 
That's all there is to it! 
 
The new version of this fine BBS program now has additional transfer 
protocols and a host of excellent new features written into the program.

 
For more Info:            [617] - 877 - 0257 
                            COMNET SYSTEMS 
                            50  Eaton Road 
                         Framingham, MA.  01701 


---------------------------------------------------------------------- 


        Genie Conference with Kesmai....Creators of AIR WARRIOR 
        ========================================================

by Bob Rosendale 
 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Welcome to a special formal conference on the GEnie
Atari ST 
<[John] KESMAI> well, I don't have a prepared speech BUT 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> roundtable.  Our guest tonight is John Taylor of Kesmai
<[Neil] NHARRIS> who is going to talk over my intro <grin> 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Kesmai has been creating multiplayer online games for
some time now, including other GEnie games like Stellar Emperor and
Stellar Warrior.  Their latest game, Air Warrior, uses the graphics of
your computer to provide a realistic simulation of aircraft combat.  Now 
John can get to his speech.  John? 
<[John] KESMAI> blush 
<[John] KESMAI> i'll get the hang of this sooner or later.  Ok,  first 
a bit of history we founded Kesmai in 82 in order to start developing 
large scale multi-player games.  We were of course dealing with the 
C-service then and that is where we encountered Bill Louden.  Anyway 
since then we have developed several product some of which are here on 
GEnie. All share a common theme of being simulations as opposed to true 
games.  Air Warrior got it's start MANY years ago when kelton was an 
was an undergraduate.  It ran on an HP2100 computer and used cursor 
control graphics  (yuk).  The idea of doing a REAL multi-player flight 
simulation has been on out minds for quite a while but it was not until 
machines with the power of the ST came around that it was really 
possible.  (1200 baud modems helped also) ....... 
<[John] KESMAI> should I give a summary of game or take questions? 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Well... 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Let me interject first that Bill Louden is general
manager of GEnie, and had been a manager at CIS in charge of SIGs and
multi-player games.  Why not give us a quick game summary now and then
we'll open the floor to questions. 
<[John] KESMAI> ok 
<[John] KESMAI> The basic premise of the simulation is that you are a
member of a small third world country which is at war with it's two
neighbors. They have enough bucks to fight but not enough to buy modern
jets... SO They use war surplus planes. 
<[John] KESMAI> The ST program functions as a flight simulator and
handles all the graphics and flight equations.  The HOST program takes
the data, checks it for validity and then parcels it out to the people
within your sight.  In addition it handles all combat resolution, your
micro tells the host that it THINKS it hit something and the HOST 
makes the determination.  The front end software is also available for
the Mac, Amiga and someday the IBM clone world.   (enough background?) 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Sure. And interesting stuff.  Let's start taking  
questions from the floor.  Use /RAI to get in line to ask a question. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Martin, go 
<[Martin] M.MENDELSON> Sorry, I was moving some stuff and bumped the
board> 
<[Dan.Reif] D.REIFSNYDER> John.. how long did it take to write this (no 
reflection on your typing <grin>)? 
<[John] KESMAI> yo martin? 
<[John] KESMAI> about 2.5 years, the ST port took about 6 months 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> (Sent by 12) you will go up next 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> In C, right? 
<[John] KESMAI> yep, it has a little asm code to speed things up 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> How about on them GEnie end? 
<[John] KESMAI> Mark Williams C  (good stuff) 
<[John] KESMAI> it is also C on the GEnie end (not so good) 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> <grin> 
<[John] KESMAI> grin 
<[Bob] R.ROSENDALE1> I have found the files but what files are needed (I
saw so many new Picture files. 
<[John] KESMAI> STARTER.ARC will get you up and running 
<(John] KESMAI> look in the ST section of the AIR WARRIOR lib 
<[Bob] R.ROSENDALE1> I have that but are all the others for different 
versions? 
<[John] KESMAI> did you select the Atari ST section before you looked? 
<[Bob] R.ROSENDALE1> I guess variations would be a better word....Yes. 
I saw about 20+ files for the St besides the STARTUP.ARC file 
<[John] KESMAI> there are a LOT of optional data files for art and sound
In addition, the STARTER.ARC is also broken into 2 files AIRWAR.ARC 
and AWDATA.ARC for those people that prefer to download 2 smaller files 
instead of one big one 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> [Bob] R.ROSENDALE1, you are listen-only. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> OK, ROAD.STAR is next 
<ROAD.STAR>JOHN  Any chance that the MICRO-FLITE joystick set-up will
work 
<[John] KESMAI> yes, we were told that it already does.  We plan to buy 
one sooner or later to see if there are any problems 
<[John] KESMAI> ST-USER says it worked 
<ROAD.STAR> It seems it would be a lot It better Thanks 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Craig? 
<[Rowdy Yates] CRAIG.S.THOM> In the WWI theatre, does the Camel torque 
hard to one side?  If not, is this level of realism possible? 
<[John] KESMAI> yes it torques some but since we do not really want to 
<[John] KESMAI> make the planes that tricky to fly we do not make it a 
large effect. 
<[Rowdy Yates] CRAIG.S.THOM> To which side? <grin> 
<[John] KESMAI> (right side we think) 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> OK, Dan? 
<[Dan @ Atari] DANSCOTT> What are the future plans for Air Warrior on
the ST computers? 
<[John] KESMAI> finish color version... split screen radio room is done,
visible tracers  remap-able keys,  blitter speed ups, 3dglasses support
(grin) 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> 3d glasses support?  you mean my stereotek glasses will
<[John] KESMAI> then the B&W version,  then tanks, ships and other good 
things. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> be good for something? 
<[John] KESMAI> maybe (grin) 
<APRATT> I realize your bread and butter is online time, but is there 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> The line is short if people want to ask questions 
<APRATT> any chance of drones or something to make practice mode more
fun 
<APRATT> and/or give more practice? Being able to practice the gunner
positions would be nice, too.
<[John] KESMAI> only if we produce a distributed (i.e. sold) version. 
No real plans at this point.  We would rather spend the time/memory on
fun in flight things. 
<APRATT> Is the host software really bound to mainframes, or can it run 
<APRATT> on a micro?  Consider the Mac II... 
<APRATT> Or other 68030 machines ... :-) 
<[John] KESMAI> it runs on our MicroVAX and would run on just about any 
UNIX platform.  grin 
<APRATT> Thanks.  Neil, next question.. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> John, tell us about the practice mode, please. 
<[John] KESMAI> the practice mode is intended to allow people to 
learn how to fly and land the planes without spending big bucks.  All 
the terrain is available but there are no targets or bombs.  Once a
player has mastered flying and landing then they log on for combat. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Are people free to pass around copies of the program,
put them on BBS's, etc.? 
<[John] KESMAI>free BBS are ok, passing it around (for free) is also ok. 
This is true as long as the program is not modified in any way. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> OK, Jeff 
<JEFFWILLIAMS> How easy/difficult is it to learn Air Warrior?  How many 
controls are there for the play to master? And where did the name KESMAI
come from? 
<[John] KESMAI> it is not really all that hard to fly. Landing is a
little difficult.  The hard part is combat, some of the players are
active duty combat pilots.  The name was randomly generated by our
fantasy game.  We need a name for the Island that the game was set on.
We liked the name and made it our company name. 
<JEFFWILLIAMS> Thank you, John! 
<[Martin] M.MENDELSON> John, Is Flight SimulatorII a viable substitute
to learn flying and then using 
<[Martin] M.MENDELSON> that experience to use Air Warrior. 
<[John] KESMAI> we have been told by good FS II players that Air Warrior
is easy to switch to. Why would you ever want to use FSII anyway  <grin>. 
<[Martin] M.MENDELSON> Thanx! That will make it easy for me then. 
<[ST User] P.R.SKLENAR> Sorry, I came in late. How many people here play
AW now? 
<[John] KESMAI> i dunno 
<[ST User] P.R.SKLENAR> well, I see we have 1 of the Creators.<grin> 
As a player, I have to say AW is easily the BEST flight Sim! 
<[John] KESMAI> thanx 
<[ST User] P.R.SKLENAR>it Beat FSII by a country mile and then some.
That's all. 
<[Rowdy Yates] CRAIG.S.THOM> I was late getting here, so this may be a 
repeat.  How soon, realistically, can we hope to see lighter-than-air...
<[John] KESMAI> we have really pushed hard on the realism 
<[Rowdy Yates] CRAIG.S.THOM> craft in the WWI theatre?  And, how about 
putting some drones in there?  Gets lonely... 
<[John] KESMAI> well not real soon on the l-t-a but it is something we 
want to do I will see about a drone or two. (a drone blimp maybe) 
<[Rowdy Yates] CRAIG.S.THOM> Really?  That would be great! 
<[Dan.Reif] D.REIFSNYDER> I haven't played yet, but how about an option
to 'personalize' your plane with D.REIFSNYDER> customized graphics? 
<[John] KESMAI> you can already do that if you are artistically inclined 
<[Dan.Reif] D.REIFSNYDER> Ohhh <embarrassed blush> 
<[John] KESMAI> (it was a good question) 
<[Dan.Reif] D.REIFSNYDER> Is the software available from GEnie other
than downloading? Nope, only download at this point. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> Road.star? 
<ROAD.STAR> If not drones in practice how about targets in the hills 
I want to see something blow up besides me. 
<[John] KESMAI> a few goats and sheep to shoot at? <grin> 
<ROAD.STAR> anything I lose all the time Thanx 
<[John] KESMAI> we really don't have plans to expand practice mode at
this time. 
<[Neil] NHARRIS> OK folks, that's the whole line of questioners now. 
I will open up the room for more, so stay around. John, thanks very much
for joining us tonight, and also for a unique gaming experience! Any
closing remarks before I unleash everyone? 
<[John] KESMAI> thanx for the opportunity to talk tonight 


------------------------------------------------------------------------


                   THE DISK DRIVE MYSTERIES UNRAVEL! 
                   ================================= 
by W.K. Whitton 
                            
In last week's edition of the ST-Report you might remember  
Rex Reade's article that sought to bring to light some of the 
serious shortcomings of Atari.  Due to our personal concern for the
Atari user, it is an article which is rather strong in its flavor, but
pointed in its purpose.  As a furthering of this topic, I am 
releasing this particular hardware project. 
 
In our travels we have discovered a bevy of people complaining 
about a particular problem with their ST 3 1/2 inch disk drives. 
Most users of the St have discovered a pleasant feature of TOS, 
which, when one inserts a new disk in their drive, and hits the 
"Esc" key, provides you with the directory of the new disk without 
having to close and reopen the directory window. What often happens 
is that over a period of time, something occurs and you no longer 
get the directory of the newly inserted disk when you hit "Esc", 
but rather that of the disk which was in the drive when you booted 
the system.  That can make for some tricky file copies for sure! 
 
The problem gets worse when a user tries to get this defect 
repaired.  Atari does NOT know what the problem is, as revealed last 
week and in my own conversations with them, and they proceed to 
tell the poor user that he must take it to his authorized service 
center for repair. Seems almost anything must be taken to the 
authorized service center for repair, and Atari has time and time 
again demonstrated their UNWILLINGNESS to help in this and other 
areas.  (fortunately, some minor things are improving, and one can 
only hope this is a sign of "good" things to come!) 
 
From my understanding, users most often purchase Atari computer
equipment due to the fact that of the power "under the hood" this
was the MOST cost effective equipment one could purchase.

 I believe part of the "great pricing" should be Atari's cooperation
whereby it not only starts out inexpensive, but stays that way due to
repair information assistance!  Then, after getting the rephrased "tough 
luck Pal!" from Atari, we then receive pleas of assistance from 
people across the nation, that have taken their sick St to an 
"Authorized Center", and the dealer doesn't know enough about the 
machine to even realize this feature even exists, let alone cure 
the disappearance of the feature. 
 
And who do they call for repair info? You got it.................! 
 
The Company that doesn't know what the problem is!  When I called 
Atari for help in this matter, making it plain I wanted this 
information solely to pass on to the readers of the ST-Report, they 
hemmed and hawed at how they don't encourage the users to dig into 
their machine.(their machine?)   Comfy attitude isn't it when you have
a warehouse of replacement parts sitting out back isn't it? 
 
Well....finally they were able to tell me software-wise what the ST 
was looking for when you hit the "Esc" key, and I was able to take 
it from there. For that piece of information, I wish to thank John 
Towns of Atari. The fact remains though, that with the number of 
St's out there, it's more than little bit disturbing that they do 
not know more about their hardware. True, a minimum of 4 different 
drive mechanisms were contracted for, and not actually built by 
Atari, but I feel they should, and hopefully after reading this, 
WILL be more familiar with them. 
 
A few last notes before we proceed...please keep in mind that 
normally, until now, the only cure for this problem was replacement 
of the disk drive, and in a 1040ST, the minimum this would cost 
would be $150, usually more. It is with a warm heart then I write 
on, knowing someone, somewhere is going to SAVE A LOT OF MONEY, and 
that thrills me to no end...so, read on my friends... 
 
This has been tested and verified on the following 3 1/2 disk drive
units: 
 
       Chinon Model 353AT S/S           Chinon Model F-354-C D/S
 
       CHINON 354AA REV A IS HOPELESS, SEND IT BACK FOR EXCHANGE!
 
       Panasonic Model JU-363-03        Epson (all models) 
 
       Toshiba (all known models)       Teac (all known models) 
 
       Mitsubishi (Panasonic)           Fujitsu (all known models) 
 
If you are using an external Atari drive, as the SF-314 or the 
SF-354, or most other generic 3 1/2 drives follow these procedures. 
If you are fortunate enough to own a 1040ST, a 520 with an internal 
drive, or a Mega ST, you must first remove the entire drive assembly
from the computer. PLEASE be careful,  the power supply in the
1040ST, and the 520FM has voltage levels that could cause you to
literally jump through the roof. Please make sure the power is off,
and might I remind you, you do this entirely at your OWN risk.  

You must remove the top of the computer, and then the shielding from the
computer. Take out the 3 screws holding the drive mechanism in, and
unplug the two cables attached to it. Now, you may skip to the
appropriate step below and proceed. 
 
     A.___ Turn the drive over on its top, and remove the four      
           Phillips screws from the outer edges of the casing. 
           Take the top off, and set it and the screws aside. 
 
     B.___ Remove the "inner" four screws and the drive mechanism   
           will now be able to easily be removed. Unplug the PC 
           board carefully, and set it and the bottom in a safe     
           place. 
 
     C.___ Remove the sheet  metal shielding from the drive by      
           gently prying outward on the metal tabs at the 
           back of the drive. Set this aside. 
 
     D.___ Remove the front panel from the drive mechanism itself. 
           To do this, as you look directly down at the top of the 
           mechanism as it sits on your bench, you will see two 
           screws, spaced approximately an inch and a half apart. 
           Remove these and set them aside, along with the face plate 
           you just removed. 
 
     E.___ In the FRONT left corner of the drive, right next to 
           the BUSY LED, is the Write Protect Switch, herein 
           referred to as the "WPS"...saves paper! Grab a disk. 
           If the WPS is working properly, when you insert the      
           disk, you will see the disk physically move the little 
           tab which is extending upward from the WPS assembly, 
           and it will pull the part of the switch that contains a 
           small magnet away from the WPS (usually enclosed in a 
           small glass tube-like enclosure). As it moves the 
           switch away, if its quiet enough, you will hear a small 
           "Ping!" and the contacts within the switch move. 
           THE most common cause of this assembly not working 
           properly is (if you haven't discovered it by now) the 
           small spring which is supposed to pull the WPS assembly 
           back into position. If this action does not take place, 
           the drive is basically telling the computer that there 
           was NO disk change, and therefore you get the same 
           directory. (Usually this spring is either broken or bent 
           as to cause it to loose its needed tension.) The recent 
           release of Mega's in their first month or so had a flurry 
           of this type problem, and you can imagine the unhappy 
           owners! (All $2700 worth for a Mega4 w/ SC1224!) 
 
 
     E.___ Remove the small phillips screw holding the assembly in 
           place, (It may also be glued, gently break the glue 
           seal, and be sure to reglue it when you finish.) If the 
           spring seems to have lost its tension, gently reshape 
           it. If it is broken, you must then replace it. And now 
           we come to the catch. So far, I have NOT been able to 
           locate a source for this spring, and hopefully this 
           will change in the near future, but I wouldn't count 
           on it. What I have been using to replace this spring 
           has been springs salvaged from cassette recorder 
           mechanisms. If any of you manage to find a place to 
           purchase these springs from, PLEASE let me know on 
           Genie, CIS, or Delphi, and I will make that information 
           available to the users! Assuming you have procured a 
           replacement spring, pull the small metal rod out of the 
           assembly, take the old spring off, and pop the new one 
           on! If the replacement spring you obtain has physically 
           longer legs than the original, please trim it back as 
           the dimensions of the leg of the spring which will 
           point towards the front of the drive is relatively 
           critical! 
 
     F.___ Now the fun, reassembly! Put it all back together in 
           reverse order, and you should be in business. If you 
           did all this correctly, and when the switch moves you 
           hear the tell-tale "Ping!", and you still don't get the 
           new directory, then my friend, you DO need a new drive! 
 
I might also add, that one of the things I run into in the 
repair business is the folks that seem to be under the impression 
that there is a one-to-one relationship between problem and cure. 
Unfortunately, this is not the case, as one problem usually has a 
multitude of things which can cause the same symptom. So please, 
don't assume that this is a "cure-all", as it was not written with 
that end in mind. It DOES though, appear to be, from my meager
experience, the MOST COMMON cause of this problem, so there is a very
good chance this will alleviate your "no new directory" problem. 
 
Lastly, if you have a Shugart Model 350 mechanism, due to the GREAT
design of this particular assembly, you probably will NEVER have this
problem! The designers of this little gem elected to use a microswitch
in this application, and it appears extremely unlikely the owners of
these will suffer the problems that owners of the other mechanisms
are subject to. If by chance you do have a problem, due to the custom
nature of this switch, you will most assuredly need to order it from
the manufacturer! 

                        Keep those St's humming! 
                             W.K. Whitton 


------------------------------------------------------------------------


                         ATARI SLM804 BUGGY? 
                         =================== 

by T."Rex" Reade 
 
Not trying to be negative toward Atari all the time is rather difficult
when we find information arriving in "Brown manilla envelopes" with a
letter explaining why it was sent to us and a few other publications. 
Below is a list presented for your examination, please look it over
carefully and if you have any questions or solutions please send them in
and we will be happy to foward them to the proper parties.

[A] Loading any desk accessory or tsr that picks up trap #13 vector will
cause the Diablo Emulator to be lost.  It must then be reloaded (along 
with its fonts).  This can be duplicated with ST Informer's RAM disk / 
spooler, DeskCart!  Spooler, Turbo ST, and WP_spool, it looks like 
every spooler would have the same problem. 
 
[B] The SLM804 laser uses microspacing to set proportional spacing 
character widths and space.  In microspacing the printer controls the 
width of the character and its position.  The only thing the software 
needs to know is how far the print head actually moves. This is the 
preferred method because it is faster, cleaner and less likely to have 
unevenly or incorrectly positioned characters.  

The problem that arises is in the fact that a Diablo is an HMI
controlled printer where the width of each character is set before
the character is sent and has no provisions for controlling the printer
on its level.  Therefore, it is difficult to get properly spaced text. 
 
[C] The SLM804 prints in 1/300 inch increments but, the Diablo uses
1/120 inch increments.  This causes frequent round off errors. 
In cases like WordPerfect and other high quality programs, where
the program is capable of printing in 1/300 inch, you must measure
characters to 1/300 inch, convert them to 1/120 for the Diablo,
(which causes round off errors), send them to the Diablo, which takes
the 1/120 inch character width, converts it to 1/300 inch (which causes
round off errors) then prints.  On a multi column document with few
characters per column this can look completely unacceptable.  WHY? 
 
[D] The buffer in the SLM804 DRIVER is only 38K bytes.!!  This was done
to make it fit on a 520 ST.  A laser printer however needs more RAM
because it must image an entire page at a time.  Most Laser printers
have 512K RAM minimum and occasionally, that is insufficient. 
Although you can access the additional RAM of the 1040 or Mega by sending
a pointer to a graphic image in RAM, (completely non standard), this is
not the method used by most applications that were written to use the
500 or so other printers in already in existence.  AGAIN, WHY? 

[E] If more than 38K is sent to the Diablo emulator before a form feed
is encountered the incoming data will begin to CORRUPT the Diablo 
emulator code.  If it doesn't get confused and quit taking characters it
will eventually bomb......  In any case, you are WIPED out!. 

[F] HP, Quadram, Cannon, Texas Instruments, Apple Laserwriter and many
other laser printers will print the page as it is imaged,(progressively),
as their buffers fill rather than overwrite there own control code. 
The lack of error checking in the diablo emulator makes it easy to send 
enough data to trash the emulator itself and ultimately cause a system 
crash...... GOOD THINKING! 

[G] There is no provision to move the print head by x/300 inch in 
microspaced units (the actual amount used by the printer).   
Being able to move in these small increments with out actually printing 
would enable very fine micro-justification.  Instead, it is necessary to
set the HMI value to 1/120 inch, send a space, then reset the width to 
that of the next character, then send the character.  Unfortunately this
can make up to 65K per printed page and would then overflow the SLM804 
buffer which would definitely crash the computer thus rendering the
entire effort as useless.  .....AH YES,  PROGRESS! 


--------------------------------------------------------------------- 


                    .......and the SAGA continues 
                    ============================= 

by T."Rex" Reade 

There comes a time when the observations of this reporter become so 
varied on a particular subject matter that the issue suddenly becomes 
ISSUES, a multitude of situations, a virtual comedy of errors!  

Such is the case of the "new" Atari Laser Printer.....You say, what do 
I  mean?  Well, Let's take a look and see, Right off the bat I see a
file provided with the machine that is a desk accessory, Diablo.???,
seems it trashes any other accessory files loaded.  Atari's answer to the
programmer's question of WHY?... "Your accessory spooler or ram disk or
whatever is not done correctly and therefore clashes with ours."  Now  
that's sad, you mean to tell me, that all the programmers out there are 
idiots and Atari's are the only ones who know what is happening?  NOT 
LIKELY!  Probably more like the Atari programmers are too pompous and
self congratulatory to recognize a problem in it's early stages and
correct it to everyone's professional satisfaction.  

I am trying to avoid getting technical with the problem descriptions
however, in some areas detail is needed to convince those who would deny 
that these things are happening because they haven't experienced it 
themselves.  How about some home work for the readers?   Do a little 
research and find out what really comprises a GOOD laser printer....ie  

       [1] On Board Memory 1mb+        [2] Quality Interfacing  
       [3] Built in fonts              [4] Ultra Compatibility  

These factors certainly would establish a laser as quality.  
Where is Atari coming from saying, the laser THEY sell is the very latest
in technology and refinements......THAT is a JOKE and it's mostly on the
Atari Userbase!  For example, ALL the owners of regular 520 machines are 
out in the cold completely unless of course they add memory and lots of
it to their machines (planned obsolescence?).....same goes for 1040ST
owners.  Those same owners can use "other" brand name laser printers and
not face the same nonsense.  Now we ask, Who designed this? Who approved
this notion?  Why wasn't the design made compatible with ALL Atari ST
machines?  Something is definitely lacking at Atari, perhaps it's the
foresight needed by the "think tank" (if such a thing exists) to consider
all the options and not discount the full userbase.  My guess is that the
character who planned this "beast" said "the 520/1040ST owners would
never spend the money for a laser".  Here's another thought,
"Perhaps if we make it for the MEGA only, then the sheep will HAVE to
get one to be able to use a Laser printer.  This may help our overall
sales".  Folks, this type of thinking is totally offensive to
this Reporter and I am sure to you too...  

Letter campaigns you say?  File thirteen dept.,...Studies have shown 
that this type of action, except for Govt. and Political Races, are for
the most part, ineffective in trying to reach some large corporation. 
It is like trying to  pull hen's teeth.  Please, if you are so inclined,
do go ahead and flood  Atari with letters offering your advice and help.
Let all of us know about how well your letter was received and what type
of a response you received.

It has been stated that those who are so vociferous about Atari are 
really very much concerned about the future of the ST and Atari...count
ME among those who ARE.  These folks do not sell off their Atari
Equipment and purchase "the other" brand, instead, they raise a fuss
with Atari and hang tough.  We all know how many in users have gone to
"other" computers out of sheer  exasperation and dire frustration.  
I blame Atari for that and will find it hard to forgive them for not 
keeping the userbase humming along with refinements and support that is
in tune with the needs of all parties concerned, ESPECIALLY the third
party Programmers and Developers who are making things happen.

I see all kinds of excuses, ie.."We have agreements signed", Who signed it? 
and WHY?  Sure, you need to make agreements with other Developers and
such but where in heaven's name is your legal department?? 
They should have had enough experience to make sure you didn't sign 
yourselves into a DEAD END!  If a developer wants an IRON CLAD contract
that will hamper the progress in a given area, LET THE USERBASE KNOW!....
I don't care who it is, this reporter believes that any entity in the
public eye cringes at adversity and bad press. 

This reporter realizes that the bottom line is profit, make no mistake 
about that!  However, if needed, increase the retail prices to justify the 
fair compensation of developers and programmers OUTSIDE of Atari.  They 
are willing and very able to produce the correct software for the ST 
line.  At least they will not be in the sorry position of worrying about 
internal corporate politics. 

GDOS (GDOZE) is a perfect example, the current version in use is a 
constant source of grief to not only you, but also, the Developers and 
Users.  We are HEARING about a new version, (FROM GERMANY) <what's 
wrong with our own programmers in the GOOD OLE' U.S.A.???>.
Can we expect the same joyride or, is it really on the way for the entire
Atari Userbase......or are we looking at a POSSIBLE improvement some 6
months down the road? 

It has been duly noted that a spokesperson for Atari found it necessary 
to pass judgement on a recent software release, so recent it has been out 
only a matter of weeks.  To me, this adds fuel to the fire already raging!  
A bit of good advice, (clean up your own house first!) 
 
Next week, a few "GEMS" about why a good percentage of the small business 
dealerships have NO Atari on the shelves and have no plans at this time to 
do so.  Also, why many of the current Dealers are slowly moving away from 
Atari.... 
 
Reader comments welcome....this article may be reprinted in it's original 
form and content only ...(c)TRR APEInc. 


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                         VISITING AN OLD FRIEND 
                         ====================== 
 
by T."Rex" Reade 
 
How nice it is to be able to say, "That is really a very good program", 
it seems lately though all we see is gripes about how a program, "ain't 
what I want or expected", well, this past week I visited an old friend 
called INTERLINK VERSION 1.80. 
 
After spending some time re-acquainting ourselves with each other, 
Interlink and I began to have some real fun.  Here is a terminal program 
that is truly contemporary and fast.  It obeys the VT-52 codes like a fine 
soldier, marches in step with all the protocols and even makes the disk 
entries for you when you are downloading a file.  Oh, we hear," well it 
don't see Vidtex"....How many folks call out with a modem just to look at 
pictures?....They are after data of all sorts.  It would be nice to see 
that feature included some time in the future.  For now, the automated 
log-on (8 lines) is without a doubt very easy and failsafe to use.  The 
impressive lineup of protocols are simply outstanding and the capture 
buffer/editor works like a charm. 
 
Multi-tasking is pure magic, right?  Multixy.txf is a background 
downloading protocol for Interlink ST.  It must be loaded into the 
(???) button in the File Transfer window and the desk accessory 
ILNMULTI.ACC must have been loaded from your boot disk or drive. 
 
It allows background downloading and uploading allowing you to edit 
your buffer, perform disk commands and execute other programs from 
within Interlink using the Execute Program option contained in 
Interlink.  This version of Multixy.txf will allow background downloading 
while running Interlink or executing a GEM Menu Based Program from within 
Interlink.  It has been tested with First Word, TEMPEST, Wordwriter, 
Superbase, MCS (for composition and editing, does not multitask while 
playing a song) and VIP Professional GEM version.  Most programs that use 
the GEM menu bar will work fine with Multixy.txf running and, as a 
general rule, programs without menu bars will temporarily pause the 
download. 
 
The fabulous Ansi graphics can also be seen with Interlink. 
You must load this Terminal Emulation protocol into the (???) button 
in the Style-Features Window.  When selected and you are in the on-line 
screen Interlink will properly interpret incoming ANSI escape  
sequences.  These include the IBM-PC graphics character set as well as 
color and attributes.  Due to the limited number of colors on the ST in 
medium resolution mode (it has four, ANSI supports 8) some doubling up 
of colors is done automatically.  This is always done in favor of TEXT 
rather than graphics displays and results in good graphics most of the 
time and fully readable text all of the time. 
 
Interlink is constantly increasing in versatility with new Transfer 
Protocols being developed on a very regular basis. FModem is designed to 
greatly enhance the efficiency of your terminal program. 
FMODEM sends the data packet 4K at a time.  Make certain that the 
connection that is made with the other computer is clear and has 
no line noise.  If you receive many NAK's in a row, Interlink sends 
all 4K again until the block is transmitted successfully. 
 
How many times were you dumfounded by the charges on your telephone bill 
for the calls made while using the modem?  Well, Interlink has a sure fire 
way to keep track of and verify all charges.  Interlog takes care of all 
the calculations needed to keep a perfect record and control the amounts. 
 
Operation of the program is very simple.  Simply select your Dial 
file when you are presented with the File Selector.  INTERLOG locates the 
name of your log file from the definition in the dial file.  Once the 
Dial File is loaded simply select the button for the service you wish to 
calculate, fill in the date ranges if desired (leaving them empty causes 
all records to be calculated for that service) and enter the amount that 
the service charges either Hourly or Minutely.  If you do enter a date 
range the calculation will include only those Connects that occurred within
the specified dates.  Both dates do not have to be specified, so that an 
unspecified THRU date will apply all Connects starting with the from date 
and an unspecified FROM date will apply all Connects ending with the THRU 
date. 

Interlink is truly a superb Terminal Program, worthy to be in everyone's 
library of "often used programs".  It is easy to learn and use, simple in 
it's operation and the documentation is fairly complete and quite 
understandable. 

FOR MORE INFO:              INTERSECT SOFTWARE CORP. 
                          3951 Sawyer Road, Suite 108 
                             Sarasota Fla., 34233 


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ST-REPORT Issue #34    MAY 09, 1988   (c)'88 APEInc. 
All Rights Reserved    Reprint permission granted except where noted in 
the article. Any reprint must include ST-Report and the author in the 
credits. Views presented here are not necessarily those of ST-Report or of
the Staff. 
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