
                      ST REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE
                            Monday, OCT. 10, 1988
                               Vol II  No. 56
                                ===========

            APEInc., P.O.  BOX 74,  Middlesex, N.J.  08846-0074

  PUBLISHER                                              GENERAL MANAGER
  Ron Kovacs                                               R.F.Mariano

          =======================================================

                     ST REPORT EDITOR: Thomas Rex Reade

                PO Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida. 32236-6672

                        Headquarters Bulletin Boards

 ST Report North                                         ST Report South
  201-343-1426                                             904-786-4176

                   ------------------------------------
 ST Report Central                                       ST Report West
  216-784-0574                                             916-962-2566
                                 CONTENTS
                                 ========
> From the Editor's Desk..............> Codehead Products.................
> The "PRESIDENT'S" Conference........> REVOLVER..........................
> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL..............> Pro GEM Windows #7................
> NeoDesk - Points to Ponder..........> THE BEAT GOES ON..................

=========================================================================
       COMP-U-SERVE    ~    GENIE    ~    DELPHI     ~    THE SOURCE
=========================================================================


From the Editor's Desk,

We were going to release a supplementary issue this week in honor of the
Presidential Conference of 10/03/88.  After seeing what went on we felt it
best not to do so for the benefit of all parties concerned.  We carry the
conference here in it's entirety for our readers to see exactly what folks
saw during the conference.  You can form your own opinions.

I had the good fortune to speak to the nice folks at Avante Guarde Systems
in Jacksonville and they will have a surprise "NEW" unrelated to PC DITTO
product to unveil at Comdex....congratulations are in order to Mr. and
Mrs. Teal for their continued faith and support of the ST marketplace.
Speaking of PC Ditto, we still receive mail concerning this program.  Most
of the mail has praise to the high heavens for it...even tho it is a
little slow..most folks say it has definately broadened their usage of the
ST and certainly has helped to sell the ST idea to a number of their
friends.

On to more serious matters....we have been hearing form a few different
directions that people are saying Atari is "on the way out".  If I never
print another word.....let me say this:  NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY BE FURTHER
FROM THE TRUTH.  I am sick and tired of hearing, "well, so and so told me
and after he said...." Folks heresay is pure BS!  It is usually emitted 
from a poor soul trying to hurt someone or look important to the listener.
Do yourselves a favor....check out these so called "facts" for yourselves.
Again, ATARI is very healthy corporately speaking.  They do NEED a good
SALES and MARKETING DEPT and without a doubt, a real National Sales
Manager not a typical yes man.

The course of current events in the Atari world never cease to amaze me,
we have the ability to work together and bring forth the best of three
worlds of computing...a) Serious Productive Computing (Business, DTP,
etc..)   b) Superior Entertainment (Games)  c) Creative Artistry (Art
work, MUSIC [ Composition and mastery - MIDI ]) .  What are we doing? 
Easy, we are busy trying to second guess a group of men at Atari who would
like us to believe they really know what they are doing.  Since we
already know the only real leader at Atari is poppa Jack, the three boys
are fun, but are not business giants.  If Jack were not there to keep
these "majhias" in line, Atari would be history.  Fearless leaders in the
Computing Industry ....they are NOT.  Since that is known, let's go on to
better things.   

WE..as the userbase can force ourselves on Atari anytime we wish to do so.
We MUST do just one thing.

                           ORGANIZE ON A NATIONAL BASIS
                           ----------------------------

Any body game?  We at ST Report will be more than happy to spearhead a
National Organizational Effort to show Atari that we the users really do
care......If you are interested, drop us a line with your address etc...
and we will send you some info and ideas.

Use the Florida PO Box listed above....please

                                          Let us know,
                                             Rex........







**************************************************************************
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                              to the Readers

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                         NEW USERS SIGN UP TODAY!

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                                    or
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**************************************************************************




                                 Art Gallery
                                 ===========

By Charles F. Johnson


  This program originally appeared in ST-Log magazine's May 1988 issue.
Unfortunately, the version in that issue had a bug that prevented it from
working on the Mega ROMs.  This version fixes that problem, and will
run on any version of the ROMs.  (For the curious, the bug was in the
routine which searches memory for the text "ITEM SELECTOR"...it ended up
searching too far and crashed on the Mega ROMs.)

  To install Art Gallery, just copy the file ARTGALRY.ACC to the root
directory of your boot disk and restart your computer.  (Or, if you own
MultiDesk, just load it into MultiDesk and run it.)

  Art Gallery shows DEGAS, DEGAS Elite compressed, Neochrome, and TNY
compressed pictures.  When you're viewing a picture, hit the left mouse
button or any key to return to the Art Gallery dialog box.  Art Gallery 
fully supports color rotation in any of the above formats, including DEGAS
Elite's multi-channel rotation.

  Art Gallery has a rather unique ability that it shares with another
CodeHead product (MultiDesk); the very same file will run as either a desk
accessory or a program simply by changing its name from ARTGALRY.ACC to
ARTGALRY.PRG.

**  An expanded version of Art Gallery (version 2.0) will be offered on 
the "CodeHead Utilities Disk," coming soon from CodeHead Software.  Art 
Gallery 2.0 includes automatic slideshow capabilities, support for 
Spectrum picture loading, and the ability to import pictures directly 
into DEGAS Elite.

  (The CodeHead Utilities Disk will also contain a host of other useful
programs and desk accessories for various and sundry purposes.  We expect
it to be available in early November.)

                   - Charles Johnson, John Eidsvoog
                           CodeHead Software

.......P.S. ....

  Don't forget our other CodeHead products, G+PLUS and MultiDesk!  G+PLUS
is a complete replacement for Atari GDOS that fixes many of GDOS'es 
problems (and causes no system slowdowns) and adds great new features - 
such as the ability to load a new ASSIGN.SYS file (with its list of fonts)
anytime you run a GEM program, and the ability to link ASSIGN files with 
their associated GEM programs, automatically installing the correct fonts
and device drivers for each program you use!  G+PLUS is fully compatible 
with all existing GDOS applications, such as Timeworks Publisher, Easy 
Draw, Microsoft Word, WordUp, etc.  If you use any of these programs, or 
any other program that employs GDOS, you *need* G+PLUS!  The retail price
of G+PLUS is $34.95.

  MultiDesk is an innovative and flexible desk accessory loader/unloader
that lets you load an unlimited number of standard ST desk accessories 
into a single drop-down menu slot, at any time!  (Even from within a 
running program!)  From the desktop, you can load entire groups of desk 
accessories (for example, a group of accessories for your word processor,
a group for your terminal program, one for your drawing program, etc.).  
You can configure memory any way you desire, and allocate as much or as 
little memory as you need to load your favorite accessories; then free up
the memory when you need more to run a program!  MultiDesk is highly 
compatible with the majority of standard ST desk accessories, including 
DAs that steal trap vectors, and use the GEM message pipeline.  
Plus...MultiDesk can run as either a desk accessory or a program, simply 
by changing its name from MULTDESK.ACC to MULTDESK.PRG!  When you run 
MultiDesk as a program, you can load and run accessories as if they were 
programs too; without using up any permanent RAM or a slot in the drop 
down menu.  The retail price of MultiDesk is $29.95.

  MultiDesk and G+PLUS are available now directly from CodeHead Software.
Send a check or money order for the amount indicated plus $2.00 shipping
and handling fees to:

                            CodeHead Software
                             P.O. Box 4336
                         N. Hollywood, CA 91607

  (If you live in California, please include 6.5% sales tax.)  Also watch
for CodeHead products at your local ST dealer.





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




                      ATARI Presidential Conference
                      =============================

                        October  3, 1988 9pm EST  
                Comp-u-Serve Online Information Services



 #  User ID    Node     Name            #   User ID   Node   Name

 1 72411,2465  DCF  Charles Crook       2 76703,4363  LIS  M. Schoenbach
 3 71777,2140  GBO  Ron Kovacs <ZMAG>   4 76410,70    COL  Ricky Costa
 5 76703,1077  BNG  Steve Mortimer/NNQ  6 71270,1043  WPL  Vince Parker
 7 75046,467   FLM  JERRY C. (G.A.G.)   8 74425,145   WVA  Ron Hunt
 9 76004,1601  MFL  Robert Birmingham  10 76703,4223  MFL  Dave Groves

                 11 76703,254 DFL  SYSOP - Ron Luks MODERATOR

12 70007,1070  TTC  Julius Oklamcak    13 73637,3051  WIL  =Bandit= (tm)
14 76667,3363  LAS  WILLIAM COLEMAN    15 71251,1430  LOU  Doug Lampert
16 76616,2374  BAK  Jim Fuller         17 73710,1052  JAX  Rex Reade
18 71451,1123  BUF  John Spirko        19 76703,202   QFM  M.Doudoroff
20 76615,2013  WBR  Richard Huffman    21 76056,1332  TTC  Michael Lynch
22 76214,2253  RAL  Joe Fowler         23 72571,2563  MLB  chris connor
24 70007,417   DCF  C. Conroy /OLT     25 72310,3422  SCS  Joe Schmidt
26 70347,1713  DCI  Bill Halvorsen     27 76004,1666  SCE  Roger Brown
28 72777,1765  QEI  edward giertuga    29 76410,367   QIB  frank kish
30 72477,1037  ANB  Bob W.             31 71441,44    WIL  STEVEN HARDWICK
32 71231,401   LAS  Mark Woolworth     33 70775,712   MIA  Sara Groves
34 72347,1020  TOR  Bill Gallagher     35 73637,2512  CGL  Chris Herr
36 73437,3140  QLA  Leon Moncla        37 71550,3312  ANN  Bob Retelle
38 76703,4061  GNC  Bill Aycock        39 73637,42    SFM  Ed Waldorph
40 71641,3024  DES  SHAWN SMILEY       41 73637,1107  SYR  Ken Brick
42 73765,1173  HAR  Tim Early          43 76625,2430  SCE  Scot Halvorsen
44 72667,3321  QLA  matt chandler      45 76515,1201  TTC  Paul Lantz
46 70247,1247  MEX  tc                 47 76004,1676  MIA  Jack Durre'
48 73250,1543  LIU  Rick Williams      49 76157,170   AGA  Andy Dorman
50 72227,3507  TTC  alan page          52 76703,2007  TTC  Michael R.
53 73310,761   DEQ  Chris Sorensen     54 75136,3077  AKO  BYRON WALTER
55 71036,213   CNJ  Bob Dolson         56 72767,1212  DET  Eric Guy
57 72025,117   MFL  Harry Callesis     58 70536,431   CVK  lanny smith

                59 70007,1135  SCS  Sam Tramiel @ Atari 

60 72371,3074  SLN  Ben Stuyts         61 71550,1104  BOL  Neil Redding
62 73577,534   DCI  Brian Biggs        63 76704,41    MAU  don
65 76367,3657  DNC  Sandy and Me       66 73725,1611  PRV  Bob Crowell
67 73217,14    SCE  Bill Cranor        68 70135,563   ANY  Timothy Onders
69 70305,152   SCS  Jack Minns         70 73407,1217  AUR  Jim Goebel
71 73157,1643  KTN  Martin Hodge       72 70605,417   VAN  M. Markowitz
73 74435,260   NYJ  GREG CURATOLO      74 76505,2440  HON  gary gray
75 72750,2007  BUD  Jeff Eby           76 73637,2707  ORL  Steve Blackwell
77 76157,30    ANB  Rick Meredith      78 73177,2024  QFM  Chris Richards
79 73657,2662  HVN  Ruth Coy           80 76515,3055  LAF  David Ramsden
81 73637,377   QDI  Schmitz-Moormann   82 72561,2667  NRL  BRUCE JENSEN
83 71521,2200  SEA  ALAN REEVE         84 76370,1443  QLA  abe mizrachi
85 70565,421   TOR  Alan Haskell       86 73637,715   TTC  Joe Chiazzese
88 70007,1072  SCS  Ken Badertscher    89 73557,3602  QCE  Robert Stanley
90 76703,4364  FTL  Dan R.             92 72445,1155  DCI  Tom Zelinski
93 73637,1256  JAX  DON GRANT          95 73437,3162  WCH  David Hagood
96 73637,766   TTC  Richard Dong       98 75176,216   CGL  john
99 74146,3222  DLQ  George Halvorsen  100 73457,106   DET  Billy Rodgers
101 71410,1422 WPL  Sarah Chauncey    102 70007,2355  SCE  Bill & Opus
104 73245,556  AUR  jerry hoenig      106 76556,753   DET  Ken Settle
107 72347,75   TRO  Keith Joins       108 72327,3042  LSM  John Nagy 




                  Your moderator is:  SYSOP-Ron Luks



(SYSOP-Ron) Hello everyone....

  Conference has begun
  --------------------

(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] Hello everyone....

Tonights special CONFERENCE with Sam Tramiel, the President of ATARI
COrp. will begin in just a few seconds. To ask Sam a Question, you must 
type /QUE to get into the queue.  I'll recognize the next person in line 
one at a time. Please keep your questions simple and ask only one question
at a time.  Mark Jansen of ATARI will be typing for Sam tonight.  Does Sam
have any opening statement before we open the floor for questions?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Sorry for not being available last 
Monday night.  There was a conflict with a Jewish holy day.  There is 
another Jewish holy day today but, I dared not do it again.  :-)
So here we are.

(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] thanks Sam.  We all appreciate you showing up here
to answer some very nagging questions.       Okay, first user.


  Moderator recognizes queue #1
  Mark Woolworth <32>

(Mark Woolworth)[71231,401] I really dont want to start out on a negative
point, but here goes, I was one of the people that was demonstarting the
new machines at the fall COMDEX show last year, and most of these machines
were promised for sometime this year.  At least at the presentt point I 
have not seen any of these machines released. What is the status on them,
and when will they be out in the United States?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] You were clever not to mention the model
names at present I think that we are shipping all the models in Europe, 
even the Abaq , to developers.  We will start shipping in earnest to the
US market in early 1989, including the st and the line of pc compatibles 
and our new members of the ST family.  

          The Abaq is now called the ATW  (Atari work Station)...


  Moderator recognizes queue #2
  RICHARD MATAKA <43>

(RICHARD MATAKA)[72317,1761] Hello Sam...first, I want to congratulate you
and your sons and others who have resurrected Atari from an almost certain
death but, I am still questioning the support from Atari US.  As you know,
there are only a few US publications supporting the ST.  Now Compute ST 
has decided to no longer publish and with the questionable support from 
Atari, Word Perf Corp seems to have put their product developement on 
hold.  Also, other 3rd party software companies are not supporting the ST.
How will you convince these companies and others who may start a company 
to support the ST?  What kind of incentives will you be offering or will 
you just let everything come out of Europe which is where the current 
bulk of ST support is based?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Thank you for the fine complement 
regarding my sons but they are only 7 and 4 years old respectively.  I am
the son of Jack Tramiel, Leonard and Garry and I are brothers. ....
I am as frustrated as you are and probably more so the present problem is
that the dram problem is causing us great delivery problems and we cannot
keep up with the demand in Europe and other parts of the world.  We just 
signed a major deal with a big Dram supplier and the situation will get 
better I hope in early 1989.  We will and do support developers all over
the world and suggest that US developers learn how to export which would 
help themselves and the economy. 
I am sorry to see Compute drop the ST mag but I hope that they will 
revisit the issue when they see tens of thousands STs sold monthly in the
USA.  Last month I was in Germany for the Annual Atari Fair in Dusseldorf.
It was incredible, over 30,000 in attendance for the weekend...


(RICHARD MATAKA)[72317,1761] Sam, I appreciate your answer but, while the
support in Europe is great, here it is another story.  As you may or may 
not know, I was an author for ST XPress for about a year writing Critics 
Corner and the public view of Atari support is quite contrasting to 
Atari's version.  How will you and Atari hope to change this view of your
marketing strategy so that support will be forthcoming for the Atari 
computer products?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Right now we do not really have a major
marketing thrust as you know.  However, we do think that we have user 
support and good inhouse people at Atari US that more than willing to help
with almost any problem.  WE * definitely * plan to bring in software from
Europe.

(RICHARD MATAKA)[72317,1761] Sam, I think that that maybe where your main
problem is user support is excellent however, development support is very
very strained and it is the development people that you have to win over
if you are going to be a serious computer competitor in the US

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We are not strained, and are happy to 
help anyone.  I am sure once we are selling large quantities in the US, 
any strains that exist will disappear.  In the meantime, export to Europe.
We do, and we like it!  :-)

  Moderator recognizes queue #3
  charles medley <16>

(charles medley)[72460,273] OK.... I have little time here.  I have 3 
questions.  
1) What is REALLY in the NEW TOS.?
2) What is the news on the 68030 TT? Can a MEGA be used for it?

(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] just one question please, Charles.

(charles medley)[72460,273] What is the fate of the 68030 box?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We have already published the details of
new TOS to developers and will do so for the rest of the users when it is
released.  We are working on the TT, and hope to show it in early '89.
Until then, no further comments on the TT........
but, it will knock your socks off!  :-)


  Moderator recognizes queue #4
  Michael Lynch <21>

(Michael Lynch)[76056,1332] Do you have any plans for an IBM 286 board 
for the ST line?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] No.


  Moderator recognizes queue #5
  Steve Mortimer/NNQ <5>

(Steve Mortimer/NNQ)[76703,1077] Many developers and dealers are not going
to support the ST anymore or are on the brink of that decision.  It is 
essential to retain what support we have left.  Will you consider 
advertising to increase awareness till the "big push" or sign up a 
national computer chain stocked with a few STs diverted from Europe?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We feel that advertising without product
availability is helpful in selling our competitors' machines and 
therefore, will just waste money.  As far as a national computer chain is
concerned, we are already diverting machines to the US and ship them to 
our few but loyal ST dealers...


  Moderator recognizes queue #6
  =Bandit= (tm) <13>

(=Bandit= (tm))[73637,3051] 1st, thanks for coming..
a)- BALLPARK Date/Price of new TOS ROMS to USERS?
b)- Neil's replacement?

(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] (Everyone Please -- just ONE question per turn)

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Date:  early 1989, depending on ROM 
deliveries.  Price - Reasonable. :-)

(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] C'mon Sam. "Reasonable"???? 
How about a price range?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] You know that we are always reasonable,
Ron.  :-)


  Moderator recognizes queue #7
  Ed Waldorph <39>

(Ed Waldorph)[73637,42] There has been much talk from dealers and former 
dealers and employees about the dificulty of making a business selling 
the ST line in the U.S.  Much criticism has been leveled at Atari for lack
of dealer support.  There is some indication that the situation is 
changing but in this entire forum only _one_ dealer has spoken out to 
defend the company.  What is Atari doing to increase its delear support?
How are you going to increase the delear base?  Have you considered 
setting up a section for dealers here or over at Genie so they can talk 
directly to Marketing and Sevice and among themselves, and encouraging 
them to use it?   sorry Ron. it's really 1 question.....

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We already have a system for Service 
Centers, Sales Reps, and dealers, run from Sunnyvale.


  Moderator recognizes queue #8
  Rex Reade <17>

(Rex Reade)[73710,1052] Sam, Why was Mike Dendo [VP-SALES] telling people
in Michigan that Atari HAD 3 soft quarters and needed a strong 4th to 
survive.


(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We just had three RECORD quarters, 
and I am sure that someone misquoted Mike.


  Moderator recognizes queue #10
  Bob Dolson <55>

(Bob Dolson)[71036,213] Why don't you provide an easier upgrade path for 
memory, drives, so that the 'poor' owners of 520 STFM's for instance would
find it easier to get double sided drives, and more memory?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] It is a tradeoff between cost and 
upgradability.  Adding the upgradability will increase the cost of
 _every_ unit.


  Moderator recognizes queue #11
  Joe Fowler <22>

(Joe Fowler)[76214,2253] Mr. Tramiel. We heard a lot about the ST tonight.
I would like to know what future plans Atari has for the 8 bit line of 
machines, the best made on the market?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] We agree that the Atari 8-bit line is 
the best available.  However, the US market seems to want more powerful 
machines.  We are selling many tens of thousands of the XE/XL line in 
Europe, the middle east, and in Latin America,.  We are trying to push 
the XE Game System in the US, as a computer and a game for the same price
as the Nintendo with an exercise mat.  (i.e. $149)


  Moderator recognizes queue #12
  edward giertuga <28>

(edward giertuga)[72777,1765] You folks make a beautiful machine, but
your  marketing strategy is scaring the heck out of me.  Have you read 
David Small's message (#111539) regarding Neil Harris' resignation? It's 
worth reading. 

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari) To be honest, I have not read David Small's message. but I...
As I was saying before that "glitch".  I wish Neil a lot of success in his
new job it was a pleasure to work with him over the years that I have 
known him.


  Moderator recognizes queue #40
  SHAWN SMILEY <40>

(SHAWN SMILEY)[71641,3024] Are you planning to make any additions to the 
ST like stereo sound and speech synthesis?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] No comment.  Sorry, but we do not want
to promise new things until they are ready.


  Moderator recognizes queue #42
           tc <3>

(tc)[70247,1247] What about the portable ST? Fact or fiction? 

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Fact.  We are working on it, and will 
ship it as soon as it is ready.


  Moderator recognizes queue #43
  Steve Mortimer/NNQ <10>

(Steve Mortimer/NNQ)[76703,1077] Do you see any major changes at Atari or
the ST market in the near future.  This includes the possibility of a 
revamped ST based on new technology like the 68020/30 while remaining ST 
compatible?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] I hope so...we plan for Atari to be 
number two or number three in the world personal computer market and we 
hope to make the ST one of the standard machines in the US during 1989. 
I would prefer not to comment on details of future ST or TT machines at 
present.


  Moderator recognizes queue #44
  Rex Reade [ST REPORT] <17>

(R.Reade [ST-REPORT])[73710,1052] Sam, A direct answer please, What is 
ATARI going to do to rectify the attitude Word Perfect has towards the 
way You do business in the USA?

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] What specifically are you referring to?

(R.Reade [ST-REPORT])[73710,1052] The freeze on development because of the
unstable US ATARI market caused by Atari's unpredictable moves in the last
6 months.

(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] I think I answered that question before.
We plan to sell a lot of machines in the US.

(R.Reade [ST-REPORT])[73710,1052].. still no answer though,  thanks .....



(SYSOP-Ron)[76703,254] I would like to apologize to all present.........

       But, I just have been informed by Sam T. That he has to leave in 
       5 minutes.  He is willing to reschedule another CONFERENCE in the
       (near) future. I dont know if it would be fair to all concerned to
       let 1 or 2 more go, so I'll just end it here. 

       Possibly, would Sam like to make some general closing comments in 
       these last few minutes? 


(Sam Tramiel @ Atari)[70007,1135] Closing comments:

I appreciate the support of all of you, and I really hope that in 1989, 
you will not be such a minority in the USA's  personal computer world.
It is a pleasure to see Atari so successful in Europe and I'm sure that
with more DRAM as we expect in '89, we will be able to be successful in 
the US as well.
                            Good night to everyone.......
                            (Sam Tramiel @ Atari) 



Editor Note...We sure hope Sam T. didn't split because of a "rough"
question or two....  Temper ....Temper  Sam.........We wll concede one
thing, Sam gave us more info directly and indirectly here than we have
seen in the last few weeks.  We will analyze this conference and, over
the next few weeks, publish our findings

  



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




               SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH IN ATARI ST SOFTWARE
  
                           NOW AVAILABLE WITH
  
                                REVOLVER
  

Sarasota, FL, September 29, 1988 - INTERSECT Software today announced the 
release of  REVOLVER, a revolutionary package of utilities that allows 
among other things the partitioning of the ST's memory (a "Switcher") 
and the saving of a partition to disk ("Roll Out" - "Roll In").  This 
is the first Software program for the ST that can "boast" of having
RESET PROOF partitions.  
  
Using REVOLVER is easy.  Revolver is activated by depressing the left 
shift key along with the "Alternate" key.  Once activated, it is 
controlled via the mouse.

Additional convenience features such as Full Disk Commands, Control Panel 
options and Screen Snapshot make REVOLVER the ultimate utility.  REVOLVER 
is not a desk accessory and is therefore active at all times, even within 
TOS environments. 

A partial list of REVOLVER's features follows, all readily available
within GEM, TOS and TTP environments:  

-  Partitioning ("Switcher") WARM RESET PROOF
-  "Roll in" and "Roll out" all ST memory (includes Desk Accessories)
-  Warm reset proof Ramdisk, handles large and small memory models
-  40 Folder fix, lets you select the number of additional folders
-  Print Spooler, lets you select its size and turn it on or off
-  Extended disk commands, support "Wild cards" and "Hidden" files
-  VT-52 Emulator
-  Control Panel options, setup RS232, printer and console options
-  Screen snapshot to .NEO picture file
-  Select "Warm" or "Cold" re-boot, with the mouse

PARTITIONING: 

REVOLVER allows you to configure the ST's memory into up to 8 
partitions (memory size permitting).  These partitions can be of 
different sizes and are totally independent of each other.  
Pressing the reset button (warm booting) will only boot the 
currently active partition, all other partitions remain untouched.  
If a program in an active partition crashes the ST, (there are 
some of those programs out there) reboot by pressing the reset 
button, the other partitions will still be there, UNTOUCHED. 

ROLL OUT:

ROLL OUT will save a partition, in its current state, to Floppy, 
Hard Drive or Ram Disk for future continuation.  REVOLVER does this by 
saving the contents of the partition's memory and the values stored 
in the ST's hardware registers.  As the contents of memory are saved 
to disk the information is compressed.  A typical Roll out from a 
1 meg partition will require about 300K.  The actual disk size of 
the ROLL OUT file will depend on the information in memory much 
like the final size of an Archived file (using ARC.TTP) depends on 
the type of file being archived.   

Since the entire partition and the contents of all the hardware 
registers are saved, the program, any TSR programs (Terminate and 
Stay Resident), Desk Accessories, Ram Disks, etc. are all saved in 
one step.  When this memory image is Rolled back in, the computer, 
programs and data will be as they were before the Roll out.  

Because REVOLVER is resolution independent and saves the contents 
of all the hardware registers (including the Video Chip) you can 
Roll In a LOW resolution Program or Desktop from a MEDIUM 
resolution screen or vice versa. 

SOME OF THE THINGS POSSIBLE WITH REVOLVER's ROLL OUT:

Loading a popular Word Processor, Dictionary and 30K text file 
would take 1 min 45 seconds from the desktop using a Hard Disk. 
REVOLVER will load them (from a previously ROLLED OUT file) from 
the same HD in 10 seconds or 4 seconds from REVOLVER's RAM DISK.
Not only is this a savings in time but it is accomplished in one 
step.  This perceived speed advantage is because the Wordprocessor 
spent time setting up the dictionary and text file in memory 
during the first load from the Desktop.  After it is rolled out 
all the computer has to do is put the Rolled out file back in 
memory.  This takes much less time to do.  There are many programs 
that have a long setup time, all of them can benefit from 
REVOLVER's Roll out ability.

Also, since it is possible to Roll in Desk Accessories and AUTO 
folder programs along with programs and data (as a package) there 
is no need to have them resident with your permanent boot disk.  
For Example: You can boot with GDOS installed in the Auto Folder.  
Load Microsoft Write (which calls GDOS to install the screen fonts 
using the list of fonts in the ASSIGN SYSTEM file) then Roll the 
file out with REVOLVER.  You can then remove GDOS from the AUTO 
folder.  It will not be needed again.  When you roll the MICROSOFT 
WRITE file (the one you just made) back in again, GDOS as well as 
the screen fonts are already installed.  This also means you can 
have several rolled out programs that use GDOS, all with different 
ASSIGN System files.  (Currently, DEGAS, Microsoft Write and 
Timeworks Publisher ST all require different Assign.Sys files.)
 
Setup a LOW or HIGH resolution Desktop with your favorite Desk 
Accessories.  ROLL it out and you can ROLL it in at any time from 
within any resolution.  At this time, REVOLVER is the only way to 
change Desk Accessories or Resolution without rebooting.  

Save your place in a Game or Business application.  When you Roll 
In a file it continues execution EXACTLY where you rolled it out.

Tired of having to switch to the low resolution desktop to play a 
game?  Once the game is rolled out from that Low Resolution 
screen, you can Roll it in from the Medium Resolution screen.    

HERE ARE SOME SCENARIOS:

- You're in the middle of a large spreadsheet and you find that
  you need some information from your data base. Simply activate
  REVOLVER and "Roll out" your spreadsheet, and "Roll in" your
  data base. When you are done "Roll in" your spreadsheet and
  continue at the very point where you left off!

- While playing a game without "continuation" capabilities you
  decide to quit, but you would like to save your place for the
  next time you play. Let REVOLVER handle it for you.

- Applications that require a long load and set-up time can be
  blasted in quickly.   Since REVOLVER takes a picture of the
  computer's  memory it can "Roll it in" in a matter of
  seconds.

The "Roll out" and "Roll in" capabilities supply a much needed
convenience to the user allowing him to effectively swap back and forth
between applications at any time.  Because disk is the storage medium
for "Rolled out" programs there is no limit to the number of "Swapped"
programs and, once "Rolled out" a program can be "Swapped" back in,
even after a cold boot! 

For more information contact:
-----------------------------

                  Randy Mears at Intersect, 813-923-8774

                         INTERSECT Software Corp.
                         2828 Clark Rd. Suite 10
                           Sarasota, Fl. 34231




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




ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL:
-----------------------
 (the original snoops)


Littleton, CO.     Dave Small HAS retracted his negative assessment of 
-------------      Neil's leaving. 

Chatsworth, CA.    Future Systems has revamped their Indus Midi 5.25
--------------     floppy drive, it's faster and better than ever.

Jacksonville, FL.  ICD and SUPRA have released booter programs that 
----------------   boot the Developer Tos 1.4 from hard disk systems.

La Habra, CA.      An on again - off again Hard Copy Magazine is back
------------       again..CLAIMING to be:  "THE WORLD AUTHORITY" on ATARI!
                              Come on guys...Let's get Real!!  
                   GOOD LUCK! ........ ST EXPRESS.

Orem, UT.          Word Perfect's Dan Lunt seems to speak with a forked
--------           tongue...In one breath he sez..we will stick by you and
                   in another, Due to the lack of direction on the part of
                   Atari... no further revisions...held at 4.1.  Maybe, WE
                   were right to jump at them in issue 27!  I hope the
                   story of the Lemmings is not true for STers!

Albany, NY.       Seems a story got out that Atari caught a batch of
----------        clones in New York.  It's true, but they were 2600s not
                  STs



--------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           ANTIC PUBLISHING INC.
                              COPYRIGHT 1988
                          REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.



    Professional GEM  by Tim Oren
    Column #7 - Menu Structures


        This is article number seven in the ST PRO GEM series.  In this 
    installment, I will be discussing GEM menu structures and how to use
    them in your application.  There is also a short Feedback response  
    section.   You  will find the download file containing the code for 
    this column in the file GEMCL7.C in DL3 of the ATARI16 SIG (PCS-58).


    MENU BASICS

        In ST GEM, the menu consists of a bar across the top of the screen
    which  displays  several  sub-menu titles.  Touching one of the titles
    causes  it  to  highlight,  and  an associated "drop-down" to be drawn
    directly  below  on  the  screen.   This drop-down may be dismissed by
    moving  to  another  title,  or  by  clicking  the  mouse  off  of the
    drop-down.

        To  make a selection, the mouse is moved over the drop-down.  Each
    valid  selection  is  highlighted when the mouse touches it.  Clicking
    the  mouse  while  over  one of these selections picks that item.  GEM
    then  undraws  the  drop-down, and sends a message to your application
    giving the object number of the title bar entry, and the object number
    of  the  drop-down item which were selected by the user.  The selected
    title  entry  is  left  highlighted  while  your  code  processes  the
    request.


    MENU STRUCTURES

        The  data  structure  which  defines  a GEM menu is (surprise!) an
    object  tree, just like the dialogs and panels which we have discussed
    before.   However,  the  operations  of the GEM menu manager are quite
    different  from  those  of the form manager, so the internal design of
    the menu tree has some curious constraints.

        The  best  way  to  understand  these constraints is to look at an
    example.   The  first  item  in  the  download is the object structure
    (only) of the menu tree from the GEM Doodle/Demo sample application.

        The  ROOT  of  a  menu tree is sized to fit the entire screen.  To
    satisfy the visual hierarchy principle (see article #5), the screen is
    divided  into  two parts: THE BAR, containing the menu titles, and THE
    SCREEN,  while  contains  the drop-downs when they are drawn.  Each of
    these  areas  is  defined by an object of the same name, which are the
    only  two  objects linked directly below the ROOT of a menu tree.  You
    will  notice  an  important  implication  of  this structure: the menu
    titles   and  their  associated  drop-downs  are  stored  in  entirely
    different subtrees of the menu!

        While  examining  THE  BAR  in the example listing, you may notice
    that  its  OB_HEIGHT  is  very  large  (513).   In hexadecimal this is
    0x0201.   This  defines a height for THE BAR of one character plus two
    pixels used for spacing.  THE BAR and its subtree are the only objects
    which are drawn on the screen in the menu's quiescent state.

        The  only  offspring object of THE BAR is THE ACTIVE.  This object
    defines  the  part  of  THE  BAR which is covered by menu titles.  The
    screen  rectangle  belonging  to  THE ACTIVE is used by the GEM screen
    manager  when  it  waits for the mouse to enter an active menu title.
    Notice  that  THE  ACTIVE  and its offspring also have OB_HEIGHTs with
    pixel residues.

        The actual menu titles are linked left to right in order below THE
    ACTIVE.    Their  OB_Xs  and  OB_WIDTHs  are  arranged  so  that  they
    completely  cover  THE  ACTIVE.  Normally, the title objects are typed
    G_TITLE,  a  special type which assures that the title bar margins are
    correctly drawn.

        THE SCREEN is the parent object of the drop-down boxes themselves.
    They are linked left to right in an order identical with their titles,
    so  that  the  menu  manager  can  make  the correct correspondence at
    run-time.   The OB_X of each drop-down is set so that it is positioned
    below its title on the screen.

        Notice  that  it  is safe to overlap the drop-downs within a menu,
    since  only  one  of them will be displayed at any time.  There is one
    constraint  on  the  boxes  however:  they  must  be no greater than a
    quarter screen in total size.  This is the size of the off-screen blit
    buffer  which  is  used  by  GEM to store the screen contents when the
    drop-down is drawn.  If you exceed this size, not all the screen under
    the drop-down will be restored, or the ST may crash!

        The  entries  within  a drop-down are usually G_STRINGs, which are
    optimized  for  drawing  speed.   The rectangles of these entries must
    completely  cover  the  drop-down,  or  the  entire  drop-down will be
    inverted  when  the  mouse  touches an uncovered area!  Techniques for
    using objects other than G_STRINGs are discussed later in this column.

        The  first title and its corresponding drop-down are special.  The
    title  name,  by  custom,  is set to DESK.  The drop-down must contain
    exactly  eight  G_STRING  objects.  The first (again by custom) is the
    INFO  entry,  which  usually  leads  to a dialog displaying author and
    copyright  information  for your application.  The next is a separator
    string  of  dashes  with  the  DISABLED  flag  set.  The following six
    objects  are  dummy  strings which GEM fills in with the names of desk
    accessories when your menu is loaded.

        The  purpose  of  this description of menu trees is to give you an
    understanding  of  what  lies "behind the scenes" in the next section,
    which  describes  the  run-time  menu library calls.  In practice, the
    Resource  Construction Set provides "blank menus" which include all of
    the  required  elements,  and  it  also  enforces  the  constraints on
    internal  structure.  You only need to worry about these if you modify
    the menu tree "on-the-fly".


    USING THE MENU

        Once  you  have loaded the application's resource, you can ask the
    AES  to install your menu.  You must first get the address of the menu
    tree within the resource using:

        rsrc_gaddr(R_TREE, MENUTREE, &ad_menu);

    assuming  that  MENUTREE is the name you gave the menu in the RCS, and
    that  ad_menu is a LONG which will receive the address.  Then you call
    the AES to establish the menu:

        menu_bar(ad_menu, TRUE);

    At  this point, the AES draws your menu bar on the screen and animates
    it when the user moves the mouse into the title area.

        The  AES  indicates  that  the  user  has made a menu selection by
    sending  your application a message.  The message type is MN_SELECTED,
    which  will  be  stored  in  msg[0], the first location in the message
    returned by evnt_multi().

        The AES also stores the object number of the selected menu's title
    in  msg[3], and the object number of the selected menu item in msg[4].
    Generally,  your  application will process menu messages with nested C
    switch  statements.  The outer switch will have one case for each menu
    title, and the inner switch statements will have a case for each entry
    within  the selected menu.  (This implies that you must give a name to
    each  title  and  to  each  menu entry when you create the menu in the
    RCS.)

        After the user has made a menu selection, the AES leaves the title
    of  the chosen menu in reverse video to indicate that your application
    is  busy  processing  the  message.   When  you are done with whatever
    action  is  indicated, you need to return the title to a normal state.
    This is done with

        menu_tnormal(ad_menu, msg[3], TRUE);

    (Remember that msg[3] is the title's object number.)

        When  your application is ready to terminate, it should delete its
    menu bar.  Do this with the call:

        menu_bar(ad_menu, FALSE);


    GETTING FANCY

        The  techniques  above represent the bare minimum to handle menus.
    In  most  cases,  however,  you  will  want  your  menus  to  be  more
    "intelligent" in displaying the user's options.  For instance, you can
    prevent  many  user  errors by disabling inappropriate choices, or you
    can save space on drop-downs by showing only one line for a toggle and
    altering  its text or placing and removing a check mark when the state
    is   changed.    This  section  discusses  these  and  other  advanced
    techniques.

        It  is a truism of user interface design that the best way to deal
    with  an  error  is  not to let it happen in the first place.  It many
    cases,  you can apply this principle to GEM menus by disabling choices
    which  should  not  be  used.   If  your application uses a "selection
    precedes  action"  type  of interface, the type of object selected may
    give the information needed to do this.  Alternately, the state of the
    underlying program may render certain menu choices illegal.

        GEM  provides  a  call to disable and re-enable menu options.  The
    call is:

        menu_ienable(ad_menu, ENTRY, FALSE);

    to  disable  a  selection.   The  entry  will be grayed out when it is
    drawn, and will not invert under the mouse and will not be selected by
    the user. Substituting TRUE for FALSE re-enables the option.  ENTRY is
    the  name  of  the  object which is being affected, as assigned in the
    RCS.

        Note  that  menu_ienable() will not normally affect the appearance
    or operation of menu TITLE entries.  However, there is an undocumented
    feature  which allows this.  If ENTRY is replaced by the object number
    of  a title bar entry with its top bit set, then the entire associated
    drop-down will be disabled or re-enabled as requested, and the title's
    appearance  will be changed.  But, be warned that this feature did not
    work  reliably in some early versions of GEM.  Test it on your copy of
    ST  GEM,  and  use it with caution when you cannot control the version
    under which your application may run.

        It  is  also possible to disable menu entries by directly altering
    the  DISABLED  attribute  within  the  OB_STATE  word.   The  routines
    enab_obj()  and  disab_obj()  in  the download show how this is done.
    They are also used in set_menu(), which follows them immediately.

        Set_menu()  is  a  utility  which  is  useful  when  you  wish  to
    simultaneously  enable  or  disable  many entries in the menu when the
    program's  state  changes or a new object is selected by the user.  It
    is called with

        set_menu(ad_menu, vector);

    where vector is a pointer to an array of WORDs.  The first word of the
    array  determines  the  default state of menu entries.  If it is TRUE,
    then  set_menu()  enables  all  entries in every drop-down of the menu
    tree,  except  that the DESK drop-down is unaffected.  If it is FALSE,
    then every menu entry is disabled.

        The following entries in the array are the numbers of menu entries
    which are to be toggled to the reverse of the default state. This list
    is terminated by a zero entry.

        The  advantage  of  set_menu()  is  that  it allows you to build a
    collection  of  menu state arrays, and associate one with each type of
    user-selected  object,  program state, and so on.  Changing the status
    of the menu tree may then be accomplished with a single call.


    CHECK, PLEASE?

        One type of state indicator which may appear within a drop-down is
    a  checkmark  next  to  an  entry.  You can add the checkmark with the
    call:

        menu_icheck(ad_menu, ENTRY, TRUE);

    and  remove  it  by replacing the TRUE with FALSE.  As above, ENTRY is
    the  name of the menu entry of interest.  The checkmark appears inside
    the left boundary of the entry object, so leave some space for it.

        The  menu_icheck()  call  is  actually  changing  the state of the
    CHECKED  flag  within the entry object's OB_STATE word.  If necessary,
    you may alter the flag directly using do_obj() and undo_obj() from the
    download.


    NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T

        You  can  also  alter  the text which appears in a particular menu
    entry (assuming that the entry is a G_STRING object).  The call

        menu_text(ad_menu, ENTRY, ADDR(text));

    will  substitute  the  null-terminated  string  pointed to by text for
    whatever  is  currently in ENTRY.  Remember to make the drop-down wide
    enough to handle the largest text string which you may substitute.  In
    the  interests  of  speed,  G_STRINGs  drawn within drop-downs are not
    clipped,  so  you  may get garbage characters on the desktop if you do
    not size the drop-down properly!

        The menu_text() call actually alters the OB_SPEC field of the menu
    entry object to point to the string which you specify.  Since the menu
    tree  is a static data structure which may be directly accessed by the
    AES  at any time, be sure that the string is also statically allocated
    and that it is not modified without first being delinked from the menu
    tree.   Failure  to do this may result in random crashes when the user
    accesses the drop-down!


    LUNCH AND DINNER MENUS

        Some  applications  may  have such a wide range of operations that
    they  need  more  than  one  menu bar at different times.  There is no
    problem with having more than one menu tree in a resource, but the AES
    can  only keep track of one at a time.  Therefore, to switch menus you
    need to use menu_bar(ad_menu1, FALSE); to release the first menu, then
    use menu_bar(ad_menu2, TRUE); to load the second menu tree.

        Changing   the   entire   menu   is  a  drastic  action.   Out  of
    consideration for your user, it should be associated with some equally
    obvious  change  in  the  application  which  has  just  been manually
    requested.   An  example  might  be  changing from spreadsheet to data
    graphing mode in a multi-function program.


    DO IT YOURSELF

        In  a  future  column,  I  will discuss how to set up user-defined
    drawing objects.  If you have already discovered them on your own, you
    can use them within a drop-down or as a title entry.

        If  the  user-defined object is within a drop-down, its associated
    drawing  code  will be called once when the drop-down is first drawn.
    It  will  then  be  called  in  "state-change"  mode when the entry is
    highlighted  (inverted).   This allows you to use non-standard methods
    to show selection, such as outlines.

        If  you  try to insert a user-defined object within the menu title
    area,  remember  that  the  G_TITLE  object  which  you  are replacing
    includes  part  of  the  dark  margin  of  the  bar.  You will need to
    experiment with your object drawing code to replicate this effect.


    MAKE PRETTY

        There  are  a  number  of  menu  formatting conventions which have
    become  standard  practice.   Using  these  gives  your  application a
    recognizable  "look-and-feel" and helps users learn it.  The following
    section reviews these conventions, and supplies a few hints and tricks
    to obtain a better appearance for you menus.

        The  second  drop-down  is  customarily used as the FILE menu.  It
    contains  options  related to loading and saving the files used by the
    application,  as  well  as  entries  for  clearing  the  workspace and
    terminating the program.

        You  should avoid crowding the menu bar.  Leave a couple of spaces
    between  each entry, and try not to use more than 70% of the bar.  Not
    only  does  this look better, but you will have space for longer words
    if you translate your application to a foreign language.

        Similarly,  avoid  cluttering  menu  drop-downs.   Try to keep the
    number of options to no more than ten unless they are clearly related,
    such  as  colors.   Separate  off dissimilar entries with the standard
    disabled  dashes  line.   (If  you  are  using set_menu(), remember to
    consider the separators when setting up the state vectors.)

        If  the  number of options grows beyond this bound, it may be time
    to  move them to a dialog box.  If so, it is a convention to put three
    dots  following each menu entry which leads to a dialog. Also, allow a
    margin  on  the menu entries.  Two leading blanks and a minimum of one
    trailing blank is standard, and allows room for checkmarks if they are
    used.

        Dangerous  menu  options  should  be  far  away  from  common used
    entries,  and  are  best  separated  with  dashed lines.  Such options
    should  either  lead  to  a  confirming go/no-go alert, or should have
    associated "undo" options.

        After you have finished defining a menu drop-down with the RCS, be
    sure  that  its  entries cover the entire box.  Then use ctrl-click to
    select the drop-down itself, and SORT the entries top to bottom.  This
    way the drop-down draws in smoothly top to bottom.

        Finally,  it  is possible to put entries other than G_STRINGs into
    drop-downs.   In  the  RCS,  you  will  need  to  import  them via the
    clipboard from the Dialog mode.

        Some  non-string  object,  such as icons and images, will look odd
    when they are inverted under the mouse.  There is a standard trick for
    dealing  with  this  problem.   Insert  the  icon  or  whatever in the
    drop-down first.  Then get a G_IBOX object and position and size it so
    that  it  covers  the first object as well as the extra area you would
    like to be inverted.

        Edit the G_IBOX to remove its border, and assign the entry name to
    it.   Since  the  menu  manager  uses  objc_find(), it will detect and
    invert  this  second  object when the mouse moves into the drop-down.
    (To  see  why, refer to article #5.)  Finally, DO NOT SORT a drop-down
    which has been set up this way!


    THAT'S IT FOR NOW!

        The  next  column will discuss some of the principles of designing
    GEM  interfaces for applications.  This topic is irreverantly known as
    GEM  mythology  or  interface religion.  The subject for the following
    column  is  undecided.   I am considering mouse and keyboard messages,
    VDI  drawing primitives, and the file selector as topics.  Let me know
    your preferences in the Feedback!




>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sample Menu Tree <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

-1, 1, 6, G_IBOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0x0L, 0,0, 80,25,       /* ROOT         */
6, 2, 2, G_BOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0x1100L, 0,0, 80,513,     /* THE BAR      */
1, 3, 5, G_IBOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0x0L, 2,0, 20,769,       /* THE ACTIVE   */
4, -1, -1, G_TITLE, NONE, NORMAL, 0x0L, 0,0, 6,769,     /* Title #1     */
5, -1, -1, G_TITLE, NONE, NORMAL, 0x1L, 6,0, 6,769,     /* Title #2     */
2, -1, -1, G_TITLE, NONE, NORMAL, 0x2L, 12,0, 8,769,    /* Title #3     */
0, 7, 22, G_IBOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0x0L, 0,769, 80,19,     /* THE SCREEN   */
16, 8, 15, G_BOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0xFF1100L, 2,0, 20,8,   /* Drop-down #1 */
9, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x3L, 0,0, 19,1,     /* About...entry*/
10, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, DISABLED, 0x4L, 0,1, 20,1,
11, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x5L, 0,2, 20,1, /* Desk acc ent.   */
12, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x6L, 0,3, 20,1,
13, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x7L, 0,4, 20,1,
14, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x8L, 0,5, 20,1,
15, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x9L, 0,6, 20,1,
7, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0xAL, 0,7, 20,1,
22, 17, 21, G_BOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0xFF1100L, 8,0, 13,5, /* Drop-down #2  */
18, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0xBL, 0,0, 13,1,
19, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, DISABLED, 0xCL, 0,1, 13,1,
20, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0xDL, 0,4, 13,1,
21, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0xEL, 0,2, 13,1,
16, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, DISABLED, 0xFL, 0,3, 13,1,
6, 23, 25, G_BOX, NONE, NORMAL, 0xFF1100L, 14,0, 26,3,  /* Drop down #3 */
24, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x10L, 0,2, 26,1,
25, -1, -1, G_STRING, NONE, NORMAL, 0x11L, 0,0, 26,1,
22, -1, -1, G_STRING, LASTOB, DISABLED, 0x12L, 0,1, 26,1


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Menu enable/disable utility <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

/*------------------------------*/
/*         undo_obj             */
/*------------------------------*/
     VOID
undo_obj(tree, which, bit)
     LONG     tree;
     WORD     which;
     UWORD     bit;
     {
     WORD     state;

     state = LWGET(OB_STATE(which));
     LWSET(OB_STATE(which), state & ~bit);
     }


/*------------------------------*/
/*         enab_obj             */
/*------------------------------*/
     WORD
enab_obj(tree, which)
     LONG     tree;
     WORD     which;
     {
     undo_obj(tree, which, (UWORD) DISABLED);
     return (TRUE);
     }


/*------------------------------*/
/*         do_obj               */
/*------------------------------*/
     VOID
do_obj(tree, which, bit)
     LONG     tree;
     WORD     which;
     UWORD     bit;
     {
     WORD     state;

     state = LWGET(OB_STATE(which));
     LWSET(OB_STATE(which), state | bit);
     }


/*------------------------------*/
/*          disab_obj           */
/*------------------------------*/
     WORD
disab_obj(tree, which)
     LONG     tree;
     WORD     which;
     {
     do_obj(tree, which, (UWORD) DISABLED);
     return (TRUE);
     }


/*------------------------------*/
/*         set_menu             */
/*------------------------------*/
     VOID
set_menu(tree, change)             /* change[0] TRUE selects all entries*/
     LONG     tree;                /* FALSE deselects all.  Change list */
     WORD     *change;             /* of items is then toggled.         */
     {
     WORD     dflt, screen, drop, obj;

     dflt = *change++;                     /* What is default?          */
     screen = LWGET(OB_TAIL(ROOT));        /* Get SCREEN                */
     drop = LWGET(OB_HEAD(screen));        /* Get DESK drop-down        */
                                           /* and skip it               */
     for (; (drop = LWGET(OB_NEXT(drop))) != screen; )
          {
          obj = LWGET(OB_HEAD(drop));
          if (obj != NIL)
          if (dflt)
               map_tree(tree, obj, drop, enab_obj);
          else
               map_tree(tree, obj, drop, disab_obj);
          }

     for (; *change; change++)
          if (dflt)
               disab_obj(tree, *change);
          else
               enab_obj(tree, *change);
     }


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Definitions used in this article <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

#define ROOT 0

#define G_IBOX    25
#define G_STRING  28
#define G_TITLE   32

#define R_TREE     0

#define MN_SELECTED 10

#define CHECKED   0x4
#define DISABLED  0x8

#define OB_NEXT(x)   (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 0)
#define OB_HEAD(x)   (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 2)
#define OB_TAIL(x)   (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 4)
#define OB_TYPE(x)   (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 6)
#define OB_FLAGS(x)  (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 8)
#define OB_STATE(x)  (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 10)
#define OB_SPEC(x)   (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 12)
#define OB_X(x)      (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 16)
#define OB_Y(x)      (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 18)
#define OB_WIDTH(x)  (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 20)
#define OB_HEIGHT(x) (tree + (x) * sizeof(OBJECT) + 22)

#define M_OFF     256
#define M_ON      257




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




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                           4604 East 16th Street
                           Cheyenne, WY.   82001


tell 'em ya saw it here!



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




                       NeoDesk: The Desktop Alternative
                       ================================


by Dan Wilga
(c) 1988, Gribnif Software



Well, the past few months have really been phenomenal. Not only have sales
done better than expected, but our hopes of producing a program that was 
as bug-free as possible also proved to be well-founded.

Rather than simply jumping right into the details of the upgrade, we would
like to take this chance to tell the one or two (yeah, right!) people that
might not have already heard just what NeoDesk can do. This is pretty much
how our first press release first appeared oh, so many months ago...
 

     o  All icons used are editible and an icon editor is included.
     o  All menu options have keyboard equivalents!
     o  The normal GEM "rubberbox" that is used to encircle a 
        number of icons has been rewritten so that the box can 
        move in any direction, not just to the lower-right!
     o  Up to seven windows can be open at once, not just four.
     o  Each window can have a search template associated with it. 
        If, for instance, you only wanted to see those files 
        ending in .ACC, you would set this to "*.ACC".
     o  You will never see a horizontal scroll bar. Why not? 
        Simply because there are never any files off the right-
        hand edge! NeoDesk always draws exactly the number of 
        files that will fit within the window and wraps to the 
        next row only if there is not enough room for half of the
        next icon.
     o  The information line in a window not only displays the 
        number of files and their total size, it also displays the 
        creation time, date and read/write flag of any file that 
        is selected by iteself (by single-clicking) or the total 
        size of any number of selected files.
     o  When performing a diskcopy, three options are available:
        copy files only (same as dragging icon to a window), copy 
        with format (any format reproduceable with normal GEMDOS
        calls), and, if the source and destination formats match,
        copy without format. The number of disk swaps is dependent
        upon free RAM and is displayed for each type of copy. It
        is even possible to use copy with format to make a direct
        image of a RAM-disk.
     o  File copying is performed in a buffer as large as the 
        currrent free memory. This means faster copying and fewer
        disk swaps on single-drive systems!
     o  Show Information for disks includes the number of sides, 
        sectors per track, tracks per sector, etc.
     o  Numerous floppy-disk formats are available, rather than 
        just one.
     o  All files on a disk can be deleted without re-formatting
        by merely dragging the appropriate icon to the trashcan.
     o  Up to ten environment strings can be defined. These are 
        passed to any program executed from NeoDesk. At last! You
        can compile from the desktop!
     o  The parameter tail for TTP programs has been expanded to a 
        maximum of 128 characters. They are not mapped to upper-
        case, as Atari's desktop does.
     o  Execution of TTP programs can be redirected so that input 
        normally taken from the console is instead taken from a 
        file or so that anything that normally goes to the output 
        portion of the console is written to a file or the printer!
     o  Install Application WORKS! ('nuf said?)
     o  If one or more filename icons are highlighted when an 
        application is opened, their names are automatically 
        passed as parameters in the command tail, assuming they 
        all fit, of course.
     o  Yes, Virginia, it runs batch files!
     o  Up to ten files of any type can be "dragged" to the 
        desktop. Once there, they can be executed or displayed 
        exactly as if they were in a window, so you don't have to
        keep going down 5 folders just to get to your favorite program.
     o  When an application has terminated with any status other 
        than zero, this number is displayed before returning to 
        the desktop.
     o  An option is available to pause after executing TOS and 
        TTP programs. Too often programs that were written to be 
        used in a shell do not do this and their output is erased 
        before the user has a chance to see a bloody thing.
     o  Pressing the <Control> <Alt> and <Delete> keys 
        simultaneously will cause the system to perform a "warm-
        start". <Control> <Alt> <Undo>, on the other hand, 
        performs a cold-start.
     o  A printer queue program is also included. You can drag files
        right to the printer icon, go run any GEM program while they
        print, and even change their order in the list!


Ok, allright, I know that everyone who already knew all this has probably
fallen alseep by this point. It's old news, right? Well, time to wake up,
cuz' here it comes. This is a complete list of changes to NeoDesk that
will be present in Version 2.0, due out November 1. The improvements are
in direct response to what owners said they wanted most. See? Somebody
DOES read those comments on warranty cards!

...And now <drum roll> for the improvements... These apply to all ST ROMs,
except where noted otherwise.

o There is now a Master program that actually runs NeoDesk. This program 
  allows the user to optionally configure NeoDesk so that it is re-loaded
  after every program execution. This means that NeoDesk can occupy as 
  little as 24k of memory! 

  These other features are also present in the Master:

    Full support for single-floppy drive owners. If you decide to have NeoDesk
    reloaded after every program and it is not on the disk in the A drive,
    you will be prompted to insert a disk containing the needed files.
    If you have a hard disk, the necessary files take about four seconds
    to reload.

    You can also create a RAM disk containing the two files needed and
    specify this alternate path within your INF file so that the Master
    program will know where to look for NeoDesk.
    The Master will also analyze any program that "bombs" the system, 
    printing the type of error that occurred and, optionally, allowing 
    you to view the 68000's registers at the time just before the crash.
    This feature was designed so as not to interfere with other programs 
    that may perform this same function.

o All icon and text drawing has been improved for much greater speed.  
  Even Atari's GDOS does not slow it down appreciably.

o NeoDesk now has custom window routines.  In addition to the normal 
  buttons, the information bar is scrollable from left to right, and 
  there is a new button that allows you to send the current window to the
  bottom of the stack (just the reverse of "topping" a window.)  All of 
  the functions can be repeated by holding-down the left mouse button, 
  and they can even be activated on a window that is not the topmost! 
  Just hold down the right mouse button while pressing with the left and 
  you can even resize a window that is underneath several others. In 
  addition, the volume name of the disk is displayed in the lower portion
  of the window.

o Several limits have been expanded, due to popular request. You can now
  have up to 32 icons on the desktop at once, with 16 program/text icons.
  The number of installable applications has also been increased, to 10.

o The user now has complete control over the maximum number of files and
  folders that NeoDesk will be able to access within one directory level.
  This used to be a set limit of 112.  The smaller text size can also be 
  used to display as many as 132 files in a window at one time without 
  scrolling.

o The ability to display files in a window, rather than icons has been 
  added.   This option also has a few extras thrown-in:
    Optionally Display in one, or more-than-one columns.
    Show as small or large text (in either resolution.)
    Select any combination of file size, date, and time to be shown with 
    the name.

o Two changes have been made to the Show Information dialog for disk 
  drives:
    An alternate method for judging the total number of bytes on a disk is
    used. This method is less accurate, but it does provide information
    other than all zeroes for RAM disks that do not use bootsector info.
    Volume names can be created, modified, or deleted. The name can be
    comprised of any character, and up to 20 characters may be used.

o Since the ROMs dated after 11/85 support "fast" disk formats, NeoDesk
  now does also, both when copying with format and when simply formatting.

o The Undo (or Control-C) key can be used to cancel a floppy disk format
  operation.

o Attempting to modify a write-protected disk will always prompt you to 
  remove the write protection.

o Pressing a window's close box will cause a complete update, just like 
  the Escape key does now, to that window. If (in the case of floppies, 
  mostly) the disk has been switched and that folder is no longer 
  available, all windows for that drive will move up to the lowest 
  existing folder in the path.

o Data diplayed in a window's information bar is now more up-to-date with
  respect to the icons that are actually selected at a given moment in
  time.

o If you are changing the appearance of a window that contains selected 
  items, you no longer have to wait while NeoDesk first de-selects the 
  items and then redraws, only the redrawing necessary to achieve the 
  correct end result is performed.

o In addition to the automatic execution of a batch file, NeoDesk will now
  autoexecute any program (even TTP's) when it is first booted.

o Sort by Type for files and folders in windows now arranges them
  alphabetically by extension.

o If you have selected a template for sorting files and folders in a 
  window, the option for folders defaults to "Show All" instead of "Use 
  Template".  This was so that NeoDesk would, as a default, produce 
  results similar to other programs that do not include this as an option.

o Files can be "moved" instead of "copied". The user can select one mode 
  or the other as his default. This mode can either be toggled with a 
  control key sequence, or the user may just want to use the "Ask" 
  feature which prompts for the type of operation every time an icon or 
  group of icons is dragged. This feature can be used to "rename" a 
  folder, even on a full disk.

o If an INF file is saved with one or more windows open, the positions of
  the scroll bars are also saved so that whenever the INF file is read 
  the window opens with that portion of the window displayed.

o The user can specify either a NeoChrome or Degas picture file to be 
  loaded at bootup. This picture replaces the background on which desktop
  icons lie.

o Programs that misbehave and do not restore the mouse pointer when 
  exiting caused version 1.0 to leave blocks of garbage in the mouse's 
  old position as things were redrawn on top of it. For this reason, 1.0 
  had two key combinations that allowed you to "add" or "subtract" mouse 
  pointers. This has been removed, however because, thanks to Alan Paige,
  we now have a legal way of making sure the mouse is always right. 
  Thanks again Alan!

o The icon editor includes an option that lets you define your own pattern
  for the desktop background when a picture is not being used instead.

o The icon editor also compares the original state of the icons and desk
  pattern to the new ones on a Quit. If the two differ in any way this 
  means a Save has not been performed and the user is asked to do so, as 
  with the previous version.

o A control panel that supports the following options in less memory than
  Atari's control panel is also included:
    Works in any resolution.
    A corner clock that supports all existing third-party clock chips, as
    well as the one shipped with the Mega ST computers. It can be set to 
    show "am/pm" time, 24-hour (military) time, or none at all.

    A screen saver is available for helping to prevent phosphor burn-in 
    that result from leaving the same picture on the screen for too long.
    If selected, this can be set to either blank the screen (on color
    monitors) or begin a cycle of toggling the screen colors (on a
    monochrome system) after a period of from one to nine minutes of
    mouse and keyboard inactivity. Both the corner clock and screen
    saver work within most any program.

    Another feature that works anywhere is the cold and warm restart key
    combinations. This is especially helpful for Mega owners who do not
    have unusually long arms.

    A blitter chip control. Now you can activate/deactivate this feature
    from any GEM program that uses desk accessories.

    Standard color, key repeat, keyclick, bell and mouse configurations.
    Even if the resource file is not present at boot-up, any control panel
    settings in your INF file for NeoDesk will still be changed by the
    control panel whenever you reload the file; you just won't be able
    to change them.

o The printer queue has been improved, also:
   The settings that control the type of printer you have are here, rather
   than in the control panel. These settings, like those in the control
   panel, are set even if the resource file is missing.

   If the option to send printer output to the RS-232 port has been 
   selected, all output from the queue (including screen dumps) will go 
   there.

   You can optionally select a form feed to be sent after each file in the
   queue has finished printing.
   A form feed can also be done at any time by selecting the appropriate
   button from the NeoQueue window.
   You can request a file selector so that you may add files to the queue
   without returning to NeoDesk.
   The window itself is much smaller, so that it takes-up less space on 
   the desktop when open.

o The entire package is enclosed in a bound, 100-page, illustrated manual.


Aside from what is listed above there are a few minor changes that do not
merit listing here. Overall, the program is much more complete and faster
than its predecessor.

Now for the sales pitch.

I suppose that if you do not already own NeoDesk you are probably saying 
to yourself, "Why in the world should I buy the first version if 2.0 is 
going to be out any day now?". The answer is very simple. Not only will 
you have a great program to use until you do get the upgrade, but you'll 
also save a few $$bucks$$.

Just take a look...

     Suggested Retail of the Original NeoDesk.......... $29.95
     Suggested Retail of NeoDesk 2.0................... $49.95

     Cost of Upgrade for Owners of Original............ $14.95

            Now isn't that "special"? How can you go wrong?
            -----------------------------------------------

And now for the dead boring part. 

          Ordering information for owners of the Original NeoDesk...

  Allthough we will be sending upgrade notices in the mail you can avoid
                      the rush by doing the following:

  1. Send a check or money order for $14.95 plus $3 shipping and handling
     AS WELL AS your original, installed NeoDesk floppy disk to the
     address below. Please call for Visa and Master Card orders (subject
     to an additional 3% charge).

  2. If you haven't sent your warranty card in yet, please fill it out and
     send it along with your order.

  3. If your address has changed since you sent-in your warranty card or
     if you purchased the program disk and manual from someone who had
     already sent the card in under his name, please include your name
     and address so that we can update our database (and make sure the
     new version gets sent to the right person!)

Looks like that's it for now. We hope everyone will be as enthusiastic
about the new version as they have been about the first one. Only one
thing remains to be done. It might be helpful if we gave our address...


                         Gribnif Software
                         P.O Box 350
                         Hadley, MA  01035

      (For more information or dealer inquiries, please call)

                         (413) 584-7887

                GEnie:   GRIBNIF
               BitNet:   Gribnif@UMASS
                 ARPA:   Gribnif%UMASS.Bitnet@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU




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




                              THE BEAT GOES ON
                              ================


By Rex Reade

      In these troubled times, there comes a "so-called" leader in our
industry, (pardon me while I double up in hysteria), who is gonna set the
record straight.  

As an owner of an elaborate system of Atari computers and as one who had 
great expectations of the "President's" conference, I feel I must 
apologize to the userbase and to Ron Luks of comp-u-serve.  Why should I 
apologize?  Well first and foremost because I feel I was somewhat 
instrumental in it's being a reality,  secondly, because I openly promoted
the conference both here and in speeches at various usergroups.  

The conference area and system were impressive to a point and...I might 
add, that's about the extent of being duly impressed by the other wise
NON-EVENT of the last quarter of 88.  Never will I forgive the evasive
action and pablum answers rendered to people PAYING to gain viable, honest
to goodness information about Atari.  Really, all they wanted was some 
real down to earth assurance that the ST would be around for a while. 

What did they get?  As seen from this angle nothing that has not already
been said in ST REPORT (originally).  The sad part is when it was here
some folks thought we were off the beaten path ...I even had nasty calls
and mail from underlings at Atari. << BIG GRIN>>.

BACK TO THE CONFERENCE.....Who is this man who tells us he thinks the
developers here should sell to Europe??  WTFO!  Let HIM take himself to
Europe and stay there!  How can you take U.S. Dollars from the stock
market and from the "little people" who own the machines (how many of the
users own Atari stock?) and then tell them you will do business in Europe
before you take care of them??  Better yet..to allow WORD PERFECT to hit 
the road because you can't handle a class act is indeed very sad.  

Finally, when you get hit with some pointed questions,... you leave?  
This is NOT leadership in any form we recognize.  Maybe in Europe <sly 
grin> but not here.  We have another name for it.  I cannot go along with
those who will say, "He could only say certain things because of the SEC."
They NEVER had that problem when they had NH up front and outta sight!

In closing, It must be said, this conference leaves us with the impression
that we still are not out of the  MUSHROOM PATCH!!

             * COMDEX HANGS HIGH ON THE HORIZON for ALL TO SEE *



....How about it?  Those of you who praised to the high heavens the virtue
of the WP Corp...the program is good, but the Corp. itself including chief
feather merchant Lunt, seem to have finally showed their colors...(greedy
green).  Guess Atari doesn't move fast enough for these hungries eh? 

Thanks WP, for the continued product modernization.  WP wants us to stay 
with an old outdated program frame while they cry about the way Atari does
business.  FOR ALMOST 400.00 BUX they had better rethink their position
about staying at 4.1!  Especially when 5.0 is out for other HIGH DOLLAR
return machines.  I say if they continue to treat us as ugly step
children, then we respond in kind.  The only reason they are supporting
the 4.1 version is because of all folks (me too!) who bought and paid for
this excellent program from a "Not so excellent or caring" cold,
calculating Corporation bent on profits ONLY.  All the fone lines and all
the extra services are profit oriented. (#1 business principle).




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


THIS WEEK'S QUOTABLE QUOTE
==========================


  MASON'S FIRST LAW OF SYNERGISM
  ------------------------------


       The Day you would be able to SELL your soul high, 
            there would be GLUT of saleable souls!


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ST-REPORT Issue #56   OCT. 10, 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 
herein are not necessarily those of ST-Report or of the Staff.  All items
and articles appearing in ST-REPORT are copywrite (c)APEInc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
