
                  *---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                         """""""""""""""""""""""""
                                       
                                       
                     "The Original Online ST Magazine"
                      _______________________________


  August 11, 1989                                         Vol III  No.100
  =======================================================================
  
                         ST Report Online Magazine
                        __________________________
                          Post Office Box   6672
                          Jacksonville,  Florida
                               32236 ~ 6672
  
                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 _________________________________________
                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EDT
                     BBS:  904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST
                    FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________
  
             **  F-NET NODE 350 ** FIDOMAIL NODE 1:363/37  **
              Our support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport
                                    and
               An International list of private BBS systems
               carrying STReport for their users  enjoyment

    __________________________________________________________________ 
    
 > Issue: #100 STReport        The Online Magazine of Choice! 
   ------------------- 
     - The Editors' Podium                   - CPU REPORT
     - RISC - What is it?                    - DCS's NEW SOFTWARE!!
     - Maxwell's GOGO ST!                    - Neil Harris, Another Look
     - BLOODWYCH - A preview                 - VIDI ST In Depth Review
     - Spectrum Holobyte SILENT!             - Mediocre Software Hurts!
     - DOUBLE CLICK -> DC TALK!              - ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL
               
  ----====***** SAM SEZ;  "TOS 1.4 IS GENERALLY AVAILABLE"! *****====----
 
  =======================================================================
       AVAILABLE ON:      COMP-U-SERVE  ~  DELPHI  ~  GENIE  ~  BIX
  =======================================================================
    
 > The Editor's Podium
 
     Here we  are, another week closer to the "grand revelation" (8/25) and
 I still  see where  there are  serious, though  easily corrected, problems
 glaringly  evident.    Jerry  Pournelle,  the  man  who is single handedly
 responsible for 1/3 of Byte Magazine's  readership, is  totally ignored by
 the "wizards"  at Atari.   We felt we had to say something here because we
 are seeing  the parallels  between the  attitude of  "Pournelle ain't that
 effective" to  many of  the, off the cuff, snap decisions we have seen for
 the last three years that usually resulted in tumultuous disasters.  
 
     To those  at Atari  who feel  Jerry Pournelle  is not  widely read and
 believed, let  me say this, at this point in time, Pournelle's credibility
 in the computer world is infinitely larger, stronger and easier  to go for
 than 'anybody  in computing'  especially Atari.   ("The  record speaks for
 itself")  

     If Atari is sincere about it's  resurgence in  the USA,  they would be
 well  advised  to  have  the  Jerry Pournelles, along with EVERY editor or
 publisher, well informed directly from  Atari  without  immature  bias and
 radical behavior  on the  part of  certain of  it's execs.   We wonder how
 everyone felt when they saw all  the fancy  desktop publishing  systems on
 the cover  of Computer Shopper with Atari's entry obvious by it's absence.
 One can only wonder  if it  would have  been as  easy to  ignore the Mega,
 SLM804, Moniterm  DTP combo  if Pournelle  had been  writing about Atari's
 newest developments all along.

     The present midlevel leadership at Atari is to be commended for trying
 to get  the job  done and  done right.  These people, along with those who
 work directly with them are doing a helluva job.  Not unlike  the "Chiefs"
 in the  USN, who  actually keep  things going,  these folks have weathered
 most all the rough times and  managed to  keep the  the 'good'  ship Atari
 afloat.    It  is  time  for  the  highly  placed execs to mature with the
 industry and quit the childish games.  Surely, the main man didn't drive a
 cab and  fix broken  typewriters back in the Bronx for it all to come to..
 "games grown men play in a sandbox".  Truly, it is time for the leaders at
 Atari to  either 'lead' and/or allow the hired professionals to do the job
 with out fear of the revolving door if they offend one of the 'boys'.  

     We feel the record needs to be set straight regarding the relationship
 between  STReport  Online  Magazine  and  John Townsend.  We are concerned
 about the fact there are  those  who  seem  to  feel  we  are adversaries.
 Nothing could  be further  from the  truth!  Although we may disagree over
 certain issues, it is strictly on a professional basis.   We, at STReport,
 realize  statements  and  releases  of information from Atari must contain
 only the "approved" words.   John,  and  the  rest  of  the  younger folks
 working for  Atari perform  a valuable  service to the Atari community, of
 this there is no  doubt.   At all  times, although  we may  be critical of
 Atari, make  no mistake, there is nothing personal involved.  We hold John
 and all the hard working folks at Atari in the highest esteem. 

     We appreciate them even if it appears that we 'pick on em' <grin>


                              Thanks again, for your support,

                                             Ralph.....



 ps; What.....is a "software  engine"?      And.. why  is it  when the flow
 control fix is installed, it's permanent?




                             "ATARI IS BACK!"


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


                    :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
                     _________________________________

      To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.

               Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
                         Wait for the U#= prompt.
                    Type XJM11877,GEnie and hit RETURN.
             The system will prompt you for your information.


                THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW
                ___________________________________________

 The Roundtable  is an  area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and
 users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate.

 There are three main sections to the Roundtable:  the Bulletin  Board, the
 Software Library and the Real Time Conference area.

 The Bulletin  Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety
 of Topics,  organized under  several Categories.   These  messages are all
 Open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private
 messages).  

 If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to someone else's
 question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it.

 The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files
 that are available to all Roundtable members.  You can 'download' any of
 these files to your own computer system by using a Terminal Program which
 uses the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method.  You can also share  your favorite
 Public Domain programs and files  with  other  Roundtable  members  by
 'uploading' them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so
 you are encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow.

 The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members
 may get together and 'talk' in  'real-time'.  You can participate in
 organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open
 COnference,  or  simply  join  in  on  an  impromptu chat session.  Unlike
 posting messages or Mail  for other  members to  read at  some later time,
 everyone in the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can
 respond to you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'.



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



 > Examining RISC STR Feature 
   ==========================




                                             RISC  Computer Architecture
                                             ===========================


 by Kevin Moody


                                 ABSTRACT:

     RISC, which stands for  reduced instruction  set computer,  promises a
 new generation  of faster  machines. This is possible by using a small set
 of simple instructions.  The trend has always been to build CISCs (complex
 instruction set  computers), which use many detailed instructions. However
 more hardware has to be used, thus slowing down processing time.

     Unfortunately, no universally accepted RISC design  has been accepted.
 Available RISC  architectures cover  a wide  spectrum of  strategies.  The
 most recently designed processors contain a mixture of reduced and complex
 instruction sets.   The  debate still rages over what clearly defines RISC
 architecture.



                              INTRODUCTION: 

      The  purpose  of  this  report  is  to  examine  RISC  architecture -
 weighing the  benefits of  the design,  and compare some of the RISC based
 processor packages on the  market today.   Most  designs strive  to attain
 several common  goals. Ideally, instruction sets should have fewer than 40
 instructions, contain minimal address  modes and  instruction formats, and
 using large  register files  one instruction  can be executed in one clock
 cycle. However, only load and store commands would access memory and would
 require  two  clock  cycles.  The  principles  of understanding optimizing
 compilers lead to the development of  RISC. A  RISC processor  relies on a
 compiler optimized to convert high-level instructions (with languages such
 as C and Pascal) into sequences of low-level operations.  This reduces the
 control unit to occupy about 10% of the CPU area.  Unlike CISC instruction
 sets which monopolize valuable chip space causing high overhead costs, the
 RISC based  CPU has  more room  for larger cache, register files, pipeline
 control circuitry, or a floating point unit. The  true performance measure
 of any  micro-processor is  the time  it takes  to complete a given task. 
 All processors or  array  of  processors  are  compared  by  the following
 criteria: The average number of clock cycles per instruction execution

 (CPI), The  duration of  the clock  cycle, and  the amount of instructions
 required  to  perform  one  task.  All   processors  can   increase  their
 performance  by  minimizing  the  duration  of the clock cycle (increasing
 clock rates).  However,  RISC automatically  minimizes CPI  with its large
 register file and with minimal memory accesses.



                            RISC ARCHITECTURE:

      As stated in the abstract their are many architectural strategies for
 designing RISC. A simple  RISC architecture  will be  examined with: Three
 register  file  windows  each  containing 32 registers; instruction, data,
 addresses, and registers  widths  all  32  bits  long;  and  fast internal
 pipelining. 

      The  majority  of  the  instructions  operate  on  registers with the
 exception of load and store which move data  between memory  and register.
 Although the idea behind RISC is reduced instructions many subroutines are
 performed to make up  for  its  lack  of  complex  instructions.   Because
 subroutines rely on branch or procedure call statements, the RISC register
 window scheme  makes  the  call  operation  as  fast  as  possible. Entire
 register windows  are overlapped  in a  fashion to pass, save, and restore
 registers to a calling procedure.  Thus each  procedure call  results in a
 new set  of registers  being allocated for use by that procedure. There is
 also room for global registers R0 to R9, (used throughout a given program)
 which are  neither saved  nor restored. As an example, for a given window,
 the registers R10 to R31 are  divided into  three parts.  Registers R10 to
 R15 are  for parameters  to be  passed to the called procedure. R16 to R25
 are used for local scalar storage. Registers R26 to R31 contain parameters
 passed from  the calling  procedure.   Registers R10 to R15 and R26 to R31
 have local registers depending on the size of  the passing  parameters.  A
 new set  of registers  (R10 to  R31) is  allocated on  each call.  The low
 registers of the caller are required to become  the high  registers of the
 called procedure.   Thus, parameters are passed without moving information
 along busses. Allocating variables in registers is handling the problem of
 pointers. RISC gives addresses to the window registers and if a portion of
 the address space is reserved a  comparison  is  done  to  see  whether an
 address points to a register or to memory.

      The  instruction  format  for  opcoding and addressing is broken down
 into opcode(7), scc(1), dest(5), source1(5), imm(1), source2(13).  

 Notice  the  small  width  of  the   opcode.  For   register  to  register
 instructions, source1  is copied to dest. If imm equals 1, then source2 is
 regarded as a sign-extended 13-bit constant.  imm is normally 0 because of
 the frequency  of integer  use. scc determines whether condition codes are
 set. 

      RISC depends  more on  the architecture  of a  fast internal pipeline
 than  on  clock  speed.    Piping  is necessary to keep the ALU processing
 constantly.   In a  worst case,  CISCs ALU  is waiting  on the  buss for a
 memory fetch.   Stripping  away interlocks and bubbles that cause pipeline
 stalls yields another approach to RISC.




                           ESTABLISHED DESIGNS:

 Many computer companies are running the race for  designing RISC  based or
 hybrid based  systems.   The C100  Clipper was  one of the first to become
 popular.  Motorola's MC88000  three-chip set  is one  of the  fastest RISC
 designs to  date.   Advanced Micro  Design's Am29000 is a RISC design with
 unusually large register file.  The CY7C601 Sparc processor has a register
 file  consisting  of  136  general purpose 32-bit register configured with
 eight windows of 24 registers each. The first  ECL RISC  is being designed
 by Bipolar  Integrated Technology is expected to deliver 40 MIPS at 65MHz.
 Although America has the lead on RISC design, other foreign  countries are
 waiting to  see if the trend will set. Some current RISC based systems are
 Current systems are rated below.



 SYSTEM                       MIPS                CLOCK(MHZ)
 HP Spectrum                  7                    15
 Motorola 88K                 20                   20
 Clipper                      13                   33
 AMD 29000                    17                   25




 CONCLUSION:

 RISC instruction sets allow  incredibly  fast  theoretical  speeds  at one
 instruction per cycle. But efficient memory management and optimizing 
 compilers are  the real  keys to RISC success.  Although some critics view
 RISC as a fad, the market is predicted  to grow  to $450  million by 1992.
 RISC technology  can provide enhanced performance and support new software
 applications.  The hardware  development time  is significantly  less than
 CISC  processors,  meaning  lowered  development  cost  and faster time to
 market.

                     ref.  Electronic Design (July 28)
                       Electronic Design (April 28)
                       Modern Computer Architecture 
                        'Rafiquzzaman and Chandra'





   _____________________________________________________________________



 > DC - NEW GOODIES!! STR NewsPlus  Double Click unleashes "MORE POWER"!
   ===============================


                                           DOUBLE CLICK'S AAA OFFERINGS
                                           ============================


 by Ron Brunk


     DoubleClick  software  will  be  releasing  a  series  of  new utility
 programs  next  week  at  the  Dallas  WOA (World of Atari).  One of these
 programs,  DCSquish, compresses executable files to an  average of  71% of
 the original  size, a  savings of 29%.  In some cases the squished file is
 even smaller than if arced.   The new  file includes  a "loadpactor" (load
 compactor)  which  loads  the  compacted  file into memory, allowing it to
 execute normally.  While  most  files  load  too  quickly  to  measure any
 difference in  execution time  (at least  without a  stopwatch), series of
 programs (like the auto file) and programs with  measurable execution time
 (like Pagestream  - 7 seconds) boot just as fast when squished.  Since the
 loadpactor decodes the squished file and sends a copy of the "original" to
 memory at execution, there is no change in memory used by the program.  As
 each file is squished, the original file is  renamed filename.xyz  and the
 squished  file   is  named   filename.ext  (ext=prg,  ttp,  tos,  acc,  as
 appropriate) ready for use.

     So far I've attempted to squish 111 files, 97 of which were successful
 and saved  me more  than 880K  in hardisk  space.  This represents just my
 accessory and utility folders  and a  couple others  at random,  so that I
 expect to  more than double this number eventually.  Should attempts to do
 the same for other types  of  files  (i.e.  .rsc,  .dat,  .txt,  etc.) the
 savings will be phenomenal.  The remaining 14 files that were not squished
 were very small (less than 2-3K) and resulted in a "not compressed enough"
 message.

     95 of  the 97 programs worked perfectly, although 4 of the 97 squished
 programs (Control.acc, Red Lightning, and Stellar Crusade) had problems at
 first with  the new  Pinhead 1.2  freeware program from Charles Johnson of
 CodeHead Software.  Briefly, Pinhead  works  this  way:  when  TOS  runs a
 program, it  usually takes time to clear all of the TPA (transient program
 area) before the program runs. Even  though this  clearing process  is not
 guaranteed, some programs assume this will happen. Pinhead intercepts this
 process and clears just the "BSS" (the ram  area used  by the  program for
 various tasks)  plus an additional 16K, saving a great deal of time.  This
 is especially noticeable during the  auto  folder  loading  process during
 bootup.   Although Pinhead has the option to abort it's fastload, DCSquish
 has an option that fixes this.   The  only squished  program that wouldn't
 run even  with this  option was  Flash.   In addition,  while the squished
 Quickview works with the BSS option,  a  small  problem  appears  in which
 screen redraws  are not  done under the mouse.  In any event, if a program
 does not work  when  squished,  it  can  be  unsquished  to  it's original
 condition with no permanent modifications remaining. 

                    The only other problems I had were:

     1) Programs  squished in  the auto folder do not retain their original
 order of execution and have to be re-sorted.  This  us unavoidable  and no
 big deal, really, unless you forget to note the proper order of execution.

     2)  Self  modifying  programs  (i.e.  MultiDesk)  will  not  recognize
 themselves in a squished format if you try to modify them.   So unless you
 never change them, it is probably not worth the few bytes you'd save since
 you'd have to unsquish before modifying it each time.

     Using the program is very easy.  The  opening screen  gives you  the 3
 options, squish,  unsquish, and  info, all of which will bring up the file
 selector from which to choose a file to:

     1) Squish- the file will be squished, and an info screen will show the
 original file  size, the squished file size, % space saved, and the squish
 version number.  An  unsuccessful squish  will display  a message  to that
 affect and  return you  to the  opening screen with nothing changed.  If a
 file has already been squished, the  program  will  inform  you  and again
 return you to the opening screen.  Just below the squish button is the BSS
 sub-option for programs that have problems with Pinhead.

     2) Unsquish- the file is  unsquished  to  it's  original  state.   The
 squished file  is renamed  to filename.zyx,  and the  original is restored
 with it's old name.

     3) Info- the info screen is displayed for the file selected if it is a
 squished file, otherwise it will exit to the opening screen. 


       Other DoubleClick software that will be making it's debut is:

     1) DCRamdisk-  A reset  proof ram  disk (accessory or program) that is
 fast!  It is specified  to  emulate  a  disk  drive  by  specifying sides,
 tracks, and sectors.

     2) D_Ram_It-  can save  DCRamdisk to  a disk drive as specified in the
 ram disk set up (sides, tracks, sectors).  It can also save  all the files
 on the  ram disk as a single "image" file.  This allows you to easily load
 the same file setup (i.e. .prg and .rsc and .dat files) in one fell swoop.

     3) DCXtract- An arc file extractor installed as a desk  accessory, and
 compatible with MultiDesk.  It extracts files as fast as Dcopy (1/4 of the
 time required by arc.ttp) because all operations are done in memory. 
        Although barebones at this time, features planned include:

     a) Unarcing multiple files  to individual  folders, including sub-arcs
 (arc files within the "root" arc) to sub-files (like arcit shell).

     b) "Display" of all files within an arc file.

     c) Extracting individual files from arc file.  Choices will be made by
 clicking with mouse on filenames in display screen.

     d) Ability to read text files within an arc file without unarcing.

     4) DCSea- converts an arc file (filename.arc) to a Self Extracting Arc
 (SEA) file (filename.prg).  Double clicking on the resulting file extracts
 the arc file without the  use  of  any  other  program,  no  other program
 required.   Although it  doesn't have  any bells and whistles, and uses an
 extra 4646 bytes for the extractor,  it is  ideal for  beginners files for
 new users.   I wish I'd had this the first time I came across an arc file,
 and it had the arc utilities inside it.  I  still remember  my frustration
 as I tried double clicking, printing, renaming...

     5) DCDskorg-  a desktop  organizer which converts desktop.inf files to
 executable programs.  Originally intended to quickly recall  common window
 set  ups,  the  resulting  programs  allow  you to load different desktops
 corresponding to the source desktop.inf files without rebooting.





   _____________________________________________________________________



 > VIDIST STR Review  An in-depth view of vidi ST and its features.
   =================


                                               ST VIDEO GRAPHICS
                                               =================

 by R. Kindig


 Requirements: Any Atari ST with at least 512K RAM, single-sided drive,
               and color or mono monitor.

               Composite input from VCR, TV, or Camcorder.

               1 Meg RAM and color monitor recommended.




                               Introduction
                               ------------

     As the front of the manual states, Vidi-ST  is a  "video digitizer for
 Atari  ST  computers."    Having  some brief experience with ST digitizers
 through ownership of the Navarone video digitizer, I was rather  soured on
 the quality of such equipment for the ST.  Imagine my surprise, then, when
 I saw a demonstration of Vidi-ST at the Dearborn World  of Atari  in June!
 I was  so impressed that I immediately pulled out my plastic and purchased
 one on the spot, even though I had  not planned  to buy  anything remotely
 like that when I attended the show.


                                 Packaging
                                 ---------

     The  small   Vidi-ST  box   contains  the  Vidi-ST  cartridge,  a  non
 copy-protected single-sided disk with the capture  software, a  cable with
 an RCA-type  plug on  either end,  a small  16-page stapled  manual, and a
 registration card.  The registration card  can  be  ignored,  I  was told,
 because  the  manufacturer,  ROMBO  Productions,  is based in Scotland.  I
 filled out an information card at the time of purchase  and was  told this
 would  be  my  registration.    The  manual is very brief, but fairly well
 written.  It contains a table  of  contents,  instructions  on  setting up
 Vidi-ST,  a  description  of  software  features, and instructions about a
 supplied machine code interface.  It also contains a 1-page addendum dated
 4/5/89 which  talks about changes to the software for version 1.25.  As it
 turns out, the manual gets little use because the software  is so  easy to
 use.   However, it  can be entertaining to read through the manual and see
 the language differences  between  U.S.  English  and  U.K.  English.   In
 particular, some words are spelled differently.  Also, some phrases sound
 particularly  odd  to  Americans.    Some  example  of  this are "ring for
 details" rather than "call for  details"  or  "straight  away"  instead of
 "right away" or "immediately."


                                   Setup
                                   -----

     The Vidi-ST  cartridge is  a small  black box  approx. 2 3/4 inches in
 length, 2 1/2 inches in width, and 1 1/8 inches in depth.   It  contains a
 cartridge port  connector, a  video input  jack, and 3 adjustment controls
 (for brightness, contrast, and scan frequency).  To connect it,  MAKE SURE
 THE COMPUTER  IS OFF  and plug Vidi-ST into the cartridge port using (what
 else?) the cartridge port connector. 

     This is where I ran into problems.  First of all, I could not  get the
 cartridge to  insert flush  with the computer, even though the manual says
 it should.  I was afraid to push  too hard,  for fear  I would  damage the
 cartridge  or  the  computer  (and  my  wallet!).  Secondly, the cartridge
 sticks out the side of the computer a long way.  Due  to limited  space on
 my computer  desk (and a short hard drive cable), this forced me to unhook
 my hard drive from the computer  in  order  to  pull  it  out  further for
 Vidi-ST.   Also, Vidi-ST is just as hard to remove as it is to insert.  My
 greatest fear is that I  will  break  the  cartridge  during  insertion or
 removal,  but  I  can't  leave  it  inserted because it sticks out so far.
 Unfortunately, this means I won't be using Vidi-ST on a  regular basis and
 that I  will have  to make  the most of each session that I use it.  These
 complaints aside, which are true in  varying degrees  for other cartridges
 on a  520 or 1040, once the cartridge is inserted the rest of the setup is
 pretty simple.  Vidi-ST only works  with a  composite video  source.  This
 means you can connect a VCR, TV, or camcorder to it.  If using a VCR, or a
 TV through a VCR,  the supplied  cable with  RCA plugs  on both  ends will
 suffice for  the connection.   Put one plug into the video out jack of the
 composite source and the other end into the  video input  jack of Vidi-ST.
 In the  case of  a camcorder, you may need a phono-BNC cable, which has an
 RCA plug on one end and a BNC on the other.  My camcorder came with such a
 cable.  At this point you are ready to turn the computer on.  You may want
 to boot up with few auto programs and accessories.   The less  memory made
 available  to  the  Vidi-ST  software,  the  fewer screens you can capture
 during the digitizing process.  After bootup, you  are ready  to have some
 fun!


                                Digitizing
                                ----------

     The  software  supplied  with  Vidi-ST  is  excellent,  but  has a few
 limitations that I will detail later.  Here are some of the more important
 features of Vidi-ST:

   - It can grab up to 30 frames per second with a color monitor (25
     for European 50 Hz monitors, 35 for mono monitors) in 16 shades.
     No still source is needed.

   - The captured frames are stored in memory for later manipulation
     or animation.

   - Cut and paste can be performed between screens.

   - A palette can be assigned to individual screens.  Some palettes
     are provided, or you can make your own.  This means that although
     Vidi-ST does not capture colors, only shades, you can provide a
     palette to give a picture true-to-life colors.

   - Analog and digital controls are provided to adjust brightness and
     contrast.

   - It is fully GEM-driven.

     The  supplied  disk  contains  several  files.   There are 9 different
 palettes which are loaded when the program starts  up, a  README file with
 the  most  recent  changes  and  information,  the  machine code interface
 program for writing your own capture  software, the  main VIDI.PRG capture
 software, a mono version called VIDIMONO.PRG, and some sample pictures and
 palettes.

     All of Vidi-STs features are accessed  from the  main screen.   One of
 the nicest  features is the fact that most functions can be controlled any
 one of 3 ways.  First of all, there is a standard GEM menu bar at the top.
 Drop down a menu and click on an item to access it.  The second method for
 many items  is a  parameter bar  at the  bottom of  the screen.   Some are
 turned on  or off  by clicking  the left  button on  that item, others are
 adjusted by clicking on an up or down arrow next to the  item.   The third
 method consists  of a  single keypress  to initiate the item.  These three
 methods allow you to use whatever method you are most comfortable with.  I
 found the  parameter bar  easiest to use because I didn't have to remember
 keystrokes or hunt for the item I wanted in the drop down menus.

 To start grabbing pictures, there are several items you may want to adjust
 first.   I found  the bootup  defaults to be satisfactory for my purposes.
 The first option is the grab mode.  It can  be set  to RUN  (grab multiple
 frames), ONE  (grab single  frame), or SEE (shows the last frame stored in
 the cartridge).  The next item is the grab delay for setting the amount of
 time between  successive grabs  in RUN  mode.  The units for this item are
 dependent  on  the  monitor  type  (color,  European,  or  mono).    Next,
 brightness can  be set  in the  software before  or during  grab or with a
 small pot on the  cartridge and  contrast can  be adjusted  with a control
 knob on  the cartridge.   I  found the  factory settings to be acceptable.
 Once everything is set the way you want it, click on grab on the parameter
 bar (or  on the  menu bar, or press the 'G' key).  What follows is the fun
 part!

     Turn on your video source.    A  very  short  delay  will  occur while
 Vidi-ST  is  synchronizing  with  the  input.   Suddenly, the screens will
 appear in real time on the monitor just as if you were watching them  on a
 TV set.  These are the digitized pictures.  They are continuously captured
 to memory in a round-robin style.  That is, the last 25 frames (on a 1 Meg
 machine, 9  on a  512K machine, >25 on a larger machine) will be in memory
 when the grab is stopped.  Press the space bar to stop grabbing.

     Click on SCRN on the parameter bar or  choose SELECT  from the OPTIONS
 menu and  16 screens  at once  from those  captured will show in a reduced
 format.  You can page through any remaining screens by  clicking on  an up
 or down  arrow.   Click on a picture to expand it back to full-screen size
 and to make it the current screen.    An  alternate  method  is  to toggle
 through the  screen numbers  on the parameter bar and click on 'V' to view
 it.

     Many capabilities  are  available  at  this  point  to  manipulate the
 captured  screens.    For  instance,  an animation mode will play back the
 screens at rapid speed, which can  be quite  humorous if  the object  is a
 person  performing  an  act  such  as  scratching his nose.  Cut and paste
 operations between screens can  be performed.   Palettes  can be  saved or
 loaded.  Pictures can be loaded or saved in NEO or DEGAS format.  A simple
 slideshow function is available  for viewing  the pictures  in memory.   A
 window can  be defined  on a  screen and  additional grabbing  can be done
 which will only update inside or outside (at your option)  the window.   A
 clipboard can  be defined  for copying portions of pictures into.  Screens
 can locked so that additional grabs will not overwrite those  screens.  As
 you can  see, the  software for  Vidi-ST is  flexible enough on its own to
 qualify as a decent graphics manipulation program.



                                Limitations
                                -----------

     As flexible as the software is, there are some glaring limitations.  
 For instance, the print option for printing captured  pictures is  not yet
 functional.    This  requires  you  to load the saved picture into another
 program for printing.  Also, future versions of  the program  are supposed
 to support  the IMG  picture format,  but version  1.25 does not.  Another
 major limitation is the fact  that  you  cannot  save  or  load  groups of
 pictures, only  individual ones.  If you desire to save all 25 pictures on
 a 1 Meg machine as an animation, you must go  through the  save process 25
 times,  each  time  incrementing  the  current screen number.  The first 2
 items are supposed to be corrected in future  versions, the  third was not
 mentioned anywhere, so it's not known whether it will be implemented.

     The other  major area  of software  limitations will be of interest to
 monochrome monitor users.   Vidi-ST  cannot  currently  be  recommended to
 these people.   Many  features of  the software  simply are not available.
 The only features which can  be  used  are  grab,  brightness  control and
 saving and  loading pictures in DEGAS .PI3 format.  When the grab function
 is used, garbage appears on the  bottom of  the screen.   Also,  grabs are
 very  slow,  with  approx.  1  second between grabs.  This is dramatically
 slower than on a color monitor.  The reason for this is that the cartridge
 actually captures  in low res format and the software has to convert every
 picture to high res before displaying it.

                                  Summary
                                  -------

     Vidi-ST is an excellent, real-time video digitizer for the Atari ST. 
 The quality  of the  digitized pictures  is as  good or  better than those
 requiring a  still frame.  The software supplied is very powerful, but has
 some limitations.  Some of these limitations should be corrected in future
 versions.    Quality  of  support  is  unknown  at  this  time because the
 manufacturer, ROMBO Productions, is based in  Scotland.   This could cause
 difficulties in getting support.





   ____________________________________________________________________





 > MAXWELL C.P.U. STReport InfoFile     The "New Kids on the block!"
   ================================



                              MaxWell C.P.U. 
                       (Computer Products Unlimited)

     Located  in  Lafayette,  Colorado,  on  the  Front  Range of the Rocky
 Mountains and eight miles east of Boulder, Colorado, MaxWell C.P.U. is one
 of two  companies founded  by Tim Reyes and Mikel Cawthon.  They are quite
 enthusiastic ST developers and  a  ST  based  Graphics  company  - MaxWell
 Graphics and Publications.

     The  name  MaxWell  was  taken  from  the  name of the physicist which
 developed Electro-magnetic theory -  James Clerk  Maxwell.   Over the last
 hundred  years,  it  has  been theorists like Maxwell and experimentalists
 like Tesla that have lead the world into the computer-communications age.

     MaxWell C.P.U. has depends upon the team work of Mike Cawthon, the DTP
 specialist,  Mark  Cawthon,  the  main  programmer, and Tim Reyes, concept
 developer and team leader. We have attracted a second ST  programmer, Doug
 Dosheen, giving  MaxWell two  assembly and three GEM-C programmers. We are
 hard at work on a new utility for the ST and a  new hardware  product both
 of which will make all Atari ST computers more productive machines. And as
 far as GOGO ST is concerned,  "you  ain't  seen  nuthin  yet"!    They are
 completing  work  on  a  new  version  that  will  certainly  offer  stiff
 competition both NeoDesk and HotWire.     And,  at  the  same  time,  be a
 savings to  you.   We are  very excited about the new software development
 programs in place at MaxWell C.P.U. Inc.

     MaxWell Graphics and Publications is a  desktop publishing  and offset
 print  shop.    In  association  with  freelance  graphical artist, Sharon
 Solomon, they are a complete graphical design company.  The  print shop is
 well equipped  with a Multilith 1250 offset press, a 36 inch paper cutter,
 and a complete set of bindery equipment.
  
     The very professional layout equipment includes a Mega  4 ST  with 134
 meg of  storage, a  2.5 meg  1040 with  42 meg  storage ,  a 520, an Atari
 SLM804 with Ultrascript and a HP Scanjet.  Additionally, Maxwell also uses
 a 286 12 Mhz machine as a daytime BBS and at night as an IBM based desktop
 publishing machine. 
  
     This is a very turbulent year for Atari's products.   Hopefully, Atari
 will more  than just  pull through  and raise its product line and product
 support a step or two closer to the Gang of  Two -  IBM &  Apple.  MaxWell
 C.P.U.    will  be  bringing  you more outstanding products to enhance the
 value of the Atari ST. The good folks  at Maxwell  are very   conscious of
 the value  of good  customer support.  They have assured us that they will
 develop a great customer support system as well.  Keep a sharp lookout for
 all the NEW MaxWell Products!

 For more Info, please contact:

                             MaxWell C.P.U.  
                             507 W. Baseline 
                            Lafayette, CO 80026

                  
                      Voice:  (303)665-4849(8AM-5PM)
                      BBS:    (303)666-447 (8AM-8PM)





    __________________________________________________________________




 > Neil Harris STR Feature   Is Neil Harris a legendary Atari figurehead?
   =======================



                                                  Neil Harris; Another Look
                                                  =========================



          "A warning, to all who would hold the messenger liable 
                         for the news he brings.... 
              be forever fair, hold accountable the source".



 by R.F. Mariano


     Most all the users who grew up with an Atari of one type or another in
 front of them remember Neil Harris.  The older users who ascended from the
 eight bit  machines to  the 16 bit machines most definitely remember Neil.
 I know he is  very well  known and  easily remembered  around these parts.
 The reasons  for this  article could be listed ..however, once the article
 was begun, it became apparent that a candid approach would be much better.

     Going back almost two years ago,  we found Neil  in the  heyday of his
 career as  the VOICE  of Atari.   Well, actually, he was (it seemed) their
 "chief cook and bottle washer".   At this  point in  time, Neil  seemed to
 relish  the   thought  of  handling  the  broad  spectrum  of  duties  and
 responsibilities assigned to him.  In fact, another  person in  his office
 at the  time, Sandy  Austin, and Neil made for a remarkable team.  A point
 many of us failed to realize  was that  Atari was  signing the "paychecks"
 and therefore  had the final say-so.  As a rather outspoken critic of Neil
 Harris we, on more than occasion,  took him  severely to  task for various
 statements he made relative to Atari, it's products and future, little did
 we know that this was exactly what he was told to say.  

     In fact, according to  a rather  sensitive source,  Neil was,  on more
 than  one  occasion  given  certain  release  information on a Friday (for
 example) and ..by Monday, the story  was totally  different as  far as the
 company was  concerned.   The tragic part is; Neil was not kept abreast of
 the latest developments thus, resulting in all the controversy surrounding
 "his" information.

     Towards the end of his tenure it was becoming evident that he had lost
 interest in trying to improve the situation.   He was growing tired of the
 lack of  forward movement, otherwise, why would he be the "GemStone" Champ
 at various shows?  Spring Comdex at Atlanta was a  perfect example  of how
 Neil was  given information for release to the userbase that was, destined
 to become a nightmare, remember the Online Conference?   He  was given the
 information that  TOS 1.4 would be released by that Fall.  We all know the
 outcome of that situation.  We are STILL waiting for  TOS 1.4!   Again, he
 was given this information by the company.  In our humble opinion, whether
 or not this was done in good faith really does not matter,  when the facts
 changed, Neil  was left  to face  the music  alone.  Along came the press,
 ourselves included, and literally 'pasted' Neil to the wall.  

     A  lasting,  unhappy  impression  was  made.    How  well  we remember
 conversations  with  Neil  while  he  was  still  in  California.   He was
 extremely tense and guarded in his conversations and his lack  of patience
 and understanding  was more  than very  evident to most who knew him.  His
 attitude at that time reflected  the  tremendous  pressure  he  was under.
 From  himself,  Atari,  and  the  userbase.    And now, after a recent and
 lengthy conversation with Neil, we find he is a totally  different person.
 This fact, coupled with the information now known, has led to this article
 and the following statement;  With  the  unerring  benefit  of  very clear
 hindsight, we find it right and proper to offer Neil a sincere apology for
 having thought, mistakenly,  that  he  was  responsible  for  much  of the
 misinformation and  vapor for  which we took him to task.  We also wish to
 congratulate him for probably being one of the few who  was able  to tough
 it out for so long under the "expert leadership" at Atari....

     In the  weeks and  months to come we must continually remind ourselves
 that the Atari folks who get online and try to help keep the signals clear
 are, in  most cases, going about this on their own.  Sure, Atari tells 'em
 what the limits of revelation are, but surely,  they are  not permitted to
 do these  things online  during company time.  Have you ever looked at the
 post times?  Reportedly, ever since  the days  of Commodore,  the end user
 support picture  has consistantly taken a back seat as far as the Tramiels
 are concerned.  Comes now people like John and all the "online people" who
 are making  all the  'right moves'  to dispel this impression and we thank
 them for it.  At the same time we entreat  the users  and remind ourselves
 not to  hold them  directly responsible  for the lack of, or the erroneous
 information Atari may send our way..... 





    ___________________________________________________________________




 > BLOODWYCH DEMO! STReport OnLine   J. Mesa, tells all -> BloodWych.
   ===============================


                              ctsy; GEnie RT



                                        BLOODWYCH, A NEW CHALLENGE!
                                        ===========================


 by J.M.MESA 

     I recently picked up the August  issue  of  ST  Format  magazine.   To
 my surprise  included  in  the  magazine  was  a  review  of  BLOODWYCH by
 Mirrorsoft.  Not only did it have a review, but  also it  included a fully
 playable  demo  of  the  new  FRP.    To say that the game looks and plays
 incredibly is an immense understatement.  It received a 95% rating as well
 as an  ST Format  gold software award(reserved for those truly exceptional
 games).  What follows are some first hand impressions of the game.

     Character selection-- Each player(two players can play simultaneously)
 selects from  a pool of 16 pre-generated  characters one  character.  This
 character is your leader and  he/she  can move  about and recruit as  many
 as three  other characters.   The  16 selectable  characters come  in four
 classes: fighter, thief, mage, adventurer.   As an  example here  are four
 characters(one from each class) along with their stats.

 -- Zastaph Mantric-> Strength-18 Agility-23 Intelligence-31 Charisma-19
                          Hit Points-17 Vitality-25 Spell Points-19
                          Starting Spell-Armor-->Magic User

 -- Sir Edward Lion-> Strength-33 Agility-26 Intelligence-14 Charisma-13
                          Hit Points-32 Vitality-28 Spell Points-7
                          Starting Spell-Missile-->Fighter

 -- Mr. Flay Sepulc-> Strength-13 Agility-32 Intelligence-20 Charisma-11
                          Hit Points-20 Vitality-99 Spell Points-10
                          Starting Spell-Deflect-->Thief

 -- Sethra Bhoaghai-> Strength-23 Agility-18 Intelligence-18 Charisma-36
                          Hit Points-24 Vitality-26 Spell Points-9
                          Starting Spell-Armor-->Adventurer

     Once  each  player  has  selected  his  leader  the game begins.  Each
 character has his own starting location in the castle, so  if you  want to
 get together you have to arrange meeting at some location.

     Interaction--As your  single character  moves about(accomplished via a
 very  similar  method  as  Dungeonmaster)  he  can  meet  up  with various
 characters.    Your  options  when  you  come  upon  someone are either to
 communicate or attack.

     If you chose to communicate the following options  are given: Recruit,
 Identify    (who  goes?,thy  trade?,name  self?,reveal self?),Inquiry(folk
 lore,magic  items,  persons,objects),Whereabouts(of  a  previously  spoken
 person,item,or location.

     For example,  you may  communicate then  ask the character to identify
 his trade to which he/she might reply "I am a  noble warrior"  or "I don't
 speak to  maggots",etc.   The ability  to recruit  someone or even talk to
 someone seems to depend on the leader's charisma and class.  Other options
 that  can  be  used  with  character  encounters  include trading (bestow,
 purchase, exchange, sell), smalltalk (praise, curse, boast, retort), bribe
 (with gold), and threaten.

  Interface--As I  mentioned before  the look  and feel of the interface is
 very much like Dungeonmaster, except for the fact that the screen is split
 horizontally in two for each player's view.    

     Clicking on stats brings up the load/save,sleep,pause icons as well as
 the  communications  menu.    Clicking  on  spell  book allows you to flip
 through the spell pages and  examine/cast  learned  spells.    Clicking on
 status display icon brings up a screen showing your various stats.

     Clicking  on  inventory  brings  up  graphic display of your items and
 tells you your current armor class.  Movement  is achieved  by clicking on
 the movement  arrows makes  you step forward, back, turn left, turn right,
 side step left, and side step right.     It is  also possible  to move via
 the keyboard  (player 1- uses the arrow keys, player 2- uses several other
 keys).  I should mention that the interface  is a  joystick based movement
 of a GEM-like arrow icon(two players two joysticks).  To switch leader you
 click on one of four leader switch icons.

   Combat is accomplished by  positioning your  party directly  in front of
 the monster/character and clicking on the fight icon.  At this point, your
 leader will attack with his currently equipped weapon.  Damage received or
 bestowed is briefly flashed on the screen.  

     The spell  system is very nice.  You start out with certain spells and
 you must find the others.  Casting a  spell requires  a certain  number of
 spell points(the  more you cast a spell the better you get at casting it).
 It is also possible to put more than  the minimum  number of  spell points
 into a spell to make the chance of casting it better.  

     The graphics  and the  interface are  SUPERB, particularly considering
 the fact that  two  parties  can  be  off  in  completely  different areas
 attacking monsters, exploring, etc.

  
 Editor Note:
 The  Demo  of  this  game  is  in  widespread  circulation,  and we highly
 recommend your obtaining it for your personal evaluation.    We agree with
 the author,  the composition and quality are superb.  Bloodwych belongs in
 your library.





   _____________________________________________________________________



 > DOUBLE CLICK STR FOCUS   Double Click " On the Move...."
   ======================


 PRESS RELEASE
 -------------


                  Double Click Software Reveals New Wares
                  =======================================


 If  you  have  enjoyed  the  software  already  produced  by  Double Click
 Software:

    SHADOW                    DC FORMATTER                  DC STUFFER 
  MYSTIC            DC CLOCK                 DC DESKEY            DC-PORT

 Then, you  will most certainly not be disappointed by the releases planned
 for the World of Atari show next weekend in Dallas.

 Double Click Software will  be in  booth 101,  so be  sure to  stop by and
 visit them,  Michael B.  Vederman, Paul  Lee, Gilbert Callaghan, and Keith
 Gerdes.

        Now, for a preview of what is in store for the ST userbase.

     In the hardware arena, DCS will be showing  a prototype  of DC-TALK, a
 high speed  serial cartridge which will allow for the connection of the ST
 to AppleTalk networks.   Once  Gadgets  by  Small  has  added  support for
 DC-TALK into  the Spectre  128, you  will have a MacClone that can talk to
 other Macs via the AppleTalk network.

     The first step in providing connectivity for the Atari ST  series, DCS
 also  plans  to  implement  a  file server using DC-TALK, perhaps even the
 AppleTalk protocol on the ST, although no details were given at this time.

 DCS will also have the DC-PORT serial expansion port cartridge available.

     In the software arena,  DCS will  have available  their SHAREWARE disk
 which includes  DC FORMATTER,  DC STUFFER, MYSTIC, DC CLOCK, DC XTRACT and
 DC DESKEY.  They will  also  have  their  amazing  SHADOW  background file
 transfer program for sale.

     In addition  to the  above titles,  DCS will have a new utilities disk
 which has an abundance of useful  tools which  you will  find necessary to
 increase your productivity.  On the utilities disk will be:

                              - DC SQUISH - 

 SQUISH executable  programs *and* desk accessories while still maintaining
 the ability to execute the programs.  DC SQUISH has a super fast algorithm
 which allows  the files  to be loaded and executed without a slowdown.  In
 fact, floppy based users will reduce loading time!  DC SQUISH supports the
 new TOS 1.4 fast bit.

                            - DC DESKEY 2.0 - 

 Allows for the assignment of key-strokes to any GEM program drop down menu
 items.  Now you can execute a menu command with a press of a  key, instead
 of grabbing  the mouse  and selecting the appropriate menu and entry.  All
 menu items are completely editable and key assignable.  Not only that, but
 DC DESKEY 2.0 is the only desk accessory to have a *true* working menu bar
 (no imitation).

                         - DC RAMIT & DC RAMDISK -

 The fastest RAMDISK bar none.  In addition,  this program/accessory allows
 you to  configure a RAMDISK to 'look' just like a floppy disk, and you can
 even save the image of the RAMDISK to  a file,  for super  fast loading of
 files into the RAMDISK.
   
       Great for copying disks too (next to DC FORMATTER, that is!).

                                - DC SEA - 

 Create  Self  Extracting  ARC  files.    That's  right, run a program that
 extracts its own contents.  Allows you to  take a  verbose listing  of the
 contents or extract the contents to any path.

                           - DC DESK ORGANIZER -

 Create an executable DESKTOP.INF file.  You can change the way the desktop
 looks by running a  program.   Especially useful  with CodeHead's HotWire!
 Change the  desktop with  the press of a key, or have one window open with
 your DC DESK ORGANIZER programs in  it,  and  change  the  desktop  with a
 double click.

 And if that is not enough, DCS will be showing a preview of the upgrade to
 their  popular  DC  FORMATTER.    The new program, DC FORMATTER AUTO, will
 install in the AUTO folder, and  will allow  you to  replace the DESKTOP's
 formatter.  In other words, click on drive A: then choose 'FORMAT...' from
 the menu, and DC FORMATTER AUTO pops up.  DC  FORMATTER AUTO  will also be
 able to be called up from within programs.

 And, finally,  DCS will  be showing  their soon  to be released hard drive
 utility BackRest+ which offers  extensive, intelligent  hard disk backups,
 as well as direct DMA/SCSI hard disk tools.

 Stop by  booth 101 and see what other 'wears' Double Click Software has in
 store for you.  We think you will be surprised and excited.

 Editor Note:    ......'Wears'?  Hmmm,  I've heard  of wares  and warez but
 wears???   The guys  at DCS are making a giant leap forward in development
 and support for the ST marketplace, it is now up to us to support  them by
 showing our confidence in their products...




    ___________________________________________________________________




 > CANADA FIRST! STReport OnLine     Again, Canada leads the way...
   =============================



 Sent : Aug 10, 1989  at 12:05 AM
 To   : SYSOP
 From : STEVE BARNES
 Subj : TOS 1.4 Confirmation



 To the Editor - STReport:                                Aug. 9/1989

      A few  issue's back,  you printed  an unconfirmed rumour that TOS 1.4
 had been put to chip and was supposed to be  shipping in  the new  MEGA ST
 DTP publishing packages.

      This is letter is to confirm the existence of TOS 1.4 currently being
 shipped on the new Mega DTP systems available in Canada.

         ---====** TOS 1.4 is on CHIP and being SHIPPED! **====---

      One of the members of SASTUG (Sudbury Atari ST Users  Group) has just
 returned from  picking up  his MEGA  4/Laser DTP  combination.  Apparently
 just hours after the first shipments arrival in Canada.  Needless to say I
 beat a  path in  a hurry  over to  his house  after he  mentioned that the
 dialog boxes "looked odd".  I've just returned and can  say without  out a
 doubt that  it is  worth the  wait.  The improvement in speed is more than
 apparent and the additional  features all  work!   With TurboST  1.6 it is
 downright *SPOOKY*, I'd love to try this with one of the new accelerators!

      By the  way, here is a new one to add to your list.  While formatting
 a blank disk to copy HDX3.01 onto (I just picked up a new 3053 <GRIN>).  I
 notice that  the format  dialog box  has an un-released feature (NOT BUG!)
 You may now copy a disk  to an  unformatted disk..  ala' MS-DOS's Diskcopy
 function. TOS will now format the disk while copying!!

      After months of speculation on Atari's sincerity, I can say that this
 is the first step to realizing the promises made in the past 2 years!

                                 Sincerely,
                      Steve Barnes (President SASTUG)
                           Sudbury Ont. Canada.
                             FIDO (1:222/40.1)

 P.S. Permission is granted to post my name and title if you decide to 
      include this confirmation in STReport. 

      THANKS for _your_ continuing support of our favourite machine!

    "90% of a project takes 90% of the time, the final 10% takes 90%
     of the time!"




      _______________________________________________________________




 > The Bottom Line  STR FOCUS   A sign of things to come??
   ==========================

 ctsy; GEnie RT

                                                      USERBASE UNREST
                                                      ===============

 Editor Note: 

 The following two messages  are included  here for  all to  see because we
 felt what  has been  said in them is predominantly what we are finding all
 across the nation.  With Atari itself playing head games with the userbase
 by it's  overuse of  the "SILENT  TREATMENT", a lack of a positive flow of
 information coupled with the continued delays  of minor  and major product
 releases, the  frustration level of the userbase is approaching the danger
 marks.  And of course, add in the backstab of  a major  software publisher
 attempting to  ring a  death bell  for us, (Spectrum Holobyte), it becomes
 very easy  to see  why the  once "energetically  enthusiastic" userbase is
 becoming increasingly 'restless'.


 Message One
 -----------

     Somewhere, in  all of this I detect a 'generational' shift.  From what
 I can gather, Atari  Directors will  not miss  the 'old  generation' of ST
 users (let  alone 8bit  'kids' who  are, or course, very expendable 'cause
 they are always being replaced by new kids) in the least.

     The Dave Smalls  and  Charles  Johnsons  (and  T  Hudson's  etc.) will
 naturally rise  to more  powerful heights  and the Gotham City Enthusiasts
 (aka 'disk traders' (my  apologies to  those straight-and-narrow  guys who
 buy all  of their  stuff)) will be left to piece together their systems as
 they see fit in accordance with their desire to be socially or technically
 with it.  

     In other  words, the ST has been written off, though not removed from 
 the assembly line, * conceptually * and replaced with new high and low end
 machines.   From a marketing standpoint, it would be very limiting for the
 Directors to identify with  current ST  users when  the whole  Company has
 already shifted behind new product lines.

     _Maybe_ the  community of  TT and  ATW users  will be  similiar to the
 current rather fragmented US group of ST users,  but then  again, its more
 likely  that  we're  looking  at  two  quite different species of consumer
 animals.  I don't think Atari Directors know  just what  sort of Marketing
 Leaders they need.  It's a process.

     In any  case, the  hackers will  keep up  just fine  on their own, and
 Atari * will * soidify its new look-and-feel as their new line takes over,
 with the  resultant community  and all  I/Os with that community marking a
 whole new generation of Atari Users.

                              'Least that's how I read it.....Dai Le'on



 Message Two
 -----------
  
     Just read this entire topic in one sitting.  The  reason I  read it is
 because  I  finally  find  myself  getting fed up with Atari after several
 years of patience during which it would not have occurred to me  to read a
 topic critical  of Atari.  As many others have expressed, I love my ST.  I
 am involved with my ST.  I have been an unabashed fan and  done my part to
 spread the word about it.  But at last, I am out of  steam.
   
     To put  any more  money in it at this time seems  stupid--unless there
 are some hopeful developments that add up to  some indication  of dynamism
 in the  company.  It is hard for me to understand how a company could have
 such  an  initially  enthusiastic  customer  base  and  drop  the  ball so
 effectively.   It almost  seems like masochism.  I have the creepy feeling
 that me and my ST are in a cul-de-sac.  I am sad about it.  I am sad about
 Atari.  

     I wish  them (Atari)  good fortune and still say they have a basically
 good product.  But I have become cautious and am not willing  to send more
 money  down the tube to never-never land.
     
                       Maybe, things will change?  

 Thanks for this category and the opportunity to express my frustration.

                                                  M. Wolfman



 An observation;   

     Reading the  above almost brings me to tears of anger and frustration.
 Ninety percent of the user unrest  could have  easily been  avoided if the
 upper crust  at Atari  would have  paid attention  to all the signals sent
 their way last year, instead they chose to blow it all off  as sour grapes
 or, at  best, the  old; "ignore  it and  it will  go away".   Will Atari's
 executives EVER learn to listen to  the users,  and PRODUCE  for them what
 THEY want and not what Atari THINKS the users want???   It's doubtful...





    ___________________________________________________________________



 > Atari Stock ~ STReport
   ======================


                                                   THE TICKERTAPE
                                                   ==============


 by Glenn Gorman



    Atari Stock  dropped 3/8  of a  point on  Tuesday, up 1/4 on Wednesday,
 down 1/4 on Thursday and 1/8  on Friday.  Finishing up  the week  at 8 1/4
 points. Down 1/2 of a point from last Friday.


                                                            Glenn Gorman



                          +---------------------+
                          |  ATARI STOCK WATCH  |
                          | Week 07-31 to 08-04 |
 +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+
 |       |  Monday  |  Tuesday  |  Wednesday  |  Thursday  |  Friday     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Sales |    1359  |     1897  |        626  |       887  |     407     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Last  |   8 3/4  |    8 3/8  |      8 5/8  |     8 3/8  |   8 1/4     |
 +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+
 | Chg.  |    ----  |     -3/8  |       +1/4  |      -1/4  |    -1/8     |
 +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+
 | From > THE CAVE ST BBS <> 609-882-9195 <> 300/14400 HST <> F-NET #351 |
 +=======================================================================+



 Editor Note:  Please pay attention to the dates of the Stock Report..  The
 latest info we have show Atari on the climb again, probably due to the the
 new products about to be released at the DUSSELDORF show.....





   ____________________________________________________________________



 > ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL  Telling it like it is....
   ======================



 - Sunnyvale, CA.           *****  GENLOCK BEING DEVELOPED FOR 68030  *****
   --------------

     The "Phantom" 68030 machine IS in the hands of the developer mentioned
 last week for the main  purpose  of  refined  development  of  the Genlock
 circuitry  and  associated  programming.    Our  highly  placed  source of
 accurate information has verified that fact  and  the  fact  that  we were
 correct in  our initial report.  He expressed the idea that Atari ought to
 be glad  someone  has  shown  that  they  are  trying  to  co-operate with
 developers to  the "nteenth"  degree.  Or, could it be they are attempting
 to get the genlock worked into the release version of the 68030 machine?



 - New York City, NY         *****  GERMANY <FIRST>  ...AGAIN??!!??  ***** 
   -----------------

     Look for the Atari  wizards to  DEBUT the  68030   computer later this
 month. This machine is designed to run the Unix operating system, and will
 be called the Atari  TT.    This  all  new  computer  from  Atari  will be
 introduced **  Aug. 25  ** at  an Atari-specific  show in Dusseldorf, West
 Germany.  Again, according to our well placed sources, it is reliably said
 that the  16-MHz TT  will run  Unix V.3 and the TOS  operating system from
 Atari.   "At  first,  the  machine  will  have  the  TOS  operating system
 available  by  itself,  but  the  Unix  software should be ready within 90
 days".   

     The machine  should be  ready for  shipment sometime  in September, of
 course depending  upon FCC  approval."   Besides the 68030 microprocessor,
 the system will have a floating point 68881 math co-processor along with 4
 mb of  RAM and  a variety of video modes, including a 640-by-480 pixel and
 1280-by-960 monochrome  mode, the  wire service  reports.   The machine is
 reported to have a retail price of about $1,900.



 - San Francisco, CA       **** SAM TRAMIEL SEZ TOS 1.4 IS AVAILABLE! ****
   -----------------

     In the  most recent  issue of  STart magazine, the 'main man' at Atari
 has, during an interview, stated "TOS  1.4 is  generally available".   Why
 then, if  a user  calls his dealer he is told "It ain't out yet"??  We are
 told, by users, that certain dealers  across the  country are  selling TOS
 1.4 at  this time.   Our question is simple, what is going on here, we are
 told by "responsible people" at Atari that TOS  1.4 is  not in  a state of
 release, yet  the Head man at Atari tells us it is....what gives?  Is this
 the very type of occurance that happened to Neil Harris _repeatedly_ until
 it fried him?



 - New York City, NY                 ***** ST PLUS, THE ENHANCED ST *****
   -----------------

     Further words on the this 'mystery' machine....It appears that the CPU
 in this suped up "Amiga Killer" is alleged to be the 680??.  Also it is to
 appear in  the late  fall, boasting  of 8 voices (stereo) and 4096 colors.
 The big news is this unit is supposed  to be  configurable by  the dealers
 from 1  to 4  mb.   STReport suggested  a dealer configurable machine well
 over 5 months ago, and most folks said we would never see it.....



 - Chatsworth, CA            ****  PIRACY IS NOT THE MAIN REASON!!!  ****
   --------------

     Software sales is down, those pirates are doing it!    So  sez another
 misinformed executive  of a software publishing house.  First of all, it's
 the summer... second, because the software    for  the  last  three months
 (except for  a few  creative authors) has been an excercise in mediocrity.
 The ST userbase demands a great deal more  in quality  and reliablity than
 surface thin  gimmicks.   Piracy takes  it's toll, we don't deny this, but
 the lackluster releases of late are  the  roots  of  a  slow  and horrible
 death.



 - San Diego, CA      *** Spectrum Holobyte -  Obvious by it's SILENCE ***
   -------------

     Gilman Louie, CEO of SH, who cleaned the Atari userbase's clock with a
 hate letter of magnanomous proportions, recently  assured the  Atari users
 attending an  online conference  that he  would sent another letter to all
 those who received his accusatory letter.  That was over six weeks ago, to
 date there  has been  no letter or statement.  Does the silence mean he is
 too busy to right this wrong?  We hope to  hear from  him in  the next few
 weeks.    We  are  sure  he  can  take  a few moments away from his 'busy'
 schedule.  After all, he had the time to send out the hate mail........





      _______________________________________________________________



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   ____________________________________________________________________



 > A "Quotable Quote"
   =================



    An executive, whispering to another exec about a loyal employee...

               "I'll LIE ABOUT IT ..AND HE'LL SWEAR TO IT!!"

                                             ....Moron's Morals

  


                             "ATARI IS BACK!"

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ST-REPORT Issue #100   "Your Independent News Source"     August 11, 1989
                    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED  copyright 1989
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
 the  editors,  staff,  ST  Report  or CPU Report.  Reprint permission is
 hereby granted, unless otherwise noted.    All  reprints  must  include ST
 Report or  CPU Report  and the  author's name.   All information presented
 herein is believed correct, STReport or CPU Report, it's editors and staff
 are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------


