  
                *---== CPU NEWSWIRE ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---*
                       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""
                  "The Original 16/32bit Online Magazine"
                   _____________________________________
                                 featuring
                         STReport Online Magazine
                         """"""""""""""""""""""""


  December 22, 1989                                       Vol III  No.119
  =======================================================================
  
                       CPU NewsWire Online Magazine
                        __________________________
                          Post Office Box   6672
                          Jacksonville,  Florida
                               32205 ~ 6672
  
                               R.F. Mariano
                            Publisher - Editor
                 _________________________________________
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                  BBS:  904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST/14.4
                    FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________
  
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          Our support BBS carries ALL issues of CPU/STR Newswire
                                    and
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               carrying STReport for their users  enjoyment

    __________________________________________________________________ 
    
 > Issue: #119 CPU Newswire   The Original 16/32 bit Online Magazine! 
   ------------------------ 
     - The Editor's Podium                   - CPU REPORT - Hisoft C
     - Insite Flopticals * 20mb *            - HOLIDAY CHEER!!
     - WAACE/Fall '90                        - CPU CONFIDENTIAL

         ---===***  MICROTYME WINS GOLDEN FUJI AWARD!  ***===--- 
           ---====**  LYNX BEING DELIVERED BY SEARS!  **====---
                --==** 20MB 3.5" FLOPPIES ARE REAL! **==--

 ==========================================================================
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                  "Only UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
                              -* FEATURING *-
        Current Events, Up to Date News, Hot Tips, and Information
             Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
 ==========================================================================
 CPU/STR's support  BBS, NODE  # 350  invites systems using Forem ST BBS to
 participate in  Forem BBS's  F-Net mail  network.   Or, Please  call # 350
 direct at 904-786-4176, and enjoy the excitement of exchanging ideas about
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 ==========================================================================
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 ==========================================================================



 > The Editor's Podium 



     The Holidays...a wonderful time of the  year!!   Its great  being able
 to  renew  friendships  that  may  have strained somewhat during the year.
 Along with the holiday cheer comes the fact that this  time of  year marks
 the advent  of a  "new beginning";  the imminent  arrival of  a new decade
 1990.   And along  with the  new decade  comes fantastic  new products and
 ideas for more.  Many, we have never even dreamed of, will be a reality in
 this decade..

     Ah yes, 1990 - the NEW  decade.   Will this  the beginning  of Atari's
 new direction?   Will  we see  the advertising and promotion so gloriously
 evasive for the past few years?  Certainly  all the  goodwill generated at
 Comdex/Fall '89  will not  be laid to waste by the "powers to be".  At the
 least, it would be gratifying to  see the  Atari 16/32  bit computer lines
 gain  in   notoriety  and   prominence  in  the  States  through  adequate
 advertising.  Most distressing to see the darn  "revolving door"  still in
 operation.  Good luck to you Mike in your future endeavors.

     We notice  that the  market has been called depressed and all sorts of
 other 'less than encouraging' names.  Strange, we  have not  found that to
 be the  case.   The bottom  line is there are new products coming out from
 Atari and a host of third party manufacturers, some of  which are dramatic
 improvements over  existing hardware and software offerings.  We have been
 allowed to preview a number of new and  innovative products  in both areas
 and will present comprehensive overviews of these goodies, when permitted,
 through out the course of the new year.

     In the meantime, back to the wekkend before us.  Please, for goodness'
 sake enjoy  the holidays  to the fullest extent but don't drink and drive.
 Even if you disagree with some  of our  opinions, we  still need  you as a
 reader and  do value  our association.   Assign a designated driver if you
 are going party hearty.

                    Here's wishing a wonderful holiday season to all,

                                                  Ralph...


 ps; many thanks to all those who sent greeting cards,  we stopped counting
 at 283! 





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


   NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE

                          FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

     COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME

                              to the Readers of;

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                                 featuring
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                         """"""""""""""""""""""""
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                                    or
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 > CPU REPORT 
   ==========

   Issue # 46
   ----------


 by Michael Arthur


 Remember When....

     Thomas  Rattigan,  a  former  PepsiCo  executive,  became President of
 Commodore in 1986, and when a year later,  he was  "dismissed" by chairman
 Irving  Gould,  being  removed  by  force from Commodore's headquarters by
 security guards in the  process,  or  when  Max  Toy  resigned  from being
 President of Commodore in the Spring of 1989, after lasting for 2 years?


 CPU Systems Roundup XII
 ========================

     Hisoft C Interpreter 2.0:  BASIC Necessities with the Luxury of C
     -----------------------------------------------------------------

 Part II

     As a  solution to  the problems normally associated with C Programming
 and C Compilers, and to make the C  Language more  accessible to beginning
 programmers,  Michtron  is  now  selling  a  program  called  the Hisoft C
 Interpreter.  Developed by Loriciels, a French ST Software firm,  Hisoft C
 2.0 provides many virtues of BASIC programming to the C Language.  Instead
 of having to link/compile a program to run it, Hisoft C lets  you just run
 it in  the same  manner BASIC Interpreters allow you to run BASIC programs
 without compiling them.  Hisoft C can also trap Syntax and Semantic errors
 found in  C programs,  as well  as Cherry  Bombs caused by more disastrous
 programming flaws.   It  also provides  descriptions of  these errors when
 they occur.

     But while  Hisoft C  has many benefits of BASIC, it still provides the
 full power of the C Language.  Hisoft  C has  a library  of 460 functions,
 supporting the  standard Kerningham  & Ritchie  (K&R) implementation of C,
 the standard Unix C Library, and GEM's AES/VDI  libraries.   Hisoft C also
 supports some  of the functions shown in the draft ANSI C Standard.  Since
 the ANSI C Standard will soon be completed,  full ANSI  C Support  will be
 found in a future update of Hisoft C.

     In Part  I of this review (in CPU Report #38), Hisoft C's features and
 capabilities have been described,  in  order  to  take  a  closer  look at
 Michtron's innovative new software development tool.  In this segment, the
 C Tutorial in the Hisoft C Manual is explored in  depth, in  order to both
 judge its  usefulness as a tool for learning C, and how the quality of its
 manual itself contributes to Hisoft C as a software development tool.


                   Overview of the Hisoft C Tutorial
                   ---------------------------------

     Hisoft C 2.0 comes with  a  330  page  spiral-bound  manual,  which is
 divided  into  a  section  on  Using  Hisoft  C  itself,  and  a  260 page
 Introduction to C.  The first section, described in Part I of this review,
 describes how  to use  Hisoft C's text editor and Interpreter in a concise
 and complete manner.

 The Second Section of this Manual,  Introduction  to  the  C  Language, is
 designed as  a Tutorial  for beginning  programmers to get acquainted with
 the C language.  However, as it makes  comparisons to  the BASIC language,
 you do  need to  know the fundamental concepts of programming, like loops,
 variables, etc., in order to get the full benefit of this C  Tutorial.  It
 describes much  of the  basic foundation of the C Language, describing its
 syntax, how variables are created and used, and  about functions  (a group
 of statements or commands), the core of the C Language.  It also discusses
 integers and numeric operators,  functions, and  types in  the C language,
 and generally  covers everything  that a person who knows BASIC would need
 to know to become minimally proficient in the  C Language.   The  Hisoft C
 Tutorial WON'T  give a  person who  only knows  BASIC the ability to write
 their own version of Unix for the Atari  ST using  the C  Language, but it
 does teach such a programmer enough to make the more complex facets of the
 C Language comprehensible.  In order  to  help  this  process  along, this
 Tutorial has  a number  of exercises  and sample problems, which gives the
 beginning programmer some valuable practice, and brings the crucial factor
 of an interactive environment to it.  By the way, just as in School, it is
 necessary to do your exercises if you want to understand the subject....

     Section 3 of the Hisoft C Manual has  an Introduction  to GEM.   Since
 this  C  Tutorial  is  aimed  at  the  beginning  programmer, this section
 describes the GEM Toolbox Functions that Hisoft C has available to make it
 easier to  program in GEM.  These functions do make it easier for a person
 to use GEM effectively in their programs, and  they do  adhere pretty well
 to  standard  GEM  conventions.    Also,  all  of the standard GEM Library
 functions are available in the  manual,  making  it  a  lot  easier  for a
 beginner who  has studied Hisoft C's GEM Functions to comprehend the "real
 thing".  And since  very little  documentation on  GEM is  "user friendly"
 towards beginners, this is a great accomplishment.

     However, the  Introduction to GEM does not describe how to make or use
 GEM Resource files, so if a  person would  have to  buy a  book on  GEM to
 learn this facet of the ST's graphical user interface.  But Hisoft C's GEM
 functions do make it possible to  write a  GEM program  without a resource
 file, so  it is left for programmers who want to do more sophisticated and
 involved work with GEM to learn about resource files.  As a proof that one
 can write  a complete GEM application using just Hisoft C's GEM Functions,
 the Introduction to GEM goes into  detail about  how a  GEM application is
 structured, and how to write a GEM application.  This "Tutorial on GEM" is
 definitely recommended  for  learning  about  GEM,  from  the programmer's
 standpoint....


        Everything You ever Wanted to Know about C Library Functions
        ------------------------------------------------------------

     Section 4  of the Hisoft C Manual gives an in-depth description of the
 460 Functions available with  Hisoft C.   The  first part  of this section
 gives a list of these functions, listing them according to the C Libraries
 Hisoft C supports.  Here is a list of the C Libraries included in Hisoft C
 along with examples of the C Functions they provide:


       - Hisoft C Library              (examples: init_box, open_window)
       - ANSI C File Handling Routines (ex: fopen, stdout)
       - ANSI C Mathematical Functions (ex: cos, rand)
       - UNIX C Functions              (ex: mkdir, getcwd)

       - GEMDOS Functions              (ex: Dfree, Bconstat)
       - GEM AES Functions             (ex: evnt_multi, fsel_input)
       - GEM VDI Functions             (ex: v_opnvwk, v_pieslice)

       - Memory Functions                    (ex: malloc, free)
       - String Functions                    (ex: strcpy, strchr)
       - Numeric/ASCII Character Functions   (ex: toascii, isgraph)


     The second part of this Section gives a concise description of each of
 Hisoft C's 460 Functions, showing the  name and  library of  the function,
 the function's  syntax, the  types of parameters used by the function, and
 a description of what the function  does.   Icons are  also placed  at the
 bottom of  some of  these descriptions, which give extra information about
 these functions.


        Exercise Answers, Error Messages, and a C Language Reference
        ------------------------------------------------------------

     I mentioned before that the C Tutorial had  sample exercises  that one
 could do, in order to ensure comprehension of that section.  Appendix A of
 the Manual gives sample answers for each of  the 14  Exercises, along with
 an explanation  of how  the program works.  While the answers given aren't
 the only possible answers,  they should  help those  who are  "stuck" at a
 certain  point,  or  want  to  know  how  to make their C source code more
 efficient.

     Appendix B is a C Language  Reference, which  discusses the foundation
 of the  C language itself.  It describes the format and use of identifiers
 (variables) in C, and the other lexicographic elements of the  C Language,
 including the  types of constants (integer, floating point, character, and
 string) in the C language.   It also  talks about  how to  insert comments
 into your  source code,  and lists  the keywords  of the  C language.  One
 section talks  about  the  use  of  Pre-Processors,  and  another  gives a
 descriptive  list  of  all  the  Operators  (such as +, -, ++, or >>), and
 Variable types in the C language,  and describes  some statements  (ex: if
 else, while,  or goto)  in the  C language  which weren't explained in the
 Tutorial.  The C  Language Reference  contains a  LOT more  than what I've
 listed here,  and is  a VERY valuable aid for gaining a full understanding
 of the C language....

       Appendix C gives a detailed description of each of Hisoft C's Error
 Messages.  When a syntax or semantic Error occurs, Hisoft C displays a
 Dialog Box listing the error, and giving an Error Number.  Appendix C
 lists these errors according to the error number placed on the Dialog Box,
 so you can get more information about them by looking them up in this
 section of the Manual.


          Porting Tips, Further Reading on C and GEM, and The End
          -------------------------------------------------------

     Even though C is a relatively  standardized language,  there are still
 many  deviations  from  the  K&R  standard  for C, which makes porting a C
 program written on one version of C more  difficult.   While this  will be
 solved with  the ANSI  C standard, Appendix D of the Hisoft C manual gives
 some advice on how to port programs back and forth between Hisoft  C and a
 C  Compiler  (such  as  Mark  Williams  or  Laser C), so as to compile the
 programs written in Hisoft C.

     Hisoft C  interpreted  programs  are  tokenized  (or  formatted)  in a
 special way,  so one  has to  convert a  Hisoft C  program to ASCII before
 using it  in a  regular C  Compiler.   However, there  are difficulties in
 porting programs  that were written on other C compilers, via porting them
 to Hisoft C, because  of the  non-standard deviations  and extensions that
 many C compilers use nowadays.....


     Appendix E  of the  Hisoft C Manual suggests some good books for doing
 some further reading on the  intricacies  of  the  C  Language.    It also
 suggests some  books on  programming for  the Atari  ST, some of which are
 invaluable for writing good programs for  the ST.   Finally,  the Hisoft C
 Manual's Index  is pretty decent, providing enough reference words to find
 most anything one would want to look up....

     This  manual  is  an  excellent  guide  to  Hisoft  C,  describing its
 functions and  abilities in  a concise  and simple  (not to mention nicely
 typeset) manner.  It is a superb translation of Loriciels' original French
 manual, and is a superlative example of what ST software manuals SHOULD be
 like.  While Hisoft C can fit in 512K of  RAM, at  least 1  Meg of  RAM is
 required to  get any  substantial programming  done.  It runs on all ST's,
 and can run with either Color or Monochrome.  Hisoft  C 2.0  is suited for
 many levels of C programming:

     One, as  a comfortable tool for learning the C Language, which shields
 beginners from some of its harshness so they  can explore  the world  of C
 without some  trepidation.   Now, not even Hisoft C can promise to protect
 beginners from the Realities of C,  but  it  can  stave  off  most  of the
 obstacles  which  keep  programmers  from  blindly rejecting this powerful
 language.

     It can also serve as a more efficient software development environment
 for  expert  programmers,  as  it  provides  many  of  the comforts of a C
 Compiler package without many of the  difficulties.   ST Programmers could
 write software  programs in Hisoft C, and then port/compile it with any ST
 C Compiler.  Hisoft C 2.0 has MUCH potential, as it fixes many of the dire
 needs in  C Programming,  and as  it fulfills the capabilities expected of
 such a revolutionary concept....




 CPU INSIGHTS
 ============

      Xerox Sues Apple for $150 Million:  Is Mac Finder a Xerox Clone?
      ----------------------------------------------------------------


     For years, while Apple waged legal battles over the issue of Graphical
 User Interfaces,  first with Digital Research, and then with Microsoft and
 Hewlett-Packard, one  of  the  most  prevalent  comments  in  the computer
 industry has  been that  Xerox would  one day sue Apple Corporation, since
 Xerox's Palo Alto Research Laboratories had originally pioneered work into
 graphical user interfaces, developing the Xerox Star GUI.

     Recently,  Xerox  turned  that  comment  into  reality,  by slapping a
 lawsuit against Apple,  charging  that  the  System  Software  for Apple's
 computers have  used segments of the Star graphical user interface without
 a licence.  In this part of the  suit, Xerox  asks that  Apple's copyright
 registrations for the User Interface portions of the Lisa and Macintosh be
 revoked.  Xerox also claims that Apple has  "received royalties, licensing
 fees, and other benefits in excess of $100 million dollars" because of its
 graphical user interface that should belong  to Xerox.   This  part of the
 lawsuit will try to get Apple to pay $150 million dollars in penalties....

     Apple copyrighted  the Lisa and Macintosh in 1983 and 1984.  But while
 Xerox originally copyrighted the Star graphical user interface in 1981, it
 has only recently launched a vigorous licensing campaign.  Since May 1989,
 it  has  gotten  several  companies,  such  as  Metaphor  Systems  and Sun
 Microsystems, to  license the  Star user  interface.   Even though neither
 company uses the Star  user interface  itself, they  effectively said that
 their efforts  in GUI's  were a  derivative of  the "look and feel" of the
 Xerox Star....

     Xerox says that it took such a long time to file this  lawsuit because
 of recent  modifications to  the US  copyright laws.   Xerox has also said
 that the suit charges that the GUI portion of Apple's  System Software was
 a derivative  work of  the Xerox  Star, and  that Apple "intentionally and
 purposefully concealed" this.   Meaning that  Xerox's suit  is NOT totally
 based  on  copyright  infringement,  but Copyright Misrepresentation.  And
 while Xerox may be able to win a suit charging  copyright infringement, it
 would be  interesting to see if they could win a case that is partly based
 on charges of fraud....

     Interestingly, Apple says that Xerox's lawsuit  isn't valid,  and that
 it confuses the idea of a graphical user interface, which Xerox may or may
 not have invented, with the implementation of that  idea.   However, Apple
 is  also  saying  that  they  won't experience the same superb increase in
 revenue in 1990 that  they did  in 1989,  and that  they are  cancelling a
 grandiose  holiday  advertising  campaign  planned for this season.  Given
 that they also haven't started to ship their Macintosh Portables  in great
 quantity, due to a lack of LCD screens, this indicates that the management
 at Apple Corporation will not have too Merry a Christmas....


 But ponder, if you will, these questions:


 1)  If Xerox wins this  suit, will  the agreement  that Apple  and Digital
     Research   made   in   1984   (which   limited  GEM's  User  Interface
     functionality) be invalid, enabling Atari to  modify the  ST's version
     of GEM  to include things like submenus, or having more than 4 windows
     open at one time?

 2)  What, if any, are  the implications  of the  vigor in  which Xerox has
     pursued efforts  to get  companies to license its Xerox Star graphical
     user interface?

 3)  What happens if  Xerox  loses  this  lawsuit,  and  Apple  is  able to
     successfully stave off their claims?




 CPU STATUS REPORT
 =================



 Armonk, NY          IBM Scientists have recently shown that high-speed
 ----------          streams of electrons can be focused and directed
                     through layers of gallium arsenide, in a way similar
                     to how superconductors can focus and direct electrical
                     currents.  However, one similarity between this
                     technique and superconductor technology is that at the
                     present time, this technique only functions at around
                     450 degrees below zero....

                     With this new technology, computer circuitry could
                     manipulate electrons to perform computations, just as
                     they now use electrical currents.  Resulting in MUCH
                     denser circuitry which would be much faster, and just
                     as efficient as circuitry made out of superconductor
                     material.  While IBM has not currently developed any
                     concrete application for this technique, it could
                     eventually revolutionize electronic circuitry....


 Torrance, CA        Ashton Tate is developing a new version of DBase IV
 ------------        in the form of a "core program" which can be ported
                     quickly to any Graphical User Interface.  This
                     technique, used by AutoDesk for years, involves
                     building an "application kernel", which has the basic
                     code of the program, but has hooks for utilizing
                     Menus, Windows, and other elements of a GUI.

                     Ashton-Tate plans to use this "application kernel" to
                     develop versions of DBase IV for Microsoft Windows,
                     Presentation Manager, Open Look, OSF/Motif, X/Windows,
                     and the Macintosh.  In addition to these GUI's, they
                     plan to port DBase IV to the NeXT Computer, using the
                     NextStep GUI....


 Brussels, Belgium   The European Economic Community (EEC) has agreed to
 -----------------   abolish regulations in Europe banning privately-funded
                     telecommunications-related services, like fax bureaus,
                     Value-added Networks (or VANs), and E-Mail services.

                     While telephone and telex industries will still be
                     under control of European governments, companies will
                     be able to provide E-Mail, Fax, and national VANs on
                     April 1990.  However, international VANs, which would
                     make European Online Services modeled after Compuserve
                     or GEnie feasible, won't be allowed until April 1993.

                     Also, EEC Member Countries whose telecommunications
                     networks are badly outdated, like Spain and Italy,
                     will be allowed to not implement this policy for up to
                     six years, so as to smooth the transition process....


 Cupertino, CA       Apple's upcoming System 7.0 will reportedly take up
 -------------       around 2.5 Megs of RAM when it is released next year,
                     and require a hard disk.  It seems that this release
                     of the Mac's System Software is now 2.8 Megabytes
                     large, and even with their efforts to rewrite its
                     source code to be more efficient....

                     Also, Microsoft has announced that it will use Apple's
                     new Outline Font Technology (called Royal Fonts) in
                     OS/2 Presentation Manager.  This was done in response
                     to Apple's licensing their new Postscript clone
                     interpreter for use in future Laserwriter printers....





    __________________________________________________________________





 > Insite 20mb Floppies CPU/STR Tech Notes   The RIGHT Idea!
   =======================================



                       20mb FLOPPY DRIVES by INSITE
                       ============================


 by R.F. Mariano


     The new kid on the block,, the "Floptical"(R) Drives feature over 20mb
 of formatted capacity  with  controller  and  SCSI  supporting  the common
 command set  (CCS), soft  formatting, error checking and correction (ECC),
 and defect mapping.  Additionally,  variable  mode  offers  FULL  READ AND
 WRITE DOWNWARD  COMPATIBILITY with  current 3.5  720k and 1.44mb formatted
 diskettes.  This all results in the lowest cost per  mb of  formatted data
 storage  on  a  20mb  storage  media  coupled  with  full  read  and write
 compatibility with current low capacity diskettes.

     The I325 and I325VM Floptical Drives are a combination of  the best of
 both  worlds,  those  of  the  mass  storage,  fixed disk and those of the
 widespread and commonly in use 3.5 floppy disk.  The  combination of these
 two in  device allows the Insite drives to achieve high storage capacities
 using the inexpensive, 3.5" removable magnetic media.

     The optical system in the carriage  assembly detects  grooves embedded
 in the  diskette media  and convert the images to electronic signals which
 are used for servo tracking information.  The magnetic data  is written on
 the land  area between  any two  adjacent grooves.   The closed loop servo
 holds the magnetic heads precisely and infallibly on track.  Precise track
 alignment is  accomplished electronically assuring total interchangability
 between diskettes.  The read and write heads for the I325 have  a magnetic
 gap for  the R/W  of 1250 TPI data on Floptical Diskettes.  Data tracks on
 each of two disk surfaces are accessed concurrently.

     The Insite floptical diskette is a 3.5" type double sided high density
 diskette.    Servo  tracks  are  optically encoded into the surface of the
 diskette.  This enables the drive's R/W heads thru a closed loop servo, to
 follow very  high density  magnetic tracks.   The optical servo tracks are
 indelible and  not vulnerable  to erasure  as with  magnetic encoded servo
 schemes.   The care  and handling of the Floptical diskette is the same as
 for any 3.5" diskette.  The user is required to data format  the Floptical
 disk before it can be used for data storage.  Pre data formatted disks are
 available for those users who do not wish to format media.   The Floptical
 diskette features  a slide  switch allowing  for write protection and when
 inserted in a normal 3.5" drive it is automatically write protected.

     This device is definitely  an integral  part of  the new  wave of fine
 products in the computing community.

            POWER REQUIREMENTS OF THE INSITE 20MB FLOPPY DRIVE:

               +12VDC              +05VDC
 The drive  uses no  more power  than an ordinary floppy drive and uses the
 same power connector as most drives and hard disks (AMP P/N 350078-4)

                              _______________
                             / O   O   O   O \
                            |  4   3   2   1  |
                            -------------------
                            VALUE           PIN

                              +12VDC        1
                               GND          2
                               GND          3
                              +05VDC        4

 The SCSI connector for the Insite drive is a 50  conductor connector which
 consists of  two rows  of 25 male pins on 100 mil centers.  In other words
 the standard 50 conductor ribbon cable is perfect.





       ____________________________________________________________





 > HOLIDAY CHEER CPU/STR Feature   A very special time of the year!
   =============================



                WORDS OF SINCERE WARMTH & HOLIDAY GREETINGS
                """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""





 > GEnie Atari RT CPU/STR Spotlight    Holiday wishes from Darlah...
   ================================



                                                  My Holiday Message
                                                  ==================


 by Darlah J. Pine


     The holidays....such a time of year  and different  to many.   I could
 talk to  you about  the commercial aspect of the holiday but truly that is
 not the holiday to me.  The holiday, to me lends me the time to reflect on
 the years  events and  those that  have given without a second thought nor
 expected anything in return.  This  is what  the holiday  spirit is about.
 The holiday spirit is with us throughout the year.  The holiday just gives
 us the opportunity to tell those that are in our thoughts how we feel. 

     GEnie has allowed me to have  a connection  with many  people from all
 sorts of  backgrounds.   It has  allowed me to see the willingness to give
 and help out.  It brings great warmth when I  reflect over  the past year.
 I have  not only been blessed with an excellent staff that tends to go the
 extra mile but I have been allowed to  have a  connection with  Atari, the
 developers and  the people who call this service for information. They are
 what makes this all work  so  well.    Sandy  Wilson,  Fred  Beckman, Jeff
 Williams, Darryl  May, and  John Kennedy all have their own uniqueness but
 the similarity  is  their  dedication  and  their  sincerity  with genuine
 caring.  I find that doesn't stop with my staff but it shows quite evident
 in the many developers  we have  online.   Most of  them show  up daily to
 troubleshoot problems,  lend help and answer questions where it is needed.
 Atari has numerous dedicated online people like John Townsend, Bob Brodie,
 Dan  McNamee,  Ken  Badertscher,  Cary  Gee,  Jim  Tittsler,  Mark Jansen,
 Elizabeth Shook, Allan Pratt to name  just a  few.   They take  their jobs
 seriously  and  I  am  impressed  that  they  care so much.  It gives me a
 realization that  things  are  coming  together  at  Atari  and happening.
 Without the  caring, it could never become a reality.  Now the people that
 call online to obtain  information,  these  are  the  folks  that  I can't
 describe  just  how  much  warmth  I  feel  when I see them helping others
 online. They call in time after time  to  share.    To  me,  this  type of
 sharing is  the holiday spirit that lasts 365 days a year.  It is the best
 kind.  Avid enthusiasts taking ones  precious  time  to  share  and learn.
 Thoughts of  what a family means cross through my mind.  I guess you could
 call us a family of sorts.  It is quite a nice  thought that  I am feeling
 as I write this.

     It is amazing to me just how far GEnie has evolved.  I remember almost
 hearing the echoes of an empty service sometime ago.  I remember the phone
 call from  John DeMar telling me I MUST log on to this service.  It was so
 new it felt like the paint was still trying to  dry.   It didn't  take too
 long to  start the  constant increase in users logging on.  Along with the
 users, the developers and Atari came.  Such memories and most of them fond
 ones.   I feel lucky to have so many sensational people touch my life each
 in their own way.  I very rarely get a chance to say how I feel  about all
 of you.   I  hope you  know this  is directed at you.  Thank you for being
 here.  Each and every single one of you have made my life much  richer.  I
 hope the holidays bring you the very best for you and yours. 

     For those of you that find the holidays hard to deal with, if you feel
 you need a connection, log on and notify one of us.   We will  be here off
 and on  throughout the  holidays.   I know after putting 50 million things
 together without  any  one  item  having  real  directions,  you  might be
 frazzled.    I  know  how  you  feel,  I am just thinking about the stereo
 cabinet I have to work on and become frazzled.

     My special thanks to Ralph Mariano for giving  me the  opportunity and
 the medium to tell all of you how I feel. 

     If you  drink, don't  drive. Try to stay warm for the holidays. Here's
 hoping all your hopes and dreams come true.  If having my  fingers crossed
 helps, I will do it and even throw in the toes. Be good...


                                 >> Darlah J Pine
                                   GEnie Atari Sysop Manager









 > CIS HOLIDAY CHEER CPU/STR Spotlight  Best wishes from CIS and Ron Luks 
   ===================================



 by Ron Luks


         To the valued members of the ATARI Forums on CompuServe:
         ========================================================


     During the  hectic hustle  and bustle of the holiday season, we'd like
 to  pause  for  a  moment  to  express  our  thanks  for  your  loyal  and
 enthusiastic  support  throughout  the  past  year,  and  in fact the past
 decade.  Rather than suffer through another one  of those  year end/decade
 end summaries  that seem to be appearing in every issue of PEOPLE magazine
 or on every Radio and TV news show, describing the trials and tribulations
 of the  ATARI market in years past, we'd like to focus on the months ahead
 as the ATARI community enters one of the most exciting  periods we've ever
 seen.

     From  the  online  viewpoint,  I'm pleased to announce that CompuServe
 will be  starting  the  new  decade  by  making  its  host/micro interface
 available very  soon.   The current ASCII based interface will continue to
 be available but a new desktop-based method of  accessing this information
 network is  in the  very last  stages of development.  This 4 year project
 will soon allow you to participate in the ATARI Forums by clicking on your
 mouse  and  accessing  a  series  of  pull  down menus to read messages or
 download library files.  We're very excited about  this new  interface and
 will be providing more details as the new year unfolds.

     The ATARI Forums themselves will be almost doubling in size and scope,
 too.  Already in the works are new forums and  online products  to support
 the new  PORTFOLIO and  68030-based TT  computer.   We will be adding more
 active vendors from the ATARI community to our vendor support  crew.  This
 is just a small hint of the great things to come.

     One thing  will not change in the years ahead and that's the huge debt
 owed to all of our members.  These are your forums.  At this time of year,
 the sysops receive many letters of thanks and while we appreciate each and
 every kind word, we never forget for a moment that sysops alone don't make
 a  forum.    Its  the  endless  stream  of  new  submissions, messages and
 discussions that are the very foundation  of  this  forum.    Basically, a
 sysops role is to manage the "online shell" that we call a forum.  Its the
 membership that actually provides the news and programs we've all  come to
 enjoy.   Our thanks go out to the people that MAKE and REPORT the news and
 programs we're happy to provide for everyone through this medium.  

     From myself and the entire sysop and vendor support team, we'd like to
 wish you  and your  families a  very Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous
 New Year!

                                             Sysop* Ron Luks

               Bill Aycock                   Dave Groves
               Keith Joins                   Don LeBow
               Charles McGuinness            Bob Puff
               David Ramsden                 Dan Rhea
                         Mike Schoenbach





 > Atari Corp. CPU/STR Spotlight   Best Wishes from Atari and Bob Brodie
   =============================


                        Of Friendship and Goodwill


     At this time of  year, we  all look  forward to  a chance  to exchange
 holiday greetings  with those that we hold dear, and those whose patronage
 we have enjoyed over time.  So, I  am grateful  that CPU/STR  Newswire has
 given me this chance to greet the large Atari Community.

     There are  many that  we owe  so much to!  To the online services that
 help spread programs and information, GEnie,  CompuServe, Delphi, BIX, and
 their sysops  and staffs.   To  the developers,  the innovative minds that
 make products  that  put  Atari  computers  into  action,  and  make Atari
 computers do  things that  we had  not even  dreamed of.  To the many user
 groups, with their dedicated  officers,  editors,  librarians  and sysops,
 that provide a large portion of support to Atari users everywhere.  To the
 journalists, for their insights, critiques, and invaluable distribution of
 information.   And of  course, to  the end users, our many customers, that
 use and enjoy Atari computers, and the many related products.

     May this season of  joy be  filled with  happiness for  you and yours!
 And with  the coming  of the  New Year, and a new decade, may you have all
 the success that you deserve, and all your days filled with joy!

     Thank you for your patronage, and we look  forward to  the 1990's with
 much anticipation.   We  trust that  we will again have the opportunity to
 provide you with more Atari solutions to your computing needs.  As we look
 to the coming of the new decade, your needs are foremost in our minds.  In
 the words of Ralph Mariano, "Thanks for your support!"

                                        Happy Holidays to one and all,

                                                       Bob Brodie
                                             Manager of User Group Services
                                                  Atari (U.S.) Corporation










        ___________________________________________________________







 > Dealer Ethics CPU/STR PROBE   Jeff William's replies.....
   ===========================




     Thank you for still  respecting me  despite your  disagreement with my
 reaction  to  the  dealer  article  in  #117.    But somewhere, we are not
 connecting, I suspect.  Your response, which appears in issue #118, to the
 message I  posted, seems  to suggest a naivete on my part and maybe even a
 suggestion that I might be biased on the issue, since you make  a point of
 mentioning that  I work  with an  ST dealer part-time.  I know this wasn't
 your intention, Ralph, but this is  the way  it came  across.   As you are
 well aware, this is one of the problems of a communciations medium such as
 this one.  What we mean to say  and what  we appear  to say  do not always
 come  together  as  we  would  hope.    The bottom line, Ralph, is I still
 respect you.  <grin>


 ***  Jeff, we are connecting and quite clearly, and true while the bottomn
 line is  the well  being of  all the  good dealers,  there has  to be some
 exposure to the 'grapeshot' when the matter 'hits' the fan.


     I responded to the article with  the current  facts about  the current
 pricing promotion being offered by Atari to its general dealer base, which
 is not what was reflected in the article in question.  I  did not  go into
 quantities  and  dealer  costs  as  this  is  not  appropriate, which John
 Townsend has rightly observed in another topic of the RT.


 *** As in most situations in the compuiter industry we  now see  where the
 absolute  volatility  of  the  'facts'  leave  us  both  in  somewhat of a
 lurch...except for one point.  The lowball and gouge artists will still be
 there if  we all  dont do  something about  them.  This includes the users
 too.  Patronizing a dealer who is busy cutting everyone's  throats doesn't
 help the situation at all.


      Some responses to a few specific items in your latest article:

 >> "The  bottom line  price [of  $299.95 -JW-] presented was stated at the
 SPA conference as a goal being sought."

     I didn't  question the  veracity of  this statement.   I  have read it
 also.   If read  carefully, my  message noted  that this goal has not been
 achieved by Atari yet.  Their current offer to the general dealer  base is
 as I  stated in  my message:   Buy  "xx" number of 520ST's and get reduced
 pricing,  allowing  for  the  sale  of  the  systems  at  $399.95 (Atari's
 suggested price).   Before anyone goes nuts about the suggested price, the
 price is  not enforced  by Atari.   A  dealer can  sell for  more or less,
 depending upon  the dealer.   But at no time has Atari communicated to the
 general dealer base a  goal of  $299.95 in  their current  suggested price
 structure for the 520ST.  Maybe it's coming.  I hope it is.  But it hasn't
 been made available to the general  dealer base  yet.   The point  here is
 that regardless  of what  was announced at the SPA meeting, it hasn't come
 to fruition yet.  The dealers cannot be  held accountable  for this, which
 the article seemed to suggest -to me-.


 *** The  deal you have mind is dead for all intents and purposes.  In fact
 so is the one I mentioned as there are no more 520 machines.


 >> "Please remember, one dealer does not the nation make."

     My point exactly, Ralph.  I was  trying  to  make  this  point  to the
 generality  of  the  article  in  #117.    While the article may have been
 intended to highlight perceived unfair pricing by -some-  dealers, it came
 across -to  me- as  a blanket indictment against all dealers charging more
 than $299.95 for a 520ST.

 *** Frankly the 'in general mentioning of those dealers who  are not doing
 the right  thing' is  the only  safe way  to mention  them.  Of course, we
 mentioned J & R in NYC , did  you  miss  that  one?    The  reason  it was
 mentioned  is  because  we  have  the  discount  mail order catalog in our
 possession.


     Maybe some dealers who buy in very big quantities can get pricing from
 Atari that  allows them  to put  a $299.95 price tag on a 520ST and make a
 reasonable profit on sales of the  units.   It has  been stated  online by
 someone (I'm  sorry, I  don't remember by whom) from Atari that Atari does
 make special pricing for big volume orders.  This is reasonable.   For all
 I  know,  Atari  may  negotiate  special  prices for certain dealers under
 certain conditions, but that still doesn't  make the  $299.95 dealer price
 available to  those dealers  who can't or don't deal in such quantities or
 have a special arrangement with Atari.


 ***  Here, you cite a basic fact of life in the business world,  there are
 quantity  discounts,  so  what.    It  is my belief that the discounts are
 offered by the manufacturer to give the  dealer  a  few  more  bux  in the
 pocket, to  offset unexpected expenses in customer service.  Passing it on
 to the customers kills  his competition  and ultimately  the product line.
 The  proper  ancillary  support  for  the  product  becomes virtually non-
 existant. IE; J & R and NO SERVICE!


     Even Atari's $399.95 suggested  retail price  on the  520ST special is
 contingent upon  the purchase  of a certain quantity of ST's.  Now, we can
 be cold-hearted and say that these dealers should just bite the bullet and
 price their  520ST stock  at $399.95  even though they are not getting any
 price breaks from Atari by not  placing orders  for the  minimum number of
 520ST's that Atari requires.  What this attitude doesn't take into account
 is that  there are  many "Mom  and Pop"-type  of dealers  who provide good
 pricing,  good  support,  hardware  service,  and  a large selection of ST
 software products.  These dealers,  offering  fair  prices,  good support,
 good service,  and good products, should be encouraged and supported.  The
 article in question didn't  take these  type of  dealers into  account and
 seemed intended  to generate  mistrust and  suspicion against this kind of
 dealer, along with the  big fish  who get  better pricing  on their volume
 orders.  Remember, one dealer does not the entire dealer profile make.



 ***   Many Mom  & Pop  dealers?  WHERE?  And you are right one dealer does
 not the profile make  but thats  in both  directions.   Perhaps the bigger
 volumn dealers should subsidize the small dealer?  Or perhaps Atari?  Lets
 get real here.  Business is business, a "run what you brung"  affair, this
 is  totally  non-debatable.    In  my  humble  opinion,  we  point out the
 unscrupulous practices and made sure it was made known it was being perped
 by a FEW not many dealers.  Would you rather the practices went on?



     At no time did I try to blow off the possibility of dealers who may be
 price gouging.  I'm sure they exist.   The instances  you cite  of unnamed
 dealers who  sell used monitors for $500 are one thing.  Point them out if
 you feel inclined to do so.  But please don't  lump all  dealers into that
 category just  because they  may be  selling ST  systems at  or just below
 Atari's suggested retail price for those ST systems based upon the pricing
 they are  getting from  Atari.   This is  the only  thing I  was trying to
 accomplish with my original message.  And from a phone  conversation I had
 with you  earlier this  week, I understand that you have since come across
 facts substantiating the claims I made in my original post.


 *** If you are so sure they  exist  you  point  them  out  and  handle the
 resultant lawsuits.   The 500.00 monitors, once again, are used JVC SC1224
 units.  This has happend in Florida, Virginia, DC and in the  N.E. that we
 know of  so far.  Its amazing  how quick it is demanded "Name 'Em".  Dream
 on, the bad practices can be  focused  upon  but  to  name  names  is pure
 lunacy.   It is up to all of us to make sure the (users) know what to look
 for so they can recognize a slick operation and thus avoid it.


     This whole problem, Ralph, came about as a result of your well-meaning
 desire  to  inform  and  protect  the  ST  consumers from the unscrupulous
 dealers that do indeed exist out there.  But you've  fallen victim  to the
 old problem  that has  dogged you in the past.  You tend to avoid specific
 references when you go on one  of  your  well-intentioned  crusades.   So,
 unless the  reader is tuned to some 'inside' references that you may make,
 the reader either doesn't know what the heck you're talking  about or they
 get  the  wrong  impression  about  the  subject  matter  and  the parties
 involved.  The latter is what is occuring as a  result of  your article in
 issue #117.


                                             Respectfully,
                                                  Jeff Williams





 *** I  haven't been  patronized in  a long time, thanks for the attention.
 There is really no problem.   As Joe  Friday said  facts, just  the facts.
 Truth is  these things are happening and must be dealt with.  For now, the
 best thig  to do  is expose  the practices  and hope  those involved cease
 these activities.   You  did however,  you miss the point entirely in your
 Lancelot defense of the dealer image.  I have no problem with that at all.
 Nothing is  dogging me my friend, it dogs those who seem to be blinded 'by
 the light' of their own self righteousness.  You again omit the  fact that
 J  &  R  is  mentioned.    The  bottom line is there are gouge artists and
 lowball artists  out there  calling themselves  "fine upstanding dealers".
 In my  book, they are killing the business as sure as if they were using a
 45 for a cash register.  And...  I plan  to turn  up the  heat under these
 snake oil operations.


 P.S.   There's one other mistake in your response in #118.  I'm not -that-
 young!  <grin>


 ***   Sure you are!  I am pushing 49  and still feel like  a 27  year old!
 You are  to be  commended for your saying it like you see it!  Thanks much
 for attention  and please,  if you  should come  across a  dealer you feel
 deserves the "GOLDEN FUJI AWARD" let us know.  And.. tell us of the 'other
 types' of dealers also.
                              Merry Christmas,
                                 Ralph.....



 This message expresses the opinions of the author (Jeff Williams).   It is
 not  necessarily  that  of  GEnie,  the Atari ST Roundtable, or anyone who
 happens to employ the author.  <smile>

 To add to the info; all paragraphs prefixed  by ***  are by  Ralph Mariano
 like you couldn't tell  <big grin>




           ____________________________________________________






 > GOLDEN FUJI AWARD CPU/STR FOCUS
   ===============================


                                 MICROTYME
                   a division of micro peripherals inc.

                               Has won the 


                            "GOLDEN FUJI AWARD"


     The  Golden  Fuji  Award  is  presented  to  these  fine folks for the
 wonderful and glowing reports we have received from cutomers, users and in
 fact casual  shoppers (phone)  about the courteous, professional people at
 Microtyme and moreimportantly the manner in which they seemed to go out of
 their way to provide satisfaction and service.  

     Microtyme carries  a full  and complete  selection of computer for the
 Atari all out Atari enthusiast.  The owner of Microtyme advises us that we
 should let every one know, there are no more 520stf in the Atari warehouse
 and it is doubtfull the will be any more.

     With eighteen  employees to  serve you  this firm  offer the 'personal
 service' often  found only  in the largest of firms.  Founded in 1984, the
 company has shown a constant positive  growth record.   With  sales posted
 this year  in the  2.5 - 5m bracket and the possiblity of franchises being
 offered,  one  could  easily  say  this  is  a  positive, healthy, growing
 concern.   At this  time they  are concentrating  on the IBM and MAC clone
 markets along with full support  for  the  entire  Atari  computer product
 line.

     Microtyme is located at:

                            4049 MARSHALL ROAD
                            DAYTON, OHIO  45429

     Service and Inquiries                   Ordering Hotline
        1-513-294-6236                        1-800-255-5835

                              FAX line
                           1-513-294-6732



     CPU Newswire  has often castigated certain dealers for the behavior of
 a few and as a result,  we have  received a  few complaints  from the good
 dealers  or  their  representatives.    Oddly  enough,  at Microtyme, they
 agreed with our report that the  gouge tactics  of certain  dealers has an
 extremely  deletrious  effect  on  the  entire dealer base.  And should be
 publicized.





           ____________________________________________________





 > AUA CPU/STR Spotlight   Atari User's Association - Alive and Well!
   =====================




                                                       The Userbase Grows!
                                                       ===================



                   Season's Greetings to all Atari Users
                   =====================================

     This is an open letter to all Atari ST users concerning the  status of
 the Atari  User's Association.   As  you may  know, the  AUA has seen some
 rough times this year.  Many of you may be under the  belief that  the AUA
 is no  longer functioning  or that  the AUA was a gimmick and a "strategic
 marketing plan."  The good news is that the AUA  is alive  and well.   But
 first, let  me try  to explain what happened over the course of the last 8
 months.

     The Atari User's Association,  or the  AUA, was  founded by  Robert J.
 Guadagno in  early 1989  in order  to unite  the Atari  Community into one
 functional organization.  Mr.  Guadagno  found  that  he  could  no longer
 devote the  time necessary  to make the AUA a strong and powerful unit, so
 he asked the Atari Elite, Inc. of Pittsburgh if they  could take  over the
 AUA and  pick up  where he  left off.  The Atari Elite gladly accepted the
 offer, and the AUA was re-born.   Now, granted, the AUA suffered some very
 serious set  backs during  the year.   However,  with the new blood of the
 Atari Elite, the outlook of the AUA is very promising indeed!

     So, the AUA is  now being  sponsored by  the Atari  Elite.   Your next
 question may  be, "Who are the Atari Elite?"  The Atari Elite, Inc. is the
 first  and   largest  non-profit   ST  organization   out  of  Pittsburgh,
 Pennsylvania.   They were  founded in  1985, and  today remain  one of the
 largest ST usergroups in North America.  With over 300  members, the Atari
 Elite provides  an excellent  backing for  the AUA  and it's endeavors.  I
 believe that the AUA will benefit from the voice of  the Atari  Elite, and
 that  the  AUA  membership  will  be offered much more than was originally
 planed back in April.  

     Mr. Guadagno's goal when he founded the AUA was to unite the entire ST
 community into one strong voice.  That is still my goal.  I plan to devote
 a lot of time making contact with manufacturers,  dealers, developers, and
 users in  order to  make the AUA a common word in the vocabulary of the ST
 community.  I have already made contact with  2 gentlemen  in West Germany
 who have enthusiastically offered to spread the word of the AUA to our 
 European friends.   I  plan on  bringing you word of the AUA over FIDO net
 and Crossnet on our nation's ST BBS's.    I  will  also  be  on  GEnie and
 Compuserve as  well as  Usenet. And last but not least, you will hear news
 of the AUA here in ST Report. 
  
     Hopefully, I will have your support as well  and am  asking you spread
 the word of the AUA.  Through the AUA, YOUR voice will be heard.  YOU will
 have a word in what the AUA does.  YOU will be  able to  support the Atari
 ST computers  with thousands of other ST users.  The AUA will give YOU the
 backing that you need.

     I have a stack of applications sitting here  in front  of me  from the
 people who  joined the AUA back in April, 1989.  I am currently working on
 entering all of that data into a database.  (Ok, I lied, my wife  is doing
 all of  the typing...)   At  this time, the Atari Elite Board of Directors
 and myself are trying to decide how to handle all  of the  people who sent
 in their  applications to  this point.   In the next month or so, each and
 every one of you  will  be  contacted  by  mail  and  will  be  given more
 information about  the AUA  and it's future.  For those of you who did not
 send in your application, I will be posting a new application in  the next
 week or  so on the communication networks and here in CPU/STR Newswire.  I
 encourage you to read all of the accompanying literature and  join in this
 massive move to unite the ST community.

     Now, on to membership rates.  Originally, the AUA membership was FREE.
 However, with that membership, you really  got nothing  in return.   Under
 the Atari  Elite, Inc.,  the AUA  has a  little more  capital and hopes to
 bring you many benefits.  For  this reason,  we are  going to  offer three
 membership  packages  and  hopefully  you  will  find  one that meets your
 pocketbook budget.  You can spend nothing or no more than $15.00 depending
 on what  type of involvement you want in the AUA.  I am confident that you
 will find one of the membership packages to suit you needs.   I will bring
 you more  details on  the packages  and benefits in a few days since there
 are still many bugs to  iron  out  and  I  want  to  offer  you  a quality
 membership to the AUA.

     In  conclusion  (finally!),  I  would  like  to  call  this  "The  New
 Beginning,"  however,  this  has  already  been  used  by  our  friends in
 Hollywood.  I will say this -- The Atari User's Association promises to be
 a success with the help of  the  entire  ST  community.    There  are over
 2,000,000 ST  users in  the world  and that  number grows  each day.  I am
 confident that we can  get thousands  or hundreds  of thousands ("Billions
 and Billions"  -- Carl  Sagan) ST users to participate in the AUA.  An AUA
 with thousands of members will be  able to  influence software developers.
 We will  be able  to influence  Atari Corp.   We will make new friends and
 spread the good word about Atari Computers.   And last  but not  least, we
 will be a united computer community with one voice to the Atari world. 

                                                  Always Atari,
                                                  Derek C. Signorini
                                                  AUA Coordinator


 P.S.  -  I  can  be  reached  on  GEnie  as DC.SIGNORINI, on Compuserve at
 72327,1060 and  on the  Crossnet and  FIDO as  DC SIGNORINI.   I encourage
 your  feedback  to  this  letter  and  any suggestions you want to make to
 better the AUA.





     ________________________________________________________________





 > Atari Stock ~ CPU/STR
   ======================


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


 by Michael Arthur


     Atari Stock dropped 1/8 of a point on Monday, and  stayed the  same on
 Tuesday.  On Wednesday it dropped by 1/8 point, and rose 3/8 of a point on
 Thursday.  Finishing up the week at 9 1/2  points, Atari stock is down 1/8
 points from the last report.

          Apple Stock is down 3 points from Friday, Dec. 8, 1989.
           Commodore Stock is down 3/4 of a point from 12/08/89.
               IBM Stock is down 1 7/8 points from 12/08/89.


               Stock Report for Week of 12/11/89 to 12/15/89

 _________________________________________________________________________
 STock|   Monday    |  Tuesday  |  Wednesday  |  Thursday   |   Friday    |
 Reprt|Last    Chg. |Last   Chg.|Last    Chg. |Last    Chg. |Last    Chg. |
 -----|-------------|-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
 Atari|9 1/2   - 1/8|9 1/2   .00|9 3/8   - 1/8|9 3/4   + 3/8|9 1/2   - 1/4|
      |             |           |             |             | 67,300 Sls  |
 -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------|
  CBM |10 3/4  - 1/4|10 1/2 -1/4|10 5/8  + 1/8|10 3/4  + 1/8|10 1/4  - 1/2|
      |             |           |             |             | 267,800 Sls |
 -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------|
 Apple|39 1/4 +2 1/2|36   -3 1/4|  36      .00|34 7/8 -1 1/8|33 3/4 -1 1/8|
      |             |           |             |             |4,626,500 Sls|
 -----|-------------+-----------+-------------+-------------+-------------|
  IBM |96 1/8  - 3/4|  97   +7/8|95 7/8 -1 1/4|95 1/8  - 3/4|  95    - 1/8|
      |             |           |             |             |3,043,400 Sls|
 -----'-------------------------------------------------------------------'

      'Sls' refers to the # of stock shares that were traded that day.
      'CBM' refers to Commodore Corporation.

 IBM and  Apple were  two of the Most Active stocks on Wall Street for this
 week....

 Editor Note;  Glenn Gorman,  who  used  to  put  our  stock  market report
 together for  us has  handed the  duties over to our young friend, Micheal
 Arthur.  Hope you'all enjoy Mike's efforts.






        ___________________________________________________________








 > CPU CONFIDENTIAL   Sayin' it Like it is...
   ================



 - Sunnyvale CA.                 *******  2 CHIP TOS 1.4 SHIPPING  *******
   ------------

     Yes AT LAST, they  are shipping.   Atari  just began  shipping them to
 dealers. The part  number is CA400407, cost is the same: suggested list of
 $99. These are masked roms, so you should have no  problems with cartridge
 based products like Spectre GCR.



 - Toronto, Canada                 ******  STE SHIPPING IN CANADA  ******
   ---------------

     Today, Atari  Canada said that the STE has been shipping in Canada. In
 talking to Toronto dealers, only 2 or 3 of them have STE's in stock!   The
 supply problem  should be  solved soon  and they then should have an ample
 flow of STE machines available.    Contacting  Savetech  immediately after
 talking to  Atari Canada, and they had only one left!  They said they "had
 brought in a large quantity of  STE's, and  now they  had only  one left!"
 All in one day folks, THIS BABY IS SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES!  Also mentioned
 was the fact that  they were  not given  the opportunity  to open  one for
 demonstration  purposes.    Additionally,   Compu-world had none, but they
 will get more in.  So will Compu-place and Compu-store.   The Compu-center
 branch will receive their order within a week.



 - New York City, N.Y.    ***** COMMODORE AD CAMPAIGN RESULTS MINIMAL *****
   -----------------


     According to  inside sources, CBM is, so far, highly disappointed with
 the results of its  highly touted  ad campaign  which reportedly  has cost
 closer to  17 million  with ancillary  expenses figured in.  Cited was the
 dismal 10% sales increase overall and  the projected  15-18% for  the best
 part  of  the  holiday  season.  (that's  in  new orders, not withstanding
 existing inventory)...



 - Washington, D.C.                   ******  ST GETS SMALLTALK 80   ******
   --------------

       
     Smalltalk-80 is  available for  the ST,  but there does not seem to be
 any way to get the thing here  in  the  U.S.    After  calling  Parc Place
 Systems, it does not seem likely we will see it in the USA. ..YET..








        ___________________________________________________________





 > VMEBUS CPU/STR OnLine     Solid information from FNET
   =====================


 Conf : Atari Technical
 Msg# : 2243  Lines: Extended  Read: 1
 Sent : Dec 14, 1989  at 7:15 PM
 To   : CHARLES MEDLEY
 From : LEN LOGTERMAN at Node 141-BLAST-Bloomington, IN
 Subj : Re: <2049> VmeBus



 In message 141/5/2821, CHARLES MEDLEY asks: 

     I saw  something that  claimed that the IBP "industrial Mega STs" were
 Mega 2 computers with retrofits for VmeBus capability  in a  new case.   I
 wonder,  if  VmeBus  is  indeed  able  to  be  put on the Mega, could this
 modification be done to essentially enhance the Mega ST's abilities?

 Answer:
 ------

     The VME bus is a  non-proprietary  bus  with  a  very  high bandwidth,
 something  like  20MBytes/sec.    It was originally developed by Motorola,
 Phillips, and  Signetics  (I  think).    As  a  consequence  of Motorola's
 involvement the  bus is  considered "native"  to the 68xxx series, or vice
 versa.  There are now some 80x86 processor boards for it, though, and some
 RISC processors.   The  bus specifications  include a  16 bit and a 32 bit
 configuration depending on the number of connectors.  There is a P1  and a
 P2 connector.  

     32 bit capability requires the addition of the P2 connector.  The main
 advantage of using the bus is that there is a potload of manufacturers out
 there  making   all  kinds   of  process   I/O  boards,   not  to  mention
 communications and various high  powered  co-processors  for  matrix math,
 image processing,  FFTs, etc.  If the manufacturer followed the bus design
 specifications, you can mix and match different I/O  boards and  they will
 all play together.  This is not child's play, however and most boards cost
 more than a complete ST system.  

     Some  of  the  SUN  workstations  and  other  UNIX  systems  have been
 configured around  the VME  bus, but mostly it has been used for real-time
 process control on the factory floor.  If you had  enough money  and could
 get your hands on some software you could build yourself a system with all
 the capabilities of a NEXT computer using the VME bus as a base.


                                                LEN LOGTERMAN





        __________________________________________________________




 > LYNX A WINNER! CPU/STR OnLine    The FNET shines!
   =============================


 Conf : Atari ST/Mega
 Msg# : 3544  Lines: Extended  Read: 1
 Sent : Dec 13, 1989  at 8:21 PM
 To   : ANY AND ALL
 From : DAVE LOCKWOOD at THE CONTROL ROOM ST! 14.4K HST
 Subj : LYNX



     I got my Lynx  today.   (Well, a  Christmas present  for someone else)
 That is  something else...A  real color screen 16 out of 4096 colors.  I'd
 guess the resolution at about 160x100 or so...I  have no  way to  know for
 sure.   It looks  great, it  sounds great, and it makes gameboy look sick.
 The cartridges  are about  the same  dimension as  the battery  cover on a
 Walkman, and just as thin.  They have to be putting at least 128K worth of
 code onto 'em for the games they've got.
  
     I bought the Lynx itself, and one cartridge  "Electro Cop".   It comes
 with "California  Games", and  it also  comes with an adaptor.  The single
 built in controller works well, and it works for leftys  too.   Just press
 two buttons,  and the  screen (and controller) flips for left-handed play.
 I was a little disappointed by  the fact  that the  brightness need  to be
 changed for different viewing angles, and someone standing in front of you
 while you play wouldn't be able to see  the game.   I  plugged it  into my
 stereo (via  the earphone  jack) and  the sound makes me wish the ST had a
 "real" soundchip.
  
     I didn't  get to  test the  multi-player capability,  but I understand
 that the  only limit  to the  number of  players that can be daisy-chained
 together is whatever is  built into  the games.   Apparently,  all players
 have to  connect and power up their units within seven seconds. "so, like,
 you have to be quick".
  
     I still don't know how long the 6 AA batteries  last, but  it can't be
 as bad as my CZ101 that sucks 6 D cells dry in 5 hours.
  
     I'm certainly  going to  put some use on this baby before I wrap it up
 and ship it to CA.
  
                                   Nintendo, eat your heart out.
                                                  Dave





          _______________________________________________________





 > WAACE/Fall'90 CPU/STR SHOW NEWS    WAACE, Showcase of the East
   ===============================



  
                            WAACE AtariFest/Fall '90

     The AtariFest planning team  of  the  Washington  Area  Atari Computer
 Enthusiasts is busy working to make the 1990 event the best ever.

                THE DATES AND SITE FOR 1990 HAVE BEEN SET:
                         6 AND 7 OCTOBER, 1990 AT:
                    THE SHERATON RESTON IN RESTON, VA.

     This modern,  attractive conference  facility offers  plenty of nicely
 arranged space for exhibits, demonstrations, seminars, and hospitality.
 Pricing for vendor space is being  determined, and  arrangements for setup
 are being made with a professional exhibit firm.

     Conducting the show in a hotel will allow longer show hours on the two
 days  and  increased  opportunities   for  demonstrations   and  seminars.
 Exhibitors and  out of  town visitors  will find the in-hotel location far
 more comfortable and convenient.

     The decision to use commercial space was partly determined by  the end
 of our  partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Adult and
 Community  Education and partly by  our own  desire to  afford vendors and
 visitors a better show.

     Potential  exhibitors  should  expect  to  receive information packets
 during February.  We will  need  financial  commitments  from participants
 soon thereafter in order to conduct a suitable promotional campaign.

     This change  of approach  will bring  the cost  of the WAACE show more
 into line with similar Atari shows.  In order to keep costs  within reason
 we will need strong support from the entire Atari community.
    
     We are making this announcement at such an early date in order to give
 everyone a  chance to  organize their  schedules.  We hope that all of you
 will help us to make this event an enjoyable experience for all East Coast
 Atarians.

      Further information  on  this subject  can be  obtained by contacting
 the WAACE Chairman;

                            Mr. John D. Barnes
                               301-652-0667
                           GEMail to J.D.BARNES.
                Watch for new contact names in mid January.






        ___________________________________________________________





 > Hard Drive Info CPU/STR InfoFile    Affordable Mass Storage
   ================================ 
  
  


                        NEW PRICES! & MORE MODELS!!
                       ============================


                      ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC.
              P.O. Box 6672  Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672
                                Est.  1985
                 _________________________________________

                   Voice: 904-783-3319  10 AM - 4 PM EDT
                     BBS: 904-786-4176   12-24-96 HST
                    FAX: 904-783-3319  12 PM - 6 AM EDT
                 _________________________________________
                                        
                   HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET
                   _____________________________________
                                        
   All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST
                 are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s).
                                        
              ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE
                 (you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!)
                   (all cables and connectors installed)
                                        
                   RUGGED SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS 

   * ICD HOST ADAPTERS USED EXCLUSIVELY * OMTI HIGH SPEED CONTROLLERS *

         32mb #SG32238   549.00              42mb #SG44710   619.00
         51mb #SGN4951   629.00              65mb #SG60101   689.00
         80mb #SGN296    729.00             100mb #SG84011D  949.00
        130mb #SG1244D  1099.00             145mb #SG3A421  1110.00
        170mb #SGT41776 1389.00             260mb #SG1244Q  2169.00
                          320mb #SGN7788Q 3295.00

           Listed above are a sampling of the systems available.
      Prices also reflect various cabinet/power supply configurations
    (over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited)

             ***** CHRISTMAS SPECIALS ARE NOW IN EFFECT! *****
                                     
           ***  ALL Units: Average Access Time: 24ms - 34ms  ***

    ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> MAGIC SAC - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR
                                        
             LARGER units are available - (special order only)

        * Removable Media Devices NOW Available (44mb) Syquest 555 *
                      * SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICES *

                    EXTRA CARTRIDGES: 97.95  (anytime)

               * SYQUEST 44MB (#555) REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE *

     - SYQUEST 44 MB removable media drive     - ICD ST Host Adapter
     - ICD Mass Storage Utility Software       - 3' DMA Cable 
     - Fan & Clock                             - Multi-Unit Power Supply
                          (1) 44 MB Syquest Cart.

                 Completely Assembled and READY TO RUN!  
                              ONLY $869.00  
  
 We would  offer floppy drives..  but Computer Shopper has 'em at the right
 price.  And.. you can plug 'em right into our cabinets and power supplies.
 Low-Boy  OR  Standard  Case  (designed  with room for another 3.5 OR 5.25"
 drive)  They're made for user expansion!  TRUE UPGRADE-ABILITY!
   
   * TWIN SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVES ... PROGRAMMER'S DELIGHT *
                        SPECIALLY PRICED  $1529.00 

    * SYQUEST 44MB REMOVABLE MEDIA DRIVE AND HARD DRIVE COMBINATIONS *
         - Syquest 44 Model [555] and the following hard drives -
          50mb SQG51   $1299.00           30mb SQG38    $1219.00
          65mb SQG09   $1339.00           85mb SQG96    $1399.00
                       
                 LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS

       - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets - TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets - 
                      ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED

                       -* 12 month FULL Guarantee *-
                         (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE)

                 Quantity & Usergroup Discounts Available!
                 _________________________________________

                     DEALERS and DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!

                 Personal and Company Checks are accepted.

                            ORDER YOURS TODAY!

                       904-783-3319    9am - 8pm EDT






      _______________________________________________________________



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




      "Slogans do not report the news........CPU/STR NEWSWIRE DOES!!"
                         FIRST, LAST AND ALWAYS!!

                                           ... A moment of truth

                   "The pen is mightier than the sword..
               ...and does a much better job that a mirror!!"


                                        ...Eloquent words of wisdom




                         "HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!"

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 CPU/STR           "Your Independent News Source"        December 22, 1989
 16/32bit Magazine           copyright  1989         Vol. III ~ Issue #119
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of
 the  editors,  staff,  CPU NEWSWIRE  CPU/STR  or  CPU Report .  Reprint
 permission is hereby granted, unless otherwise  noted.   All reprints must
 include CPU NEWSWIRE, CPU/STR or CPU Report and the author's name.  All
 information presented herein is  believed correct,  the editors  and staff
 are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

