======================================================================= THE PORTFOLIO PICAYUNE ---------------------- by Drew Reid Kerr ======================================================================= GEnie D.KERR1 DELPHI DRKERR SEEN RECENTLY IN THE LOVELORN SECTION OF AN ATARI BB: SINGLE MALE PORTFOLIO, good memory, looking for a hot "female" connection to L.U.S.T. (Lovable Underrated ST). Must be good communicator... fast.... Well, you've got that 128k baby and you want it to create beautiful music together with your ST. No sweat. Just follow the easy instructions and these two machines will be purring like lovebirds in Atari Heaven. 1. Buy the serial interface for the Portfolio. This accessory not only provides ST communication, but modem accessibility as well. 2. You need this configuration of a cable: 9-pin female to 25-pin female. There are two ways of getting this cable: buy a null modem cable with this configuration already or buy a null modem cable with a null modem cable adaptor to make the 25-pin male into a female. The advantage of the latter is that the adaptor can be removed so you can hook the male end into a modem, leaving you a lot of flexibility. Check out your local Radio Shack or electronic store. 3. The right term programs for both the Portfolio and the ST. For the former, you can get XTERM2, available on CompuServe and GEnie Portfolio SIG's or the DOS Utilities Card available from your Atari dealer. For the ST, there are a couple of PD programs avilable and they are tricky, to say the least. No question about it, buy Transport by Donald Thomas from Artisan Software (P.O. Box 849, Manteca, CA 95336). It goes for something like $25 and is worth every penny. This program will make your file transfers a breeze! Now, it's simple. Attach the serial interface, connect the cable, boot up Transport on the ST and XTERM2 on the Portfolio. Let's say you are sending a file from the ST to the Portfolio. On Transport, go to the Extended Options setting. Press [U] for "upload" and the program will ask you what kind of file you are sending (.EXE, .COM, .BAT, etc.). A file selector comes up, you choose the file you want to send. Transport is now in waiting mode, ready for your Portfolio to say, "C'mon over!" On your Portfolio, press [Function] 2 (capture) and it will ask you the name of the file. Type in the exact name of the file you are sending. If you're not sure, look on your ST monitor -- it will be written on your screen. Press Return. On your ST screen, Xmodem blocks will be sent to your Portfolio. On your Portfolio, you'll see little dots, representing blocks, going across the screen. When finished, it will say "Done!" Press [Function] 1 to exit XTERM2. Now the new program will be siting in the directory in which XTERM2 is located, ready to be used. Make sure you use "Check Disk" to assure there is enough space in your drive for the new program coming over. Once you transfer your first file, you'll be going hog-wild downloading new Portfolio programs. Take my word, this is the way to do your Portfolio/ST Love Connection! * THE MEMORY CARD MOTEL At this time, memory cards come in three configurations: 32k, 64k, and 128k. If you are wise, you'll skip the 32k's and get a few of the others. This is intelligent Portfolio-ing and here's why: Your Portfolio can only handle so many files. If you've got a good- sized address book and diary, keep worksheets, keep XTERM 2 in your C directory, you'll have very little space left over. Your flexibility lies in your RAM (memory) cards. Using FDISK, format your C drive to 8k (16k if you use alarms). This will save the bulk of your memory for doing the hard work. Put all your address, editor, diary and worksheet files on the RAM cards. Do all your work from these cards. This will give you plenty of space to work the Portfolio while have maximum memory power punch. This is especially true for XTERM2. Put it on a 64k or 128k card, and you've got no space worries when tranferring programs in! BOOK'EM, DAN-O! The only book on the market devoted to the Portfolio is The Complete Guide To The Atari Portfolio (Abacus; paperback). My advice is don't bother -- everything you need to know can be found in two places: the Portfolio manual (which is good) and the forums and libraries of CompuServe and GEnie. From the latter, not only can you find plenty of help and discussion, but post a question and you'll get personalized help! MODEM, LARRY & CURLY Keeping the portability concept in mind, you may want to go on-line at a moment's notice with your Portfolio and Serial Interface. There are two pocket modems recommended, both the size of cigarette lighters, powered by 9-volt batteries and useful up to 2400 baud. The first is the Practical Peripheral Pocket Modem, personally used by Atari's Bob Brodie himself. The second, recommended by Transport's Donald Thomas, is the World Port, manufactured by Touchbase Systems, Inc., 160 Laurel Avenue, Northport, NY 11768 (516-261-0423). I DIG SIG'S Portfolio support on-line comes down to two services, CompuServe and Genie. If you own a Portfolio, the best thing you could do is support them -- they have terrific programs and help files, advice is there for the asking, and it shows Atari (and the world) you dig their 16bit portable thinking machine. Here's a look at the two services: CompuServe Type in APORTFOLIO and you'll have your mind blown Portfolio-style. This is considered Atari's official forum for the unit. It shows. There are an incredible amount of message forums but what will really do it is the Libraries. Thousands of programs and help files ready for your downloading. Your first move should be to the New Uploads section to download the list of all Portfolio files in all the libraries. Yes, it's a mother of a list to print out, but worth it. Look through the utilities, games, applications and graphics program descriptions. If you're curious about something, circle it and bring it on down! Programs have been coming in at a rather slow rate the last few months. You'll also notice that Portfolio files are either downloaded by a dozen people or hundreds. GEnie This SIG is in stall mode and really needs a good shot of support to help it. As a matter of fact, the way this area is set up, it almost seems like second-class treatment. There are literally only slightly over 100 files in the library. Most of the files a very good, but scant compared to CompuServe. The Portfolio newsletter needs updating and I can't recall the last Portfolio conference either. Part of the blame seems to be lack of a good Portfolio sysop. The SIG needs pushing, cajoling, promotion and most of all, YOUR SUPPORT!!! If you have good knowledge of the PT, send Atari sysop Darlah Pine e-mail and let her know you are interested in being a Portfolio SIG caretaker (her address is DARLAH). Also, if you have a Portfolio, download the files and put up some messages. The files may be small in number, but the amount of downloads is impressively large. The best thing about the GEnie Portfolio SIG (M 950) is the Bulletin Board. It's easy to handle and navigate. Every topic is covered well and in a friendly demeanor. You want to know about Portfolio programming? Transferring files between a PT and a Mac? Portfolio tricks? This is one area you should not miss! GET YOUR HOT PROGRAMS! There's a battery of dedicated Portfolio programmers who are always uploading wonderful new programs to the SIG's. As a matter of fact, they often get their ideas from user e-mail! Look for fine work by folks such as B.J. Gleason, David Stewart, Jim Straus and Don Messerli. Here's a smattering of top stuff: DIAL.ARC: Dial program for XTERM2. GO.BAT: Batch file with multiple utilities like backup, sort, etc. BATCH.ARC: Uses a KeyFake program to automatically call a name, invoke the editor, search for name in address book, etc. BACKUP.BAT/DOC: Three backup programs. PRTRIS: Tetris for the Portfolio! Great! CASINO.COM: Blackjack... a big file so watch it! PORTFOLIO TOOL KIT 2.0: Utilities including -- disk and system info, system operation setter, tone generator (music!), document filter, function key reassignment, directory display and more! SKETCH: Drawing like the old Etch-A-Sketch!! BATTERY MONITOR: Displays the number of days since you installed the battery. Is the DOS Utilities RAM Card worth buying? No doubt, it's convenient having XTERM2 ready for input. But keep in mind that a good percentage of the programs are now available on-line. MY PORTFOLIO AND ME I've had my Portfolio for one month, so I'd like to share my uses with you, incase you're wondering if it's worth buying one or you're figuring out what to do with the thing. I run a one-man public relations firm in Manhattan, Four Corners Communications. Portability, notes, appointments come to mind immediately when you are a small business and on the run. I TAKE THE PORTFOLIO EVERYWHERE. THAT'S WHAT IT IS FOR. When I'm at a client and I need to take quick notes of ideas, out comes the Text Editor (don't need a notebook). I have various media events and calls to keep track of, so the Diary is my appointment guide. What I have really made use of is the Address Book -- like an unlimited Rolodex with the world's longest cards, I can call up tv stations, writers, producers on the go without calling directory asssistance or searching my own faulty memory. I've transported some ST programs between by office computer and my home computer. Instead of a floppy disk sitting around, easily susceptible to damage, it's hibernating in my Portfolio, ready to get vacuumed out to my STE! THE CRYSTAL BALL One great development in the works is the converting of popular text adventure games to the Portfolio. Supposedly, the classic Infocom games like "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" and "Wishbringer" are likely candidates (easy to do and financially prudent) or original games. Keep an eye open for these work distractors! FACT: As of January 1991, 250,000 Portfolios had been sold worldwide! **** Drew Kerr publishes "Four Corners," an on-line public relations newsletter for small business and pr professionals. It can be downloaded from CompuServe (PRSIG, WORK, USEN), GEnie (HOSB) or Delphi (Business Forum). <<<<*>>>><<<<*>>>><<<<*>>>>