*************************************›››From our GERMAN ATARI 8 BIT club›friends, ABBUC!››*************************************›››    Bit Byter "Sonderdisk # 8".››Translated by Horst A. Dewitz›International Correspondent for ABBUC›e.V., OL HACKERS, Inc›and LIAUG.›››Sonderdisk # 8 on side # A contains›the following *.TXT files,›accessible thru the Loader Menu,››1)Fremdfloppycontroller      - See›translation›2)Infos aus dem Club         - See›translation›3)Protocoll der JHV 1990     -›Minutes of the annual Meeting›4)ICD-Bestellungen           - ICD›List of Items available›5)ICD-Bestellformular        - ICD›Order Form›6)Die komplete PD-Liste      -›ABBUC's PD Library listing›                              ›(12/90)›7)PD-Ecke                    - News›about the PD-List›8)Informatie voor Nederland  - For›the ATARI group in the›                              ›Netherlands›9)COMPY SHOP neue PreisListe - COMPY›not out of BUSINESS,›                               &›price list›10)Frau Mueller's Spielecke   - Tips›and tricks for games›                               (Mrs.›Mueller is an ABBUC›                              ›member)›11)Glosse von Rolf A. Specht  -›Humorous story, see›                              ›translation›12)Brief von Kemal Escan      - See›translation››Side # B has an excellent Paint›Program on it. Unfortunately›the available manual is in German and›very lengthy.›Fortunately all the menus are in›English. Getting out of a›drawing screen - press [start].›Program is joystick operated.›To call a drive just press it's›number, just to give you a›few hints.››Now following are the translations›and comments to the›various text files:››1) Fremdfloppycontroller - 1.44 M›Byte Floppy's on an ATARI›                          XL/XE!›Looking for a relative fast drive›with plenty of room?›Search no more. I completed an›interface, which will connect›alien drives to our computers.›Only requirements are, a drive which›will accept a disk-›change-signal at pin 34.›I am currently running 2 ST 3.5" Teac›drives (FD235HF) with›720K (=2880 sectors, double density)›I recommend these Teac drives,›because they are quiet,›reliable and capable to handle high›density (=1.44M, 80›tracks, 2 sides). SPARTA DOS lets you›use them to their full›capabilities.›Possibilities at a glance:›- serial interface›- up to 4 drives with this interface›(=5.76Meg's)›- accepts many SPEEDY and HAPPY›commands› for instance: PERCOM read/ write›               change drive # thru›software›               Warm start›               Ultra speed sector›skew›               Custom format›- Normal speed›- Warp speed›- Ultra speed›- Operating system easily changed›(16k...64k),› meaning updates possible›- Single, double and high density›- SORRY NO MEDIUM density, it would›be a waste anyhow to› format less than 720k›- Still programming for:› - Super high speed (SPEEDY 96000›Baud)› - Track buffer› - Autoformat (SPEEDY 1050)› - Possible Mini-Rom-Disk or Rom-Boot››Projected price:›Interface complete with chips     DM›250.--›Teac Drive FD 235 HF              DM›140.--›(Exchange rate about DM 1.50 for US›$1.--, Horst A. Dewitz)››Delivery includes:›Interface, schematics and cables. You›must provide the›transformer, rated 5V .05A/1.0A per›drive.›Production of the interface is only›feasible if 50 or more›orders are received. Since 1) I am›working on this project›alone and 2) I am not the Bank of›England, therefore I am requesting a›deposit of DM 100.--››Erhard Puetz›Kleinsiepen 1›D-5608 Radevormwald›Germany››2) Infos aus dem Club›Hello dear Bit Byters!›First of all a Merry Christmas and a›Happy New Year to you›and your families.››CONCERNING THIS SONDERDISK:›Side #B has Winfried Piegsda's Paint›and Drawing program›I.P.E.S. on it. Use the accompanying›manual (GERMAN).›On side #A you will find the minutes›of the annual meeting›(1990) and the new PD-list, as well›as other text files.›You also will find DEMO.COM on this›side. DEMO.COM›demonstrates the new Soundeditor from›BENJI-SOFT. Load it›from DOS with function [L]. (Please›note: side #A does not›have DUP.SYS on it, lack of space!).›DEMO.COM arrived just in›time for insertion into this›Sonderdisk. More about this›soundeditor in our magazine # 24.››DELAYED MAIL DELIVERY›We are receiving horror story's from›our formerly East German›friends. ABBUC's magazine in some›areas took 8 weeks to›arrive at the mail box of our›members. We are of the opinion,›that we could have delivered it›faster on foot. We hope that›this situation will change soon››NEW GERMAN 8-BIT MAGAZINE›Title "Neues XL/XE Magazin",›bimonthly, 32 pages,›price DM 4.70. Contents: game›descriptions, reference cards,›inner workings of the XF etc..›Address:›A.M. Henschke›PSF 30›D-7543 Luebbenau 1›Germany›A price reduction is projected, if›the circulation increases.››MAGZINE # 24›The next issue of magazine # 24 is›projected for the middle/›end of February. Remember, all›contests are still running.›With the magazine, expect the Turbo›Basic Manual.››Until then,›Wolfgang››3) Protocoll der JHV 1990 (Club›minutes)›(I will give you the more important›highlights in abbreviated›form of the minutes of this annual›meeting. Horst A Dewitz).›- 112 members participated›- ABBUC has now 772 members›- Bob Term is the most popular›Telecommunications program›- Using medium density for magazine,›since magazine # 22›- ICD has hard & software and›catalog, 10% off for ABBUC› members›- Since 11-1-90 new BBS, running›BBS-PRO under SPARTA DOS, on› a 320k 800XL with 10 Meg hard drive›- ABBUC member of N.E.A.R.U.S., a›group of Atari Users Clubs› in the North East U.S., represented›by Joe Kennedy and› Horst A. Dewitz›- Netherlands & Belgium will have a›section on ABBUC's› magazine›- The new Atari Germany›representative, Mr. Huber, insisted› that Atari still produces the 8 Bit›Machine. When questioned› about the delivery of the XEP-80,›long breath, no answer,› he did not seem to know this›product. Referred a Portfolio› Owners question about Atari, to›ABBUC.›-Working on interface for PS cards›(IBM XT type),› Mr. M. Pascher has hardware ready,›software for› parallel/serial interface in the›making, looking for› programmer for E:/S: handler (Screen›- Hercules card),› planing for hard drive handler.›- High treasury reserves made the›issue of the Turbo Basic› Manual possible (with disk # 24)›- Hobby Tronic at Dortmund 5-8-91 to›5-12-91, it is not decided yet› if ABBUC participates.››7) PD-Ecke›Explains the reorganization of the›ABBUC PD library and the›addition of 6 more disks.››9) COMPY SHOP Neue Preisliste›COMPY SHOP's denial that it is out of›the 8-Bit market (there were›earlier stories about this!) and›their price list.››10) Frau Mueller's Spielecke›Tips and tricks for games, includes›changes of basic program›lines to get more lives etc. Mrs.›Mueller is an ABBUC member›and not fictional.››11) Glosse von Rolf A. Specht››The power of Habit!››    Really, one get's used to all›pleasant things in life,›only the unpleasant things do disturb›us time and time again.›    For instance the Atari computer.›In my school days I›solved math- and cosine problems with›pencil and paper. For›especially difficult situations I had›a pocket calculator›with my school tools. But when this›Atari entered my house, all›problem solving had to take the›detour thru the electronic›chips of this apparatus. Yes, it is›rather pleasant when›results can be decorated with text›and when repetitive tasks›need not be squeezed into the›keyboard of a TI 30, again and›again. ( Electronic freaks of the›early electronic years know›what I am talking about!).›    It is certainly comforting, when›the products of›heavenly inspirations, can be›transformed to cassette tapes.›There is no need in this way to store›the damn program on a›piece of paper every time. ( To my›knowledge, pencil and›paper are the slowest storage medium,›since the invention of›the stone tablet!).›    But, can all this be managed›faster? Sure, with a›disk drive one can overcome the slow›motion recording of a›cassette recorder.›    Oh God, how did I manage to store›data before I had a›disk drive.›    Did I say ONE drive? Well and›good, is it not more›pleasant to have TWO drives? It›spares me of the pesky disk›swapping. I did feel like a disk›jockey already! So, let's›get one!›    Well, well, those were the days,›hacking with only one›drive!›    Boy oh Boy, 19200 Baud are very›nice, but somehow there›should be a way to boost this....›COMPY/SHOP thank you! There›is the Speedy 1050!›    Was there life before the Speedy?›Funny, with it my,›informative wildlife really began!›What did I do, to boot›DOS, Before I had the Speedy? I›booted from a disk -›child's play!›    Besides, a third drive does well›as a disk holder when›copying, it is so classy. And›Alternate Reality without 3›drives is really a joke!›   Be that as it may, today 64 KB is›not enough anymore, at›least not for anybody who is serious›about his computer. Like›me for instance. The 130 XE is by all›means a fine›machine.... Assuming one is not›disturbed by the design›relationship between the XE and the›1050, which is about as›good a match as the banana to›TABASCO. But then there is the›XF drive, with which one can restore›the harmony on ones desk›again. it stores 360KB, ideal for›word processing with an›80-caracter card.›    And joysticks? What am I talking›about? Whole JoyBOARDS›are needed. Ball Games without›Autofire are really tough.›(the first night I owned one, was›spent playing Landscape,›Cyrus and other ball  games).›    Why in the world ATARI? ATARI is›the thing! Much faster,›bigger, and more storage and more›colors and a sound card and›much better gizmo's and Gigabytes and›in Mega drive WOW. And›what else? Tomorrow Tower AT,›EGA-Graphics too -gloock- in›Cray 2 realtime -piep- zrr...›frrzz... file loaded. -tuet-›page ready. Give input.›››---Obituary---›››Sorry to tell you, that the Author›never finished this text.›According to eyewitnesses he hunched,›severely shaking, over›his computer while writing this›article. Further more, he›allegedly ate, with a big grin, 2›dozen disks. The ensuing›spectacle was too horrendous to be›detailed here. Only this›much: medical personal describe this›as mutation.›After everything was over, a tower AT›was found in his chair.›Once in a while, so goes the rumor, a›shallow, metallic›laughter can be heard from the case›None of our technicians›dared as yet to remove the front›cover.››Rolf A. Specht›››12) Brief von Kemal Ezcan›KE-SOFT goes U.S.›    It's been a year ago now. Then,›at ABBUC's annual›meeting 1989, we met Horst Dewitz, a›Bit Byter from the USA,›who was nice enough to take home some›information about our›software. He promised to contact›interested companies and›pass on our material.›    It took some time for things to›happen. But then it›clicked: SOFTWARE INFINITY, a›software distributor over›there, showed interest in marketing›KE-SOFT products in the›USA.›    After some to and fro, it finally›became a reality: S.I.›will market and distribute KE-SOFT›products in the USA.›Advertisements will do the rest. At›the end of this year KE-›SOFT products will be available in›the USA.›     Our special thanks go to ABBUC,›thru which our contact›with Horst Dewitz was possible. A›special Thank You to Horst›of course, who started it all. It›would be nice to hear how›the marketing of our products›over‚there is working.››In conjunction with this, an appeal:››    Any programmer, who feels that he›can write commercial›grade programs, or who did already,›should contact us at KE-›SOFT and send us his work. Marketing›of your work thru KE-›SOFT will gain you a nice sum of›money (depending on the›quality of your work!) We are looking›for Games, Adventures,›Utilities and application of all›kinds. Program language can›be Basic, Turbo Basic, Quick, Action›or Assembly. So please,›send your work to:›KE-SOFT›Frankenstrasse 24›D-6457 Maintal 4›Germany››Well, greetings to all Bit Byters,››Sincerely Yours››Kemal Ezcan››END!›*************************************›