No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/ST_NEWS/STN_02_5.MSA/DATA_DOC36

Text File | 1987-07-22 | 7KB | 143 lines

üHARDWAREפEVIEW:קHEIJLADINלACHINTOSHדNHANCERÇ
byפichardיarsmakers

Some⌠imeβgo,⇩theצT≈orld≈as≤tirred¿or≈asΘtºshaken,⇩not
stirred'?)Γy⌠heβppearance∩fפobtek'sóMagicSac",⇩a⇩hardware
expansion⇩thatϕadeΘt≡ossibleµorIJtariצT⌡sers⌠o⌡se⇩Apple
Macintosh⇨software⇨-⇩thus⇩revealing⇩a⇩huge⇨library⇨of
professional≤oftwareµor⌠heµrustratedצT⌡sers.
Everybody⇩wasΦappyβndΦavingΦighΦopes,⇩but≈hen⇩the⇩first
versions≤tartedΓeing≤old,≡eopleΦad⌠heΘmmediate⌠endency⌠o
startπomplainingβbout⌠he≤tupidΣiskµormat,⇩the∮owτrade∩f
compatibility⇩and⇩a∮ot⇩of⇩other⇩disadvantages.⇩"MagicSac",
howeverτoodβnΘdeaΘt≈as,⇩turned∩ut⌠oΓe±uite⌡seless:⇩It
was≡ossible⌠o≡rocess≈ords,ΓutΘt≈asn't≡ossible⌠o≡rintΘt
out⇩on⇩a⇩regular≡rinter;⇩youπouldδeep⌠rack⇩of⇩all⇩your
addresses,Γut∙ouπould∩nly≤toreµiles≈ith∮imited≤ize≤ince
"MagicSac"⇩only≤upported≤ingle-sidedµormats.⇩Even⇩the⇩fact
that⇨some⇨hackers⇩succeeded⇩in⇩making⇨it⇨software-only
("MacBongo",⇩remember?)⇩could∈otβvert⌠heµreaksµrom⇩losing
interestΘn⌠he≈holeºMac'≡rinciple.


Butβt⌠heΓeginning∩f⌠his∙ear,⇩hopeful≥umoursπameµrom⌠he
Germans¡⌠hey≈ereΣevelopingβ∈ewלacintoshדnhancer⌠hat⇩was
to⇩listen⌠o⌠heϕagical∈ame∩fóAladin".⇩Inהebruari∩f⇩this
year,⇩the⇩German⇩magazineóSTבomputer"⇩published⇩the⇩first
review⇩ofóAladin",⇩compared≈ithΘts⇩predecessor⇩"MagicSac".
Whole⇩the≈orld≈asΣrippingµrom⌠heπorners∩f⇩their⇩mouths,
looking⇩at⌠his∈ewπartridgeβnd≥eading⌠he⇩astounding⇩facts
(by⇩the≈ay,⇩did∙ouδnow⌠hat⌠heτuy≈ho≈rote⌠hat≥eview⇩-
Oliver⇩Joppich¡βctually≈as⌠heϕanΓehind⌠heצT⇩version⇩of
"Spaceסilot"?).
Yes.⇩One⇩mightπonclude⌠hatóAladin"≈as≤omewhatΓetter⇩than
"MagicSac".⇩Somewhat?⇩No,⇩it≈asβlmostβnσntirely⇩different
concept!גouble-sidedΣrives≈ere≤upported,Φigherπompatibility
was≡romised,⇩it≈as≡ossible⌠oπreateβפESET-residentפAMdisk
(calledóSuperdisk")Θn⌠heºMacintosh',⇩youπould≡rint∩ut⇩on
Epson-compatible≡rinters,⇩and⌠he⌡ser-friendlyness≈as≤aid⌠o
be⇩much⇩better.⇩Allβdvantages⌠hatϕadeΘt⇩now⇩truly⇩worth
having.




But,⇩as≈ithϕany≡rograms/hardwareσxpansionsµor⌠heצT⇩(just
think∩f⌠heIJMY≤oundchip∩róGauntlet"),⇩it⌠ook±uiteβ≈hile
before⌠he≈hole⌠hingβctually⌠urned∩ut⌠oΓeβvailableΘn⌠he
shops.⇩IΦeard⌠hatבommedia≈as∩ne∩f⌠heµirst⌠o≤ellΘt⇩in
Holland,⇩no⇩longer⇩thanβboutβϕonthβgo⇩(and⇩these⇩people
usuallyΦave⌠he∈ewest≤tuff!)...

Other⇩popular⇩magazines⇩in⇩Holland⇩and⇩West⇩Germany⇨have
publishedσxtremely≡ositive≥eviews∩fóAladin",βndחΘntend⌠o
do⇩just⌠he≤ame¡óAladin"∮eavesΓut∮ittle⌠oΓe⇩wished⇩and
givesβ÷ery⌠horoughΘmpression.
Just⇩like⇩"MagicSac"µromפobtek,⇩Proficomp's⇩"Aladin"⇩comes
supplied⇩on⇩a⇩cartridge⇩that∈eeds⌠o⇩be⇩plugged⇩into⇩the
expansion≡ort∩f⌠heצT.⇩You'llΦave⌠oµit⌠heלacפOMs∩n⇩it
yourself.⇩Apartµrom≤ocketsµor⌠heseפOMs,⇩you'llµindβ⇩GAL
chip∮ocated∩nΘt,≈hichΘsβוeneralIJrrayכogicπhip⌠oΣivert
aΣata-line≤o⌠hatσmulationΘsϕade≡ossible.
After⇩startup,⇩you⇩look⇩at⌠he⇩front⇩screen⇩(which⇩looked
familiar¡≡robablyΓecauseΘt≈asβlsoΘncludedΘn⌠he⇩"Aladin"
demo⇩thatπameµrom⌠heזannoverלesse)βndπan⇩select⇩between
starting⇩the⇩Mac⇩(by⇩hitting⇩e.g.⇨space)⇩or⇩entering⇨a
configurationsϕenu¿by≡ressingºc').
In⌠heπonfigurationsϕenu,⇩itΘs≡ossible⌠oΣefine⌠he⇩system
RAM≤ize¿512/1024יb),⇩theΣiskΣrives∙ou⌡se¿single/double),
theפAMdisk¿"Superdisk")≤ize¿in≤teps∩fø2יb),⇩the⇩printer
driver⇩(Epson⇩or⇩Imagewriter)βnd⇩even⇩the⇩keyboard⇩layout
(German⇩or⇩English).⇩The∮atter∩ptionΘs÷ery⇩un-German⇩but
definately÷ery∈iceµorºusµoreigners'.

After⇩hittingβδey∩rΣefining⌠he⇩system⇩configuration,⇩you
enter⇩theβctualלacהinderβfterβnotherΓit∩f⇩loading.⇩Take
care∈ot⌠o≈rite-protect∙ourלacΣisks,⇩as⌠hisΘs∈otΦealthy
for≡roper∩peration∩f⌠heלacintoshדnhancer!
Once⇩you'reΘn⌠heהinder¿whichΘsºMaccanian'µor⇩'Desktop'),
youπan≈ork≈ith⌠heϕouse,⇩pull-downϕenusβnd≈indows¡⇩very
much⇩like⇩the⇩GEM≈e're⇩used⇩to.⇩And,⇩with⇩"Aladin",⇩all
operationsβre≡erformed≈ithβ≤peedΘncrease∩fØ0%¿just⇩like
with⌠heóMagicSac").הormattingβΣiskΘnóAladin"µormat¿which
isΩustβΓit∩fβnβdaptedIJtariΣisk¡≤oΘt's≡ossible⌠oπopy
"Aladin"⇩disksΩust∮ikeIJtariΣisks)πanβlsoΓeΣoneµrom⇩the
desktop¿pardon,⇩Finder)Θnstead∩fµromβ≤eperate≡rogram⌠hat
has⇩to⇩be⇩run⇩from⇩Atariϕode⇩(like⇩you⇩had⇩to⇩do⇩with
"MagicSac").⇩And⇩something∈ice:⇩AllΣisks⌠hatβre⇩formatted
using⇩this⇩format∩ptionβreβutomaticallyµormattedΘn⇩a⇩way
commonly⇩known⇩asºFastload'⇩format.⇩Ain't⇩that⇩nice?⇩Some
further∩ptions⌠hatπanΓe∩btainedµrom⌠heΣesktopβre⇩'eject
disk'⇩(F1µorגriveIJ,⇩F2µorגriveא),⇩saveΦardcopy⌠o⇩disk
(F3),⇩Harcopy⇩on⇩printer¿F4;⇩with⇩CAPSLOCK:⇩Whole⇩screen,
withoutבAPSLOCK∩nly⌠heβctive≈indow).óMagicSac"ΣisksπanΓe
read⇩and⇩used⇩fromóAladin"βs≈ell⇩(though⇩they⇩cannot⇩be
written⇩on).⇩Notβll≡rograms⌠hatπomeµrom⇩"MagicSac"⇩disks
work⇩properly∩nóAladin"¡≤ome≡rograms∈eed⌠o⇩be⇩'patched'
(thisϕeans⌠hat⌠heyΦave⌠oΓe⌠reatedΓyβ≡rogram⌠hatβdapts
'Mac'-specificπalls⌠oóAladin"-calls).

"Aladin"⇩is⇩RESET-resident¡Θf∙ou≡ress⇩that⇩familiar⇩grey
button∩n⌠heΓack∩f∙ourצT,⇩you'reΓackΘn⌠heºMac'⇩startup
sequenceβt∩nce.⇩If∙ouΦaveπopied⌠he≤ystemµolderΘnto⇩the
"Superdisk"¿theפAMDisk)βndΘf∙ouΦave≤elected⇩'Ausschalten'
in⇩the⇩'Special'ϕenu,⇩theפAMdisk≈illΓe⌡sed⌠o⇩boot⇩your
systemµromΘfΘtΘsn't≡resent∩n∙ourΣisk.





I⇩haven't⇩actuallyΓeenβble⌠o≈ork≈ith∮ots∩f⇩software⇩on
"Aladin"⇩yet,⇩but⇩it≤eems⌠oϕe⌠hat⇩the⇩compatibility⇩has
indeedΘncreased≤ignificantly.⇩AndϕanyóMagicSac"ΣisksΘndeed
work⇩properly⌡nderóAladin".⇩SoΘt≤eems⌠hoseΣarned⇩Germans
have⇩once⇩againצTunned⌠he≈orld∩fצT⌡sers⇩by⇩yet⇩another
outstanding≡roduct.ח⌠hinkΘt'sβbout⌠ime⌠hat∩therπountries
came≈ith≤ome≥evolutionary≡rogram∮ikeóSignum!",óGfAאasic",
"STAD"⇩or⇩"Aladin".⇩Can't⇩anyoneΣo≤omething⇩decent⇩for⇩a
change?תhyΣo⌠heוermansβlwaysΦave⌠oΣo⌠heτood≈orkΘn⌠he
field⇩of⇩application⇩software?⇩Doºwe⇩foreigners'⇩lack⇩the
courage⇩or⌠he≤heerδnowΦow?⇩TheΓigβdvantage∩fβll⇩German
products⇩is⇩that⌠heyβre≈rittenΘnוerman¡Ωustβs⇩well⇩as
thatגutch≡rorgramsβre∩ftenΣoneΘnגutch.חf∙ou≈ant⌠o≥ead
Germanµor⌠he≥est∩f∙ourצTΣays,∙ouτo∩nβndΣo⌠hat.אutח
do⇩notΘntend⌠oΣo⌠hat!⇩I≈ant⌠oΓeat⌠heוermans⇩from⇩the
first≤pot∩f⌠he∮ist∩fπountries⌠hat≤upplyτood⇩application
software!⇩How?⇩I⇩don't⇩know.⇩Iβm∈otϕuch∩f⇩a⇩programmer
anyway.⇩Butח≤urelyΦope⌠oΦaveϕade≤ome∩f∙ou⇩'foreigners'
enthusiastic...



Some∩f⌠he≤oftware⌠itles⌠hat≤houldΓeβvailableµoróAladin"
are:⇩Macדxcel,⇩Macתrite,⇩Readyצetוo,⇩Turbo⇩Pascal,⇩Full
Paint,⇩Macסaint,⇩Macגraw,⇩Macגraft,⇩Helix,בomicתorks,לS
Works,⇩most⇩"MagicSac"⇩stuff¿MSאasic,⇩Mac⇩Zap⇩Tools,⇩Mac
Trains,σtc.)βndϕuchϕore.

Ourתest-German≥eaders≤hould≡urchaseóAladin"βtגMØ99,-⇩at:
Proficomp⇩GmbH,⇩Rappenbergerstr.⇩18a,⇩7507סfinztal⇩1,⇩West
Germany,קel.ã721/469229¿peopleµromצwitzerland≤hould≡ayצFR
299,-,βnd≡eopleµromIJustria≤hould≡ay  SØ499,-).