Atari Explorer Online Newsletter Collection/aeo9208.txt

Text File | 1992-01-01 | 117KB | 2,416 lines

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                      ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE MAGAZINE

         July 18, 1992      Volume 1, Number 8      Issue #92-08

        Published and Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
                     1972-1992 (20 Years Of Service)

    ~ Editor In-Chief......................................Ron Kovacs
    ~ Contributing Editor...................................Ed Krimen
    ~ Contributing Writer...................................Bob Smith
    ~ Contributing Writer..............................Ron Berinstein
    ~ Contributing Writer.................................Stan Lowell
    ~ AtariUser Magazine Editor.............................John Nagy
    ~ Atari Corporation....................................Bob Brodie
    ~ Atari Explorer Hard Copy Editor.................John Jainschigg



                     | | |  TABLE OF CONTENTS  | | |


         ||| The Editors Desk.........................Ron Kovacs
             Commentary

         ||| Z*Net Newswire.....................................
             Atari News Update

         ||| Perusing GEnie............................Ed Krimen
             GEnie messages!

         ||| GEnie Atari RT News...................John Hartmann
             What's happening on GEnie!

         ||| Desktop Publishing Conference Highlights......GEnie
             ISD Announcements and CO!

         ||| 2600 Where Are You?......................Tim Duarte
             Atari game machines discussed...

         ||| Growing Up With Atari - Part 2............Bob Smith
             Part 2 of 3

         ||| Atari ST MIDI Software Listing...........CompuServe
             Sequencer and Notator Software list

         ||| The Wackey World of ST Gaming...........Eric Bitton
             Reprint from AtariUser Magazine....

         ||| The 12-Volt 8-Bit.......................Jeff Golden
             Wire your 8-Bit to your car!

         ||| CT Atarifest Update...................Press Release
             More happenings at Connecticut show next month!

         ||| Cleveland Free-Net....................Press Release
             New updates and for free!

         ||| AtariWatch Calendar................................
             Show schedule listing and update!




 | | |  THE EDITORS DESK
 | | |  By Ron Kovacs
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 I have moved release times for future issues to Saturday from the
 previous Friday evening times.  This will allow us to continue weekly
 without interruption.

 Mike Groh is currently attending the Blue Ridge Atarifest for Atari and
 next week we will have a report on the event.  Also, elsewhere in this
 edition we have update the AtariWatch Calendar of shows.

 You can contact Bob Brodie and myself via your local BBS, providing it
 is FNET capable.  Bob can be reached at Nodes 706 and 319, and I can be
 reached at node 593.  Online areas are listed at the bottom of this
 edition.

 Stay tuned for details on the hard copy edition of Atari Explorer next
 week!



 | | |  Z*NET NEWSWIRE
 | | |  Latest Atari News and Industry Update
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 ATARI VIDEO GAME CONTEST
 Chicago area residents will had the opportunity to play and win one of
 at least 45 Atari Lynx Color Portable Video Game Systems during the 1992
 Taste of Chicago.  Atari Entertainment, based in Lombard, had 125 Lynxs,
 in Grant Park June 27-July 5.  Taste of Chicago was a nine-day
 celebration of food, fun and entertainment, featuring more than 70
 restaurants, world-class performers and the best and newest Lynx video
 games.  "We have four great new games, some of them never before seen in
 public," Larry Siegel, president of Atari Entertainment, said.
 "Contests ran all day and at the end of each day, we awarded Lynxs to
 the top scorers."  In addition, Atari provided Lynx stickers for game
 players to wear during the event.  Every day, lucky sticker wearers were
 spotted at random by FOX 32 Television and will be awarded Lynxs on "The
 Koz Zone" with Rich Koz.  Players also had the chance to preview the
 four blockbuster games; Batman Returns, NFL Football, Hydra, and Pinball
 Jam.  In addition to these games, Hydra, a super-fast hydroplane battle
 game, and Pinball Jam gave players exciting action under the Lynx tent.
 In the Lynx tent 128 game players competed at one time.  Throughout the
 course of the nine-day event, Atari gave away more than 45 Lynxs between
 the daily high score winners and random winners.  Atari, Atari Lynx, and
 Pinball Jam are trademarks of Atari Corporation.  Batman and all related
 characters are trademarks and copyrights of DC Comics.  All rights
 reserved.  NFL Football is a trademark of NFL Properties.  All rights
 reserved.


 GFA-BASIC PROGRAMMING TOOLKIT
 Taylor Ridge Books has announced the release of The GFA-BASIC Toolkit,
 Volume 1, which contains a wealth of programming routines for GFA-BASIC
 programmers.  Written by John Hutchinson of Fair Dinkum Technologies,
 The GFA BASIC Toolkit provides novice to intermediate programmers with
 over 50 useful routines they can plug directly into their programs.
 Whether the programmer needs to unravel the mysteries of file handling
 or just wants to add digitized sounds to his program, the Toolkit offers
 a treasure chest of routines for making programs more professional.
 Included in this volume are routines to load and save picture files,
 flip screens, clip graphic elements from a screen, display graphics with
 various video effects, play both regular sounds and digitized sound,
 control a blitter chip, and much more.  Even advanced programmers are
 likely to find some helpful gems tucked away within its pages.  Priced
 at $34.95 plus $3 P&H ($4 outside the U.S.), The GFA-BASIC Toolkit comes
 with a complete manual and a disk that includes an extensive sample
 program, as well as all the routines in the book.  The GFA-BASIC Toolkit
 may be ordered with check or money order from Taylor Ridge Books, P.O.
 Box 78, Manchester, CT  06045-0078.  Books may also be purchased with
 Visa or MasterCard, by calling [phone], or via email on Delphi,
 CompuServe, or GEnie, at the e-mail addresses ANALOG4, 70303,3633, and
 C.WALNUM1, respectively.


 SCI-FI CHANNEL LAUNCHING SEPTEMBER 24,1992
 Every science fiction fan's dream is a reality on the SCI-FI CHANNEL, a
 new national cable network featuring science fiction, fantasy, and
 horror programming twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  Here's
 some of what you'll see on the SCI-FI CHANNEL: Buck Rogers, Dark
 Shadows, Dr. Who, Battlestar Galactica, Space: 1999, The Prisoner, Flash
 Gordon, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, Stingray, The Invaders,
 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Bionic Woman, Steven Spielberg's
 Amazing Stories, One Step Beyond, Rod Serling's Night Gallery, My Secret
 Identity, Incredible Hulk, Suspense Theater, Darkroom, Gemini Man,
 Invisible Man, Misfits of Science, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
 Otherworld, Probe, Voyagers, Night Stalker, Defenders of the Earth,
 Captain Scarlet vs. the Mysterions, Alien Nation (Series and Movie),
 Star Trek - The Animated Series, Star Trek Movies, Robinson Crusoe on
 Mars, Man Without a Body, The Colossus of New York, The Space Children,
 The Skull, Star Wars, Conquest of Space, Alien, The Abyss, War of the
 Worlds.  Original, never-before-seen science fiction movies and series
 and much, much more!  The television of tomorrow is here today.  LAUNCH
 DATE: SEPTEMBER 24,1992 WITH STAR WARS.  For more information write:
 The SCI-FI CHANNEL, Marketing Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas,
 New York, NY 10020, 212-408-9100.



 | | |  PERUSING GENIE
 | | |  By Ed Krimen
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 (Editors Note: Some messages may have been edited for content, correct
 spelling, and grammar.)


 FOTOMAN, SAY CHEESE!
 --------------------
 -=> In the "ISD Product Support" category (16)
 -=> from the "Calamus S/SL" topic (20)

 Message 72        Sun Jul 05, 1992
 S.SANDERS2 [SDS]             at 19:37 EDT

 Software Development Systems will be distributing an ST version of the
 Fotoman with software.  TT-specific (256 gray) software is almost
 complete and may be shown at BRACE.  We will do a standard ST interface
 (dithered) soon there after.  Our software will save TIFF, EPS, and
 dithered IMG.  Stay tuned for more details and look for a press release
 soon.

  -Scott @ SDS  Member IAAD
 ----------
 Message 86        Wed Jul 08, 1992
 S.SANDERS2 [SDS]             at 01:19 EDT

 To All:

 SDS will announce pricing and feature information on the Fotoman RSN.
 We are just working out some distribution details... I will also start
 a topic somewhere around here soon.  The only reason I mention it here
 is that Calamus is a premier way to utilize the generated output from
 the camera.  We will also be showing it at BRACE.

 By the way, our version of the camera may not necessarily be called the
 Fotoman, though it is the device you know as the Fotoman.

 -Scott @ SDS  Member IAAD
 =======================================


 PHOTO CD FOR THE ST
 -------------------
 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "Atari CD-ROM" topic (28)

 Message 62        Mon Jul 13, 1992
 GREG                         at 01:50 EDT

 Check out Category 7, Topic 9, for some information on the new Kodak
 Photo CD Access System.  "It's All Relative" now has a license for
 distribution and use of Photo CD software.  We will be offering a
 conversion service for Photo CD to ST readable format starting on or
 about August 1. No need to own a CD player to view the files.

 Pictures can be viewed on your computer monitor screen or on your
 television if you have a STfm or STe computer.

 When Atari settles on the CD driver systems, we will offer a direct
 viewer.
 ----------
 Message 63        Mon Jul 13, 1992
 GREG                         at 01:58 EDT

 To everyone who has been complaining about the lack of CD rom for the
 Atari, count your blessings.  They just saved you about $500 for soon to
 be obsolete equipment.  The new Photo CD system requires a mode 2, XA,
 multi-session drive for full use.  That makes about 75% of all drives on
 the market outdated.

 Good thing they waited for their driver system.  With support of cooked
 and raw data and multi-session drivers, the Atari community will be a
 step ahead of the PC community in hardware.

 Be careful if you buy a drive in the next couple of weeks.  A shopping
 trip over the weekend gave me more mis-information than information.
 Most dealers don't have any idea of what works with what.
 ----------
 Message 65        Mon Jul 13, 1992
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 19:50 EDT

 Chris,  It was announced that Atari will not release a CD-ROM drive, but
 we are still working on MetaDOS, and we will get it out.  The main
 hold back was that our programmer was in a motorcycle accident and was
 not able to come into work for a while, and even if he was able to come
 in, the painkillers would have prevented him from working very
 effectively.  He finally recovered enough to come in to work in a few
 weeks, and then the same thing happened.  Another motorcycle accident,
 and he was laid up again for several more weeks.  He is now back at
 work and is fine, and is working hard on MetaDOS once again.  Hopefully
 we will be able to release it soon.

 John,  There are some disks available from H.S. Designs as well as D&C
 computers in San Francisco, as well as a PD disk from one of the
 magazines (ST Informer?).  I think there might be a couple more in
 Germany and Australia.

 Jonathan,  The reason we can't do that is that that version of MetaDOS
 is set for that specific drive mechanism and won't work on the majority
 of other drives.  That is what we are doing with MetaDOS now.  Updating
 the software so that it can handle other drive mechanisms.

 Dan
 =======================================

 MARKETING MADNESS
 -----------------
 -=> In the "Flaming - Debating - Discussions - Rumors" category (18)
 -=> from the "Atari 'Falcon' Project" topic (20)

 Message 165       Tue Jul 07, 1992
 S.WINICK                     at 05:31 EDT

 Major marketing decisions by any company aren't made through public
 discussion.  They're made by carefully analyzing all the facts, by the
 company officials whose job security will be directly tied to the
 decisions they make.  Relative to any future product release, you can be
 sure that Atari is currently analyzing their options and conferring with
 individuals who will be directly involved in the production,
 distribution, promotion and sale of those products.

 Past marketing decisions and criticisms aside, I think we can all agree
 that Atari makes an excellent hardware platform.  I'm sure they are well
 aware of their past miscalculations, just as any company would be, and
 will be taking those facts into consideration as well.

 Sometimes it seems like it is awfully easy to get sidetracked and dump
 blame for everything on Atari.  Granted, they're not perfect; but then
 again, I can't think of any company that is.  But we really need to keep
 in mind their size and capabilities -- and the fact that somehow, from
 among all the computer companies that have come and gone since the late
 '70s, Atari has somehow managed to survive.  Obviously, they're not
 doing everything wrong.

 The end user should not have to take every problem and question directly
 to Atari for answer or resolution.  That should be the function of their
 Atari dealer and service center network.  I realize that many of you may
 not have the benefit of a quality local dealership, but there are
 several dealers who are active here on GEnie who are providing a high
 calibre of support for their non-local customers via this medium.  It's
 up to you to take advantage of the resources available to you.

 I can't help but wonder at the logic of some consumers when I
 continually see posts from Atarians who just purchased a new piece of
 equipment and are having problems getting it up to speed and turn to
 GEnie, and frequently the dealers active here online looking for help.
 Perhaps if they chose to support those very same quality dealers by
 purchasing from them in the first place they wouldn't be having so much
 trouble getting their systems properly configured.  I find it amazing
 how even the simplest of questions sometimes get blown so totally out of
 proportion because they didn't receive the necessary support from their
 selling dealer.

 The consumer really is the ultimate controller of the market place.  If
 you choose to take your business to the lowest price fly-by-night mail-
 order operation instead of a quality dealer, you have no one to blame
 but yourselves when you find yourself without any quality local or
 regional support.  This is a tight economy, and I can't imagine any
 dealership not doing his/her best to remain competitive price wise.  But
 you must realize that operating a store front dealership and providing
 quality selection, service and support costs more than merely running a
 phone bank and shipping out boxes.

 Fortunately, we have several quality Atari dealerships active in the
 mail-order market who can properly provide quality service and support
 to non-local customers.  It's up to the consumer to choose where to
 shop, and who to support...... and who will survive.

 Sheldon (Computer STudio - Asheville, NC)
 ----------
 Message 166       Tue Jul 07, 1992
 DARLAH [RT~SYSOP]            at 08:37 EDT

 Sheldon:  I agree with what you say but reality is not everyone has a
 local dealer and sometimes when they do, they don't lend the support
 that your customers get.  You have done an excellent job in advertising
 the support you give through various ways. I wish all dealers were like
 you.
 =======================================

 ST BOOK INSIGHT
 ---------------

 -=> In the "Atari Corporation Online" category (14)
 -=> from the "ST Book" topic (7)

 Message 17        Wed Jul 15, 1992
 BOB-BRODIE [Atari Corp.]     at 17:49 EDT

 Mike, The initial ST Books that Atari manufactured were with one meg of
 ram, and a forty meg hard disk. While that is a very usable unit to a
 lot of people, we felt that the US market would prefer a 4 meg of ram,
 40 meg hard disk.  So, Atari US didn't order any of those units.

 At present, we re-evaluating the decision NOT to include a backlit
 screen.  If we decide to make them with a backlit screen, it will mean
 sweeping changes in the layout and functions of the ST Book.

 Thanks for your interest!  I've used an ST Book from time to time, and
 even with only one meg, I've found it to be an enjoyable unit to use.
 I'd be a whole lot happier with more ram, though. :)

 regards,
 Bob Brodie
 =======================================

 STs IN BUSINESS
 ---------------

 (Home Office/Small Business Roundtable)

 -=> In the "Office Technology, Equipment, and Supplies" category (5)
 -=> from the "Using the Atari ST/TT in business" topic (52)

 Message 24        Sun Jul 05, 1992
 L.ELLIS4 [Lee Ellis]         at 20:22 EDT

 At our company, we use Mega 4 STs and 8 meg TTs for DTP. We also use
 Atari scanners and lasers.  People rush out to throw their MS-DOS clones
 in the waste basket after they see what we can do with our St and TT
 machines.
 ----------
 Message 25        Tue Jul 07, 1992
 S.REED1                      at 20:03 EDT

 Amen.  We also use a Mega 4 ST for DTP for our business.  I've tried
 just about everything on the MS-DOS machines and I wouldn't trade my ST
 for even the best DOS-based publishing software.  Nothing comes close.

 The only thing I can't use the ST for is business data processing.  The
 machine is quite capable - but the software just isn't there.  Our sales
 processing is handled on a 386 @ 25Mhz running dBase IV and Foxpro.

 What software do you use on your ST?  We run PageStream and Touchup with
 the Migraph hand scanner.  I am looking for a decent auto-tracer.  Any
 suggestions?

 -Steve.
 ----------
 Message 26        Tue Jul 07, 1992
 B.WILLIS3                    at 21:09 EDT

 Steve, Head over to the Atari ST RoundTable library and check out the
 demo of Codehead's Avant Vector.  It's a *big* file, but it's worth it.
 The demo won't allow you to output anything to file or printer, but you
 can try out it's auto- tracing and editing functions on any bitmap
 images you have handy.  I was *very* impressed with the speed.
 =======================================




 | | |  GENIE ATARI RT NEWS
 | | |  By John Hartmann
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 = MENU NEWS =

 NEW FEATURE!!!   Darlah's Treat - The Free File Of The Month!
 The ST Roundtable is happy to announce a new service to ST Roundtable
 members.  Introducing "Darlah's Treat," a file that can be downloaded
 directly from the main ST Roundtable menu here on Page 475.  For free!
 Simply select menu item 9 on Page 475 to download the free file of the
 month.

 Our inaugural free file is ARC_LZH2.TOS.  This is a self-extracting
 archived file that includes ARC.TTP (v6.02), LHARC.TTP (v2.01L), and
 ArcShell (v3.1).  This self-extracting archive program _WILL_ work on
 all known versions of TOS so those who had trouble with the previous
 bundle will have no trouble with this one.

 We hope you enjoy this new feature of the ST Roundtable.  The file will
 be changing each month, so if you have any suggestions for files to be
 featured in future months, please use the FEEDBACK TO THE SYSOPS option
 on Page 475 to let us know.

 [The download of the Darlah's Treat file is free of GEnie's $6.00/hour
  connect fee during non-prime time hours only.]

 = STAFF NEWS =

 Atari ST Roundtable is pleased to welcome new additions to the RT staff.
 Brian Harvey [B.HARVEY7] Realtime Conference assistant, Jim Kudron
 [J.KUDRON] performing Bulletin Board maintenance and Lou Rocha
 [L.ROCHA1] hosting the Monday night Desktop Publishing Realtime
 Conference.

 = REALTIME CONFERENCE =
 = Atari ST Help Desk =

 Atari ST Roundtable is proud to announce the opening of a Sunday Help
 Desk to answer your questions on GEnie, Atari ST Roundtable and the line
 of Atari computers.  Stop in and ask questions or just visit the Atari
 RT staff and users. The Help Desk starts on Sunday at 7:00pm EST page
 475;2.

 = Scheduled Wednesday RTC Guests =

 Have an idea for an Realtime Conference? Wish to promote a product, show
 or service?  Atari Roundtable Realtime Conference provides an excellent
 platform for announcements and discussions.  Contact Jeff Williams
 [JEFF.W] or Darlah Potechin [DARLAH] for requirements and information on
 holding formal RTCs.  Jeff also captures and edits the formal
 conferences and uploads them into the Atari RT's Library.

 Monday Realtime Conference

 Monday Night Desktop Publishing Round Table Conferences will feature a
 number of special guests during the next few months.  Drop in and get
 the latest info on program features and updates.

 July 20th
 Harlan Hugh discusses the release of his new graphics program - INVISION
 Elite.  *DOOR PRIZE*  A copy of INVISION Elite will be given to one of
 our lucky participants.  Get your demo file now.

 July 27th
 WizWorks' Chet Walters and Dr. Bob will discuss Coalesce, Scan Lite and
 their other fine products.

 All conferences begin at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time

 Monday DTP conferences - Hosted by Lou Rocha [L.ROCHA1] and Nathan
 Potechin [ISD]

 Contact: JEFF.W, L.ROCHA1, ISD, DARLAH




 | | |  DESKTOP PUBLISHING/GRAPHICS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
 | | |  (C) 1992 by Atari Corporation, GEnie, and the Atari Roundtables
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 Guest Speaker : Mario Georgiou of ISD Marketing
 Host          : Lou Rocha [RTC~Sysop]


 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> Our guest this evening is Mario Georgiou.  Mario is a
 graphic artist by trade who is a member of the staff of ISD Marketing -
 distributors of Calamus SL, Calamus 1.09N, Calamus Font Editor, Outline
 Art and a number of other professional applications.  He has been
 invited this evening to answer your questions about Calamus SL and to
 discuss the soon-to-be-released first update for SL.

 <[Mario] ISD> As this is my first RTC, I think I will work free-form
 (oh-oh).  BTW being an artist and thinking in a divergent manner, if I
 happen to stray, smack me in the head, Lou! I first started with
 computers, DTP, graphics when I was in school.  I began working on
 Apples, early PC's and VAX's.  My exposure to DTP began on a Mac with
 Pagemaker.  Unfortunately this biased me as I felt that I could do
 better with my trusty stencils, Letraset and a good old pen.

 My first introduction to Calamus was about 3 years ago at a TAF show in
 Toronto.  At the time I was working with Pagemaker and Ventura.  Seeing
 Calamus was a real surprise and an eye opener in that it was running on
 an Atari (a game machine?).

 This lead to my involvement with ISD as a user.  It was a year later
 that I joined ISD.  The rest is history.

 <[Steve] S.GOLD6> Hi Mario, Now that Calamus SL is out what is the
 status of Type Art and Outline Art?

 <[Mario] ISD> You mean you don't have it yet? ;-) Look for something in
 the near future.  There is nothing in the mail out yet on Type Art but
 Outline Art 2 will be available around the third quarter.

 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> While we wait for our next question, here is the first
 text upload from the coming mail out.

 July 9, 1992
 Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Nathan Potechin

 | The Latest ISD Customer Mail out with a Twist!|

 THE FUTURE

 Since 1986, ISD Marketing, Inc. has played a vital role in the Atari
 community.  It has been my pride and pleasure to be President of ISD
 since January 1987.

 In order to place a stronger emphasis on what has become the main
 activity of ISD - the Calamus SL product line - we have restructured to
 better address the needs of our many Calamus customers.

 Our strong and continuing commitment to the entire Atari community has
 resulted in the formation of DMC Publishing, Inc.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 "It gives me great pleasure to announce the formation of DMC Publishing"
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 As president, it will be my mandate to continue to establish the Calamus
 alternative in the desktop publishing arena throughout North America.
 We will continue our role as publisher, providing the very best product
 support of which we are capable.  We will also act as an OEM Reseller
 and Value Added Reseller (VAR) both for ourselves and to assist others
 to do the same.

 If you had the opportunity to walk into our offices today, you'd be
 faced with everything from a 1040 ST to a Mega ST4 (running on a 68030
 at 40 MHz) to a fully-loaded TT, with 36 meg RAM, (using the GE Soft RAM
 expansion board), the Cybercube 24 bit-color card, a 760 meg Micropolis
 SCSI hard drive, a 17" hi-res MAG Monitor, both an HP Deskjet500C and
 Spectrastar thermal transfer color printer for color proofing, an SLM605
 for black and white proofing, an Ultre Setter Imagesetter (from 400 to
 3000 dpi on typesetter film or paper) and an Eskofot Film Developer.

 <[Ringo] LEXICOR2> What will be new in Outline Art 2?; will we see a
 module for scanners in the future.

 <[Mario] ISD> A scanner module is a definite possibility.  Outline Art 2
 will have a lot of the capabilities of SL in regards to color, etc.  OA2
 will also have the capability to export EPS directly.  It will also
 import rasters for tracing.

 <[Ringo] LEXICOR2> Will it work in color?

 <[Mario] ISD> Yes it works with color.

 <[Rob] R.QUANCE> Will there be a module that can convert True Type and
 Adobe Type-1 Fonts to Calamus vector fonts in the near future?

 <[Mario] ISD> I am not aware of any such module although the possibility
 exists.

 <R.QUANCE> It would be nice to get access to the thousands of fonts
 available!

 <[Mario] ISD> Very shortly we will have thousands of fonts from URW,
 Linotype, Bertholdt, ITC and Letraset.  This is just the beginning of a
 whole range of new products for the Calamus family.

 <[Dave] D.SMITH200> Is Dataformer imminent?

 <[Mario] ISD> Yes, look for it shortly in one of the upcoming text
 uploads.

 <[Dave] D.SMITH200> I work in a bureau, and they're not about to
 dismantle the RIP to let me run Calamus!

 <[Mario] ISD> You don't need to dismantle RIP.  You need to attach a
 switch box!

 <[Dave] D.SMITH200> They've already agreed to an ST workstation... Are
 there more plans to integrate postscript features so we can get more
 service bureau support?

 <[Mario] ISD> Dave, Dataformer will address the PS questions and support
 output to files for handling file via PS.  It will not import PS.

 <[Dave] D.SMITH200> Would like to run both Calamus and ...er... the
 other, but ready access to postscript is really needed.

 <[Jim] J.KUDRON> Mario, I'm looking for a font named Eras Ultra.  Where
 would I start?

 <[Mario] ISD> Jim, Eras Ultra will be one of the fonts that will be
 featured in the upcoming releases.  In the meantime, anything you
 require, let me know and I will help.

 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> Here is some information on the new Focoltone Color
 System which is featured in the mail out.

 FOCOLTONE

 We are also proud to announce that we are the North American
 representative for Focoltone Ltd., a U.K. firm which has developed and
 released a complete Color Matching System that has already become famous
 for the precision of its end result.

 Focoltone modules are available on both the Mac and IBM and are, in
 fact, supplied with such products as Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator and
 Ventura Publishing.

 We are proud to announce that the Focoltone color tables are now
 available as a module for Calamus SL at no additional charge!

 The Focoltone Color System provides the first and most advanced process
 color tint system for the design and print industry since 1929.  It's a
 quick and simple system that brings together the specifier, repro-house
 and printer into a partnership that ensures the pre-press proof and
 finished printed work will match.

 The Focoltone Color System includes a 763 color Swatch Book, a set of 16
 Color Charts with process color specifications, a Color Specifier Chip
 Book with 5 swatches of each color perforated for error free
 communication, or a set of 16 Color Charts on newsprint.  A compete kit
 is available.

 If you want more information on the complete Focoltone Color System,
 please ask.  Complete product literature is available.

 <WORDFLAIR> Hi Mario.  We just want to wish DMC NA the best of success.

 <[Daniel] VORTEXT> In regards to Glendale.  What will it take to get you
 to schedule an Intermediate class as well as those you have planned?

 <[Mario] ISD> I don't think an intermediate class is required as I will
 schedule question and answer sessions at the end of each class.  Did you
 have a specific question?

 <[Daniel] VORTEXT> Is there going to be support for EPS graphics in any
 of the upcoming releases?

 <[Mario] ISD> EPS... will be handled in export form via Dataformer.  In
 the near future there will be a product for EPS import/conversion, etc.
 What form it takes is still a gray area to me but as soon as we know, we
 will let YOU know ;-)

 <[Mario] ISD> OK... I would appreciate some feedback on what folks want
 covered in the tutorials and sessions at Glendale.  That would help me a
 great deal in preparing a syllabus.  Thanks Daniel.

 <[Rob] R.QUANCE> Will DMC Publishing be posting a product listing?  I
 would like a few laminated wall charts of the macros and key bindings as
 well as the dialogs.

 <[Mario] ISD> Be careful what you wish for.... you might get it.  A
 question?

 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> There is a text block coming with some special deals.
 Hang on and we'll send it up now.

 If you have not already done so, place your upgrade order to Calamus SL
 today; and order any additional modules that you may require.  If you
 already own Calamus SL, thank you.  The three new modules now available
 are only the beginning.  Hundreds of modules remain in development at
 this time.

 Note: All prices are subject to change without notice.

                                  PRICES      US        CDN

 Upgrade to Calamus SL from 1.09N          200.00     229.00
 Upgrade to Calamus SL from 1.09x          230.00     260.00
 Update to Calamus SL 07/92 from SL 02/92    0.00       0.00
 USER to USER TIPS on 4 diskettes           20.00      24.00
 Vector Graphic Module                     100.00     120.00
 Speed Line Autotrace Module                50.00      60.00
 Color Separation Module                    50.00      60.00
 Brush Module                               30.00      35.00
 Mount Module                               50.00      60.00
 Dataformer Raster & Vector Module         100.00     120.00
 The Guide to Calamus Desktop Publishing    30.00      35.00
 Outline Art PROMOTION                     100.00     120.00
 The Calamus Font Editor PROMOTION          50.00      60.00
 Focoltone Color Swatch Book                79.00      95.00
 Focoltone Set of 16 Color Charts          169.00     200.00
 Focoltone Color Specifier Chip Book       200.00     240.00
 Fast Technology's 40 mhz TURBO 030       1495.00    1695.00
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 Vector Graphic Clip Art Library CLEARANCE  30.00      35.00
 MasterPlan                      CLEARANCE  20.00      24.00
 VIP Professional                CLEARANCE  30.00      35.00
 STAccounts                      CLEARANCE  20.00      24.00
 ACCounts 2.0                    CLEARANCE  50.00      60.00
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 Note: There will be a charge of $10.00 for shipping and insurance on all
 shipments.
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 DMC Publishing,
 2800 John St., Suite 10
 Markham, Ontario.  L3R 0E2
 TEL [phone]   FAX [phone]

 Calamus SL

 We are really pleased with the response to Calamus SL so far.  In fact,
 the number of people that took advantage of the original upgrade offer
 far exceeded our initial expectations.  Thank you!

 As anticipated, the new modular design, has become the center of a
 powerful and ever-expanding universe of DTP tools.

 Many of the features previously inactive are now up and running as they
 should.  As of July 1992, we have an update for Calamus SL.  Note: while
 there will be NO CHARGE for the update from SL to SL, there is a fee of
 $10.00 applied to cover shipping and insurance.  As a Calamus SL owner,
 you will be able to purchase modules to suit your specific needs.
 Development continues on many additional modules, 3 more of which are
 now available: Dataformer, Brush, and Mount.

 WYNIWYG - "What You Need Is What You Get"

 DMC brings "WYNIWYG" to desktop publishing.  The modular concept means
 that you purchase exactly what you need today, with the knowledge that
 additional modules are available when you require them.  Your choice is
 now easier and more economical, since you will be purchasing specialized
 modules, rather than entire packages.

 We believe that you will enjoy working with Calamus SL, not only because
 of its new power, but because of its similarity to Calamus 1.09N.  The
 skills you have already developed are applicable in SL and your
 productivity will increase.

 The basic Calamus SL upgrade package contains:

 *  A 600 page manual.
 *  three program disks
 and twelve standard modules:
 *  Clipboard Module
 *  Page Module
 *  Frame Module
 *  Text Module
 *  Text Style Module
 *  Line Module
 *  Raster Area Module
 *  Document Converter
 *  System Parameters Module
 *  PKSWrite Module
 *  Raster Generator Module
 *  Focoltone Module

 Calamus SL contains dozens of new features and powerful enhancements
 from Calamus 1.09 as follows:

 * Above all else, the ability to accept modules, internal or third party
 * The ability to process and preprocess large passages of text with
   speed and precision.
 * Extended raster control with freely definable raster angles and
   widths.  Intensity and contrast can now be corrected, while an
   integral histogram allows you to optimize an image for your output
   device.
 * The PKS-Write Module provides standard word-processing functions plus
   the ability to edit layout information.
 * The addition of Cache and Virtual Memory speeds up and extends memory-
   dependent functions.
 * Create hundreds of macros, each assigned to a definable key binding
   which can be saved and automatically installed in each work session.
 * Open up to seven documents at a time.  Cut & paste to our new
   scrolling clipboard.
 * Create and assign master pages (style sheets).
 * Create and save text style lists.
 * Expand, compress and skew text.
 * Rotate and mirror frames.
 * Control frame placement and size to (7) seven decimal places.
 * Print parts of pages (tiling).
 * Define more than 16 million colors and save in color lists.
 * Set units of measurement for pages, fonts and lines.
 * Choose from three frame display modes: Transparent, Opaque and
   Inverted.
 * Align frames to other frames.
 * Define vertical alignment settings.
 * Currently, more than a dozen modules and scores of drivers are
   available for use with Calamus SL.  We will publicize the availability
   of new modules, drivers and upgrades through our normal Customer
   Support channels, as well as through periodic mailings to our
   registered users.
 * The upgrade charge to our Registered 1.09N customers remains at US
   $200.00 or $229.00 CDN.  This includes the new manual, program and
   modules as indicated above.

 MORE MODULES
 We now have six additional modules available for separate purchase as
 part of our decision to offer you "WYNIWYG": Speed Line (Autotracer)
 Module, Color Separation Module, Vector Graphic Editor Module,
 Dataformer Raster and Vector Modules, Brush Module and the Mount Module.

 SPEED LINE AUTOTRACER
 Speed Line brings monochrome Autotracing to Calamus, converting
 illustrations to vector graphics.  It automatically creates vectors,
 angle and pixel correction together with conversion options for Bezier
 curves and line art.  The Speed Line Autotracer converts a raster
 graphic to a vector graphic within seconds.  This can then be modified
 by any of the existing Calamus drawings tools, particularly those
 contained in the Vector Graphic module or Outline Art.  Your cost is US
 $50.00 or $60.00 CDN.

 COLOR SEPARATION
 Our color separation module allows you to define separation filters,
 including the definition of under color removal UCR and adornment (spot
 color).  This module allows the use of CYMK, CMY and IHS models, as well
 as the capability to support new models such as FOCOLTONE, now
 available.  You will require this module to generate 4 color
 separations.  Your cost is US $50.00,  $60.00 CDN.

 VECTOR GRAPHIC MODULE
 Our Vector Graphic Module allows the creation and editing of monochrome
 or color vector graphics, editing of polylines for irregular text flow
 and much much more.  I have enclosed a few snap shots of the many
 features.  This is the perfect internal tool for editing autotraced
 graphics.  You can join sub-paths, distort and freely rotate all
 elements or even apply different colors to every vector graphic part.
 Your cost for this module is US $100.00 or $120.00 CDN.

 DATAFORMER
 The long-awaited DATAFORMER module comes in two parts - DATAFORMER
 RASTER and DATAFORMER VECTOR.  As the name implies, each part works on
 the respective type of frames.  The essential use of Dataformer is to
 convert Calamus graphic frames or pages to other file formats for
 export.

 DATAFORMER RASTER will export to Degas (PI?), Doodle (PIC), NeoChrome
 (NEO), STAD (PAC), GEM Image (IMG), Enhanced Simplex (ESM), Block (BLK),
 PC Paintbrush (PCX), IFFILBM (IFF), TIFF (TIF), Targa (TGA), Calamus
 (CRG), and GIF87a (GIF).

 DATAFORMER VECTOR will export to Calamus (CVG), GEM Metafile (GEM),
 Autocad (DXF), HPGL Plotfile (PLT), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) and
 PostScript (PS).

 DATAFORMER has an array of options that are specific to each export file
 type.  In all formats the output can be frame or full page size.  The
 graphic can be exported according to the original size or according to
 user defined size including A5, A4, A3, B5.

 In some file formats, there are choices of saving with Color, Grayscale
 or Monochrome; in others you can specify ALL or STANDARD (VDI) colors
 and FILLED or OUTLINED fill patterns.

 There are also options to save 1-, 4- and 8- bit grayscale or 8- and 24-
 bit color.

 For PostScript files, the options include FILLED or EMPTY fills and you
 may choose to save an image with the file.  For EPS you may choose to
 attach a TIFF with the converted file.  Your cost is US $100.00 or $120.
 CDN.

 MOUNT
 MOUNT is a newcomer to the array of Calamus SL modules.  MOUNT allows
 the user to print more than one page on each sheet of printed paper.
 Paper sizes must be two or four times the size of the working page
 format.  For example, if you are working on half size pages (5.5 x 8.5)
 you could use MOUNT to print two pages on each piece of letter size
 paper.  You can also print multiple copies.

 The MOUNT module is "smart".  It can collate and mount your pages
 automatically.  For example, a 12 page booklet (half size pages) can be
 printed in camera ready order: 1/12, 2/11, 3/10, 4/9, 5/8, 6/7, thus
 eliminating the need to paste up your work.  You can also choose to
 print consecutive pages or multiple pages on the printed page.  The
 cost is US $50.00 or $60.00 CDN.

 BRUSH
 The BRUSH Module is a raster graphics editor that looks and works like
 any of the basic external modules.  It has two command groups - the
 first allows you to select from a palette of 20 brush sizes and shapes,
 including one that is variable.  The second command group accesses the
 same color table that is available in the other modules.  This means you
 can now color your raster graphics!

 To use BRUSH, you must have a raster graphics frame selected.  The frame
 must contain data from one of the Calamus import formats - IMG, STAD,
 NEO, PI?, PC?, RAW, CRG, CRD. Your cost is US $30.00 or $35.00 CDN.

 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> Thank you once again for attending tonight Mario.  In
 closing, here is a little memo for all of you about upcoming events in
 the Monday Night DTP/Graphics Round Table Conference.

 Next week we will have the newest developer on the Atari platform -
 Harlan Hugh, author of that terrific new graphics program - INVISION
 Elite.  Harlan will highlight the features of his program along with a
 special introductory offer.  And if that is not enough, Harlan will also
 give away a free copy of INVISION Elite to one of our lucky
 participants.

 On July 27 my guests will be the WizWorks Wunderkids - Chet Walters and
 Dr. Bob Parks.  Chet and the Doc will highlight Coalesce, Scan Lite and
 other products and tell us what's new in the WizWorks factory.

 On August 10, Peter Zalesak will join us online to discuss Publisher 2,
 now distributed by ABC Solutions.  For many Atarians, Publisher ST is
 still the tool of choice for DTP.  Drop in and hear about the features
 of Publisher 2.

 <[GLENDALE] ATARIUSER> Will DataFormer have any output limitations on PS?
 Meaning will you be able to go to a Lino Bureau and get 2400 output?

 <[Mario] ISD> Dataformer will allow you to specify the resolution of the
 output file when dealing with bitmap graphics.  When dealing with
 vectors, need I say more...

 <[Dave] D.SMITH200> I thought bitmaps were pretty much decided by their
 INPUT resolution???

 <[Mario] ISD> Dave, bitmaps are pretty much defined by the input
 resolution, however, when you export or Dataform a bit map, you can
 specify the resolution of the output file in the Dataformer module, e.g.
 75 dpi to 2400 dpi or higher.

 <[Daniel] VORTEXT> Is there anyway to import an EPS graphic into SL?  I
 now have some I'd really like to use.

 <[Mario] ISD> Daniel, not yet.

 <[Ed] E.KRIMEN> The SL upgrade must be distributed by mail?  It can't
 (or you won't :^) do it via GEnie?

 <[Mario] ISD> Ed, sorry, only by conventional post.

 <[Ed] E.KRIMEN> Lou, what's the procedure?  Do we return our disks?

 <[Lou] L.ROCHA1> Sorry Ed... we don't have that answer yet.

 <[Daniel] VORTEXT> Will the "Advanced" seminar deal only with color?

 <[Mario] ISD> Daniel, the Advanced seminar will deal with color, high
 res output, rasterizing principles and how to apply them and the use of
 text styles.

 <[Daniel] VORTEXT> Thanks on the seminar info.  I plan on attending.

 Mario Georgiou will be teaching a Beginner and Advanced class on Calamus
 SL at the Glendale Show. Leave email to [ATARIUSER] or [ISD] for
 registration information.



 | | |  2600 WHERE ARE YOU?
 | | |  by Tim Duarte
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 The following article is reprinted in Atari Explorer Online by
 permission of AtariUser magazine.  It MAY NOT be further reprinted
 without specific permission of AtariUser.  AtariUser is a monthly Atari
 magazine, available by subscription by calling [phone].


 How were you first introduced to Atari?  Most Atari users will answer
 this question the same way, tracing their roots to the early days of
 video games.  You may have played one of those early Atari Pong machines
 on your television set.  You may remember a few game variations, but the
 systems were very limited.  The game ROMs were built-in, making it a
 dedicated video game system.

 The 2600 - The King of Video

 The Atari Video Computer System (VCS), later known as the Atari 2600 as
 well as the Sears VCS, turned many people on to video games, too.  The
 2600 was a dream come true for many wanna-be owners who shied away from
 the dedicated Pong systems.  Since the game ROMs were now stored in
 cartridges, it opened up a whole new world of video games that offered
 color and variety.

 As many of us upgraded and became excited about the potential of
 computers, the 2600 and other cartridge-based game systems seemed to
 become forgotten and obsolete.  Game software for Atari computers (then
 the 8-bit 400 and 800) began to flourish on cassette tape and floppy
 disk, as well as ROM cartridges.  Some owners decided to sell their
 system, others stored it away in a cellar or an attic, and despite it
 all, some remained loyal.  Underneath the success of home computers, the
 cartridge-based game market has remained alive.

 Atari released a number of systems to the gaming public.  The most
 popular, perhaps in all video game history, is the 2600 game system.
 Millions of these systems have been sold since its introduction in 1977.
 It also has an impressive library of games that some fans have
 calculated to number near 500.  To keep the 2600 from obsolescence,
 Atari planned an expansion kit called The Graduate.  It was a keyboard
 add-on unit that transformed the 2600 into a home computer.  The product
 was never released.

 In 1982, Atari released the 5200 game system, which was based on the
 same internal components as the Atari 400.  The system looked great on
 paper, but it didn't catch on with the general public.  It didn't have a
 large selection of games to choose from, and the joysticks were odd and
 very easy to break.  Still, the 5200, which offered graphics that
 compared to arcade versions, was well-received among many game players
 who chose not to upgrade to the home computers.

 The 7800 - the Super Machine that Almost Was

 The later Atari 7800 game system tried to make up for the mistakes that
 the 5200 made.  Without a need for adapters, the 7800 runs its own
 cartridges and is compatible with the hundreds of cartridges that were
 made for the 2600 and the dozens for the 5200.  The joysticks were an
 improvement on the standard Atari joystick, and the games created for
 the 7800 were even of a higher quality than the games for the 8-bit
 computers.  This system has a lot of potential, but it never seemed to
 catch on like the 2600 did.

 Atari then released the XE Game System.  The XEGS is essentially a 65XE
 8-bit computer in disguise.  It came packaged with a light gun and tried
 to contend with the 8-bit Nintendo and Sega Master System.  The XEGS
 came in third place out of the three and could not attract a large
 number of consumers who were impressed with the more detailed graphics
 (but inferior processing power) of Nintendo systems.

 We could consider the ST computers as part of the game evolution, but
 for our purposes here, we're really dealing with the machines that Atari
 intended to be "game machines," not computers.  And for home consoles,
 Atari fell off of the crest of the game wave.

 Of course, the next step was the remarkable LYNX, and Atari has rumored
 first a PANTHER and now a JAGUAR advanced game console, to be released
 sometime next year.  Details are absolutely unavailable, and it's
 thought that even Atari hasn't decided what features will be in the
 final system.

 But the "classic" Atari gaming community has survived through all of
 this.  For a number of reasons, price and performance among them, many
 users are regaining interest in the older Atari systems.  In these days
 of 16-bit Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, the Atari systems remain in
 the shadows, but won't go away.  Longevity speaks for itself, and the
 2600 has been around for 15 years!

 And Yet It Lives...

 Only months ago, Atari released some hot new games for the 7800 -- Alien
 Brigade, Basketbrawl, Motor Psycho, Midnight Mutants, Planet Smashers,
 and Ninja Golf, to name a few.  Four titles -- Ikari Warriors,
 Motorodeo, Sentinel, and Xenophobe -- were also released for the 2600
 system.  And there's a huge variety of game cartridges available for all
 four Atari systems.

 The 2600 is popular in other countries, including England, Belgium,
 Australia, Japan, and Algeria.  I recently acquired Klax for the Atari
 2600 from a friend in Belgium.  Oddly enough, even while releasing new
 titles, Atari decided not to release Klax in the U.S.

 Unfortunately, as of Christmas 1991, Atari decided to discontinue the
 XEGS, 2600, and 7800 systems.  Much inventory was sold to Consolidated
 Stores/Big Lots Stores, who have been selling brand new games at bargain
 prices -- $1 to $3 each.  How can you go wrong at this price?  Atari
 still has some games in stock, but not at such discounted prices.

 So, you've just bought a 2600, or you dug your 5200 out of the attic, or
 were given a 7800 system.  You're itching to blast some Space Invaders
 out of the sky, or play a few rounds of Pac-Man.  Where do you start?
 Most toy stores and video games stores have phased out their supply of
 "older" products, so if you find a nearby store that has a selection of
 Atari games, consider yourself lucky.  Otherwise, here are some mail
 order companies that sell 2600, 7800, 5200, and XEGS game cartridges and
 accessories through the mail:

 Atari Entertainment
 500 Waters Edge, Suite 310
 Lombard, IL 60148   [phone]

 Best Electronics
 2021 The Alameda, Suite 290
 San Jose, CA 95126-1127   [phone]

 Computer/Electronics Source
 41-30 70th St.
 Woodside, NY 11377-3952   [phone]

 Telegames USA
 Box 901 Lancaster, TX 75146
 [phone]   [phone] (24-hour order/info line)

 Starbase Atari Computers
 2369 Austin Highway
 San Antonio, TX 78218   [phone]

 Pleasant Valley Video
 8141 Pleasant Valley Road
 Camden, OH 45311   [phone]

 Video 61
 22735 Congo St. N.E.
 Stacy, MN 55079   [phone]

 These companies are a good starting point, but you don't have to rely on
 mail order companies to find games for your Atari systems.  Atari games
 are also popular items at yard sales, flea markets, rummage sales,
 computer swap meets, thrift shops, pawn shops, and more.  Try scanning
 the "for sale" classified ads of your local newspaper and online
 bulletin board systems.  I've been trading games all over the United
 States and I'm building quite a large collection of games.

 Even though the 2600, 7800, 5200, and XEGS are no longer being
 manufactured, it doesn't mean the users who play these game systems will
 go away and vanish.

 Some folks regard the Atari game system as an ideal system for beginners
 and youngsters, while others are attracted to the economical and
 affordable prices of the systems and game cartridges when compared to
 Nintendo.  Atari systems are fun, simple to use, innocent, and fast.  No
 waiting for a disk to load into memory--just pop in a cartridge and
 play.

 Classic Game Support Groups

 Personally, I'm a big fan and supporter of the 2600.  Two years ago, I
 began research and wrote letters to other fans, and I discovered I was
 not alone.  There's many video gamers out there who support the Atari
 machines and show a lot of excitement about them.  There is definitely a
 need for the formation of clubs or user groups for these machines.

 In that vein, I started my own newsletter specifically to support the
 Atari VCS line.  "The 2600 Connection" newsletters average 8 to 16 pages,
 but they contain lots of interesting and useful information that you
 won't find in the professional magazines.  Each contain game reviews,
 game solutions and tips, letters and questions, classified ads, and
 more.  I've produced 11 bi-monthly issues of The 2600 Connection so far.
 A six-issue subscription is $6, and samples are available for $1 each.
 Write to me at:

 Tim Duarte
 P.O. Box 3993
 Westport, MA 02790

 If you send a check, make it to me by name, as my publication has no
 bank account.  Like most of the amateur press, I support the community
 on a break-even basis at best.  But it's great fun!

 [Look for Tim's roundup of "Amateur Press" publications that support all
 of the Atari lines of computers in an upcoming issue of AtariUser - Ed.]




 | | |  GROWING UP WITH ATARI - PART II
 | | |  By Bob Smith
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 When I was last with you, I had mentioned that several events occurred
 almost simultaneously.  These two important happenings in my computer
 life were the acquisition of a 520 ST computer and all of it's related
 parts and becoming a member of the Mid-Florida Atari Computer Club.

 Here I was just starting to feel very comfortable in my 8 Bit world,
 using my computers in business, learning to program, etc. and along
 comes a good friend, misguided, but non-the-less a good friend and tells
 me he is going into the world of another computer and would I like this
 poor 520ST.  Well, being the gracious person that I am and not wanting
 to hurt his feelings, I said OK.  Not long after that, he arrives at my
 home with several boxes and various cables, power supplies, disks and
 other things.

 I took a look at this and suddenly had a great deal apprehension and
 fear.  Why fear?  Well, having just gotten comfortable and on a first
 name basis with my 8 Bit equipment, what was I going to do with this
 monster and where was I going to put it.... I didn't verbalize my fears
 to my friend, not wanting to insult him in anyway, so I just put the
 boxes in my den in one corner and went on with my happy computer life
 and promptly forgot  about the ST and all of the related boxes, cables,
 disks, and other parts.

 About this time I had joined The Mid-Florida Atari Computer Club and met
 many experts in the ST field.  One of these people by the name of
 Tipton, who subsequently became a very good friend, came to my home one
 day and noticed the ST monitor sitting very for lonely sitting on my
 desk.  It was only there for lack of any other place to put it and he
 asked me  about it.  I explained the circumstances on how I came have it
 and all of it's related parts.  He looked at me with a gleam in his eye
 and said "let's fire it up".  I replied, "no thanks, I really don't want
 to unpack everything".  I really knew that if I did start to play with
 it, I might not want to stop, having previously experienced that with my
 trusty 8 Bit equipment.

 But Dave, being of the persuasive type that he is, talked me into just a
 'quick' bootup and then I could shut it down and put it away.  As you
 have probably guessed, from that inauspicious beginning, it has grown on
 me to the point that the 520 ST now sits side by side with my 8 Bit and
 is used for many tasks, not the least of which is my fetish for modeming
 and Bulletin Boards.  I still have a very long way to go, but there are
 a lot of excellent programs available for the ST and it is still
 supported rather well.  Atari Corporation sure does know how to make an
 excellent platform.  Oh yes, I never did get even with Dave for getting
 me hooked on the ST, but I guess I am really greatful.

 As I had briefly mentioned before, I got involved with the Mid-Florida
 Atari Computer Club (M.F.A.C.C.) very innocently.  I was invited to
 attend a meeting by a member named Carolyn Hoglin. Some of you may know
 the name from the articles that she has published in the late Antic
 Magazine and other newsletter publications. I attended this meeting and
 found many kindred spirits of the Atari world. I was rather quiet at
 first as I didn't want to open my mouth and show how dumb or naive I
 really was about computers, but these people put me at ease and included
 me in the meeting without making me feel like an outsider.

 I joined immediately and got somewhat involved in that first year, but
 little did I know that I would become totally immersed in the Club and
 some of the people who have since become good friends.  Finding people
 with a very common interest can be difficult, if not impossible, but
 here I was among a whole nest of them and I was as happy a computer with
 a brand new 100 megabyte hard drive.

 As a direct result of being in the Club, I was and still am a part of
 the Newsletter staff.  I have learned a great deal on how a newsletter
 is put together and the tremendous effort and hard work that goes into
 it.  I was elected president for three straight terms and as you read
 this, I have just finished that third year.  The club has been the
 catalyst for meeting some of the finest people that I have met in many
 years, such as Bob Brodie of the Atari Corporation.  That's an entire
 story in of itself and I'll cover that in the final installment of this
 trilogy next week.  Stay tuned..............




 | | |  ATARI ST MIDI SOFTWARE LIST
 | | |  From the MIDI Forum On CompuServe
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 PROGRAM                   COMPANY              PRICE  FILENAME    LIB
 ------------------------  -------------------  -----  ----------  ---

 Sequencers:

 Creator                   C-Lab                 $445  CLABS1.ARC    4
                                                       CLABS2.ARC    4
 Cubase                    Steinberg/Jones       $579
 EZ Track Plus                                         EZTPDE.ARC    4
 Final Cut                                             FCUT.ARC      4
 KCS                       Dr. T's               $275
 KCS Level II              Dr. T's               $375
 Master Tracks Jr.         Passport                    MTJDEM.ARC    4
 Master Tracks Pro         Passport              $395  MTPDEM.ARC    4
 MIDI Recording Studio     Dr. T's               $49
 MidiTrack                 Hybrid Arts                 MTST5D.ARC    4
 Notator                   C-Lab                 $729  CLABS1.ARC    4
                                                       CLABS2.ARC    4
 Omega                     Dr. T's               $495
 Realtime                  Dr. T's               $199  RTSTDE.ARC    4
 SmpteTrack II             Hybrid Arts           $499
 Studio/Atari Standard     MIDIsoft              $100
 Studio/Atari Advanced     MIDIsoft              $160  STUDIO.ARC    4
 TIGER                     Dr. T's               $149  TIGERD.ARC    4
 TIGER Cub                 Dr. T's                $99  TIGERC.ARC    4
 Trax                      Passport              $100

 Notation Software:

 Copyist Apprentice        Dr. T's                $99
 Copyist Pro               Dr. T's               $275
 Copyist DTP               Dr. T's               $399
 Encore                    Passport              $595
 EZ-Score Plus             Hybrid Arts           $150  EZSDMO.ARC    4
 Masterscore               Steinberg/Jones       $350
 Notator                   C-Lab                 $649




 | | |  THE WACKEY WORLD OF ST GAMING
 | | |  By Eric Bitton
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 The following article is reprinted in Atari Explorer Online by
 permission of AtariUser magazine.  It MAY NOT be further reprinted
 without specific permission of AtariUser.  AtariUser is a monthly Atari
 magazine, available by subscription by calling [phone].


 Sometimes, the topsy-turvy world of ST games seems like one giant
 roller coaster ride.  Companies start supporting the ST, drop it, pick it
 up again, go out of business, change names, change distributors, change
 policies, etc, and so on, ad nausea.  Then, there is the confusion as
 to which companies actually do support the ST.  Certain companies have
 offices in both the US and UK but don't actually release Atari versions
 in the US or offer any support.

 Such is the case with Microprose and Accolade.  If you call their US
 offices, they will tell you to contact their UK offices instead.  The
 one exception is Virgin Software.  Even though they have stopped
 distributing ST versions in the US, you can still call the US office for
 support.  They stopped releasing ST games in the US because of "low
 sales," as did UBI Soft last year.  Sales were low because the US
 versions would appear four or five months after the UK versions had
 already come and gone, and the big distributors almost always buy direct
 from Europe anyway.

 I thank AtariUser for giving me room for this sweeping effort to give
 you a clearer picture of the global ST game scene.  It'll either inform
 or confuse you even more.  While it's not a pretty sight overall, the
 support and number of titles available and coming for the Atari line
 will probably surprise and may even please you.  And with Atari's own
 decision to become a major game source with 40 or more ST games
 commissioned already, things will probably get curious and curious.
 So fasten your seat belts!

 The American Companies

 The Avalon Hill Game Company is not exactly known as a cornucopia of
 computer games, but they do release the odd title once in a while.
 Their latest one is a conversion of their classic "Third Reich" WWII
 board wargame called, strangely enough, "Third Reich".  The graphics and
 sounds are rather spartan since this program is aimed mostly at players
 of the original board game.  It works in medium resolution only and will
 not run on a TT.

 Florida-based Digitek releases mostly inferior German games originally
 published by Magic Bytes.  Current titles are: Big Business (which has a
 similar look and feel to Prime Time and comes with another game called
 Wall Street), and the ho-hum Tie Break Tennis.  Upcoming titles are
 Dinowars and Hill Street Blues (from Krysalis UK) which is a strategic
 game based on the classic TV show.

 Electronic Zoo is based in England but they had an office in Baltimore,
 MD, until recently.  The products released were a mix of Electronic
 Zoo's own products and assorted European titles from Rainbow Arts
 (Germany) and Loriciel (France).  Choice pieces include Tennis Cup (with
 split-screen mode for 2 players), Treasure Trap (a big isometric maze
 action-adventure), The Legend Of Faerghail (fantasy RPG), and Khalaan
 (Arabian strategic trade/wargame).

 Epyx hasn't released anything for computers in a long time.  They
 used to be pretty prolific in the old days, mostly because everything
 they released came from Europe after a name change.  Nebulus became
 Tower Toppler, Barbarian became Death Sword, Barbarian II became Axe Of
 Rage, etc...  You'll find Epyx games in the bargain bin, and deeply
 discounted.  They do Lynx development for Atari now.

 FTL Games has been awfully quiet of late--actually, for several years!
 They're getting ready to release the PC version of Dungeon Master (a few
 years late), and are working on "something else."  No details or release
 date.  Better not hold our collective breath.

 InnerPrise: this company released a domestic version of Rainbow Arts
 classic platform blaster Turrican.  They had planned to release an ST
 version of their Sword Of Sodan hack'n'slash but gave it up.  They are
 now planning to release an ST version of their Amiga and Genesis
 shoot'em'up "Battle Squadron", but they're busy working on MS/DOS and
 Mac projects first.

 Lucasfilm: The Secret Of Monkey Island II has been cancelled and they
 have nothing planned for the ST.  The Secret Of Monkey Island is the
 last program released, and a mission disk for Their Finest Hour can be
 ordered direct.

 Newcomer MegaSoft Entertainment has released its first product,
 Disciples Of Steel, a fantasy role-playing game that seems to be doing
 well.  It's available in both a 1 meg and a 512K version, and can be
 installed on a hard drive.

 Texas-based Merit Software has recently started releasing Impressions
 (UK) war games.  Their current line-up includes Fighting For Rome
 (originally called Cohort), The Final Conflict (a WWIII wargame) and
 Merchant Colony (American colonies management in the 18th century).  In
 the works: Traders (from Linel in Switzerland) a 4-players space trading
 game.

 Microprose doesn't release or support ST games in the US.  Their last
 official US release was M-1 Tank Platoon.  See Microprose UK for current
 products.

 Microdaft: when last seen, this company specialized in 8-bit games only.
 Now, they have moved into 16-bit with Rotor (originally released by
 Arcana UK), a mission-driven Gravitar/Oids style game.

 If you're looking for Omnitrend products like Breach, Paladin, and
 Breach 2, look to Mindcraft, their current distributer.  Unfortunately,
 Mindcraft is one of Electronic Arts' Affiliated Labels, and since EA US
 has dropped the ST (again and again), Mindcraft has no way to distribute
 any new ST titles.  The chances of ever seeing Rules Of Engagement for
 the ST are pretty slim.

 It seems only yesterday that bold new British company Psygnosis burst
 onto the computer game scene (er, actually it was in 1985) and declared
 their undying support to the new 16-bit generation of computers: the
 Amiga, ST, and IBM PC.  Well, they're still around and they now have an
 office in Massachusetts.  More importantly, they have released some fine
 products lately, especially that wonderful little brain-twister
 Lemmings, and its companion piece Oh No! More Lemmings (available as a
 data disk or a stand-alone game).  Other choice pieces include Armour-
 Geddon (though it's incredibly hard) and The Killing Game Show (known as
 Fatal Rewind on the Sega Genesis).  They have tons of new stuff lined up
 for the rest of 1992: Agony, Air Support, Amnios, Aquaventura
 (September), Carthage (any day now), Lemmings II (Fall), Ork (July), Red
 Zone (July), and Shadow Of The Beast III (September).  Psygnosis UK also
 has its own budget label, called Sizzlers.

 Better known for their conversions of the Don Bluth animated laser disk
 games like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, Readysoft (Canada) now
 distributes Empire UK games as well.  The latest Readysoft titles are
 Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp, and Space Ace II: Borf's revenge.  Guy Spy,
 an Indiana Jones style cinematic action-adventure, should be out some
 time soon.  As for Empire games, currently available are Team Yankee, a
 3-D tank wargame based around the novel of the same name and its sequel
 Pacific Islands, Sleeping Gods Lie (fantasy RPG), and Volfied, the Taito
 coin-op sequel to Qix.  Future releases include Campaign (October),
 Cyberspace (December), Eye Of The Storm (November), and International
 Sports Challenge (July).

 Sierra is forging ahead with PC, Amiga, and Mac products.  You can read
 all about their "pioneering spirit" and "bold new innovations" in their
 own little magazine "InterAction", one of the most incredible piece of
 marketing/propaganda I have ever seen this side of Prodigy.  President
 Ken Williams keeps dropping hints here and there that the Amiga is a
 has-been, and that the only true "safe machines" are an IBM PC (486 I
 bet!) and a Mac II.  It's not like Sierra products are models of
 programming efficiency, because they're not, not by a mile.  I think
 they need the extra computing power just to keep from tripping over
 themselves!  Aces Of The Pacific is slow on a 386/33Mhz machine!
 Anyway, here are the last Atari titles Sierra released: Hoyle's Book Of
 Games Volume 2: Solitaire, Leisure Suit Larry 3, Conquest Of Camelot,
 Colonel's Bequest, and Codeman Iceman.  All except Leisure Suit Larry
 require one meg, and they're hard-drivable.

 Spectrum Holobyte says that they will not be supporting the ST anymore.
 Aside from the classic Falcon and its mission disks, they also released
 Flight Of The Intruder, which was designed by Rowan Software, just like
 Falcon.  Microprose UK will be distributing Spectrum products in Europe,
 so we might still see ST versions through the well-traveled back door.

 As of January 1992, Strategic Simulations Inc has removed the ST from
 its catalog, and they have no plans to release anything for it.  US Gold
 UK might convert a couple of titles in the future though.

 After releasing Flight Simulator II way back in the mists of time gone
 by, Sublogic still puts out the occasional ST scenery disk while working
 on projects for other machines.  The most recent scenery disks are the
 Great Britain Scenery Collection and Scenery Disk 12: New England.  They
 have promised to release the California Collection in October.

 TEAM Software: this company's main product is A Day At The Races.  They
 have an ST Civil War wargame in the works called 3 Days At Gettysburg.

 Virgin: this British company has been around a long time, but their US
 office has recently dropped the ST.  However, gamers can still call the
 US office for technical support (unlike, say, Accolade or Microprose)
 and the British division will still be releasing ST versions.  The last
 few games released are Spirit Of Excalibur and its sequel Vengeance Of
 Excalibur, Wonderland (designed by Magnetic Scrolls), and two games
 originally released by Core Design (UK): Corporation (Cyber Cop on the
 Genesis) and Thunderhawk.  For future products, see the Virgin UK entry
 later in this article.

 And now, the European companies!

 Accolade UK: a few things pop up once a in a while.  Like Stratego, the
 conversion of the classic board game, and the brand new Elvira II: The
 Jaws Of Cerberus (1 meg required and hard-drivable).

 Activision UK: they have dropped the ST completely.  Their last batch of
 products consists of the pointless Beastbusters (SNK coin-op
 conversion), Deuteros (sequel to Millenium 2.2), Hunter (weird), and
 R*Type II (bang-bang).

 Anco UK: their bread and butter product is Kick-Off 2, an extremely
 popular soccer game in the UK, and a suite of data disks for it.  They
 recently tried their hands at basketball but the resulting game, Tip
 Off, was pretty dismal.  Upcoming releases include more Kick-Off 2 data
 disks (English League and Giants Of Europe), Kick Off 3, and Player
 Manager 2 (soccer managing).

 Atari UK is dabbling into computer games again.  They are currently
 working on two Atari coin-op conversions: Road Riot 4WD (wacky armed
 buggy racing) and Steel Talons (really neat 3D polygons helicopter
 shoot'em'up/simulation).  However, these games may be specifically coded
 for "full" operation on STe's and TT's only.

 Audiogenic UK: nothing terribly exciting from this company.  Current
 releases are Exile, World Class Rugby: Five Nations Edition, and
 Wreckers.  Upcoming releases are Graham Gooch's World Class Cricket,
 SuperLeague Manager, and World Class Soccer.

 Beau-Jolly UK: compilations are the only thing these people put out.
 Big Box (Teenage Queen, Captain Blood, Safari Guns, Bubble +, Tintin On
 The Moon, Purple Saturn Day, Jumping Jack'Son, Hostages, Krypton Egg,
 and Bobo), Mindgames (Waterloo, Austerlitz, and Conflict Europe), and
 Board Genius.

 Celebrity UK: this brand new company is planning to release Ian Botham's
 Cricket, something definitely not targeted at the US gamer!

 Codemasters UK: budget games, budget games, that's all you'll get from
 these guys.  Many of them star an egg with legs called Dizzy, to wit:
 Bubble Dizzy, the Dizzy Collection, Dizzy's Excellent Adventures, Magic
 Land Dizzy, Bubble Dizzy, Panic Dizzy, and Spellbound Dizzy.  Now, I'm
 dizzy!!  They also have other types of games too: First Division Manager
 (soccer), Hover Sprint (hovercar racing), Sky High Stuntman (mix of
 everything), and Yolanda, a re-issue of an older Millenium game.  One of
 their future release is Steg, a cutesy platform game starring a slug.
 Yes, a slug.  Incidentally, many of these games are available on the
 Nintendo Entertainment System and are marketed by Camerica.

 Core Design UK: this outfit used to design games for other companies,
 but they decided to go it alone about a year ago.  Current line-up:
 Heimdall (vikings), Thunderhawk (helicopter simulation), and Wolfchild
 (Strider-like platform game).  In the works: Adventurers Compilation
 (Corporation, Hunter, and Supremacy), Corporation II, and Jaguar XJ220
 Sports Racing.

 Daze Marketing UK is the new home for Silmarils, known for games that
 seem to take forever to load.  Out now: Fantasy Pak (Crystals Of
 Arborea, Colorado, and Boston Bomb Club), and Storm Master.  Upcoming:
 Ishar: Legend Of The Fortress.

 Digital Integration UK isn't exactly the most prolific of companies.
 Some of their past achievements include Tomahawk, an Apache gunship
 simulator for the 8-bits (sold by Datasoft), and F-16 Combat Pilot,
 distributed by Electronic Arts US.  In the works: Tornado, a simulation
 of the Tornado fighter-bomber.  Dream Factory is their label for non-
 simulation products.  In the works: Gobliiins (from Tomahawk France),
 Supaplex (Boulderdash remake), and The Drift (futuristic RPG).  They
 also have a budget label, Action 16.

 Dinamic (Spain): action games with controversial names are the order of
 the day here.  One peculiar thing about their games is that they're
 usually in two parts, and the access code for part 2 looks like
 somebody's birthday.  Past releases include After The War (beat'em'up),
 Satan (hack'n'slash), Army Moves, Navy Moves, and Narcopolice
 (infiltrate a drug lord's island complex).  Coming soon: Arctic Moves
 (snow combat), and Mega Fenix, an updated version of that ancient
 Centuri coin-op classic "Phoenix".

 Take the "Do" of Dominic, the "Mark" of Mark, put them together, and you
 get "Domark", another long-standing UK company.  Home of Tengen, the
 software division of Atari Games (the coin-op people), Domark products
 are now distributed in the US by Accolade, except for ST versions of
 course.  Their in-house design team is called The Kremlin and they have
 their own budget label, Respray.  They're also known for their James
 Bond games.  Current line-up: Grand Stand (contains Gazza's Super
 Soccer, Pro Tennis Tour, World Class Leaderboard, & Continental Circus),
 The James Bond Collection (Licence To Kill, Live And Let Die, and The
 Spy Who Loved Me), Mig 29M Super Fulcrum, Shadowlands, and Super Space
 Invaders.  In the works: Columbus, Euro Football Champ, and Harrier
 Assault.  Current Tengen titles: Pitfighter, Race Drivin', and
 Thunderjaws (terrible).

 Electronic Arts UK: even this company is mumbling something about
 dropping the ST.  We just don't get any respect.  It's also the new home
 of Millenium.  Current line-up: Populous II (available in both 1 meg and
 512K versions), Powermonger: World War I Edition (data disk), Simcity/
 Populous (a twin-pack), Strike Fleet (from Lucasfilm), and Zone Warrior.
 In the words: Birds Of Prey (by Argonaut Software, delayed over and
 over), Castles (from Interplay), Evolution, Flood 2.  Current Millenium
 titles: Kid Gloves II (cutesy platform), and Steel Empire (strategic
 game with mechs).  In the works: Chinto's Revenge, Global Effect,
 Haunted House, Strike Command (sequel to Thunderstrike), and Tentacle.
 Budget label is called Star Performers and feature EA's own titles.

 Electronic Zoo UK: a mixed bag of their own products and games from
 Tomahawk (France), neither of which are particularly outstanding.  Out
 now: Cougar Force (Tomahawk), Daylight Robbery (cutesy puzzler),
 Galactic Empire (Tomahawk), Geisha (R-rated graphic adventure from
 Tomahawk), Germ Crazy (bizarre strategy game), and Under Pressure
 (boring shoot'em'up).  In the works: Abandoned Places (fantasy RPG),
 Brigade Commander (wargame), Cardiaxx, The Enemy Within, Fireforce, The
 Magic Garden, Son Of Zeus, and Tracksuit Manager II (soccer).

 Elite UK: two very nice compilations are currently available, Virtual
 Reality Volume 1 (Carrier Command, Midwinter, Starglider II,
 International Soccer Challenge, and Stunt Car Racer) and Volume 2 (Weird
 Dreams, The Sentry, Virus, Resolution 101 and Thunderstrike).  In the
 works: Caveman Ninja (Data East coin-op), European Championship 1992
 (conversion of Tecmo's World Cup 90 coin-op), Last Battle, and Suzuka
 GP/Winning Run 2 (they have yet to decide which name they're going to
 use).

 Energize UK: pretty lame budget stuff: Ancient Games, Cap'N'Carnage,
 Cybercop (this one really stinks!), and Soccer Match.

 Entertainment International UK: this is the parent company of Empire and
 Arcade Masters.  Readysoft (Canada) distributes most of Empire's line-
 up.  Here's what they don't distribute: Deathbringer, MegaTraveller 1:
 The Zhodani Conspiracy, and Space 1889 (both from Paragon).  In the
 works: Award Winners (Dragon's Lair, Kick Off 2, Populous, and Pipe
 Mania (aka Lucasfilm's Pipedream), MegaTraveller 2: Quest For The
 Ancients, and Soccer Stars (Emlyn Hughes International Soccer,
 Microprose Soccer, Gazza II, and Kick Off 2).  Arcade Masters titles in
 the works: Cool Croc Twins, and Magic Boy.

 Flair UK: current titles: Elvira The Arcade Game, and Winter Supersports
 '92.

 Gonzo Games UK: Brides Of Dracula, where you can play Dracula or Van
 Helsing.  Features a two player mode with split-screen.

 Grandslam UK: this company has the rather annoying tendency to appear
 and disappear at will.  Current title: England Championship Special
 (soccer).  In the works: Beavers (a furry animal platform game), Die
 Hard 2, Liverpool FC (more soccer), and Nick Faldo's Golf.

 Gremlin UK: the selection here is pretty varied.  Racing and platform
 games, shoot'em'ups, and graphic adventures.  Current stuff: 4 Wheel
 Drive (which compiles 4 recent racing titles: Lotus Turbo Esprit
 Challenge, Team Suzuki (motorcycle), Combo Racer (sidecar), and Toyota
 Celica GT4 Rallye), Harlequin (platform), Lotus Turbo Challenge 2
 (racing), Space Crusade (wargame), Suspicious Cargo (graphic adventure),
 Utopia (SimCity in space), Utopia: The New Worlds (data disk), and
 Videokid (platform shoot'em'up).  In the works: Daemonsgate 1 (fantasy
 RPG), Flag, Jelly Bean (puzzler), Little Divil, Pegasus, Plan 9 From
 Outer Space (the worst movie ever made), and Zool (platform).  Gremlin
 has 2 budget labels: GBH, and GBH Gold (slightly more expensive).

 Hawk UK: this new company hasn't made much of an impression yet.  Their
 first title, International Athletics, brings back the bad old days of
 joystick-waggling sports games!  Avoid it.  In the works: The
 Executioner, a Gravitar/Oids type of spaceship shoot'em'up.

 Hex UK: another new company, another disaster.  Their first one, Top
 Banana, is simply hideous.  The graphics are terrible, and the gameplay
 is non-existent.

 Hi-Tec Software UK: more budget stuff and Hanna-Barbera licenses.  Black
 Hornet (shoot'em'up), Interchange (a puzzler, I like this one), Jetsons,
 Defenders Of The Earth, Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo, and Wacky Races.  In
 the works: Johnny Quest, and Quick Draw McGraw.

 Impressions UK: old fashioned SSI style war games, but slightly
 improved.  US versions available from Merit Software.  Current titles:
 Africa Korps, The Charge Of The Light Brigade, Discovery: In The Steps
 Of Columbus, Feudal Lords, Fighter Command, Fort Apache, Great
 Napoleonic Battles, and Samurai: The Way Of The Warrior.  In the works:
 Air Bucks, Warriors Of Releyne.  They also have another label called
 "IF..." (which stands for Interactive Fantasyfiction).  Out now: Crime
 City.  Coming soon: The Hand Of St James.

 Infogrames (France): another company making occasional noises about
 dropping the ST.  Advantage Tennis, Alcatraz (sequel to Hostages),
 Killerball (looks and plays just like Rollerball), and a re-issue of
 Tetris.  In the works: Bandit Kings Of Ancient China (from Koei), Call
 Of Cthulhu (RPG), Seven Colors, and Viking.

 Kaiko, the German company with the Japanese name.  Only has one game out
 right now, Gem'X, that looks like Sega's Columns but isn't.

 Krisalis UK: a bit of a mixed bag.  Current stuff: Champions (contains
 Jahangir Khan's Squash, Manchester United, and World Championship Boxing
 Manager), Face-Off Hockey, Hill Street Blues (picked up by Digitek US),
 and Manchester United Europe (soccer).  In the works: Ed Head Private
 eye, John Barnes Soccer, and Roofworld.

 Loriciel (France): purveyors of pretty bizarre games.  Out now: Baby Jo
 (cartoony platform fun-stration), Golden Eagle: The Return (looks good,
 but is boring), Guardians (weird puzzler), Paragliding (dumb concept),
 Psyborg (3-D racing in a tunnel in space), Steve McQueen Westphaser
 (poor old Steve is nowhere to be seen, except on the box art!), and
 Thunder Burner (Space Harrier with a walker machine.  Dumb).  Coming
 soon: your guess is as good as mine.

 Magic Bytes (Germany): mediocre games, some of which have been grabbed
 by Digitek US.  Out now: Air Supply, a pointless remake of Goldrunner.
 In the works: Dinowars, Industrial Rebound, and Second World.

 Microprose UK: home of fine simulators, the best Formula 1 racing game
 of all time, and possibly of the new Spectrum Holobyte products.
 Strategy games are released under the Rainbird label.  In case you're
 wondering what happened to the Firebird, Rainbird, and Silverbird
 labels, they were all purchased by Microprose.  Out now: Knights Of The
 Sky (WWI), Microprose Formula 1 Grand Prix (GREAT!), Microprose Golf,
 Railroad Tycoon, Silent Service II (WWII submarine), and Special Forces
 (Airborne Ranger sequel).  In the works: Advanced Tactical Air Command
 (ATAC) (November), Air Duel, B-17 Flying Fortress (Vektorgrafix), Covert
 Action (be a spy), and Gunship 2000.  Rainbird titles: Midwinter II:
 Flames Of Freedom, and UMS II: Nations At War.  In the works: Starlord
 and UMS II Planet Editor.  Possible Spectrum Holobyte titles: Crisis In
 The Kremlin and SuperTetris.


 Editors Note:  Next week we conclude this series and include address
 and contact information more most of the companies discussed in this
 article.




 | | |  THE 12-VOLT 8-BIT
 | | |  By Jeff Golden
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 Who says, "You can't take it with you".  With the aid of the following
 modifications, it is possible to power your 800XL or 130XE from the car
 battery without affecting its 120VAC operation.

 You can take along your favorite computer games for those long road
 trips, and if you are into writing travelogues, you can take along your
 TextPro disk and take notes along the way.

 Now that your car has some programmable "computer smarts", how about
 getting carried away with a monitor-based instrument panel and a voice
 that nags at you when you forget to check the oil.  Add in those
 instruments that you have always wanted, like a low oil sensor or a
 miles-per-gallon meter.  This isn't as silly as it might sound.  A 600XL
 with some cartridge software and a few extra sensors could do all that.

 Let me hasten to add a disclaimer at this point.  If you manage to zap
 your computer, burn up the car, run off the road, or achieve some other
 undesirable result after following these instructions, we cannot assume
 any responsibility.  You are strictly on your own.

 The modifications have been tested and work on my equipment, but because
 of the wide variety of 8-bit devices and user skills, there is no way
 that we can assure you that the changes will work on your equipment.

 Let me caution you that any connections to the car's electrical system
 should be properly fused and to check all voltages and polarities with
 a VOM before you connect any equipment.  Furthermore, you should check
 the equipment for signs of overheating, particularly during the first
 hour of use, and never leave the equipment unattended while it is
 plugged into the electrical system.

 Do not operate or connect the equipment after it has been subjected to
 rain or condensation.

 Powering up the computer:  The 800XL and the 130XE are powered with 5.18
 volts of DC that is fed into the computer by means of a 7-pin male DIN
 plug.  There are two ways of providing this 5VDC from your car battery.
 The easy way is to obtain and modify one of the early XL power supplies,
 (the black and white XL supply that can be taken apart).  The other, and
 more expensive way, is to make your own 12VDC power supply which is
 actually easier done than said.  (The old cliche reversal is
 intentional).

 If you have one of the old style XL power supplies, you can modify it in
 the same manner that is described below for the 1050 disk drive,
 otherwise we will need to replace the AC power supply brick with a
 similar sized brick that reduces the 12-15 volts of car power to 5
 volts.  This is easily accomplished by wiring a simple voltage regulator
 circuit and mounting that circuit in a ventilated plastic box.  (See the
 wiring diagram).

 Radio Shack has the perfect power supply box for this purpose, and it is
 highly recommended.  (270-287).  This box will insulate the heat sink
 both thermally and electrically. (The heat sink is charged at +5 volts).
 The other parts are also available from Radio Shack with the exception
 of a heavy duty heat sink.

 The regulator will generate about 10-15 watts of heat that must be
 carried away from the regulator chip to prevent it from destroying
 itself.  You may be able to buy a heavy duty heat sink at an electronics
 store, or you may want to fabricate one from heavy aluminum scrap.  I
 used an aluminum bar 18" X 1" X 1/8".  The bar was folded accordion
 style to fit into the case.  The regulator chip was fastened to the
 center of the bar with heat sink grease in between and no insulators.

 My regulator chip was mounted vertically with the pins projecting
 upward.  The regulator mounting screw was also used to mount an L-shaped
 bracket which in turn was used to support a small circuit board above
 the heat sink.  A coaxial jack was fastened to the case for the 12VDC
 input.  A 2-conductor 18ga lamp cord and a DIN plug were run out the
 other end of the case for the 5V output.

 Be sure to check your DC-converter brick for proper voltage and polarity
 before connecting it to the computer.  The output should be between 5.15
 and 5.25 volts at the DIN plug.

 Powering up the 1050:  This one is easy.  All that we have to do is
 mount a 12VDC input jack on the 1050 case and then let the regulators
 inside the 1050 take care of the rest.  See diagram.  No circuit
 cutting or switching is necessary and the 1050 will still run under AC
 as well as DC.  Wire the DC jack to the plus and minus poles of the AC
 rectifier as shown.  The DC jack can be double-checked by connecting the
 1050 to AC power in the normal way and then checking the empty terminals
 of the DC jack for approximately 11 volts of DC with the expected
 polarity.

 Warning!!  Plugging AC into the DC jack could damage the electrolytic
 capacitors and other components.  I recommend covering up the DC jack
 with a piece of tape whenever the drive is not being used in the car.

 Atari uses a negative signal ground which corresponds nicely with the
 majority of cars which also use a negative ground.  To minimize possible
 shorts to the car body, I connected the negative DC line to all of the
 outer (exposed) rings of the coaxial DC plugs and connected the positive
 DC line to the center tips.

 Plug the TV monitor and the computer into the cigar lighter using a Y
 adaptor.  (AC/DC TVs usually come with a lighter cord).  Using the
 lighter socket enables the driver to easily disconnect the system when
 parking the car, and it also enables the easy removal of everything
 when the vacation is over.  Cigar lighter plugs can be bought with
 built-in fuse holders.  The computer/disk drive combo needs a 5-amp
 fuse.  It only draws about 2 amps, but there is too much of a voltage
 drop across a fuse that is smaller than 5 amps.

 Operational notes: Disk boot errors may occur when the car's engine is
 not running.  Starting the car generates a higher voltage that should
 take care of the problem.  Also any dirt in the cigar lighter can cause
 similar problems.  Run the engine when you want to use the computer.
 Otherwise the combined current of the TV and computer may be enough to
 run the battery down in the middle of your Donkey Kong game.

 One Final WARNING!  It is illegal to operate a TV in the front seat of a
 vehicle.  Put the whole thing in the back where it is impossible for the
 driver to see and/or assist in its operation.  Even folks with the best
 of intentions will find it impossible to resist the need to twiddle the
 knobs when the kids are having difficulties.  It could be your last
 twiddle.

 Here are the detailed directions for modifying a 1050 disk drive.  This
 also applies to modifying the "old" style 800XL supply.

 1.  Open the case and locate the four rectifier diodes.  These are small
     black cylinders, 1/2" long by 3/16" diameter, mounted on the circuit
     board right next to each other.

                  BACK OF 1050
      -----------------------------------
      A.C.             !
            -------    !    -------
        *--! diode !---*---! diode !--*
           !
        !   -------         -------   !
        !                             !
        !   -------         -------   !
        *--! diode !---*---! diode !--*
        !   ---- --    !    -------   !
        !              !              !
        !             A.C.            !
        !                             !
       (-) minus DC          plus DC (+)

 2.  Using care, use your voltmeter to determine the plus and minus
     poles of your rectifier diodes.  These are labeled (-) and (+) in
     the above diagram, but could be different on your machine.

 3.  Wire a coaxial power jack to the plus and minus poles of the
     rectifier.  The jack leads can be easily soldered to the appropriate
     diode leads.  Do NOT attempt to run the wires under the board.
     There isn't enough room and the sharp pins will pierce the
     insulation.

     Connect the minus lead to the outer ring of the jack and the plus
     lead to the center tip.

 4.  Mount the jack.  I enlarged the hole in the 1050 case where the
     drive select switches are and mounted the input jack there.  Tape
     the jack wires to the tall capacitor to prevent them from draping
     across the 1050 heat sink.

 5.  Reassemble the case and check out your work by plugging in the A.C.
     transformer.  You should see a DC voltage of the correct polarity on
     the empty 12VDC jack.

 If you have one of the old style XL power supplies, you can modify it in
 the same fashion as the above 1050 modification.  The regulators in the
 XL supply will properly reduce the 12VDC to the 5VDC needed by the
 computer and the change can be made for the price of a jack and a piece
 of wire.  I mounted my 12VDC input jack between the leads coming out of
 the old power supply.

 If you have to build your own supply then use the following wiring
 diagram:

                --------
               !        !
      +12VDC   ! LM317T !       +5.18VDC
      *---*----!        !----*------*----*
          !  IN!        !OUT !      !   (+)
          !    !        !    !      !   DIN
          !     --------     Z      !
          !        ! ADJ     Z 220  !
          !        !         Z OHM  !
          !        !         !      !
          !        !         !      !
          !        *---------*     === 1.0
          !                  !      !   uf
          !                  !      !
          !                  Z      !
         === 0.1uf           Z 680  !
          !                  Z OHM  !
          !                  !      !
          !                  !      !
      *---*------------------*------*----*
      -battery                       (-)
                                         DIN

 Just in case the above diagram does not survive the file transmission
 and is out of alignment, the negative ground line is common across
 both the input and output voltages.

 The +12VDC input connects to the IN pin of the LM317.  The 0.1uf
 capacitor connects between the IN pin and ground.  The 1.0uf capacitor
 connects between the OUT pin and ground.  The 220 Ohm resistor connects
 between the ADJust pin and the OUT pin.  The 680 Ohm resistor connects
 between the ADJust pin and ground.  The +5.18VDC output is present on
 the OUT pin.

 As you can see, the circuit is a very simple one.  About the only place
 you can go wrong is in identifying the IN, OUT, and ADJ pins of the
 LM317.  Refer to the back of the package for the pin locations.  They
 are numbered in an odd fashion.

 The wiring for the DIN jack is shown on a label on the Atari Power
 Supply.  Compare the voltages with a voltmeter between the Atari supply
 and your new supply.  It is easy to get confused about which end of the
 connector you are looking at.  It is also easy to short out and destroy
 a power supply, so be careful with your test leads around the metal
 collar of the DIN plug.

 I used 2-conductor 18ga lamp cord for both the input and output lines
 on my supply.  Using an input jack on the computer power supply allowed
 me to bring the power from the cigar lighter out to three identical
 5.0mm O.D. coaxial plugs, one for the TV, one for the 1050, and one for
 the new 800XL supply.

 Now, a few words on choosing a portable AC/DC TV to use as a monitor.
 Don't expect much from a TV while on the road.  About the time someone
 gets interested in a program, you usually drive out of the station's
 range, and they don't have many stations out there in the boonies.  Try
 to get a TV with an all-channel scan feature.  This will enable you to
 find all of the available stations when you are far from home.

 A TV weather report now and then could save you a lot of trouble on the
 road.  One way of beating the lack of stations is to buy a set with a
 built in video tape player.

 As to size: A 9" set with a tape player looks pretty small in the store,
 but it is a real monster inside of your car.  Hopefully you have a motor
 home, or at least a van, otherwise you may want to get a 5" set.

 Well that should just about do it.  By now you should be out there in
 the car playing Donkey Kong.  Just remember, "Don't leave home without
 your joystick"!

 Parts List:

   2  274-1567   DC Power Plugs
   2  274-1565   DC Power Jacks
   1  274-335    Fused Lighter Plug
   1  270-1535   Lighter Plug Y-Adapter
   12 feet of    18ga 2-cond. lamp cord

 The above parts are all that you need if you can modify the old style
 XL supply.  If not, you need the following additional parts:

   1  276-1778   LM317T voltage regulator
   1  272-1432   0.1uf capacitor
   1  272-1434   1.0uf capacitor
   1  271-1313   220 Ohm resistor
   1  271-021    680 Ohm resistor
   1  276-159    Dual printed circuit bd.
   1  276-1372   Heat Sink Grease
   1  NA at RS   Heavy duty heat sink
                  (See text above)
   1  270-287    Power Supply Case
   1  274-029    7-pin DIN Plug

 You will need some small nuts and bolts to fasten the parts together.
 The screws that come with the DC Jacks are a little too short to be used
 in this application.

 Enjoy.



 | | |  CT FEST UPDATE!
 | | |  Show News Update
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A CHAMPION?

 The Time : August 15 and 16,  9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
 The Place: Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport,  Windsor
            Locks, CT (Just north of Hartford on I-91)
 The Event: The Northeast's Biggest Lynx Tournament This Summer!

 Connecticut AtariFest '92 is excited to announce its First Annual Lynx
 Tournament.  The Tournament features the latest ComLynx-able games, your
 favorite classics and yet-to-be released titles.  Games will be played
 among all contestants with Lynxes connected via ComLynx.

 Loads of prizes will be given away during both days of the Tournament.
 Novices shouldn't feel intimidated; prizes will be awarded for both
 skillful play and dumb luck.

 Atari will also set up individual Lynxes enabling players to play test
 new games in a noncompetitive setting.

 Lynxes, games and accessories will be available for purchase.  Area
 retailers are invited to sponsor a "Champion" who will receive a free
 one-day pass to the show.  Participating retailers will share in the
 resulting publicity.  Lynx players are invited to get their local dealer
 to name them store "Champion" for the show.  Dealers should contact
 organizers below about their designated entry.

 In addition to Lynx contests, Connecticut AtariFest '92 will feature
 exhibits of the latest in computer hardware and software by Atari and
 third-party developers, state of the industry reports, seminars designed
 to help you get the most out of your gear and imaginative applications
 created by folks just like you.  Admission to the show is $5.00 for one
 day; $8.00 for both days.

 Lynxes and games will be supplied by Atari.  Contestants are asked not
 to bring their own equipment.  It will not be allowed on the exhibit
 floor.

 EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

 Area Students to Get Crash Course in Publishing at Connecticut AtariFest

 On-the-scene visitors to Connecticut AtariFest '92 in Hartford will have
 one advantage over their stay-at-home counterparts this August 15 & 16.
 They'll be treated to rapid reports of Atari news as part of an
 educational experiment involving students, teachers and experts in the
 field of desktop publishing (DTP).

 Connecticut AtariFest '92 is inviting area junior and senior high school
 students to participate in the educational project as a means of
 demonstrating how ideas can be converted into words, images and
 effective printed communication.  ACT Atari Group, the show organizer,
 says it plans to publish newsletter editions both days of the show.  The
 student-produced flyers will contain bulletins about show exhibitors,
 late-breaking news about the Atari scene as detailed by seminar
 speakers, reminders of upcoming events at the show and tips for bargain-
 hunters and do-it-yourselfers.

 The selected pupils will serve as "roving reporters," gathering story
 ideas at exhibitors' booths, interviewing vendor representatives and
 visitors about show events and industry news.  Some will enter their
 notes into Atari's Portfolio palmtop computer; others will use pads and
 pencils.  The student reporters will then upload notes or compose
 stories on several of the commercial word processors being demonstrated
 at the show.  From there text will be merged with graphics, photos and
 illustrations via desktop publishing products, such as scanners, drawing
 programs and touch-up software.  Finally, a finished, color newsletter
 will printed for the "classroom audience," while a black & white version
 is distributed to show goers in the exhibit hall.

 Representatives from several Atari magazines will also be covering the
 show and it is expected some of these trade journalists will offer the
 pupils their unique perspectives about news coverage in the computer
 business.

 Although not all of the exhibitors are expected to participate in the
 learning experiment, some DTP-related exhibitors planning to attend the
 Hartford show include ABC Solutions, Atari Corporation, Codehead
 Software, Goldleaf Publishing, Gribnif, Maxwell CPU, Megatype Software
 and Soft-Logik Publishing.  Atari media expected at the show include
 Atari Interface Magazine, ST Informer, ST Report, Take It With You
 newsletter and other individual correspondents for Atari publications and
 on-line services.

 Connecticut AtariFest '92 is seeking student applicants for "enrollment"
 in its "Summer Semester" program.  We welcome junior and senior high
 school students to submit a brief letter explaining why they want to
 participate in the publishing project.  Children should describe any
 experience they have with computers, writing, art, school newspaper or
 other form of communication, sending it along with a note from a parent
 or guardian, to one of the addresses below.  Do not enclose any
 materials that need to be returned.  Students need not be present both
 days of the show in order to enroll.  Apply to:

      Brian Gockley, Chairman            Doug Finch, Vice Chairman
      Connecticut AtariFest '92          Connecticut AtariFest '92
      GEnie: B.GOCKLEY                   GEnie: D.FINCH7
      CompuServe: 75300,2514             CompuServe: 76337,1067
      18 Elmwood Avenue                  46 Park Avenue
      Bridgeport, CT 06605               Old Greenwich, CT 06870
      [phone]                     [phone]




 | | |  CLEVELAND FREE-NET
 | | |  Restructured and Improved - Press Release
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 Announcing....The Restructured....The Improved....Atari SIG on The
 Cleveland Free-Net

 Featuring:
  * Up-to-date news on all Atari products and services
  * Atari 8-Bit & 16/32-Bit Computer Support Areas
  * Lynx Support Area
  * Portfolio Support Area
  * Voting Facilities
  * Library & Research Center
  * Programming/Developing Forums
  * Quick posting of the latest online magazines
  * No access charges!!

 What we are:
 ------------
 We are the largest computer Special Interest Group (SIG) located on the
 Cleveland Free-Net Community Computer System.  The Cleveland Free-Net is
 a large, constantly growing, multi-user computer system with a
 connection to Internet.  It is sponsored financially by Case Western
 Reserve University.  The Cleveland Free-Net is a member of the National
 Public Tele-computing Network (NPTN) or a network of a community computer
 systems located in different parts of the nation.  In a sense, these
 Free-Net computer systems are the public libraries of the future.  There
 is no cost to anyone for use of these systems.

 The goal of the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG is to provide all Atari
 users with an excellent place to exchange information.  If your college
 or business has access to Internet, you most likely have access to the
 Atari SIG.  The SIG is presently being accessed from Atari users located
 throughout the world due to our Internet nodes.  If you do not have
 access to Internet, you can dial direct by the phone number listed
 below.

 We are proud to announce the opening of the newly restructured Cleveland
 Free-Net Atari SIG on July 20th.  We are confident that his new Atari
 SIG will become a great part of the Atari Community.

 Our internet mail address is:  [e-mail]
 And our snail-mail address is:

 The Atari SIG
 PO Box 364
 Mentor, OH 44061

 So, how do I gain access?
 -------------------------
 1. Direct dialing:  Set your modem to 8-n-1, and dial [phone].
    Case Western University currently has 50 modems dedicate to the
    Cleveland Free-Net.

 2. Telenet: For those of you with Telenet abilities the primary node is
    freenet-in-b.cwru.edu (129.22.8.75).  Two other nodes are available
    if the first node is 'full': freenet-in-a.cwru.edu, (129.22.8.82),
    and freenet-in-c.cwru.edu (129.22.8.76).

 Getting an account and costs...
 -------------------------------
 Anyone using Free-Net for the first time may use the 'guest' account.
 You will not have posting privileges, nor any file space, but you will
 be able to experience what the Free-Net has to offer.  Requesting an
 account is very simple and full instructions for this are available on
 line.  There are absolutely no charges associated with requesting an
 account or using any of the Free-Net's services!

 Stay up-to-date on latest Atari developments
 --------------------------------------------
 The Atari news section will feature all the latest developments on the
 Atari scene.  New machines, new software, and show announcements will
 keep even the most isolated Atari users current on industry happenings.

 Strong 8-bit computer support
 -----------------------------
 The 8-Bit Computers Support Area is an important part of the Atari SIG.
 This area includes a computer description file, FAQ list, 8-bit news,
 bulletin board, programming forum, product summaries, product reviews,
 tips & tricks board, file area, all Z*Magazine issues, recent Info-
 Atari8 Digests, and an 8-bit user directory.

 While many sources of 8-bit news and information are saying "goodbye" to
 the 8-bit computer, we are saying "hello!"  We do not believe the Atari
 8-bit era is over quite yet!  We have expanded the 8-bit support area by
 adding more information and a programming forum.  If you are upset by
 lack of support, create your own support.  If you are upset because
 there is little software being released for your computer, write your
 own software.

 A cornicopea of Atari 16/32-bit computer information
 ----------------------------------------------------
 The 16/32-Bit Computers Support Area has something for everyone.  This
 area was designed specifically to meet the needs of the ST, TT, and
 hopefully new Falcon computer users.  There is a published articles
 board, a computer description file, FAQ list, 16/32-bit news, bulletin
 board, MIDI forum, programming/developing forum, tips & tricks board,
 file area, online magazines, user directory, and much more.

 If you are a programmer, the new programming/developing forum is a great
 place to discuss, share information, and have fun with other
 programmers.  If you are a novice at programming, this forum is headed
 up by a professional programmer who will help you get started in no
 time.  The MIDI Forum is for all you musicians that use your Atari
 professionally (though beginners are welcome too!).  The file area gives
 you access to the vast amount of software available from the Atari
 Archives at the University of Michigan.  Special instructions are
 included in the file area for using BART when uploading or downloading
 files.

 Support for Portfolio users
 ---------------------------
 The Portfolio has always been well supported by users.  The Portfolio
 Support area has been enhanced to help continue this support.  The area
 includes a description file, Portfolio news, bulletin board, programming
 forum, product summaries, product reviews, tips & tricks board, file
 area, Portable Addiction magazines, and a user directory.

 The programming forum has been added because users like you are the main
 source of programs for the Portfolio.  The file area has also been added
 thanks to BART and the University of Michigan.  They give Portfolio
 users access to a large number of files stored at the Atari Archives.

 Coming to a Lynx terminal near you!
 -----------------------------------
 The new Lynx Support Area has nearly doubled in size!  There is a
 description file, published articles board, FAQ list, Best & Worst of
 1991 file, Lynx news, bulletin board, Atari Explorer game card summaries
 board, game card reviews, vote on game cards area, tips & tricks board,
 record high scores reported board, APE Newsletters, Portable Addiction
 magazine, and a Lynx player directory.

 The Lynx Support Area is special because it contains information that
 very few places have.  The Lynx Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
 has an answer to just about every question there is concerning the Lynx.
 Darius Vaskelis put the FAQ List together with help from Robert Jung.
 Since the Cleveland Free-Net has received permission from Atari Explorer
 to reprint the game card summaries published in each issue of the
 magazine, we have quite a library of summaries to help you determine
 which game is for you.  The Lynx Support Area has a large number of Lynx
 game card reviews including ALL of Robert Jung's famous reviews.
 Clinton Smith has given the Atari SIG permission to reprint his Atari
 Portable Entertainment (APE) Newsletters in ASCII form.  If you are
 missing an issue that contains valuable information that you cannot find
 anywhere else, you can find the back issue in this support area.

 The Lynx has always been the best hand held out there and the Atari SIG
 wishes to provide the support it deserves!

 Voting Facilities
 -----------------
 The users of the Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG are now able to post
 issues and have fellow users vote on them!  The voting facilities will
 allow users to ask questions without requiring users to leave his or her
 name when answering them.  The current results of the polls are
 available to anyone just by hitting a key.  The voting facilities bring
 new excitement and endless possibilities to the Atari SIG.

 The Newsroom
 ------------
 The Atari SIG has established an area for putting together a monthly
 online newsletter.  If you are interested in becoming a contributor or
 staff member of this newsletter, this place was made for you!  It is
 also the best way to get news, reviews, and information to others
 throughout the world.

 J.J. Lehett
 Cleveland Free-Net
 Atari SIG




 | | |  ATARIWATCH CALENDAR
 | | |  July Update
 | | |  ----------------------------------------------------------------


 July 25 - Mid-Indiana ST's MIST Atarifest IV in Indianapolis.  An annual
 strong midwest "small scale" show, last year's event brought over 500
 individuals from surrounding states.  Admission is $3.  Contact Dan Ward
 on GEnie (D.WARD10), by phone at 317-254-0031, or by US Mail at 1752
 Alimingo Drive, Indianapolis, IN  46260.

 August 15th-16th - The Connecticut AtariFest '92 at the Sheraton Hotel
 at Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.  A joint
 effort by FACE, STARR, and D-BUG, the sponsorship organization is called
 ACT.  Contact Brian Gockley, chairman, 18 Elmwood Avenue, Bridgeport, CT
 06605, phone [phone].

 August 21st-23rd - Germany's massive all-Atari computer event, the
 Dusseldorf Atari Show.  New products and trans-oceanic deals mark this
 show as the Christmas of the Atari world.

 August 20th-30th - The year's biggest (15,000 last year) gaming and
 role-play convention is GENCON, held annually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at
 the MECCA Convention Center.  Atari will again be represented by
 MilAtari, Ltd., a local user group that operates an all-Atari game area
 at the show.

 September 12th-13th - 1992's Southern California Atari Faire, also known
 as the GLENDALE SHOW.  John King Tarpinian is president of The Hooked on
 ATARI Computer Knowledge Society (HACKS) and coordinator of the show.
 The Glendale Show has had the largest annual attendance of any
 continuing show series and is expected to keep that record this year.
 For more information about the Glendale Show, contact John King
 Tarpinian at 818-246-7286.

 September 18th-20th - San Diego ACE is participating in a multi-platform
 Computer Fair, and has reserved a room for Atari vendors.  The San Diego
 Computer Society in conjunction with a regional computer magazine
 (ComputerEdge) have obtained the San Diego Community Concourse for 3
 full days of Show.  Up to 10,000 attendees are expected for the show
 that has a $50K budget.  Exhibitors get the booths for free, but there
 are only 140 booths.  Contact SDACE via D.SMITHRN on GEnie for
 information.  More details here soon!

 September 22nd-25th - The Fall Seybold Show will be another top industry
 trade show specializing in high-end publishing.  Atari made a major
 showing at Seybold last year and got extensive press attention.  The
 show will be held in San Francisco, California and is not open to the
 general public.  For more information, contact Atari Corporation.

 September 23 - The Atari presentation at the Boston Computer Society
 meeting, postponed from April, is now scheduled to occur on September 23
 at 7:30 PM in the New England Life Hall in the Copley Square Building,
 225 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts.  Atari is to present a new
 computer line to the club on the same site where the original ST was
 unveiled and where IBM and NeXT have made their product announcements.
 For more information, contact the Boston Computer Society at 617-252-
 0600.

 October 10th-11th - The Washington Area Atari Computer Enthusiasts are
 currently planning the 1992 W.A.A.C.E Atarifest, which has traditionally
 been the largest East coast Atari show.  The '92 event will be held on
 Columbus Day weekend, October 10th and 11th, once again at the Sheraton
 Reston hotel in Reston, Virginia.  The show will feature shopping
 bargains, demonstrations, tutorials, seminars, and social events.  The
 1990 and 1991 editions of the show attracted approximately 2000
 visitors.  Charles Hoffmann is now Acting President of WAACE Inc., and
 can be contacted via GEnie at address S.HOFFMANN, by phone at 703-569-
 6734, or by US Mail at 5908 Bayshire Road, Springfield, VA 22152-1146.

 November 16th-20th - Fall COMDEX, the biggest computer trade show in the
 USA.  Atari will again have a major presence at the Las Vegas, Nevada
 show.

 December 12th-13th - The Northern California Atari Expo has been
 rescheduled from July, and will be held at the San Jose Exhibit Hall,
 145 W. San Carlos, San Jose, CA.  This will be the second major joint
 show and the first in two years from ABACUS, SLCC, and Sacremento ST
 Users clubs.  Contact the Northern California Atari Expo c/o SLCC, P.O.
 Box 1506, San Leandro, Ca 94577, or call 510-352-8118.  GEnie Address:
 M.WARNER8


 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To  sign up for GEnie service call (with modem)  [phone].   Upon
 connection type HHH and hit <return>.  Wait for the U#= prompt and type
 XTX99436,GEnie and hit <return>.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To sign up for CompuServe service call (with phone) [phone]. Ask
 for operator #198.  You will be promptly sent a $15.00 free  membership
 kit.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 A special limited time offer  is available for subscribers to AtariUser
 Magazine.  The regular $19.95 subscription price is now just $15.00 for
 a  full  year  or  $25.00  a  year  for  first class mailing.  For more
 information contact AtariUser at [phone]. Credit card or billing
 is available.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Editorial material, including article submissions, press releases,  and
 products  for  evaluation,  should  be  sent  to the Z*Net News Service
 Post   Office   Box   59,   Middlesex,  New  Jersey,  08846.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 You can subscribe to the bi-monthly hard copy  Atari  Explorer Magazine
 for $14.95 for 6 issues, $39.95 for  18 issues.   Canadian  subscribers
 should add $5.00 per 6 issues,foreign subscribers should add $10.00 per
 6 issues.  Checks must be drawn in US funds on a US bank.  Send  orders
 to Atari Explorer, Post Office Box 6488, Duluth,  MN  55806.  VISA  and
 MasterCard orders, call [phone].
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Atari Explorer Online Magazine is  a weekly  publication  covering  the
 Atari computer  community.  Material published in  this edition may  be
 reprinted in non-commercial publications unless otherwise noted  at the
 top of  the  article.  Opinions  presented  herein  are  those  of  the
 individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those  of  the staff.
 Atari Explorer Online Magazine  is  Copyright (c)1992,  Atari  Computer
 Corporation.   Z*Net and the Z*Net Newswire are copyright(c)1992, Z*Net
 News Service/Ron Kovacs.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                      Atari Explorer Online Magazine
                   "The Official Atari Online Journal"
               Copyright (c)1992, Atari Computer Corporation
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~