Atari 8-bit News-Disk Issue 11¢------------------------------¢¢Editorial by Dean Garraghty.¢¢¢Welcome to issue 11 of the News-Disk. You know, we're nearly coming up to our 2nd anniversary. That's right, it's almost 2 years since issue 1 of the News-Disk went out. Because of this, I plan on making issue 12 our anniversary issue. What will this mean? Well, I'm not sure yet! It's likely to be pretty much as normal, but I think it's about time we had a competition! A second anniversary competition, with a quiz perhaps! Yes, why not! I'll set a puzzle which will relate to past issues of the News-Disk, and offer free software to the first few people I pull out of a hat (oh, I haven't got a hat, It'll have to be a box!). Details will be on issue 12.¢¢Right, on with this issue. I would like to thank everyone who took advantage of the pound a disk offer on the PD. It was a good idea I think, with lots of people taking advantage of it. This offer is now closed, but I have decided to have special offers for News-Disk readers on various items I sell. This will change from issue to issue. The special offer this issue is on software. I have 6 sets of Pole Position and BallBlazer carts left. These are brand new, boxed and sealed. News-Disk readers can have them for a fiver the pair including P&P. Come on, that's a deal and a half!! Because of the limited numbers, could you please state whether you want your cheque back if I run out, or give something else you want to spend the money on. The next offer is on Macro Assembler disks. Again, these are brand new boxed and sealed. News-Disk readers can have these for just 3.50 each including P&P. Come on folks, Page 6 charge 7.95 plus post for these! I have 11 copies to clear. Again, please state what you want to do if I run out.¢¢Next, a moan! The "Make an offer by phone sale" I ran a few weeks back was a total flop. A massive 2 people rang (thanks Leslie and Paul!). It cost me a fortune to send lists to everyone. I won't be trying that again in a hurry! Because I have so much stuff left, I will be running it again when I'm back home at Easter. An updated sale list will appear on issue 12. However, some of the stuff is still available now. Check out the PD catalogue disk on side 2 for details of some hardware, tapes, and disks for sale.¢¢On the subject of PD, I have a few new disks available. Check out side 2 for details.¢¢Now on to the Power Per Post products. As you know, I released 3 of their games on issue 10. But, response has been poor. So, with agreement with PPP, I am selling packs of all 3 games for 12.50 (a saving of 2.50 on the usual price). I can't really review them because my opinions would be biased (I mean, I sell them!!). Anybody else want to do a review for a future News-Disk?¢¢On to the Quick language. Problems problems! The person responsible for the editing of the Quick manual has dropped out. This means that I am having to edit the Quick manual myself now. But, not to worry! I have now got permission to not only edit the manuals, but to also typeset and print them. This will make development time much less. I should be able to get the manual edited very soon. The manuals are first translated in to very rough English by PPP. They then have to be made some sense of, and re-written. This does take a long time. I have just finished editing the manual for SAM (details a bit later). It took days to edit, with hundreds of changes being made. The SAM (Screen Aided Management) system detailed on issue 10 will be available as soon as the English manuals are typest and printed, and the English version of the software is sent from Germany. If you want to know when they're ready, then please send me a SAE. Initially, we're just releasing the System Disk. If that does OK, we'll release the accessory disks later. Prices have finally been finalised. Quick will cost 15pounds including disk and manual + 1pound for P&P. The SAM system disk will cost 12pounds including disk and manual +1pound for P&P. Both Quick and SAM should be on sale by the 22nd Feb 1993 at the latest. Again, send me a SAE if you want to know when they are available for sale. Alternatively, you may order now. I'll send you your copy the minute they are ready. UPDATE: the Quick master disk is on its way to me now. I should have the manual ready very soon.¢¢Did you catch the Digi-Studio review in Page 6 issue 60? Now you have somebody else's perspective on it, not just mine! Order your copy today!¢¢Here's a quick plug for another disk-based newsletter. It's called "The Grim Reaper" or TGR. Back issues are offered free if you send them blank disks and a SAE. They write:¢---¢TGR: To receive back copies of a FREE disk-mag then send a SAE and one disk for the last two issues or two disks for the last four to: TGR, 17 Litton Bank, Gamesley, Glossop, SK13 9HF. Please note that the disks will not run on 810 drives.¢---¢¢I have included a couple of articles from recent TGRs on this issue, so you can see what sort of things are on TGR. TGR is not really a very serious newsletter. They usually contain demos and games, but are not strong on articles. I also have my doubts on the legality of some of the games they put on. The quality of editing is also poor, with many mis-spellings in articles. But, it doesn't aim to be a serious newsletter, and it's free! You may like to give it a try, but don't expect too much!¢¢And, here's another quick plug! This one isn't anything to do with the Atari. A colleague of mine has started a PD library for the IBM PC. If any of you also own or use a PC and want some quality software at low prices then write to: Mike Watson, 23 Ystwyth Close, Penparcau, Aberystwyth, SY23 3RU for a free catalogue. That's right, same address as me!¢¢There is a commercial advert in the adverts file. Richard Gore has located the owner of the old Yorky 256K boards. These plug into the PBI bus on 800XLs and give 256K without any hassle! No soldering needed! Richard doesn't have many of these, and is unlikely to have more made after these are sold because of the high costs involved. Get them while they're hot!¢¢¢Keith Pates of Nottingham has asked me to ask News-Disk readers if they know where to get hold of Strip Poker data disks 1-5. If anybody can help them please write to me at the News-Disk.¢¢As usual these days, I've had to remove DUP and XR40.DOC to fit all the articles on!¢¢Here's a list of what's on this issue:¢¢ADVERTS.DOC - the adverts!¢¢AMS6R2.DOC - another review of AMS6 but by somebody else¢¢TIPS810.DOC - an article from TGR. Some amusing ideas on what to do with an 810!¢¢IN1995.DOC - another TGR article. A joke story about the EEC not allowing British Menu disks any more!¢¢HOWDONE.DOC - behind the scenes at the News-Disk!¢¢XL64K.DOC - an easy upgrade to give the 600XL 64K.¢¢FREEZER.DOC - a hardware hack for people with 256K+ machines which will allow you to turn you machine on/off without waiting forever for the memory to clear.¢¢MIDI.ASM - left over from last issue. This is the source file for the MIDI hardware from issue 10.¢¢COL80.ASM - another left over from issue 11. This is the source file for the 80 column viewer.¢¢DOSTYPES.DOC - a very good article about various DOS systems available for the Atari. It gives a brief overview of what a DOS should give, along with a list of known DOS systems, what each has to offer, and more! This article HAS to be viewed in 80 columns, so use COL80 from issue 10, or print it straight from DOS. Also, this article is written in quite poor English, but it was impossible to edit without messing up the formatting of it!¢¢¢Don't forget: I still want to see YOUR article on an issue of the News-Disk soon! Write one and send it in!¢¢Dean Garraghty.¢7 February 1993.¢
