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                  Issue #182         November 26, 1989
                     = 1989 by Rovac Industries, Inc.

                        ZMagazine - (ZNet Online)
                      Publisher/Editor: Ron Kovacs

         The Z*Net BBS                     CompuServe:71777,2140
         (201) 968-8148                         GEnie: ZMAGAZINE

 


 Xx CONTENST
 ------------------------
 
 <*> Editors Desk........................by Ron Kovacs
          Commentary/Update
 <*> ZNet Newswire..........11/14-11/25...............
          Latest News Update
 <*> Atari Reaches Out to Developers.........John Nagy
          Comdex Report Part 2
 <*> Exclusive Interview With Charles Cherry.John Nagy
          Interview at Comdex
 <*> 8-Bitters United Support News....................
          Oasis/Bob-Term Discussed
 <*> Revolutionary Concepts..............Donald Thomas
          The Revolution Continues - Part 7
 <*> 8-Bit DOS - Confused?.............Elliott Coerper
          A look at 6 Atari DOS's
 <*> BBS Discussions..................................
          Messages of Interest...
 
 
    
 
 
 Xx EDITORS DESK
 ------------------------
 by Ron Kovacs
 
 
 Things are VERY slow within the 8-bit area, support is almost non-
 existent, and there is nothing to report on specifically oriented to 
 the 8-bit owner.  We are working on a few changes and will have 
 discussions on them in the next few weeks.
 
 This is Issue #182, and last week we did release an special edition 
 dedicated to the Fall Comdex Show in Las Vegas.  It was uploaded VERY 
 laste to GEnie because we thought it was uploaded there already.  I 
 guess being as busy as we were last week caused the confusion.  I 
 apologize to anyone looking for it.  It is available now.
 
 The number ONE file downloaded on the ZNet BBS was ZMAG181.  It even 
 beat out ST*ZMagazine.  Thank you for the downloads!  While we are 
 talking about the BBS, please give us a call at (201) 968-8148 and 
 register YOUR BBS!  We are RIGHT NOW compiling a national list of 
 systems supporting our publications and would appreciate your 
 assistance!  The BBS also provides and area for submitting articles 
 for this and all our publications.  December will be Graphics Month on 
 the BBS.  Upload your best graphics picture, animation, atascii art, 
 print shop file, etc...
 
 This week John Nagy completes his Comdex Coverage with an exclusive 
 interview with Charles Cherry, the NEW TOS Pusher at Atari, and 
 reports on Atari reaching out to developers at Comdex.
 
 BBS UPDATE
 
 The following systems carry ZMagazine or ST*ZMagazine every week:
 
     Traveler's Inn           (814) 825-9410
     Aardvark Inn             (813) 425-5113
     Chicago Public           (312) 890-8513
     Pegasus BBS              (708) 623-9570
     Syndicate Z*Net          (201) 968-8148
 

 
 Xx ZNET NEWSWIRE
 ------------------------
 
 
 NINTENDO WINS
 
 The Soviet video game Tetris belongs to Nintendo for all home video
 systems, a federal judge ruled in San Francisco last Monday, November 
 13.  The U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Judge Fern M. Smith, had
 earlier awarded Nintendo a preliminary injunction against Atari/Tengen
 sales of its version of Tetris for home video game systems.  A trial on
 the question of a permanent injunction and damages was meant to
 commence.  The judge cancelled the trial announcing that she intended to
 award summary judgments to Nintendo because there were no material
 factual matters which Atari/Tengen could prove. 

 ATARI GAMES RESPONDS
 
 The following is a statement by Dennis Wood, senior vice president,
 Atari Games Corp. 

 ''Today's court decision by Judge Fern Smith of the U.S. District Court
 in San Francisco granting Nintendo's motion for a summary judgement
 regarding the rights to 'Tetris' is a disappointment to Tengen.  The
 court's finding is based simply on a contract issue that has no bearing
 on the larger anti-trust and patent disputes between the parties related
 to 'Tetris.'  The judge's ruling is confined to 'Tetris' and in no way
 affects Tengen's ability to market any of its 14 independently
 manufactured Nintendo-compatible video games.  We are confident that we
 will prevail on our anti-trust and patent infringement allegations
 against Nintendo when the issues come to trial. An appeal of today's
 decision is being prepared.'' 

 ATARI POSTS LOSS

 Atari reported the results of operations for the third quarter ended
 Sept. 30, 1989.  Net sales for the quarter were $81.4 million compared
 to $98.8 million for the like quarter last year.  The net loss was $5.4
 million compared to net income of $.9 million.  Net sales for the nine
 months were $253 million compared to $300 million for the like period
 last year.  There was a net loss of $1.8 million compared to a net
 income of $12.1 million for the like nine months last year.  Sam
 Tramiel, said -This has been an encouraging yet difficult quarter for
 Atari.  Towards the end of the quarter we began shipping many new
 products which represent our future.  For example, we started shipping
 Portfolio, our new hand held MS DOS command compatible computer, and the
 Megafile 44, our new removable media hard disk drive.  Also, during the
 quarter, we began shipping the STE computer, an improved version of our
 core ST product.  Additionally, during the fourth quarter, we expect to
 start shipping Lynx, the new hand held color LCD video game system.
 However, to reflect the dramatic drop in component prices, especially
 semiconductors and disk drives, the company has taken a special charge
 during the quarter of approximately $10 million in respect of such
 inventory.  With the shipment of new products and less volatile DRAM
 costs in the fourth quarter, we anticipate normalization of margins as
 and when the inventories of older products are sold.  Portfolio
 production is ramping up now as planned.  Initial sales appear
 consistent with our expectations.-   Greg Pratt of Atari Corp.,
 408-745-2349 

 COMDEX UPDATE

 To complete the coverage of last week's Comdex Newswire, here are a few
 more products released at the Fall Comdex.
 
 Cyberspace released a keyboard-sized laptop 286 PC, which uses headgear
 to suspend a postage-stamp-sized screen in front of one eye.  A hologram
 like image appears to float two feet in front of wherever you look.  The
 286cx displays IBM CGA graphics and runs under MS-DOS.  It also has a
 built in 2400-baud Hayes-compatible modem.
 
 Mitsubishi announced a 386SX color portable, which displays 640x480
 pixels in 256 colors on a backlit florescent screen.  An active matrix
 handles motion.  The computer will be available within a year in 286
 12Mhz and 386sx 16MHz or 20MHz models.
 
 Ricoh Corp. announced a Voice Recognizer for IBM PC/ATs and compatibles.
 The speaker-dependent voice-recognition board runs commercially
 available software with spoken commands and records up to 1,000 words in
 a voice dictionary.  Designers say word recognition accuracy is 98
 percent.  The voice recognition chip also will be marketed to industry
 and consumer electronics firms.
 
 Microteck Labs announced a Color/Gray Scanner which allows 16.8 million
 colors and scans photos and drawings into the Macintosh, PC or PS/2 for
 use with many paint programs.  It comes with three scanning and editing
 software packages.  The MSF-300Z scanner is $2,195.  The Macintosh
 interface is being shipped now for $500.  The PC interface will be
 shipped in December for $400.
 
 Canon announced the Color Laser Copier 500 by Canon USA Inc., supported
 by Macintosh and IBM third-party developed drivers.  An IPU (intelligent
 processing unit) produces full color output from video equipment,
 television signals and computers.  Text and color photos are
 differentiated by Advanced Image Recognition technology.  Pictures are
 reproduced in four colors and type in pure black.  The copier allows
 digital image sizing (zoom), color conversion and many more features.
 The Color Laser Copier 500 will be for sale at the end of December for
 $49,000.  The expandable IPU will cost from $18,000 to $40,000.
 
 LYNX UPDATE
 
 Challenging arch rival Nintendo's Game Boy system, Atari Corp. has
 introduced a one-pound hand-held game machine called Lynx that features
 detailed color graphics and sound effects.  Analysts have told business
 writer Marybeth Nibley of The Associated Press that the clarity of the
 Lynx screen and its technological capability give Atari's machine an
 edge over the black-and-white Game Boy system.  But, they note, Lynx
 retails for $179, compared with $89.99 for Game Boy.
 
 Both Lynx and Game Boy come with one game cartridge, cables to link
 machines and other accessories.  Individual games for Lynx cost $35 to
 $40 while Game Boy's cartridges average $25.
 
 FEDERATED UPDATE

 Greg Pratt, who is Atari's Chief financial officer, revealed this week
 that his company is looking for other buyers to take over the remaining
 leases they hold on the chain of Federated Group stores.  Silo, an
 electronics specialty division of the Dixon Group, has acquired the
 rights and leases to 26 of the Federated stores.  These southern
 California facilities will now bring the total of Silo's current log of
 stores to 100.  Atari has not been able to find a buyer for the troubled
 chain, so has now resigned itself to selling the troubled stores in
 smaller chunks.  The remainder of the Federated stores will be kept open
 until they are sold.


 
 Xx ATARI REACHES OUT TO DEVELOPERS ----
 Xx CLOSE-UP INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES CHERRY
 ------------------------------------------
 by John Nagy
 
 
 Last week at the Fall COMDEX, Atari Corporation's Antonio Salerno
 introduced a new Developer Support Program at a Wednesday evening
 cocktail party.  The drinks and finger-food helped loosen the mood, as
 did birthday wishes to Leonard Tramiel.  MIDI-music was performed on
 several STACY units, and when Antonio explained his plans to assist the
 dealers and developers, most in attendance were at least somewhat
 optimistic.  Antonio reflected on the problems that Atari has been
 having, and mentioned that he and Sam Tramiel had been in contact with
 many developers recently in order to gather ideas on what could be done
 to become -partners- with developers in the recovery of the Atari
 market.

 Atari will be giving active, registered developers:
 
     - a complete list of all registered Atari product owners with 
       monthly updates (said to contain 60,000 names now)
     - a complete dealer list with quarterly updates

 Getting owners to register has been a problem, of course, with probably
 under 20% participation.  In order to bolster the registration, Atari
 has arranged to give new registered owners a three-month demo
 subscription to START, ST-INFORMER, ATARI EXPLORER, and ST WORLD
 magazines, with others possibly to be added.  This exposure to the
 literature and advertising available to the Atari owner is expected to
 result in significant additional purchases of software and peripherals.
 This will, if it works, provide an increase in third party product
 sales and support.

 Registered developers will also now be able to buy most Atari hardware
 at 50% off retail.  This is hoped to make it easier for developers to
 stay abreast of the newest equipment without eating all their profits.

 Atari wants developers to participate in their dealer support effort by
 sending both full and disabled -demo- versions of all their software to
 Atari.  An online database (rumored to be placed on CompuServe) will
 carry listings of all available software, cross indexed by type, price
 range, features, and company.  End users will be able to find
 information and request additional information via mail, as well as
 being directed to a demo version of the software that will be available
 on line.

 The final phase of the -Softsource- plan is to put all of the above data
 and sample programs on CD-ROM, and put a unit in every dealer's store
 for dealer or customer look-ups.  Similarly, self-exercising programs on
 the CD will allow -background- demonstrations while no one is looking up
 data.

 The new man at Atari who will be running point for the support plan is
 Charles Cherry.  Charles, a greying but youthful six-foot-six and lanky
 fellow with the casual air of a surf-shop owner, is excited about his
 new job.  His eyes sparkle with intensity from behind his wire-rim
 glasses as he talks of his plans for Softsource.  -We have the tools,
 and for the first time, we have Atari's entire owner data in our hands..
 this is a radical move, it's never been done before... it shows that
 Atari is serious about making a partnership with third party
 developers.-

 Charles comes to Atari from ANTIC SOFTWARE, where he ran the sales
 division that remains a major source of Atari product like FLASH and the
 CYBER series.  He says that the focus at ANTIC was moving towards the
 AMIGA and other lines, and that he was powerless to influence the higher
 -ups.  The fact that many of the ST products steadily sold more copies,
 or had more stable followings, had little effect.  However, in his time
 at ANTIC, Charles got a thorough understanding of what it was like to be
 an Atari developer without adequate support.  In fact, Charles was part
 of what looked like a swat team at the last (Spring, 1989 Chicago)
 COMDEX where the newly installed Antonio Salerno got his trial-by-fire.
 Surrounded by frustrated developers, Antonio listened to endless
 complaints and horror-stories, and vowed to change things.  -It says a
 lot that Antonio turned around and hired one of his most vocal critics
 to help turn things around,- says Charles.

 -Many computer buyers today have a specific purpose in mind for their
 machine.  Like a refrigerator, they have one image of what it is going
 to do for them, and they don't join a club or become an enthusiast.  Who
 ever heard of a refrigerator users group?   I hope to be able expose the
 new owners to the wider range of what their computer is capable of.
 It's like letting a refrigerator owner know that it can also chop wood..
 it may never have occurred to him!-  The magazine subscriptions will
 certainly do a lot to help convey the range and power of the Atari
 products to the new owners.

 Some critics of the plan claim that it may undermine new dealers.  The
 thought is that the exposure to mail-order may create an anti-dealer 
 attitude in the new buyers.  Charles refutes this by citing the in-
 dealership Softsource program.  Walk-in buyers can see everything in one
 place... impossible through mail order.

 Lack of dealers is another real problem for the Corporation as well as
 for third party developers.  It is hoped that well over 100 new dealers
 will result from the COMDEX push, and the Softsource program will help
 more.  Dealers are also being told that they are -more likely- to get
 the popular Portfolios that they want to sell if the store is a full-
 line dealer.  The leverage plan (that Charles mentioned that he would
 have thought would amount to market suicide) has been an easier sell
 than expected.  Dealers are now somewhat more enamored to the new look
 of the full Atari product line.

 I asked Charles Cherry if he felt that the new push in developer support
 from Atari was a reaction to the AAD, the Atari Association of
 Developers, formed earlier this fall.  Developers had banded together in
 a self-help effort, citing lack of sufficient help form Atari itself.
 Charles said, -Support is our job.  We are going to do that job-,
 although he admitted that the moves of the AAD had certainly made the
 need for Atari to act even more obvious.  He sees the group not as a
 competitor for development support, but potentially a useful group.
 -They should help each each other in the things they can do best, and
 Atari will provided the machine support as we can do best.-

 Charles projects quiet assurance that he will accomplish most of the
 difficult goals set by Antonio Salerno and Atari.  The -new crop- of
 Atari employees are more reason for hope... Charles, Antonio, Bob
 Brodie, Mike Morand each have the spirit and character that can make an
 Atari comeback a believable event.

 Developers or potential developers can contact Charles Cherry at (408)
 745-2082.  Gail Johnson of Atari can help with developers registration
 at (408) 745-2568, or at Atari Corp, 1196 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA
 94086.



 Xx ATE BITTERS UNITED SUPPORT NEWS
 ----------------------------------
 from The 8-Bitters BBS
 
 
 OK 8-bitters, This is the first and hopefully a good beginning for
 future articles.
 
 One of the eventual upgrades to any computer is a modem, and for a
 select few who care to rack their brains and put up with a never
 ending battle with -The User-, choose to run a BBS.  For the 8-bit,
 there is an extreme variety of BBS programs that are available either
 public domain, shareware, and by commercial software.  For the
 beginner, I recommend getting a copy of the simplest BBS programs, and
 work your way up to the more complex.  AMIA was the first BBS I chose
 to start with about 4 years ago, and now I use a very powerful and
 easy to use program, which can be considered one of the more complex
 BBS systems as far as the shape and structure it can take.   I will
 get into that in a -Bit-.  First, I would like to mention that a bbs
 isn't just downloads.  There is message bases, and possibly on line
 games and maybe even some sort of data base.  Most up to date bbs
 systems do support that type of format.  I would like to bring your
 attention to one particular company which gives you an option.  In
 fact I haven't seen it done anywhere else.  The name of the company is
 Z Innovators.
 
 OK now the question marks pop up all over and ask what software are
 they selling, and is it any good.  Well first let me mention another
 name, Glenda Stocks.  Some question marks still remain and a few will
 say, -Oh yea, Oasis.-  Why the disinterest?  Let me give you a little
 background of Oasis.  It started out, as a bbs program written by a
 well known programer, Ralph Walden back in 1986.  Yes He is the
 Original author of Arc, and UnArc.  Anyway, that is when I purchaced
 Oasis for use and almost lost interest myself.  The big problem was
 bugs and lack of support, and eventually lack of interest by the
 Author himself.   Leo Newman came along and provided some support for
 a bit but also followed the same path.  Since that time, Glenda Stocks
 took over the rights to Oasis oh I guess it was about late 1987, 1988
 (correct me if I'm wrong Glenda), and the word -Support- is cutting
 Glenda's work short.
 
 I for one was getting a real bad taste in my mouth for Oasis but for
 some reason gave it and Glenda a chance.  Of course the rest of BBS
 land already dropped Oasis to the bottom of their list.  Oasis was
 then a no frills coded BBS program which as one of its selling points
 had resident support files for menus and information files.  The big
 problem still was all the bugs.  Glenda ripped the main body program
 apart and began her continuous battle of making Oasis into a
 respectable BBS program again.  Eventually I became a Beta Tester for
 the Oasis system, and from that point actually participated and helped
 in the developement of the -New Oasis-.
 
 Most important though, I have really seen what goes into developing
 software, great software.  In fact, Glenda dedicated herself so much
 to Oasis, that she went to a part time status at her workplace.  She
 then formed Z Innovators, the company that sells and supports the
 Oasis BBS system.
 
 To give you an Idea of what Oasis can do, it can support Ansi and Vt-52
 color, Online games, multi sig function, Online term program which
 acts like a commercial term program with number and macro storage,
 message Convos, (messages are read by conversation not by listed
 posts), and tons of options that would take to long to mention.  There
 is a public domain Oasis system which doesn't have nowhere near the
 power of the commercial version, but it does give you an Idea of how
 powerful Oasis is and how easy it is to make it Your Unique BBS
 System.  There is no bugs!!!
 
 There is a support BBS which is PC pursuitable for help with any
 problems.  And to top things off, this can all be run without a hard
 drive, and by the end of 1989, Oasis will be a networking BBS.  That
 means that Oasis will be capable of calling other Oasis BBS systems
 and swap messages...... all by itself.  For the future sysop, I
 recommend Oasis whole heartedly, you won't be disappointed.
 
 Another software developement most recently released as a shareware
 program is written by Bob Puff.  Oh Yeah, everyone knows Bob.  He is
 another major supporter of the 8-bit.  Well his newest accomplishment
 is BOB Term.  It is one of the Best Term programs available for the
 8-bit, and it is available as shareware.  The best way to show how
 great Bob Term is, is to make this simple statement....  -GET it, GET
 it now, Get it Quick, and Don't miss it.-  It has many options on the
 menu, and now a capability of running modules as upgrades....(another
 option I failed to mention about Oasis too.)
 
 Here are 2 Individuals, that make a difference in the 8-bit community.
 Bob and Glenda continuously are coming up with new developments for
 the 8-bit, and are extremly reliable.  We need more support from them
 and more programmers all over.  Let them know your feelings, and above
 all, show your appreciation.
 
 The Atari 8-bit machines have been around for a long time.... let's
 keep them around.  This article was written mainly to show that there
 is support for our machines, and there can be more as long as you the
 8-bit user, care enough as these two have to give you great software.

            Join AtE Bitters United (c)
            Call the AtE Bitters BBS
            (201) 872-0831
            Show them we care!!!

 To purchase Oasis BBS System you can mail direct to:
   Z Innovators Co.
   1344 Park St.
   Dept 187
   Stoughton, MA  02072
   Price: $55.00

 Bob Term can be found almost anywhere, but please contribute to the
 writer.  Shareware info contained with program.
 

 
 
 Xx REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPTS - PART 7
 ----------------------------------
  -REGISTER MY WARRANTY?-
   by Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
   (c)1989  ARTISAN SOFTWARE
 
 
 (This is PART 7 of a series of articles published and distributed by
 Artisan Software.  Please feel free to copy and distribute this article
 as you please provided you include all unedited text.  Also feel free to
 upload to boards and communication services.  These articles are
 designed to entice you to take constructive action.  Write to involved
 parties and tell them how YOU feel about the subject.)
 
 Over the years, I have been sent various programs for review,
 constructive criticism or to aid in debugging potential compatibility
 problems.  In most cases the programs soon come face to face to the
 trash can icon on the desktop or into an archive if reference is
 expected later.  They are not -trashed- because they have no worth, but
 I have not found a personal need for it and I am obligated to purchase
 it if I use it.  In some cases, however, I am very impressed with what
 I see.  Case in point most recently, is the Universal Item Selector by
 Application & Design Software.  I do not intend to review their product
 here, but it has proven to be quite helpful while developing software
 due to its versatile access to buried files on my hard drive.

 Recently, an Artisan Software customer has had interference apparently
 caused by the installation of an on-board clock.  An analysis of his
 particular configuration was made and I quickly assembled a local group
 of people to allow me to borrow the programs my customer was using.  I
 am pleased to report that none was causing the interference, but having
 played with the Universal Item Selector, I ran out and purchased version
 II from B&C Computervisions in Santa Clara.

 This now brings us to the topic in hand.  While the packaging for the
 UIS II was no more than a zip lock vegetable bag, Application & Design
 Software did an excellent job otherwise.  The instructions were complete
 and easy to read.  An invitation to subscribe to ST INFORMER was
 enclosed and a postcard size warranty registration card was also
 enclosed.

 There was a day when I as well do many people took little time to
 understand the value of a warranty registration.  It is hard for me to
 believe that many more than a handful ever sent one in for their General
 Electric toaster oven.  When it comes to some areas, those little cards
 are tremendous tools for the company receiving them and the customer
 sending them.  Artisan Software uses warranty registration cards
 seriously.
 
 All registered customers receive excellent product support and early
 notice on product releases.  Most software companies will offer an edge
 to registered owners.  Unlike some companies who refuse to offer
 customer support without the card received and logged, Artisan Software
 understands the inconvenience of sending those darn little things in.

 When you climb over the high, shaky fence which divides user from
 developer/publisher, you begin to understand a little more about the
 significance of things like warranty registration cards.  A company's
 net worth is not only evaluated by past sales.  It's worth is also
 enhanced by names.  It's one thing to say you sold 100,000 copies of a
 software title over the last year.  Its' another to say I have 100,000
 names to sell a new release.  A company's net worth is always valued by
 it's futures.  This is most clear with newspapers and magazines who gain
 most by higher readership counts.  Analysis of information on the cards
 helps guide future direction of the company with needed demographic
 profiles.  Since most manufacturers/publishers deal through
 distributors, there may be no other way to accumulate such data.

 The philosophy of the REVOLUTION is to encourage activities which are
 low cost, yet productive.  As insignificant as it seems, the minute you
 take to fill out a warranty card will contribute to the net worth of the
 company you bought it from.  It offers you advanced notice and,
 sometimes, preferred treatment, but it is one small way to show the
 company that you like your purchase.  Use it also to make a comment or
 two.

 I sent the warranty registration card from my Universal Item Selector
 (stamped with The REVOLUTION) the moment I took the product home.  I
 encourage you to send in yours.

 For information on how you can -JOIN THE REVOLUTION- and actively
 support the exposure of Atari computers, send $6.00 to ARTISAN SOFTWARE,
 P.O. Box 849, Manteca, California 95336.  An ST/MEGA compatible disk-
 based HANDBOOK will be rushed to you by return mail.  The HANDBOOK is
 also available from ST INFORMER, MEGABYTE COMPUTERS (Hurst, Texas) and
 as a download from COMPUSERVE, GENIE and DELPHI.



 Xx 8-BIT DOS - CONFUSED?
 ------------------------
 by Elliott Coerper, Korea - November 1989
 
 
 Atari DOS, MYDOS, SmartDOS, SpartaDOS, SuperDOS, TOP DOS, DOS XE...
 good night, what DOS am I suppose to use?  When I bought my 800 XL and
 1050 they came with Atari DOS 3.  I suffered with it for three months,
 then a friend gave me her copy of SmartDOS (I thought I had died and
 gone to heaven!).

 Although Atari DOS 2.0 and 2.5 are the only DOSes many people will
 ever need, there are several DOSes that outperform them.  By using the
 proper DOS, like having a finely tuned car, it accelerates you into
 new found areas of enjoyment.  So, if you are looking for more out of
 your DOS, then follow us as we test drive 6 different ones.

 MYDOS 4.5 
 
 Simple, easy, menu driven and a pleasure to use.  This is what DOS XE
 should have been.  It is completely compatible with Atari DOS 2 and
 has full READ capabilities with DOS 2.5.  However, it only writes to
 the first 720 sectors of DOS 2.5.   

 Reading a disk is easy, just use the standard (A) prompt or touch the
 number corresponding to the drive you want.  The RAM disk handler is
 very versatile, handling upgrades of up to 1 megabyte.   MYDOS also
 has the capability to create and delete subdirectories at will.  It
 even contains extensive documentation on disk!  

 If I haven't sold you yet, then try this on for size, MYDOS is a Public
 Domain DOS!  About the only drawback I see (for some people) is that it
 is not compatible with SpartaDOS, OS/A+ version 4 format or DOS XE.
 All things considered, (price, ease of use, performance), MYDOS is one
 of, if not the BEST, DOSes available for Atari.  

 SmartDOS 8.2D   

 Although one of the first true double density DOSes, SmartDOS still
 stands among the best DOSes ever written for Atari.  Originally
 packaged with Astra Disk Drives, it is no longer available
 commercially.

 SmartDOS is menu driven, like Atari DOS 2, but with several noticeable
 differences.  A status line above the menu indicates what drives are
 active, whether they are single or double density and the amount of
 free memory available.  Also available are sector copying, bad sector
 testing, on/off write verify, speed check and drive reconfiguration
 (single or double density).  And if you are willing to sacrifice the
 memory, you can have SmartDOS resident.  

 Using the RAM Disk creator from Jonesware makes this DOS almost
 perfect.  The only thing missing is the ability to make sub
 directories.  If you can find a copy of it, pick it up!  

 SpartaDOS 

 Heralded as the primer DOS for Atari, SpartaDOS is probably the most
 powerful DOS on the market.  It is command driven and allows for batch
 processing.  The ability to make multiple subdirectories, date/time
 stamping and unerase are only a few of the many options available.
 
 However, with so much power, there is a price to pay.  You cannot
 master this DOS in an hour like many of the DOSes available.  SpartaDOS
 is not for the timid but for the serious Atari user.   If you plan on
 using it, plan on spending the rest of your life learning it's almost
 endless options.  For very serious Atarians, nothing can beat the speed
 and versatility of SpartaDOS X (a piggy back cart version of this DOS).
 
 Graphic Operating Systems (GOS) 

 Currently there are two versions on the market, Diamond DOS from Reeve
 Software and GOE from Total Control Systems.  Not having a copy of GOE,
 I cannot comment about it.  However, if their cart version is anything
 like their demo version, then it should be an excellent product.   

 First, I believe the disk version in entirely too slow and a waste of
 money.  While trying to duplicate a disk from drive -A- to drive -B- I
 was able to run to the market and back, peddle three miles on my
 exercycle, and do half of my Martial Arts workout before it was
 finished.    

 If you have ever seen an Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, Apple Macintosh or
 GEOS on the Commodore 8 bit systems (available over two years ago),
 then you have an idea of what this system looks like.  The graphic
 operating system is an easy to learn operating environment with icons,
 windows, pull down menus, dialogue boxes and a arrow pointer (mouse).
 
 A few of the many options are: date/time stamping, exiting to basic
 (type DOS to return), compatibility with most DOSes (the cart version
 states it is compatible with all), tagging files and outstanding
 memory expansion support.  If you are looking for the graphics
 operating system on your 8 Bit, then this is the way to go.  If money
 is no object, I strongly recommend the Diamond DOS cart used in
 conjunction with SpartaDOS X.
 
 DOS XE  

 For some reason I really wanted to like this DOS.  I wanted to believe
 Atari still liked and cared about the 8 bit community.  I wanted to
 believe Atari still had the capability of bring out a strong and
 useful software product for us 8 bitters, however.....
 
 DOS XE is functional, it is better then DOS 3 (by just a bit), but it
 falls tremendously short of the mark.  Atari did it again, they made
 another DOS that is a pain in the neck to use.  Four key strokes
 instead of one to get a disk directory!  Just like DOS 3 there are
 problems reading DOS 2.X files.  An elaborate disk swapping routine
 must be accomplished prior to reading a DOS 2.X file.
 
 The only positive point about this DOS is that it takes advantage of
 the 551's capabilities.  However, if you have a 810 or a 1050, don't
 waste the money.  Even at $9.95 (very reasonable) it is not worth the
 aggravation.
 
 ATARI DOS 3 

 Unfortunately many Atarians had this DOS dumped on them when they
 purchased a 1050.  This DOS successfully takes the fun out of owning
 an Atari.  Serious design flaws prevent any practical applications.
 Whether it's the wasteful file management system or its inability to
 read DOS 2 files, DOS 3 spells -Garbage DOS-.
 
 Well there you have it, a brief glance at six different DOSes.  By no
 means was this a complete evaluation of each DOS nor are these the
 only DOSes available.  By owning an Atari 8 bit computer, you can be a
 charter member of -The DOS of the Month Club-.   Good luck, and don't
 forget to talk up Atari computers!
 
 
 
 Xx ZNET BBS DISCUSSIONS
 ------------------------
 From the ZNet BBS (201) 968-8148

 The following is part of a discussion about LZHARC, the newest ARC for
 the ST. 
 
 Message : 158 [Open] 11-25-89  7:21pm
 From    : John King
 To      : John King 
 Subject : #156 NONE
 Sig(s)  : 1 (General)

 Robert,
 
 I just used LHARC v. 0.51, and, so far so good.  I used it to extract
 a disk magazine (which will remain nameless, Ron!!!), and being that
 it was the first time I used it, I would like to mention the
 following:
 
 Using it alone (without a shell):
 
 I was having some kind of syntax problem, which I overcame.  I'm not
 sure I remember what I did, but I think the syntax was something like:
 x c:\filename.lzh c\:*.*
 
 I may be mistaken, but that is what I think I did.  All I know is that
 the syntax in the LHARC docs didn't seem to work!  So, if anyone else
 has the same problem, try the above; if it doesn't work exactly as
 written, play with it.  ...But PLEASE post a reply to this message and
 tell us what DID work, so we'll all know. (Whatever I ended up doing
 did work.)
 
 From Charles Johnson's Arcshell v. 2.0:
 
 I was having a problem, and what it turned out to be was the
 configuration.  You have to click on configuration for both ARC.TTP
 and LHARC.PRG (Uh, excuse me, but is that the exact name of the LHARC
 program?  Well, whatever the name is...).  Once your configuration is
 set up, you will be OK.  This method also worked for me.
 
 I noticed Ron has the latest ST*ZMag on the board in ASCII and ARC'ed,
 and would hope he would also include an LHARC version for next week's
 edition.  How about it, Ron?
                                              -John King
 
 
 ======================================================================
        ZMagazine          Issue #: 182         November 26, 1989
                 Copyright 1989, Rovac Industries, Inc..
 ======================================================================
 
