
 |   ((((((((  |        Z*Magazine International Atari 8-Bit Magazine
 |        ((   |        ---------------------------------------------
 |      ((     |        January 27, 1992                   Issue #202
 |    ((       |        ---------------------------------------------
 |   ((((((((  |         Copyright (c)1992, Rovac Industries, Inc.
 |             |         Post Office Box 59,  Middlesex,  NJ 08846
 |      ((     |
 |    ((((((   |                        CONTENTS
 |      ((     |
 |             |  * The Editors Desk..........................Ron Kovacs
 | (((     ((( |  * Z*Net Newswire......................................
 | ((((   (((( |  * NAMM Show Report...........................John Nagy
 | (( (( (( (( |  * The Black Box.......................................
 | ((  ((   (( |  * 8-Bit Update......................AtariUser Magazine
 | ((       (( |  * Carolyn's Corner......................Carolyn Hoglin
 |             |  * New 8-Bit Support....................Jeff McWilliams
 |     ((      |
 |   ((  ((    |
 |  ((((((((   |
 |  ((    ((   |
 |  ((    ((   |  ~ Publisher/Editor..........................Ron Kovacs
 |             |  ~ Contributing Editor........................John Nagy
 | ((((((((((  |  ~ Contributing Editor......................Stan Lowell
 | ((          |  ~ Contributing Editor........................Bob Smith
 | ((   (((((  |  ~ Newswire Staff......................................
 | ((      ((  |  ~ Z*Net New Zealand.........................Jon Clarke
 | ((((((((((  |  ~ Z*Net Canada.........................Terry Schreiber
 |             | 
 |-------------|  $ GEnie Address..................................Z-NET
 |    ONLINE   |  $ CompuServe Address........................75300,1642
 |    AREAS    |  $ Delphi Address..................................ZNET
 |             |  $ Internet/Usenet Address................status.gen.nz
 |-------------|  $ America Online Address......................ZNET1991
 |             |
 |    Z*NET    |  * Z*Net:USA New Jersey...(FNET 593).....(908) 968-8148
 |   SUPPORT   |  * Z*Net:Golden Gate......(FNET 706).....(510) 373-6792
 |   SYSTEMS   |  * Blank Page.........(8-Bit FNET 9002)..(908) 805-3967
 =======================================================================
 * THE EDITORS DESK                                        by Ron Kovacs
 =======================================================================
 
 
 In a future edition, I would like to publish a list of Atari 8-Bit
 support systems.  Please help us out by sending in your BBS or favorite
 system number in email on any of the services listed above.
 
 FNET UPDATE
 
 The Z*Net Conference is going to be included on AtariBase which debuts
 March 1, 1992 in FNET.  Beta-Test and hardware set-up is taking place
 right now and all users and user groups are enouraged to sign-up for
 the Z*Net Online Fnet Conference.  Bob Brodie will be participating via
 AtariBase, to be called officially, Atari Corporation Online, in the
 Z*Net Conference, the Lynx Conference, Star Trek Conference, FoReM
 SysOp's Conference and others to be named later.
 
 An additional note, User Groups are encouraged to hook-up to FNET via
 FoReM BBS software where Atari will call into your node direct so that
 all registered Atari User Groups can participate in the Atari User Group
 Conference.  This conference, set-up exclusively for Atari User Groups
 will provide a communication link to Atari and Bob Brodie from all over
 the country.
 
 If your interested in more information on the Z*Net Atari Online 
 Conference or the Atari User Group Conference, send email today to Node
 593 in FNET.  Stay tuned for further details as they become available.
 Since there is a month before the official debut, some of these comments
 may change.  You can also contact Node 593 directly at 908-968-8148.
 

  
 =======================================================================
 * Z*NET NEWSWIRE
 =======================================================================
 
 
 PAGESTREAM OFFER - UPDATE
 A few months ago, Z*Net published a Soft-Logik User Group offer for a
 free copy of PageStream to Registered Atari User Groups.  Soft-Logik has
 asked the User Groups that responded to the offer for their registered
 Atari User Group number, which is non-existent.  Atari's Director of
 Communications, Bob Brodie does NOT assign any numbers to the groups.
 Soft-Logik has been made aware of this and there is no longer a need to
 call Atari Corp directly for this number.
 
 
 ATARI ADS APPEAR IN DISCOVER
 Discover Magazine, recently purchased by Disney will include a center-
 fold advertisement from Atari for the Portfolio and the new Atari Music
 Division.  This ad will appear in the February 15th issue.  This -World
 of Science- subcriber base exceeds 1.2 million readers.
 
 
 PORTFOLIO SELLS OUT
 On December 2, 1991, the Atari Portfolio was unleashed into 20 CompUSA
 stores.  Last week in Tampa Florida, Atari made arrangements for a
 talking Robot powered by a Portfolio for the opening of the store there.
 The store sold out several hundred Portfolio's on the opening day.  Next
 week there are similar openings scheduled in the Philadelphia and
 Chicago areas.  Atari is also said to be assisting in radio and print
 advertising for these stores and events.
 
 
 
 =======================================================================
 * NAMM - A First Person View                               by John Nagy
 =======================================================================
 
 
 Atari Corp was virtually the only computer being seriously shown at the
 National Association of Music Merchants show last week.  Sounds simple
 enough, just another trade show, right?  Well, yes and no.  NAMM is held
 twice a year in fashion similar to that of COMDEX (computer trade) and
 CES (consumer electronics products).  Its a conclave of everything from
 sellers of guitar picks to makers of turn-key recording studios for the
 stars.  It's a trade show in the same sense and scale as the others, but
 the emphasis on the musical arts makes it a very different affair... in
 the people it brings out.
 
 The Winter NAMM is traditionally held in the Anaheim Convention Center,
 just down the street from the original Disneyland in metropolitan Los
 Angeles, California.  This year, it was Friday through Sunday, January
 10-12.  Spanning three huge interconnected convention halls, this NAMM
 offered more, louder, and more varied music products this year than in
 the past.  Last year's Winter event was quite subdued, occurring just
 after the start of the Gulf War.  The Summer event (in Chicago) was
 still smaller and lackluster.  Recession or no, this NAMM made up for
 lost time.
 
 But the mix of PEOPLE was different, too.  Far less green hair and see-
 through leotards.  About the same amount of leather.  Far more suits and
 ties (Brooks Brothers with Dreadlocks was an -in- look).  And more
 serious business attitudes all around.  In the middle of this musical
 phantasmagoria was Atari Corp's booth.
 
 I won't repeat the details of the new Atari Music Division or the FOSTEX
 announcements, as they were given in depth last week in Z*Net.  But the
 -feel- of the show is news in itself.
 
 The Atari area was the largest yet at any NAMM, apropos of Atari's new
 commitment to its official new Music Division headed up by James Grunke.
 An open area accommodated as many as 25 work stations manned in COMDEX
 fashion with a host of third party developers.  They included music
 specialty developers Hybrid Arts, Thinkware, Roland, Steinberg-Jones,
 Dr.T's, C-LAB, Fostex, JLCooper, Interval, Pixel, Korg, Hotz, and many
 more, each showing off their latest products for the Atari platform.
 For a change, non-musical software was also being shown.  Codehead
 products, Tracker-ST, Calamus, PageStream, DiamondBack, and many other
 productivity titles were shown to musicians who had, in many cases, not
 considered using their MIDI computer for anything else.
 
 About a third of the Atari booth was a glass sound studio in which
 musicians were able to witness real-time use of Atari computers and
 software in a live and recording studio atmosphere.  Here is where
 fairly continuous demos and press conferences were offered, educating an
 eager public to the virtues of Atari.
 
 And eager they were.  Where prior NAMM showings brought respectful
 attention to Atari, this one brought a searing spotlight.  It may be
 that only now are musicians realizing their need for computerized help,
 and Atari was the ONLY computer company with a satisfying booth.  Or it
 may be that Atari is increasingly understood as the overall winner in
 price, performance, and accuracy when it comes to MIDI applications.  I
 expect it is both.  No APPLE/MAC at this show.  No AMIGA.  A trifling
 IBM booth showing... windows?  Atari alone had the music technology
 specialty offerings for the entire conflagration of Music Merchants to
 view.  And they did more than view.
 
 They Bought.  They Bought BIG.  In the first half day of the three day
 show, Atari had already penned more deals at higher bucks than at the
 entire show last year.  And the sales pace kept up throughout the show.
 A major piano and organ chain opened its first purchase of Atari
 hardware with a six-figure order.  To start.  The crowds never let up
 inside the Atari booth, even when the isles and surrounding booths were
 on the wane.  That was unlike any trade show Atari performance I have
 ever witnessed.  It was EXCITING.
 
 It got more exciting when COMPUTER CHRONICLES, the National PBS computer
 series, arrived to interview, tape, and profile lots of people in the
 Atari booth.  While their special show on MIDI/MUSIC that will air the
 week of February 25 will feature all platforms, expect a MAJOR portion
 of it to be about the Atari.  They were visibly impressed, and filmed
 for hours.
 
 It stayed more exciting as countless face-recognition entertainment
 personalities sauntered through the booth, picking out what they planned
 to get next -- for their Atari.  The usuals, including the towering Mick
 Fleetwood, of course.  Plus everything from jazz to classical to acid to
 punk to funk.  I recognized many of them by face (thanks to MTV), but
 their names aren't part of my repertoire.  They signed a big autograph
 board, but I couldn't read most of them.  Sorry.
 
 The hottest news of the show was the new alliance of FOSTEX and Atari,
 with C-Lab, Dr. T's, and Steinberg working together to create the first
 automated/computerized control studio.  Fostex has integrated MIDI
 control of multiple track tape systems.  Now, from the Atari console,
 full control of any and all tape functions can be executed or assigned
 to infinite combinations of controlled MIDI events.  The motto is
 -Thread it and forget it.-  The Atari makes it possible, for the first
 time.  The impact of this was NOT lost on the endless legion of
 professional recording engineers that stood, mouths open and drooling,
 over the equipment.
 
 Nor did they miss the impact of the remarkable Hybrid Arts Digital
 Master direct-to-disk recording and editing system.  Featuring an Atari
 ST as the head end, this unit RETAILS for under $5,000, complete, and
 can record with CD digital perfection, up to 12 minutes of fully
 editable stereo sound.  The EX version, to be ready for sale shortly,
 will feature 16 tracks and 4 output tracks, for true full recording
 studio power in an noise-free ALL ELECTRONIC media.  Cheaply.
 
 And the STBook wasn't missed either.  As a replacement for the STacy,
 the STBook was a hit as the ONLY -notebook- computer anywhere with
 built-in MIDI.  Atari promised shipping in quantity for March '92.  The
 line has formed already.
 
 Innovative incentives made potential dealers into signed dealers.  A
 promotion called -Do the Loop- invited dealers to visit each and every
 station in the Atari area, qualifying them for a drawing for a TT030
 system.  By the time they were qualified, they were typically convinced
 to be dealers, too.
 
 The TT gathered support as a new top professional option for MIDI work.
 All of Dr. T's products work on at TT, CUBASE has been upgraded for the
 TT, and C-Lab has committed to upgrade ALL of their products for use on
 the TT030 by year's end.
 
 A music developer conference, numerous press conferences, and a party in
 James Grunke's suite on Saturday night firmed up more contacts and
 contracts than Atari ever imagined or hoped.  NAMM '92 was an
 unqualified smash sucess for Atari, establishing it as, if not the ONLY
 serious music computer manufacturer, at least the ONLY one who cared
 enough to come to the musicians with the tools they need, want, and can
 afford.
 
 If this is -Atari '92,- we are in for a GREAT year.
 
 

 =======================================================================
 * THE BLACK BOX
 =======================================================================
 
 
 Information on the BLACK BOX *NOW AVAILABLE* from Computer Software
 Services
 
 There has been a great deal of interest since the announcement of the
 Black Box, so hopefully this file will answer the majority of questions.
 
 The Black Box is a add-on board for the Atari 600XL (upgraded), 800XL,
 and 130XE 8-bit computers.  It is a T-shaped board that plugs into the
 PBI port of the XL computer, or the ECI and cartridge ports of the
 130XE.  Connectors for both types of computers are built-in to the Black
 Box, so no adaptor boards are necessary.  A cartridge port is available
 on the board itself for 130XE users, since the board plugs in where
 cartridges are normally added.  The board is 12 inches wide and 3 inches
 deep, sitting back 3 inches from your computer.  It has two switches,
 two push-buttons, and a set of dip switches on the top.
 
 The Black Box provides many unique and useful functions.  The three
 primary functions are: RS-232 serial modem port, Parallel printer port,
 and a SASI/SCSI hard disk port.  A fourth floppy disk port for
 connection 3.5- or 5.25- floppy drives will be available at a later
 date.
 
 The RS-232 port provides the full RS232 specification signal levels for
 a modem, or other serial device.  It emulates the Atari 850 interface
 very closely, but goes beyond by providing 19,200 baud capability.  The
 R: driver is built-in to the Black Box, so it does not use ANY user
 memory!
 
 The Parallel Printer port interfaces to most all Centronics-type
 printers.  You may assign the printer number and linefeed options from
 within the Black Box's configuration menu.  The Black Box also provides
 you with a printer buffer, if the board or your computer has extra
 memory.  A printer buffer allows you to quickly dump your file to be
 printed into the buffer memory, then go about your business as the Black
 Box sends the data to your printer; a real time saver!  The Black Box
 will use either its own RAM (if you order the 64K version), or the 130XE
 extended memory banks; its all controlled by the configuration menu.
 
 The Hard Disk port is the real reason for the design of the Black Box.
 You may connect most any hard disk controller that is SASI or SCSI
 compatible, or drives with embedded SCSI controllers.  It is totally
 compatible with the current versions of MYDOS and SpartaDOS (which both
 have a limit of 16 megabytes per logical drive), but a newer version of
 MYDOS is provided that is capable of 48 megs per drive.  Combine that
 with nine drives, and that's over 400 megs available at one time!  The
 Black Box also provides a conversion toggle for drives capable of 512
 byte sectors only.  Many of the embedded drives have this limitation,
 and previously were unusable.  The Black Box splits each 512 byte
 sector into two 256 byte sectors, so your DOS will still only see what
 it requires.  Another advantage is storage space.  Many drives/
 controllers will give you more storage when using 512 byte sectors, some
 as much as 15% more!  Currently, format software for the Black Box
 supports the following drives/controllers: Adaptec 4000A and 4070, Xebec
 S1410, Western Digital 1002SHD, OMTI 352x controllers, and all Maxtor
 and Seagate embedded SCSI drives.
 
 A partition is defined as a part of the hard disk which is seen by the
 computer as a separate disk disk drive.  Since many hard disks are very
 large, it is useful to create several partitions of the drive, instead
 of one single drive, as your DOS sees it.  The Black Box goes one step
 further in not only letting you define the partition for each of your 9
 available drives, but allows you to have a list of up to 96 partitions,
 with names!  Since a partition can be very small, you can make up
 several small partitions of 720 sectors (the same length as a standard
 floppy disk), and sector-copy any of your non-protected programs to
 these partitions.  Now you can swap that partition in as drive 1, and
 boot your program at hard disk speed!
 
 The configuration menu is the 'heart' of the Black Box.  You can enter
 the menu from anywhere you are by simply pressing one of the buttons on
 the board.  You may now edit the hard disk configuration, exchange drive
 numbers, enable/disable the modem and printer ports, or go into the 6502
 monitor.  After you are finished, pressing ESCAPE will put you right
 back into the program you were using!  No memory or screen display is
 destroyed by using the menu!
 
 The 6502 monitor is very handy for machine language programmers.  How
 often have you wondered where your program was, or what caused an
 apparent 'lock-up'?  Entering the monitor will show you all the
 processor registers, and display the disassembly of the instruction it
 was about to execute when you entered pressed the button.  Users of
 MAC/65's DDT will feel right at home with the monitor's use.
 
 The Black Box has other 'goodies' in it.  Any communication with your
 floppy drive will be in high speed if you are using a XF-551, a modified
 1050, or a happy 810.  This will work with just about ANY DOS or
 utility!
 
 A text or graphics printer dump of your current screen may be done at
 any time by pressing one of the buttons on the Black Box.  (The graphics
 dump is only available for dot-matrix printers capable of graphics.)
 
 You may write-protect ALL of your hard disks by flipping another switch
 on the board.  This can be a real life-saver when running a new piece of
 software.  The Black Box provides disk I/O tones with separate pitches
 for disk reads and writes to your hard disk, so you can hear what's
 going on!  This option may be disabled within the configuration menu.
 
 The Black Box also provides support for users who have used a MIO
 previously to store data on a hard disk.  The MIO actually stores data
 inverted; this is fine as long as the MIO reads it, but when another
 host adaptor reads the same data, it will be meaningless.  By setting a
 dip switch, a previous MIO user will now be able to access all the data
 on his drive with the Black Box, with a small sacrifice of speed.
 
 If you have any more questions, please feel free to call.  User group
 and dealer discounts are available.  The retail price of the Black Box
 with no buffer ram is $199.95, and with 64K, $249.95.
 
 Computer Software Services
 P.O. Box 17660
 Rochester, NY  14617  (716) 586-5545
 


 =======================================================================
 * 8-BIT UPDATE
 =======================================================================
 
 
 The following article is reprinted in Z*Net by permission of AtariUser
 magazine and Quill Publishing.  It MAY NOT be further reprinted without
 specific permission of Quill.  AtariUser is a monthly Atari magazine,
 available by subscription for $18 a year.  For more information on
 AtariUser, call 800-333-3567.
 
 Many of you classic users have had difficulties getting product, or
 knowing who offers what.  Well, here is your AtariUser 8-bit RESOURCE to
 answer all of those questions!
 
 Major Hardware/Software Developers for 8-bit Products:
 
 Computer Software Services is your contact for high performance
 upgrades.  CSS offers several different ROM upgrades for both Atari 8-
 bit disk drives and computers.  In addition to system RAM upgrades and a
 flock of utilities, there is a product called the MULTIPLEXER which will
 allow multiple classic computers to be interconnected, with the
 capability of sharing peripherals.  The ultimate upgrade for the XL/XE
 systems offered by CSS is the BLACK BOX, which is a combination serial
 port, parallel printer port, hard disk host adapter, and floppy disk
 enhancer.  A couple of additional unique features built into the 'BB'
 are a machine code debugger, and a print screen button.  An expansion
 connector on the 'BB' will allow connection of parallel floppy drives
 (availability to be announced).  CSS offers complete hard drive
 solutions, or just the components you need to finish off your custom
 design.  You can talk to Bob at (716) 429)5639, or by mail at CSS, P.O.
 Box 17660, Rochester NY 14617.  CSS also operates a24-hour BBS which can
 be called at (716) 247-7157, using 300, 1200, or 2400 baud.
 
 Innovative Concepts offers a wide assortment of used software and
 hardware, in addition to several different memory upgrades for your
 computer and enhancements for your disk drives.  'IC' has a large list
 of Printshop clipart and printer drivers, and a whole line of budget
 priced Public domain, shareware and commercial software.  Contact Mark
 at (313) 293-0730, or write to I.C. at 31172 Shawn Drive, Warren MI
 48093.
 
 One of the original and reliable resources for classic users looking for
 dependable products is ICD, Inc.  Sadly, ICD is clearing out their 8-bit
 products (this may be your last chance to get that ICD product you have
 had your eye on!).  One of ICD's most known products is their disk
 operating system called SPARTADOS.  The latest version of SpartaDOS is
 called SDX, and is a plug in piggy-back cartridge, with many advanced
 features including a MSDOS look to their command line.  A real-time
 clock cartridge called RTIME-8 is also offered by ICD and supported by 
 SpartaDOS.  If you need more RAM, their RAMBO upgrade will allow your XL
 (800XL and 1200XL) to be upgraded to 256K of memory, which is supported
 by various utilities and SpartaDOS.  The P:R: connection is an
 inexpensive alternative to other serial and parallel adapters, and will
 work on all of the 8-bit systems (1200XL will require minor
 modifications).
 
 If you only need a printer interface, the PRINTER CONNECTION is the
 answer.  For a complete solution to connectivity, the MIO (Multi-I/O)
 box will work with 600XL, 800XL, or 130XE (XE requires an adapter)
 computer to provide serial, parallel, and hard disk support.  MIO's are
 available in either 256K or 1Meg RAMT and/or RAMdisk selectable by the
 built in configuration menu.  The complete OSS line of languages
 including BASIC XL, BASIC XE, MAC/65, and Action! are also marketed by
 ICD.  ICD can be contacted at (815)-968-2228 by voice, or (815)-968-2229
 is their BBS number.  Mail can be sent to ICD Inc., 1220 Rock Street,
 Rockford Illinois 61101-1437.
 
 ReeveSoft, as featured in the June '91 issue of ATARIUSER, offers the
 Diamond Graphical Operating System.  This is a plug in cartridge which
 contains the complete GOS in ROM (a disk version is also available).
 They also have several programs which are Diamond compatible, including
 Diamond Write, Diamond Paint, and Diamond News Station.  For more
 details on these, refer to the June ATARIUSER magazine, or contact
 ReeveSoft by phone (312) 393-2317, or mail at: 29W150 Old Farm Lane,
 Warrenville IL 60555.
 
 Alpha Systems produces a variety of software and hardware products for
 your favorite machine.  The Parrot II sound digitizer allows you to
 capture sounds with your computer, and play them back later.  Alpha
 Systems also markets a whole series of books and software relating to
 Software protection and system optimization.  They can be contacted by
 phone at (216) 374-7469, or you can write them at 1012 Skyland Drive,
 Macedonia, OH 44056.
 
 DataQue, maker of the Turbo-816 CPU upgrade, is one of the few 8-bit
 developers still expanding their product line by developing new products
 and acquiring a few from others.  Recently DataQue added the TransKey
 adapter to their catalog, which is a small PC board which will allow you
 to attach an IBM/PC/XT/AT keyboard to your 8-bit system.  Other products
 offered by DataQue include a line of MS-DOS cross-development utilities
 (to target the Atari 8-bit systems), the Turbo-Calc spreadsheet, and
 currently in development the Turbo-C8 'C' language development
 cartridge.  For more information, contact DataQue on GEnie/Delphi with
 the username of DataQue, or CIS PPN of 71777,3223.  Additional
 information can be also requested by mail at Post Office Box 134,
 Ontario, OH 44862-0134.
 
 Replacement Parts, Software, and Hardware:
 
 These companies have many hard to find hardware and software items at
 reasonable prices.  If you need a replacement part for one of your
 systems, or a program no longer in distribution, here are *the* contacts
 to check first (in alphabetical order):
 
 American Techna-Vision
 15338 Inverness Street
 San Leandro, CA 94579   (415) 352-3787

 Best Electronics
 San Jose, CA 95126      (408) 243-6950

 B&C ComputerVisions
 3256 Kifer Road
 Santa Clara, CA 95051   (408) 749-1003

 San Jose Computers
 640 Blossom Hill Road
 San Jose, CA 95123      (408) 224-8575
 
 Software/Hardware Mail Order Houses:
 
 These mail order outlets offer a wide variety of software and/or
 hardware for your 8-bit Atari system:
 
 Black Moon Systems
 P.O. Box 152
 Wind Gap, PA  18091

 Compsult
 Post Office Box 3233
 San Luis Obispo,  CA  93403-3233   (805) 544-6616

 Marcel Programming
 298 Fifth Avenue  Suite 141
 New York, NY  10001

 Software Clinic
 4916 Del-Ray Avenue
 Bethesda, MD  20814   (301) 656-7983

 Team Computers
 22205 Kelly Road
 East Detroit, MI  48021   (313) 445-2983

 Toad Computers
 556 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd
 Severna Park, Maryland 21146   (301) 544-6943

 Public Domain and Shareware Software Distributors:

 If you are interested in Public Domain, or shareware software, and
 other online services, the following companies offer such software at
 reasonable prices:
 
 Software Infinity
 642 East Waring Avenue
 State College, PA 16801

 Sagamore Software
 2104 Arapahoe Dr.
 Lafayette, IN 47905

 BellCom
 PO Box 1043
 Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J7A5

 BRE Software
 352 West Bedford Ave, Suite 104
 Fresno, CA 93711

 M.W.P.D.S.
 890 N. Huntington St
 Medina, OH  44256

 Vulcan Software
 P.O.B. 692
 Manassas, VA  22111-0692

 National Magazines which support the Atari 8-bit Systems:
 
 Prices listed are for one year subscriptions.  Some magazines run
 promotional specials from time to time, so inquire about any specials
 when you order.  All prices are in US dollars.
 
 AtariUser
 113 W College St
 Covina, CA  91723    (818) 332-0372
 12 Issues/year @ $18
 Free through user groups

 Current Notes
 122 N. Johnson Rd.
 Sterling, VA  22170  (703) 450-4761
 10 issues/year @ $27.00
 participating user group rates available

 Atari Interface Magazine
 c/o Unicorn Publications
 3487 Braeburn Circle
 Ann Arbor, MI  48108  (313) 973-8825
 participating user group rates available

 ZMAGAZINE Online Atari Magazine
 (8-bit support electronic newsletter)
 Z*Net/Rovac Industries
 P.O. Box 59
 Middlesex, NJ  08846
 BBS: (908) 968)8148
 Published roughly monthly, available on GEnie, CompuServe, Delphi,
 F-Net, and private BBS systems - no subscription fee.


 
 =======================================================================
 * CAROLYN'S CORNER                                    by Carolyn Hoglin
 =======================================================================
 
 
 This month's column is a departure from my usual discussion about word
 processing.  But it does involve printing - the printing of color
 graphics.
 
 So far as I am aware, there are only two programs for the 8-bit Atari
 that will print screen graphics in full color: YEMACYB/4, by Michael L.
 Clayton; and PicPrint, by Kyle Dain.
 
 Each of these programs is designed for Epson-compatible printers using
 four-color ribbons.  They employ a clever combination of yellow, red,
 blue, and black in dot patterns created in a 4 x 4 matrix that result in
 a hardcopy printout that may include any or all of the 128 colors
 available on the 8-bit Atari.  Sample picture files are included with
 each program.
 
 Having only four colors in a color ribbon would seem to allow only seven
 hues plus the white of the paper, since red and yellow make orange, red
 and blue make purple, and blue and yellow make green (didn't I learn
 that in kindergarten?).  However, the program analyzes the color of each
 pixel on the screen and mixes the colors of the ribbon in varying
 proportions in an attempt to achieve a printout that matches the screen
 display as closely as possible.
 
 A color's dot pattern may be made up of only one dot for a very pastel
 effect, or as many as 16 for the brightest hue.  For instance, a pale
 pink might use only the red ribbon in a pattern of widely separated
 dots, allowing a lot of white to dilute the red.  Orange would be
 achieved by printing yellow followed by red.  Yellow and red would each
 be printed in the dot pattern required by the shade of orange in the
 picture.  Each pass of the printhead prints first yellow, then red,
 blue, and black as required by the program's color analysis.
 
 Paint programs usually employ GRAPHICS 15 which allows your choice of
 four colors per picture consisting of 192 rows of 160 pixels each.  To
 increase the apparent number of colors in a picture, a variety of
 patterns composed of the four colors are provided.  YEMACYB/4 and
 PicPrint faithfully reproduce these patterns as well as the solid
 colors.  With the judicious use of DLI's (Display List Interrupts -
 usually only understood by advanced programmers), a picture can even
 display all 128 colors at the same time.
 
 I have found that pictures loaded into either of these fine programs
 produce printouts virtually identical to one another.  However, the
 programs themselves differ in many ways.
 
 YEMACYB/4
 
 You may have guessed that the title of this program (pronounced
 -YEM-a-sibe-) comes from the hues of a standard color ribbon - yellow,
 magenta, cyan, and black.  (Magenta and cyan look pretty much like red
 and blue to most of us.)
 
 Incidentally, the original version of this program (-YEMACYB- without
 the -/4-) is for non-color Epson-compatible printers and involves
 passing the same sheet of paper through your printer four times using
 individual yellow, red, blue, and black ribbons.  The program provides a
 means of precisely aligning the paper before each pass.  While the
 procedure is rather tedious and time-consuming, the final result is the
 same as if printed on an Epson JX-80 or a Star NX-1000r.
 
 This program requires BASIC, but is self booting.  There are no DOS or
 AUTORUN.SYS files on the program disk, nor are they necessary.  Only
 Drive 1 is supported.  The program documentation states that your
 graphic file must be in standard 62-sector format (either GRAPHICS 7 or
 GRAPHICS 7+ [GRAPHICS 15]), but I found that it would load some, but not
 all, compressed files as well.
 
 After the file is loaded, the picture is displayed on the screen.
 Touching a key brings you to the color change menu.  At this point, you
 may choose to change your picture to monochrome.  Or, if you are
 printing in color, here is where you have the opportunity to change the
 colors in each register (line by line, if you wish).  Unless you have a
 listing of the pokes to memory locations 708, 709, 710, and 712, and the
 colors they produce, this is likely to be a lengthy trial-and-error
 procedure.  You may also load DLI data that has been saved on disk.
 When you have finished your changes, the picture is redisplayed for your
 approval.  You may go back to the color change menu as many times as
 necessary.  There is no provision to restore the original colors, or to
 go from monochrome back to color without reloading the picture.
 
 When you are satisfied with your picture, you have the opportunity to
 save the color changes you have made.  This color data is not saved in a
 DOS format, but is unconditionally written, for future use, on the last
 six sectors of whatever single-density disk is in the drive.
 
 My test picture took about 15 minutes to print and was centered on the
 paper both vertically and horizontally.  The number of the column being
 printed is displayed on the screen, beginning with 159 and counting down
 to 0.  While printing is in progress, it can be either paused
 temporarily or aborted.
 
 With the differences among monitors, printers, ribbons, and paper, you
 may find that the printout does not match the screen display exactly.
 Included with YEMACYB/4 is a separate utility program to create your own
 modified color pallette to use instead of the default pallette provided.
 
 There are five more utility programs provided, as well as a menu to
 select them from.  You must first load your favorite DOS, then run
 MENU.BAS.
 
 The program YFLIPPER.BAS will mirror flip a Micropainter picture file in
 GRAPHICS 7 or GRAPHICS 15, and resave it to disk.
 
 YSAVUSCR.BAS enables you to capture to disk a GRAPHICS 7 or GRAPHICS 15
 picture that is displayed in a BASIC program.
 
 YDLISCON.BAS will convert that DLI data from the last 6 sectors to a DOS
 file and back again.
 
 YBAREBON.BAS is a few-frills GRAPHICS 7 editor with text entry
 capability.
 
 YWINDOWS.BAS confused me.  Documentation needs to be provided for this
 program.
 
 YEMACYB/4 is a powerful program that does what it claims very well
 indeed.  A very nice feature is the file COLCHART.PIC which creates a
 full-screen 128-color display that also functions as a reference color
 chart when printed.  The DLI data on the program disk makes this
 possible.  This reference chart is a great help when creating a custom
 pallette.  The documentation includes a chart of the 45 dot patterns
 used to create various hues which makes the concept much more
 understandable.
 
 On the negative side, I found the program somewhat awkward to use at
 times, and wished it were possible to redisplay my picture without going
 round and round in the menu.  If you load the wrong picture by mistake,
 you must proceed as if you intend to print it through quite a few
 commands before finally being offered the option of starting over.
 
 Michael L. Clayton
 Electronical Software
 P.O. Box 8035
 Rochester, MI  48063  (313) 942-9504

 PicPrint

 This program is extremely user friendly and has the immediate advantage
 of being able to load and display graphic files from just about any
 paint program written for the 8-bit Atari.  In many cases the program
 automatically identifies the type of graphic file and displays it
 accordingly.  A few files produced by programs using GRAPHICS 7,
 GRAPHICS 8, or mixed screens are loaded by pressing console keys
 according to instructions.
 
 Another advantage is that it supports not only Epson-compatibles, but
 also Atari XMM-801, and Canon thermal printers, in color or black-and-
 white.  All drives are supported, including ramdisks.
 
 After the picture is loaded, it is displayed with an overlaid menu
 window which provides a great many useful options.  Pressing -V- allows
 viewing of the entire picture until another key is pressed to bring back
 the menu.
 
 If you have selected a non-color printer, your picture is shown in
 monochrome.  If you have a color printer, but want to make a monochrome
 printout (using a black or another single-color ribbon), you can change
 the display to black and white.
 
 In either case, you can change each color register by choosing its
 number (1 through 4) and then pressing + or - keys.  I especially like
 the way you get instant feedback when making these changes.
 
 Display List Interrupt data cannot be originated from the program, but
 pressing -D- will load the .P? files from Philip Price's PD Painter
 program files.  These files provide for displaying up to 128 colors in
 one picture.  The DLI's won't show on your screen, but they will print
 on paper.
 
 You may also flip your picture - very useful for making T-shirt
 iron-ons.
 
 Pictures may be changed to and from GRAPHICS 8 monochrome mode.  Whether
 you actually see monochrome on your screen depends upon what kind of
 Atari and monitor you are using.  If you have an XE computer that
 outputs separate chroma and luma and a monitor and cord that supports
 this, the picture appears in black and white.  If you are using an XL
 computer, or your monitor or cord only supports composite video, you may
 see a lot of purple and green due to artifacting.  Since these colors
 are not -real- colors, they will not be printed as such, even on a color
 printer.
 
 In this GRAPHICS 8 mode, you can also switch to a negative image.  This
 is great for pics that normally display white on a black background.
 
 Another plus is that you can restore colors in GRAPHICS 15 pics if you
 messed them up or have changed them to black and white.
 
 You can save your picture in standard 62-sector uncompressed format for
 use with other programs.
 
 If you press -C-, the values of the color registers will be shown on the
 screen (behind the menu window).  Unless you also want them on your
 printed picture for some reason, I don't advise using this option, as
 there is no way to undo it short of reloading your picture!
 
 When you are ready to print your picture, you can use console keys to
 enable double strike (great when your ribbon is fading) and/or disable
 ANTIC DMA to speed up the printing.  (For some reason, this last feature
 didn't work for me.)  The test picture I printed took about 18 minutes
 to finish.  A nice touch is the moving bar on screen indicating printing
 progress.  The printout will be centered horizontally, but not
 vertically, so you need to set your paper so that printing begins about
 one inch from the top.
 
 There are many factors that affect matching the colors on screen to the
 colors printed on paper.  Try displaying the same picture on two
 different monitors, or on a monitor and a TV set.  They seldom are the
 same.  So which one is PicPrint to match?  If you can see that the
 colors are not going to satisfy you, you can abort the printing, reload
 the pic and adjust the colors.  There is no programmed pause-and-resume-
 printing feature, but I noted that setting my printer off-line did not
 cause an error for a good 30 seconds.
 
 Included on the program disk are two valuable utility programs.
 CONVERT.COM will convert pics to and from GRAPHICS 8, ST PI3, and IBM
 monochrome format.  PAINTR.COM is Philip Price's DLI program.  A brief
 explanation of PAINTR.COM is included with PicPrint, but you should
 really read the documentation in ANTIC Magazine's September 1984 issue
 to get the full benefit of this sophisticated and powerful program.
 Patrick Dell'era's enhancements to this program are documented in
 ANTIC's March 1985 issue.
 
 PicPrint is a compiled TurboBasic program and must be run on an Atari XL
 or XE computer.  It will not run correctly under the OmniView OS, and
 you must be sure to disable BASIC when booting.  If I could change
 anything, I would add the ability to pause the printout, and possibly
 disable BASIC automatically.  But this is nitpicking.  If you have a
 color printer (or even if you don't), contact Kyle Dain to purchase
 PicPrint!
 
 Kyle Dain
 MKD Systems
 125 Goodview Drive
 Apollo, PA  15613  (412) 727-7987




 =======================================================================
 * NEW 8-BIT SUPPORT                                  by Jeff McWilliams
 =======================================================================
 
 
 Heads Up, Atari 8-Bitters!!    This Is For YOU!
 
 Beginning 1992, the Atari 8-bit computers- and the community of USERS
 who still cherish these machines- have been officially discarded by
 Atari Corporation.
 
 BUT WE REFUSE TO ROLL OVER AND DIE AT ATARI'S COMMAND!!
 
 We believe there are enough of us left to pursue our 8-bit interests
 independently of Atari Corporation.
 
 Would you like to see a common forum in which users, developers, and
 vendors can communicate?  A print medium wherein advertisers can be
 assured of reaching their intended audience, and where users can look
 with confidence for information about new products?  A user-oriented
 publication to fill the void left by the collapse of ANTIC and ANALOG?
 
 My name is Jeff McWilliams, and I'm a dedicated 8-bit user.  I want to
 present the Atari 8-bit community the chance to gather under one
 publication dedicated exclusively to the Atari 8-bit computers.  A
 magazine that will unite our community and give it the strength it needs
 to survive.  A forum where users can ask tough questions and read
 unvarnished product reviews.  A magazine whose ads will be almost
 exclusively from 8-bit vendors.
 
 I propose a write-in campaign to Atari Interface Magazine, asking for a
 separate, exclusively 8-bit magazine called -Atari Classics-.  Atari
 Interface Magazine already has a strong presence in the Atari community.
 For several years AIM has been a combined ST/8-bit magazine whose
 publishers have indicated a willingness to support the Atari 8-bit
 community as long as interest warrants it.  NOW is the time to ask them
 for our own magazine!
 
 As Campaign Manager, I will act as the focus for this effort.  Now, you
 might be wondering, -WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?-.  That part is EASY!
 
 Just SEND me your NAME and POSTAL MAILING ADDRESS.  I will mail you a
 FREE Information Kit describing our goals in greater detail.  Included
 with the Kit is a stamped postcard on which you can express your
 interests and willingness to subscribe to an exclusively 8-bit magazine.
 (Or, if you disagree with our approach, you can just toss it away and
 that will be the end of it- BUT WE DON'T THINK YOU WILL!)  You'll also
 be invited to indicate your willingness to PARTICIPATE in the magazine
 DIRECTLY by being a regular columnist, editor, or just writing about a
 special project you did or review a product you used.
 
 Ben Poehland, the former 8-bit Editor of Current Notes Magazine, is
 fully supporting this campaign and has offered to donate his services to
 -Atari Classics- when repairs to his fire-damaged home are completed
 later this year.
 
 The cutoff date for receiving the postcard responses is:  MARCH 31, 1992
 
 If by that time I have received 500 positive commitments via postcard,
 they will all be sent to AIM along with a petition requesting the
 formation of our proposed exclusive 8-bit publication -Atari Classics-.
 If I receive less than 500 replies, then we will know that the 8-bit
 community has indeed become a lost and hopeless society.
 
 TIME IS RUNNING OUT.  THIS MAY BE THE LAST OPPORTUNITY YOU WILL HAVE TO
 KEEP YOUR MACHINE ALIVE AND SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH FELLOW USERS.
 
 IMPORTANT!!  Only the OFFICIAL Campaign postcards will be accepted!
 Those responding by other means will be mailed an Information Kit with
 which they can register their official response.  Regrettably, due to
 limitations of time and cost, the Campaign will be restricted to
 addresses in the USA only.  However, unofficial responses from outside
 the USA are welcome and will be included in the final count.
 
 PLEASE DO NOT SEND MONEY!  If anyone wishes to assist the Campaign, they
 can do so by posting this release in its unmodified entirety to other
 on-line services, BBS's, usergroups, friends, and vendors.  Additional
 assistance can be rendered by gatheringnames and addresses of Atari 8-
 bit owners and furnishing them to me so I can mail them an Information
 Kit.
 
 Jeff McWilliams
 2001 G. Woodmar Dr.
 Houghton, MI  49931-1017
 Genie address is J.MCWILL
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To sign up for DELPHI service, call (with modem)  (800) 695-4002.  Upon
 connection,  hit  <return> once or twice.  At Password:  type ZNET  and
 hit <return>.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 To  sign up for GEnie service call (with modem)  (800) 638-8369.   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) (800) 848-8199.  Ask 
 for operator #198.   You will be promptly sent a $15.00 free  membership 
 kit.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Z*Net  International  Atari  Online Magazine  is  a  weekly  publication 
 covering the Atari and related computer community.   Material  published 
 in  this edition may be reprinted under the following terms  only.   All 
 articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at 
 the top of each article reprinted.   Reprint permission granted,  unless 
 otherwise  noted,  to  registered Atari user groups and not  for  profit 
 publications.   Opinions  present  herein are those  of  the  individual 
 authors  and  does not necessarily reflect those  of  the  staff.   This 
 publication is not affiliated with the Atari Corporation.   Z*Net, Z*Net 
 News Service,  Z*Net International,  Rovac, Z*Net Atari Online and Z*Net 
 Publishing  are  copyright  (c)1985-1992,  Syndicate  Publishing,  Rovac 
 Industries  Incorporated,  Post Office Box 59,  Middlesex,  New  Jersey, 
 08846-0059, Voice: (908) 968-2024,  BBS: (908) 968-8148, (510) 373-6792.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                Z*Magazine
                Copyright (c)1992, Rovac Industries, Inc...
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
