_____________________________________ ZMAGAZINE JUNE 15, 1987 ISSUE 57 _____________________________________ PUBLISHER/EDITOR-----> RON KOVACS ASSISTANT PUBLISHER--> KEN KIRCHNER 80 COLUMN EDITOR & ASSISTANT PUBLISHER--> SUSAN PERRY _____________________________________ Xx ZMAGAZINE OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS The Syndicate BBS (201) 968-8148 The Gateway BBS (609) 931-3014 _____________________________________ Xx ZMAG INDEX 57 <1> PUBLISHERS PAGE <2> ZMAG USER GROUP OF JUNE <3> LETTER TO THE EDITOR <4> ANTIC'S CES REPORT PART 1 <5> INTERVIEW PART II Tom Harker of ICD <6> ZMAG ATARI REPORT <7> NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE <8> HACKING THE JOYSTICK PORT _____________________________________ Xx PUBLISHERS PAGE With this issue we introduce to you Susan Perry from the Gateway BBS. Sue will be re-editting ZMAG issues and formatting into true ascii 80 column format. I have decided to make the Gateway BBS an official ZMAG Headquarters system for 80 column editions. So, if you are interested in 80 column editions, Please give the Gateway a call at: (609) 931-3014 Starting July 1st, 1987 Zmag will have an exclusive BBS. The Syndicate BBS will be put to rest and the ZMAGAZINE INFORMATION NETWORK will take over. New format and new name, and 70% text oriented system. You will now find every issue, Chicago issues, Upgrade information, OTHER online magazines, documentation, Technical Assistance, 12+ Message bases, and more yet to be decided. The number is (201) 968-8148. Another Online magazine has hit the BBS world. It is called GUM, more details next week. _____________________________________ Xx ZMAG USER GROUP OF THE MONTH JUNE .....Rhode Island Atari Computer Enthusiasts RI ACE..... _____________________________________ You can become a member of RI ACE by sending a check or money order to: RI ACE c/o Steve Dunphy 192 Webster Ave. Cranston, R.I. The dues are $20.00 yearly. 24 hr BBS # 401-521-4234 in Prov. R.I. _____________________________________ Xx LETTER TO THE EDITOR _____________________________________ Ron thanks for the review you recently published in ZMAG covering the Oasis BBS System. I felt the over all review was very fair in covering the Oasis BBS program. The reason I am asking you to publish this in your next issue of ZMAG is because of a problem some may have had with the review in finding out what the number of the HELP BBS in Wichita, Ks is because a couple of characters were missing in the ZMAG I downloaded from CompuServe. The number to reach to find out more information and ordering instructions on the Oasis BBS System is: HELP BBS 316-683-7514 3/12/2400 Baud 24 Hours Ron thank you and your staff for running what I consider one of the top information services available to the Atari family. I am sure we can expect to see bigger and better things from ZMAG in the future. Leo Newman, Sysop HELP BBS Leo, I will take this space to thank you for your letter. I apologize for the error. However, I think the error was only in the CompuServe edition because I failed in locating it on the other services. Since I uploaded the issue to CIS, I am at fault, Again, my aplogies and thanks for your continued support of Zmag. _____________________________________ Xx ANTIC'S CES REPORT PART ONE _____________________________________ ANTIC PUBLISHING INC., COPYRIGHT 1987 REPRINTED BY PERMISSION. By:NAT FRIEDLAND, ANTIC EDITOR * Atari's 8-bit computer line is far from dead -- with a new double-speed, double-density 5 1/4 inch disk drive due this summer, as well as the long awaited 1200 baud plug-in modem and the 80-column box...plus the XE Game System that comes with 64K, a keyboard, a light gun and Flight Simulator II. * The ST has yet another new wave of remarkable and mind boggling products on the way. Within our first hour at CES we saw a 4-megabyte memory board that goes into any ST without soldering, and the Hybrid Arts ADAP Soundrack CD- quality stereo sampling and editing system that competes with the vastly more expensive Synclavier and Fairlight in high-end MIDI. And these are just quick first impressions from the opening hours of a Consumer Electronics Show that supposedly was not going to produce any major new Atari announcements... So let's get right to the opening round of news: 8-BIT UPDATE We'll start with the good news for 8-bit users. The XF551 disk drive is the big surprise. It's a compact 5 1/4 inch drive in XE gray, about 3/4 the size of the now discontinued 1050 drive and priced in about the same $160 range as the 1050. The XF551 is also claimed to be 2.9 times faster than a 1050 and boasts true double density -- as well as automatic compatibility with every other density format ever used for the 8-bit Atari. It seemed clear from talking to a number of Atari sources that a 3 1/2 inch disk drive for the 8-bit computers is now unlikely to be produced. The XF551 drive will have a new ADOS operating system which is nearing completion by OSS, the creators of DOS 2 and DOS 2.5. Promised features of ADOS include a tree structure allowing directories and easy toggle between menu or command operations. According to Atari's Jose Lopes, the key engineer/designer of the new XE products described in this dispatch, the first XF551 drives can be expected to start trickling into the stores by July. The same July arrival date now holds true for the 80-column XEP80 display box and the new 1200 baud SX212 modem. Valdes says both products have been delayed by a wait for delivery of main chips, but all other components and packaging are stockpiled in readiness for assembly at Atari's Taiwan factory. AtariWriter Plus 80 was operating on the XEP80 in a razor-sharp 80-column display at the Atari Booth. The SX212 modem will be bundled with a new version of Keith Ledbetter's famed Express software which the author is scheduled to demonstrate later in the show. XE GAME SYSTEM The first working pre-production prototypes of the XE Game System were on view atop the roof of Atari's large booth structure, along with a real Cessna airplane that Atari somehow got into the new CES North Hall. The Game System is essentially a two-piece 65XE computer that costs as much as a 130XE. But instead of 128K memory, you get a light-gun, a joystick and three games -- Flight Simulator II on cartridge, Missile Command in ROM and a pistol game called Bug Hunt. At least 18 arcade and disk best-sellers are now promised for Atari cartridge by Christmas, including 1 On 1, Gato, Midnight Magic, Karateka, Choplifter and Blue Max. Most titles are to sell for $19.95 each. Atari Software Director John Skruch says the XE can get as much as 256K on a bank-switching cartridge. Flight Simulator II only required 128K. Two hard-hitting TV commercials for the Game System were on Display. The system is designed to be sold in separate pieces overseas. Eventually the light-gun will be available in the USA as an 8-bit peripheral. An ST mouse will work on the XE Game System in trackball mode -- CONTROL-T. ANOTHER ST BONANZA This CES had another dazzling array of ST computer products on display. We'll be looking at a lot more of them in our later reports. During just our first hours around the crowded Atari area, here's what we found that seemed especially impressive: Micro D of Canada was showing a prototype 2/4Mb memory upgrade board that is supposed to install inside any ST without soldering. The Data-Free Board will sell for $159 without RAM chips. The 4-megabyte upgrade requires 32 chips and the 2Mb takes 16. The chips cost $30 each from Micro D or you can shop for a better price on your own. Hybrid Arts, the king of Atari MIDI developers, was showing their $1995 ADAP Soundrack digital sampling system, which will be on sale in July. ADAP offers the sound quality of compact disks -- in true stereo if you get a dual hardware setup. On a stage in the Atari area, ADAP was in action -- effortlessly pulling selected portions off any tape and manipulating the sound in real-time with a simple visual interface. Sounds could be played back in reverse, cut and pasted, stretched, faded and otherwise manipulated, as fast as you could click a mouse. Frank Foster of Hybrid Arts told Antic that Tom Hudson is looking into the ADAP math co-processor box for speeding up certain math-intensive operations of his graphics software (DEGAS, CAD-3D) such as ray tracing. Springboard was showing their little -publicized ST conversion of Certificate Maker at the Atari booth. Shelbourne Software's 3D Breakthrough, the first ST game using the Stereotek 3D Glasses, was a spectacular sight. You move through an elaborate maze by shooting your way through flashy barriers. The disk will also include a non- 3D version that doesn't require glasses. Next week, Zmagazine will present parts 2/3 of this report. _____________________________________ Xx INTERVIEW WITH TOM HARKER OF ICD (c)1987 HDUG Hard Disk Users Group _____________________________________ PART 2: Last week we began this series of articles with this interview with Tom Harker of ICD and Chuck Leazott of the HDUG. Last week we covered the discussion of software, HD controllers.... This week we continue with Part 2: CL) Does ICD specialize or prefer any particular brand name of Hard Disk or controller? TH) No, not really. We sell all new equipment though, not used. Whatever you request, we'll fix up for you. CL) Great! Do you have any HD packages ready for the market? TH) Sure, several. CL) Whats the price range? TH) Well, to start, a single 10 MEG box.... CL) Box? TH) Yes, Hard Drive, Power Supply, case and controller. All prices are current, but may fluctuate later on. Anyway, a 10 MEG box is $499.00, a 20 MEG box is $649.00, 2 10 MEGS (double case) runs $695.00, and 2 20 MEGS (double case) goes for $995.00. We also have a 30 MEG box, which is really not a sellable product right now, for $849.00. CL) Those all sound reasonable, but now let's get to the MIO. I know you don't like talking about problems with ICD hardware, but let's do it anyway, just for grins. What, if any, problems have you seen in the MIO board, the R-Time 8 cartridge, the US Doublers, and the PR: Connection? TH) Well, the only problem with the R-Time is the fact that the battery only lasts 3-5 years. The Doublers don't present any problems, and as far as I know there is only one piece of software that they won't run, and that's Atari's Planetarium. The copy protection is strange, and Atari is looking into the difficulty as we speak. The PR: Connection has had some minor compatibility problems with some printers and modems. CL) How about the MIO? TH) The worst problem with the MIO is the actual assembly procedure. The MIO is so complex, compact, and densly built, that there's all kinds of room for errors. When we first started getting them to folks, we had quite a large turn-around rate. We would ship it out, and it would be returned because of a faulty circuit. Basically, just getting them set up and burned in takes a lot of time. CL) How does it look now? Are you getting very many returns? TH) No, actually the drop out rate has gone down to about 5% or less which is standard for complex hardware products. Every day that rate goes down. You have to remember, when you come out with a product like this one, it's new, and there will always be something a little strange. It's hard to please everyone, but we try. CL) When is the next revision of the MIO coming out, and what will be revised? TH) That should be within a month or so for revision 2.0, amd we'll be working on the printer buffer. SynFile+ doesn't work properly with it, so we've been working on that. CL) Ok, how about those folks that have purchased the MIO already. Will they be sent the revision at no cost? TH) We're not sure yet. SEND IN THOSE SERVICE CARDS!! CL) Does ICD sell modems? I heard that you did. TH) Yes, and I'm glad you brought that up. Since this newsletter is a new publication, we would like to give your readers a deal. We have a limited supply of Smarteam 300/1200 baud modems left. We are selling them for $219.00, but we'll let your readers get them for $189.95. In fact, let's have a blow-out sale here and let them go for $169.95. However, this price is only good for as long as we have them in stock. They sell quite fast. [ed. This offer is not valid as of this writing. This offer was an exclusive offer to the HDUG. We print this for subject matter only.] CL) Now that lot's of folks are purchasing the Hard Disks, is there a possibility of a special Hard Disk version of Spartados being written? I mean, there are many folks who dream for a directory structure that can hold more than 127 files per directory. TH) No. I'm sure you're wanting the extra-length directories for use with BBS Express! Many people have asked the same question and we feel having more than 128 files in a directory really slows things down, whether you use a floppy, a Hard Drive, or even a RAM disk. It's possible, but not practical as the DOS really gets bogged down in a search. CL) WOuld you consider an upgrade to Spartados in any way for the Hard disk users? TH) If there's a real special need for something, we'll think about it, but not at present. CL) Is there a maximum logical limit, in MEGAbytes, that the 8-bit machine can run? TH) Well, using a hard drive you can have 16 MEG per logical drive, and a single file 8 MEG in size. Since Spartados, and some other DOS's utilize eight drive configurations rather than Atari's 4 drive set-up, you can have 8 drives, each with 16 MEG. So, 8 x 16 MEG comes to 128 MEG on a single 8 bit Atari. Of course, this will devoid any use of a floppy. You can still use the MIO RAMdisk as a 256K or 1 MEG printer buffer. CL) If I can't use the floppy, how can I set up all 8 Hard disk partitions? I mean, how do I get all those files onto that 8th partition? TH) Simple. You fill up the first 7 partitions using the floppy as usual, then, using the MIO, swap one of the partitions (make one invisible). Then you fill the 8th up and get rid of the floppy as a drive configured in the MIO. CL) When will the 80 column MIO card be done? TH) Actually it's all finished. The hardware is complete, and now were working on getting the software to work with it. Soon. CL) Will both the Sparta-X cartridge and the 80-column Board be totally compatible with the current versions of Spartados? TH) Yes. The 80-column will require some extra consideration, so we'll be sending out a disk version of SpartaDos 3.3a along the the 80. CL) Do you have any plans for a back-up system in store for us Hard Disk users? TH) Yes. We're working on a piece of software that will allow you to back-up all the hard disk files to floppy. Basically, it will gather the files and copy them to floppy, breaking files in between so that you can swap disks. CL) Would you consider a tape drive back-up system? TH) No. _____________________________________ Xx ZMAG ATARI REPORT ...Press Releases from CompuServe... _____________________________________ ATARI ANNOUNCES 40 NEW GAMES AND LICENSING AGREEMENTS WITH COMPUTER GAME AND ARCADE COMPANIES CHICAGO, May 30, 1987 -- Atari Corp. will preview new video game cartridges at the Summer CES being held at McCormick Place this week. Among the 40 new games announced are 16 games for the 2600, 10 games for the 7800, and 14 game cartridges for the new XE game system, said Mike Katz, executive vice president for marketing and entertainment electronics. The new titles for the 2600 include boxing, baseball, football and shooting games as well as translations from arcade games. Atari has licensed Cross Bow, a hit coin-operated shooting game from Exidy; the arcade classics Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong, Jr. from Nintendo; Mouse Trap and Venture from Exidy; and Qbert from JVW. In addition, new titles for the 2600 are being offered by Activision, Epyx and Absolute Entertainment Inc. Activision announced Kung Fu Master and Commando; Epyx announced Summer Games and Winter Games; and Absolute Entertainment will be introducing wrestling and skateboarding games. Games for the 7800, released or about to be released by Atari, include Desert Falcon, Choplifter and Karateka by Broderbund; Touchdown Football, One-on-One Basketball and Sky Fox by Electronic Arts; Summer Games, Winter Games and Impossible Mission by Epyx; and Hat Trick by Bally Sente. Atari's new XE video game system, which can play games for the XE and XL computers, has hundreds of games that are playable on cartridge or disk format. Atari is currently converting some of the most popular disk-based games to cartridge so they can be played on the XE game system without a disk drive. The XE game system cartridge allows over 256 kilobytes of program to play on the game machine. -This is twice as much memory as offered by our competitors,- Katz noted. Atari has licensed cartridge versions of Hardball and Fight Night from Accolade; Touchdown Football, One-on -One Basketball and Archon from Electronic Arts; Ballblazer and Rescue From Fractalus from Lucas Film Games; Lode Runner, Blue Max and Midnight Magic from Broderbund; and Crowsbow from Exidy. Atari's own new cartridge games for the XE game system will include Food Fight, Battle Zone, Star Raiders II and two new shooting games. The top-selling game Flight Simulator II, Missile Command and Blast 'Em, a new shooting game, will be offered free with the system. Atari Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of personal computers, video game systems, a broad line of peripherals and a growing library of computer and video game software. Atari Corporation is located at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Telephone: (408) 745-2000. Atari's stock is listed on the American Stock Exchange and trades under the ticker symbol ATC. THE ATARI PC: THE FIRST IBM PC- COMPATIBLE WITH BUILT-IN EGA The Atari PC is the first IBM PC compatible with built-in EGA (enhanced graphics adapter). The new computer has more power and features than the IBM PC, said Sam Tramiel, president of Atari. Designed around the Intel 8088 chip, the switchable system performs at either 4.77 or 8.0 megahertz and has 512 kilobytes of memory, expandable on the motherboard to 640 kilobytes. It is the first IBM PC-compatible product that includes support for the EGA graphics mode as a standard feature. Other graphics modes supported by the custom-designed graphics chip are CGA, IBM monochrome and the Hercules graphics card. The Atari PC has built in a Centronics parallel port for printers and an RS232 serial port for modems and serial printers. It will be sold with a detachable IBM-style keypad, a mouse and mouse port and will be bundled with the GEM desktop from Digital Research. The Atari PC will be sold through mass merchants and computer specialty stores. The Atari PC system including a computer, disk drive and monochrome monitor is priced at $699. The computer and disk drive will sell for $499. ATARI TO BEGIN SHIPMENTS OF NEW XE GAME SYSTEM BUNDLED WITH THREE POPULAR GAMES Atari Corporation will include three popular cartridge games at no additional cost when it begins shipping the new XE video game system in July. Games bundled with the XE game system are the top-selling hit Flight Simulator II, from SubLogic; the Atari classic, Missile Command; and Blast 'Em, a shooting game being specially developed for the XE. The new game system is being demonstrated in Atari's booth (6540) at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show starting today at McCormick Place. -The XE is the ultimate game system for the serious game player,- said Michael Katz, executive vice president for marketing and entertainment electronics. -It has more features and power than any other game system, and we're including $80 worth of free games with every system. No other game maker is offering anything close to it.- The XE game system features a console with 64 kilobytes of memory, an attachable game-playing keyboard, video gun, and a Joystick. Its memory, equivalent to an 8-bit computer, is the largest in any game system. That gives it superior graphics, dramatic animation and realistic sound, and the power to run advanced computer games, Katz noted. The cartridge for the XE game system can store over 256 Kilobytes of program, which is twice as great as any other comparable system, Katz added. Atari is also selling a disk drive for players who prefer desk- based software. The attachable keyboard and video gun make it easy to play hundreds of sophisticated games such as Flight Simulator II, which requires keyboard interaction. The target gun is attached to the console to electronically -shoot- at images on a TV or monitor. The XE can play more games than any comparable system, and the library grows steadily as Atari converts disk games to cartridges, Katz said. The XE game system can play games written for the Atari XE and XL computer systems. The XE, which complements Atari's popular 2600 and 7800 video game systems, carries a suggested retail price of around $150. _____________________________________ Xx NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE ........New Epyx Products.......... ........Internal ST Clock.......... _____________________________________ In an effort to reach a broader market of computers and video game systems, Epyx has released versions of their popular 500XJ joystick for the Apple II, the IBM PC, the Sega Master System, and the Nintendo Entertainment System. All of the new units have the same hand-held styling and features of the original 500XJ (for the Atari and Commodore computers). The only two visual differences are (obviously) the type of connector used and the color of the box (C-64/Atari is red, Apple/IBM is blue, Sega is yellow, and Nintendo is green). List price for the Atari/Commodore, Sega, and Nintendo joysticks is $19.95. The Apple/IBM controller can be bought for $39.95. Epyx has also gotten into the floppy disk market by releasing its own line of premium 5.25- and 3.5- computer disks. The 5.25- disks (DSDD only) are list priced at $9.95 for a pack of 10 (also included are reenforced hub rings, Tyvek sleeves, labels, and write-protect tabs). The 3.5- disks (also sold in packs of 10) run for $24.95 (SSDD) and $29.95 (DSDD). EPYX, INC. 1043 Kiel Court Sunnyvale, CA 94089 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TransTech Industries is offering a $25 internal, ten-year real-time clock for the Atari ST line. Sold as a commodity component (the clock is actually the Dallas Semiconductor DS1216E, an industry-standard component found in many clocks today), the clock fits underneath a ROM chip inside the 520ST/1040ST. The clock is being sold under the name of -SmartWatch-. According to TransTech, the user of the clock is entirely responsible for all physical damage to the SmartWatch or to the computer during use (or during installation). A fairly good understanding of electronics is necessary to install the clock, and TransTech won't do it for you. Your local Atari dealer will probably install it for you for another $20. Software is NOT packaged with the SmartWatch. Instead, it is being released as a public domain TD.ARC file (available on BBS's, GEnie, and CompuServe). This allows for easy upgrades to the software and (they hope) for a greater market range. A special installation kit (the -EZ- Kit-) for the 1040ST can be bought for another $15 and saves you the trouble of having to cut a small metal bracket. Special discounts (5%-10%) are available if bought in quantity. TRANSTECH INDUSTRIES P.O. Box 880668 10509 S.D. Mission Rd., Ste. T San Diego, CA 92108 _____________________________________ Xx HACKING THE JOYSTICK PORT .......By Chuck Grimsby....... _____________________________________ As every Atari Basic programmer knows, the joystick port can be used to produce nine different actions or commands (excluding the center or 'null' position), utilizing the STICK(x) and STRIG(x) commands. The numbers your programs look for are: value stick posistion ----- --------------- 14 UP 13 DOWN 7 RIGHT 11 LEFT 6 UP RIGHT 5 DOWN RIGHT 9 DOWN LEFT 10 UP LEFT 15 CENTER (NULL) 0 FIRE, (USING STRIG(0) 1 NOT FIRE You may have noticed that there are some numbers missing from that list, and from all lists that show you how to use the STICK(x) command. Where are the numbers 0-4, 8 and 12? Well, actualy those numbers are there and are readable, but you can't use a normal joystick to produce them. You either need a numeric keypad (like the old Atari CX-85) or a special 'joystick' consisting of buttons in place of a single stick. I built myself a special joystick to use as a non-moving mouse (my desk space is VERY limited) and discovered I had also created a joystick that would produce those non-standard numbers. My brother has dubed this device a 'Dead Mouse' and it has proved to be very handy. It also works great as a very accurate joystick for MicroPainter. The new STICK(x) list using the Dead Mouse looks like this: VALUE BUTTON(S) PRESSED ----- ----------------- 0 UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT 1 DOWN LEFT RIGHT 2 UP LEFT RIGHT 3 RIGHT LEFT 4 UP DOWN RIGHT 5 DOWN RIGHT 6 UP RIGHT 7 RIGHT 8 UP DOWN LEFT 9 DOWN LEFT 10 UP LEFT 11 LEFT 12 UP DOWN 13 DOWN 14 UP 15 NONE (NULL) The numbers produced through the Dead Mouse can also be used to simulate the numeric keypad IF you have the proper AUTORUN.SYS file AND press the FIRE button with the other keys. The following list shows the funtions that the Dead Mouse key presses will return. Remember to ALWAYS press the FIRE button as well. FUNCTION DEAD MOUSE KEYS -------- --------------- DELETE UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT YES UP DOWN LEFT NO UP DOWN RIGHT - NONE +ENTER UP 0 UP DOWN 1 DOWN LEFT 2 UP LEFT 3 LEFT 4 DOWN LEFT RIGHT 5 UP LEFT RIGHT 6 RIGHT LEFT 7 DOWN RIGHT 8 UP RIGHT 9 RIGHT The construction of the Dead Mouse is simple, due to the fact that every joystick made actualy uses four buttons on the inside activated by moving the stick. All you need to make the Dead Mouse are five momentery contact buttons, a female D9 conector, a six conductor cable, and a project box. You can save yourself some time and trouble by using the cable from an old broken joystick, or buying a joystick extension cord and cutting off one end instead of making a new cable. Start by drilling five holes for the buttons in the lid of the project box a little bit larger then the size of the buttons, and one hole in the side of the box for the cable to the computer. Next mount and secure the five buttons in the holes and pass the cable through the hole in the side of the box. Make a knot in the cable on the inside so the cable wont pull out. Now solder the wire from the cable to the switches following the table below. NOTE: Solder to ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE BUTTON!! u 1 2 3 4 5 u \ O O O O O / u\ O O O O/u 6 7 8 9 PIN # BUTTON ----- ------ 2 RIGHT 3 LEFT 4 DOWN 5 UP 9 FIRE Now solder pin #7 to the other side of ALL the buttons. This is the common or -ground- line. Put the lid on your box, and your Dead Mouse is ready to use. From experience, the Dead Mouse is a very poor joystick, Don't even bother to try and use it for game playing. It is ,however, a more profesional looking device for use as a mouse than a joystick, and a accurate drawing tool for MicroPainter. _____________________________________ ZMAGAZINE ISSUE #57 JUNE 15, 1987 PLEASE CONTRIBUTE (C)COPYRIGHT 1987 RON KOVACS/SYNDICATE SERVICES. REPRINT PERMISSION GRANTED _____________________________________