____________________^^^____________ Zmag/A\zine HOT Atari News and Reviews ___________________________________ Xx Zmag/A\zine Hot Atari News and Reviews March 4, 1986 Issue ___________________________________ If you are not reading this with QCOL80.OBJ and the new ZREAD v 1.4 you are really missing a treat! This is the most fun ZMAG issue yet, thanks to CLINTON Z. SMITH. ----------------------------------- Xx New Zreader v 1.4 by Clinton Smith Zreader ----------------------------------- Well here it is.The new ZREAD program is here.Here are some of its new features.Make sure that your zmag files end with the txt extender or the program won't load them.Just rename them with the txt extender and they will load fine. You don't have to type ZZZ after every 22 lines and the file doesn't need a return at the end of a line. You can go back a page at a time to reread things and then go forward again or you can return to the index to read a new issue There is a scrolling head- line banner to highlight important news.To use this feature in your own article,have an uppercase X followed by a lowercase x,then type your message (It can be up to 60 characters long.)followed by a return.If you read this doc. file on ZREAD14 the following will demonstrate the feature XxREEVE KEYPAD HANDLER IS HERE If you have the QCOL80.OBJ program,you can use zread14 with 80 columns. 1.Turn on your computer 2.From Basic go to the DOS menu 3.Load QCOL80.OBJ with the load binary option 4.Return to cartridge (select B) 5.Load ZREAD14.BAS 6.(Change line 170 to-FOR T=1 TO 700-) 7.Run the program If you have any comments please leave me a message on windy city for me. Clinton.z.Smith Chicago,Il ----------------------------------- FROM: CHUCK SCHWARK TO: ALL ----------------------------------- SUBJ: Xx CL.A.U.G. HOT-LINE HotLine ----------------------------------- CL.A.U.G. NOW HAS A 24-HOUR INFO HOT-LINE! THIS INFORMATION LINE HAS BEEN SET UP TO HANDLE ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING ALL MODELS OF ATARI PERSONAL COMPUTERS AND PERIPHERALS. JUST LEAVE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER AND THE 'RIGHT' PERSON WILL RETURN YOUR CALL. ________________^^^_^^^^___________ **** (312) 848-0333 ***** ___________________________________ OUT-OF-STATE CALLS WILL ONLY BE RETURNED COLLECT. IF ALL YOU WANT IS INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUP, LEAVE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND OUR INFO PACK WILL BE SENT TO YOU. ZZZ ----------------------------------- Xx >> Windy City BBS Command List Windy City Commands ----------------------------------- Windy City is using the new BBCS from Scott Brause, and there is much more to be seen on this already top notch, superresponsive board. Give the board a call and start exploring with this new set of commands: Atari ......... Atari news and info Boards ........ Access message boards Chat .......... Chat with the sysop Down/Upload ... Program transfer Goodbye ....... Log off the BBCS Hang up ....... Quick disconnect Information ... System information List .......... Bulletin board list System ........ Time at this location Time .......... Your local time Utilities ..... User utilities View .......... Show survey results Zing .......... Take a survey Windy City Atari BBCS 312-775-2970 Let's hear it for the RYTINAs ! ----------------------------------- Xx SCAT PLEXUS COMMAND SUMMARY Scat Plexus Commands ----------------------------------- The bold departure from normal BBS formats may have you confused at SCAT. Be sure you send these commands to your printer, and keep them in front of you when you log on at this progressive BBS. Post your short messages and comments in the ZMAG conference, for inclusion in this magazine. > SCAT PLEXUS COMMANDS: > ? - This listing Bye - Log off the system Chat - chat with SYSOP Date - Show current time & date Do - Execute a Do batch file Enter - Enter a message in conference Fortune - Spin the Wheel of Fortune Help - Help on all topics Identify - This node (BBS) Ids - List all caller log ids Join - Join a conference Mail - Read & send E-mail News - Current news bulletin Nodes - Other Plexus systems Others - Other local BBS systems Profile - Your user profile Read - Read selected conferences Welcome - Reprint welcome message For more information on a command, type HELP Hurray to John Semenek for sticking out his neck again! ....Bruce z. ----------------------------------- Xx Atari Beginners Sig Formed Beginners SIG ----------------------------------- This letter appeared in the most recent SCAT newsletter: We are new SCAT members and looking for help with our 800XL. Specifically, we would appreciate a SIG for Atari basic. Is eveyone too busy with the ST? We refer to the Scat Newsletter of February 86 and an excellent article by Jim Roberts - -An 8 bit machine is only dead if you kill it. And I think there is a lot of life left in it!- At this time, Atari basic is killing us. Can anybody help? Looking forward to a new SIG. The Hirshfelds Dan and Eileen Hirschfeld have decided to do something about their own letter, and will be heading up the beginners SIG at SCAT, which will include explorations of BASIC. If you have any questions you would like answered as part of the SIG, direct messages to ZMAG at your favorite BBS, to the ZMAG message base at SCAT, or mail your questions to SCAT BEGINNERS SIG c/o The Hirschfelds 8702 N. Osceola Niles IL 60648 These questions will be answered in special ZMAG issues, and used as a basis for setting the SIG agenda.....FIRE AWAY! .....................Bruce z. ----------------------------------- Xx Atari Sources Where to BUY ----------------------------------- The listing below is posted on the comprehensive CENTARI BBS Sysoped by Tim Siml, Alan Reeve, and Steve Maney: Atari Equipment and Repair Companys S=Software H=Hardware M=Mail order R=Repairs Software Plus 731 W. Dundee Rd. (op K-Mart) Wheeling IL 60090 520-1717 Ask for Jeff Williams or leave message at Remote Atari BBS 587-1349 S-H-R Family Software Willowood Center 2103-C Bloomingdale Road Glendale Heights, Ill. 60139 (312)351-3730 S-H Coz Enterprises P.O. Box 47083 Chicago, Ill. 60647 (312)235-9629 M Jaf-Data Systems 2217 W. 109th St. Chicago IL 60643 312-238-4348 S-H-M Reeve Software 29W150 Old Farm Lane Warrenville, Ill. 60555 (312)393-2317 M Mars Merchandising 15W615 Diversey Elmhurst, Ill. 60126 (312)530-0988 M Computer Direct 22292 N. Pepper Road Barrington, Ill. 60010 (312)382-5050 M Complete Computing Corporation 890 East Roosevelt Road Lombard ,Ill. 60148 (312)620-0808 S-H-R Ron's TV Appliance 132 W. Liberty Drive Wheaton, Ill. 60187 (312)668-4490 R Powder Horn Sport Shop 805 Cedar Ave. St. Charles, Ill. (312)584-6836 Digital World 711 Army Trail Road Addison, Ill. (312)543-9000 Ken's Adult Toy Shop 333 N. Addison Addinson, Ill. (312)834-8550 Pacific Stereo 4411 Fox Valley Center Drive Aurora, Ill. (312)898-9400 R Pacific Stereo 19W549 E. Roosevelt Road Lombard, Ill. (312)629-7100 R CSA LTD. Conveniently available by leaving a message and your phone # on CLAUG II BBS M WINDY CITY ATARI Conveniently available by leaving a message and your phone # on WINDY CITY BBS S,H Rich Andrews Repairs and memory upgrades. 815-485-0108 Equipment may be transfered at CLAUG meetings...please make prior arrangements before carting your equipment to the meeting. R This list is not complete. Please help us with any information you may have by leaving a message. ----------------------------------- More help from Centari: Xx What's an extender? Disk File Name EXTENDERS ----------------------------------- .BAS Basic file .LIS File -listed- to disk .OBJ Objective language file .BIN Binary file .AMS Advanced Music System .MUS Music file .SYS System file .DAT Data file .DOC Documentation file .SRC Source code file .TXT Text file .ASM Assembly language file .BAK Backup file .TMP Temporary file .GAM Game file .UTL Utility file .EXE Execute file .MES Message file .FNT Font file .DEM Demo file .PIC Picture file .KOL Koala pad picture file .ACT Action language file .CUT Communications utility .DUT Disk utility > MESSAGES > IF YOU WANT TO READ ONLY THE LATEST MESSAGES AND THE LAST MESSAGE IS #45, THEN HIT -46-- AND THE MESSAGES WILL BE DISPLAYED TO YOU IN REVERSE ORDER. HIT -X- TO EXIT. ----------------------------------- Xx 1030 BBS by Mark Lupescu 1030 BBS ----------------------------------- For those that have 1030 modems, and want a ring detector and a bbs for it. You can get all that for $74.95, from Duplication Technologies Inc. (Formerly Gardner Computing) This system has 25 functions including U/l and D/l and user Passwords, it comes with a double sided disk, full documents, plus a fully assembled and tested ring detector. This can be used with any atari computer except 520st, of course, you need 1 disk drive, printer (optional), 835 or 1030 modem, and the ring dector. For more information look in ANTIC magazine. 2 pages after page 20. Mark ----------------- ANTIC PUBLISHING INC.,COPYRIGHT 1986. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION. ================================== Xx ANTIC ONLINE NEWS FEBRUARY ROUND-UP Antic Online by GIGI ================================== BY GIGI BISSON, ANTIC ASSISTANT EDITOR ---------------------------------- Xx ELECTRONIC ARTS PLANS TO RELEASE 8-BIT SOFTWARE ---------------------------------- Electronic Arts software company president Trip Hawkins has written the last letter he will ever need to send to Antic Magazine. -The response of your readers to Antic editorials is growing,- wrote Hawkins. -We have received quite a few letters.- Quite a few indeed. In a letter-writing campaign initiated over nine months ago with a May, 1985 Antic editorial, not only Antic readers but the entire Atari community begged EA and other major software publishers to release more software for the 8-bit Atari computers. EA promises to release Adventure Construction Set, Heart of Africa, Mail Order Monsters, Marble Madness, Racing Destruction Set, Skyfox, Software Golden Oldies (Software Country), and Ultima IV (Origin Systems) for the Atari XL/XE 8-bit line of computers in 1986. -We hope to see at retail the kind of response we have seen in our mailbox!- Hawkins says in conclusion. ----------------------------------- Xx PERCOM REPAIRS Percom FIX ----------------------------------- Percom Data Corp or Dallas, Texas has awarded STS Computers of Falls, Church, VA a nationwide contract to repair all Percom floppy disk drives, including those for Atari computers. STS has also developed a new operating system ROM. STS engineers are soliciting comment from users concerning firmware bugs in hopes of improving the drives. Schematics are available for $5. Contact: STS Computers, 1073 W. Broad St., Falls Church, VA 22046. (703) 237-0558. ----------------------------------- Xx TRAKED DOWN TRAK Fix ----------------------------------- Ever since the manufacturer went out of business, Trak disk drive owners have been unable to track down repairs. Integrated Computer Resources of Chicago will repair and upgrade Trak drives and supply printer cables for the AT-D2 drive to utilize the built-in 4K printer buffer. Write to: Integrated Computer Resources, Inc., 247 N. Neltnor Blvd., Suite G1F, West Chicago, Illinois, 60185. (312) 231-6104. (This helpful information came to us online from J. Kosiorek, 70717,3675.) ---------------------------------- Xx BRODERBUND STILL GROWING Broderbund Grows ---------------------------------- The media broadly proclaimed that 1985 was a -dismal- year for the personal computer industry. Broderbund Software proved otherwise. Bolstered by several top selling home productivity and educational packages, spearheaded by the phenomenonal bestseller, Print Shop, Broderbund doubled their sales to $20 million during 1985. The December issue of Inc. magazine ranked Broderbund as the 13th fastest-growing privately held compay in the United States. Microcomputer software distributors First Software and Softsel International also experienced rapid growth during 1985. ----------------------------------- Xx ATARI VS. THE WORLD Atari Sued ----------------------------------- Atari Corp. has been sued again. This time for $55.2 million by an (unnamed) Japanese printer maker that claims Atari reneged on a contract to buy 500,000 printers. ----------------------------------- Xx ST DESKTOP PUBLISHING DeskTop Publishing for ATARI ----------------------------------- Will the ST become a challenger to the Macintosh in the hot desktop publishing market? According to the United Kingdom Atari magazine, Page 6, a new software package, Fleet Street Editor, could change the face of society newsletters and small publications. This full design and layout system from Mirrorsoft is capable of driving a phototypesetter. Expected UK debut is next month. Meanwhile, stateside computer market analysts are calling desktop publishing -the hula hoop of 1986.- ----------------------------------- Xx THE YUPPIE ST Yuppie ST ----------------------------------- -Atari's now computer serious threat to the Macintosh. Will the Amiga survive?- You'll find this headline in Newsweek magazine, but it's not on a news story. It's an advertisment. JS&A, a nationwide mail order marketer that pitches high-technology product. Their full-page ads claim -the ST will open up a major fight in the personal computer market,- and then proceed to make a detailed comparison of the Macintosh to the ST. In a bold approach, the Northbrook, IL company invites owners to -put the ST next to your Mac or Amiga or even IBM,- after a small down payment, for a 30-day trial basis. The components are sold separately. The ST computer and mouse for $299, disk drive $199, and monochrome monitor $199. ---------------------------------- Xx NEW PRODUCTS What's New ---------------------------------- Epyx Software will release Winter Games, Rogue (originally a mainframe adventure game popular on college campuses) and Temple of Apshai Trilogy for the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga in March. Paul Henckel, of Quickview Systems of Los Altos, CA and the author of -The Elements of Friendly Software Design,- (Warner Books, 1985) has finished Zoomracks for the ST and IBM PC family. It uses -racks- rather than files to display information in a compact way onscreen. Visualize this as a stack of time cards. All of the cards are visible at once, with most of one card hidden behind the next card, and only one or two lines of information about each card visible. Antic saw this one at our office and the review is underway. ---------------------------------- Xx ATARIS HELP BILK THE BANK? Atari Con ---------------------------------- How did Richard Mamarella get $22 million in bank loans from a New Jersey bank? According to a recent Wall Street Journal account, Mamarella bribed a junior bank officer with $30,000 and two Atari sets,- to approve the fraudulent loans. After pleading guilty to bank fraud and extortion charges, Mamarella is serving a nine-year prison term. ---------------------------------- Xx AMIGA HAS TOS, TOO AmigaTOS ---------------------------------- What's in a name? Metacomco, the British company that developed LISP and Metapascal for the ST also developed the operating system for the Amiga PC. The name of a multitasking OS at the core of the Amiga OS -- TRIPOS. ---------------------------------- Xx DRI Digitalis ---------------------------------- Batteries Included may have a difficulty shipping Atari ST GEM applications by their original April deadline. Like other programmers and developers, BI is anxiously waiting for Digital Research of Monterey, CA to finish up the GEM 68K developer's kit. Industry analysts say delays in shipment of final versions of the kit is a serious problem for ST software developers. Research and development seems to be continuing at the Monterey, CA-based developer of the GEM operating system for Atari and IBM. DRI has placed ads in the Silicon Valley-Area San Jose Mercury News searching for graphics development Software Engineers. -Become involved with the team responsible or developing this leading technology of the future -- right now! Responsibilities include exploratory development and prototyping of new products, writing graphics applications in C for the GEM environment, and implementation of new device drivers.- ----------------------------------- Xx RUMOR HUMOR HO HO HEH HEH ----------------------------------- This satirical product announcement by Albert Lew of ABACUS, was found recently in the San Francisco-area users group's newsletter: -Did you hear about the new $10 EPROM burner coming from Atari? Stick some 128K EPROMS in the blue plastic slots, and pop into the toaster oven. The docs recommend that you think hard about what you want burned, (Commodore, Apple, and IBM are suggested topics) and pray. If you are agnostic, you are requested to send more money to Atari until you get reasonable results.- ----------------------------------- Xx XANTH, NOT XEVIOUS Oops ----------------------------------- XANTH Computer Systems,the Seattle, WA dealer inadvertently responsible for one of Atari Corp's most successful marketing ploys, the famous 8-bit Boink!, 130XE Fuji Boink! and the parrot and waterfall ST public domain demo disks -- was incorrectly identified as XEVIOUS Computer Systems in Antic Online's Consumer Electronic show coverage. Last page ! ----------------------------------- Antic Online is a service of Antic magazine, posted in the section of Compuserve reached by logging on with GO ANTIC. Downloaded by Bruce -Z- Kennedy Atari Zmag/A\zine A printed version of the above is covered in the most recent issue of SCAT magazine, the newsletter of the Suburban Chicago Atarians Xx Be ready for some more big news based on the Hanover Show /Computer Faire in mid-March. Xx NewsRoom next for the ST called FLEET STREET Editor? Your contributions, reviews of downloads, articles, AND QUESTIONS FROM NEWUSERS will be received with enthusiasm by Zmagazine. Just post as a ZMAG text file upload, or as a 14 line message in your BBS message base. ZMAG, your Atari electronic magazine for finding out where to look, where to get, and where to fix your Atari software, hardware. Xx All the best and hottest news and reviews from your favorite BBS.... and Compuserve. Xx see you next week !!!!!!!!!!!! _______________________________________ Chicago Zmag/A\zine March 4, 1986 Bruce Kennedy _______________________________________