Products Update
New ST Software and Hardware
Compiled By Marta Deike
Start Editorial Coordinator
4,096 Colors on the ST
John Russell Innovations (JRI) has created the ST4096C Board
for the ST. The board expands your color palette from the standard 512
colors to a whopping 4,096! It comes with sample software but will retain
compatibility with existing software as well. ST4096C Board, $49.95. John
Russell Innovations, P.O. Box 5277, Pittsburg, CA 94565, (415) 458-9577.
Mouse Alternative
Best Electronics has produced an alternative mouse for ST users called,
appropriately, The Best Mouse. This new mouse has been redesigned
internally to make it more mechanically sensitive. In order to give you
more comfort, it has a new, ergonomic shape. The Best Mouse is compatible
with all STs and Megas. The Best Mouse, $49.95. Best Electronics, 2021
The Alameda, Suite 290, San Jose, CA 95126, (408) 243-6950.
New Paint Program for the ST
Designed by artists from ArtisTech Development, Da Vinci is
a graphics tool for drawing, animating and painting. This new draw-and-paint
program for the ST includes the standard features of art programs, such
as palette, brushes, brush stroke applications, mirror and shading modes.
But among Da Vinci's unique features is a "real-time magnify" that works
in every mode with every tool. Text options include resizable, proportional
and color fonts.
Da Vinci, new paint software for the ST from Aristech,
lets you create stunning images and animation. Da Vinci is
ideal for programming and animating games.
Once you've finished drawing a picture with Da Vinci, you can bring
your creation to life with the Animation Format. Its storage system and
compression techniques let you edit up to 12 pictures at once in a 512K
system and up to 48 pictures in a one-megabyte machine-ideal for designing
and editing games. Da Vinci, $99.95. ArtisTech Development, P.O. Box
214830, Sacramento, CA 95821, (916) 488-6844.
Hot Wire from CodeHead
CodeHead Software has just released HotWire, a new "shell" program
designed to accelerate any and all processing on your ST. HotWire eliminates
the stages of opening windows and finding programs, letting you either
auto-start a program at bootup or access any program instantly, regardless
of its location, just by pressing a key combination. There are over 400
possible "hot" key combinations. HotWire, $39.95. CodeHead Software,
P.O. Box 74090, Los Angeles, CA 90004, (213) 386-5735.
New Games
"Holy high-tech, Batman, we're on the ST!" Yes, Robin, Data East has
brought Batman, The Caped Crusader from the pages of DC Comics to
the ST. In true Bat tradition, you must find and destroy the Penguins master
computer, which has conjured up a mad scheme to rule the world with an
army of robot penguins. Meanwhile, the Boy Wonder has been kidnapped by
that maniacal prankster, the Joker. There are items hidden all over Gotham
City that will help you eventually solve the puzzle. Your challenge, of
course, is to find them in time. Batman, The Caped Crusader, $39.95. Data
East, 470 Needles Drive, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-7074.
MicroProse's popular Pirates, is now available for the ST. As a novice seaman, you begin with one ship and a handful of crew members. Through hard work and shrewd bartering (and not just a bit of underhandedness and disregard for personal safety), you gradually gain wealth and status, leading more ships and men. There are over 50 islands and nations to visit and nine different types of ships. You can choose a specific time period in which to play, or even opt to lead famous, historically-documented expeditions such as those of Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan. Pirates, $44.95. MicroProse, 180 Lakefront Drive, Hunt Valley, MD 21030, (301) 771-1151.
Adapted from Sega's hit arcade game. Mindscape brings you Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. As the famous adventurer you must navigate your way through twisting tunnels, across narrow ledges and over fiery chasms-all to free innocent captives and find hidden treasure. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, $49.95. Mindscape, 3444 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062, (312) 780-7667.
A twilight zone of deadly surprises awaits you in the Dark Side, a 3D space adventure from Cinemaware. As a one-man army, equipped with lasers, shields and a jet power pack, you must infiltrate a heavily-guarded military outpost and destroy the doomsday weapon before the apocalypse is unleashed. Dark Side, $39.95. Cinemaware, 4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, CA 91362, (805) 495-6515.
In Mindscape's Batman, The Caped Crusader, your mission
is to save Robin from the Joker and stop the Penguin's evil
supercomputer from taking over the world. Thrills and spills
in the usual "bat" tradition.
Lightning Rod Pad, Screenwipe
Static electricity is one of your computer's major enemies-files can
be lost with the touch of a finger. Wipe out the static 4-and the frustration
with new products from Wave Pad and Screenwipe.
The Lightning Rod Pad protects your computer against static electricity. The Pad is a mouse pad made of a conductive open-cell rubber that absorbs static electricity and then drains it by means of a grounding wire. This wire is attached to the pad itself and connects to the back of your computer Touch the pad before laying hands on your computer and your system is safeguarded against static electricity. Lighming Rod Pad, $11.95 (Mouse Pad size), prices vary according to size. Wave Pad, P.O. Box 56117, Hayward, CA 94545-6117, (800) 345-9283.
Screenwipe is a new anti-static monitor-cleaning cloth from Lensclean. The cloth, a lint-free carrier fabric, is premoistened with a chemical called Concostat G, which dissolves the buildup of dirt, dust, smoke and other gritty substances that are attracted to the screen by static charge. Screenwipe also reduces future buildup by removing the static charge itself. Screenwipe, $22.50 per box of 50 packets. Lensclean, Inc., 74 Louis Court, Dept. M2, South Hackensack, NJ 07606, (212) 362-3184.