I/0 Board

TOP-OF-FORM

In the chart accompanying the survey of printers (ANTIC Issue #3 ) you show the Atari 825 as having "top of form" capability. I don't think it does. It doesn't respond to the standard "control + L" form feed, nor does it have a manual form feed control

This deficiency would cause us to choose a different printer, perhaps the Epson or the NEC, which do look competent.

Harold Barton,
Engineer
Ford Aerospace & Communications
Newport Beach, CA

You are correct. There is no top-of form command. We also should point out that the NEC 8203A-C will not work with the Atari Word Processor program without altering that program, a task not easily accomplished by an amateur. The version of DataSoft's Text Wizard that will work with the NEC should be available by October, 1982.Ñ ANTIC ED

TRACE RACE

I want a "trace" routine for my ATARI. I understand that Basic A+ has one, but right now that product is more than I need.

Would you put this in I/O Board to see if any of your readers can come up with one? I'd like to have features like "list branch commands only," and "show loops once, with times looped."

Walter Varner
Palo Alto, CA

Our first contest! Send all entries to TRACE RACE, care of ANTIC. Winner gets a free copy of Basic A +, courtesy of Optimised Systems Software. All entries must be in no later than January 31, 1983.Ñ ANTIC ED

LET'S GET IT RIGHT

De Re ATARI is an excellent book, but the authors should have consulted a Latin teacher. "De re" means "of the thing." as in De Re Metallica by Agricola, which translates "of the metallic thing." "Re" is in the ablative case (singular, feminine). "Metallica" is an adjective, so ATARI should be adjectivized, as "De Re ATARICA" (feminine), or better, "De Rerum ATARII (masculine, plural), which translates as "of the things about ATARles."

D. Grau
Forest Hills, N.Y.

MUSIC WHILE YOU WAIT

How can I record music, or other audio, on a cassette so that it plays when the cassette is loading? PDI does it, for example, on Pumpkin Stand.

I already know how to POKE 53018 on and off. This works great after the program is loaded, because the audio is recorded on a section of tape where no data is found. I am under the impression that the audio with data must be recorded after the data because a CSAVE erases all channels on the tape. I also believe that normally recorded audio signals interefere with the computer's ability to receive a CLOAD.

I notice that PDl's music-whileloading plays on the left speaker of a stereo system. How do they record on only one channel?

Robert Cash
Pekin, IL

John Victor, President of PDI, explains in this issue. Also note our Tape Topics section in this and future issues, for related information.ÑANTIC ED

LOOSENING LINES

While typing in your games, I've noticed several lines got so long they wouldn't fit. Line 672 of Deathstar has 119 characters, and line 745 has 117, exceeding the limit of ATARl's logical line. Pac Invaders also has that problem at lines 370, 390 and 430. It's not always clear where to break a line without affecting the program. Please advise.

Donald Harrier
Tallmadge, OH

Sorry about that. We will try to avoid tight lines in the future, but you can also correct by moving the margin two spaces left with a POKE 82,0 in immediate mode. Also, using any legal abbreviations (F. for FOR, N. for NEXT) and eliminating spaces will save space. BASIC will expand abbreviations for you when it interprets the line. In fact, that's usually why the listed line is longer than allowed. -ANTIC ED

LICKIN' CHICKEN

Space Invaders invades my space. I lose at Asteroids too.
I never get far in Caverns of Mars And Star Raiders makes me blue.
I made the third screen of Apple Panic When the "cores" finally did me in.
I guess I should give up computer games And go back to games like Gin.
But I then found a game that I can win; Yes, a game that I can beat!
I can get that Chicken across the road And I don't even have to cheat.
So, I guess there's a game for each of us; A game for our way and style.
You go ahead and smash the Galaxians. I'll just dodge cars for a while.

Guy Hurt
Lansing, MI

MORE CHICKEN

I think I made an improvement to Stan Ocker's Chicken game (ANTIC #1). I found during play that if the chicken gets hit by the bottom part of a car, the chicken is moved up, but not clear of the car. So the chicken gets hit again by the same car.

I thought this was unfair and frustrating, so I altered the program as follows:

535 POKE 1560, PEEK(1560)-33:A = USR(LD,0,PM):IF DIF > 1 THEN DIF = DIF-1

This change moves you up a full lane, clearing you of the car you hit.

Mike Colvin
Sacramento, CA