I/O BOARD
TRAMIEL WRITE-IN WINS
This is just to let you know of the satisfactory results of Antic's write-in campaign to Atari Chairman Jack Tramiel. Less than a month after I wrote to Tramiel of my desire for more dealers in my area, Atari Canada has contacted at least one of the dealers on my list. This dealer is now undergoing the application process to pick up the ST and PC lines.
Mike Loader
Westwin, Manitoba
Canada
NO DOS 3
I've been having problems with Sssnake! by Chet Walters (Antic, October 1986). Even though I retyped the lines and checked it very carefully with TYPO II, I still can't get it to work. I have an 800XL and a 1050 disk drive, and the disk was formatted with DOS 3.
Douglas McGhee
Honolulu, HI
The Magic Words in your letter are "DOS 3." Every few months Antic finds itself repeating for newcomers the warning that DOS 3 has several problems, among which are that it uses more memory than DOS 2.0S or 2.5, and it also uses different memory locations. It's even incompatible with DOS 2 and 2.5, using an entirely different disk structure. Antic recommends using either DOS 2 or 2.5. You'll find DOS 2 on each month's Antic Disk--it's in the DOS.SYS and DUP.SYS files.--ANTIC ED
NO BARNYARD BUGS
I am the author of Atari's Barnyard Blaster XE cartridge, reviewed in Antic, June 1988. I think that reviewer David Plotkin may have had a defective cartridge or XE Game System, because I am positive that the "rectangle or garbage" he mentions is not a bug in the program. Thank you though, for the good review of my work. Watch for my next one, Crime Buster.
James Zalewski
Hamtramck, MI
TALKING TYPEWRITER
I was excited to read about the Talking Typewriter program (Antic, January 1987). I bought all the parts, thinking I could tackle the project on my own. I couldn't.
Is there anyone out there who can read schematics and solder for a reasonable price? If so, I could send him or her the parts. I really want the Talking Typewriter.
Jonathan Beich
RRI, Box 103
Sykeston, ND
Good luck. Also, Antic is working on a no-hardware conversion of Talking Typewriter created with the Covox Voice Master Junior just like this month's Toddle Type Super Disk Bonus--ANTIC ED
MODEM HANDLER?
I'd like to know how to communicate with the Atari XM301 and 1030 modems: I'd like to set things like auto-answer, pickup/hand-up, loop back test, etc. I'm trying to write a handler for the XM301 to make it Hayes-compatible.
Patrick Presley
Lumberton, TX
You might be able to find what you need in Russ Wetmore's article, Unleashing the 1030 Modem (Antic, August 1985).-- ANTIC ED
PRAISE ATARI FOLKS
I've been an electronics technician for 18 years. I started with an Atari 800 when it cost $800 for the computer and another $450 for the drive. Later I bought a 130XE and loved it. And about a year ago I bought my 1040ST. I'm glad I stayed with Atari.
One thing I've liked about the Atari is the people. I've found nice pen pals in other countries, mostly Norway and Germany, and I receive some magazines from England. The very first computer magazine I bought for my 800 was Antic-- and it's been an important part of computing ever since.
Mike De Barbieris
Kenner, LA
ATARIANS UNITE!
I'd been depressed about the lack of software for my 800XL and was thinking about saving all my software money until I could buy a "popular" computer. Then I saw the July 1988 Antic with two important items--the news of the success of the write-in campaign to get Newsroom ported to the 8-bit Atari, and the launching of the new Software Wanted section of the I/O Board. Now the sky is bright, the birds are singing, I'm smiling and my wife's mumbling about having me fitted for an "I Love Me" suit.
We'll get results if we all write to the listed manufactuers and let them know how many potential customers they have and that there really is an Atari 8-bit market. Which is cheaper: a stamp and a letter, or buying a whole new computer system while your Atari 8-bit just gathers dust?
If this succeeds, let's not stop with the new software. How about some of the older games and productivity software, no longer made, but still copyrighted?
Robert Smith
Reedsport, OR
The editors couldn't agree more and Antic is steadily expanding its direct involvement in helping readers campaign successfully for more 8-bit software. Ses this issue's editorial for the next battlefront.--ANTIC ED
BACK UP A SEC
Epson FX-86e printer users might be interested in an undocumented control code--ESC j-which backs up the tractor one line. Word processor programs that print in multi-column format use it to return to the head of the page. This code has been confirmed by Epson America, but they do not recommend using it because it may cause paper-feeding problems under certain conditions.
Ken Stoops
Anchorage, AK
Antic doesn't have the printer mentioned above and is unable to test this tip. Try it at your own risk--ANTIC ED
WANTS PAGE 6
Okay, I can't stand it anymore. I've been an Antic buyer/subscriber for several years and I will continue to be. But there seems to be another magazine out there that a lot of us will want to have as well. Since you keep reprinting material from Page 6, why don't you tell us all where we can find it. It's probably easy to come by in the "other" London, but I can't find it here.
Paul Harris
London, Ontario,
Canada
Page 6 is at PO. Box 54, Stafford, ST16 1DR, England. Telephone: 0785 213928. --ANTIC ED
TRAK-MOUSE
Here's a tip for 8-bit Missile Command players who own either an ST mouse or an Atari Trak-ball controller. On the bottom left side of the trak-ball is a switch labeled Trak-ball and Joystick. Move the stick to the Trak-ball position.
After you load Missile Command and turn on the computer, press [CONTROL] [T]. The status line at the top of the screen changes from STICK to TBALL. Now you can plug in your Trak-ball or mouse--and you'll find that either one works better than the joystick.
Brent Fisher
Jackson MI
On the XE Game System, it looks as if you can just plug in the mouse and fire away.--ANTIC ED
8-BITTER SEEKS SAME
Since relocating to this small upstate New York community, I have been unable to find any Atari users groups. My only consolation so far is that I can continue buying Antic at a bookstore about 10 miles from home. Since others are buying the magazine, there must be more of us avid 8-bitters nearby. Please contact me:
John Palmer
P.O. Box 42
Meridale, NY 13806
CWAUG THANKS
CWAUG (Central Wisconsin Atari Users Group) would sincerely like to thank Antic for replying to an Atari user trying to find a group in this area. We now have another knowledgeable Atarian member.
Thomas Ptak
President, CWAUG
Marshfield, WI
FORTUNE 500
The April 1988 issue of Fortune Magazine published its annual list of the 500 largest corporations in the United States. It was good to see Atari listed. Ranked at 484, Atari had sales of $493.3 million and a profit of $57.4 million (11.6% of sales).
While Atari ranked as the smallest Fortune 500 corporation in the computer industry, its 1987 growth over 1986 was 91.1%, the third fastest. Only Sun Microsystems, at 155.8%, and Compaq Computers at 95.8%, came in ahead of Atari. Not only are Atari's sales growing, but so are its profits. When ranked in terms of "profit as % of sales," Atari came in third again at 11.6%. This time Atari was bested by Cray Research, at 21.4% and Digital Equipment, at 12.1%.
I've always known that Atari's products were first rate. Now I know that Atari is a first-rate business, and rightfully so. Atari's performance as been great in this competitive industry.
Henry Jennings
Detroit, MI