Classic Computer Magazine Archive START VOL. 5 NO. 5 / JANUARY 1991

I/O BOARD

Consoling Words
After ANALOG folded, I opted to have the remainder of my subscription transferred to ANTIC. However, my current subscription status with ANTIC does not reflect this.

I've also heard that ANTIC has ceased publications, but that subscribers will be receiving START, which will have an 8-bit section, but no 8-bit disk. This is a terrible loss for the Atari community. If it is any consolation, let me express my gratitude for your effort in putting out, such a quality magazine for so many years. I sincerely hope you'll continue to fight for an 8-bit corner in START.

Ed Hall
Yellowknife, Northwest Territory Canada

As you know, the economics of the dwindling 8-bit market forced us to merge ANTIC into START. Adding former ANALOG subscribers at the same time was a major project that delayed the mailing of START to ANTIC subscribers while the databases were merged correctly. The mailing label on your latest copy of START should show your new expiration date. You should get two issues of START without disk for every issue of ANTIC or ANALOG with disk. ANALOG non-disk subscribers will get one issue of START for every issue of ANALOG remaining but the ANALOG subscriptions weren't actually added in until the December 1990 issue.) If your label still doesn't reflect these changes, or any other problems crop up, call our subscription customer service at
(815) 734-6309. - ANTIC ED.

Exasperating XMM801
The Atari XMM801 is a fine but exasperating printer. As an owner, I have had to learn some helpful tricks in adapting it to work with some commercial software, and I'd like to share a couple of tips.

To use some Hi Tech programs such as PrintPower and Award Ware, boot the program and go to Printer Set-Up. Select the ESC2-IBM printer and you will return to the main menu. Now choose Select Options. This presents another menu. Choose the Send Line Feed option, and return to the main menu. Save these selections, and you're in business.

When you use single sheets of paper the printer stops printing at 60 lines. To use envelopes or shorter pieces of paper, you need to send a simple, one-line BASIC command to your printer. Turn on the printer, then type:

LPRINT CHR$(27);"O";

then press [RETURN]. (Note that the character in quotes is the letter O and not zero.) This sends a code to the printer that turns off the paper-out detector, which will stay off until you send a new code to turn it on again, or turn off the printer.

Vito A. Raia
Kenneth City, FL

ANTIC INDEX
I'd love to have an index to my collection of ANTIC magazines. I've started doing some indexing of programs on my own, though I've had to change names when the title doesn't make the program's functions clear. The next thing needed is to add in all the updates and fixes that ran in the I/O Board section.

It's just hard for me to believe that a computer magazine could not take existing files and create almost any type of index and cross-index.

Fred Brune
Kenner, LA

As you've noticed yourself; indexing magazines isn't quite as straightforward as it might first appear. There is, however, an unbelievably comprehensive index on CompuServe. This index covers all of ANTIC through the beginning of 1989. The index takes advantage of CompuServe's mainframe computers to provide a wealth of information, even some whole or excerpted articles. Unfortunately, there's no practical way to print such a huge index.

To use the Antic Index, you'll have to go online on CompuServe, which means you'll need a modem and a telecommunications program. To find out about getting a CompuServe account, call them at (800) 848-8199, or (614)457-0802. To get to the Index, just type GO ANTIC from any CompuServe menu and select Antic Index from the next menu. Instructions for using the index can be found in the February 1989 issue of ANTIC.

QUIZZER QUERY
The program QUIZZER.BAS from the April/May 1990 Antic Disk seems to print only the first three questions. Repeated tries have gotten the same results, whether I try printing in normal or condensed print. Why won't all my entries print? (I have an Epson-compatible Legend 1380 printer.) Also, why must I reload the input questions every time I press the [BEAK] key?

Joseph Bartolone
Stuart, FL

Without a Legend 1380 printer, we can't explain why you're having trouble - the program works fine on all our in-house printers. Maybe another reader with that printer can help? Also, try starting over with an all-new file to make sure you don't have an odd character in your file that confuses either the computer or the printer You have to reload the input questions because the program reinitializes every time you RUN it, tidily clearing out the memory - including your entries. Instead of using RUN to restart the program, type GOTO 100 to return to the main menu without losing data. - ANTIC ED

AVUE ADDRESS CHANGE
We gave an incorrect mailing address in our review of AVUE, the Analog Visual Utility Environment (November 1990). The correct address is EXIT, P.O. Box 25251, Washington, DC 20007. (703) 441-1525. Checks should be made out to Norman Thornton.