i/o board

ABOUT THE COVER

The fractal images on Antics cover and inside this issue's ST Resource were created with our own 3-D Fractals program, then altered with DEGAS software. The 32K of pure screen information was then transferred to an IBM PC capable of converting it to magnetic tape, which was then processed by a Scitex Response 350 system, resulting in four-color separated film, The Scitex system is a sophisticated combination of computer and laser in which the actual film dots are placed by computer-controlled laser.

APPOINTMENT CALENDAR PRINTOUTS

Several Antic readers have sent in modifications for Appointment Calendar (Antic, January 1986), to make it work with additional printers. Two of these modifications are printed below However, please note that if Antic does not have these printers in-house we are unable to test the modifications.
James K. Briant of Tuxedo, NY modified the program for his Panasonic KX-P1091 printer. The lines listed below are modified from the original listing. The printer must be operated in the Std.Pgm. mode when printing the calendar. If you want faster printouts, then replace "n" in lines 900 and 1050 with "P" for draft quality print. CHR$(27);"n"; could also be added to line 790 for a Date printout in near letter quality print.

Larry Kubo of Santa Rosa, CA sent the following modification that will enable Appointment Calendar to print out on a Hewlett Packard ThinkJet printer. It produces three pitches: expanded, normal and compressed.

NO WRITER'S CRAMP

I have always wanted to send a message to the editors of Antic but couldn't find the energy to write. Imagine my amazement to find online feedback. This is great!
Ken Cheek
Fort Lauderdale, FL
PPN 72337,375

For those of you who think mailboxes and paper and pens are implements from the dark ages, we have an I/O Board on CompuServe's ANTIC ONLINE. Some of those questions are answered here in the print version of Antic, accompanied by the writer's CompuServe electronic mail "address" (PPN) number-ANTIC ED

MORE FONTS, PLEASE

I was interested in your article ST Font Loader but failed to see its practical use. I am searching for a word processor which would permit use of various character sets, so I could do word processing in French and Greek, for example. I'm sure many Atarians in North America and elsewhere have a need for such a word processor. Is such a product in the making?
Elias Leousis
Kirkland, Quebec
Canada

Font Loader was designed as a tutorial program to demonstrate ST font structure. It will load ST fonts to the screen in any software that maintains the GEM desktop menu. A truly practical font program, such as the one you described, would require a printout of the redefined fonts and a graphics-capable printer We do not know of any software developer undertaking such a project at this time. -ANTIC ED

BIG LETTERS

This program helps you make letters two times the normal size by modifying the Atari special characters set. The [CONTROL] characters form the top portion of the larger letters, and the lowercase letter character set becomes the bottom portion of each letter.
Dorian Garson
East Brunswick, NJ

ON WRONG TRAK?

A few weeks ago, a not-so-brilliant friend of mine jammed two diskettes into my once-great, Trak AT-D2 disk drive. Obviously, the drive no longer works. It acts as though there is no disk in the drive, except for when it reads the first sector after about five minutes. None of the local shops know how to fix it and American TV says it can't be done. I would really appreciate any help to trak (ha ha) down someone who can fix it. I don't want to throw away a $400 drive.
Jason Knapp
Fresno, CA
PPN 74746,1331

According to Computer Support, our Northern California Atari Service Center; even before Trak went out of business over one year ago the company did not furnish necessary schematics and parts to independent repair outlets. If your drive requires a proprietary part, such as a chip, no repair shop will be able to fix it. You may be in luck, however Computer Support says It sounds as if you simply have an alignment problem. If you send the drive to them at 52S. Linden Ave. #1, South San Francisco, CA 94080-via UPS with your day and evening telephone numbers-they'll take a look at it for free. And If It can't be serviced, they will send the drive back to you. -ANTIC ED

POLAND TEACHER

I am 27, a teacher of English at the University of Krakow and I have my own Atari 800XL which I have tried to use for the purpose mainly of teaching vocabulary. I have also used some adventure games which is interesting for how it makes students involved in the plot. When this happens, they forget their native tongue and start speaking English all of a sudden.
I would gladly subscribe to your magazine and pay a subscription fee. But what can I do in a country in which currency cannot be exchanged for any other Western one? Maybe some Antic readers could provide me with some spare back copies of the magazine, which would be doubly used by my students and myself.
Tadeuszn Menert
ul.Rozyckiego 5/7
31-324 Krakow
Poland

DOS 3 IMPERFECT

I am having trouble making a backup copy of Data Perfect by UK Enterprises. The program is not protected and the manual states that a back-up copy can be made. When I use the duplicate function of DOS 3 with my Atari 800XL computer and 1050 disk drive, I get Error Message 176. I called UK and they said it should work-but it doesn't!
Steven Chandler
Nanuet, NY

Antic has consistently recommended that readers should not use DOS 3.0. It's incompatible with virtually everything. Trade in yourDOS3. 0 for 2.5 by contacting Atari Corp. Customer Service at 1196 Borregas Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086, or obtain a public domain version of compatible DOS 2.0 from a users group or any Antic monthly disk. See the April and July 1985 issues of Antic for more information. -ANTIC ED

STAY WITH ATARI!

I had been looking at both the Amiga and the ST for the past few months, trying to decide which to buy in replacement for my Atari 800. Last weekend I saw an ad for the ST and decided to give it another look. The computer store owner was very enthusiastic and gave me an extensive demonstration of the ST's features. But after a while, I noticed something strange- everything else in the store was Commodore!
It turns out that although the store specialized in Commodore hardware and software, their initial enthusiasm for the Amiga quickly waned when the first two demo machines kept crashing and had to be returned. They claim the Amiga has some extensive bugs in the operating system and that promises for Amiga software went unfullfilled. Disillusioned by Commodore, they decided to try out an Atari 520ST Now they claim it can do virtually everything the Amiga can do at half the price, right down to the bouncing ball demo.
I had basically decided on the ST before I visited them (Atari loyalty plus a tight wallet). But after leaving, I was positive I had made the right choice. So to all of you Atari hackers who are still on the fence I say-stay with Atari!
Steve Marshall
Las Vegas, NV

WELCOME BACK,
ELECTRONIC ARTS!

The response of your readers to Antic editorials is growing. We have received quite a few letters, and because of the interest shown by Atari users, we are planning the following hit products for the Atari 800 in 1986:

   Adventure Construction Set
   Heart of Africa
   Mail Order Monsters
   Marble Madness
   Racing Destruction Set
   Skyfox
   Software Golden Oldies (Software Country)
   Ultima IV (Origin Systems)

We hope to see at retail the kind of response we have seen in our mailbox!

Trip Hawkins
President
Electronic Arts