@database "ar124.guide" @Node MAIN "Amiga Report 1.24, September 10, 1993" @{" Open Magazine " link "menu"} _ ____ ___ ______ _______ _ d# ####b g#00 `N##0" _agN#0P0N# d# d## jN## j##F J## _dN0" " d## .#]## _P ##L jN##F ### g#0" .#]## dE_j## # 0## jF ##F j##F j##' ______ dE_j## .0"""N## d" ##L0 ##F 0## 0## "9##F" .0"""5## .dF' ]## jF ##0 ##F ##F `##k d## .dF' j## .g#_ _j##___g#__ ]N _j##L_ _d##L_ `#Nh___g#N' .g#_ _j##__ """"" """"""""""" " """""" """""" """"""" """"" """""" ###### ###### ###### ###### ###### ######## TM ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## #### ## ## ## #### ## ## ## #### ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ### ###### ## ###### ## ### ## International Online Magazine September 10, 1993 No. 1.24 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// From STR Publishing [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport @endnode @node P2-1 "Where to find Amiga Report" @toc "menu" WHERE TO FIND AMIGA REPORT -------------------------- Click on the button of the system nearest you for more information. FidoNet Systems --------------- @{" OMAHA AMIGANET " link P2-1-9} ........................................Omaha, Nebraska @{" IN THE MEANTIME " link P2-1-2} .....................................Yakima, Washington @{" NOVA BBS " link P2-1-1} ...................................Cleveland, Tennessee @{" CLOUD'S CORNER BBS " link P2-1-3} ..................................Bremerton, Washington @{" BIOSMATICA BBS " link P2-1-4} ...............................................Portugal @{" AMIGA JUNCTION 9 " link P2-1-5} .........................................United Kingdom @{" BITSTREAM BBS " link P2-1-6} ....................................Nelson, New Zealand @{" REALM OF TWILIGHT " link P2-1-7} ........................................Ontario, Canada @{" METNET TRIANGLE " link P2-1-8} ............................Kingston Upon Hull, England @{" AMIGA-NIGHT-SYSTEM " link P2-1-10}......................................Helsinki, Finland Non-FidoNet Systems ------------------- @{" FREELAND MAINFRAME " link P2-1-50} ....................................Olympia, Washington @{" LAHO BBS " link P2-1-51} .....................................Seinajoki, Finland @{" FALLING BBS " link P2-1-52} .................................................Norway @{" COMMAND LINE BBS " link P2-1-53} ........................................Toronto, Canada @{" RENDEZVOUS BBS " link P2-1-54} ............................................New Zealand @{" LEGUANS BYTE CHANNEL " link P2-1-55} ................................................Germany @{" DEAD FISH BBS " link P2-1-56} ................................................ @endnode Non-AmigaGuide Users: See the end of this document for numbers to each BBS. ___________________________________________________________________________ /// 09/10/93 Amiga Report 1.24 "Your Weekly Source for Amiga Information" -------------------------- · The Editor's Desk · CPU Report · New Products · Dealer Directory · AR Online · AR Confidential · SHI News · Dune II · Viruses Wanted » Babylon 5 Wins an Emmy! « » Another New Virus « =========================================================================== Amiga Report International Online Magazine "Your Weekly Source for Amiga Information" » FEATURING WEEKLY « Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware · Software · Corporate · R & D · Imports =========================================================================== DELPHI · PORTAL · FIDO · INTERNET · BIX · AMIGANET =========================================================================== @node P1-1 "From the Editor's Desk" @toc "menu" /// From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" ---------------------- Somebody said something to me the other day that got me thinking. Where exactly is the Amiga headed? I don't mean Commodore or their financial problems, or even the possibility that they might go out of business. I mean, _where_ is the Amiga's future? Motorola's 68K line of microprocessors is nearing the end. I seriously doubt there will be a chip above the 68060. The future is RISC. I read a document from Apple recently stating that they are moving the entire Macintosh line to PowerPC. PowerPC is a new RISC chip that was developed jointly by Motorola and Intel. It's a neat processor, with a lot of features. The 486 is on its way out. Pentium systems are already approaching afford- ability (okay, $4000 isn't THAT affordable, but in three months, they'll probably be under $3000). DEC's Alpha chip is another contender in the high-power CPU wars. Windows NT already runs on it. These new CPUs will outrun most mainframe systems. I was talking with the director of computer operations at a leading health insurance company this morning, and he told me that their Amdahl mainframe runs at 72 MIPS. The 68060 and the Pentium are both rated at 100 MIPS. And they don't require forty tons of cooling equipment to operate! The point I'm making is that Commodore cannot rely on the 68000 series for much longer, if it expects to have the Amiga compete with Apple and the clone makers newest systems. If the word from that Commodore Insiders conference on GEnie a few weeks ago is correct -- that Commodore really doesn't have a 68060 machine in the works, then perhaps its time for them to move elsewhere. I think Commodore should consider moving the Amiga line to the PowerPC chip as well. Why? First, it'll be the easiest move. There will be plenty of programmers familiar with porting 68K code to PowerPC systems, since Apple is already going that route. Secondly, it's a fairly inexpensive, yet very powerful CPU. So what about existing software? Apple will be including a software emulator with all PowerPC-based Macs that will run existing applications at a reasonable speed. The same could be done with the Amiga. Sure, the games aren't going to run, but that's what used 500's and 1200's are for. Besides, if you want a game machine, get a PC -- that's where the games really are! But beyond the decision to move to a new processor is the question of IF the Amiga can survive. It is, without a doubt, the best OS ever made for any personal computer. But with PC's becoming easier and easier to use, and with Microsoft's dominance in the software industry (what new PC DOESN'T come with Windows and Works??), can the Amiga continue to compete? I think that unless Commodore really screws up and goes out of business, the Amiga will continue on as a video productions-based computer, just like it has in the past. It will continue to have a loyal userbase, but it won't be a large one. Many Amiga owners will either have fully blown PC's to supplement their machines, or they will have Bridgeboards decked out as far as they will go. Just because it's where the software is. Now on the optomistic side, if C= really did go PowerPC (quickly), and actually market the machine, it might have a real chance at being taken seriously. It would also be the first affordable RISC-based computer on the market. You can guess what the PowerPC Macs are going to sell for when they arrive (yikes!). The bottom line is that I don't think the Amiga will become extinct. It will simply continue on in the shadows as the kick-butt computer it always has been. Rob @ Amiga Report @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P2-2 "AR Staff" @toc "menu" The Amiga Report Staff Dedicated to serving you! ====================== Editor ====== Robert Glover Portal: Rob-G Delphi: ROB_G FidoNet: 1:285/11 Internet: ROB_G@Delphi.COM Associate Editor ================ Technical Department -------------------- Robert Niles Portal: RNiles Delphi: RNILES FidoNet: 1:3407/104 Internet: rniles@imtired.com ________________________________________ Contributing Correspondents =========================== Thomas Baetzler Michael B. Comet PC DIVISION ATARI DIVISION MAC DIVISION =========== ============== ============ Roger D. Stevens Ralph F. Mariano R. Albritton @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-2 "CPU Status Report" @toc "menu" /// CPU Status Report Late Breaking Industry-Wide News ----------------- IBM LAUNCHES FEATURE-PACKED NOTEBOOKS SOMERS, NEW YORK -- Hoping to repeat the success of earlier ThinkPad models, IBM has launched the ThinkPad 750 series, which brings to the notebook line new multimedia capabilities still rare in portable computers. The new notebooks have built-in stereo audio subsystems, with jacks for microphones, headphones, or speakers. Options promised by early next year include an add-on device that will let users display a television or video signal on the ThinkPad 750's screen, and a mobile communications module for wireless telephone, facsimile, and electronic mail. Another option, IBM VoiceType Control speech recognition software, will let users control the machines with spoken commands. The new ThinkPad 750 line includes four models. The basic 750 is a monochrome notebook, though it can be upgraded to an active matrix color screen or one that accepts pen input. The 750P accepts pen as well as keyboard input. The 750Cs has a 9.5-inch, dual-scan, passive matrix color display. Finally, the 750C has a 10.4-inch, active matrix color display. All four models use a 33-megahertz (MHz) 486SL processor, and come with a Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association (PCMCIA) Type III slot, as much as 20 megabytes (MB) of memory, and a choice of 170-MB or 340-MB hard disk drive. All four also use the TrackPoint pointing device, a small lever mounted in the middle of the keyboard to take the place of a mouse or trackball. In spite of their special multimedia capabilities, the machines are expected to appeal to a broad market, an IBM spokesperson said. The ThinkPad Dock I docking station provides a full-size Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion slot, and support for as many as five Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) internal or external devices, with one SCSI drive bay that can hold an optional compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) drive. The Dock I also includes built-in stereo speakers and a battery charger. There are also two port replicators meant to allow easy connection to a network when in the office. The Port Replicator I has a PCMCIA Type III slot, while the Port Replicator II does not. In the first quarter of 1994, IBM plans to provide the ThinkPad TV Tuner module, a device that will let users plug TV or video feeds into the notebook and see them displayed on the screen. To use this option, ThinkPad 750 owners will need to take out the notebook's removable diskette drive. The TV Tuner module will fit in the space vacated by the drive. Users can also remove the diskette drive to lighten the machine when travelling, IBM said. Without the diskette drive, the basic 750 weighs five pounds, while the other models weigh up to 6.1 pounds. The diskette drive adds half a pound to the weight, the company said. Removing the disk drive will also make room for another option, a cellular digital packet data module called the ThinkPad CDPD. This will allow for wireless phone, fax, or electronic mail communication, and is due to be available in the first quarter of next year. IBM claimed the 750 offers impressive battery life. The company said the 750 and 750P will run for about 12 hours in typical use and the color models will run about eight hours. IBM PC Direct catalog prices are: $3,199 for the ThinkPad 750 with 170-MB hard disk; $3,749 for the 750 with 340-MB hard disk; $3,749 for the 750P with 170-MB hard disk; $4,299 for the 750P with 340-MB hard disk; $3,899 for the 750Cs with 170-MB hard disk; $4,449 for the 750Cs with 340-MB hard disk; $4,699 for the 750C with 170-MB hard disk; and $5,249 for the 750C with 340-MB hard disk. All models are available now, IBM said, except the 750Cs, which is due to be available by the end of November. The ThinkPad Dock I is also available now at $899, while the Port Replicator I and II are available now at $299 and $109 respectively. The machines have a three-year warranty. ------------------------------ IBM OFFERS OS/2 PUBLICATIONS ON CD-ROM AUSTIN, TEXAS -- IBM has announced that the OS/2 Online Book Collection, the first compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) compilation of OS/2-related documents, is now available worldwide. The disk contains the text and graphics of more than 100 product manuals, publications, and white papers, all published by IBM, a spokeswoman for the company said. According to the company the contents would cost about $1,000 if purchased separately, but the list price for the CD-ROM is $49. The CD-ROM also contains the IBM Library Reader, which lets users view books under OS/2 or DOS and provides search and retrieval functions. Tools included on the CD-ROM let users upload books to a workstation hard disk or a mainframe, the company said. "Now, instead of paging through books, users and developers can find the answers they need through a quick CD-ROM search," said Wally Casey, director of marketing for IBM's Personal Software Products business unit, in a prepared statement. Books are grouped into "bookshelves" such as OS/2 Product Documentation, OS/2 Technical Library, Communications Manager, LAN Server, and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) for OS/2. Users can also create customized bookshelves that contain only the books they refer to most often, IBM said. ------------------------------ QUICKEN 3 FOR WINDOWS CUTS DATA ENTRY W/CALENDAR MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA -- Intuit claims the best new feature in Quicken 3 for Windows is its new calendar that looks like a paper calendar and can be used to schedule automated payments, record past activity, or just mark an upcoming event. Intuit claims the calendar metaphor is not only easier to use, but eliminates much of the repetitive data entry involved in using a financial program. Intuit says its research decidedly showed a universal dislike for data entry. The new Quicken 3 product is aimed at eliminating as much data entry as possible. Some transactions must be entered, but Quicken says once they are, users can simply pick those transactions off a memorized list and drop them onto the calendar. Users who like the checkbook metaphor will be glad to know that it remains in the product. The calendar can also be used to track birthdays and special events, just like a paper calendar, the company added. Recurring transactions can be set up for automatic entry as well, with or without the requirement for the approval of the user before the transaction is posted. The program can also track investments via built-in spreadsheets so users no longer have to export the information to a spreadsheet product in order to view investment performance, the company said. Different views of the spreadsheets offer the ability to look at investments from varying viewpoints, such as estimated income, return on investment, percentage yield, market value, market value change, and percent market value. Views may be customized as well. In addition, the Quickzoom feature, originally introduced to show the numbers behind graphs and reports, has been expanded to the register so users may create summary reports from their register transactions. A Quickreport feature offers standard report layouts, and a new Comparison Reports feature has also been added. Visual representation in the forms of graphs is available via the Financial Planning Graph feature so users can see projected net worth, cash flow, and future account balances. Trends in the current financial situation can be viewed as well, and different what-if scenarios can be created and saved, Intuit said. The program can even earmark funds for future financial goals and let you know if current spending will impede those goals. Intuit says it offers better loan tracking in Quicken 3, so users can review and manipulate all the information on their loans in one place. For those with variable rate loans, anticipated interest rate changes can be forecasted and stored and projected loan payments may then be calculated. Quicken also exports financial data to tax programs such as Turbotax from San Diego, California-based Chipsoft. As a matter of fact, Intuit recently announced it is purchasing Chipsoft, for an estimated $225 million and the companies are boasting this merger will have the long term effect of making financial integration and tax reporting even easier for users. Quicken 3 for Windows requires Windows 3.1 and 2 megabytes of random access memory (RAM). The product is shipped on 3.5-inch disks, but users have the option of receiving 5.25-inch disks by mail. The new version is retail priced at $69.95. Those upgrading from previous versions of Quicken who purchase the product through retail channels get a $10 rebate, and new users get a $5 rebate. However, current users will find they receive a substantial savings by ordering the product directly from Intuit for $29.95 plus $5 shipping and handling. ------------------------------ TOSHIBA/MICROSOFT PACT INCLUDES MICROSOFT AT WORK REDMOND, WASHINGTON -- Toshiba is the second company to actually license the Microsoft at Work (MAW) operating system, according to an announcement made by the two companies. Both Microsoft and Toshiba said they plan to work closely together in order to make the Windows operating system and its graphical user interface (GUI) off-shoots, such as MAW, work smoothly in consumer and computer hardware from Toshiba. While the companies say they will work together on notebook and handheld devices, specifically handheld devices that use MAW, Microsoft representatives said today's announcement should not be viewed as a product announcement by Toshiba. International Data Corporation (IDC) says Toshiba is the leading vendor in the US portable computer market with 16.2 percent of the volume for 1992 and leads the notebook market with 20.7 percent of the sales 1992 volume. Microsoft announced MAW, internally known at the software giant as "Winpad," in June of this year in New York. Over 65 companies announced support for MAW and Compaq has licensed it for use in a planned handheld device. MAW is an operating system for smart office machines. The idea here is to make products where all the features of the product are available via a graphical user interface (GUI), instead of users having to learn to use the device standing at the machine with the manual in one hand. Microsoft describes MAW as a real- time, pre-emptive multitasking operating system designed to specifically address the requirements of the office automation and communication industries. MAW will hopefully offer digital connections between the various types of office devices, such as fax machines and photo copiers, as well as with personal computers running Windows. Specifics of the agreement are sketchy, but are outlined by Toshiba and Microsoft as cooperation on: the next generation of Microsoft's operating system software, currently planned to contain mobile services for notebook computer users; handheld computing devices incorporating MAW software "Plug and Play," which allows hardware and software to automatically configure the system with minimal user involvement; and product support and marketing programs that include technical support and marketing communications. This announcement is on the heels of an announcement by Sharp that it plans to incorporate the GUI DOS-compatible Geos operating system in its next handheld device, the PT-9000. Expected for fourth quarter introduction this year, Sharp is calling the PT-9000 a Personal Information Assistant (PIA) and says the steno-pad sized pen-based unit will have a detachable keyboard. Casio and Tandy have already announced adoption of the Geos operating system for the Zoomer, a personal digital assistant (PDA) expected for introduction later this month. Microsoft representatives said there have been no plans announced to incorporate Windows into the hardware of Toshiba notebook computers. Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft introduced a palmtop computer, the Omnibook, in which Windows is incorporated into the hardware of the notebook in much the same way Apple Computer has incorporated its operating system into the read-only memory (ROM) hardware of its computers. Toshiba Computer Systems (TAIS) is headquartered in Irvine, California and boasts $1 billion annually in sales. It is owned by Toshiba America, a subsidiary of the $39.9 billion Toshiba Corporation of Japan. Microsoft is the world's largest software company, headquartered in Redmond, Washington. ------------------------------ RUPERT MURDOCH FIRMS UP DIGITAL SATELLITE PLANS LONDON, ENGLAND -- Rupert Murdoch, the millionaire magnate behind the British Sky Broadcasting (BSB) satellite TV network in the UK, has revealed he has signed a deal to develop a common international satellite TV system. "We have been for some time developing the means with which people will access the almost infinite wealth of programming and services (which) digital compression will bring the consumer," Murdoch said, adding that he has now signed a contract with National Transcommunications Limited (NTL), the UK telecom research company, as well as Comstream, the US high technology firm. The contract was signed last between News International, Murdoch's media company, and NTL plus Comstream. Although Murdoch has given no further details of the agreement, industry sources suggest that the digital TV system will be tested on the Astra 1D satellite which is scheduled to begin transmissions some time next year. The Astra 1A, 1B and 1C satellites, which between them, carry 48 satellite stations across Europe, work to analog standards. Using digital transmission standards could, in theory, increase the number of channels per transponder from one to eight, meaning that a 16-transponder satellite such as Astra 1D could carry as many as 128 different channels. In the short term, there are unlikely to be many broadcast channels available, Newsbytes notes. Instead, what is likely to happen is that the same movie will be transmitted on eight different channels, each channel staggered by 15 minutes from the others. So, no matter what time a viewer tunes in to a movie, s/he would wait no longer than 15 minutes for it to start. The preceding stories (c) 1993 NewsBytes. Reprinted with permission. @endnode __________________________________________________ @node P1-3 "Babylon 5 Wins EMMY" @toc "menu" BABYLON 5 TV PILOT WINS AN EMMY! By J. Michael Straczynski We just received word the other day that Foundation Imaging, Ron's company, which did the CGI EFX for the Babylon 5 Pilot, was notified today that they have received an Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. We are now an "Emmy Award Winning Show for Best Special Effects in a Television Movie." The CGI special effects -- yes, the very ones Jeff Jarvis called "cheesy" in TV Guide, along with a few others -- just won an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Best Special Effects in a Television Movie. It's practically *unheard of* for a pilot to win an Emmy in this category. Best of all, it's not a popularity contest award, it's a tough panel, examining everything. You can stuff ballots a bit by having lots of people working on the show in this category vote, but that doesn't work with a jury like this. It's given strictly on the merits. We haven't even gone on the air yet with the regular series, and we've got an Emmy under our belt, thanks to the very hard work of some very dedicated and talented people -- and that ain't *nothing* compared to what's going to be in the series! @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-4 "ACER to Distribute CBM PCs" @toc "menu" ACER TO DISTRIBUTE COMMODORE PCs THROUGHOUT EUROPE Commodore International Limited (NYSE: CBU) and Acer Incorporated announced an agreement for Acer to distribute and market Commodore brand PCs throughout Europe. Acer, with its ability to assemble PCs in Europe, is in a strong position to expand the volume and penetration of Commodore's strong brand name and distribution network in Europe. In line with its restructuring plan, Commodore will focus on its proprietary Amiga multimedia product line, including the recently announced CD-32 game console. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-5 "Touch Monitor for the Amiga" @toc "menu" MICROTOUCH SYSTEMS INTRODUCES LOW-COST TOUCH MONITOR FOR THE AMIGA MicroTouch Systems, Inc. today introduced the low-cost TruePoint CA-42 Touch Monitor, a durable touch screen monitor for Amiga-based multimedia, kiosk, training, and business applications. The TruePoint package includes the new high-resolution Commodore 1942 14-inch display, a completely integrated capacitive touch screen, controller, and the AmigaTouch Driver. Now all Amiga applications can use a touch screen -- providing all the functionality of a mouse but with a much friendlier user interface. Plug-and-Play The TruePoint CA-42 Monitor is a plug-and-play solution that offers greater ease of use and convenience to VARs and systems integrators seeking to add touch screen input to their new or existing applications. By offering a completely integrated touch monitor, the unit addresses an important market need for a touch system that doesn't require assembly from a touch screen kit. Superior Touch Performance The TruePoint CA-42 Monitor uses MicroTouch's industry-leading patented analog capacitive touch technology, which involves the sensing of electrical signals generated on a conductive coating. The unique construction of the MicroTouch capacitive sensor makes it the only touch technology that delivers high resolution, optical clarity, speed, and durability all in on package. (Technology Backgrounder available upon request.) Computer Network, Inc., a systems integrator, has recently installed an Amiga-based Touch Screen Kiosk in the Las Vegas Hilton. The information kiosk allows hotel/casino visitors to learn about the hotel's services and activities. According to Kevin Kostiner, president of Computer Network, Inc., "We looked at several touch screen products and selected MicroTouch due to the high quality of their capacitive touch screns. In a hectic casino environment we need an extremely durable touch screen solution." The Power of the Amiga Combined with Touch Amiga computers, with advanced graphics and enhanced audio and video capabilities, have become increasingly popular in multimedia applications. The recently announced Commodore 1942 monitor was specifically designed for multimedia applications. The monitor includes built-in stereo speakers and audio input making it more convenient for multimedia developers. Combining the Amiga computer and the 1942 monitor with the user-friendliness of touch screens makes Amiga systems the perfect solution for many different multimedia applications. AmigaTouch Driver Specifications The AmigaTouch Driver allows all Amiga software to run seamlessly with the touch screen and comes complete with control panel to set touch screen preferences, including cursor offset and sensitivity. The AmigaTouch Driver supports two-button mouse emulation, multitasking from Workbench or CLI, simultaneous mouse and touch screen usage, and is compatible with both PAL and NTSC Amiga computers. Touch Montior Display Specifications The TruePoint CA-42 is based on the high-quality, Commodore Amiga 1942 monitor. This high-resolution, Super VGA 14-inch monitor has a dot pitch of 0.28mm, a maximum resolution of 800x600 non-interlaced, a vertical scan rate of 45-75 Hz, and a horizontal scan rate of 15.6-15.8 to 27.3-31.5 KHz. The monitor comes complete with stereo speakers, audio input, front accessible controls, and a tilt/swivel base. Pricing, Availability, and Warranty The TruePoint CA-42 Monitor is available immdiately through dealers or directly from MicroTouch. The list price for the TruePoint CA-42 is $1,495; volume and dealer discounts are available. The MicroTouch capacitive sensor has a five-year warranty, the controller has a two-yar warranty, and the Commodore Amiga 1942 monitor has a 90-day warranty. MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MTSI) headquartered in Methuen, Mass., is the leading manufacturer of touch screens used in point-of-sale, information, and self-service kiosk, gaming, industrial, multimedia, and other computer-based applications. The company also markets fully-integrated kiosks and digitizers for pen computing. MicroTouch, a public company founded in 1982, reported sales of over $30 million in 1992, and was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 23rd Best Small Business in the United States. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-6 "Mindless Babble" @toc "menu" /// Mindless Babble --------------- by Robert Niles Well I guess it's one of those months in which I get to babble a bit, which if you ask some of the people I know, is something I do best! There's going to be some changes with my system in the next week. I will be converting over to a different "BBS" ...if BBS is what you would call it. I'm going to be using AXshell, by Pasi (Albert) Ojala, as a host in which the users will be able use InterNet email and participate in various newsgroups. ....so if you call @{"In The MeanTime" link P2-1-2} to get Amiga Report, you will definately notice some changes (of course there will still be file transfers!!). At the same time I will be coming off of the FidoNet, and will not be able to accept File REQuests (FREQs). Sorry, but not too much I can do about it right now, hopefully that will change in the future. NPR (National Public Radio) spoke about InterCON which I think was held in San Francisco (brain has been dead lately). The convention was mostly all about the InterNet and it's functions. One company (and again, my forgetfulness) has designed a system in which you can access the InterNet using cable...the cable that cable T.V. comes on....FAST transfer rates during FTPs and Telnets, etc. The representative from the company demo-ed the system there at InterCON and ran around the US and Europe getting files, playing music, and viewing pictures. Now if we all could have this feature in the near future, then our on-line lives would be so much the better...I hope to see this take off!! Anyone read UNIX Review?? Well they narrowed down all the reasons NOT to use MS-DOS to only 50 reasons. Side-stepping that difficulty, some of the reasons were quick pot-shots at Bill Gates to important ones like lack of security. Although one might think that there is a bias within the article, it really layed down some good reasons NOT to own the MS-DOS platform...and it raises the question as to why MS-DOS is so popular. Who of you have tried out MS-DOS v6.0?? I'm glad to own an Amiga! Ed Dukeshire (FidoNet 1:324/134), the creator of the World-Wide Amiga BBS List (WABL) has already sent out another edition of this wonderful list. You most likely can find it on quite a few BBSes and on the commercial services (I don't know if it's on the InterNet yet) as WABL9309.LHA. The BBS list keeps getting bigger and better. Look for it if you haven't already, but more importantly, get the Application for WABL (included in Amiga Report #1.21,or in the WABL archive), fill it out and send it to Ed. Information on how to contact him is within the application. On another note Mario Bonelli (FidoNet 1:273/934) has started up the AMIGA_HAM echo. Right now this echo is not on the backbone but his goal is to get enough systems connected so that it can be. The AMIGA_HAM echo is simply to talk about and get information on how to use the HAM radio with the Amiga. Ranging from just being a HAM to packet radio. For more information on connecting to this echo please contact Mario at the FidoNet address listed above. There's some REALLY interesting stuff here! Well that's all for this week, ya'll take care! @endnode --------------------------------- @node P1-7 "PCMCIA Ethernet Adaptors for OmniBook" @toc "menu" SOCKET DELIVERS FIRST PCMCIA ETHERNET ADAPTERS FOR THE HP OMNIBOOK 300 Socket Communications Inc. today began shipping PCMCIA Ethernet adapters for Hewlett Packard's popular OmniBook 300 sub-notebook. The SocketLink(TM) package, which includes a high-speed, 16-bit Ethernet adapter plus software, coverts the OmniBook to a workstation for Novell's NetWare and NetWare Lite, Microsoft's LAN Manager and Windows for Workgroups, IBM's PC LAN, Banyan's VINES and other popular networks. The SocketLink EA handles 10BaseT Ethernet and the SocketLink EA+ handles both 10BaseT and 10Base2 Ethernet. "SocketLink is an economical way to give the OmniBook a giant boost in functionality and performance when communicating with other PCs," says Socket president Mile Gifford. "We see SocketLink as a companion product to Traveling Software's LapLink, which comes bundled with the OmniBook. It's the nature of mobile computers that your environment keeps changing. You run LapLink when you want to talk to a PC which isn't attached to an Ethernet network. You run SocketLink when you have access to an Ethernet connection. Together, these two packages give the OmniBook super flexibility for wired connectivity." Gifford states that the most important difference between SocketLink and LapLink in a LAN environment is the different physical interfaces used by each product. "LapLink uses the OmniBook's built-in RS-232 serial port to talk to other PCs. SocketLink uses the OmniBook's PCMCIA interface to implement a full-scale Ethernet connection. This gives SocketLink a big edge in connectivity and performance. Because SocketLink uses Ethernet instead of a serial port, it transfers files over 10 times faster than LapLink. And by converting the OmniBook into a network node compatible with any popular network operating systems, SocketLink opens the door to features which LapLink can't provide, such as printer sharing, compatability with all e-mail programs, and a true client/server architecture." All this comes at no cost in DOS memory, a resource which many OmniBook users are eager to conserve. "Since our Ethernet drivers are relatively small, OmniBook users end up with more DOS memory available when using SocketLink than when they use LapLink," says Gifford. The key to SocketLink's high performance is its use of the PCMCIA interface which comes standard with the OmniBook. "The PCMCIA interface makes all this possible," explains Gifford. "PCMCIA is an externally accessible 16-bit memory and I/O interface with roughly the performance of the popular ISA bus found in PC-AT computers. There's almost no limit to the connectivity you can add to a mobile computer via PCMCIA. In fact, Socket also offers a high-speed 16550 serial port option and a Global Positioning System for the OmniBook 300, and we'll be announcing some important new products at COMDEX in November. The OmniBook 300 is a great example of how manufacturers like HP can harness loads of features simply by designing in the PCMCIA interface." Founded in 1992, Socket Communications' mission is to design, manufacture and market seamless connectivity products for mobile computers. Socket holds a leadership position in the development of mobile I/O products, having introduced the first PCMCIA Ethernet adapter, serial adapter and Global Positioning System. Socket is a member of the PCMCIA LAN Working Group, as well as the Working Groups for Socket and Card Services and for the 32-bit Card Bus. Socket's designs stress cross-platform compatibility, as exemplified by the Socket EA Ethernet adapter. This is the only PCMCIA LAN adapter which works on all of the following platforms: PC notebooks including the OmniBook 300, Elonex and Librex; the Commodore Amiga; and the AT&T EO. Socket often works with corporate partners to adapt existing communications technology to a variety of host platforms equipped with PCMCIA slots. The manufacturer's suggested retail price for the 10BaseT-only product is $399. The MSRP for the 10BaseT/10Base2 combination is $420. SocketLink is available in the U.S. through Tech Data. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-8 "200 dollar rebate" @toc "menu" HP OFFERS $200 REBATE ON COLOR SCANNERS Hewlett-Packard Company today anounced a $200 end-user rebate on its HP ScanJet IIc scanners. The HP ScanJet IIc scanners are high-performance, color, flatbed desktop scanners for business professionals who use scanned images to enhance their documents. Th rebate period runs from Aug. 1, 1993 through Oct. 31, 1993, for customers in th United States and Canada. A typical business application, optical character recognition (OCR), saves users from having to re-type dcuments. Combind with desktop-publishing, presentation, spreadsheet or word-processing software, the HP ScanJet IIc scanner allows user to create colorful high-impact documents. In order to quality for the HP ScanJet IIc color scanner rebate, customers must purchase the HP ScanJet IIc scanner through an HP-authorized dealer and receive a rebate coupon. Current list price of the ScanJet IIc is $1,599.00. The coupon, a proof-of-purchase bar code from the scanner box and a copy of the invoice should be mailed to Hewlett-Packard Company, Scanner Rebate, P.O. Box 1754, Greely, Colorado 80632. "HP is dedicated to providing its business users with productivity-enhancing tools at leadership price points," said Alan Housley, marketing manager of the HP Greeley Hardcopy Division, which manufacturers HP ScanJet scanners. "The goal of HP and its software vendors is to make it possible for more business users to benefit from scanning for document creation and document management. This three-month opportunity to receive a rebate on scanning solutions is a step in that direction." The HP ScanJet IIc scanner rebate offer coincides with supporting rebate offers from Caere Corp., Calra Recognition Systms, Inc., and MindWorks Corp. Caere is offering a $200 rebate on its OmniPage Professional OCR package, and a $100 rebate on its OmniPage OCR software on purchases made through Oct. 15 and it also is lowering the list price on the OmniPage Dirct OCR package from $595 to $295. Calera is offering a $50 rebate on its WordScan Plus 2.0 OCR software, which includes new recognition technology, if purchased with an HP ScanJet IIc scanner, through Oct. 31. MindWorks is offering a $100 rebate on its Recollct document management software through Oct. 31. Caere, Calera and MindWorks will send rebates to users who hav rturnd th rebate coupons and registsration forms packaged with the idividual products. The HP ScanJet IIc scanner is a 24-bit, single-pass color and monochrome scanner with 400 dot per inch (dpi) optical resolution that can be interpolated up to 1,600 dpi with HP's enhanced rsolution technology. The scanners are equipped to be used on IBM PC-compatible personal computers, Micro-Channel architectures or Apple Macintosh platforms. [*StarShip News Note: Third-party software is available for Amiga, as well.] Hewlett-Packard Company is an international manufacturer of measurement and computation products and systems recognized for excellence in quality and support. The company's products and services are used in industry, business, enginering, science, medicine and education in approximately 110 countries. HP has 93,800 employees and had revenue of $16.4 billion in its 1992 fiscal year. HP sales information may be obtained by calling 1-800-SCANJET. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-9 "Online Reference Manual" @toc "menu" AMIGA ONLINE REFERENCE MANUAL v2.1 TITLE Amiga Online Reference Manual v2.1 RELEASE 2.113 AUTHOR David Tiberio (dtiberio@libserv1.ic.sunysb.edu) SHORT Online help for using the Amiga computer. DESCRIPTION AORM is an AmigaGuide based online help system for Amiga computers and Video Toaster Workstations. Using a hypertext point and click interface, users have access to over 1,000,000 bytes of information, contained in over 830 AmigaGuide pages. Using built in virtual memory, modules may be loaded in as needed, often occupying only 150k of memory. Modules may be updated as new features are added. Free maintenance updates are provided to registered users. Modules include: Answers to commonly asked questions (over 500). Hardware specifications on Amiga models (20 total). Explanation and usage of AmigaDOS commands (over 80) and usage of ARexx commands (over 20). List of features that makes the Amiga stand out from other platforms, and explanations of their capabilities. List of people, places, and things created on the Amiga computer. List of publications that carry Amiga related topics, including magazines and newspapers (over 30). Index of frequently used charts and tables, such as the Hayes Command Set and S Registers, list of most Amiga screenmodes, frequently used abbreviations such as RTG, XPK, DIG, etc, list of GURU Meditation Errors, AmigaDOS qualifiers and pattern matching, and more. Glossary of computer and Amiga related terms (over 500). SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AmigaOS 1.3, 2.04, 2.1, or 3.0. AmigaGuide (included), MultiView optional for OS3.0 users. Hard disk strongly recommended, but not required. NEW FEATURES ** v2.1 is a major update to version 2.0 ** - over 50% more information (645,000 bytes in v2.071 as compared to 1,004,000 bytes in v2.113). - new ARexx, Programming, and other modules in the commonly asked questions section. - more glossaries in the commonly asked questions section. - new list of company addresses for distributors and major developers. - new modular format. - improved interface. - improved MultiView and OS3.0 compatibility. - new Installer routine, permitting partial installations. PRICE MSRP $35. Special User Group pricing of $20 to qualified Amiga and Video Toaster User Groups. DISTRIBUTABILITY Amiga Online Reference Manual may be purchased from your local Amiga dealer. If you wish, you may order direct from us by calling (516) 476-1615. Amiga Online Reference Manual is a commercial product and may not be redistributed freely. A demo however will be available shortly. Amiga Online Reference Manual Copyright 1993 Area52. All Rights Reserved. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P1-10 "Keybang v2.0" @toc "menu" KEYBANG v2.0 TITLE KeyBang VERSION 2 (7 September 1993) COMPANY KeyBang Software -- 1(800)KEYBANG Distributed by Walnut Creek CDROM: 1(800)786-9907 1(510)674-0783 FAX: 1(510)674-0821 e-mail: info@wc.cdrom.com (KeyBang is not yet available on CDROM) AUTHOR Michael Stark stark@wc.cdrom.com DESCRIPTION KeyBang is intended to provide a constructive means for young children to interact with your computer. KeyBang is entertaining so it encourages children toward the computer. It also provides a secure barrier between children and computer data so parents can feel comfortable with this encouragement. KeyBang traps all mouse and keyboard input to your Amiga and responds with polygons, images and sounds. The images and sounds are IFF ILBM and 8SVX files which you can create with most Amiga image and sound editors. A large set of images and sounds are supplied with KeyBang. KeyBang also reads special Multimedia files which allow its behavior to be programmed. You can learn to program KeyBang yourself or use modules provided by KeyBang Software. Under AmigaDOS 2.0 and greater, KeyBang can be installed as a screen blanker to activate itself if you leave your Amiga unattended. It can also be made to run in any available screen mode. NEW FEATURES Version 1 of KeyBang was released as shareware just over a year ago. It lacked the ability to display IFF ILBM images and to be installed as a screen blanker. It also wasn't programmable with the special multimedia files. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS KeyBang is compatible with AmigaDOS 1.3 and higher. Under 1.3 it runs on PAL and NTSC machines. Under AmigaDOS versions 2 and greater KeyBang can use any screenmode available on your system. It can be installed on a hard disk (Which will make loading images and sounds much faster) GETTING KeyBang VERSION 1 KeyBang version 1 was uploaded to grind.isca.uiowa.edu The file name is /amiga/misc/KeyBang1.0.lzh KeyBang version 2 is currently only available from Walnut Creek CDROM. PRICE $19.95 (US) including shipping. DISTRIBUTABILITY KeyBang version 2 is commercial. OTHER Shareware donors for KeyBang version 1 will receive a free copy of KeyBang version 2. As a consequence, shareware donations for KeyBang version 1 will no longer be accepted. Thank you to those of you who supported this project in its infancy. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P5-1 "ARN v1.03a" @toc "menu" ARN v1.03a AVAILABLE FOR FTP TITLE Arn VERSION V1.03a AUTHOR Roland Bless rob@spirits.ka.sub.org Fax: +49 211 623818 DESCRIPTION Arn is a newsreader for USENET/UUCP messages to use with Amiga UUCP installations (CNews and derivates or AmigaUUCP D). Arn is a fast newsreader which allows you to select groups and articles individually. It uses small databases (~2% of newsvolume) for providing fast overviews over articles. It's simliar to the well known UN*X 'tin' and 'nn'-newsreader, but its no ported software. It offers much functionality to the user and is well configurable (runs with nearly all UUCP-installations). Especially when you have a lot of newsgroups and articles Arn is a good choice, because other newsreaders hold all their information in memory, but Arn tries to use as little as possible. Arn has a new scheme for managing newsgroups, which makes subscription and unsubscription easy (no annoying questions about subscription at beginning of a session). Arn is completely controlable via the keyboard. Intuition/mouse support is planned for further versions, but it has the advantage of working via serial ports. Features: * table overview over newsgroups and articles * selection of groups and articles of interest * five different article-overview display-modi - subject-threads in alphabetical order (within a thread chronologically) - subject-threads in chronological order (within a thread chronologically) - no threads, article sorted by date - compacted versions of the first two, which hide follow-ups * auto-selection and global/local kill-files * fast overview presentation of all articles by use of small databases * doesn't require much memory and is fast even with really many and large groups * configurable display of article-headers * built-in pager, recognizing extra long lines * full usage of screen sizes * multi-user support * works over the serial line (using termcap), too * rudimentary MIME support NEW FEATURES Since the V1.03 there were some bugfixes: - fixed bug in time.c which produced empty Date: - fixed error msg when active-file was 0 bytes - fixed LF in moderators-mailaddress - fixed bug when pressing CTRL-C - no longer private Public-Screen (sorry for forgetting this) - fixed deallocation of memory in getconfig.c (some bytes were lost) + new option -s waits for a keypress after initialization + does 5 retries if it couldn't open database because it was in use - compiled under SAS/C 6.3 - fixed bugs in ArnMaster which caused enforcer hits. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Arn should work on any Amiga model with OS2.04 or higher. Naturally, UUCP software is required for getting news. This can be CNews, wCNews or AmigaUUCP 1.16D for example. CNews/wCNews have an advantage over AmigaUUCP by providing an "active"-file, which lets ArnMaster build its databases faster (no scanning for new articles needed). HOST NAME Arn and source(!) is available via anonymous ftp from: aminet: ftp.wustl.edu (130.60.80.80) and its mirrors. iraun1.ira.uka.de (129.13.10.90) DIRECTORY aminet: pub/aminet/comm/news/ (maybe still in pub/amiga/new/) iraun1.ira.uka.de: pub/incoming/ (may need some time to move to) pub/systems/amiga/ FILENAMES On all sites they should be: Arn103a.lha - binaries and docs Arn103a_src.lha - Source for SAS/C 6.3 PRICE Free. DISTRIBUTABILITY Arn is copyrighted software! Arn is (c)opyrighted by Roland Bless. You can distribute it unchanged for free (charging no more than the usual copying fee). It is allowed to upload it on commercial dialup services like BIX, Compuserve etc. Because UN*X newsreaders are free, too, Arn is no explicit sharware, but you if you really enjoy it, you _should_ send a contribution. It is forbidden to distribute a changed source! P.S.: I'm currently in vacation (preparing for exams). Until 15.Oct.93. I'm not at my site and all mail is queued. If you have something urgent (no bug reports, because I cant fix bugs without my Amiga) send mail to: bless@rpkhp2.mach.uni-karlsruhe.de @endnode ------------------------------ @node P5-2 "PriMan v1.0" @toc "menu" PRIMAN v1.0 UPLOADED TO AMINET TITLE PriMan, a user-friendly Task Priority Manager VERSION 1.0 (initial release) AUTHOR Barry McConnell, bmccnnll@unix1.tcd.ie DESCRIPTION PriMan is a small utility to play around with the system's task list, along the same lines as TaskX. Features include: - Can easily change any task's priority simply by dragging a slider - Buttons to signal a task with Ctrl-C, or remove it from memory - Font sensitive, and you can choose your own fonts from a Settings window - Resizeable window - Fully Style Guide compliant - Settings can be saved into the ToolTypes for you SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Any Amiga running AmigaOS 2.0 or later. Some small additional features are available under 3.0. HOST NAME Has been uploaded to Aminet - try any site, such as ftp.luth.se. Also available via FidoNet - can be FREQ'd from 2:263/150.0. DIRECTORY /pub/aminet/os20/util FILENAME Aminet: PriMan10.lha FidoNet: PRIMAN.LHA If you do not have FTP access, feel free to e-mail me, and I'll send you it uuencoded (about 32K). DISTRIBUTABILITY FreeWare, includes C source. @endnode ------------------------------ @node P5-3 "YAK v1.53" @toc "menu" YAK v1.53 AVAILABLE FOR FTP TITLE Yak -- multi-purpose commodity VERSION 1.53 AUTHORS Gael Marziou and previously Martin W. Scott E-mail address: gael@gnlab030.grenoble.hp.com DESCRIPTION Yak stands for "Yet Another Kommodity" (never was any good at spelling), and is a mouse/window manipulation program along the same lines as DMouse, MightyMouse etc... FEATURES o AutoPoint (sunmouse) that only activates when mouse stops can also specify which screens to include/exclude. (Compatible with popup-menu type programs) o AutoPop windows (bring them to front) when they're auto-activated; o KeyActivate windows (when key pressed); o Activate windows when menu button pressed; o Click windows to front or back; may also specify which screens/windows to include/exclude. o AutoPoint (sunmouse) that only activates when mouse stops can also specify which screens to include/exclude. (Compatible with popup-menu type programs) o AutoPop windows (bring them to front) when they're auto-activated; o KeyActivate windows (when key pressed); o Activate windows when menu button pressed; o Click windows to front or back; may also specify which screens/windows to include/exclude. o Cycle screens with mouse; o Mouse and Screen blanking (hotkey blanking too); o Extensible hotkey system (like FKey's) with actions to: Execute a Dos Command; Insert text (with embedded hotkeys); Insert date (in custom format if locale present); Close/Zip/Shrink/Enlarge windows; Cycle screens and windows; Activate Workbench; Center frontmost screen; Blank display; Pop up a palette on front screen (needs reqtools); o KeyClick with adjustable volume; o Wildstar option (like StarBurst) lets you use '*' as wildcard. o Optional on-screen AppIcon to bring up preferences window. o Nice gadtools settings window; SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OS release 2.04 or newer is required; Yak has been tested with OS releases through 3.0. Distribution is archived with lha so program to un-archive them is needed. UPDATE This is a small update to Yak 1.52, it fixes some bugs found in 1.52 which were related to localization. Yak 1.53 mainly adds localization and a french catalog and an installer script to Yak 1.5a which was the last version written by Martin W. Scott. HOST NAME Software has been uploaded to the Aminet Site: wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 pub/aminet/ and will be readily available on other Aminet sites. DIRECTORY /pub/aminet/os20/cdity FILE NAME yak153.lha PRICE There is no charge for use of this software. DISTRIBUTABILITY Freely distributable as long as the contents of the archive are kept intact. OTHER E-mail address for bug reports and fixes: gael@gnlab030.grenoble.hp.com @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-11 "Online Weekly" @toc "menu" /// ONLINE WEEKLY Amiga Report Online The lines are buzzing! --------------------------------- From Portal's AmigaZone ----------------------- 16026.3.589.1 EMPLANT, Sound and the Picasso II! 9/3/93 19:16 19/1077 rmunoz Hi All! Well, just wanted to let you know that I am currently testing a version of the EMPLANT software that provides SOUND support! So far it is incredible! The games really come to LIFE! I just got Arashi, a Tempest clone, and this thing is INCREDIBLE! And ofcourse, with my Picasso II and the 4 Picasso video drivers, the speed of the Mac emulation is incredible! Once again, Jim and Joe have done an incredible job, both with the sound support, the Picasso drivers and the overall emulation! For those interested about the Picasso, you may want to drop by the Picasso area (which I think is under construction) by 'go picasso'. In anycase, the usage of the Picasso is a very, very TRANSPARENT graphics card from the point of view of the user!!! AWESOME card, which makes my A3000 with EMPLANT just Amazing! I believe that Jim Drew will be showing the sound support at the WOC, and I am not sure if he is going to release it before the show, since they are still working on it, but so far it is GREAT! Aah... What a difference the emulation makes now... Rafael ------------------------------ 19249.3.120.2 Booth exhibitors 9/1/93 21:18 45/1094 Harv Here's a list of the companies who will have booths at the WOCA show in Pasadena, CA, Sept. 10-12, 1993. There may be drop-outs from this list and there may be additions to it. But this is the list that I have at this time. Amazing Computing Magazine Ambitious Technologies Amiga Video Graphics AmigaWorld Magazine Bruce Smith Books Centaur Development Century Computers Commodore Business Machines Computer System Associates Creative Computers DevWare Digital Creations DKB Software Inc. Euphonics Expert Services Great Valley Products Heifner Communications, Inc. L.A. Video Toaster User Group MacroSystem US MegageM Memory World Microbotics, Inc. Migraph Moonlighter Software Myriad Visual Adventures NorthWest Public Domain Oxxi, Inc. PowerStor Systems Premier Software Pride, Inc. Rave Video Reflex Point RGB Video Scala, Inc. SoftLogik SunRize Industries Terra Nova Development Utilities Unlimited Video Toaster User Magazine ------------------------------ From Usenet's Comp.Sys.Amiga.Programmer newsgroup ------------------------------------------------- Call for Amiga Developers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Silicon Prairie Software 2326 Francis Street Regina, SK S4N 2P7 Canada (306) 352-0358 Silicon Prairie Software is seeking experienced Amiga programmers for contract work. Programmers will work remotely, so reliable Internet access is a must. Qualifications desired: * Extensive Amiga C programming experience * Detailed knowledge of Intuition, Exec, and DOS library * Experience in operating systems programming * Experience with GUI building tools such as GadToolsBox * Experience in the development of consistent user interfaces * Familiarity with the SAS C 6.3 development environment * 680X0 experience is an asset * A BA/BSc/MSc in Computer Science is an asset, but not required Silicon Prairie is embarking on a new development project and requires the services of 4-6 experienced Amiga programmers. Since we are located in Canada, we are seeking developers capable of working half/full-time at their home locations. The successful candidates will be given detailed specifications for modules of the development project. The developers will submit weekly archives of the current local source tree for source code management at the main office. Interested parties should submit a summary of prior development experience and qualifications. Citation of currently available commercial or freely-distributable programs is encouraged, although binary samples are declined unless requested. Email your inquiries to: plummer@hercules.cs.uregina.ca The "interview" process will intially consist of a programming problem emailed to all candidates. The submissions will be reviewed on the basis of: * Program Correctness * Program Style * Conformance to CBM's User Interface Guidelines * Program Performance * Prompt submission All inquiries will be held in confidence. @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P4-5 "Amiga Report Mailing List" @toc "menu" /// Amiga Report Mailing List ------------------------- Are you tired of waiting for your local BBS or online service to get Amiga Report each week? Have you been spending more money that you want on long distance phone calls to download it from one of our Distribution Sites? If so, have we got a deal for you! If you have an internet mailing address, you can receive Amiga Report in UUENCODED form each week as soon as the issue is released. To be put on the list, send Email to Amiga-Report-Request@gnu.ai.mit.edu. Your account must be able to handle mail of any size to ensure an intact copy. For example, GEnie has a limit of about 40K per message, and most of our issues are well over that limit. Please do not send general Email to Amiga-Report-Request, only requests for subscription additions or deletions (or if you are not receiving an intact copy). All other correspondence should be directed to the editor at ROB_G@Delphi.COM. Many thanks to Bob Caron for setting this service up for us! P.S.: Please be sure to include your Email address in the text of your request message, it makes adding it to the list much easier. Thanks! ** IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE be certain your host can accept mail over ** 100K! We have had a lot of bouncebacks recently from systems with a ** 100K size limit for incoming mail. If we get a bounceback with your ** address in it, it will be removed from the list immediately. If it ** persists, we will discontinue the internet mailing list. @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-12 "AR avail via the WWW" @toc "menu" /// Amiga Report Available via the World Wide Web! ---------------------------------------------- By Michael Witbrock (mjw@cs.cmu.ed or witbrock@x25.bix.com) Although AmigaGuide is still the best way to browse Amiga Report, the magazine is now also available in a form which may be more convenient for people with direct Internet access. Amiga Report is being converted weekly to a document readable via the World Wide Web, allowing immediate access without the chore of dearchiving and downloading to an Amiga. Within a day (often less) of its release, each Amiga Report starting from AR118 will be converted into an HTML hyper- document that behaves as similarly as possible to the AmigaGuide version, and will be made available at this URL: OnlineMags For those who don't recognize that, a URL is a Uniform Resource Locator, which specifies access method and location information for information readable with WWW browsers such as NCSA mosaic. NCSA mosaic is a self contained program running under the X window system, and is available for anonymous FTP from ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in directory /Mosaic. Even if you don't plan to read AmigaReport by this means, I strongly recommend that you get a copy of NCSA mosaic and play with it. The amount of information (in the form of pictures, sounds, text, and mpeg movies) it makes easily available is astounding, and the program itself is a marvel of good user interface design. I hope that someone will use the recent attempts at PD TCP/IP networking solutions and port the program to the Amiga. Happy browsing! @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-13 "SHI News" @toc "menu" /// SHI News: Virus Alert! ...Not again! ----------------------- From: Michael Arends @ SHI Regional center/West To: All Subj: VIRUS ALERT W A R N I N G: V I R U S A L E R T It has come to our attention that some copies of PC-Task may be infected with a Virus, the EmWorm virus. It is recommended that you run Virus- Interceptor v1.11 or greater, while using PC-Task to detect if your version is infected. However because of the lack of information on this infection, you are using PC-Task at YOUR OWN RISK. Virus-Interceptor v1.11 - v1.14 is available in the AMIGA Safe Hex file Areas On Both SHI Regional centers and SHI Superkillers disks. It runs only under Workbench 2.0 or higher. We will inform you as more information becomes available. Thank you, Michael Arends @ The SHI Regional Center/West SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTER:West SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTER:East ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Michael Arends Jim Maciorowski P.O. Box 1531 P.O. Box 724 Lynnwood, WA 98046-1531 Port Richey FL 34673-0724 USA USA BBS: 206-775-7983 BBS: 813-849-4034 @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-14 "Virus Checker dying?" @toc "menu" /// SHI News: Virus_Checker Dying? ------------------------------- From: Michael Arends @ SHI Regional center/West To: All Subj: VIRUS_CHECKER DYING?? Originally posted 8/15/93 From: John Veldthuis To: ALL Subj: Death of Virus_Checker The end of Virus_Checker is very near at hand. Why???? Simply because no one is sending any viruses to me and/or any support. Its no use me updating Virus_Checker all the time when there is nothing to add. I have not seen any virus sent to me in over 3 months, except what I get from SHI. Even after repeated requests for the F??K virus I still have not seen it. Its no use sending all the viruses to SHI as they do not seem to be receiving that many, and by the time they get it and then send it to me it is long after the virus has been around. So this is fair warning about the fate of Virus_Checker. Make sure this message gets around. --cut-- I think we should all let John Veldthuis know we all appreciate his efforts. Michael!! His address is: John Veldthuis 21 Ngatai Street Manaia, Taranaki New Zealand Phone +64-6-274-8409 Email addresses: FIDO 3:771/440.0 USENET johnv@tower.actrix.gen.nz @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-15 "Viruses Wanted!" @toc "menu" /// SHI News: Viruses Wanted! Let's write some new ones.... NOT! -------------------------- From: Michael Arends @ SHI Regional Center/West To: All Subj: VIRUSES WANTED I am currently searching for ANY of these viruses in order to help the MAIN SHI center. If you can find ANY of these Viruses in your travels please send them to me TODAY so that I can send them to the MAIN center and in turn they can get them to all the Virus checker authors.. If you send them to me by mail Make sure they are on a disk marked " WARNING VIRUS ENCLOSED" or something similar. Send them to us at the following addresses: Shame on you! You should know these by now! But, in case you don't... ************************************ ************************************ * Michael Arends / SHI West * * Jim Maciorowski / SHI East * * P.O. Box 1531 * * P.O. Box 724 * * Lynnwood, Washington 98046-1531 * * Port Richey, Florida 34673-0724 * * United States * * United States * ************************************ ************************************ ------------------------------ A.H.C.virus.BB Aibon (776) Infiltrate or damage BBS Aibon2 (784) Infiltrate or damage BBS Aibon-ACP.ctrl Amida.BB AmiPatch virus 1.0a (8288) Infiltrate or damage BBS Angel.BB Anti-Knacken.BB.(Sca clone) Antichrist.Link.(Jeff.clone) Australian.Paradise-BB BB-Prot.BB Beethoven.(2608) Bestial-Devastation Link (7876) BGS-9.III.(File.2608) Black.Knight.BB Blockchain.Virus Boot-Aids.BB Cascade.BB Charlie.Brown.(Hireling).BB Check.Filevirus.(18644)File Christmas.Violator.(1060).Link Clock.1.1.(setmap.&.S.Install) Clockvirus.(Back-running) Clockvirus.(Fast running) Commodore.BB CompuPhagozyte 7 File CopyLock-Virus.BB block 0-3 Cracker Exterminator.BB Creeping-EEL.BB Dailer.BBS.v2.8g.(33908) Infiltrate or damage BBS Detlef.BB Devil.11.B.Door.(3 files, 23452, 2342, 17884) Infiltrate or damage BBS Devil.V8.B.Door-Swiftware-(44224) Infiltrate or damage BBS Dialer.2.8g.(33908) Infiltrate or damage BBS Disgust.BB Disgust.BB Disk-killer.v1.0.(File1368) DiskRepair V.1.2 (49336) Infiltrate or damage BBS DiskRepair V.2.6 (37740 Disk.Speed.Check.1.01 (DSC101) Disktest virus (1368) Disktroyer v2 (812) DOpus.(6408).File Infiltrate or damage BBS DwEdit v1.6 (43700) Infiltrate or damage BBS Excrement-Installer Executors.BB Fuck.device.virus.B Gandalf.BB GCA.BB.(Forpip.clone) Genetic.Protector.2.0 BB.(Dotty clone) Guardian.DMS Infiltrate or damage BBS Guardians Boot Aids.BB Hackers.Etic Happy.New.Year.BB Hardex.Saddam.Clone.(1848) Hill.BB HNA.Virus.BB Hunk-Lab.link Indiana.Jones.BB Infector.BB Influenza.BB Ingo's.Return.BB Jeff-Butonic.3.10(2916)File Jeff-Butonic.3.20.(2900)File Kefrens.I.BB Kefrens.II.BB Killed.virus.BB Kobold.II Lame.Saddam.Clone.(1848) Laurin.Saddam.Clone.(1848) Leviathan.BB Leviathan file (1056) Lupo (1484) MAD.IIa.BB MegaMon.PP-Bomb (26856) Infiltrate or damage BBS ModemCheck 1.1 Monkey-Killer.BB Mount.Virus.(1072) Mutilator.BB MVK.(1052)File Ninja.file.virus Noname.2.BB Nano2 Ohio.BB Overkill.BB.(block.1-3) P-Cracks.BB PayDay.BB Phatasmic.Force PowerTeam.BB PStats.(19784)File Infiltrate or damage BBS Rimednac.BB Saddam clone Lame (1848) Saddam clone Hard (1848) Saddam clone Laurin (1848) Saddam clone Animal (1848) Saddam clone Kick (1848) Saddam clone Nato (1848) Saddam clone Affe (1848) Saddam clone Iran (1848) Saddam clone Gral (1848) Saksen.no.2.BB Sao.Paulo.BB Satan.BB Schwartznegger SCSI-Virus (1560) file Sepultura. (1876) file Sentinel.BB Shit.Virus.(Nuked.007).BB SMBX-Mount.Installer.(64488) Suicide.BB Sysinfo 1.1 (5680) Infiltrate or damage BBS Sysinfo 2.2 (5656) Infiltrate or damage BBS Suntron.BB T.ET.E BB.Zombi.Clone T.ET.E-BB.Zombi.Clone Telecom.(756).File TimeDate TimeDate.Setmap Timer.virus.setmap(1712) Infiltrate or damage BBS Topdog.1.0 / TopUtil (2260) Infiltrate or damage BBS Tristar.Viruskiller-1.0.Virus.BB Trojan.Killer Infiltrate or damage BBS TTK.virus.BB UCA.BB UcAIDS.BB UInfo (13048) Infiltrate or damage BBS Umyj.Dupe.virus BB VirConSet virus 1 BB VirconSet virus 2 BB Virkill.2.BB Virus.II Virus Construktion Set File virus Virus.Terminator.6.0 (Trojan 1880) Virusmaker.1 Wahnfried.BB Warhawk 2 BB Witebox v 8.0 Trojan (34896) Infiltrate or damage BBS XaCa virus (1368) XLink.3.0 XprSpeed.3.1 (9556) Infiltrate or damage BBS X-Copy2.BB X-Ripper 1.1 (41360) Infiltrate or damage BBS Zenker. Zorro/Willow.BB ZSpeed (9556) Infiltrate or damage BBS Zviruskiller.1.5.BB And......infected disks with "French Kiss virus" and "ABC virus" containing the whole viruses (Block 0-3- or 4). And of course any NEW.... virii you might find ! Please..mark the disk "Attention Virus" (please take care of my hard disk) Remember to state your address and phone number if you want a reply, but isn't necessary if you want to be anonymous, only the VIRUS counts. After the disk is analyzed the disk is formatted and your name, will be 100 % arcivated in my trashcan. I.... ALWAYS keep my promise!!, THANK YOU VERY, VERY.. MUCH FOR YOUR HELP - Michael Below is a list of the SHI Staff and contact points: SAFE HEX MAGAZINE "RESIDENT": ---------------------------- Kurt Hansen Langøyveien 13 N-4026 Stavanger Norway Phone : + 47 4 520420 SAFE HEX "BUDDY SYSTEM": ----------------------- Stefan Daugaard Hansen Tranehøjen 236 5250 Odense sv Denmark Phone + 45 65 92 65 42 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE HOLLAND: --------------------------------- Marco van den Hout Doornboomplein 9 NL-5081 GR Hilvarenbeek The Netherlands Phone +31 04255 3513 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE AUSTRALIA: ----------------------------------- Amiga Quarantine Brian & Rick Logan P.O. Box 533 Engadine N.S.W 2233 Australia (No phone) SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE SLOVAKIA: ---------------------------------- Ondrej Krebs SNP 4 908 51 Holic Slovakia Republic Phone: + 0801 3764 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE CZECH: ------------------------------- MB Soft Dalimilova 6 130 00 Praha 3 Czech Pepublic SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE DENMARK: --------------------------------- Martin Harbo Sensommervej 167 DK-8530 Hjortshøj Denmark Phone + 86 229401 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE ITALY : ------------------------------- Massimo Gais V. Vittorio Veneto 31 80029 S. Antimo (NA) Italy Phone + 39 81 5052256 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE ENGLAND: --------------------------------- Michael A. Sewell "Omega House" 83 Railway Road Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 4AD England Phone + (0942) 68 22 05 Fax + (0942) 68 22 06 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE USA: ---------------------------- Jim Maciorowski P.O. Box 724 Port Richey FL 34673-0724 USA BBS : + 813 849 4034 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE USA: ----------------------------- Michael Arends P.O. Box 1531 Lynnwood, WA 98046-1531 USA BBS : +206 775 7983 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE GREECE: -------------------------------- Konstantinos Angelis P.O. Box 50784 54014 Thessaloniki 22 Greece Phone: +30 431 29207 Fax : +30 431 38214 BBS : +30 431 72171 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE BELGIUM: --------------------------------- Dutch Language: Koen Peetermans Vrijheersstraat 8 B-3891 Gingelom Belgium Phone: + 32 11 48 58 19 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE BELGIUM: --------------------------------- French Language: Gregoire Jean-Christophe 64 Franstimmermansstraat 1600 Sint Pieters Leeuw Belgium Phone: + 02 377 76 78 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE SPAIN: ------------------------------- John Lohmeyer Parque Guell 7 08338 Premia de Dalt Barcelona Spain Phone: + 03 752 38 85 Fax : + 03 752 30 79 BBS : + 03 892 39 83 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE GERMANY: --------------------------------- Dirk Rose Amalien Str. 75 D-4220 Dienslaken Germany Phone: + 49 20 64 78 56 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE SWEDEN: -------------------------------- SHI SVERIGE Box 1220 501 12 Borås Sweden Phone : + 033 121118 BBS 1 : + 033 200149 BBS 2 : + 033 200249 BBS 3 : + 033 200949 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE POLAND: -------------------------------- Wojtek Gorzkowski UL. Rewolucji Pazd 95/102 01-242 Warsaw Poland Phone : + 48 22 367 443 (18.00-20.00) Phone : + 48 26 252 994 (10.00-17.00) BBS : + 48 22 367 443 (20.00-08.00) SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE FRANCE: -------------------------------- Brun Stephane 255 Chemin Fontisson F-84470 Chateaneuf de Gadagne France Phone : + 90 22 54 22 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE NORWAY: -------------------------------- Kurt Hansen Langøyveien 13 N-4026 Stavanger Norway Phone : + 47 4 520420 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE EAST ASIA: ----------------------------------- Javed Islam P. O. Box 10119 Feroze Pur Road Lahore 54600 Pakistan SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE YUGOSLAVIA: ------------------------------------ Nikolic Tomislav Matije Gupca 302 56258 Posavski Podgajci Croatia BBS : + 813 849 4034 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE ARGENTINA: ----------------------------------- Pablo A. Trincavelli Dorrego 459 1 er. piso 2000 Rosario Santa Fe Argentina Phone: +54 41 252906 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE FINLAND: --------------------------------- Johannes Verwijnen Hiihtomäentie 33 B 16 SF-00800 Helsinki Finland Phone: 358 0 759 1263 Phone: 358 0 787 449 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE PORTUGAL: ---------------------------------- Alexandre Manuel Reis Casal de Sào Bràs Rua Antònio Nobre, Lote 5, R/C DTO 2700 Amadora Portugal Phone: + 351 01 494 8932 Fax : + 351 01 494 4662 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE SWITZERLAND: ------------------------------------- Meier Remy Hardstrasse 111 CH-4052 Basel Switzerland Phone: + 41 61 312 63 95 Fax : + 41 61 312 63 95 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE SOUTH AFRICA: -------------------------------------- Richard Harris P.O.Box 3147 1610 Edenvale South Africa Phone: + 27 011 453 6327 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE TURKEY: -------------------------------- Volkan Uçmak Sakiz Sok. Berkel Ap. 6/2 81300 Kadiköy Istanbul Turkey Phone: + (1) 346 86 48 Fax : + (1) 349 96 35 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE AUSTRIA: --------------------------------- David Van Assche Sieveringer Strasse 126, 4 Vienna 1190 Austria Phone: + 222 44 39 91 Fax : + 222 44 42 51 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE IRELAND: --------------------------------- Anthony Melia 4 Seagrange Drive Baldoyle Dublin 13 Ireland Phone + 01 39 31 23 SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE IRAN: ------------------------------ Kamran Karimi 2,HassanAbad HaghShenas str. Navab str. 13599 Theran Iran SHI REGIONAL VIRUS CENTRE ROMANIA: --------------------------------- Prundeanu Cristian Str. Rodnei nr. 6 1900 Timisoara Romania SHI MAIN CENTRAL VIRUS CENTRE: ----------------------------- Erik Loevendahl Soerensen Snaphanevej 10 DK-4720 Praestoe Denmark Phone: +45 55 992512 Fax : +45 55 993498 @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P4-2 "Portal" @toc "menu" /// Portal: A Great Place For Amiga Users -------------------------------------- Portal Communications' Amiga Zone The AFFORDABLE alternative for online Amiga information ------------------------------------------------------- The Portal Online System is the home of acclaimed Amiga Zone, which was formerly on the People/Link System. Plink went out of business in May, 1991 and The Amiga Zone's staff moved to Portal the next day. The Zone has just celebrated its second anniversary on Portal. The Amiga press raves about The Amiga Zone, when compared to its competition. If you live in the San Jose, CA area, then you can dial Portal directly. If you live elsewhere, you can reach Portal through any SprintNet (formerly Telenet) indial anywhere in the USA or through Tymnet from anywhere in North America. If you have an account on another Internet-connected system, you can connect to Portal using the UNIX Telnet programs, from anywhere in the industrialized world. Delphi and BIX users can now Telnet into Portal for a flat $19.95 a month, with *unlimited* use. Some of Portal/Amiga Zone's amazing features include: - Over 1.5 GIGabytes of Amiga-specific files, online, 24 hours a day. Portal has dedicated a 2.5 GIGabyte disk drive to the Amiga Zone. We have virtually unlimited space for files and new uploads. - The *entire* Fred Fish collection of freely distributable software, online. All of it. Every disk. Well-organized so it's easy to find exactly what you're after. - Fast, Batch Zmodem file transfer protocol. Download up to 100 files at once, of any size, with one command. - Twenty Amiga vendor areas with participants like AmigaWorld, ASDG, Soft-Logik, Black Belt, Apex Publishing, Stylus, Prolific, NES, and many others including Compute's Amiga Resource with over 4 Megabytes of exclusive Compute magazine disk stuff you won't find elsewhere. - 35 "regular" Amiga libraries with thousands of files. Hot new stuff arrives daily. Since Portal has FTP connections we can get new freely-distributable software online within MINUTES of its being announced on Usenet. - No upload/download "ratios" EVER. Download as much as you want, as often as you want, and never feel pressued doing it. Start downloading files with your first session on Portal. - Live, interactive nightly chats with Amiga folks whose names you will recognize. Special conferences. Random chance prize contests. Famous Amiga folks aren't the exception on Portal, they're the norm. Instead of stumbling around in frustration you can talk to the people who design your hardware, who write your software. - Vast Message bases where you can ask questions about *anything* Amiga related and get quick replies from the experts. - Amiga Internet mailing lists for Imagine, DCTV, LightWave, HyperAmi, Director and Landscapes are fed right into the Zone message bases. Read months worth of postings. They don't scroll off, ever! No need to clutter your mailbox with them. - FREE unlimited Internet Email. Your Portal account gets you a mailbox that's connected to the world. Send letters of any length to computer users in the entire industrialized world. No limits. No extra charges. No kidding! - Portal has the Usenet. Thousands of "newsgroups" in which you can read and post articles about virtually any subject you can possibly imagine. Usenet feeds into Portal many times each hour. There are 14 Amiga-specific Usenet newsgroups with hundreds of articles posted every day, including postings by Commodore personnel. Since Usenet is distributed worldwide, your questions and answers can be seen by literally hundreds of thousands of people the same day you post them. - Other Portal SIGs (Special Interest Groups) online for Mac, IBM, Sun, NeXT, UNIX, Science Fiction, Writers, amateur radio, and a graphics SIG with thousands of GIF files to name just a few. ALL Portal SIGs are accessible to ALL Portal customers with NO surcharges ever. - The entire UPI/Clarinet/Newsbytes news hierarchy ($4/month extra) An entire general interest newspaper and computer news magazine. - Portal featues an exciting package of Internet features: IRC, FTP, TELNET, MUDS, LIBS. Free to all Portal customers with your account. Internet Services is a menu driven version of the same kinds of utilities you can also use from your Portal UNIX shell account. - All the files you can FTP. All the chatting you can stand on the IRC. And on IRC (Internet Relay Chat) you can talk live, in real time with Amiga users in the U.K., Europe, Australia, the Far East, 24 hours a day. - Our exclusive PortalX by Steve Tibbett, the graphical "front end" for Portal which will let you automatically click'n'download your waiting email, messages, Usenet groups and binary files! Reply to mail and messages offline using your favorite editor and your replies are sent automatically the next time you log into Portal. (PortalX requires Workbench 2.04 or higher) - And Portal does NOT stick it to high speed modem users. Whether you log in at 1200 or 2400 or 9600 or 14.4K you pay the same low price. How does all that sound? Probably too good to be true. Well, it IS true. Portal Signup or for more information: 1-408-973-9111 (voice) 9a.m.-5p.m. Mon-Fri, Pacific Time 1-408-725-0561 (modem 3/12/2400) 24 hours every day 1-408-973-8091 (modem 9600/14400) 24 hours every day or enter "C PORTAL" from any Sprintnet dial-in in the USA, or enter "portal" from any Tymnet "please log in:" prompt, USA & Canada or telnet to "portal.com" from anywhere. PORTAL'S CURRENT RATES: All prices shown are in U.S. Dollars Total Total Total Total Cost Cost Cost Cost Fee 1 hr. 5 hrs. 10 hrs.30 hrs. Startup Monthly Per Per per per per Fee Fee Hour month month month month $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Portal 19.95 19.95 2400/9600/14.4Kbps, *direct 24 hrs 0.00 19.95 19.95 19.95 19.95 2400/9600bps nonprime Sprint or Tymnet 2.50 22.95 32.45 44.95 94.95 2400/9600bps prime Sprint +% or Tymnet 5.50-10 29.95 69.95 119.95 varies 2400/9600bps non prime # PCPursuit 1.00 20.95 24.95 29.95 49.95 * plus cost of phone call if out of Portal's local dialing area Direct rates also apply to connections made to Portal using the UNIX "telnet" program from an account you may already have on an Internet-connected system. % 9600 bps Sprintnet and Tymnet available in over 300 cities areas + $10 rate prevails at smaller US Cities # PCPursuit is a service of US Sprint. Portal is a PCPursuit "Direct Access Facility" thus connection to Portal with a PCP account is simply a matter of entering C PORTAL,PCP-ID,PCP-PASSWORD at the SprintNet login prompt instead of C PORTAL. Note: Portal Direct 9600/14400 bps service is availble for both USR HST modems, and any V32/V32.bis modems. There are dozens of direct-dial high speed lines into Portal. No busy signals! SprintNet 9600bps service is V.32 modem protocol only. Tymnet 9600bps services is V.32 modem protocol only. Again, Portal does NOT surcharge high speed modem users! Portal subscribers who already have an account on an Internet-capable system elsewhere, can use that system's "telnet" program to connect to Portal for $0.00 an hour. That's right ZERO. From anywhere in the world. If you're in this category, be sure to ask the Portal reps, when you signup, how to login to Portal from your existing Internet account. Call and join today. Tell the friendly Portal Customer Service representative, "The Amiga Zone and Amiga Report sent me!" [Editor's Note: Be sure to tell them that you are an Amiga user, so they can notify the AmigaZone sysops to send their Welcome Letter and other information!] That number again: 408-973-9111. Portal Communications accepts MasterCard, Visa, or you can pre-pay any amount by personal check or money order. The Portal Online System is a trademark of Portal Communications. @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P1-16 "Dune II" @toc "menu: /// Usenet Review: Dune II -- Battle for Arrakis --------------------------------------------- By Thomas Baetzler (fhinf@iraul1.ira.uka.de) PRODUCT NAME Dune II -- Battle for Arrakis BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dune II is basically a strategy game in the vein of the classic Empire, or the wargaming aspect of Civilisation. AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION Produced by Westwood Studios. Distributed by Name: Virgin Games Address: 338a Ladbroke Grove London W10 5AH England Telephone: ++43 81 960 2255 Name: Virgin Games France Address: 223 Rue de la Croix Nivert 75015, Paris France Telephone: ++33 101 331 4842 1919 LIST PRICE 69.95 DM; approximately $40 (US). SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS A flyer states that Dune II requires at least 1.5 MB of RAM and a hard disk. The game somes on five disks. Installation size is approximately 3.8 MB. The game works just fine with OS 2.04. While it is possible to play Dune II on a "basic" 68000 system, a faster CPU is highly recommended. COPY PROTECTION Dune II features an infrequent "look up a fact in the manual" check. The five installation disks are not copy protected, so you can back them up if you feel the need for additional security. I think this kind of copy protection is acceptable. MACHINE USED FOR TESTING I am playing Dune II on an A2500/030 running OS 2.04, using a GVP Series II host adapter. The machine features 1 MB of Chip RAM, 4 MB of 32-bit RAM, and 2 MB of 16-Bit Fast RAM. REVIEW Somewhere in time and space lies the planet Arrakis, also known as "Dune." It's surface is a gigantic desert, inhabited only by the "fremen" and the ferocious sand worms. And yet it is of vital interest to the Empire, because it is the only known source of the spice Melange, a drug with truly wondrous powers. The scenario starts out with the Emperor in dire need of great quantities of spice. In order to increase the harvesting, he offers a contest to the three most powerful families on Dune: the family who produces the largest quantity of Melange will be given exclusive harvesting rights. So the righteous Atreides, the cunning Ordos and the treacherous Harkonnen get down to battle it out among themselves. You play the role as Chief of Staff for one of the three houses of Dune, bound to win nine battles in a war for total domination of the planet. Each house offers its own specialised units, and also represents a different level of difficulty. Each battle starts out with a short briefing by your advisor, after which you get to the main game screen. It consists of a large map area, with a command box to the right. Just below the command box is a small radar screen that can display an overview of whole playfield. From two sort-of menus at the top of the screen, you can get help about the game. An option window allows you to load and save games, set game speed, and such. Scattered around the map are your buildings, vehicles and soldiers - usually called "units" in that genre. You command those units by clicking on them to activate them, and then selecting an action from the command box. Depending on the type of the unit, your choices vary. For example, to create buildings you instruct your construction facility to do so. Step by step, you build up your base complete with factories for armored vehicles, power generators, and perimeter defenses. Most vital of all are the spice refineries, because only by harvesting spice and processing it can you gain the money necessary to build up your outpost. Once you feel up to it - or whenever your opponent feels up to it - the battle starts. Dune II features an impressive array of mobile and stationary weaponry that can be put to good use. Orchestrating a battle on Dune can be much fun, but it also takes up a lot of time. While the earlier conquests can usually be handled in a few minutes, they get rapidly more and more taxing while the game progresses. Also, between conquests, there's a tactical map display that lets you select your next battle, so there are 66 scenarios in all to explore. And the ending? After having finished the last battle, you find yourself in disgrace with the Emperor - so the battle will possibly continue in one or several Dune II Data Disks. Like the original Dune game, the graphic presentation is quite convincing. While the game itself doesn't depend solely on its graphics, they certainly enhance the gameplay. The sound effects accompanying the game are nice, but probably nothing to write home about. Basically, it's atmospheric background music interspersed with "action" sounds like shells going off, and unit commanders responding with "operation complete" and such. Maybe they've gone a bit too far by letting soldiers die screaming when you hit them with a truck.... Overall, the game control is very intuitive, so you can get right down to playing once you have understood the basics of the game. Since each level of the game offers more and more hardware to play with, the fight for supremacy on Dune never gets dull. Your computer opponent isn't too smart, but he's got some quite effective offensive maneuvers up his sleeve. However, at no level the computer player exposes the same cunning as an expert human player would do. DOCUMENTATION Dune comes with a nicely designed 56-page A5 booklet containing basic instructions for the game as well as some "background" information on the political situation on Arrakis. A thorough description of the different units in the game serves as base for the protection lookup. The Amiga version also includes a "quick start" leaflet with instructions on how to install the game. While this is rather short, I found the information presented to be sufficient. LIKES AND DISLIKES I would like to see a version of Dune II that allows two or more players to engage in head to head combat via modem or (even better!) network. However, I don't expect to see this any time in the near future: the additional effort in programming couldn't possibly be offset by extra sales. While I have no conclusive information as to the state of things concerning Dune II Data Disks, I have heard such disks are already available for the IBM PC. I'd just love to see them on Amiga, too. Last but not least, I have to congratulate Virgin on publishing a great game with a reasonable price tag! I hope users all around will catch on and make their experiment worthwhile. BUGS What I really hate about Dune is the fact that the game grabs its input directly from the hardware, no matter if its screen is currently active or not. Basically, this prevents you from using multitasking for anything else but batch jobs. VENDOR SUPPORT Virgin offer customer support for exchange of defective media and such. WARRANTY Virgin does not offer any kind of warranty except as such provided by local law. CONCLUSIONS Dune II is certainly a very good game, and possibly a bargain at the price asked. If you like playable strategy games, this one's for you. With Data Disks coming out, I feel it's got a great long time value. I rate it 4 stars out of 5. COPYRIGHT NOTICE You can contact me at: Medic BSS, 2:241/7454.2@fidonet (safest way?) fhinf@iraul1.ira.uka.de (until October 1993) s_walter@irav1.ira.uka.de (will be forwarded to me) Thomas Baetzler, Herrenstr. 62, 76133 Karlsruhe, FRG Voice: ++49 (0)721 29872 Medic BBS: ++49 (0)721 496821 Copyright 1993 Thomas Baetzler. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P4-3 "Holonet" @toc "menu" /// Holonet: Inexpensive Internet Access ------------------------------------- *** HOLONET *** HoloNet is an easy to use Internet Access BBS. HoloNet is based on custom BBS software which provides an easy to use menu driven interface. HoloNet is ideal for those looking for an easy way to use Internet services. HoloNet does not currently provide UNIX shell access. Services include: o Convenient Access A local call in 850+ cities nationwide. o Online Publications Include USA Today Decisionline, Newsbytes, Datanet Computer News, Eeeekbits, and Boardwatch Magazine. o USENET Averages over 30MB of USENET news per day. The following news readers are available: NN, TIN, and RN. o Internet E-Mail Members have an Internet E-mail address similar to: member@holonet.net o Internet Access Access to telnet, talk, finger, IRC, and FTP. (note: you must comply with the policies of any networks you use) o Single and Multi-player Games Board, card, fantasy, and puzzle games. o Support for Eudora Excellent off-line Macintosh e-mail reader. o UUCP E-mail and USENET feeds Link LAN E-mail systems and BBSes to the Internet. How to try HoloNet for FREE: Telnet: holonet.net Modem: 510-704-1058 (Berkeley, CA) at 1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400 bps. There are free demo numbers nationwide, for an automated response containg a list of access numbers, send e-mail to access@holonet.mailer.net How to get more information: E-mail: info@holonet.net Modem: 510-704-1058 at 1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400bps Voice: 510-704-0160 Fax: 510-704-8019 HoloNet is a service mark of Information Access Technologies, Inc. Copyright © 1992 Information Access Techologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P1-17 "DPS Personal Animation Recorder" @toc "menu" /// Usenet Mini-Review: DPS Personal Animation Recorder ---------------------------------------------------- By Michael B. Comet (mbc@po.cwru.edu) Hello to all in Renderland! I have just gotten my DPS PAR a couple days ago. Since I know others who read this are thinking of getting one, I thought I'd post my view of it. I will try to keep if brief. I am not affiliated with DPS. MANUAL AND INTERFACE The manual is very good, and is nice and compact. The user interface is equally friendly and has the look of a traditional VTR for playback. The software takes up very little room on the standard amiga drive, though it requires at least 1 Meg of RAM to run at all times. STILLS AND ANIMATION PLAYBACK In my Amiga 3000/25 with the recommended Seagate 500 Meg drive, I obtained true 30fps playback. Very smooth, very good quality. I have heard that there are problems playing back at slower speeds, though I haven't encountered that. You can also drag the frame bar back and forth and move one frame at a time with a mouse click. Using the latter -- i.e, Rewind and Fast Forward -- the frames actually go by faster than 30 fps! Those that use AREXX will be happy to know that the software has and AREXX port so you can sequence playback and so on using it. The quality at the highest level Q23 is essentially identical (to me) to the original image. For stills, the storage benefits alone are remarkable. For animations, the program sets the Q level for you. I have seen it work at around 19 to 14 depending on the image. 14 is pretty acceptable for video using both composite and SVHS (sorry, I can't test MII/Betacam output). However, JPEG type artifacting is still slightly noticeable. The NTSC composite output is very good, and the SVHS was almost identical to the RGB from my Firecracker board. DEFICIENCIES There are not really too many deficiencies in the device. However there are some things that are important to know. One item is that animations, while they can be looped on playback, do not loop without a pause. That is, if you have a 30 frame anim and play it, there will be about a 1/2 second pause on the last frame. To do a perfect pause-free loop you must append the animation to itself some number of times. The software can do this quite easily so it is not really a problem, though more drive space gets eaten this way. Also relating to projects, there seems to be no way in the software to rename projects. Also, with merging of animations in different projects, I have not been able to find a way to splice together anims from the different subdirectories. Playback speed is normally 30fps; however there is a button to select slow playback. As far as I can tell, you can set it only to preset values: from 30fps to 15fps, then 7.5fps, and some more down lower. I would like to see user adjustable settings here. OVERALL In all I have to say the PAR is great for 24 bit animations. There is no longer any hassle of single framing with tape, etc., and it enables the animator to view the anim easily and cut, paste, splice and mutilate anims into a final piece. It also has great capacity for still frame storage. One really great thing is that everything happens with just the click of a button. No longer do you have to wait to decompress JPEG images to show as stills. No longer do you have to wait to load up animations. Just click on a still frame and it appears on the output. Click on an animation, and the first frame is shown. Hit play and it goes. Really nice. For those looking for a single frames alternative at a reasonable price, this is a great product. CONTACT INFORMATION Digital Processing Systems 11 Spiral Drive, Suite 10 Florence, KY 41042 USA Phone: 606-371-5533 Fax: 606-371-3729 PS: The best thing is it comes in a big box with that really cool picture of the VTR on the front eating the tape. Impress your friends! @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P4-6 "BIX" @toc "menu" /// BIX - Byte Information Exchange Lots of information! ------------------------------- BIX is the premier online service for computing professionals and enthusiasts. While other online services cater to computer novices, BIX is the place for knowledgeable people to go for answers to tough questions. You're likely to find many others in similar situations who can offer advice, give technical assistance, or point you in the right direction. BIX is divided into areas called conferences, each devoted to a particular area of interest. They range from algorithms to windows, from writers to amiga. Conferences are categorized into groups, usually referred to as exchanges, so that you can browse through whatever groups interest you and see a list of the conferences it contains. These are some of the exchanges on BIX: amiga.exchange - the place for Amiga developers and enthusiasts byte - the full text of each issue of BYTE magazine; source code too e.and.l - Entertainment and Leisure; music, pets, games, more ibm.exchange - everything from OS/2 to PC clones mac.exchange - Mac news, support, software, advice professionals - consultants, engineers, financiers gather here programmers - some of the best brains in the business! wix - the Information Exchange for Windows; Windows Magazine online writers.ex - the professional and amateur writer's exchange ************FULL INTERNET ACCESS!************ BIX also features access to the Internet - you can use FTP to transfer files from sites all over the world, telnet to log on to other online services, schools, and research sites, and send Internet mail to millions of people at services like DELPHI, CompuServe, America Online, MCI Mail, and other sites and services. Services like "WHOIS" and "Finger" are also available, with more features on the way (like USENET newsgroups; our newsreader is currently being tested and should be available very soon!) There are no usage fees or special charges for Internet access - it's all part of your BIX subscription. ================================ Rates and Connect Information: ================================ BIX membership costs $13 per month, plus connect time. There are several different ways to connect: SprintNet* $3/hour evenings/weekends $9/hour weekdays Tymnet:** $3/hour evenings/weekends $9/hour weekdays (SprintNet and Tyment rates shown are for 48 contiguous US states only.) Tymnet Canada: $4/hr eves/wkends $9/hour weekdays Tymnet Hawaii: $10/hr eves/wkends $20/hour weekdays Telnet(via Internet): $1/hour, round the clock Direct dial (Boston): $2/hour, round the clock (up to 9600 bps) * SprintNet daytime hours are from 6am to 7pm, M-F, ET. ** Tymnet daytime hours are from 7am to 6pm, M-F, ET. To find your local SprintNet number, call SprintNet at (800) 877-5045, ext. 5. Internationally, call (404) 859-7700. To find a local Tymnet number, call Tymnet at (800) 937-2862. Internationally, call (703) 442-0145. ================ There is no surcharge for 9600 bps access via either telecom carrier. There is no surcharge for up to 10mb of Internet mail per month (sent and received). There will be a charge of $1 per 100,000 bytes thereafter. ================ 20/20 PLAN OPTION (for USA-48 users only): Volume users can choose the 20/20 Advantage Plan, which is $20 per month and includes the first 20 hours of access by any combination of methods from the contiguous United States. Additional use is $1.80 per hour (additional use for telnet access is $1 an hour). The 20/20 Plan's cost is in addition to the $13 monthly fee. INTERNATIONAL USERS: If you wish to connect internationally through Tymnet or SprintNet, please contact your local PTT. BIX accepts prepaid international calls, direct dial, or telnet connections. In order to make a "collect" (not prepaid) call to BIX, your account must be verified before the charges are accepted. When you complete the registration, we'll mail you a BIX Membership Agreement by regular US Mail. Whe you receive it, sign it and return it to us by mail. When we receive it here, we'll authorize your account to make reverse charged calls. If you want to access BIX right away, contact your local PTT to set up a prepaid account. You'll pay your local carrier for your calls to BIX in advance, so there's no waiting period or verfication needed. Or, connect at BIX via telnet to x25.bix.com. SprintNet international calls from most locations are $24 an hour. Tymnet international charges vary, but are generally between $20-$30 an hour. ========================= Billing Information: ========================= You can charge your monthly BIX membership fees to your Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express card. You may have your company invoiced for one or more BIX memberships with a BIX Corporate Account. To do so, send by US Mail or fax a Purchase Order including a Purchase Order number, invoice address, contact person, a phone number where we can reach the contact person, and the company's fax number. Please direct it to the attention of Connie Lopes, who handles corporate accounts. Our fax number is 617-491-6642. Your corporate account will generally be set up within 24 hours. ======================== To Sign Up For BIX: ======================== Dial by modem 1-800-695-4882 or 617-491-5410 * (use 8 data bits, no parity, full duplex) Press a few carriage returns until you see the Login:(enter "bix") prompt, then type bix At the Name? prompt, type bix.amrpt * Users already on the internet can telnet to x25.bix.com instead. At the USERNAME: prompt enter bix, then bix.net at the Name? prompt. Once your account is registered, you can connect the same way, except at the Name? prompt you'll enter your BIXname and then your password. Using the above procedure will allow users in the 48 contiguous United States to take advantage of our special "5 for $5" offer. This offer lets you use up to 5 hours of evening/weekend time on BIX during the current calender month (whatever month you sign up in), for $5. Additional time is $1.80 per hour ($1 per hour for telnet). At the end of the calender month, you will be placed into our standard rate plan, at $13 monthly plus connect charges. You may also join the 20/20 Plan at this time. If you have other questions, please contact BIX Member Services at (800) 695-4775; send a fax to BIX at (617) 491-6642; or send Internet mail to info@bix.com. BIX Member Services hours are 12pm - 11pm, Monday through Friday, ET. @endnode *************************************************************************** @node P3 "Dealer Directory" @toc "menu" /// Dealer Directory Serving our readers! ---------------- Almathera Systems Ltd Challenge House 618 Mitcham Rd Croydon, Surrey CR9 3AU England VOICE: (UK) 081 683 6418 Internet: (Sales) almathera@cix.compulink.co.uk (Technical) jralph@cix.compulink.co.uk Amigability Computers P.O. Box 572 Plantsville, CT 06479 VOICE: 203-276-8175 Internet: amiga@phantm.UUCP BIX: jbasile (Send E-mail to subscribe to our mailing list) Apogee Technologies 1851 University Parkway Sarasota, FL 34243 VOICE: 813-355-6121 Portal: Apogee Internet: Apogee@cup.portal.com Armadillo Brothers 753 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, Utah VOICE: 801-484-2791 GEnie: B.GRAY CLICK! Microcomputer Applications B.V.B.A. Boomsesteenweg 468 B-2610 Wilrijk - Antwerpen Belgium - Europe VOICE: 03 / 828.18.15 FAX: 03 / 828.67.36 USENET: vanhoutv@click.augfl.be FIDO: 2:292/603.9 AmigaNet: 39:120/102.9 Computers International, Inc. 5415 Hixson Pike Chattanooga, TN 37343 VOICE: 615-843-0630 Digital Arts 122 West 6th Street Bloomington, IN 47404 VOICE: (812)330-0124 FAX: (812)330-0126 BIX: msears Finetastic Computers 721 Washington Street Norwood, MA 02062 VOICE: 617-762-4166 BBS: 617-769-3172 Fido: 1:101/322 Portal: FinetasticComputers Internet: FinetasticComputers@cup.portal.com HT Electronics 275 North Mathilda Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 VOICE: 408-737-0900 FAX: 408-245-3109 Portal: HT Electronics Internet: HT Electronics@cup.portal.com MicroSearch 9000 US 59 South, Suite 330 Houston, Texas VOICE: 713-988-2818 FAX: 713-995-4994 Mr. Hardware Computers P.O. Box 148 59 Storey Ave. Central Islip, NY 11722 VOICE: 516-234-8110 FAX: 516-234-8110 A.M.U.G. BBS: 516-234-6046 MusicMart: Media Sound & Vision 71 Wellington Road London, Ontario, Canada VOICE: 519-434-4162 FAX: 519-663-8074 BBS: 519-457-2986 FIDO: 1:221/125 AmigaNet: 40:550/1 MaxNet: 90:204/1 iNET: koops@gaul.csd.uwo.ca PSI Animations 17924 SW Pilkington Road Lake Oswego, OR 97035 VOICE: 503-624-8185 Internet: PSIANIM@agora.rain.com Software Plus Chicago 3100 W Peterson Avenue Chicago, Illinois VOICE: 312-338-6100 (Dealers: To have your name added, please send Email!) @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P4-1 "Delphi" @toc "menu" /// Delphi: It's Getting Better All The Time! ------------------------------------------ Amiga Report International Online Magazine is available every week in the Amiga Forum on DELPHI. Amiga Report readers are invited to join DELPHI and become a part of the friendly community of computer enthusiasts there. SIGNING UP WITH DELPHI ====================== Using a personal computer and modem, members worldwide access DELPHI services via a local phone call JOIN -- DELPHI -------------- Via modem, dial up DELPHI at 1-800-695-4002 then... When connected, press RETURN once or twice and.... At Password: type STREPORT and press RETURN. DELPHI's best plan is the 20/20 plan. It gives you 20 hours each month for the low price of only $19.95! Additional hours are only $1.50 each! This covers 1200, 2400 and even 9600 connections! For more information, and details on other plans, call DELPHI Member Services at 1-800-544-4005 DELPHI - It's getting better all the time! @endnode @node P1-18 "AR Confidential" @toc "menu" /// AR Confidential We heard it through the grapevine! --------------- - Hard Drives from Hell? Look for some new NINE GIGABYTE hard drives to debut at Comdex in November. They are likely to be 3.5" units in fact. Guess that fancy 250 meg tape backup is going to seem pretty small now, huh? - Micropolis' super-size IDE hard drive Meanwhile, Micropolis is shipping a new 1.2 GIGABYE 3.5" IDE drive. Reports say that it is faster than the company's own SCSI drive of the same size. - IDE Expanding Western Digital is reported to be coming out with a new IDE specification that will allow more than two devices. @endnode ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @node P1-19 "Humor Department" @toc "menu" /// The Humor Department Jokes, Quotes, Insults, Shameless Plugs -------------------- Anonymous E-Mail Notice "I have SOLID information that Windows NT will be distributed in chain letter form. Within 60 days you will receive a letter containing a list of names and addresses, along with instructions to write 10 lines of C code and send them to the address at the top of the list, before you add your name at the bottom and mail copies to 84 of your friends. Having done that, you will simply sit back and wait a few weeks to receive 12.5 million lines of NT source code, which you will then compile and link to form your NT system." - From PC Magazine, September 28, 1993 issue. Reprinted under the reasonable use interpretation of the 1976 copyright act. @endnode @node P2-3 "In Closing" @toc "menu" =========================================================================== Amiga Report International Online Magazine September 10, 1993 * YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE * No. 1.24 Copyright © 1993 All Rights Reserved =========================================================================== Views, Opinions and Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors and staff of Amiga Report International Online Magazine or of STR Publications. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. Amiga Report and/or portions therein may not be edited in any way without prior written per- mission. However, translation into a language other than English is accept- ble, provided the original meaning is not altered. Amiga Report may be dis- tributed on privately owned not-for-profit bulletin board systems (fees to cover cost of operation are acceptable), and major online services such as (but not limited to) Delphi and Portal. Distribution on public domain disks is acceptable provided proceeds are only to cover the cost of the disk (e.g. no more than $5 US). Distribution on for-profit magazine cover disks requires written permission from the editor or publisher. Amiga Report is a not-for-profit publication. Amiga Report, at the time of pub- ication, is believed reasonably accurate. Amiga Report, its staff and con- ributors are not and cannot be held responsible for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained there from. Amiga Report is not affiliated with Commodore-Amiga, Inc., Commodore Business Machines, Ltd., or any other Amiga publication in any way. =========================================================================== Only * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * _ _ __ ___ _ * * /\\ |\\ /| || // \ /\\ * * / \\ | \\ /|| ||(< __ / \\ * * /--- \\| \X || || \\_||/--- \\ * * /______________________________\\ * * / \\ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Makes it possible!! @endnode @node "menu" "Amiga Report Main Menu" @toc "menu" @{" Columns and Features " link P1} News, Reviews, and More! @{" About AMIGA REPORT " link P2} Staff, Copyright information @{" Dealer Directory " link P3} Dealer Addresses and Numbers @{" Commercial Online Services " link P4} Sign-up information @{" FTP Announcements " link P5} Files available for FTP @{" AR Distribution Sites " link P2-1} Where to get AMIGA REPORT /// 09/10/93 Amiga Report 1.24 "Your Weekly Source for Amiga Information" -------------------------- · The Editor's Desk · CPU Report · New Products · Dealer Directory · AR Online · AR Confidential · SHI News · Dune II · Viruses Wanted » Babylon 5 Wins an Emmy! « » Another New Virus « =========================================================================== Amiga Report International Online Magazine "Your Weekly Source for Amiga Information" » FEATURING WEEKLY « Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware · Software · Corporate · R & D · Imports =========================================================================== @{" DELPHI " link P4-1} · @{" PORTAL " link P4-2} · @{" FIDO " link P2-1} · @{" INTERNET " link P4-5} · @{" BIX " link P4-6} =========================================================================== @endnode @node P1 "Columns and Features" @toc "menu" @{" From the Editor's Desk " link P1-1} Saying it like it is! @{" CPU Status Report " link P1-2} Computer Products Update @{" Babylon 5 Wins an EMMY! " link P1-3} Special effects in a TV movie @{" CBM Distributer in Europe " link P1-4} ACER distributes CBM PCs @{" Touch Monitor for the Amiga " link P1-5} MicroTouch's low-cost touch monitor @{" Mindless Babble " link P1-6} Changes at "In The MeanTime" and more... @{" PCMCIA EtherNet Adapter " link P1-7} For OpenBook by Socket Communications @{" HP offers $200 rebate " link P1-8} On purchase of a Color Scanner @{" Amiga Online Reference Manual " link P1-9} v2.1 Online help for the Amiga @{" KeyBang v2.0 available " link P1-10} Bringing children closer to the Amiga @{" Online Weekly " link P1-11} The lines ARE buzzing! @{" AR available on WWW " link P1-12} Read it on the InterNet! @{" SHI News - Virus Alert " link P1-13} New virus found! @{" SHI News - Notice! " link P1-14} Is Virus_Checker dying? @{" SHI News - Virii Wanted! " link P1-15} Send SHI those Virii! @{" UseNet Review - Dune II " link P1-16} The Battle for Arrakis @{" UseNet Review " link P1-17} DPS Personal Animation Recorder @{" AR Confidential " link P1-18} A new modem standard? @{" The Humor Department " link P1-19} Jokes, Quotes, & Shameless plugs @endnode @node P2 "About Amiga Report" @toc "menu" @{" For Starters " link P2-1} Where to get AMIGA REPORT @{" AR Staff " link P2-2} The Editors, and Contributers @{" In Closing " link P2-3} Copyright Information @endnode @node P4 "Commercial Online Services" @toc "menu" @{" Delphi " link P4-1} It's getting better all the time! @{" Portal " link P4-2} A great place for Amiga users... @{" Holonet " link P4-3} Inexpensive Internet Access @{" NVN " link P4-4} National Videotex Network @{" InterNet " link P4-5} Subscribe to the AR Mailing List @{" BIX " link P4-6} For Serious Programmers and Developers @endnode @node P5 "FTP Announcements" @toc "menu" @{" ARN v1.03a " link P5-1} Newsreader FUW UUCP/UseNet @{" PriMan v1.0 " link P5-2} User-Friendly Task Priority Manager @{" YAK v1.53 " link P5-3} A multi-purpose commodity @endnode ----------------------------------------- @node P2-1-1 "NOVA" @toc "menu" * NOVA BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running Starnet BBS * Wayne Stonecipher, Sysop FidoNet 1:362/508 An Amiga Software Distribution Site (ADS) 615-472-9748 USR DS 16.8 24hrs - 7 days Cleveland, Tennessee @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-2 "In The MeanTime" @toc "menu" * IN THE MEANTIME BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running Starnet BBS * Robert Niles, Sysop rniles@imtired.com FidoNet 1:3407/104 509-966-3828 Supra V.32bis 24hrs - 7 days Yakima, Washington ******* Notice ******* After 13 September 1993, In The MeanTime will no longer be on FidoNet, thus we will no longer be accepting File REQuests (FREQs). We WILL be still accepting calls and will have the latest edition of Amiga Report online. Downloads to first time callers are still accepted. For the west coast call @{"Cloud's Corner" link P2-1-3} to FREQ the latest edition of Amiga Report. @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-3 "Cloud's Corner" @toc "menu" * CLOUD'S CORNER BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site Starnet/MebbsNet Support Site West Coast USA * Running Starnet BBS * Larry Cloud, Sysop FidoNet 1:350/30 206-377-4290 USR HST DS 24hrs - 7 days Bremerton, Washington @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-4 "Biosmatica" @toc "menu" * BIOSMATICA BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Portugal * Running Excelsior/Trapdoor/UUCP * Celso Martinho, Sysop FidoNet 2:361/9 +351-34-382320 V.32bis 24hrs - 7 days @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-5 "Amiga Junction 9" @toc "menu" * AMIGA JUNCTION 9 * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- United Kingdom * Running DLG Professional * Stephen Anderson, Sysop Internet: user_name@junct9.royle.org Line 1 +44 (0)372 271000 14400 V.32bis/HST Fido 2:253/510 Line 2 +44 (0)372 278000 14400 V.32bis only Fido 2:253/520 Line 3 +44 (0)372 279000 2400 V.42bis/MNP Fido 2:253/530 Sysop Email: sysadmin@junct9.royle.org @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-6 @toc "menu: * BITSTREAM BBS * The BBS of the Nelson (NZ) Amiga Users Group Official Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running Xenolink 1.0 Z.3 * Glen Roberts, Sysop FidoNet 3:771/850 +64 3 5485321 Supra V.32bis 24hrs - 7 days Nelson, New Zealand @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-7 "Realm of Twilight" @toc "menu" * REALM OF TWILIGHT BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Canada * Running Excelsior! BBS * Thorsten Schiller, Sysop Usenet: realm.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca UUCP: ...!uunet.ca!tdkcs!realm FIDO: 1:221/202 Fish: 33:33/8 24hrs - 7 days 519-748-9365 (2400 baud) 519-748-9026 (v.32bis) Ontario, Canada Hardware: Amiga 3000, 105 Meg Quantum, 213 Meg Maxtor, 5 megs RAM @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-8 "Metnet Triangle" @toc "menu" METNET TRIANGLE SYSTEM Official Amiga Report Distribution Site UK Support for Mebbsnet * Running Mebbsnet and Starnet 1.02a * Jon Witty, Sysop FIDO: 2:252/129.0 24 hrs - 7 days Line 1: 44-482-473871 16.8 DS HST Lines 2-7: 44-482-442251 2400 (6 lines) Line 8: 44-482-491744 2400 Line 9: 44-482-449028 2400 Voice helpline 44-482-491752 (anytime) Fully animated menus + normal menu sets. 500 megs HD - Usual software/messages Most doors online - Many Sigs - AMIGA AND PC SUPPORT Very active userbase and busy conference Precious days and MUD online. AMUL support site. @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-9 "Omaha Amiganet" @toc "menu" * OMAHA AMIGANET * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running DLG Professional * Andy Wasserman, Sysop 24 hrs - 7 days FidoNet: 1:285/11 AmigaNet: 40:200/10 Line 1: 402-333-5110 V.32bis Line 2: 402-691-0104 USR DS Omaha, Nebraska @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-10 "Amiga-Night-System" @toc "menu" * AMIGA-NIGHT-SYSTEM * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site - Finland * Running DLG Professional * Janne Saarme, Sysop 24 hrs - 7 days InterNet: luumu@fenix.pp.fi FidoNet: 2:220/550.0 +358-0-675840 V.32bis Helsinki, Finland @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-50 "Freeland Mainframe" @toc "menu" * FREELAND MAINFRAME * Offical Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running DLG Progessional * John Freeland, SysOp 206-438-1670 Supra 2400zi 206-438-2273 Telebit WorldBlazer(v.32bis) 206-456-6013 Supra v.32bis 24hrs - 7 days Internet - freemf.eskimo.com Olympia, Washington @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-51 "LAHO" @toc "menu" * LAHO BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Finland * Running MBBS * Juha Makinen, Sysop +358-64-414 1516, V.32/HST +358-64-414 0400, V.32/HST +358-64-414 6800, V.32/HST +358-64-423 1300, V.32 MNP Seinajoki, Finland Our machine is a 386/33 with 20MB of memory, 1GB harddisk and upcoming CD-ROM drive. The BBS software is a Norwegian origin MBBS running in a DesqView window. We have over 6000 files online (no CD-ROM yet) containing titles for PC and Amiga or both like GIF-pictures, music-modules and text-files. The upload/download ratio is a very lousy 1:100. (i.e. you upload a 20k file and may download 2MB). Messages are mainly written in Finnish, but English is widely used by Swedish-speaking and international callers. Download-access will be granted when asked. Also Amiga-areas are available for those who will need them to avoid 'wars' between PC and Amiga users. Access to sex pictures and stories are only for persons over 18 years and given when requested. Every user has an access to download filelist (LAHOFIL.ZIP), list of Finnish 24-hour BBS's (BBSLIST.ZIP or BBSLIST.LHA) and every issue of the Amiga Report Magazine (AR101.LHA-AR1??.LHA) on their first call. The system is 4.5 years old and sponsored by the local telephone company, Vaasan Laanin Puhelin Oy. SysOps: Lenni Uitti (Main SysOp) Juha Makinen (SysOp of the Amiga-areas) Tero Manninen (SysOp of the PC-areas) @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-52 "Falling BBS" @toc "menu" * FALLING BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Norway * Running ABBS * Christopher Naas, Sysop +47 69 256117 V.32bis 24hrs - 7 days EMail: naasc@cnaas.adsp.sub.org @endnode ------------------------------------------ @node P2-1-53 "Command Line BBS" @toc "menu" * COMMAND LINE BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Canada Canada's Amiga Graphics & Animation Source * Running AmiExpress BBS * Nick Poliwko, Sysop 416-533-8321 V.32 24hrs - 7 days Toronto, Canada @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-54 "Rendezvous BBS" @toc "menu" * RENDEZVOUS BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site - New Zealand New Zealand Excelsior! BBS Support Site * Running Excelsior! Professional BBS * David Dustin, Sysop Internet: postmaster@eclipse.acme.gen.nz +64 6 3566375 Supra V.32bis 24hrs - 7 days Palmerston North, New Zealand @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-55 "Leguans Byte Channel" @toc "menu" * LEGUANS BYTE CHANNEL * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site -- Germany * Running EazyBBS V2.11 * Andreas Geist, Sysop Usenet: andreas@lbcmbx.in-berlin.de 24 hrs - 7 days Line 1: 49-30-8110060 USR DS 16.8 Line 2: 49-30-8122442 USR DS 16.8 Login as User: "amiga", Passwd: "report" @endnode ------------------------------------------- @node P2-1-56 "Dead Fish BBS" @toc "menu" * THE DEAD FISH BBS * Official Amiga Report Distribution Site * Running Excelsior * Aaron Wald, Sysop (914) 425-6015 V.32bis Supra 24 Hrs 7 Days Internet: dfbbs.linet.org Amiganet 40:714/14.0 @endnode --------------------------------------------