*---== ST REPORT ONLINE MAGAZINE ==---* """"""""""""""""""""""""" "The Original Online ST Magazine" _______________________________ August 11, 1989 Vol III No.100 ======================================================================= ST Report Online Magazine¿ __________________________ Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236 ~ 6672 R.F. Mariano Publisher - Editor _________________________________________ Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST FAX: 904-783-3319 12 AM - 6 AM EDT _________________________________________ ** F-NET NODE 350 ** FIDOMAIL NODE 1:363/37 ** Our support BBS carries ALL issues of STReport and An International list of private BBS systems carrying STReport for their users enjoyment __________________________________________________________________ > Issue: #100 STReport¿ The Online Magazine of Choice! ------------------- - The Editors' Podium - CPU REPORT - RISC - What is it? - DCS's NEW SOFTWARE!! - Maxwell's GOGO ST! - Neil Harris, Another Look - BLOODWYCH - A preview - VIDI ST In Depth Review - Spectrum Holobyte SILENT! - Mediocre Software Hurts! - DOUBLE CLICK -> DC TALK! - ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL ----====***** SAM SEZ; "TOS 1.4 IS GENERALLY AVAILABLE"! *****====---- ======================================================================= AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ======================================================================= > The Editor's Podium¿ Here we are, another week closer to the "grand revelation" (8/25) and I still see where there are serious, though easily corrected, problems glaringly evident. Jerry Pournelle, the man who is single handedly responsible for 1/3 of Byte Magazine's readership, is totally ignored by the "wizards" at Atari. We felt we had to say something here because we are seeing the parallels between the attitude of "Pournelle ain't that effective" to many of the, off the cuff, snap decisions we have seen for the last three years that usually resulted in tumultuous disasters. To those at Atari who feel Jerry Pournelle is not widely read and believed, let me say this, at this point in time, Pournelle's credibility in the computer world is infinitely larger, stronger and easier to go for than 'anybody in computing' especially Atari. ("The record speaks for itself") If Atari is sincere about it's resurgence in the USA, they would be well advised to have the Jerry Pournelles, along with EVERY editor or publisher, well informed directly from Atari without immature bias and radical behavior on the part of certain of it's execs. We wonder how everyone felt when they saw all the fancy desktop publishing systems on the cover of Computer Shopper with Atari's entry obvious by it's absence. One can only wonder if it would have been as easy to ignore the Mega, SLM804, Moniterm DTP combo if Pournelle had been writing about Atari's newest developments all along. The present midlevel leadership at Atari is to be commended for trying to get the job done and done right. These people, along with those who work directly with them are doing a helluva job. Not unlike the "Chiefs" in the USN, who actually keep things going, these folks have weathered most all the rough times and managed to keep the the 'good' ship Atari afloat. It is time for the highly placed execs to mature with the industry and quit the childish games. Surely, the main man didn't drive a cab and fix broken typewriters back in the Bronx for it all to come to.. "games grown men play in a sandbox". Truly, it is time for the leaders at Atari to either 'lead' and/or allow the hired professionals to do the job with out fear of the revolving door if they offend one of the 'boys'. We feel the record needs to be set straight regarding the relationship between STReport Online Magazine and John Townsend. We are concerned about the fact there are those who seem to feel we are adversaries. Nothing could be further from the truth! Although we may disagree over certain issues, it is strictly on a professional basis. We, at STReport, realize statements and releases of information from Atari must contain only the "approved" words. John, and the rest of the younger folks working for Atari perform a valuable service to the Atari community, of this there is no doubt. At all times, although we may be critical of Atari, make no mistake, there is nothing personal involved. We hold John and all the hard working folks at Atari in the highest esteem. We appreciate them even if it appears that we 'pick on em' Thanks again, for your support, Ralph..... ps; What.....is a "software engine"? And.. why is it when the flow control fix is installed, it's permanent? "ATARI IS BACK!" ********************************************************************** :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT: _________________________________ To sign up for GEnie service: Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369. Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that). Wait for the U#= prompt. Type XJM11877,GEnie and hit RETURN. The system will prompt you for your information. THE GENIE ATARI ST ROUNDTABLE - AN OVERVIEW ___________________________________________ The Roundtable is an area of GEnie specifically set aside for owners and users of Atari ST computers, although all are welcome to participate. There are three main sections to the Roundtable: the Bulletin Board, the Software Library and the Real Time Conference area. The Bulletin Board contains messages from Roundtable members on a variety of Topics, organized under several Categories. These messages are all Open and available for all to read (GEnie Mail should be used for private messages). If you have a question, comment, hot rumor or an answer to someone else's question, the Bulletin Board is the place to share it. The Software Library is where we keep the Public Domain software files that are available to all Roundtable members. You can 'download' any of these files to your own computer system by using a Terminal Program which uses the 'XMODEM' file-transfer method. You can also share your favorite Public Domain programs and files with other Roundtable members by 'uploading' them to the Software Library. Uploading on GEnie is FREE, so you are encouraged to participate and help your Roundtable grow. The Real Time Conference is an area where two or more Roundtable members may get together and 'talk' in 'real-time'. You can participate in organized conferences with special guests, drop in on our weekly Open COnference, or simply join in on an impromptu chat session. Unlike posting messages or Mail for other members to read at some later time, everyone in the Conference area can see what you type immediately, and can respond to you right away, in an 'electronic conversation'. ********************************************************************** > Examining RISC STR Feature¿ ========================== RISC Computer Architecture =========================== by Kevin Moody ABSTRACT: RISC, which stands for reduced instruction set computer, promises a new generation of faster machines. This is possible by using a small set of simple instructions. The trend has always been to build CISCs (complex instruction set computers), which use many detailed instructions. However more hardware has to be used, thus slowing down processing time. Unfortunately, no universally accepted RISC design has been accepted. Available RISC architectures cover a wide spectrum of strategies. The most recently designed processors contain a mixture of reduced and complex instruction sets. The debate still rages over what clearly defines RISC architecture. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this report is to examine RISC architecture - weighing the benefits of the design, and compare some of the RISC based processor packages on the market today. Most designs strive to attain several common goals. Ideally, instruction sets should have fewer than 40 instructions, contain minimal address modes and instruction formats, and using large register files one instruction can be executed in one clock cycle. However, only load and store commands would access memory and would require two clock cycles. The principles of understanding optimizing compilers lead to the development of RISC. A RISC processor relies on a compiler optimized to convert high-level instructions (with languages such as C and Pascal) into sequences of low-level operations. This reduces the control unit to occupy about 10% of the CPU area. Unlike CISC instruction sets which monopolize valuable chip space causing high overhead costs, the RISC based CPU has more room for larger cache, register files, pipeline control circuitry, or a floating point unit. The true performance measure of any micro-processor is the time it takes to complete a given task. All processors or array of processors are compared by the following criteria: The average number of clock cycles per instruction execution (CPI), The duration of the clock cycle, and the amount of instructions required to perform one task. All processors can increase their performance by minimizing the duration of the clock cycle (increasing clock rates). However, RISC automatically minimizes CPI with its large register file and with minimal memory accesses. RISC ARCHITECTURE: As stated in the abstract their are many architectural strategies for designing RISC. A simple RISC architecture will be examined with: Three register file windows each containing 32 registers; instruction, data, addresses, and registers widths all 32 bits long; and fast internal pipelining. The majority of the instructions operate on registers with the exception of load and store which move data between memory and register. Although the idea behind RISC is reduced instructions many subroutines are performed to make up for its lack of complex instructions. Because subroutines rely on branch or procedure call statements, the RISC register window scheme makes the call operation as fast as possible. Entire register windows are overlapped in a fashion to pass, save, and restore registers to a calling procedure. Thus each procedure call results in a new set of registers being allocated for use by that procedure. There is also room for global registers R0 to R9, (used throughout a given program) which are neither saved nor restored. As an example, for a given window, the registers R10 to R31 are divided into three parts. Registers R10 to R15 are for parameters to be passed to the called procedure. R16 to R25 are used for local scalar storage. Registers R26 to R31 contain parameters passed from the calling procedure. Registers R10 to R15 and R26 to R31 have local registers depending on the size of the passing parameters. A new set of registers (R10 to R31) is allocated on each call. The low registers of the caller are required to become the high registers of the called procedure. Thus, parameters are passed without moving information along busses. Allocating variables in registers is handling the problem of pointers. RISC gives addresses to the window registers and if a portion of the address space is reserved a comparison is done to see whether an address points to a register or to memory. The instruction format for opcoding and addressing is broken down into opcode(7), scc(1), dest(5), source1(5), imm(1), source2(13). Notice the small width of the opcode. For register to register instructions, source1 is copied to dest. If imm equals 1, then source2 is regarded as a sign-extended 13-bit constant. imm is normally 0 because of the frequency of integer use. scc determines whether condition codes are set. RISC depends more on the architecture of a fast internal pipeline than on clock speed. Piping is necessary to keep the ALU processing constantly. In a worst case, CISCs ALU is waiting on the buss for a memory fetch. Stripping away interlocks and bubbles that cause pipeline stalls yields another approach to RISC. ESTABLISHED DESIGNS: Many computer companies are running the race for designing RISC based or hybrid based systems. The C100 Clipper was one of the first to become popular. Motorola's MC88000 three-chip set is one of the fastest RISC designs to date. Advanced Micro Design's Am29000 is a RISC design with unusually large register file. The CY7C601 Sparc processor has a register file consisting of 136 general purpose 32-bit register configured with eight windows of 24 registers each. The first ECL RISC is being designed by Bipolar Integrated Technology is expected to deliver 40 MIPS at 65MHz. Although America has the lead on RISC design, other foreign countries are waiting to see if the trend will set. Some current RISC based systems are Current systems are rated below. SYSTEM MIPS CLOCK(MHZ) HP Spectrum 7 15 Motorola 88K 20 20 Clipper 13 33 AMD 29000 17 25 CONCLUSION: RISC instruction sets allow incredibly fast theoretical speeds at one instruction per cycle. But efficient memory management and optimizing compilers are the real keys to RISC success. Although some critics view RISC as a fad, the market is predicted to grow to $450 million by 1992. RISC technology can provide enhanced performance and support new software applications. The hardware development time is significantly less than CISC processors, meaning lowered development cost and faster time to market. ref. Electronic Design (July 28) Electronic Design (April 28) Modern Computer Architecture 'Rafiquzzaman and Chandra' _____________________________________________________________________ > DC - NEW GOODIES!! STR NewsPlus¿ Double Click unleashes "MORE POWER"! =============================== DOUBLE CLICK'S AAA OFFERINGS ============================ by Ron Brunk DoubleClick software will be releasing a series of new utility programs next week at the Dallas WOA (World of Atari). One of these programs, DCSquish, compresses executable files to an average of 71% of the original size, a savings of 29%. In some cases the squished file is even smaller than if arced. The new file includes a "loadpactor" (load compactor) which loads the compacted file into memory, allowing it to execute normally. While most files load too quickly to measure any difference in execution time (at least without a stopwatch), series of programs (like the auto file) and programs with measurable execution time (like Pagestream - 7 seconds) boot just as fast when squished. Since the loadpactor decodes the squished file and sends a copy of the "original" to memory at execution, there is no change in memory used by the program. As each file is squished, the original file is renamed filename.xyz and the squished file is named filename.ext (ext=prg, ttp, tos, acc, as appropriate) ready for use. So far I've attempted to squish 111 files, 97 of which were successful and saved me more than 880K in hardisk space. This represents just my accessory and utility folders and a couple others at random, so that I expect to more than double this number eventually. Should attempts to do the same for other types of files (i.e. .rsc, .dat, .txt, etc.) the savings will be phenomenal. The remaining 14 files that were not squished were very small (less than 2-3K) and resulted in a "not compressed enough" message. 95 of the 97 programs worked perfectly, although 4 of the 97 squished programs (Control.acc, Red Lightning, and Stellar Crusade) had problems at first with the new Pinhead 1.2 freeware program from Charles Johnson of CodeHead Software. Briefly, Pinhead works this way: when TOS runs a program, it usually takes time to clear all of the TPA (transient program area) before the program runs. Even though this clearing process is not guaranteed, some programs assume this will happen. Pinhead intercepts this process and clears just the "BSS" (the ram area used by the program for various tasks) plus an additional 16K, saving a great deal of time. This is especially noticeable during the auto folder loading process during bootup. Although Pinhead has the option to abort it's fastload, DCSquish has an option that fixes this. The only squished program that wouldn't run even with this option was Flash. In addition, while the squished Quickview works with the BSS option, a small problem appears in which screen redraws are not done under the mouse. In any event, if a program does not work when squished, it can be unsquished to it's original condition with no permanent modifications remaining. The only other problems I had were: 1) Programs squished in the auto folder do not retain their original order of execution and have to be re-sorted. This us unavoidable and no big deal, really, unless you forget to note the proper order of execution. 2) Self modifying programs (i.e. MultiDesk) will not recognize themselves in a squished format if you try to modify them. So unless you never change them, it is probably not worth the few bytes you'd save since you'd have to unsquish before modifying it each time. Using the program is very easy. The opening screen gives you the 3 options, squish, unsquish, and info, all of which will bring up the file selector from which to choose a file to: 1) Squish- the file will be squished, and an info screen will show the original file size, the squished file size, % space saved, and the squish version number. An unsuccessful squish will display a message to that affect and return you to the opening screen with nothing changed. If a file has already been squished, the program will inform you and again return you to the opening screen. Just below the squish button is the BSS sub-option for programs that have problems with Pinhead. 2) Unsquish- the file is unsquished to it's original state. The squished file is renamed to filename.zyx, and the original is restored with it's old name. 3) Info- the info screen is displayed for the file selected if it is a squished file, otherwise it will exit to the opening screen. Other DoubleClick software that will be making it's debut is: 1) DCRamdisk- A reset proof ram disk (accessory or program) that is fast! It is specified to emulate a disk drive by specifying sides, tracks, and sectors. 2) D_Ram_It- can save DCRamdisk to a disk drive as specified in the ram disk set up (sides, tracks, sectors). It can also save all the files on the ram disk as a single "image" file. This allows you to easily load the same file setup (i.e. .prg and .rsc and .dat files) in one fell swoop. 3) DCXtract- An arc file extractor installed as a desk accessory, and compatible with MultiDesk. It extracts files as fast as Dcopy (1/4 of the time required by arc.ttp) because all operations are done in memory. Although barebones at this time, features planned include: a) Unarcing multiple files to individual folders, including sub-arcs (arc files within the "root" arc) to sub-files (like arcit shell). b) "Display" of all files within an arc file. c) Extracting individual files from arc file. Choices will be made by clicking with mouse on filenames in display screen. d) Ability to read text files within an arc file without unarcing. 4) DCSea- converts an arc file (filename.arc) to a Self Extracting Arc (SEA) file (filename.prg). Double clicking on the resulting file extracts the arc file without the use of any other program, no other program required. Although it doesn't have any bells and whistles, and uses an extra 4646 bytes for the extractor, it is ideal for beginners files for new users. I wish I'd had this the first time I came across an arc file, and it had the arc utilities inside it. I still remember my frustration as I tried double clicking, printing, renaming... 5) DCDskorg- a desktop organizer which converts desktop.inf files to executable programs. Originally intended to quickly recall common window set ups, the resulting programs allow you to load different desktops corresponding to the source desktop.inf files without rebooting. _____________________________________________________________________ > VIDIST STR Review¿ An in-depth view of vidi ST and its features. ================= ST VIDEO GRAPHICS ================= by R. Kindig Requirements: Any Atari ST with at least 512K RAM, single-sided drive, and color or mono monitor. Composite input from VCR, TV, or Camcorder. 1 Meg RAM and color monitor recommended. Introduction ------------ As the front of the manual states, Vidi-ST is a "video digitizer for Atari ST computers." Having some brief experience with ST digitizers through ownership of the Navarone video digitizer, I was rather soured on the quality of such equipment for the ST. Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw a demonstration of Vidi-ST at the Dearborn World of Atari in June! I was so impressed that I immediately pulled out my plastic and purchased one on the spot, even though I had not planned to buy anything remotely like that when I attended the show. Packaging --------- The small Vidi-ST box contains the Vidi-ST cartridge, a non copy-protected single-sided disk with the capture software, a cable with an RCA-type plug on either end, a small 16-page stapled manual, and a registration card. The registration card can be ignored, I was told, because the manufacturer, ROMBO Productions, is based in Scotland. I filled out an information card at the time of purchase and was told this would be my registration. The manual is very brief, but fairly well written. It contains a table of contents, instructions on setting up Vidi-ST, a description of software features, and instructions about a supplied machine code interface. It also contains a 1-page addendum dated 4/5/89 which talks about changes to the software for version 1.25. As it turns out, the manual gets little use because the software is so easy to use. However, it can be entertaining to read through the manual and see the language differences between U.S. English and U.K. English. In particular, some words are spelled differently. Also, some phrases sound particularly odd to Americans. Some example of this are "ring for details" rather than "call for details" or "straight away" instead of "right away" or "immediately." Setup ----- The Vidi-ST cartridge is a small black box approx. 2 3/4 inches in length, 2 1/2 inches in width, and 1 1/8 inches in depth. It contains a cartridge port connector, a video input jack, and 3 adjustment controls (for brightness, contrast, and scan frequency). To connect it, MAKE SURE THE COMPUTER IS OFF and plug Vidi-ST into the cartridge port using (what else?) the cartridge port connector. This is where I ran into problems. First of all, I could not get the cartridge to insert flush with the computer, even though the manual says it should. I was afraid to push too hard, for fear I would damage the cartridge or the computer (and my wallet!). Secondly, the cartridge sticks out the side of the computer a long way. Due to limited space on my computer desk (and a short hard drive cable), this forced me to unhook my hard drive from the computer in order to pull it out further for Vidi-ST. Also, Vidi-ST is just as hard to remove as it is to insert. My greatest fear is that I will break the cartridge during insertion or removal, but I can't leave it inserted because it sticks out so far. Unfortunately, this means I won't be using Vidi-ST on a regular basis and that I will have to make the most of each session that I use it. These complaints aside, which are true in varying degrees for other cartridges on a 520 or 1040, once the cartridge is inserted the rest of the setup is pretty simple. Vidi-ST only works with a composite video source. This means you can connect a VCR, TV, or camcorder to it. If using a VCR, or a TV through a VCR, the supplied cable with RCA plugs on both ends will suffice for the connection. Put one plug into the video out jack of the composite source and the other end into the video input jack of Vidi-ST. In the case of a camcorder, you may need a phono-BNC cable, which has an RCA plug on one end and a BNC on the other. My camcorder came with such a cable. At this point you are ready to turn the computer on. You may want to boot up with few auto programs and accessories. The less memory made available to the Vidi-ST software, the fewer screens you can capture during the digitizing process. After bootup, you are ready to have some fun! Digitizing ---------- The software supplied with Vidi-ST is excellent, but has a few limitations that I will detail later. Here are some of the more important features of Vidi-ST: - It can grab up to 30 frames per second with a color monitor (25 for European 50 Hz monitors, 35 for mono monitors) in 16 shades. No still source is needed. - The captured frames are stored in memory for later manipulation or animation. - Cut and paste can be performed between screens. - A palette can be assigned to individual screens. Some palettes are provided, or you can make your own. This means that although Vidi-ST does not capture colors, only shades, you can provide a palette to give a picture true-to-life colors. - Analog and digital controls are provided to adjust brightness and contrast. - It is fully GEM-driven. The supplied disk contains several files. There are 9 different palettes which are loaded when the program starts up, a README file with the most recent changes and information, the machine code interface program for writing your own capture software, the main VIDI.PRG capture software, a mono version called VIDIMONO.PRG, and some sample pictures and palettes. All of Vidi-STs features are accessed from the main screen. One of the nicest features is the fact that most functions can be controlled any one of 3 ways. First of all, there is a standard GEM menu bar at the top. Drop down a menu and click on an item to access it. The second method for many items is a parameter bar at the bottom of the screen. Some are turned on or off by clicking the left button on that item, others are adjusted by clicking on an up or down arrow next to the item. The third method consists of a single keypress to initiate the item. These three methods allow you to use whatever method you are most comfortable with. I found the parameter bar easiest to use because I didn't have to remember keystrokes or hunt for the item I wanted in the drop down menus. To start grabbing pictures, there are several items you may want to adjust first. I found the bootup defaults to be satisfactory for my purposes. The first option is the grab mode. It can be set to RUN (grab multiple frames), ONE (grab single frame), or SEE (shows the last frame stored in the cartridge). The next item is the grab delay for setting the amount of time between successive grabs in RUN mode. The units for this item are dependent on the monitor type (color, European, or mono). Next, brightness can be set in the software before or during grab or with a small pot on the cartridge and contrast can be adjusted with a control knob on the cartridge. I found the factory settings to be acceptable. Once everything is set the way you want it, click on grab on the parameter bar (or on the menu bar, or press the 'G' key). What follows is the fun part! Turn on your video source. A very short delay will occur while Vidi-ST is synchronizing with the input. Suddenly, the screens will appear in real time on the monitor just as if you were watching them on a TV set. These are the digitized pictures. They are continuously captured to memory in a round-robin style. That is, the last 25 frames (on a 1 Meg machine, 9 on a 512K machine, >25 on a larger machine) will be in memory when the grab is stopped. Press the space bar to stop grabbing. Click on SCRN on the parameter bar or choose SELECT from the OPTIONS menu and 16 screens at once from those captured will show in a reduced format. You can page through any remaining screens by clicking on an up or down arrow. Click on a picture to expand it back to full-screen size and to make it the current screen. An alternate method is to toggle through the screen numbers on the parameter bar and click on 'V' to view it. Many capabilities are available at this point to manipulate the captured screens. For instance, an animation mode will play back the screens at rapid speed, which can be quite humorous if the object is a person performing an act such as scratching his nose. Cut and paste operations between screens can be performed. Palettes can be saved or loaded. Pictures can be loaded or saved in NEO or DEGAS format. A simple slideshow function is available for viewing the pictures in memory. A window can be defined on a screen and additional grabbing can be done which will only update inside or outside (at your option) the window. A clipboard can be defined for copying portions of pictures into. Screens can locked so that additional grabs will not overwrite those screens. As you can see, the software for Vidi-ST is flexible enough on its own to qualify as a decent graphics manipulation program. Limitations ----------- As flexible as the software is, there are some glaring limitations. For instance, the print option for printing captured pictures is not yet functional. This requires you to load the saved picture into another program for printing. Also, future versions of the program are supposed to support the IMG picture format, but version 1.25 does not. Another major limitation is the fact that you cannot save or load groups of pictures, only individual ones. If you desire to save all 25 pictures on a 1 Meg machine as an animation, you must go through the save process 25 times, each time incrementing the current screen number. The first 2 items are supposed to be corrected in future versions, the third was not mentioned anywhere, so it's not known whether it will be implemented. The other major area of software limitations will be of interest to monochrome monitor users. Vidi-ST cannot currently be recommended to these people. Many features of the software simply are not available. The only features which can be used are grab, brightness control and saving and loading pictures in DEGAS .PI3 format. When the grab function is used, garbage appears on the bottom of the screen. Also, grabs are very slow, with approx. 1 second between grabs. This is dramatically slower than on a color monitor. The reason for this is that the cartridge actually captures in low res format and the software has to convert every picture to high res before displaying it. Summary ------- Vidi-ST is an excellent, real-time video digitizer for the Atari ST. The quality of the digitized pictures is as good or better than those requiring a still frame. The software supplied is very powerful, but has some limitations. Some of these limitations should be corrected in future versions. Quality of support is unknown at this time because the manufacturer, ROMBO Productions, is based in Scotland. This could cause difficulties in getting support. ____________________________________________________________________ > MAXWELL C.P.U. STReport InfoFile¿ The "New Kids on the block!" ================================ MaxWell C.P.U. (Computer Products Unlimited) Located in Lafayette, Colorado, on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and eight miles east of Boulder, Colorado, MaxWell C.P.U. is one of two companies founded by Tim Reyes and Mikel Cawthon. They are quite enthusiastic ST developers and a ST based Graphics company - MaxWell Graphics and Publications. The name MaxWell was taken from the name of the physicist which developed Electro-magnetic theory - James Clerk Maxwell. Over the last hundred years, it has been theorists like Maxwell and experimentalists like Tesla that have lead the world into the computer-communications age. MaxWell C.P.U. has depends upon the team work of Mike Cawthon, the DTP specialist, Mark Cawthon, the main programmer, and Tim Reyes, concept developer and team leader. We have attracted a second ST programmer, Doug Dosheen, giving MaxWell two assembly and three GEM-C programmers. We are hard at work on a new utility for the ST and a new hardware product both of which will make all Atari ST computers more productive machines. And as far as GOGO ST is concerned, "you ain't seen nuthin yet"! They are completing work on a new version that will certainly offer stiff competition both NeoDesk and HotWire. And, at the same time, be a savings to you. We are very excited about the new software development programs in place at MaxWell C.P.U. Inc. MaxWell Graphics and Publications is a desktop publishing and offset print shop. In association with freelance graphical artist, Sharon Solomon, they are a complete graphical design company. The print shop is well equipped with a Multilith 1250 offset press, a 36 inch paper cutter, and a complete set of bindery equipment. The very professional layout equipment includes a Mega 4 ST with 134 meg of storage, a 2.5 meg 1040 with 42 meg storage , a 520, an Atari SLM804 with Ultrascript and a HP Scanjet. Additionally, Maxwell also uses a 286 12 Mhz machine as a daytime BBS and at night as an IBM based desktop publishing machine. This is a very turbulent year for Atari's products. Hopefully, Atari will more than just pull through and raise its product line and product support a step or two closer to the Gang of Two - IBM & Apple. MaxWell C.P.U. will be bringing you more outstanding products to enhance the value of the Atari ST. The good folks at Maxwell are very conscious of the value of good customer support. They have assured us that they will develop a great customer support system as well. Keep a sharp lookout for all the NEW MaxWell Products! For more Info, please contact: MaxWell C.P.U. 507 W. Baseline Lafayette, CO 80026 Voice: (303)665-4849(8AM-5PM) BBS: (303)666-447 (8AM-8PM) __________________________________________________________________ > Neil Harris STR Feature¿ Is Neil Harris a legendary Atari figurehead? ======================= Neil Harris; Another Look ========================= "A warning, to all who would hold the messenger liable for the news he brings.... be forever fair, hold accountable the source". by R.F. Mariano Most all the users who grew up with an Atari of one type or another in front of them remember Neil Harris. The older users who ascended from the eight bit machines to the 16 bit machines most definitely remember Neil. I know he is very well known and easily remembered around these parts. The reasons for this article could be listed ..however, once the article was begun, it became apparent that a candid approach would be much better. Going back almost two years ago, we found Neil in the heyday of his career as the VOICE of Atari. Well, actually, he was (it seemed) their "chief cook and bottle washer". At this point in time, Neil seemed to relish the thought of handling the broad spectrum of duties and responsibilities assigned to him. In fact, another person in his office at the time, Sandy Austin, and Neil made for a remarkable team. A point many of us failed to realize was that Atari was signing the "paychecks" and therefore had the final say-so. As a rather outspoken critic of Neil Harris we, on more than occasion, took him severely to task for various statements he made relative to Atari, it's products and future, little did we know that this was exactly what he was told to say. In fact, according to a rather sensitive source, Neil was, on more than one occasion given certain release information on a Friday (for example) and ..by Monday, the story was totally different as far as the company was concerned. The tragic part is; Neil was not kept abreast of the latest developments thus, resulting in all the controversy surrounding "his" information. Towards the end of his tenure it was becoming evident that he had lost interest in trying to improve the situation. He was growing tired of the lack of forward movement, otherwise, why would he be the "GemStone" Champ at various shows? Spring Comdex at Atlanta was a perfect example of how Neil was given information for release to the userbase that was, destined to become a nightmare, remember the Online Conference? He was given the information that TOS 1.4 would be released by that Fall. We all know the outcome of that situation. We are STILL waiting for TOS 1.4! Again, he was given this information by the company. In our humble opinion, whether or not this was done in good faith really does not matter, when the facts changed, Neil was left to face the music alone. Along came the press, ourselves included, and literally 'pasted' Neil to the wall. A lasting, unhappy impression was made. How well we remember conversations with Neil while he was still in California. He was extremely tense and guarded in his conversations and his lack of patience and understanding was more than very evident to most who knew him. His attitude at that time reflected the tremendous pressure he was under. From himself, Atari, and the userbase. And now, after a recent and lengthy conversation with Neil, we find he is a totally different person. This fact, coupled with the information now known, has led to this article and the following statement; With the unerring benefit of very clear hindsight, we find it right and proper to offer Neil a sincere apology for having thought, mistakenly, that he was responsible for much of the misinformation and vapor for which we took him to task. We also wish to congratulate him for probably being one of the few who was able to tough it out for so long under the "expert leadership" at Atari.... In the weeks and months to come we must continually remind ourselves that the Atari folks who get online and try to help keep the signals clear are, in most cases, going about this on their own. Sure, Atari tells 'em what the limits of revelation are, but surely, they are not permitted to do these things online during company time. Have you ever looked at the post times? Reportedly, ever since the days of Commodore, the end user support picture has consistantly taken a back seat as far as the Tramiels are concerned. Comes now people like John and all the "online people" who are making all the 'right moves' to dispel this impression and we thank them for it. At the same time we entreat the users and remind ourselves not to hold them directly responsible for the lack of, or the erroneous information Atari may send our way..... ___________________________________________________________________ > BLOODWYCH DEMO! STReport OnLine¿ J. Mesa, tells all -> BloodWych. =============================== ctsy; GEnie RT BLOODWYCH, A NEW CHALLENGE! =========================== by J.M.MESA I recently picked up the August issue of ST Format magazine. To my surprise included in the magazine was a review of BLOODWYCH by Mirrorsoft. Not only did it have a review, but also it included a fully playable demo of the new FRP. To say that the game looks and plays incredibly is an immense understatement. It received a 95% rating as well as an ST Format gold software award(reserved for those truly exceptional games). What follows are some first hand impressions of the game. Character selection-- Each player(two players can play simultaneously) selects from a pool of 16 pre-generated characters one character. This character is your leader and he/she can move about and recruit as many as three other characters. The 16 selectable characters come in four classes: fighter, thief, mage, adventurer. As an example here are four characters(one from each class) along with their stats. -- Zastaph Mantric-> Strength-18 Agility-23 Intelligence-31 Charisma-19 Hit Points-17 Vitality-25 Spell Points-19 Starting Spell-Armor-->Magic User -- Sir Edward Lion-> Strength-33 Agility-26 Intelligence-14 Charisma-13 Hit Points-32 Vitality-28 Spell Points-7 Starting Spell-Missile-->Fighter -- Mr. Flay Sepulc-> Strength-13 Agility-32 Intelligence-20 Charisma-11 Hit Points-20 Vitality-99 Spell Points-10 Starting Spell-Deflect-->Thief -- Sethra Bhoaghai-> Strength-23 Agility-18 Intelligence-18 Charisma-36 Hit Points-24 Vitality-26 Spell Points-9 Starting Spell-Armor-->Adventurer Once each player has selected his leader the game begins. Each character has his own starting location in the castle, so if you want to get together you have to arrange meeting at some location. Interaction--As your single character moves about(accomplished via a very similar method as Dungeonmaster) he can meet up with various characters. Your options when you come upon someone are either to communicate or attack. If you chose to communicate the following options are given: Recruit, Identify (who goes?,thy trade?,name self?,reveal self?),Inquiry(folk lore,magic items, persons,objects),Whereabouts(of a previously spoken person,item,or location. For example, you may communicate then ask the character to identify his trade to which he/she might reply "I am a noble warrior" or "I don't speak to maggots",etc. The ability to recruit someone or even talk to someone seems to depend on the leader's charisma and class. Other options that can be used with character encounters include trading (bestow, purchase, exchange, sell), smalltalk (praise, curse, boast, retort), bribe (with gold), and threaten. Interface--As I mentioned before the look and feel of the interface is very much like Dungeonmaster, except for the fact that the screen is split horizontally in two for each player's view. Clicking on stats brings up the load/save,sleep,pause icons as well as the communications menu. Clicking on spell book allows you to flip through the spell pages and examine/cast learned spells. Clicking on status display icon brings up a screen showing your various stats. Clicking on inventory brings up graphic display of your items and tells you your current armor class. Movement is achieved by clicking on the movement arrows makes you step forward, back, turn left, turn right, side step left, and side step right. It is also possible to move via the keyboard (player 1- uses the arrow keys, player 2- uses several other keys). I should mention that the interface is a joystick based movement of a GEM-like arrow icon(two players two joysticks). To switch leader you click on one of four leader switch icons. Combat is accomplished by positioning your party directly in front of the monster/character and clicking on the fight icon. At this point, your leader will attack with his currently equipped weapon. Damage received or bestowed is briefly flashed on the screen. The spell system is very nice. You start out with certain spells and you must find the others. Casting a spell requires a certain number of spell points(the more you cast a spell the better you get at casting it). It is also possible to put more than the minimum number of spell points into a spell to make the chance of casting it better. The graphics and the interface are SUPERB, particularly considering the fact that two parties can be off in completely different areas attacking monsters, exploring, etc. Editor Note: The Demo of this game is in widespread circulation, and we highly recommend your obtaining it for your personal evaluation. We agree with the author, the composition and quality are superb. Bloodwych belongs in your library. _____________________________________________________________________ > DOUBLE CLICK STR FOCUS¿ Double Click " On the Move...." ====================== PRESS RELEASE ------------- Double Click Software Reveals New Wares ======================================= If you have enjoyed the software already produced by Double Click Software: SHADOW DC FORMATTER DC STUFFER MYSTIC DC CLOCK DC DESKEY DC-PORT Then, you will most certainly not be disappointed by the releases planned for the World of Atari show next weekend in Dallas. Double Click Software will be in booth 101, so be sure to stop by and visit them, Michael B. Vederman, Paul Lee, Gilbert Callaghan, and Keith Gerdes. Now, for a preview of what is in store for the ST userbase. In the hardware arena, DCS will be showing a prototype of DC-TALK, a high speed serial cartridge which will allow for the connection of the ST to AppleTalk networks. Once Gadgets by Small has added support for DC-TALK into the Spectre 128, you will have a MacClone that can talk to other Macs via the AppleTalk network. The first step in providing connectivity for the Atari ST series, DCS also plans to implement a file server using DC-TALK, perhaps even the AppleTalk protocol on the ST, although no details were given at this time. DCS will also have the DC-PORT serial expansion port cartridge available. In the software arena, DCS will have available their SHAREWARE disk which includes DC FORMATTER, DC STUFFER, MYSTIC, DC CLOCK, DC XTRACT and DC DESKEY. They will also have their amazing SHADOW background file transfer program for sale. In addition to the above titles, DCS will have a new utilities disk which has an abundance of useful tools which you will find necessary to increase your productivity. On the utilities disk will be: - DC SQUISH - SQUISH executable programs *and* desk accessories while still maintaining the ability to execute the programs. DC SQUISH has a super fast algorithm which allows the files to be loaded and executed without a slowdown. In fact, floppy based users will reduce loading time! DC SQUISH supports the new TOS 1.4 fast bit. - DC DESKEY 2.0 - Allows for the assignment of key-strokes to any GEM program drop down menu items. Now you can execute a menu command with a press of a key, instead of grabbing the mouse and selecting the appropriate menu and entry. All menu items are completely editable and key assignable. Not only that, but DC DESKEY 2.0 is the only desk accessory to have a *true* working menu bar (no imitation). - DC RAMIT & DC RAMDISK - The fastest RAMDISK bar none. In addition, this program/accessory allows you to configure a RAMDISK to 'look' just like a floppy disk, and you can even save the image of the RAMDISK to a file, for super fast loading of files into the RAMDISK. Great for copying disks too (next to DC FORMATTER, that is!). - DC SEA - Create Self Extracting ARC files. That's right, run a program that extracts its own contents. Allows you to take a verbose listing of the contents or extract the contents to any path. - DC DESK ORGANIZER - Create an executable DESKTOP.INF file. You can change the way the desktop looks by running a program. Especially useful with CodeHead's HotWire! Change the desktop with the press of a key, or have one window open with your DC DESK ORGANIZER programs in it, and change the desktop with a double click. And if that is not enough, DCS will be showing a preview of the upgrade to their popular DC FORMATTER. The new program, DC FORMATTER AUTO, will install in the AUTO folder, and will allow you to replace the DESKTOP's formatter. In other words, click on drive A: then choose 'FORMAT...' from the menu, and DC FORMATTER AUTO pops up. DC FORMATTER AUTO will also be able to be called up from within programs. And, finally, DCS will be showing their soon to be released hard drive utility BackRest+ which offers extensive, intelligent hard disk backups, as well as direct DMA/SCSI hard disk tools. Stop by booth 101 and see what other 'wears' Double Click Software has in store for you. We think you will be surprised and excited. Editor Note: ......'Wears'? Hmmm, I've heard of wares and warez but wears??? The guys at DCS are making a giant leap forward in development and support for the ST marketplace, it is now up to us to support them by showing our confidence in their products... ___________________________________________________________________ > CANADA FIRST! STReport OnLine¿ Again, Canada leads the way... ============================= Sent : Aug 10, 1989 at 12:05 AM To : SYSOP From : STEVE BARNES Subj : TOS 1.4 Confirmation To the Editor - STReport: Aug. 9/1989 A few issue's back, you printed an unconfirmed rumour that TOS 1.4 had been put to chip and was supposed to be shipping in the new MEGA ST DTP publishing packages. This is letter is to confirm the existence of TOS 1.4 currently being shipped on the new Mega DTP systems available in Canada. ---====** TOS 1.4 is on CHIP and being SHIPPED! **====--- One of the members of SASTUG (Sudbury Atari ST Users Group) has just returned from picking up his MEGA 4/Laser DTP combination. Apparently just hours after the first shipments arrival in Canada. Needless to say I beat a path in a hurry over to his house after he mentioned that the dialog boxes "looked odd". I've just returned and can say without out a doubt that it is worth the wait. The improvement in speed is more than apparent and the additional features all work! With TurboST 1.6 it is downright *SPOOKY*, I'd love to try this with one of the new accelerators! By the way, here is a new one to add to your list. While formatting a blank disk to copy HDX3.01 onto (I just picked up a new 3053 ). I notice that the format dialog box has an un-released feature (NOT BUG!) You may now copy a disk to an unformatted disk.. ala' MS-DOS's Diskcopy function. TOS will now format the disk while copying!! After months of speculation on Atari's sincerity, I can say that this is the first step to realizing the promises made in the past 2 years! Sincerely, Steve Barnes (President SASTUG) Sudbury Ont. Canada. FIDO (1:222/40.1) P.S. Permission is granted to post my name and title if you decide to include this confirmation in STReport. THANKS for _your_ continuing support of our favourite machine! "90% of a project takes 90% of the time, the final 10% takes 90% of the time!" _______________________________________________________________ > The Bottom Line STR FOCUS¿ A sign of things to come?? ========================== ctsy; GEnie RT USERBASE UNREST =============== Editor Note: The following two messages are included here for all to see because we felt what has been said in them is predominantly what we are finding all across the nation. With Atari itself playing head games with the userbase by it's overuse of the "SILENT TREATMENT", a lack of a positive flow of information coupled with the continued delays of minor and major product releases, the frustration level of the userbase is approaching the danger marks. And of course, add in the backstab of a major software publisher attempting to ring a death bell for us, (Spectrum Holobyte), it becomes very easy to see why the once "energetically enthusiastic" userbase is becoming increasingly 'restless'. Message One ----------- Somewhere, in all of this I detect a 'generational' shift. From what I can gather, Atari Directors will not miss the 'old generation' of ST users (let alone 8bit 'kids' who are, or course, very expendable 'cause they are always being replaced by new kids) in the least. The Dave Smalls and Charles Johnsons (and T Hudson's etc.) will naturally rise to more powerful heights and the Gotham City Enthusiasts (aka 'disk traders' (my apologies to those straight-and-narrow guys who buy all of their stuff)) will be left to piece together their systems as they see fit in accordance with their desire to be socially or technically with it. In other words, the ST has been written off, though not removed from the assembly line, * conceptually * and replaced with new high and low end machines. From a marketing standpoint, it would be very limiting for the Directors to identify with current ST users when the whole Company has already shifted behind new product lines. _Maybe_ the community of TT and ATW users will be similiar to the current rather fragmented US group of ST users, but then again, its more likely that we're looking at two quite different species of consumer animals. I don't think Atari Directors know just what sort of Marketing Leaders they need. It's a process. In any case, the hackers will keep up just fine on their own, and Atari * will * soidify its new look-and-feel as their new line takes over, with the resultant community and all I/Os with that community marking a whole new generation of Atari Users. 'Least that's how I read it.....Dai Le'on Message Two ----------- Just read this entire topic in one sitting. The reason I read it is because I finally find myself getting fed up with Atari after several years of patience during which it would not have occurred to me to read a topic critical of Atari. As many others have expressed, I love my ST. I am involved with my ST. I have been an unabashed fan and done my part to spread the word about it. But at last, I am out of steam. To put any more money in it at this time seems stupid--unless there are some hopeful developments that add up to some indication of dynamism in the company. It is hard for me to understand how a company could have such an initially enthusiastic customer base and drop the ball so effectively. It almost seems like masochism. I have the creepy feeling that me and my ST are in a cul-de-sac. I am sad about it. I am sad about Atari. I wish them (Atari) good fortune and still say they have a basically good product. But I have become cautious and am not willing to send more money down the tube to never-never land. Maybe, things will change? Thanks for this category and the opportunity to express my frustration. M. Wolfman An observation; Reading the above almost brings me to tears of anger and frustration. Ninety percent of the user unrest could have easily been avoided if the upper crust at Atari would have paid attention to all the signals sent their way last year, instead they chose to blow it all off as sour grapes or, at best, the old; "ignore it and it will go away". Will Atari's executives EVER learn to listen to the users, and PRODUCE for them what THEY want and not what Atari THINKS the users want??? It's doubtful... ___________________________________________________________________ > Atari Stock ~ STReport¿ ====================== THE TICKERTAPE ============== by Glenn Gorman Atari Stock dropped 3/8 of a point on Tuesday, up 1/4 on Wednesday, down 1/4 on Thursday and 1/8 on Friday. Finishing up the week at 8 1/4 points. Down 1/2 of a point from last Friday. Glenn Gorman +---------------------+ | ATARI STOCK WATCH | | Week 07-31 to 08-04 | +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+ | | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+ | Sales | 1359 | 1897 | 626 | 887 | 407 | +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+ | Last | 8 3/4 | 8 3/8 | 8 5/8 | 8 3/8 | 8 1/4 | +-------+----------+-----------+-------------+------------+-------------+ | Chg. | ---- | -3/8 | +1/4 | -1/4 | -1/8 | +=======+==========+===========+=============+============+=============+ | From > THE CAVE ST BBS <> 609-882-9195 <> 300/14400 HST <> F-NET #351 | +=======================================================================+ Editor Note: Please pay attention to the dates of the Stock Report.. The latest info we have show Atari on the climb again, probably due to the the new products about to be released at the DUSSELDORF show..... ____________________________________________________________________ > ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL¿ Telling it like it is.... ====================== - Sunnyvale, CA. ***** GENLOCK BEING DEVELOPED FOR 68030 ***** -------------- The "Phantom" 68030 machine IS in the hands of the developer mentioned last week for the main purpose of refined development of the Genlock circuitry and associated programming. Our highly placed source of accurate information has verified that fact and the fact that we were correct in our initial report. He expressed the idea that Atari ought to be glad someone has shown that they are trying to co-operate with developers to the "nteenth" degree. Or, could it be they are attempting to get the genlock worked into the release version of the 68030 machine? - New York City, NY ***** GERMANY ...AGAIN??!!?? ***** ----------------- Look for the Atari wizards to DEBUT the 68030 computer later this month. This machine is designed to run the Unix operating system, and will be called the Atari TT. This all new computer from Atari will be introduced ** Aug. 25 ** at an Atari-specific show in Dusseldorf, West Germany. Again, according to our well placed sources, it is reliably said that the 16-MHz TT will run Unix V.3 and the TOS operating system from Atari. "At first, the machine will have the TOS operating system available by itself, but the Unix software should be ready within 90 days". The machine should be ready for shipment sometime in September, of course depending upon FCC approval." Besides the 68030 microprocessor, the system will have a floating point 68881 math co-processor along with 4 mb of RAM and a variety of video modes, including a 640-by-480 pixel and 1280-by-960 monochrome mode, the wire service reports. The machine is reported to have a retail price of about $1,900. - San Francisco, CA **** SAM TRAMIEL SEZ TOS 1.4 IS AVAILABLE! **** ----------------- In the most recent issue of STart magazine, the 'main man' at Atari has, during an interview, stated "TOS 1.4 is generally available". Why then, if a user calls his dealer he is told "It ain't out yet"?? We are told, by users, that certain dealers across the country are selling TOS 1.4 at this time. Our question is simple, what is going on here, we are told by "responsible people" at Atari that TOS 1.4 is not in a state of release, yet the Head man at Atari tells us it is....what gives? Is this the very type of occurance that happened to Neil Harris _repeatedly_ until it fried him? - New York City, NY ***** ST PLUS, THE ENHANCED ST ***** ----------------- Further words on the this 'mystery' machine....It appears that the CPU in this suped up "Amiga Killer" is alleged to be the 680??. Also it is to appear in the late fall, boasting of 8 voices (stereo) and 4096 colors. The big news is this unit is supposed to be configurable by the dealers from 1 to 4 mb. STReport suggested a dealer configurable machine well over 5 months ago, and most folks said we would never see it..... - Chatsworth, CA **** PIRACY IS NOT THE MAIN REASON!!! **** -------------- Software sales is down, those pirates are doing it! So sez another misinformed executive of a software publishing house. First of all, it's the summer... second, because the software for the last three months (except for a few creative authors) has been an excercise in mediocrity. The ST userbase demands a great deal more in quality and reliablity than surface thin gimmicks. Piracy takes it's toll, we don't deny this, but the lackluster releases of late are the roots of a slow and horrible death. - San Diego, CA *** Spectrum Holobyte - Obvious by it's SILENCE *** ------------- Gilman Louie, CEO of SH, who cleaned the Atari userbase's clock with a hate letter of magnanomous proportions, recently assured the Atari users attending an online conference that he would sent another letter to all those who received his accusatory letter. That was over six weeks ago, to date there has been no letter or statement. Does the silence mean he is too busy to right this wrong? We hope to hear from him in the next few weeks. We are sure he can take a few moments away from his 'busy' schedule. After all, he had the time to send out the hate mail........ _______________________________________________________________ > STReport InfoFile¿ High Quality, Custom constructed hard drives.... ================= ABCO COMPUTER ELECTRONICS INC. P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32236-6672 Est. 1985 _________________________________________ Voice: 904-783-3319 10 AM - 4 PM EDT BBS: 904-786-4176 12-24-96 HST FAX: 904-783-3319 12 PM - 6 AM EDT _________________________________________ HARD DISK SYSTEMS TO FIT EVERY BUDGET _____________________________________ All systems are complete and ready to use, included at NO EXTRA COST are clock/calendar and cooling blower(s). ALL ABCO HARD DISK SYSTEMS ARE FULLY EXPANDABLE (you are NOT limited to two drives ONLY!) (all cables and connectors installed) SEAGATE HARD DISK MECHANISMS ONLY! 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(over sixty configurations are available, flexibility is unlimited) * Embedded controller ("N" type) drives available * We HAVE plenty of HOST Adapters in stock! *** ALL Units: Average Access Time: 26ms - 30ms *** ALL UNITS COMPATIBLE WITH --> MAGIC SAC - PC-DITTO/II - SPECTRE/GCR LARGER units are available - (special order only) *** Available for ST - Amiga - IBM *** LOWBOY - STANDARD - DUAL BLOWER CABINETS FAST Cabinets - Custom Walnut WOODEN Cabinets TOWER - AT - XT Cabinets ALL POWER SUPPLIES UL APPROVED 12 month FULL Guarantee (A FULL YEAR of COVERAGE) WE SHIP WITH * FEDERAL EXPRESS * ONLY _____________________________________ Personal Checks are accepted. ORDER YOURS TODAY! 904-783-3319 9am - 8pm EDT ____________________________________________________________________ > A "Quotable Quote"¿ ================= An executive, whispering to another exec about a loyal employee... "I'll LIE ABOUT IT ..AND HE'LL SWEAR TO IT!!" ....Moron's Morals "ATARI IS BACK!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-REPORT¿ Issue #100 "Your Independent News Source" August 11, 1989 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ½ copyright 1989 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Views, Opinions and Articles Presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors, staff, ST Report¿ or CPU Report¿. Reprint permission is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. All reprints must include ST Report or CPU Report and the author's name. All information presented herein is believed correct, STReport or CPU Report, it's editors and staff are not responsible for any use or misuse of information contained herein. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- - New York City, NY ***** GERMANY