AutoCPU
                          --------------------------
                          Copyright 1992, Drew Cowan

                    Freeware Distribution by David Becker
                            Compuserve 73030,3562
                               GEnie D.Becker8

I was one of the first to purchase a MegaSTE here in Vancouver, Canada. This 
was a privilege I payed dearly for (comparing todays street prices) but I 
have been able to thoroughly test this computer over these many months and I 
must honestly say I am pleased. These computers are fast! My configuration 
is 4 megs RAM and a 50 meg hard drive and it really flies.

Sometimes I get bombs. More often than not I have been able to trace the
problem to a desk accessory, auto program or CPX. But not always. Some
programs continue to behave flaky with the CPU operating at 16mhz with cache.
When kicked down to 8 mhz or sometimes even to 16 mhz without cache things
work fine.

When my friend Drew Cowan bought his Mega STE a few weeks ago he also
experienced (to a lesser degree) some problems running applications at 16 mhz
with cache. We left messages on all the major online systems asking Atari
and/or any other software authors if they could recommend an alternative to
clicking the desk accessory XCONTROL panel and adjusting the CPU speed before
and after running problem software. We proposed another flag like the ones
used to set the fastload bit or perhaps the TT fast RAM flag. This way the
CPU would drop down to 8 mhz automatically for some programs and back up to 
16 mhz w/cache for others.

Next , Drew wrote three small assembly language programs to kick the CPU into
8, 16 or 16 mhz w/cache from the desktop. By dragging these little programs
onto our NEWDESK TOS 2.05/2.06 desktop and leaving them there, we always had
quick access to CPU speeds. But we couldn't leave well enough alone. We still
wanted to automate things!

The simplest hack was to write a shell that would switch CPU speed, pass
control to the chosen application and then when you quit it would kick up the
speed to 16 mhz w/cache again. I experimented with GFA and came close but 
Drew Cowan perfected the technique in assembler.

So here it is, Drew Cowan's AutoCPU. It is freeware and will run in all
resolutions but ONLY on MegaSTE's. Here's how you install it:

You should have these four programs:
             
             AUTO_CPU.PRG   8MHZ.PRG   16MHZ.PRG   16MHZ_C.PRG

8MHZ.PRG, 16MHZ.PRG and 16MHZ_C.PRG are the little programs that when run
adjust the CPU speed. You do not need these to run AUTO_CPU, we have
included them for your convenience. They can be run from the desktop or put 
in the AUTO folder.

To tell AUTO_CPU which programs need 8 mhz you must rename your problem
applications with an extension other than the usual .PRG
We recommend .MHZ but you could just as easily use any other.
Next place a copy of AUTO_CPU.PRG in the root directory of drive C:
and click once to highlight it. Under the drop down menu title "Options"
is a menu called "Install Application..." click once on this menu. 
A dialog box will appear and should be set up using the following parameters: 

                           INSTALL APPLICATION

                     Application name: AUTO_CPU.PRG
                            Arguments: ___________
                        Document type: MHZ
                          Boot status: Normal
                     Application type: GEM-takes parameters
                          Default dir: Top Window
                            Parameter: Full Path

Click on "Install" and then save your desktop to make these changes permanent. 
    (You can replace the MHZ in Document type with your own extension.)

Now when programs using the extension .PRG are double clicked, they will run 
at your default setting of 16 mhz with cache normally. But when you double 
click on a program using the extension .MHZ then AUTO_CPU will intercept,
slow the CPU to 8 mhz, run the program, wait until you quit the program then 
kick the speed back up to 16 mhz w/cache.

Don't forget you can tell the NEWDESK desktop to use a specific icon for 
programs using the extension .MHZ 

There are probably better ways of accomplishing automatic CPU speed 
switching and we hope the release of AUTO_CPU prompts others (Atari?) to 
look beyond this small program. Programs are available in the Macintosh 
world that do essentially the same thing so the CPU/cache speed problem 
seems to be universal.


                                              David Becker
                                              Compuserve 73030,3562 
                                              GEnie D.Becker8 
                                    
                   AutoCPU is Copyright 1992, Drew Cowan
           AutoCPU is freeware but you use it at your own risk.