649 lines
33 KiB
Plaintext
649 lines
33 KiB
Plaintext
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
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SYNDICATE ZMAGAZINE Issue #131 November 13, 1988
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*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
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Publisher/Editor: Ron Kovacs
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Assistant Editor: Lisa Kovacs
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Post Office Box 74
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Middlesex, NJ 08846-0074
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*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
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Weekly Conveyance Via PayBax BBS (302) 731-5558; All Bauds
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*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
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+-* CONTENTS *-+
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(*) Editors Desk..............Ron Kovacs
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(*) ZMag Special Report....Tony Robinson
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(*) ZMag Archives -1987 Comdex Report-
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(*) Area Code Listing........Lisa Kovacs
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(*) What is GIF?...................GEnie
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(*) Announcement........................
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(*) Notes on GOE..........David Sullivan
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(*) ZMag Humor..........................
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(*) Bit versus Baud........Peter Vaughan
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(*) ZMag Circulation Counts...Ron Kovacs
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_______________________________________________________________________
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Editors Desk
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by Ron Kovacs
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COMDEX begins this week and look for updates via ST-REPORT on CompuServe
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and in next weeks edition of ZMAG. Reprinted in this issue is a press
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release from Atari from the 1987 Comdex. Dont confuse this with any 1988
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press release (if any).
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If you missed the Nov 9th conference on CompuServe last week, you can find
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it in the Atari Arts NEW UPLOADS data library #1. Duw to space
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limitations, we cannot reprint the entire conference here.
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The ZMagazine Survey has been completed and will be uploaded to the
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services after Wednesday. Please take the time to download and send it
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back to us to accumulate the results. You can send the file back to us
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via email or through the US mail.
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_______________________________________________________________________
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ZMag Special Report
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-The First Canadian Atari Users Convention-: In the Promised Land
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By Anthony L. Robinson (CHAOS, Michigan)
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It was a cool day in Toronto, but for the Atari enthusiast it was a
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beautiful day. It was the -First Canadian Atari Users Convention-. Over
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fifty booths of nothing but Atari hardware and software of every kind.
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There was even a 260 ST on display at one of the user group tables. The
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convention, open from 10am-6pm, had nearly 700 show-goers in attendance
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by 1:30 in the afternoon. The place was packed! A great beginning for a
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great show.
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Many well supplied dealers and user groups were there for the curious and
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seeking, even a few programmers, but most important presence for many was
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the Atari (Canada) Corporation. Business was swift and rewarding for all
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in attendance. Inquiries received demonstrations, and questions were
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given real answers. On the hardware end there were no such thing as
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shortages or unavailability of products, practically everything that Atari
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has manufactures in computers was on hand - in great quantities. Atari
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support, both from the company and from the users, was clearly evident.
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While at the Atari booth, it seemed like the only feelings of doubt or
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overall complaint came from the U.S. attendees.
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Conversations with the Atari representatives revealed several new
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developments, and responses to many current speculations. Although the
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representative was not free to announce all the facts (a privilege
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reserved for those at Comdex), he did talk about things in general. We
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can expect to see new products (ie...machines) to start coming out shortly
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after the first of the year. One of the computers coming will be a 68030
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chip-based ST. It will be endowed with enhanced graphic resolution, a
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stereo chip, more colors, and the new TOS. It will remain completely
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compatible with existing ST software via the ability to load in old TOS,
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and it will support Unix in the same manner. A '30 upgrade for current
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ST's is being worked on, but may prove to be unfeasible due to the amount
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of reworking that seems to be necessary.
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Other goodies to be released will include a portable laptop ST, a -Amiga
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Beater- ST (not the 68030 one!), and later, a ST based game machine -
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currently incompatible, but still under development. On a lighter note,
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ST owners can also be on the lookout for a new light gun of the ST, as
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well as some new games to utilize it. The gun will basically be the same
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as the design currently available for the XE game system (let's hope the
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aim will be better!). One of the games to use the new gun will be
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-Crossbow-, already available on several other computer systems.
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Another topic that came up was the company's image as a business company
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or game company. One of the attending users apparently felt that Atari
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was wrong to show the ST running games in its advertising. The Atari rep.
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said that there was nothing wrong with it. In fact, he said that Atari
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was interested in showing the business side of the Atari, but was not
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trying to kill the game side at the same time. Almost half of Atari's
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profit last year was from the games. When challenge with the low ratio
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of games available for IBM, the representative countered with statistics
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that almost 65% of the software available for the IBM was game oriented.
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Obviously, Atari wants to have something to offer for everyone.
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Further talk with the Atari rep. included references to Atari's efforts to
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encourage third party programmers to stick with the U.S. market till they
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get more ST's out in the U.S. (ST's are doing great in the UK and Europe,
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approaching around 200,000 ST's in the UK alone by Christmas!).
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He recited that they've already had success in this activity with
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programmers such as Epyx, Electronic Arts, and several others with more to
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come. He stated that all the ST will remain as upwardly compatible as
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possible, to help insure a long and happy life for the computer line.
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Another activity that Atari is conducting is the importation of european
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software to this side of the ocean. This brings hot, new titles to the
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users and helps show U.S. programmers what's being done in Europe on the
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ST - yet another market waiting for more Atari titles.
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Indeed, most Canadian Atari users seemed very happy with their machines
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and its creator. With plenty of dealers, products, and availability
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backed-up with plenty of advertising and promotions, its easy to
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understand all the positive and enthusiastic feelings found at the
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convention. To an American, it felt like being in the -promised land-
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(imagine what being in the UK must be like! Nirvana!?). Atari (U.S.) is
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promising to bring this -land- to the States. If Toronto is just a taste
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of paradise, it was a taste that should become a regular meal for every
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Atari user everywhere.
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_______________________________________________________________________
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ZMag Archives (October 1987)
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PRESS RELEASE: OVERVIEW OF COMDEX 1987 ATARI BOOTH
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CONNECTIVITY, SOLUTIONS, AND TECHNOLOGY: ATARI ANNOUNCES NEW PRODUCTS
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(Las Vegas, NV -- Comdex Fall 87)... In a series of major product
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introductions, Atari Corporation emerges as a maker of a complete line of
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high-performance, low-cost solutions for the business world.
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New technology is showcased by Abaq, an ultra-high-performance workstation
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with blazing speed and dazzling graphics. The Abaq, based on a
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sophisticated -transputer- chip, runs more than 10 times faster than a
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PC/AT technology and more than 5 times faster than the 68020 with math
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processor. The parallel processing capability of Abaq lets a single
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system multiply its processing power by adding extra transputer chips.
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Atari unveiled its new CD player capable of reading CD-ROM disks and of
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playing musical CD disks. The CD-ROM is supported by a Mega and ST-
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compatible DMA interface, and will retail in early 1988 for under $600.
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Atari's connectivity answer is a LAN which is compatible with the NETBIOS
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standard used by IBM and Novell. It communicates data at 1 megabits-per-
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second to PC's and over 250K bits-per-second over Appletalk. Atari is
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planning to manufacture -PromiseLAN- adapters for the Mega, ST, and PC
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computer lines.
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The Atari Mega computers are showcased with a variety of solid business
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solutions. Desktop publishing is represented by both the Atari SLM804
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Laser Printer and by G.O. Graphics, who are porting their Deskset program
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(CompuGraphics compatible) which Atari will market. Word Perfect is
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displaying the recently shipped Word Perfect ST and Atari is displaying
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Microsoft Write. A group of vendors are appealing to VARs with vertical
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packages running under the IDRIS multi-user multi-tasking operating
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system. Several new high-end CAD packages are on display including
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Foresight's Drafix 1.
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Atari expanded its PC-compatible offerings by adding two new models, the
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PC2 (PC XT compatible) and PC4 (PC AT compatibile), both with EGA graphics
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high clock speeds, and low price tags. A variation of the PC3 will
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operate in VGA graphics mode as well. The PC2 and PC4 will be offered
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with 3.5- or 5.25- floppy disks and with hard disks. These new models
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join the PC1, which at $799 is a basic 512K PC XT compatible, suitable
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for use as a LAN workstation and for standalone personal computing. The
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PC2 includes XT-compatible slots, while the PC4's slots are PC AT
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compatible.
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-We offer complete systems for the office,- said Atari president Sam
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Tramiel. -I can see Atari Mega computers with laser printers as desktop
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publishing stations exchanging data with a satellite group of PC1's as LAN
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stations. An entire office environment can be created. The PC, the
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Macintosh, and the Atari computers co-exist. Each can do the things they
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do best.-
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(PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRESS RELEASE WAS REPRINTED FROM THE ZMAG ARCHIVES.
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AND IS REPRINTED HERE AS A FEATURE BEFORE THE 1988 COMDEX SHOW. THIS
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COULD VERY WELL BE CONFUSED FOR A 1988 PRESS RELEASE. PLEASE MAKE A NOTE
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OF THIS.!!)
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_______________________________________________________________________
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Area Code Listing as of Nov 1, 1988
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201 - NEW JERSEY 202 - WASHINGTON D.C. 203 - CONNECTICUT
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205 - ALABAMA 206 - WASHINGTON 207 - MAINE
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208 - IDAHO 209 - CALIFORNIA 212 - NEW YORK
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213 - CALIFORNIA 214 - TEXAS 215 - PENNSYLVANIA
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216 - OHIO 217 - ILLINOIS 218 - MINNESOTA
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219 - INDIANA 301 - MARYLAND 302 - DELAWARE
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303 - COLORADO 304 - WEST VIRGINIA 305 - FLORIDA
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307 - WYOMING 308 - NEBRASKA 309 - ILLINOIS
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312 - ILLINOIS 313 - MICHIGAN 314 - MISSOURI
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315 - NEW YORK 316 - KANSAS 317 - INDIANA
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318 - LOUISIANA 319 - IOWA 401 - RHODE ISLAND
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402 - NEBRASKA 404 - GEORGIA 405 - OKLAHOMA
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406 - MONTANA 408 - CALIFORNIA 409 - TEXAS
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412 - PENNSYLVANIA 413 - MASSACHUSETTS 414 - WISCONSIN
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415 - CALIFORNIA 417 - MISSOURI 419 - OHIO
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501 - ARKANSAS 502 - KENTUCKY 503 - OREGON
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504 - LOUISIANA 505 - NEW MEXICO 507 - MINNESOTA
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509 - WASHINGTON 512 - TEXAS 513 - OHIO
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515 - IOWA 516 - NEW YORK 517 - MICHIGAN
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518 - NEW YORK 601 - MISSISSIPPI 602 - ARIZONA
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603 - NEW HAMPSHIRE 605 - SOUTH DAKOTA 606 - KENTUCKY
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607 - NEW YORK 608 - WISCONSIN 609 - NEW JERSEY
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612 - MINNESOTA 614 - OHIO 615 - TENNESSEE
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616 - MICHIGAN 617 - MASSACHUSETTS 618 - ILLINOIS
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619 - CALIFORNIA 701 - NORTH DAKOTA 702 - NEVADA
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703 - VIRGINIA 704 - NORTH CAROLINA 707 - CALIFORNIA
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712 - IOWA 713 - TEXAS 714 - CALIFORNIA
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715 - WISCONSIN 716 - NEW YORK 717 - PENNSYLVANIA
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718 - NEW YORK 801 - UTAH 803 - SOUTH CAROLINA
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804 - VIRGINIA 805 - CALIFORNIA 806 - TEXAS
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808 - HAWAII 812 - INDIANA 813 - FLORIDA
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814 - PENNSYLVANIA 815 - ILLINOIS 816 - MISSOURI
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817 - TEXAS 818 - CALIFORNIA 901 - TENNESSEE
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904 - FLORIDA 906 - MICHIGAN 907 - ALASKA
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912 - GEORGIA 913 - KANSAS 914 - NEW YORK
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915 - TEXAS 916 - CALIFORNIA 918 - OKLAHOMA
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919 - NORTH CAROLINA
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_______________________________________________________________________
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WHAT IS GIF?
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GIF is a graphics format common to all machines that read GIF. What this
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means to us is that we can all see the same graphic from ONE file. The
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format allows for 256 level color and BW gray level. This 256 level is
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refered to as -8 Bit- graphics. Your machine does not display 8 bit you
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say, well the Gif format will show you the graphic as your machine can see
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it.
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I strongly believe in giving credit where credit is due. GIF is a format
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copyrighted by Compuserve, and they have placed it in the Public Domain.
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I want to thank Compuserve for the GIF format (even though Im a sysop on
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GEnie) because it serves a need that we have, and it does a good job. As
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to what machines do the best job, let me say this: I have seen GIF on Mac
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SE & Plus, Mac II, Atari ST, MS/DOS EGA,VGA and Super VGA. I have also
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seen Amiga Gif on my Mac II. There is a lesson to all of this ...Dont
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judge one machine from what you see on your Screen. Obviously the systems
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that can show the full 256 levels (8 bit) show up the best.
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The best displays I have seen by far are the Mac II and Super VGA. Next
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would come the Amiga (5 bit), then EGA. IF you are viewing on an SE or
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Plus, you really should stick to the MacPaint conversions (which we will
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discuss soon). On the EGA and other 16 color (4 Bit) machines, you will
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see a good image but wont be able to figure out why the rest of us are
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raving. To our ST friends, the ST gif I have seen was not super good, and
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I assumed it was under the potential of the ST; therefore I THINK its a
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software problem and thereby fixable.
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The quality of a Mac II and super VGA is reasonably close to that of a
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photograph. While the topic of 24 bit graphics will soon come up, GIF
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does not at this time support that high of graphics. Besides, the file
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transfers would be unreasonalbly long due to size of the files. A 24 bit
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file of 5x7 size (75dpi) is 544 K before compression, while an 8 bit of
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the same resolution is 181 K.
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HOW TO GIF
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How to Gif? Easy! All you need is a viewer and/or converter. A viewer is
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written for your machine and will open the GIF file. Many times it will
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convert that image to a graphics format common to your computer system. So
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all you really need is to download a file and have your viewer open it for
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viewing and possible conversion to your favorite graphics format. Where do
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I get these programs? Another good question!!
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We have all the files you need for most popular systems. Following is a
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list of file on the Photo RT Library that you may download at your
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convience.
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878 CSHOW5.ARC Desc: CSHOW VER 5.0 GIF VIEW FOR IBM
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751 PICEM.ARC Desc: GIF Viewer for IBM Computers
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750 VGAGIF34.ARC Desc: GIF viewer for IBM VGA cards
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641 AT8GIF.DOC Desc: documentation for AT8GIF.OBJ
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640 AT8GIF.OBJ Desc: view GIF on 8 bit Atari computers
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584 SHRCONV2.1.BQY Desc: update,view GIF on Apple IIgs
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570 AMISTRIP.ARC Desc: STRIPS 1ST 128 BYTES OF MAC GIF
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559 GIF QUESTIONS Desc: A MUST file for GIF users.TXT
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557 MACGIF STRIP 4 ST Desc: MacGIF stripper for ST!!
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554 HAMGIF.ARC Desc: View 256 color GIF files on Ami!
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553 AMGIF.ARC Desc: Convert Amiga pics to GIF format
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377 MAC.STRIPPER.BQY Desc: Remove Mac headers, for Apple //
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375 IIGIF.BQY Desc: View GIF pics on Apple //+,//e,//c
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374 SHRCONVERT.BQY Desc: View GIF pictures on the Apple IIgs
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369 STIPGIF IBM.ARC Desc: IBM utility to view Mac GIF!
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330 GIFCONVERTERDEMO Desc: Converts GIF files for SE/Plus view
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321 GIFFER10.SIT Desc: Display GIF pictures on Macintosh.
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320 GIFSHOW.ARC Desc: Display GIF pics on ATARI ST only.
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319 TIGIF.ARC Desc: Display GIF on TI PRO computer.
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298 CNVGIF.ARC Desc: Converts DEGAS and NeoChrome to GIF
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297 GIF.ARC Desc: Converts Spectrum 512 Pics to GIF
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296 CSHOW.ARC Desc: Gif viewer for IBM & compatibles
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295 GIF SPECS.ARC Desc: GIF specs archived
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The subject of -Stripping- must also be mentioned. When a Mac is the
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source of the image, that system adds some information to the top of the
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GIF file. With this added information used only by the mac system, other
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Gif systems will not reconigeze the file as a GIF and will not open it.
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Most systems now have strippers that take off this information. Therefore
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IF, you have a GIF file you can not open, try a stripper on a COPY of the
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file. This is only true for source files from MAC systems! (More on this
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subject in the next topic.)
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EPHOTE GIF
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Anyone may upload GIF files or anyother format of photos and art. GEnie
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rules of ratings on the sexual nature of the files is enforced. If you
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have questions as to what this policy is, please Email the questions to
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EPHOTE. On the subject of -Stripping-, scans from the PHOTO RT are done on
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a Mac II. While the older files do need stripping, the new files do not.
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Confused? Well if you see the words -pure GIF- the file will not need
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stripping. As a general rule, any file uploaded after 10-1-88 by EPHOTE
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will not need stripping. Thanks to Fritz Kass of INFO CENTER BBS, for
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showing us how to take out that Mac header. If you are a mac user and
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dont know how to strip out the header, I have placed the proceedure in the
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PHOTO RT Bulletin Board Category 15, or you can Email EPHOTE for the
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proceedure.
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_______________________________________________________________________
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Announcement
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*****************************************************************
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* - TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING - *
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* *
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* A Conference and Mini Fair sponsored by *
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* *
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* THE ISLAND/REACH COMPUTER USERS GROUP *
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* in consultation with *
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* The STATE of MAINE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION *
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*****************************************************************
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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1988 at DEER/ISLE STONINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
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Featuring presentations, discussions, source material and hands-on
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opportunities to try out NovaNet, GEnie, Compuserve, The Information
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Exchange, ME-LINK and many other state and national education and training
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services available via modem.
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The conference and mini-fair are designed for teachers, administrators and
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managers, school board members, parents, students and anyone else
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interested in using or learning about these new technologies for their
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education.
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The conference will begin at 9:00 am and will offer the following
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presentations:
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- MORNING SESSION -
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9:30-10:00 TELECOMMUNICATIONS OVERVIEW
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10:00-11:30 NOVANET: The nationwide educational service
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11:30-12:30 COMPUSERVE & other NATIONWIDE INFORMATION SERVICES
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12:30-1:30 OTHER TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES
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- AFTERNOON SESSION -
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1:30-2:30 LUNCH BREAK
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2:30-5:00 MINI-FAIR: The afternoon session will offer
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attendees hands-on opportunities to try some of
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the on-line education and training resources
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demonstrated during the morning. There will be
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several retailers representing their computers'
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educational instructional capabilities.
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REGISTRATIONS: $15 for the morning, $5.00 afternoon, $20.00 both
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For more information you may contact either:
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ISLAND/REACH COMPUTER USERS GROUP JIM CAMPBELL
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PO BOX 73 or ORLAND, ME 04472
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DEER ISLE, ME 04627 1-207-469-7148
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1-207-348-9917
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_______________________________________________________________________
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The Graphics Operating Enviroment
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>From Total Control Systems
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Designer David R. Sullivan
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If you are tired of hearing about the GEOS on the Commodore, the GEM
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desktop on the ST, and the desktop on the Macintosh, then this is the
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productor you! GOE, the Graphics Operating Environment from Total Control
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Systems, is THE desktop operating system for the 400/800/XL/XE/GS systems.
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First jus the facts, then I will give you my personal opinion.
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GOE is a desktop user interface similar to the desktop on the ST and many
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other machines. GOE will be released on a 64k -super cartridge- about the
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first week of November, 1988. It uses icons to represent the disk drives,
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a trash can for deleting files, and different icons to represent the
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different types of files on a disk. GOE operates on all Atari computers,
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including the older models as well as the new XE Game System.
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GOE supports windows that are resizable, slidable and movable. You can
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have up to 16 windows open at one time! There are drop down and pop up
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menus. The drop down menus at the top of the screen are definable by the
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user. This means that if you prefer to have the windows drop down when
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you point at the top of the screen with the mouse icon, it can be set up
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that way. However, if you prefer to have them only drop down when and if
|
|
you -click- on the title of the menu, you can set up it that way. On the
|
|
ST, the drop down menu stays on the screen, once opened, until you either
|
|
click on an option, or drag the mouse icon to a blank section of the
|
|
screen and click it to close the window.
|
|
|
|
With GOE you can decide whether you want to -click- to close the drop down
|
|
menu or have it close automatically upon your exit from the menu. In the
|
|
desk accessories section, you have a control panel built into the
|
|
cartridge, that allows you to set the screen width to 40 or 64 columns and
|
|
define in which joystick port you want to use one of the following:
|
|
joystick, mouse, koala pad, or touch tablet. You can also use the
|
|
keyboard instead of any of the above.
|
|
|
|
The CX85 numberic key pad can also be used with GOE, instead of the number
|
|
row on the keyboard or the mouse pointer to choose numbers. You are not
|
|
limited to the arrow keys for directional control of the pointer with GOE,
|
|
as you can define which keys you want to uses the controlling keys. Also
|
|
you can set the color of the background and the color of the drop down
|
|
menus.
|
|
|
|
There is a calculator included that allows you to do multiplicaton,
|
|
addition, subtraction, division, square root, and percentage calculations.
|
|
Of course there is also a notepad built into the cartridge that allows you
|
|
to leave notes to yourself at almost any time.
|
|
|
|
When copying files with the ST you are allowed to -lasso- a group of files
|
|
and then copy them all to a new disk. This is also allowed with GOE. The
|
|
function keys are also used with GOE. The HELP key is used for online
|
|
help comment boxes. The START key takes you to DOS. The SELECT key brings
|
|
up the control panel and the OPTION key allows you to change controllers.
|
|
|
|
GOE works with the MIO, the ATR8000, the 850 and the P:R connection. GOE
|
|
also works with any DOS, including SpartaDos X, MyDos, Atari ADos, Atari
|
|
Dos 2.0, and more. Subdirectories, known as folders, are also supported.
|
|
|
|
GOE comes with over 45cons to choose from, built into the cartridge, with
|
|
an editor on a seperate disk. Disk naming and comment storage for files
|
|
is provided for use even with MyDos. Time/Date stamping is supported for
|
|
SpartaDos users. Directories cane sorted, on the screen, either by name
|
|
or file extender. GOE only uses 8k of memory for a 64k program.
|
|
|
|
If all this isn't enough, if your user group orders before October 28,
|
|
1988 you can get 10% off of an order of 5 or more GOE cartridges, 20% off
|
|
of an order of 15 or more. Discounts must accompany user group presidents
|
|
signature and information about the group's member's: size, types of
|
|
computers owned, etc. Suggested retail price is $79.95 but for a limited
|
|
time, you can take the above discounts, with the restrictions mentioned
|
|
above, off of the special price of only $50.00 which includes a coupon
|
|
for goWrite and goPaint at a special low price. These two products should
|
|
be out soon.
|
|
|
|
Now for my personal opinion of GOE versus the competition. There is no
|
|
comparison! GOE is the best desktop operating system for the 8bit Atari
|
|
available. ST jr. or Diamond, whatever the name, cannot compare to GOE.
|
|
|
|
The GOE demo does more than the released version of Diamond! GOE takes up
|
|
only 8k compared to a disk based program that uses up the limited amount
|
|
of RAM in the Atari 8bit computers. GOE works with all DOS's compared to
|
|
Diamond only working with Atari DOS 2.0.
|
|
|
|
GOE is a very powerful easy to use interface for the novice or experienced
|
|
user. It brings the ATARI 8bit into the 20th century. I have used it
|
|
extensively, the demo version that is, and found it to be very easy to use
|
|
and very powerful. I have loaded several terminal programs with no
|
|
problem.
|
|
|
|
The demo goPaint and goWrite are exciting in what they promise to do. In
|
|
all, I heartily endorse Total Control System's Graphic Operating
|
|
nvironment by David R. Sullivan and urge you to send in your orders soon
|
|
as possible! I did!
|
|
|
|
Total Control Systems
|
|
156 Tolowa Street
|
|
San Diego, CA. 92117619
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Ed. Note: This product has been rescheduled for a mid-late November
|
|
release. This known from the recent conference on GEnie.)
|
|
_______________________________________________________________________
|
|
ZMag Humor
|
|
|
|
(ED. You might have seen this file displayed at your place of employment,
|
|
I thought everyone who enjoy reading it here.)
|
|
|
|
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
|
|
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
|
|
Is more powerful than a locomotive.
|
|
Is faster than a speeding bullet.
|
|
Walks on water.
|
|
Gives policy to God.
|
|
|
|
PRESIDENT
|
|
Leaps short buildings in a single bound.
|
|
Is more powerful than a switch engine.
|
|
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet.
|
|
Walks on water if the sea is calm.
|
|
Talks with God.
|
|
|
|
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
|
|
Leaps short buildings with a running start and favorable winds.
|
|
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine.
|
|
Is faster than a speeding BB.
|
|
Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool.
|
|
Talks with God if a special request is approved.
|
|
|
|
VICE PRESIDENT
|
|
Barely clears a Quonset hut.
|
|
Loses tug-of-war with a locomotive.
|
|
Can fire a speeding bullet.
|
|
Swims well.
|
|
Is occasionally addressed by God.
|
|
|
|
GENERAL MANAGER
|
|
Makes high marks on the wall when trying to leap buildings.
|
|
Is run over by locomotive.
|
|
Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self-injury.
|
|
Dog paddles.
|
|
Talks to animals.
|
|
|
|
MANAGER
|
|
Runs into buildings.
|
|
Recognizes locomotive two out of three times.
|
|
Is not issued ammunition.
|
|
Can't stay afloat with a life preserver.
|
|
Talks to walls.
|
|
|
|
TRAINEE
|
|
Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter buildings.
|
|
Says -Look at the choo-choo-.
|
|
Wets himself with a water pistol.
|
|
Plays in mud puddles.
|
|
Mumbles to himself.
|
|
|
|
SECRETARY
|
|
Lifts buildings and walks under them.
|
|
Kicks locomotives off the tracks.
|
|
Catches speeding bullets in her teeth and eats them.
|
|
Freezes water with a single glance.
|
|
She IS God...
|
|
|
|
_______________________________________________________________________
|
|
Bit versus Baud
|
|
by Peter Vaughan
|
|
|
|
I'm a telephone engineer. I get involved in the -bit rate- of modems, as
|
|
opposed to the -Baud rate-. I was talking to someone recently about my
|
|
SupraModem 2400 -Bits per Second- (2400 BPS) modem. He came back talking
|
|
about 2400 -Baud-. You all probably know that our -2400- modems operate
|
|
at 600, not 2400 Baud. But, just in case anyone doesn't and is
|
|
interested:
|
|
|
|
1) The Atari XM301 and 1030 modems operate at a 300 per second -bit rate-.
|
|
The Baud rate is also 300, because the modulation method is simple
|
|
frequency shift keying. One bit of digital information from the
|
|
computer results in one tone frequency being transmitted on the
|
|
telephone line. The rate at which information enters the telephone
|
|
line is called the -Baud rate-. So the bit rate equals the Baud rate,
|
|
and both are 300.
|
|
|
|
2) At a 1200 -bit rate-, (for example the SmarTeam 1200, or the Supramodem
|
|
1200) the Baud rate is not 1200, but 600. In this mode of operation,
|
|
TWO consecutive bits of digital data from the computer are examined
|
|
together. Depending on what these two bits are, they are then
|
|
converted into a SINGLE phase shift of the previous tone, and then
|
|
transmitted. Again, the rate at which information actually enters the
|
|
telephone line is the -Baud rate-. So, it's two for one again, and the
|
|
Baud rate is 600, being one half of the 1200 bit rate. This modulation
|
|
method is called Differential Phase Shift Keying, or DPSK. At the
|
|
receive end, the modem compares the PHASE of the signal with the
|
|
previous phase. Depending on what that phase shift is, it demodulates
|
|
into TWO unique bits of data. Hence the -two for one-.
|
|
|
|
3) At the 2400 -bit rate-, the Baud rate is still 600. The modem uses a
|
|
modulation system called Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), which
|
|
is based on the Bell V.22bis protocol. This QAM takes FOUR sequential
|
|
bits at a time, and combines them into a SINGLE signal, which is a
|
|
combination of phase and amplitude. At the receive end, this single
|
|
piece of information is demodulated back into the original FOUR bits.
|
|
So four bits of digital information from the computer result in one
|
|
transmitted symbol, and the Baud rate is 2400 divided by 4, or 600.
|
|
|
|
The reasons for reducing the Baud rate are twofold:
|
|
|
|
A) Stay as near as possible to the middle of the passband of the telephone
|
|
line. Stay away from the high frequency roll-off. The lower you make
|
|
the highest frequency of a signal on the line, the easier it is to send
|
|
it hundreds, or even thousands of miles without excessive roll-off of
|
|
the highest frequency components. (For example, my brother lives in
|
|
England, and uses our Compuserve network. The one-way path is about
|
|
45,000 miles! The path includes his analog tones on a lot of copper
|
|
wire, some pulse code modulated transmission on more copper wire, an
|
|
up-down satellite path of about 45,000 miles, followed by the same
|
|
landline travel at this end, to a computer in Ohio.)
|
|
|
|
B) With a low signaling information rate (that is, a low Baud rate), the
|
|
duration of each piece of information sent is relatively long. So any
|
|
momentary glitch on the telephone line is more likely to be too short
|
|
to cancel the information, or change it in any significant way. The
|
|
signal goes through, and the receiver demodulates it correctly.
|
|
|
|
_______________________________________________________________________
|
|
ZMag Download Count Update
|
|
by Ron Kovacs
|
|
|
|
In the recent conference on CompuServe, a question came up about the
|
|
circulation/download counts of ZMagazine. The following is a survey taken
|
|
during the period of Nov 10-12. These counts were added together to
|
|
arrive at the amounts indicated. The sources for these numbers were
|
|
various BBS systems which carry ZMag for download and the online pay
|
|
services. The BBS systems that were surveyed gave the information via the
|
|
system sysop. There is NO validation procedure for this listing, other
|
|
then the numbers on the online services. BBS Systems count = 15, online
|
|
services count = 3. The current average per system ranges between 20-25
|
|
downloads per week of each issue. Either ARC or TEXT. Current listing of
|
|
BBS systems lists 303 systems.
|
|
|
|
Most operators stated that the issues are downloaded on Thursdays - Sunday
|
|
evenings. Of the systems surveyed, 10 stated they only include ZMAG in
|
|
the download section. Meaning NO other online magazines are offered. Of
|
|
the 5 that offered ST-Report or other online publication, Zmag was NOT
|
|
downloaded as much. Usual download count on these systems ranged between
|
|
5 - 10 downloads.
|
|
|
|
ZMAG130.ARC 97 ZMAG130.TXT 88 = 185
|
|
ZMAG129.ARC 293 ZMAG129.TXT 133 = 426
|
|
ZMAG128.ARC 266 ZMAG128.TXT 94 = 360
|
|
ZMAG127.ARC 347 ZMAG127.TXT 142 = 489
|
|
ZMAG126.ARC 353 ZMAG126.TXT 174 = 527
|
|
ZMAG125.ARC 324 ZMAG125.TXT 159 = 483
|
|
ZMAG124.ARC 348 ZMAG124.TXT 168 = 516
|
|
ZMAG123.ARC 321 ZMAG123.TXT 112 = 433
|
|
ZMAG122.ARC 412 ZMAG122.TXT 190 = 602
|
|
ZMAG121.ARC 385 ZMAG121.TXT 107 = 492
|
|
ZMAG120.ARC 356 ZMAG120.TXT 84 = 440
|
|
ZMAG119.ARC 351 ZMAG119.TXT 135 = 486
|
|
ZMAG118.ARC 403 ZMAG118.TXT 167 = 570
|
|
ZMAG117.ARC 402 ZMAG117.TXT 130 = 532
|
|
ZMAG116.ARC 386 ZMAG116.TXT 204 = 590
|
|
ZMAG115.ARC 438 ZMAG115.TXT 239 = 677
|
|
ZMAG114.ARC 391 ZMAG114.TXT 165 = 556
|
|
ZMAG113.ARC 451 ZMAG113.TXT 257 = 708
|
|
ZMAG112.ARC 645 ZMAG112.TXT 462 = 1107
|
|
|
|
If your BBS system carries ZMagazine issues, Please let us know what the
|
|
access counts are so that we can get a feel of what is actually being
|
|
downloaded each week. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
|
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
|
|
Syndicate ZMagazine Issue #131 Copyright (C) APEinc, Ron Kovacs, SPC
|
|
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
|
|
PayBax BBS, Wilmington, De. 302-731-5558 All BAuds
|