What will Ados look like? Will it be a command-driven dos like DOS XL or
Spartados (perhaps with a menu option), or will it be a menu dos like most
of the others? How will it compare in functionality to DOS 2.0/5? Will it
be able to read/write 2.0/2.5 disks (I assume YES, but after thinking about
DOS 3.0.....)

John

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    John DiMarco           Hard work never killed a man ...
j@csri.toronto.edu          ... but it sure has scared lots of them!
{uunet!utai,watmath!utai,decvax,decwrl,ihnp4}!utcsri!jdd      j@utcsri.UUCP

     I've seen lots of 1050 drive questions here before, so I'm hoping someone
can help me.
     About a month ago, the belt in my drive came off. I thought nothing of it
and put it back on. Over the course of the next week or two, it began to come
off with increasing frequency. I took it to the nearest service center,
thinking that it was only a problem of the belt stretching from normal use.
They told me that they would have to diagnose it themselves. About a week
later, I got my drive back. They told me that they needed to install a "motor
shim kit" and adjust the speed. (There
was no speed problem noticeable in
normal use.) The drive worked fine for about a week, then the belt came off
again. I put it back on and subjected the drive to heavier-than-normal use for
about another week with no problems whatsoever. Just today, though, it came off
again. Obviously, it has become quite annoying to replace it. I'm reluctant to
take it back for service, however, because I don't want to pay for something
that they didn't get right the first time.
     Can anyone help me? Is this problem common, and can it be fixed? And what
did the service center do to my drive, and why?

     I would appreciate replies directed to myself, so that I don't have to
wait for the digest.

     Thank you in advance,
     James Shaffer, Jr.
     <shaff@bknlvms.bitnet>
     <shafferj%bknlvms.bit@forsythe.stanford.edu> (I think...)

Hi,

    I would like to know if anyone out there knows of the status of
speedscript,ei. is it in the public domain.  I would like a copy of it
to use with cc8 If anyone knows of the status of it pleaslease let me
know.

                                John..

....and I have a copy of it -- if I can just dig up my copy and figure out
how to UUencode it...

  Chris Chiesa

In article <wVq-lpy00XoHzKA@andrew.cmu.edu>, a@andrew.cmu.edu (Anthony Johnson, II) writes:

That's tough. If you want to log in to your favorite mini/mainframe, you are
going to have to buy a modem, and possibly software to run that modem. If you
want to use one of those Hayes-compatibles, you will also need an RS232 inter-
face (P:R: connection or the Atari 850) and cable. From there use the school's
dial-in numbers. Otherwise, there is nothing you can do unless you are a
hardware superguru. The cheapest setup is to buy a second-hand 1030 modem
(it runs at 300 baud, it isn't produced anymore) with its built-in terminal
software (extremely primitive, and it doesn't emulate anything useful). You'll
have to hunt around for those. A more sophisticated setup is

1) Get the Atari SX212 300/1200 modem w/ terminal software. Check with
Atari dealers or mail-order companies. May need a disk drive to run the soft-
ware.

2) Get a Hayes or Hayes compatible modem from almost any computer dealer (prices will vary) that can go 1200 or 2400 baud. You will need an RS232 interface
and cable (available from mail-order houses or Atari dealers) and software
(850 Express (Shareware), Amodem 7.x (???), or Kermit-65 (PD, posted here
before, but I missed it 8-(). Kermit-65 is the only one of the 3 with decent
terminal emulation, but the others have good features also. You will also
need a drive here and this setup can cost bet. $300-$400. But at least if
you switch computers, you can still use the modem.

Couple of notes: If your system has not been expanded to at least 48K ram
your only option may be the 1030. In that case, it may be better to just
start again with a new computer system. Also, all these options assume
that you are able to connect the modem to a standard phone jack in some
way.  They cannot communicate through the phone receiver (like the old
acoustic modems).

There is a public domain utility called MENUPLUS that, amongst other things,
has an option to create autorun.sys files to run a BASIC program. The BASIC
program can only be a few lines, but it is used typically to execute a
RUN of the actual program you want. I have used it to create an autorun.sys
to automatically boot up AMODEM - the little basic program I wrote that is
attached to the autorun.sys prints in large letters "LOADING AMODEM", and then
runs AMODEM. The version of MENUPLUS that I have is V5.5. It has one annoying
feature that it tends to change one of the characters in the BASIC program
(randomly?), so it may require minor experimentation.

You should be able to get MENUPLUS (and lots of other goodies) from your
friendly local user group (hopefully you have one!)

 .                                  .
 |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-| "What will I be when I grow up?
 | Herb Gellis                      | You are already grown up.
 | {ucbvax,...}!hplabs!hpindda!herb | You mean this is as UP as I will get?..."
 |=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-|
 |                                  | David Gerrold, "When HARLIE Was One"
---                                ---

I have been experimenting with display lists on my 800XL and have
encountered a couple of strange problems.  The first is that if I try
to use the very bottom scan line on the display, the picture rolls.
Adjusting the vertical hold on the monitor doesn't help.  There doesn't
seem to be a sync signal, or something, as I can slow down the roll to
*almost* a stop, but it doesn't latch into position when it should.
There is no problem with using the top scan line of the display.

The second problem occurs when I try to use a wide playfield.  In this
case, the 3 leftmost columns on the display show the border color
instead of the background color or any text that is there.  On the
right side, the last column is non-existent (black) and the
second-to-last column has a moving snow-like appearance.  Once again, I
have tried adjusting the monitor but it doesn't help.  I am not just
running off the edge of my CRT.

Some notes: I bought my 800XL, serial number 189429, in June 1986.  It
has the GTIA chip, "B" OS ROMs, and all of this happens with an Action!
cartridge plugged in.  I use a B/W composite monitor, not a TV.

Has anyone seen anything like this before?  Is it an inherent problem,
a configuration problem, or just my breath?

                       :: Jeff Makey
                          M@LOGICON.ARPA

Anybody seen an issue of ANTIC since the December one?
I heard of ANALOG's problems with dual publishing and am
patiently awaiting their next issue, but hadn't heard anything
about ANTIC.

        Walt (Laz@gateway.mitre.org)

I have received both the January and February issue of ANTIC although
I simply haven't had the time to post an index of the articles as I
have been doing for the past couple of years.  I hope to resume later
this month with the February issue although I do not plan to go back
and post the January index.

One of the highlights of the January issue was the disk bonus program
called SuperCopy which is billed as one of the fastest and easiest
multi-file disk copying programs ever published for the 8bit Atari.
I have the disk but haven't tried this program yet.  The featured
applications program is TopShelf, an outstanding all-around database
program that offers many powerful features and is easy to use.

The January issue was also the annual shoppers guide with over 100
of the best products for the 8bit Ataris.  If you are a fan of SSI's
wargame simulations, you know that most games require you to use the
keyboard numbers to move various directions.  There is an article and
patch to allow you to use your joystick to direct your forces.

Hope this dispells any rumors of ANTIC's demise.  I may have been
the source of some of the doubts since I haven't posted the Index
for the last two months.   Sorry...

                                        Kit Kimes  
                                        AT&T--Information Systems Labs
                                        ...ihnp4!ihlpe!kimes

I have received both January and, on Dec. 31, February issues.  Thus they
are sending them...

James
True :  James Pirc
ARPA :  pirc2@csd4.milw.wisc.edu
GEnie:  JIM.PIRC