
               _      ____       ___   ______       _______          _
              d#      ####b     g#00   `N##0"    _agN#0P0N#         d#
             d##       jN##    j##F     J##    _dN0"      "        d##
           .#]##      _P ##L  jN##F     ###   g#0"               .#]##
          dE_j##      #  0## jF ##F    j##F  j##'    ______     dE_j##
        .0"""N##     d"   ##L0  ##F    0##   0##     "9##F"   .0"""5##
      .dF'   ]##    jF    ##0   ##F    ##F   `##k     d##   .dF'   j##
    .g#_    _j##___g#__   ]N  _j##L_ _d##L_   `#Nh___g#N' .g#_    _j##__
   """""    """""""""""    "  """""" """"""      """"""" """""    """"""

            *---== STReport International Online Magazine ==---*
                   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                              * AMIGA EDITION *
                    "The Original Amiga Online Magazine"
                                    from
                               STR Publishing
                               """"""""""""""
                         [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport


 March 19, 1993                                                     No.1.01
 ==========================================================================

                  -----------------------------------------
                             * THE BOUNTY BBS *
                          Home of  STR Publications
                         * RUNNING  TURBOBOARD BBS *
                  904-786-4176  USR DS 16.8  24hrs - 7 days
                  -----------------------------------------
                                * NOVA BBS *
                         Amiga Report Headquarters
                          * RUNNING STARNET BBS *
                             FidoNet  1:362/508
                  615-472-9748  USR DS 16.8  24hrs - 7 days
                  -----------------------------------------

 ____________________________________________________________________________


 > 03/19/93 STR-Amiga 1.01  "The Original * Independent * Online Magazine!"
   """""""""""""""""""""""
     - The Editor's Desk     - CPU Report         - New Products
     - Rendered Reality      - STR Confidential   - Imagemaster Update
     - STR Online            - BBS Ethics         - Motorola 68060
     - STR Staff Bio's       - Dealer Directory   - CD ROM Review
     - A1200 HD Problems?    - CIS Lowers Prices  - New Anim7 Format

                       -* World of Commodore Seminars *-
                      -* A1200/Atari Falcon Comparison *-
                     -* A Plea from Babylon 5's Creator *-
                         -* A New Strain of Virus?? *-


 ============================================================================
                  Amiga Report International Online Magazine
                            From STR Publications
                         [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport
                 The Original * Independent * Online Magazine
                            -* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
                  "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
       Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
               Hardware ~ Software ~ Corporate ~ R & D ~ Imports
 ============================================================================
                    CIS ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ FIDO ~ INTERNET
 ============================================================================

                                =============
                              * AMIGA EDITION *
                                =============


       COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME

                               to the Readers of;

                   AMIGA REPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
                   """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                      "The Original Amiga Online Magazine"

                           NEW USERS; SIGN UP TODAY!

                  CALL: 1-800-848-8199 .. Ask for operator 198

                    You will receive your complimentary time
                                      and
                          be online in no time at all!


 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 > From the Editor's Desk                  "Saying it like it is!"
   """"""""""""""""""""""

     Welcome to the first issue of Amiga Report!  I'm glad you've decided to
 take a look and see what we're all about.  I'm sure you will  enjoy what we
 have to offer.

     You might be wondering why we've started Amiga Report.  To answer that,
 I must tell you a  little about myself.  I've had my Amiga 1200 since early
 January of  this year.  Before that, I had owned  Atari computers, from the
 8-bit that I got in January of 1982, up to the  Mega STE I owned until late
 December, 1992.  Like many Atari  owners, I was disgusted with Atari's poor
 management and inability to deliver new products.  I decided it was time to
 change platforms.  PC's were out of  the question for  obvious reasons, and
 Macs are too expensive.  The only real choice  was the Amiga.  I had always
 admired  the Amiga's  ability to  multitask, and with the  new AGA machines
 coming out, the choice became clear.

     Anyway, one of the  things  that I missed  from  my Atari days  was the
 plethora of information available in no fewer than FOUR online magazines --
 ST-Report,  Z*Net,  Atari Explorer Online and  GEnie Lamp (the latter being
 a  monthly  publication).  The only  "online  magazine" for  the  Amiga  is
 ViewPort, which is assembled by the GEnie Amiga RoundTable sysops.  While a
 worthwhile effort, it was  more a collection of reviews than anything else.
 The weekly online magazines in the Atari world always published the latest,
 most up-to-date you could find anywhere.  Between them, there was almost no
 need to subscribe to "real" paper-based magazines.

     So, my system is an Amiga 1200, presently with  only the included 2 meg
 of  chip RAM  (more coming soon, as finances allow),  a Maxtor 80  meg hard
 drive, a SupraFAX V.32bis modem,  HP DeskJet Plus  and  Panasonic  KX-P1124
 printers, a MiGraph Hand Scanner, and an NEC II multisync monitor.

     We presently have  four people  involved directly  with  the  magazine.
 Micah  Thompson  is  our  Technical Editor,  Mike Troxell  is our  Graphics
 Editor, and  Tom Mulcahy, a  contributing editor.  There is a  short bio on
 each of them later in the issue, so you can get to know them.

     Our goal is to provide accurate, up-to-date information about the Amiga
 and its users.  We are an  independent publication, free from regulation by
 any  company or  online service.  Our information  will be  as  accurate as
 possible, and will not be biased in any way.  If we like something, we will
 gladly say so.  If not, we will not hesitate to speak our mind.  We have no
 hidden agendas.

     Some people may  remember the  last attempt at  Amiga Report, which was
 referred to as  AM-Report.  We are not  they, and they  are not us.  We are
 totally new, with  no ties to the  former magazine other  than sharing  the
 same publisher.

     With that said, I'll shut up so you can get on with the issue.  Enjoy!



 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


  Amiga Report's Staff                       DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
  """"""""""""""""""""

                                     Editor
                                     """"""
                                  Robert Glover


          Technical Editor       Graphics Editor        Contributing Editor
          ----------------       ---------------        -------------------
           Micah Thompson         Mike Troxell              Tom Mulcahy
 CIS:        71726,2657            71514,2413
 GEnie:       BOOMER.T             M.TROXELL1
 FidoNet:                          1:362/508.5              1:260/322
 Delphi:                                                    16BITTER


            PC DIVISION          ATARI DIVISION           MAC DIVISION
            -----------          --------------           ------------
            Roger D. Stevens     Ralph F. Mariano         R. Albritton


                                IMPORTANT NOTICE
                                """"""""""""""""
          Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
                                  via E-Mail to:

                    CompuServe.................... 71514,2314
                    Delphi........................ ROB_G
                    FidoNet....................... 1:362/508.6
                    GEnie......................... ROB-G
                    Internet.......................ROB_G@Delphi.COM


 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 > CPU STATUS REPORT                 LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
   =================


 Commodore announces two new enhancements for the Amiga 1200:

 A1200 Hard Drive Kit $39
 P/N: 591201-01
 - install disk and fonts disk
 - cable assembly
 - mounting screws
 - Amiga Hard Disk User's Guide
 - AmigaDOS manual
 - Amiga ARexx manual
 - upgrade instructions
 - approved hard drive list

 Available from authororized Commodore resellers; the A1200 hard drive kit
 requires Commodore Authorized Service installation.


 AS217 Documentation $23
 - AmigaDOS manual
 - Amiga ARexx manual

 Available from CommodoreExpress (800) 448-9987.

 Commodore Business Machines
 1200 Wilson Dr.
 West Chester, PA 19380
 (215) 431-9100



 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                   Blackbelt Announces Newest Imagemaster!
                   =======================================


 For Immediate Release

 March 16th, 1993

 Glasgow Montana

 Black Belt Systems is in the process of releasing a major new upgrade to
 our Imagemaster product, designated v9.50.

 If you are one of the many people who have ordered Imagemaster under our
 "Power-Up" program, but have not yet received your copy of Imagemaster,
 this list should give you an idea of the benefits to you of your long
 wait; almost 90% of these features have been added since the Power-Up
 offer was made public, and you're going to get all of them at no extra
 charge. Thank you for your patience!

 For more information, call (800) 852-6442 Toll-free, or outside the USA
 and Canada, call (406) 367-5513. You can FAX us orders at (406) 367-2329.
 Our multi-line, 9600 (HST & v32) open user BBS is reachable at (406)
 367-2227.

     ----------------------------------------------------------------
     v9.50 New Features List - Some new features of Imagemaster v9.50
     ----------------------------------------------------------------


 - Now includes support for selected EPSON flatbed scanner models, standard
   with the upgrade or release. Includes ES300, ES600 and ES800. (We can
   provide prewired cables, also). This scanner support is based on the
   Metadigm "Metascan" product, an integrated version of which is now
   supplied with Imagemaster. (If you own the ASDG scanner driver, you can
   use that cable with our new driver - or, we have optional cables available
   for purchase).

 - Aspect sense; determines the exact aspect of your monitor/mode combo
   simply, easily and in a foolproof manner. Even takes into account any
   distortions introduced by monitor width/height settings.

 - Exact Aspect display mode; aspect ratio correct display capability.
   This, in combination with Aspect Sense, allows you to see and work on
   images exactly as they are intended to appear.

 - Supports AGA 800x600 for work and render output.

 - New image and ANIM file format support:
 o  Reads IFF images from the Amiga ClipBoard device
 o  Writes IFF images to the Amiga ClipBoard device
 o  Reads ALL kinds of TIFF image files (in both IBM and Mac formats)
 o  Writes 24-bit TIFF files
 o  Reads Windows BMP image files
 o  Writes Windows BMP image files
 o  Reads AGA mode ANIM frames
 o  Generates AGA mode ANIMS
 o  Reads frames from Autodesk FLI/FLC Animation files (IBM PC format)
 o  Writes AutoDesk FLI/FLC animation files
 o  Reads MacPaint files
 o  Reads NoteBook files
 o  Reads Amiga .info files
 o  Reads 12-bit General Electric MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) files
 o  Reads PCX files
 o  Reads WinImages:morph 24-bit filmstrip files

 - Many file formats that were previously only available via the F1 key
   route are now able to be automatically loaded thru the simple File I/O
   method, automatically.

 - Completely revamped CMY+(K) color sep capabilities for more accurate
   color prepress operations.

 - New, faster 256 preset color AGA display method for good looking preview
   mode that does not require new palette computation when changes are made
   to an image.

 - Completely new palette control area for AGA machines
 o  Attractive new look display
 o  256 visible, modifiable colors, with individual render tags
 o  Full 18-bit colorspace color cube onscreen at all times
 o  Color Cube preset, prescan, FG set and BG set
 o  "Painter's Palette" feathering and mixing area
 o  24-bit accurate color palette displays
 o  On-screen range manipulation tools
 o  Copy, Exg, Hue-Spread, RGB-Spread, Mirror-Spread, Insert Range
 o  Hue-sort, Value Sort, Undo changes
 o  640x400 or 800x600 resolutions for palette, fully promotable
 o  CMY, RGB, HSV, HSL and CMYK adjustment modes
 o  Load and Save palettes WITH palette control information
 o  Selected colors have live marques - quick & easy to spot
 o  Ability to absolutely control palette for rendering images:
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 o  Any color or combination of colors: "NOT TO BE USED AT ALL"
 o  Any color or combination of colors: "USE AS IS"
 o  Any color or combination of colors: "AUTOPICK BEST COLOR"

 - Single key "insta-swap" of primary and secondary images.

 - Complete reworked buffer-generating Perspective operation.

 - Brand new compose-level Perspective option.

 - Support for Centaur's Opalvision display board.

 - New scientific functions:
 o  Add a constant
 o  Sub a constant
 o  Div by constant
 o  Mult by constant
 o  Mult by secondary
 o  Div by secondary
 o  Logarithm base N of X              For our scientific users!
 o  N raised to X
 o  Raise to power
 o  Root
 o  Arbitrary Profiles
 o  Arbitrary Spectrums (1-D Fast Fourier Transforms)
 o  Variance Conversions

 - New higher power "Sharpening" function.

 - Sends images directly to GVP's ImageFX software.

 - Includes high quality "Poster Printer" capability.

 - New ARexx commands:
 o  userload ----- loads new images via the familiar user interface
 o  simpload ----- loads new images to a non-specific buffer
 o  forcewbfront - Brings WB to front no matter the autoactivate state
 o  forcefront --- Brings IM to front no matter the autoactivate state
 o  ehlp --------- Takes IM error numbers and reports error in english
 o  perspect ----- generates perspective operations

 - Small panel re-organizations in many locations for ease of use.

 - Control panels smooth scroll & autorepair AmigaDOS screen positioning
   bugs.

 - Radial wave now utilizes image's aspect ratio

 - All I/O requesters now open on Imagemaster screens; this reduces screen
   flipping and prevents monitor re-syncing stress when running 800x600 in
   either Imagemaster or another application (including the WorkBench).

   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 Other Imagemaster News as of v9.50
 ----------------------------------
 - Syndesis introduces Mac PICT-format reader & writer (3rd party).

   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 Imagemaster is Copyright 1992-1993 Black Belt Systems ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.



 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                          New Anim7 Animation Format!
                          ===========================
                          Compiled by Micah Thompson



 FLASH!  There is joy in AmigaVille!  AGA now blazes with glory!

 Well, by now you are wondering what I'm raving about.  It's the arrival of a
 new animation format referred to as the Anim7 format.

 Since the  arrival of the A4000, very  fast animation rates were touted as a
 great advantage of AGA. Thirty and sixty frames per second (fps) were touted
 as easily attainable by AGA, in any resolution.

 Users grew eager  though as the  regular Anim5 format  usually animated at a
 slower  rate, and people  cried "where  are the 60 fps animations  we've all
 heard about?"

 Well, get ready.  I've  converted  some  Anim5 animations  to Anim7 and they
 run at 60fps on my A4000.

 This is the answer for the people crying for more animation speed.

 Here  is the  introduction from  the docs of MakeAnim7, which is included in
 in  the  archive  of  Viewtek 1.04, the  great  display  program  by  Thomas
 Krehbiel.  VT 1.04 plays Anim7's at amazing speed!


 INTRODUCTION
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The ANIM7 format  proposed by  Wolfgang Hofer  provides  MUCH better ani-
 mation  playback  speed, which is especially needed for AGA-mode animations.
 The tradeoff  is a larger animation file (ie.the compression isn't as good).

 *Note:  The anims I've converted are not much bigger at all in Anim7 format.
         -Micah

    So, here is a little  utility  to convert  your existing animations into
 ANIM7 animations in  a fairly  straightforward  manner.  MakeAnim7 can also
 read  the ANIM8's  that come from  MorphPlus, so you can (and should, since
 ANIM7 is much better) convert them too.

   (This program requires 2.04, BTW.)


 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                   Computer Products Update - CPU Report
                   ------------------------   ----------
                  Weekly Happenings in the Computer World

                                 Issue #10

                              By: John Deegan

                Reprinted from STReport Atari Edition #9.10


    VERBATIM OFFERS NEW "P-ROM" DISKS - A  new  3.5-inch  partial-ROM (P-ROM)
 disk has been introduced by Verbatim Corp., which calls this the first image
 image and  data storage  optical product "to combine  both magneto-optic and
 read-only functionality."

    John  Stevens, manager of Verbatim's optical  storage products marketing,
 said, "The ROM portion of  the media may be  embossed permanently with data,
 such as a  software  application, and the rewritable  portion of the disk is
 left available for user files."

    The disks provide a total combined ROM and rewritable capacity of 128MB.


    MICROSOFT SAYS  FAKE DOS, WINDOWS SOFTWARE  SEIZED BY GOVERNMENT - Recent
 government raids in California uncovered large amounts of counterfeit MS-DOS
 5 and Windows 3.1  operating  systems, officials  with  publisher  Microsoft
 Corp. said today.

    Microsoft  said raids  in San  Jose and Concord yielded counterfeit items
 produced under the trade names OEM's Spring Circle and BTI.

    Microsoft did not place a dollar  value on the  seized items in the raids
 which the company said were  staged by local and federal authorities on Jan.
 20, Jan. 21 and Feb. 3 in San Jose and on Feb. 18 in Concord.


    SURVEY  HAS  HOME  COMPUTER ON  RISE - A new  consumer survey  finds home
 computerists last  year spent  more  time at their PCs  and  worked  with  a
 broader spectrum of applications than they did a year earlier.

    Also, more  than 42% of  the 2,500 PC owners surveyed for Packard Bell by
 California  Research Tabulations Inc. said  their primary  use for  the com-
 puter is  personal (such  as  letter writing)  or  pleasure  (game playing).
 Another 37% said their  PCs are used  primarily for business, while 21% said
 their PC is used by household members for school work.

    In a  statement  from Chatsworth, Calif., Fred  Kern, vice  president  of
 product marketing at Packard Bell, said, "We're seeing more diversity in how
 computers  are being  utilized in the  home. Users are spending more time at
 their PCs  and are  increasing  their  use of many  popular  types  of  app-
 lications."

    Other findings:

    -:- Almost half the respondents said  they spent more than  10 hours  per
 week at the computer, compared  with 30% in 1991. Nearly one in 10 said they
 use their computers more than 30 hours per week.

    -:- More than 80%  classified themselves as having at least some computer
 knowledge and half said they are relatively  knowledgeable or "power users."

    -:- Word processing increased as the  application used "most of the time"
 by  14  points  to 57.2%. Desktop  publishing  products  usage rose  6.7% to
 11.2%, while spreadsheets saw a moderate increase as the primary application
 to 21.1% from 18%.

    -:- Personal/business  finance software  and  entertainment software were
 designated as  applications  people use most of the time by 28.5% and 27.4%,
 respectively.

    -:- Database software,  at  16.2%,  and  telecommunications  software  at
 15.7%, showed up for the first time in the survey.

    -:- Citing  the  single  factor that  most influenced  their purchase de-
 cision, about a third of the respondents chose "features" as most important,
 another third mentioned "price," while one-tenth cited "reliability."

    -:- When asked  to  named several  factors that  greatly influenced their
 purchase decision, four  out of five  answered "features" and "price," seven
 out  of  10  placed weight  on  "reliability"  and  three  out  of  five  on
 "warranty." Meanwhile, "recommendation  of friend" held less weight than the
 other factors with one out of five taking this into consideration.

    Finally, many  respondents  either added  accessories to their systems or
 will do so in the next  12 months. Heading  the list were  additional RAM, a
 laser printer, a math coprocessor, a CD-ROM drive, a  larger hard disk drive
 and a modem.



 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > ONLINE WEEKLY STReport Online             People...  Are Talking!
   =============================


 From GEnie:

                         Amiga 1200 Hard Disk Problems


 Category 15,  Topic 21
 Message 29        Fri Jan 08, 1993
 DENNYA [[[[Denny]]]]         at 09:51 EST

 IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ANYONE INSTALLING THEIR OWN HARD DRIVE IN AN A1200 OR
 A4000! ESPECIALLY QUANTUM DRIVES!

 I posted this as a response to Jose before I discovered he'd fixed his
 problem. However, there is a bug in the IDE large-transfer implemenation in
 some hard disk drives, Quantum in particular. With these drives you have to
 change the MaxTransfer value or files >130K in size get mangled.

 Load HDToolBox, go to the Parititioning screen, click Advanced Options, click
 Change File System, and change the MaxTransfer value to 0x1ffff. (This is
 covered in detail in a certain Tips and Secrets book. :-) I know for sure you
 need to do this with Quantum drives.

 Editor's Note:  This is also the case with all Maxtor 2.5" IDE drives.


                         ______________________________



 Ever wonder why the Amiga has never gotten an upgrade to the game Falcon?

 Amiga RT
 Category 6,  Topic 3
 Message 241       Wed Mar 10, 1993
 HOLOBYTE [The Cat]           at 12:20 EST

 Please note, in the following I am putting aside my corprate OFFICIAL capacity
 and trying to give a realistic view. I mean no offense and do not wish my
 words, in this case, to be the words of Spectrum HoloByte. But I have been
 with Spectrum HoloByte for almost 3 years, and I have watched things evolve.
 Also, I am leaving out anything about any other company's willingness or
 unwillingness to do anything.

 When we say the 'power' if the 386, we are really talking the SPEED of the
 386. Why, even Falcon 3.0 for the IBM requires that you are running AT LEAST
 33Mhz to get really, really realistic game play. Sure, it will PLAY on a 12Mhz
 286, but it looks and handles like a sick pig.


 Yes, we could do a Falcon 3.0 for the Amiga, or even the Atari. It would only
 run PROPERLY on the 4000's and maybe the 1200's and the other more powerful
 machines. Which is a SMALL number of Amigas compared to the 500s that are out
 there. So only a SMALL portion of the Amiga market would be able to run it at
 all to start with.

 Also, it would take AT LEAST TWO YEARS to develop and program, as it would
 have to ALL be done FROM SCRATCH. Just like it was done on the IBM.

 You want the REAL UNOFFICIAL reason for Falcon 3.0 not being done on the
 Amiga? MONEY. When we marketed Flight of the Intruder for the Amiga.... ONLY
 about a maximum of 8,000 copies were ever ordered by retailers and consumers.
 Period. 8,000 copies. That barely BARELY allowed a break even on materials,
 advertising and all the things that cost money AFTER a product is complete. It
 did NOT break even on the man hours that went into it. (Don't feel bad though,
 the Atari version only sold around 1,500... not enough to even come close to
 breaking even anywhere.)

 The break even point for any piece of entertainment software is usuall around
 25,000 to 35,000 copies. That's the break even. It takes a product earning a
 company PROFIT to get them to make more and more and more.

 (BTW, at one time, the 8,000 mark that FOTI Amiga hit would have been just
 fine, but inflation and all that changed things.)

 Now, compare it to Falcon 3.0 for the IBM. It has sold over 200,000 copies.
 80,000 of that in the first 3 months!

 You do the math. Which would you say was making you enough money to justify
 doing more and more?

 BTW, the most copies of Falcon Amiga to ever sell since its release in 1988 is
 about 48,000. And that took over 4 years. And that was considered Good prior
 to 1991 or so. But the US market, weither any of us like it or not (I love my
 Amiga! I want more quality software for it, believe me!), is a IBM/compatibles
 and MAC _Dominated_ market.

 I WANT Falcon 3.0 for my Amiga (I am one of those wierd people that is
 addicted to home computers.... I have a Atari 520ST, a DEC Rainbow 100, a CBM
 Pet 2001, a TRS-80 Model 1, a Amiga 500, and several IBM/compatibles... and
 WANT a Mac LC III and a Amiga 4000),
 I believe that it would, if SH would do it, kick the <censored> out of it on
 the IBM, big time. But if you look at the numbers...

 Of course, if any of you out there have a few million US Dollars to
 donate with the proviso that it would have to be used to make a Amiga version
 of Falcon 3.0, it might be worth trying to convince Spectrum HoloByte of the
 'error' of their ways.

 Reality being what it is, I'm not holding my breath. (Oh, and btw, I am not
 rich, I have picked up most of those older computers at flea markets, garage
 sales and the like, I did NOT get them when they were new, except for the TRS-
 80 Model 1 and the Amiga 500.)

 Just my 2 cents, er, dollars (inflation, don't you know) worth

 Denny:
         SH is quite aware of the Euro Versions of FOTI and the sales levels of
 it. The Agreement with Rowan and the now defunct MirrorSoft as that they got
 the money from the European Sales and SH got the money from US sales. Word I
 hear, Euro Sales of FOTI still never topped the 30,000 copies mark. And SH
 never sees a dime of that.


 STUPID:
         You can't be more correct. At present we do NOT have the in- house
 resources to do a Falcon 3.0 for the Amiga. We would have to, once again, go
 to Rowen or Digital Integration (present people with the option to upgrade
 Falcon Amiga, I think, but don't quote me).

 Remember, every letter that a company gets from people represents a lot more
 than 1 voice. It is figured, in general, that 1 letter equals from 3-10
 voices. So if 10000 of you out there right, that would sound like 30000-100000
 people! That would make a impact. Believe me!

 Karl Maurer
  The Cat
  Spectrum HoloByte Customer Support
  ----------
 Category 6,  Topic 3
 Message 244       Thu Mar 11, 1993
 E.LOFTUS1 [Glenn...]         at 22:08 EST

  Holobyte--

  > Yes, we could do a Falcon 3.0 for the Amiga . . . It would only run
  > PROPERLY on the 4000's and maybe the 1200's and the other more
  > powerful machines.  Which is a SMALL number of Amigas compared to
  > the 500s that are out there.

  Argh!  I'm really getting tired of this argument.  Does anyone have a
 ballpark estimate for the number of 14+ MHz accelerators sold for the 500 and
 2000?  I got my '030 over a year ago, and most of the other A2000 owners I
 know also have accelerators.

  > MONEY. When we marketed Flight of the Intruder for the Amiga....
  > ONLY about a maximum of 8,000 copies were ever ordered by retailers
  > and consumers.  Period. 8,000 copies.

 There's one on the bookshelf behind me.  I had no idea it was a collectable.
 Notably, FOTI is no longer installed on my hard-drive, though FDPro is.

 > Now, compare it to Falcon 3.0 for the IBM.  It has sold over
 > 200,000 copies.

  Falcon 3.0 is a much better program than is FOTI.  Note that when it was
 released, the majority of installed DOS machines couldn't run it properly.
 (I'd say you need a 386DX-33 or better for it to run acceptably.)
                                         --Glenn...
  ----------
 Amiga RT
 Category 6,  Topic 3
 Message 246       Fri Mar 12, 1993
 DENNYA [[[[Denny]]]]         at 13:18 EST

 Holobyte,

 No fair comparing Falcon 3.0 PC sales with FOTI Amiga sales.

 What were FOTI sales on the PC?


                        ______________________________



                          Emplant Legality Concerns!


 Here's an interesting discussion going on in the Atari ST RT, Category 18,
 Topic 22:  Atari vs. Other Systems.

 Off-topic messages have been deleted.  Some messages have been slightly
 edited for brevity.  I apologize for the length of this thread.  They aren't
 usually this long!

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 51        Fri Feb 19, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 23:10 EST

 Hello...

 I am the Vice-President of Utilities Unlimited, Inc. and we make the evil
 EMPLANT hardware that you have been talking about. :-)

 EMPLANT is a multi-platform emulation system capable of emulating virtually
 any computer that we write support modules for *and you have the ROMs for*.
 This is really no different than what Dave Small is doing with Spectre, or the
 GEMulator.

 We do require that you have the ROMs or a ROM image of the computer that you
 are going to be emulating.  'ROM images' can be obtained from the computer
 *that you own*.  You can buy the TOS upgrade ROMs (I did), and use these ROMs
 in the board.  We have been round-n-round with many law firms over the
 legalities of this and we are in no way violating anyone's copyrights.

 At this point, Atari ST/Falcon is a long ways down the road.  We are still
 working on the MAC family, then the IBM.

 The sole reason for using ROM images is that due to the nature of the Amiga's
 multitasking operating system, we can have more than one emulation running on
 the same computer at the same time. We support DIPS & SIMM ROMs with our
 board, but only enough sockets for a single set of ROMs.  Therefore, we backup
 the ROM image onto disk and load them this way.

 EMPLANT is not designed to be a tool for pirates to distribute ROM images, and
 at $399, it is too expensive for your average scumbag software thief. There is
 no way in hell any of the emulations will work without the EMPLANT hardware.
 This guarantees protection for all of us.  90% of our sales to date have been
 to people who own MACs for their business, and want to work at home with their
 Amiga emulating their MAC.

 If you have questions or comments, please email me or drop by our support
 section on GEnie (m555;1 - set 14; 31).

 Sincerely,

 Jim Drew, Vice-President
           Utilities Unlimited, Inc.
           jdrew@cryo.rain.com
           jdrew.2


  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 55        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 T.MCCOMB [=Tom=]             at 11:48 EST

 Ummm, maybe I'm like real dense, but I don't see where your 'system' affords
 anyone (Computer Manufacturers) any protection  other than yourself.

 You state that nothing will 'run' without YOUR board.  OK, that protects YOU.

 You state it will run ROM images off disk.  What guarantees that those ROM
 image files are legal?  Legal meaning that they were created by the current
 owner, from a set of ROMs that he BOUGHT.  I don't think it is even legal to
 remove the ROMS from a second computer, copy them to disk and run both the
 disk image and the real ROMs (on the original computer) at the same time.

 I don't see how you can prevent people from using pirated (stolen) copies of
 OS ROM images if your board will execute them from a disk file.  That file
 could have come from anywhere.

 I think Atari will be ringing you up.

   -Tom McComb
   {11:45 pm}  Friday, February 19, 1993

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 57        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 13:05 EST

   I think we are putting the cart before the horse here. I see a lot of
 arguments to the effect of: "Hey, you can't allow disk ROM images to be loaded
 into your Emplant board, because that would mean that some dishonest people
 would make illegal copies of ROM's, and trade/sell/give them away!"

   Why is this any different than saying "Hey, you can't sell computers with
 disk drives that _write_ to disks, because some dishonest people would try to
 copy floppy disk software illegally, to trade/sell/etc."?!?!?!?

   There will _ALWAYS_ be people who will copy software programs, be them on
 ROM's, Carts, or disks. It is a well supported theory that the majority of IBM
 clones are sold to consumers based on the fact that there is such a _W_I_D_E_
 selection of "free" software out there.

   I really don't see any reason to attack this product, because it is no more
 or less of a piracy encouraging device than any other piece of computer
 hardware you can buy. Besides that, it is a product made for a _non klone_
 machine. Anyone who supports _non klones_ deserves all of OUR support.

             ______________________
                 \hunderbird

 'cause COMPUTERS don't pirate... PEOPLE do!

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 58        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 J.NESS [Jim]                 at 13:57 EST

 Tom McComb -

 Note two points that J.DREW2 made.

 1) His lawyers say he is okay.  (from this I conclude he is not concerned
 about a call from Apple, and that's MUCH more significant than a call from
 Atari)

 2) His company is not building an Atari emulator any time soon. (from this I
 conclude that it would be difficult for Atari to build a case against him)

 Now, do you still believe Atari will be in contact with him?

 Realistically, his company would not be the one using stolen software, in any
 case.  If a user chose to steal a disk image of a rom OS, the user would be
 the one at fault.

                                -JN
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 59        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 T.MCCOMB [=Tom=]             at 16:16 EST

 Yeah, Jim, I do.

 For the same reason the GCR/Magic SAC/GEMulator were required to operate with
 ROMs and not disk based ROM images.

 Fired up the ol'MEGA today, eh?


  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 60        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 J.NESS [Jim]                 at 18:14 EST

 Tom -

 It's not like the products you mentioned were changed due to a lost lawsuit.
 In at least one case, Atari promised to leave the developer alone if there
 were roms onboard.  The developer chose to take the easy route.

 This particular developer may choose the easy route, too.  If Atari complains,
 he may just forgo the dozen or so possible sales.  He did say that Apple and
 IBM emulation were coming before Atari emulation.

 Or, he may just depend upon what his attorneys said, and go ahead as he
 wishes, with a disk-loaded rom image.  Let's watch, shall we?  If Apple
 doesn't sue, Atari hasn't got a chance.  Apple are the lawsuit masters of our
 time.

 No, I didn't fire up the Mega yet today.  Tomorrow for sure.  I've got some
 bug fixes to work on.

  -JN

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 61        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 19:11 EST

 Well, AMAX has had a patch to allow the ROMs to be disk based for years.
 There has been a 5 year precedence set, and Apple has not responded to *any*
 of the MAC/Apple II emulators out there.

 The Amiga has had THREE Atari emulators...ALL of which used TOS as a disk
 based file.  The first came out nearly 4 years ago.  The latest version uses a
 piece of hardware (the others were software only), and not to hold the ROMs.
 The hardware allows for up to 16 Atari ST's running at the same time on the
 Amiga...all using the same ROM code.  Now, *that* is technically illegal.
 According to additions to the software copyright laws made in 1991, you are
 not allowed to use the same software on more than one computer at the same
 time without express written permission of the software publisher.

 This means that if you use your Atari ST ROMs out of your ST for the ROM
 image, and you were running an emulation using this ROM image, you *would* be
 breaking the law by turning on your Atari ST (the computer that the ROM image
 came from) and using it while the emulation was running.

 If you purchased a set of ROMs for the emulation, used them only to obtain the
 image, and put them away for safe keeping, you would not be breaking the law.
 However, if at any time you were to sell the original ROMs, "all archival
 copies must be transferred to the to purchaser or destroyed".

 We do provide sources to Apple ROMs, and we have made these sources a small
 fortune.  Apple ROMs are not cheap.

 Atari ROMs are like Amiga and IBM BIOS ROMs, reasonably priced.

 What we are doing is not illegal.  We sell the gun, and rely on people not to
 rob a bank with it.  ;-)

 Jim Drew
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 62        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 DENNYA [Denny Atkin]         at 21:16 EST

 I think it would be really interesting if ATARI sued the Emplant folks when
 APPLE doesn't find the board worth worrying about...

 But then again, I know previous Atari emulators for the Amiga were quashed by
 Atari's legal folks.

 I'm all for protecting intellectual property, but just imagine if the amount
 of money spent on lawyers went to product development or overseeing Falcon
 manufacturing instead... Gotta wonder.

 IMHO, it would behoove Atari to have lots of Amigas emulating the ST/Falcon
 series. Could double the U.S. installed base of machines that could use ST
 software, which would be good for keeping the software market alive.

  ..Mr. Devil's Advocate

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 63        Sat Feb 20, 1993
 T.MCCOMB [=Tom=]             at 22:38 EST

 Denny- I agree, as long as they are using LEGAL ROMs.  The same people that
 would use pirated ROM images wouldn't think twice about using pirated programs
 too.  That'd do NOTHING to help  keep the software market alive.

  -Tom McComb
   {10:13 pm}  Saturday, February 20, 1993

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 64        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 STEVE-J [FunkPopARoll]       at 01:54 EST

 S.DANUSER - So long as you own a legitimate set of ROM's, it's debatable
 whether 'dumping' the ROM data to disk is illegal or not.  There's a big
 difference between a licensing agreement and the law.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 65        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 S.DANUSER [Soul Manager]     at 03:07 EST

 I think Atari would be more concerned about emulators than Apple because of
 the relative market shares.  A few hundred (or even thousand) emulators are a
 drop in the bucket to Apple, and do not impose on their turf at all.  But to
 Atari, those hundreds of emulators make up a much larger percentage of
 potential Atari owners.  Theoretically, each emulator in use is a sale lost by
 Atari (yes, I know it doesn't work that way in reality, but the principle is
 valid).

 As for the argument that emulators increase Atari's market share, I'm sure
 Atari would much rather sell a computer than ROMs for an emulator.  Certainly
 they'd much rather sell a computer than see their OS code be pirated in a disk
 file.

                                           Soul Manager
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 66        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 06:07 EST

 Somebody mention "licensed" software.  It is interesting to note that Apple
 and Atari do not license their ROMs.  They are sold.  Commodore and IBM are
 the same as well.  Until recently (System 7.x releas) Apple's OS was available
 here on GEnie for no fee and there were no restrictions for it's distribution.
 Now, their OS is "licensed", but still not their ROMs.

 ROMs are software.  Software is sold or it is licensed.  All ROMs from Apple,
 Atari, & Commodore are sold and not licensed.  However, even if these ROMs
 were licensed our product and what it does is not illegal.

 We are not out to "steal" any business from Atari or any company.  We are
 providing a service to the computer inthusiast by limiting the number of
 complete systems that they have to purchase.  People do not have the deskspace
 for computers that they may not really use very often.

 I have written copy programs for _all_ computers (including the Atari ST) for
 the last 16 years.  I have dealt with litterally hundreds of lawyers
 concerning copyright laws.  I know the laws, and we are not breaking them.

 I do not understand why people are scared by ROM 'images'.  Spectre GCR, The
 GEMulator, Cameleon, AmiTari, and other emulators dump the ROMs _on their
 hardware_ into memory, modify the code, and presto..emulation. A disk loaded
 file is dumped into memory, modified, and presto...there really is no
 difference.  I _would_ have required ROMs to be installed at all times with
 our emulators, except that our system is much more complex than most people
 realize.  We can run multiple computer emulations at the same time with a
 single EMPLANT board.  You can not install 3  different ROMs into the same
 socket, no matter how hard you try.  :-) ...and our hardware has the ability
 to add RAM to the sockets that the ROMs are placed in.   We have the ability
 to add another processor (386/486, 6502, Z80, etc.) to our board to insure
 emulation speed and compatibility.  Yes, our product is very complex is
 design.

 As far as honesty goes, I can honestly tell you that we have had customers pay
 as high as $650 for MAC IIx ROMs.  MAC ROMs (despite the horror stories) are
 readily available.  Apple has restricted authorized service centers from
 selling the ROMs, however, there are non-authorized service centers that sell
 them.  Also, Apple is forced in some countrys to sell _all_ service parts to
 the general public (laws of the particular country) and customers have been
 getting ROMs this way.

 I am not sure what Atari's position reguarding TOS will be.  It is really too
 bad that people here feel threatened by a system that could help Atari, Apple,
 and Commodore.  IBM emulation is of course, the easiest to "get away with" as
 companies sell their BIOS ROMs for $19.95 these days.

 The bottom line is this...we are not breaking any laws, and do not intend to.
 Our Atari emulation will be an Atari 1040ST, and it might be available to our
 customers for Christmas time...and we are not developing it.  We have released
 developer packages to companies so that they can create their own emulation
 modules for use with the EMPLANT hardware. To date, 6 companies are working on
 emulations for every from the ST to the Sega Genesis game machine.

 Maybe it is time for this horrific division of computer owners to come
 together and realize that maybe everyone does make a good computer. I am sick
 of hearing in the Amiga area here on GEnie how much better the A1200 is than
 the Falcon... why?  I think people should be doing better things than playing
 "keep up with the Smiths".  Our product allows people to use a little of each
 thing that they like about all of the computers that they use, or would like
 to use...perhaps a peaceful solution in this day and age.

 ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 67        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    at 08:27 EST

   I really don't see much of a difference between the Emplant and the Spectre.
 The only difference is that it is able to read the ROM image from disk. As
 long as they do not distribute the ROM image, they are OK. I don't think most
 people have a problem with the Emplant. The only concern was about the ROM
 image on disk. They are quite a few people that have upgraded to another TOS
 version thus, there are quite a few older ROM sets out there.

   Heck, it may even help Atari sales. When they see how nice the ST is to
 use.... :-)

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 68        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 MIKE-ALLEN [NM~SysOp]        at 14:39 EST

 I really don't see all the hoohaa about the roms.  If the ROMs used by the
 Emplant board have been honestly procured what is the problem? (I've got a set
 of 1.2 roms left over from an update - of course would you really want to
 emulate 1.2?) 1.4 and 2.06 roms are readily available from legitimate sources.

 Let's face it, any halfway competent programmer could copy the Atati roms to
 disk easily.  It could probably be done with several of the easily available
 PD/Shareware/Commercial products.  A thief is a thief is a thief whether it's
 pirating software, not paying for shareware or copying roms.

 As long as the Emplant folks stress the use of legitimate roms, let's
 encourage them.  We in the Atari world and those in the Amiga world have much
 in common, not the least of which is recognizing the limitations (not to
 mention costs) imposed on the 'main streamers' by Intel and MicroSoft.

 Amigoids <g> and Atarians are siblings under the skin.  We are mavericks in
 the home computing world, we like 68Ks and we tend to be more knowledgeable
 about our machines than the average peeceer is about his/hers.  We both would
 not tolerate the massive over-pricing of software seen in the DOS world.  I
 believe that we both are much less tolerant of piracy than the DOSers.

 We both tend to have a missionary viewpoint about our respective machines.
 Maybe instead of trying to convert each other we should both look at the true
 'heathens.'

 Welcome the Amigans to our BB.  They can learn from us and there is much we
 can learn from them.  Cross-fertilization of ideas can only benefit us both.

 So, to you Amigans out there, welcome to our home.  "This is Liberty Hall.
 You can spit on the mat and call the cat a bastard."

         Mike Allen
         HelpDesk~Sysop

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 69        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 T.MCCOMB [=Tom=]             at 15:58 EST

 Mike-

 The problem is that the board DOESN'T required honestly procured ROMs. THAT'S
 the point. It will run fine with ill gotten disk based ROM image files.

  -Tom McComb
   {3:04 pm}  Sunday, February 21, 1993

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 70        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 16:47 EST

 The EMPLANT hardware will dump EPROM images burned by hackers.

 The EMPLANT hardware will dump ROMs out of your own computer.

 The EMPLANT hardware is not breaking the law in either case.  The majority of
 hand guns in the U.S. are legally owned.  The majority of illegally used hand
 guns are from less than 1% of all hand guns.  So, I suppose people would have
 it (at least some here) that we do away with hand guns because some moron
 decides to shoot his boss?  Why don't we ban the rest of the constitution as
 well?  Better yet, those of you who do not like the way the laws are move back
 to England where we all came from (and left) in the first place...

 I agree that the Amiga and Atari users share common roots...we all evolved
 from 8 bit machines (both 6502 even), and most of us have common goals with
 our machines.

 I can only see EMPLANT as an aide to the fight against the "big two" (read as
 Apple/IBM) to show that a little ingenuity and belief in a small computer can
 provide great satisfaction and knowledge (sounds like the Sunday afternoon
 soaps.) ;-)

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 71        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    at 19:55 EST

 Mike,
   I am surprised. A GEnie Sysop using such language. Tsk! Tsk!
   I do agree with what you said though. With the Falcon and MultiTos due out,
 there is a lot about multi-tasking and Flicker we don't know about.

 Tom,
   Well, the computer that so many of us use will also run that game that was
 just pirated from someones friend. Does this mean that my favorite computer
 should not be sold? The computer company provides us with the computer. What
 we do with it is up to us. The same goes for the Emplant board. The computer
 we use DOESN'T require HONESTLY purchased software to run either.

   I have heard of a program that will let you load in the MAC OS and emulate
 the Mac. Does this mean Atari should stop selling computers?

   Based on the logic I have read here, no computers should be manufactured
 because there is a lot of illegal activity that goes on with computers.

   Sheesh!!!

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 72        Sun Feb 21, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 22:43 EST

 Tom McComb:

    Your ST/TT/falcon030/Amiga/Mac/C=64/Klone/Whatever DOESN'T REQUIRE honestly
 procured game DISKS. I fail to see why this is ANY bit different.

    A binary data file is a binary data file no matter WHAT media it comes on.
 If you feel that because a disk is easier to copy than a ROM, then it must
 encourage piracy... then I submit to you that a disk is easier to copy than a
 hardcopy, so why don't all computer games come on paper?

              ______________________
                    \hunderbird

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 73        Mon Feb 22, 1993
 STEVE-J [FunkPopARoll]       at 02:15 EST

 T.MCCOMB - Yes, but the Spectre software was easily hacked to run a disk-based
 image file of the 128k Mac ROM's, so I still don't see a good argument AGAINST
 the Emplant board.

 Keep in mind too that Atari went after Nintendo for something that was
 primarily Atari's own fault.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 74        Mon Feb 22, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 17:28 EST

  Jim,

          Thank you for dropping by and posting.  So, are you saying
  that the ROMs are physically installed on a board in the computer
  (like GEMulator and Specter etc.)?  If so, then I don't see a problem
  at all.

  Dan

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 75        Mon Feb 22, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 20:01 EST

 Dan @ Atari,

 The ROMs are installed on the EMPLANT hardware and then dumped to a disk file.
 This disk file (your archival backup of your own ROM code) is then loaded from
 disk and used by the emulation.

 Optionally, we provide software that dumps the ROM from your own computer to a
 disk file.  This file would then be ported to the Amiga for use with the
 emulation.

 In either case, if the ROMs come from a functioning computer, you (under the
 law) could not run both the original computer and the emulation at the same
 time as this would be in violation of copyright laws added in 1991 (see laws
 reguarding multiple site software installations).

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 78        Tue Feb 23, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 20:40 EST

 Jim,

 Thanks for the info.  If the ROMs are not physically
 required, though, to make the emulation run, we may indeed have a
 problem then. (ie it loads off disk when you run the emulation rather
 than off ROM)

 Dan

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 79        Wed Feb 24, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 16:49 EST

 Jim,

          What is the difference between a book and a rom? (yes, this
  is an important question).

 Dan

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 80        Wed Feb 24, 1993
 SLP                          at 19:54 EST

  I don't think anybody can really say what is a copyright violation or not
 (talking about  a single user, non commercial purpose).  I'm not all that
 familiar with copyright law, but I would imagine that a company who tries to
 stop you from using roms in your machine, whether or not they are copied to
 disk, would be laughed out of court.
  Are there any known cases where an individual has been found guilty of
 copyright infringement by a court of law for doing something like this, or
 even blatantly pirating every program they could get their hands on?  I doubt
 it.  Most everything I've heard of is either a settlement or commercial
 piracy.

  Scott
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 81        Wed Feb 24, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 22:09 EST

 Dan,

 A 'Book' is reading material bound by copyright laws pertaining to literature.

 A 'ROM' is (according to the law) software bound by copyright laws pertaining
 to electronic media.

 What is your point?

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 82        Thu Feb 25, 1993
 STEVE-J [FunkPopARoll]       at 04:11 EST

 J.DREW2 - Here's ONE devout Atari user who's NOT going to jump on your behind
 over this.  After all, you are COMPLETELY in the right in this matter (as far
 as myself and THE LAW are concerned).  If Atari and others want to whine
 incessantly about it, that's THEIR waste of time! <grin>
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 83        Thu Feb 25, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 17:17 EST

 Jim,

          A book is information stored in a hard format, which any
  person, by law is not allowed to "make a backup copy of".

          A ROM is information stored in a hard format, which any
  person, by law is not allowed to "make a backup copy of".

          There is court precidence for this.

          There is also court precidence on it being illegal to make
  "backup" or "archival" copies of any rom to disk.  This was done many
  years ago by Atari Inc in a case against a company that made a device
  that would copy 8-bit cartridges to disk.

 Dan (not a lawyer)

 Steve-J,

          Wrong, the law IS on our side on this one. (see above)

  Dan (not a lawyer)

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 85        Thu Feb 25, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 22:28 EST

 Dan,

 Well, perhaps you guys at Atari should get new attorneys.  The law is very
 clear about what ROMs are.  ROMs are computer software. So, under the law, you
 do have a right to make archival backups.

 It is interesting to note that I learned something last week here on GEnie
 while looking around in the LAW section of GEnie... evidently PALs, GALs,
 PEELs, and *any* other custom logic also falls under the same classification
 as software, since programs are burned onto these devices.  Furthermore, the
 law permits reverse engineering by *any* means necessary, and oddly enough
 guess who started this subject... Atari.   Atari vs. Nintendo...do you
 remember this?  Atari was in a legal battle over the 10NES program that is
 found in every Nintendo game cartridge.  10NES is a program burned onto a
 custom PAL. Nintendo was trying to stop Atari from producing Nintendo
 compatible game cartridges.  Evidently Atari "layered" (a process of disecting
 custom logic layer by layer to obtain the program code) and obtained illegally
 obtained source code (according to the courts) for the 10NES program from the
 US copyright office.  When the smoke cleared, Atari came out on top with a
 precedence being set.  It is perfectly legal to reverse engineer any device
 'to learn how the device works in order to better it'.

 ROMs are indeed software and fall into this classification.  Times have
 changed and so have the laws.  Now that the people of the world are becoming
 more technically aware, laws reguarding copyrights of electronic and magnetic
 media have been made more clear.

 I don't want to argue and fight over this...that is a bit much.  By the time
 we finally have Atari ST emulation our annual sales will be equal or greater
 than Atari's and I would really hate to see either one of our companies waste
 more money on attorneys than we already are now.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 86        Thu Feb 25, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 22:49 EST

 Oh great... here it comes again.

 Another Earth shattering, precidence setting, monumental legal triumph...

 Reminds me of the time atari sued Nintendo because atari delayed the 7800
 until it was too late for them to get a market share, and tried to make it
 look like Nintendo was at fault because they were a monopoly or something.

 I wonder how many lynx ads didn't make it to national TV because the funds
 went to pay off Nintendo's legal fees, as ruled by the judge.

 Just think, if they won that one it would have set a precidence so they could
 sue Microsoft, IBM, and all the clone makers... shucks!

               __________________
                  /hunderbird

 'cause I can't get lynx games locally anymore... I wonder why...
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 88        Fri Feb 26, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 17:42 EST

  Jim,

   Part of waht is considered being an archival backup of
  something is that the archive needs to be at least as secure from
  damage as the origonal medium.  Give me some ROMs and a copy of those
  ROMs on a floppy, and I'll hand them to my friends dog.  I'll lay
  odds that the ROM is much more secure from damage.

  Dan (not a lawyer)

   BTW it was Atari Games (Tengen), not Atari Computer in the
  Atari-Nintendo case.  Completely different company.

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 90        Fri Feb 26, 1993
 D.ENGEL [Thunderbird]        at 22:40 EST

 BTW:

    That was Atari Inc. a Division of Warner Communications that made the 800
 cartridges which were the subject of the ROM backup lawsuits mentioned above.

    THAT Atari was in a position where they could waste money on frivolous
 lawsuits and beurocratic chest-pounding. Look where it got _them_...

    Besides, the recently failed lawsuit I was referring to was filed by atari
 corp., not Atari Games. Atari Games was involved in a separate lawsuit because
 they cracked the 10NES lockout on NES carts, and it pissed Nintendo off. The
 lawsuit from atari corp. was a different matter alltogether, revolving around
 Nintendo having too big a market share and paying large sums for _exclusive_
 rights to certain games, preventing atari from being able to get a foothold
 with their extremely late 7800 ProSystem. It was a big waste of money. Wasting
 money better not be high on the priority list right now...

         ____________________
              \hunderbird

 'cause I backup all my ROMs with duplicates made from LEGO's...

 ...if those aren't the most secure medium, NOTHING is!

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 92        Sun Feb 28, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 06:42 EST

 In 1983 our company produced a cartridge backup system that dumped game
 cartridges on to disk where they could be played.  We got lots of harrassing
 calls from Atari, HES, and was sued by Epyx. Two years later, we won the suit.
 ROMs are considered software. Under the law, you as the owner of a computer
 program are entitled to make a backup copy for your own personal use.  The law
 does indeed ALLOW the use of the BACKUP.  Most people USE their BACKUPS and
 put their precious originals away for safe keeping.

 Since we have spent thousands of dollars on the various MAC ROMs, there is no
 way that I am going to use those things in our emulation, and as the owner of
 these ROMs, I have the legal right to do this. I am just not allowed to use
 these ROMs *and* the BACKUPs at the same time on different machines.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 93        Wed Mar 03, 1993
 S.DANUSER [Soul Manager]     at 02:58 EST

 I was thinking...

 Couldn't Atari (or whoever) attach some sort of licensing agreement on their
 ROMs if they didn't want them to be used in emulators?  For instance, when
 they sell TOS 2.06 ROMs, they could put a seal on the outside with a
 disclaimer that warned that the chips were only to be used for upgrading an
 Atari computer.  If the buyer opens the package, they are legally obligated to
 use the software only in an Atari machine.  Thus, anyone who advertised an
 Atari emulator would be encouraging users to break their licensing agreements,
 and could probably be sued quite easily.

 Or is that wacky?

                                           Soul Manager

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 94        Wed Mar 03, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 11:58 EST

 Soul Manager,

 You are correct.  Simply stating that the ROMs are licensed (and not sold)
 would protect the owner of the ROMs from duplication.  Since you would not be
 the owner of the ROMs, you would not be entitled to the right of making
 archival copies.

 However, we can still advertise an emulator that would require these licensed
 ROMs and that would be legal.  Under the current laws (and I don't see them
 ever changing) you can sell products that would require (or could require) you
 to break the law using them.  A good example would be a lot of martial art
 equipment.  You can legally buy the stuff, but you can not legally own it.
 Also, things like lock picking devices, eves droppping equipment, etc. can all
 be purchased but you can not use these devices without permission of the
 person(s)/thing(s) that they are going to be used on.

 Remember, the hand gun was created for the sole purpose of killing another
 human being...not animal hunting or anything else.  You can buy hand guns,
 however, it is highly frowned upon using them for their intended purpose.

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 95        Wed Mar 03, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 20:38 EST

 Soul Manager,

          If the emulator uses legally purchased ROMs to do the
  emulation, then there is not problem.  It's when you use an image
  file loaded off disk that could have come from anywhere that we have
  problems with it.

          A perfect example of this is Gemulator.  Origonally, it was
  also going to use a soft loaded TOS image file.  We worked with
  Derek, and he designed it so that it loads TOS off the ROMs directly
  whenever you run the program.  Heck, we've even sold ROMs to Derek so
  that he could resell them to his customers that may have a hard time
  finding them otherwise.  Also, he is fully capable of running multiple
  STs on an IBM using only 1 set of ROMs, so I don't know what the
  problem with the Amiga is that makes it work as 1 set of ROMs = 1
  emulation running.

  Dan

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 96        Fri Mar 05, 1993
 STEVE-J [FunkPopARoll]       at 02:25 EST

 S.DANUSER - Licensing agreements such as those on SOLD merchandise are not
 legally binding.  The only legally binding stipulations in any licensing
 agreement are mainly that the software cannot be pirated nor used on more than
 one machine at a time.  Other than that, licensing agreements are full of BS.


 J.DREW2 - I certainly wouldn't mind if Atari gave away free copies of ROM's!!!
 <grin>
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 97        Fri Mar 05, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 03:42 EST

 Dan,

 There is no "problem" with the Amiga.  The copyright laws are *very* clear.
 In an addition to the previous copyright laws reguarding computer software, in
 1991 congress voted in a few new twisted.  You are NOT  allowed to use more
 than one copy of a program at the same time.  This means that if multiple
 emulations were running, all using the SAME ROM image, that would technically
 be breaking the law.

 You (Atari) are evidently allowing 'Derek' to violate your copyrights.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 98        Fri Mar 05, 1993
 DENNYA [Denny Atkin]         at 10:29 EST

 You're not allowed to use more than one copy of a program at one time? Boy, I
 break the law on my Amiga all the time, then, darned multitasking!

 Are you sure that wasn't referring to situations like a mainframe with dumb
 terminals? I certainly can't see Microsoft upset because you're running three
 copies of Excel under Windows.

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 99        Fri Mar 05, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 11:27 EST

 So then it is OK to sun multiple copies of TOS off a floppy whether
 that floppy copy is legal or not then?  You claim that you want to
 put tos on disk for your emulation to make it easier to run multiple
 STs on an Amiga.  I would that that that would be breaking the same
 laws just as badly.  If you are going to require them to use multiple
 disk copies of TOS, one for each emulation, how are you going to
 ensure that they own a set of ROMs for each one of those floppy
 copies?  Destroy the ROM after it has been copied to disk?

 Dan

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 100       Fri Mar 05, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 18:53 EST

 Denny,

 That is the copyright laws...only one copy can be run on the same or other
 machines at the same time unless specifically authorized by the copyright
 holder.  So, yes, if SoftLogic did not want you running two copies of
 PageStream on the same machine from a single original disk, that would be
 their right under the law.

 Dan,

 We do not allow multiple emulations of the SAME computer.  One emulation of
 each different computer is allowed.  One MAC, one IBM, one Atari, etc.

 Our problem exists strictly from only having 5 ROM sockets and and ROM SIMM
 socket on our hardware.  Since MAC ROMs are generally four DIP  packages, IBM
 BIOS is several DIPS packages, Atari ROMs are several DIPS packages....they
 all will NOT fit on the board at the same time.

 We will never have two or more of the same computer being emulated at the same
 time  with EMPLANT.
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 101       Fri Mar 05, 1993
 R.WATSON15 [Wayne Watson]    at 19:03 EST

   It is not up to the company to make sure everyone runs a legal copy of TOS.
 That is like saying it is up to Atari to make sure that no pirated games are
 to be ran on Atari computers. Drew's company just makes the product, what the
 customers do is their business and if they do stuff illegally, then they are
 taking the chance of getting caught. You cannot hold them liable for what the
 user does. If that was the case, then all computer manufacturers would have
 been sued by all the software companies around.

  ------------
 Category 18,   Topic 22
 Message 105       Wed Mar 10, 1993
 D.MCNAMEE [Dan @ Atari]      at 15:11 EST

 The way your hardware is designed is no excuse.  If there was any possibility
 what so ever that you may run into copyright problems because of the way you
 designed it, then you should have redesigned it.  I'm now dropping out of this
 conversation.  I have no more to say on the subject, except that I'm printing
 off a capture of the topic and giving it to our legal department for further
 investigation.

 Dan
  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 107       Thu Mar 11, 1993
 J.DREW2                      at 02:05 EST

 Dan,

 You are probably not reading this because you have dropped off the face of the
 earth (or at least this conversation)...

 There was no "design flaw" with our hardware.  It was the only choice possible
 to allow multiple computer emulation to run simultaneously.

 We can not babysit everyone who purchases this product to ensure that it is
 used in a legal matter, much the same as a gun store owner doesn't babysit the
 people he/she sells guns to... and you can quote me when you talk to your
 legal department.

 Sincerely,

 Jim Drew, Vice-President
           Utilities Unlimited, Inc.

  ------------
 Category 18,  Topic 22
 Message 108       Fri Mar 12, 1993
 STEVE-J [FunkPopARoll]       at 01:50 EST

 Oooo!  Atari's going off to cry to mama! <grin>

  ------------
 Amiga RT
 Category 14,  Topic 31
 Message 598       Wed Mar 17, 1993
 J.COLLINS5 [MinuteMan]       at 00:29 EST

 The following message is a repost from the AMAX topic.

 R.HARBISON [Bob Harbison]    at 21:28 EST

 There's a small company called NuTek, (Yes NU Tek, _not_ NewTek!) that has
 introduced a mac emulator board. The board sells for $899 each, and is IBM
 compatible.

 The company is somewhat worried due to the fact that Apple has recently
 lowered prices, possibly undercutting it's board:

 NUTEK FINNALLY HAS A PRODUCT OUT!

 I've been folowing this Nutek Saga for a while. They were trying to produce a
 set of clean room ROM's for emulating the Mac. This has the potential to do to
 the Mac what Pheonix did to the DOS BIOS market.

 If we can just get Jim can be convinced to support these third party ROMs to
 populate his Emplants it could mean a 100% legal, unquestionable way to sell
 Emplants as Mac emulators Ready to RUN! No mor hunting for ROMs.

 I suspect from the price of the Nutek board that it's just an IBM Emplant
 with a 680x0 on board.

 All those who would like to see Jim look into this post a reply. B)



                        ______________________________




 Here's a short, humorous discussion of high-density floppy drives in the
 A4000:


 Amiga RT
 Category 17,  Topic 33
 Message 82        Tue Mar 09, 1993
 STUPID                       at 21:36 EST

  Matt:

 So all we need to do to get two HD floppies in an A4000 is to take off the
 dust covers and get new faceplates?  I'm going to have to explore this a
 little, I think.

 ----------
 Amiga RT
 Category 17,  Topic 33
 Message 83        Wed Mar 10, 1993
 BOOMER.T [-<<Micah>>-]       at 01:50 EST

 The HDF drives in the 4000 *are* thicker than a normal HDF drive. About 1.5
 times as thick in fact.  I have them both in my hands.

 In fact, you can't fit two C= HDF's in the 4000 as they are too thick.
 ----------
 Amiga RT
 Category 17,  Topic 33
 Message 85        Wed Mar 10, 1993
 J.EVERS1 [FISHBONE]          at 20:19 EST

 Micah,

 how do you type while holding 2 disk drives?

 On second thought........ I don't want to know. >:)


 FISHBONE >-}}}D
 ----------
 Amiga RT
 Category 17,  Topic 33
 Message 86        Thu Mar 11, 1993
 BOOMER.T [-<<Micah>>-]       at 02:40 EST

  >Micah,
  >
  >how do you type while holding 2 disk drives?

 Damn good question!  ;-)
 ----------


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 COMPUSERVE LOWERS CONNECT-TIME RATES

 Hourly connect-time rates are now lower for Standard  Pricing Plan members
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 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

                          World of Commodore/Amiga
                               April 2-4, 1993
                   New York Passenger Ship Terminal, Pier 88
                    Between 48th & 52nd on the Hudson River
                                 New York, NY

Seminar Schedule

Friday, April 2, 1993

10:15   AmigaVision Professional
11:00   Keynote by Lew Eggebrecht, VP Engineering, Commodore International
11:45   ASDG Making Broadcast Special Effects on the Amiga
12:30   Centaur Demonstrates OpalVision
 1:15   Scala: Prepare Powerhouse Multimedia Presentations
 2:00   Digital Audio
 2:45   Gold Disk Present Desktop Publishing
 3:30   Lee Stranahan Presents Video Toaster


Saturday, April 3, 1993

10:15   AmigaVision Professional
11:00   Keynote by Jim Dionne, President, Commodore Business Machines
11:45   ASDG Making Broadcast Special Effects on the Amiga
12:30   Centaur Demonstrates OpalVision
 1:15   Scala: Prepare Powerhouse Multimedia Presentations
 2:00   Image Effects by Great Valley Products
 2:45   Gold Disk Present Desktop Publishing
 3:30   Lee Stranahan Presents Video Toaster


Sunday, April 4, 1993

12:15   Centaur Demonstrates OpalVision
 1:00   Video Director by Gold Disk
 1:45   Keynote by Geoff Stilley, VP Sales, Commodore Business Machines
 2:30   Fine Artist Sandra Filippucci Teaches Graphic Applications
 3:00   Lee Stranahan Presents Video Toaster


Seminars subject to change without notice.

Admission: $15/day or $30/three-day pass
Group discount tickets are available until March 15 for $8 each day. Minimum
order required for group rate - 25 tickets. For information call Karen Jewell
(416) 285-5950.

Admission price includes free seminars.

Commodore Business Machines, Inc.
1200 Wilson Dr.
West Chester, PA 19380
(215) 431-9100


 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 >STR Staff Bio:  Micah Thompson, Technical Editor
  ================================================


 Hi, I'm  Micah Thompson, Technical Editor of  Amiga Report Online  Magazine.
 My computer  career started  with the illustrious  Radio  Shack  TRS-80 16K.
 Floppies  were  the  rage, as were blocky  black  and  white  graphics.  Our
 final project  in CS class was to  create a  program  with  "something  that
 moved..."  heheheh.  An "Animation" as we call  them today.  On a  TRS-80???
 Well, I made  a fantasy city, with a flying saucer flying overhead, shooting
 and destroying several buildings.  Not  too easy with  PSET(x,y) commands in
 BASIC!

 The first computer I owned was the venerable Commodore 64. I was amazed that
 something with 64K of RAM was only $595!  I was a kid in school, with no job
 so I  couldn't afford the disk drive, so  I made do  with  the  DataCassette
 recorder.  :-)

 In the  meantime I held a part time job programming  an original IBM PC with
 two 360k floppies, and a whopping 384K.  I was in heaven with floppy drives!
 I programmed mostly in Compiled BASIC and Assembly (done from DEBUG!). While
 I was learning some more advanced languages like Pascal, Fortran, and COBOL,
 I couldn't talk my boss into buying any compilers, so BASIC it was.

 After transfering to a larger university  it became  obvious that I needed a
 "Real" computer  for myself. This  was 1985, and  the rage  was the original
 Mac.  I was fascinated with it, having only used the PC and C64. A mouse was
 some thing very new to me, and I liked it.

 Well, this is  where  fate  stepped  in.  I  was  an avid reader of Compute!
 magazine in those days. (Anyone remember typing in machine language programs
 on the C64?) One day I got an issue with this amazing computer on the cover.
 It was the Amiga 1000.

 It became painfully obvious that this was by far  the most powerful computer
 around. 4,096 colors when the PC had 16, Stereo 8-bit sound, a GUI, and most
 amazing, true multitasking.  The first time I saw a digitized HAM picture at
 the store, I *had* to have it.

 I borrowed the money, and bought a spanking new A1000  with 512k, and an ex-
 ternal 1010  drive. I  used  this computer  until 1991, and  really  put  it
 through the paces.  It  never let  me down, although  I about pulled my hair
 out wanting more RAM!

 I missed the A2000 power-up deals, as I didn't have the money, plus I didn't
 figure it was enough different to warrant it.

 When the  A3000 came  out, I wanted  one BAD.  The 68030 was a processor I'd
 only dreamed of owning.  Thanks to the  Power-Up, having a  real job by then
 and a liberal Credit Union, I bought  one and  the rage began  again!  I set
 out to really soup  it up.  I  got  DCTV, more RAM, a new  monitor, a faster
 modem, a  scanner,  laser  printer,  and a  DMI  Resolver  graphics card.  I
 LOVED  that machine, but for ONE thing -- it's graphics.

 Sixteen  colors  in hires was pathetic compared to what was current.  My DMI
 Resolver  looked  incredible, but didn't  run  native  software.  I wanted a
 machine with great graphics built in.

 To the rescue  comes AGA!  When all the talk of  AGA came to the nets, I got
 *very* excited.  So much so that I put a deposit in so I could get the first
 one  that came out.  Finally!  All the benefits of  the Amiga, with superior
 graphics too!  I could finally stash my VGA PC in the corner, and look at my
 Amiga's screen again!

 When my Amiga 4000 arrived, it was everything I'd hoped. (Except for the IDE
 interface, but that's another  story.)  AGA  programs were slow  coming  (at
 least in my  eager mind), but several programs I  had already supported AGA,
 so I was set. I could  see my scans  in all their glory, not to mention  the
 blazing speed of the 68040!

 That brings me to my current setup.  An A4000 with 18 megs RAM and the stock
 120 meg  IDE drive, as well as a Commodore  1950 multiscan monitor.  To it I
 added a 168 meg  Quantum  IDE drive, a 2091 SCSI  controller (where is  that
 A4091???), a 120meg Quantum LPS120S, and an NEC CDR-80 internal CD-ROM drive.

 Its  sidekicks  include an  Epson  ES300C 24bit  full-page scanner, the  NEC
 SilentWriter  Model 95 Postscript-2 Laser Printer, A SupraFAX V.32bis modem,
 and a Magnavox mini-stereo system for all those MODs!

 What do I use it for?  Having fun, of course! From all those years of enjoy-
 ing the Amiga, I have come to know it pretty well.  It  seems almost  like a
 brother to  me!  Maybe I can spread  some of that knowledge around, and pass
 along  all the knowledge I aquire along  the way. I know it  will be a great
 journey!


 ****************************************************************************

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 ****************************************************************************


 > Rendered Reality                     "I render, therefore I am."
   ================
   By Mike Troxell


      I'm  Mike  Troxell, your 'host' for  Rendered Reality,  Amiga  Report's
 graphics and animation column. In later issues I want  to cover new graphics
 and animation software and  hardware (commercial and PD), but  since this is
 the first issue of  Amiga Report, I thought it might  be a good idea to talk
 about exactly what type of setup is needed  to begin working in graphics and
 animation.  For those of  you who already have  your systems set up, hang on
 until next issue and we'll get to the good stuff.

      First, exactly what do you need if you want to get started in graphics?
 (Besides an Amiga, of course)  With  all the peripherals  that are  out now,
 any  Amiga can  be used  for  basic  graphics  work. If you are  doing still
 graphics (single  pictures), anything from  an A500 with  extra memory to an
 A4000 will work. However, if you  are really serious  and plan to share your
 work with others, I recommend using either a 1200 or 4000 because of the AGA
 graphics. Or if you don't have a 1200/4000, I suggest using DCTV or a 24-bit
 color board with whatever model Amiga you are using. As far as software, you
 will need a good paint program. DPaint IV will probably be first program you
 will want to buy.  If you are  using DCTV, you will  already have DCTVPaint,
 though you still probably want to get DPaint to go along with it.

      If you are planning on working with 2D animations, you can use the same
 basic setup that you used for still graphics. Just make sure that you have a
 hard drive, because  you're going to be  working with some large files.  You
 will also want some extra  memory, at least 4 meg. An accelerator is nice if
 you plan to work on complex animations.

      For 3-D work, you definitly want an accelerator, unless you are using a
 3000 or 4000.  I used to do all my animation work on a 2000 with a GVP 40Mhz
 68030 accelerrator  and a 40Mhz 68882.  Even with  that, it still seemed too
 slow at times.  You will want  a large hard drive, at least  120 meg, and AS
 MUCH MEMORY AS YOU CAN AFFORD!  Really, if you are planning on doing serious
 3D animation work, you  will want at least 8-10 meg of RAM. You can  do good
 animation work with less  than that (I don't want to scare anyone off) but I
 also want  to be realistic  about what you  need for serious work. Software?
 Thats a matter of personal choice. If you want  to get  a fight started, try
 putting a  group of animation people in a room, and ask them  what animation
 software they think you should use. Actually, its not quite that bad but you
 will get some  good (heated) discussions  going. If you are trying to decide
 on an animation program, probably  the best thing to do is start reading the
 graphics and  animations messages on  CompuServe, GEnie  or on  local  Amiga
 BBS's.  I  know  a  lot  of  people  who  use  either  Lightwave or Imagine.
 Lightwave3D is  probably  the most  respected 3-D program  available for the
 Amiga.  Unfortunatly, you can  only get it  by buying the  Video Toaster. Oh
 well, we can't have everything (uh, can we?). Besides 3D software, you might
 want to look at Art Department Professional (ADPro), a  presentation program
 such as ScalaMM and  possibly Pixel 3D Pro. If you  are interested  in doing
 morphs, you  have a choice  between several good  morphing packages, which I
 plan to review in a later issue.

      Besides commercial  software, there are  a few Public  Domain/Shareware
 programs that every graphic  artist should  have (well, unless you happen to
 have ADPro).  I've listed a few of these, and places where they can be found.
 Or you can always check your local Amiga BBS:

    ViewTek   A Picture/Animation  Viewer. Shows  GIF's, JFIF/JPEG, Anim Op-5,
              SHAM, CTBL and  PCHG images and  supports ECS/AGA display modes!
              This  means  that you  will be able to display  256 color  GIF's
              directly  on your Amiga. (Hey, you gotta have  something to look
              at while you're downloading those Ham8 pictures!).
              Author: Thomas Krehbiel
              Current Version:  1.04
              File Sources: GEnie:  Amiga RT, File #18719


    Rend24    Rend24 has several other features but where  it really excels is
              as a batch file processor. Rend24 can wait for  a rendering pro-
              gram such as  LightWave3D, Imagine  or  VistaPro to write  IFF24
              files to disk. Rend24  then grabs each image  and converts it to
              an Amiga format and builds them into an anim file. It also works
              with DCTV if you want it to.
              Author:  Thomas Krehbiel
              Current Version:  1.05a
              File Sources: GEnie:  Amiga RT, File #18420
                       CompuServe:  AmigaArts Forum, "RND15A.LHA"


    View      View is another  graphics/animation player.  View's strong point
              is (in my opinion) the  way it handles  animation files.  I  use
              View3.4 to show  off all my animations.
              Current Version:  3.4
              Author: Michael Hartman
                           GEnie:  Amiga RT, File #17624

     There are probably  a lot of other PD or Shareware graphics programs that
 you may want to download, such as  Grinder, Vertex, P-Animate and others that
 I'll try to get into next time.  But these should  get you started if you are
 just getting into graphics.

     If any companies (or  individuals for that matter)  have any new graphics
 software/hardware information  that they would  like to have passed on to our
 readers, or if anyone finds a new  graphics/animation program that they think
 other Amiga user s would like to know  about, please send  me a message, so I
 can  pass  the  information  along.  I can be  reached at  any of  the  Email
 addresses listed at the beginning of each issue.


 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > STR Staff Bio:  Tom Mulcahy, Contributing Editor
   ================================================

      I'm currently  a student at Onondaga  Community College, a small school
 in  Syracuse, NY. I'm 22 and have  been interested in  the Amiga for roughly
 six years.  I still remember my first ever 'Amiga' experience: Several years
 ago, I was a Nintendo  jockey -- not a computer  owner. I wanted a computer,
 but had no knowledge  whatsoever on what was  out there.  I knew practically
 nothing of the Amiga, except  for the very first Amiga commercial. I vaguely
 remember  it. I remember  smoke, mystique, and  an A1000.  Needless to say I
 wanted one!  I ripped through any magazines I could find about the Amiga.  I
 remember being tempted  by the Atari 520ST, since  it had  similar graphics.
 Christmas  came rolling by, and  a friend  of mine  invited me over to check
 something out.  His mother had  received an Amiga 500, 1084S monitor, and an
 external drive!  This  was one of  the first  A500's  out.  He  popped  in a
 program he said I HAD to see. It was the game "Barabarian," from  Psygnosis.
 I was literally blown away! Nothing at  that time was even comparable. Need-
 less to say, after two years  of jogging to his house his home to pester his
 mother into letting us use her machine, I got my own Amiga 500.  This was to
 last me a few years. As with  many Amiga users, my interests progressed as I
 gained experience with the machine. Sure, I'm still interested in games, but
 the graphics, animation and  morphing is just  too good to  pass up.  To use
 the more sophisticated packages, I had upgrade my system. I eventually added
 a hard  drive, more  memory, etc.  Today  I use  an Amiga 1200 with a 40 meg
 hard drive, and  an MBX1200 with a 25 MHz 68882 and 4 meg of Fast RAM.  Life
 goes on, and the upgrade process continues...



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 > BABYLON 5? STR FOCUS!                  A plea for help...
   """""""""""""""""""""


                          BABYLON 5  AYE or NAY?
                          ======================
               Reprinted from STReport Atari Edition #9.08



     The following is uploaded with the request that,  if you  support what
     appears below, it be further uploaded to other BBSs...local, regional,
     national...relay nets and networks.


      It's generally recognized that there  would  not  have  been  a third
 season  of  the  original  Trek  series  had it not been for the action of
 science fiction fans  across  the  country  who,  seeing  in  that program
 something they  liked, wrote  to the  network to keep the show on the air.
 Their voices were heard, and the show  stayed  on  the  air  for  one more
 season.   That's the part everyone knows.  What's not generally considered
 outside the Television Industry  are  all  of  the  ramifications  of that
 action.

      At  two  seasons,  a  little  over 50 episodes, there were not nearly
 enough episodes to go into general syndication.  At two  seasons, the show
 would have  been bought  as a package by fewer stations, would have popped
 up far less often on television  sets subsequent  to the  original series'
 cancellation.  It's altogether possible that it might not have shown up at
 all, and been consigned to the NBC vaults  on the  grounds of insufficient
 episodes for  syndication marketing.   (It  happens; how  many episodes of
 Captain Nice have you seen lately?)

      With that third season, there were finally enough episodes on hand to
 go into  general syndication.   And  it was  in syndication that Star Trek
 gradually  built  up  the  viewership  and  the  popularity  that  led  to
 conventions, that  resulted in  a generation  of viewers  to whom the term
 "klingon" was not some obscure reference  but a  part of  American popular
 culture.   Without that third season, the Star Trek phenomenon would never
 have had a chance to grow.

      There would have been no new  novels,  no  animated  series,  no role
 playing games,  no Star  Trek I,  II, III,  IV, V or VI.  There would have
 been no Next Generation or any other subsequent series.

      All of that...ALL of that...happened because concerned viewers took a
 moment to voice their opinions to those who were in  a position to listen,
 and to act upon those opinions.

 Now...  what does this have to do with Babylon 5?

      Some of you have seen it.   Many  more of  you are  about to  see it.
 Throughout  the  year-plus  that  I've  been  talking  about  this show at
 conventions and on the computer nets, I've emphasized a number of agendas:
 our desire  to Get It Right; to avoid shilling and lying to fans, as is so
 often done by producers eager to cash in on *SCI-FI*; and our intention to
 do intelligent stories with interesting characters.

      And there's one other item: I've said, time and again, not to believe
 any of the hype,  but rather  to trust  to your  own considered instincts.
 And it is that subject which is the point of this essay.  You now have the
 opportunity to judge our efforts for yourself.

      Babylon 5, as it stands in its present form, as a pilot, is the first
 time that  the crew, the cast, the director and others have come together.
 Four weeks of shooting,  two  days  of  rehearsal,  and  a  budget roughly
 *ONE-FOURTH*  that  of  DS9's  pilot.    As  has been stated from the very
 beginning, it has all  the flaws  you would  expect of  a new  project, in
 which people  have to act together for the first time, sets may or may not
 be all perfect, and the bugs are still  being worked  out.   That's what a
 pilot is for, to try things, see what works, adjust, and move on.

      The fundamental  question behind Babylon 5 comes down to this: do you
 like what you see?  Does it make you want to see more?   Have we  kept our
 promise as far as what was actually *delivered* in the pilot?

      Because there  *is* more to come.  There has always been a plan for a
 series to  follow.    If  anything,  that  was  the  point  of  the entire
 exercise...to tell a story.  To create a novel for TV that would span five
 years, for which the pilot is the opening  chapter.   Having now  seen, or
 about to  see the  foundation for  that story,  and before  being asked to
 lend support to that series, you have a right to  some sense  of what that
 series would  entail, and  what you're being asked to support.  One should
 never sign a blank check on  the bank  of one's  conscience.   So here's a
 preview.

      You will find out what happened to Sinclair, for starters, during the
 Earth/Minbari war.  For nearly 10 years, Sinclair  has worked  to convince
 himself that  nothing happened to him on the Line other than what seems to
 be the  case: that  he blacked  out for  24 hours.   He's  just managed to
 convince himself  of this.  Now, suddenly, someone comes into his life and
 with seven  words --  you'll know  them when  you hear  them -- completely
 unravels the  self-deception.   He knows then that something DID happen to
 him, that someone DID mess with  his mind...and  he is  going to  find out
 who, and why.

      The ramifications  of that  discovery will  have a major influence on
 the series, on his relationships, and the future of not only his character
 but many others.

      You will  see what a Vorlon is...and what it represents.  And what it
 may have to do with our own saga, and a hidden relationship to some of our
 other characters  (watch the  reception scene  carefully).  We'll discover
 that there are MANY players in this game.  You'll  find out  what happened
 to Babylon  4, and  it will  call into question what is real, what is not,
 and the ending of that episode  is one  that you  have not  seen before on
 television.

      We'll find  that most  every major  character is  running to, or away
 from  something  in  their  hearts,  or  their  pasts,  or  their careers.
 Garibaldi's  checkered  past  will  catch  up  with him in a way that will
 affect his role and make him a very different character  for as  much as a
 full season,  and have lasting effects thereafter.  Lyta will take part in
 a voyage of discovery that will very much change her character.   She will
 be caught up in a web of intrigue and forced to betray the very people she
 has come to care for.

      We will see wheels within wheels,  discover the  secret groups behind
 the Earth  and Minbari governments who suspect, with good reason, that one
 of  the  B5  crew  may  be  a  traitor,  who  sold  out  Earth  during the
 Earth/Minbari war.

      Some of  the established  empires in  the pilot will fall.  Some will
 rise unexpectedly.    Hopes  and  fortunes  will  be  alternately  made or
 destroyed.   At least one major race not yet known even to EXIST will make
 its presence known, but only gradually.   Some  characters will  fall from
 grace.     Others  will  make  bargains  whose  full  price  they  do  not
 understand...but will eventually come to realize, and regret.

      At the end of the first  season, one  character will  undergo a MAJOR
 change, which  will start the show spinning on a very different axis.  The
 first season will have some fairly  conventional stories,  but others will
 start the show gradually moving toward where I want it to go.   One has to
 set these things up gradually.  Events in the story -- which  is very much
 the story of Jeffrey Sinclair -- will speed up in each subsequent season.

      Someone he considers a friend will betray him.  Another will prove to
 be the exact opposite of what  Sinclair believes  to be  true.   Some will
 live.   Some will  die.   He will  be put  through a  crucible of terrible
 force, that will change him, and  alter  his  destiny  in  a  profound and
 terrible way...if  he goes  one way, or the other, will determine not only
 his own fate, but that of millions of  others.   He will  grow, and become
 stronger, better,  wiser...or be  destroyed by  what fate  is bringing his
 way.  In sum, it  is  a  story  of  hope  against  terrible  adversity and
 overwhelming odds.

      Each of  our characters  will be  tempted in  a different way to ally
 with a dark force determined to once and for all destroy the  peace.  Some
 will fall  prey to  the temptation, others will not, and pay the price for
 their resistance.

      The homeworld of one of our major characters will be  decimated.  War
 will become  inevitable.   And when  it comes,  Babylon 5  will be forever
 changed.

      That, in broad brush strokes, is a little of what  I plan  to do with
 the series.   It  is, as  stated, a  novel for television, with a definite
 beginning, middle and end.  The point being this:

      If you genuinely approve of what  you see  in Babylon  5, if  what we
 promised is  what we  delivered, if  having seen  the prologue to the five
 year story that is  Babylon  5  you  now  wish  to  see  the  rest  of the
 story...if,  in  short,  we  haven't  lied  to  you, and you like what you
 see...then I ask that  you voice  your opinions.   Space  Rangers has been
 canceled; the  fate of  other SF  shows is in question because studios and
 networks just aren't sure that there's a market for another SF series.

 How can YOU help?

 By doing the following:

 1)  Write or fax the program director  of your  local TV  station, the one
     that aired  Babylon 5,  telling them  that you  want to see the series
     which follows Babylon 5, and why.

 2)  Send another letter, or a a copy of that letter to Dick Robertson, Sr.
     Vice  President,  Warner  Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, 4000
     Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, 91522.

      If, on the other hand, you think we  blew it...then  let the  show go
 the way  of the  trilobite.   I've railed  more than once against the idea
 that "Bad SF is better than no SF," and won't  back off  of that  now that
 it's my  own child  on the railroad ties, waiting to see if a Mountie will
 untie it before the incoming train does its grisly business.

      It's your choice, and your voice.  And if you  don't think  one voice
 matters, think of the long history of a certain other show that would have
 long ago been consigned  to the  vaults of  television history  had it not
 been for involved and interested viewers.

      We made  the show,  and did the very best that we could.  Now it's in
 your hands...


                                             J. Michael Straczynski,
                                              Creator of Babylon 5



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 > CPU STATUS REPORT        SPECIAL REPORT; COMPARING THE NEW HARDWARE
   =================



                  A COMPARISON:  AMIGA 1200 VS. FALCON030
                  =======================================


 Information compiled by Ken Baum 1992/93


     Here  is  a  technical  comparison  between  Atari's  new  Falcon 030,
 Commodore's new  Amiga 1200  and Apple's  new Performa  400.  All of these
 machines are aimed at the home  computer user  in price  and power.   They
 each feature their own Multitasking Graphic User Interface (GUI) operating
 system, which is not compatible with MS-DOS. Each  of these  computers has
 their own  software library.   They are all based on Motorola brand CPU's.
 You won't find "Intel inside" any  of these  machines, unless  it's in the
 form of an emulator board!

 Editor's Note:  I E-mailed Mr. Baum about his  first release of this com-
 parison  from  several  weeks ago,  due  to  some errors.  Most have been
 cleared up, but some remain.  I will note these as we go along.


                Atari Falcon        CBM Amiga 1200      Apple Performa 400
                ------------        --------------      ------------------
 CPU                 68030               68EC020             68030
 speed(Mhz)          16                  14.32               16
 MIPS                3.84                2.5                 3.84
 data path(bit)      32 (16 used)        32                  32

 *The MIPS rating of the A1200 is incorrect.  Our own Tom Mulcahy says his
  benchmarks report his A1200 at 2.96 MIPS (with 4 meg of Fast RAM).  Though
  it should be noted that MIPS is meaningless when used to compare different
  platforms.

 address space(bit)  24                  24                  24
 instruction cache   256 bytes           256 bytes           256 bytes
 data cache          256 bytes           no                  256 bytes

 FPU                 optional            optional            optional
 socket on board     yes                 no                  no
 type                68881/68882         68881/68882         68881/68882

 DSP                 yes                 no                  no
 type                56001               N/A                 N/A
 speed(Mhz)          32                  N/A                 N/A
 MIPS                16                  N/A                 N/A

 MEMORY & EXPANSION
 ram(base model)     4MB(16bit)          2MB(32bit CHIP)     4MB(32bit)
 max ram             14 MB               10 MB(>w/3rd party) 10MB
 type                proprietary         proprietary/PCMCIA  SIMM
 rom                 512K                512K to 2MB         512K

 *Mr. Baum fails to note the A1200's Trapdoor 32-bit expansion slot.

 DISK DRIVES
 floppy              3.5" 1.44HD         3.5" 880K           3.5" 1.44HD
 format              Atari\MS-DOS(SAME)  Amiga w\MS-DOS      Mac w\MS-DOS
 hard                internal            internal            internal
 type                2.5" IDE            2.5" IDE            3.5" SCSI
 size                65MB                40MB                80MB

 I/O PORTS
 mouse/joystick      2reg 2analog        2 reg               1 mouse
 serial              RS-232C             RS-232              2 MAC
 parallel            BI-directional      Centronics          no
 video-out           analog RGB\VGA      analog\RGB\VGA      analog RGB\VGA
                     composite\RF        composite\RF
 audio-in            stereo 1/8"mini     no                  mono RCA
      -out           stereo 1/8"mini     stereo RCA          mono RCA
 external floppy     no                  yes                 yes
 internal IDE        yes                 yes                 no
 external SCSI       yes SCSI II         no                  yes
 midi                in, out/thru        no                  no
 DSP                 yes(1 MHZ trans)    no                  no
 network             Localtalk LAN       no                  Appletalk LAN

 *Mr. Baum says that the A1200's parallel port is not bi-directional.  I noted
  this when I E-Mailed him, but it was never changed.  I guess those of us with
  scanners and Parnet setups haven't really been using them, huh?

 *He also fails to note that the Amiga can have up to THREE additional external
  floppy drives.

 EXPANSION           internal bus exp    cpu expansion slot  Processor
                     128K cartridge      PCMCIA 2(16bit)     Direct Slot
                     DSP port
 SOUND
 resolution          16bit\50Khz         8bit\50Khz          8bit\22Khz
 channels            8                   4                   1
 input               yes\stereo          no                  yes\mono
 output              stereo              stereo              mono
 internal speaker    yes                 no                  yes

 *I also told him that the Amiga's sound can be 28 kHz in stereo and 56 kHz
  in mono.  Note that the Falcon's 16-bit sound is due to the DSP.

 VIDEO
 resolution
 -minimum            320x200             320x200             640x480
 -maximum            640x480             1280x400\640x960(i) 640x480
 palette(colors)     262,144             16.8 million        16.8 million
 maximum displayed   65,536(640x400)     256,000(all res)    256
 overscan            yes                 yes                 no

 *Due to space considerations, I can forgive him for not listing more of
  the 1200's graphics modes, but he could have at least listed the 800x600
  mode.

 MISC
 clock               yes                 no                  yes
 keyboard type       attached full       attached full       detached full

 *Internal clock in the A1200 is OPTIONAL.  Okay, C= was crazy for doing
  that, but I _had_ to mention it.

 OPERATING SYSTEM
 type             multitasking gui    multitasking  gui   multitasking gui
 location            rom\disk            rom\disk            rom\disk

 *He lists the Mac as being multitasking.  That's funny.  MultiFinder is
  NOT a multitasking system.  Programs CAN multitask with it, but they
  must be specifically written to do so, and if another not-so-inclined
  program is run at the same time, it can lock out the rest of the programs
  until it's finished.

 PRICE
 retail              $1299.00            $1099.00            $1450.00
 street              N/A                 $850.00             $1150.00

 *I'd just like to point out that for approx. $1200, you can get an A1200
  with a 25 MHz 68882, 4 meg of Fast RAM (total of 6 meg), an internal clock
  and an 80 meg hard drive.  That's still less than the Falcon's retail
  price, or, for approx. $1500, you can have an A1200 with a 40 MHz 68030,
  a 40 MHz 68882, FIVE meg of Fast RAM (total of 7 meg) and an 80 meg hard
  drive.

  Sure, it's not fair to compare street price with retail, but to establish
  a street price, the machine HAS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.  Falcons,
  anyone?

 SOFTWARE(included)

 Atari Falcon 030:   MultiTOS 4.0-operating system
                     SpeedoGDOS-scalable font  extension w/14 Bitstream
                     fonts.

                     Falcon D2D-audio direct to disk recording & editing
                     Atari Works-integrated word processor, database,
                     spreadsheet.

                     Audio Fun Machine-DSP digital audio FX
                     System Audio  Manager-record & assign sounds to system
                     event.

                     Various Accessory programs:
                     calculator,calendar,Talking Clock  games, etc.


 CBM Amiga 1200      AmigaDOS 3.0-operating system
                     CrossDOS-allows reading & writing MS-DOS format disks
                    *Deluxe Paint IV AGA-full featured 2D paint & animation
                    *Final Copy-full featured word processor
                     Various Utility Programs:Calculator,screenblanker etc.
                     (*indicates a limited time offer)

 Apple Performa 400  System 7.1-operating system
                     Symantec Greatworks-integrated word
                     processor,database,
                     spreadsheet,charting,paint & telecomm program
                     At Ease-program launcher
                     Teleware M.Y.O.B.-checkbook & cardfile program
                     T/Maker Clip Art-business graphics
                     Various Accessory programs:calculator,alarm
                     clock,games etc.

 FINAL NOTES:
     The Atari & Commodore machines are  housed in  a single  case. They DO
 NOT have  detached keyboards. The Atari Falcon is in the same case as it's
 predecessor the 1040STE, and the Amiga 1200 is in a  restyled case similar
 to the   Amiga  500. Also,  each of these computers is available without a
 hard drive for  less money. However, models with hard drives were used for
 comparison purposes.   These  configuraions are  those as  supplied by the
 manufacturer. Individual  dealers  may offer  other configuration options.
 The Apple Performa 400 has a  separate keyboard, it is in the same case as
 the MAC LCII(In fact, that's exactly what it is!).

     The Atari & Commodore  machines can  operate at  many different screen
 resolutions and would require a multisync monitor for optimum flexibility.
 Also,  the Commodore Amiga 1200's  maximum resolutions  are interlaced(i).
 It's maximum non-interlaced resolution is 640x480. Both the Atari Falcon &
 Commodore Amiga 1200 will  also overscan,  giving them  more resolution in
 that mode  and making   them  suitable for Desk Top Video (DTV). The Apple
 Performa would require an analog VGA  type monitor.   The  Atari Falcon is
 the only computer here with a DSP (digital signal processor) chip.

 revision 1.1
 Information compiled by Ken Baum 1992/93
 E-mail on GEnie or Delphi:<KEBAUM>
 Sources: Amiga World, Amiga Format, AtariUser, ST Format, MACWorld
          GEnie & Delphi.


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 > STR Staff Bio:  Mike Troxell, Graphics Editor
   =============================================


      Hi, I'm Mike Troxell, Amiga Report's graphics editor. Since this is the
 first issue  of the 'new and improved' Amiga Report, Rob asked each of us to
 write a short bio and tell you a little about ourselves.

      I live in Chattanooga, TN where  I attend college  at Chattanooga State
 Technical Community  College.  I'm  taking  a  double  major  in  Industrial
 Technology and Applied Technology, along  with  computer  networking classes.
 After I graduate this  April, I'd like  to work as a computer  network tech-
 nician (maybe go  on to  become a CNE)  but I'm also  looking into the  eddy
 current  technology field. If I'm not  at school or work  you will  probably
 find me in  front of my A1200  working on  an  animation, or maybe finishing
 work on a morph sequence.

      My first computer (I believe I bought  it around 1980) was a C=64. When
 the Amiga 500 came out I took one look  at the  graphics and  knew I  had to
 have this machine. After playing  around  with  several  PD raytracing  pro-
 grams, I finally broke down  and  bought  a copy  of Imagine, a  Mega-Midget
 Racer  accelerator (anyone  remember  them?) and 4 meg of extra RAM.  If you
 you have ever done much graphics  or animation  work, you know  what  I mean
 when I say  that graphics  is an  addiction. No  matter what  system you are
 using, your computer is never fast enough, you never have enough memory  and
 your hard drive is too small. As soon as these three basic  laws of graphics
 work began to sink in, I sold my  A500 and bought  an A2000 with a GVP 40MHZ
 68030 accelerator, 10 meg of RAM and a larger hard drive. I'd been using the
 A2000 for two years and (except  for running out  of memory every time I try
 to render a scene with Carmen Rizzolo's 3-D USS Enterprise object - it takes
 around 12 meg) I was really happy with my A2000 system. Even better, my bank
 account was beginning to recover from  buying the A2000/GVP/RAM/HD, when all
 of a sudden C=  comes out with  AGA  graphics.  The  next thing I knew I had
 sold my A2000 and  bought an A1200.  I've  been using the  A1200 for about a
 month and  I really like it. I'll like it even better once I get a GVP A1230
 and more memory!

      There are a  lot of  people who are  better at graphics  than I am. I'm
 sure many of you who  are reading this have animations which are better than
 anything  I've done. I'm  not  here  writing the  graphics  column for Amiga
 Report because I'm the best animator Rob could find. I'm here because I love
 doing graphics and animation, because I think the Amiga is the best graphics
 platform around and because I'm  sick of Amiga users having to  hunt for any
 Amiga information, while  other platforms have dozens of online and hardcopy
 magazines.  Maybe we can  help change that with Amiga  Report. Give us a few
 issues and then let us know how we're doing.


 ****************************************************************************

                       :HOW TO GET YOUR OWN GENIE ACCOUNT:
                        _________________________________

        Set your communications software to Half Duplex (or Local Echo)
                         Call: (with modem) 800-638-8369.
                  Upon connection type HHH (RETURN after that).
                             Wait for the U#= prompt.

                    Type: XTX99587,CPUREPT then, hit RETURN.

  GEnie costs only $4.95 a month for unlimited evening and weekend access to
  more  than  100  services  including electronic mail, online encyclopedia,
  shopping, news, entertainment, single-player  games,  and  bulletin boards
  on leisure and professional subjects.  With many other services, including
  the biggest collection of files to download and the best online games, for
  only $6 per hour.

  MONEY BACK  GUARANTEE!   Any time during your first month of membership if
  you are not completely satisfied, just ask for your $4.95 back.


           GEnie Information copyright (C) 1991 by General Electric
              Information Services/GEnie, reprinted by permission


 ****************************************************************************


 > AB20 Amiga CDROM Review              "Inexpensive Shareware Source!"
   =======================
   By Tom Mulcahy


     There aren't many shareware CD-ROMs available for the Amiga. Besides the
 Fred Fish online CD-ROMs, the AB20 is the only other shareware CD-ROM that I
 am aware of. Those of you familiar with the Internet may recognize the name.
 Ab20.Larc.Nasa.Gov was one of the larger Amiga sites on the internet.  There
 are roughly three hundred megabytes of  programs in about 3,000 files.  More
 than enough to keep you busy  for quite a while.  There is quite an array of
 programs to explore, ranging  from GNU utilites to MOD  music  files, to the
 ever popular Euro Demos.  Also on this CD-ROM are all of the Usenet archives
 from Comp.Sources.Amiga and Comp.Binaries.Amiga newsgroups. All of the files
 are archived into  TAR format as well. Since the CDROM is in ISO-9660 format
 it can  be read on  a variety of platforms.  At $24.95 you  really  can't go
 wrong.

   1-800-786-9907
   1-510-947-5996
   1-510-947-1644 FAX
   Walnut Creek CDROM
   1547 Palos Verdes, Suite 260
   Walnut Creek, CA 94596-2228



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 > VIRUS?? STR Feature                              New Virii??
   """""""""""""""""""



                       NEW VIRUS STRAINS IDENTIFIED!
                       =============================
                Reprinted from STReport Atari Edition #9.08



 From the Jerry Pournelle RT on Genie
 ------------------------------------

 By Dave Moeller

 Compiled by Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.


 Several new computer viruses have been identified:


 POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS:
 --------------------------
 Never calls itself a "virus," but instead refers to itself as an
 "electronic microorganism."  Infected computers immediately stop
 processing and display "computationally challenged" as an error message.


 GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS:
 ---------------------------
 Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine.


 CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS:
 -------------------
 Especially insidious, this virus comes in two versions, each version
 replacing the other at random intervals.

    Under Version 1, the computer locks up, screen splits erratically with
 a message appearing in each half blaming the other side for the problem.

    Version 2 runs every program on the hard drive simultaneously, but
 doesn't allow the user to accomplish anything.


 FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT VIRUS:
 -------------------------
 Divides your hard drive into hundreds of little units, each of which does
 practically nothing but all of which claim to be the most important part
 of the computer and therefore requires additional resources.  When
 detected, attempts to invoke Version 2 of the Congressional virus.


 FEDERAL BUDGET VIRUS:
 ---------------------
 Attempts to allocate non-existent resources to hard drive partitions
 created by the Bureaucrat virus.  Upon failing, passes control to the IRS
 virus which locks up the entire computer and seizes its assets.


 AIRLINE VIRUS:
 --------------
 You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore.


 KERVORKIAN VIRUS:
 -----------------
 Helps your computer shut down whenever it wants to.


 PAUL REVERE VIRUS:
 ------------------
 This revolutionary virus warns you of impending attack -- once if by LAN,
 twice if by C.



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 > BBS ETHICS STR InfoFile           A good rule of thumb for all....
   """""""""""""""""""""""


                        Ethics For BBS Users
                          (Source Unknown)

    The following are a few points of general BBS etiquette. If you
    wish to maintain your welcome on  whatever system you happen to
    call, it would be to your advantage to observe these few rules.

    1. Don't habitually hang up on a system. Every SysOp  is  aware
       that accidental disconnections happen once in a while but we
       do tend to get annoyed with people  who hang up every single
       time they call because they are either too lazy to terminate
       properly  or they  labor under the  mistaken assumption that
       the  10  seconds they save online is  going to significantly
       alter their phone bill. "Call Waiting"  is not an acceptable
       excuse  for long.  If you have it and intend to use the line
       to call BBS systems, you should either have it  disconnected
       or find some other way to circumvent it. In some areas a *70
       before dialing, will disable call waiting for that call!

    2. Don't do dumb things like leave yourself a message that says
       "Just  testing to see  if this  thing  works".  Where do you
       think all those other messages came from if it didn't  work?
       Also, don't leave whiney messages that say "Please leave  me
       a message".  If ever there  was a person to ignore, it's the
       one who begs someone to leave him a message.  If you want to
       get messages,  start  by reading  the ones  that are already
       online and getting involved in the conversations that exist.

    3. Don't use the local equivalent of a chat command unless  you
       really  have some clear  cut notion of  what you want to say
       and  why.  Almost any  SysOp is  more than  happy to  answer
       questions or offer help concerning his system. Unfortunately,
       because about  85% of the  people who  call want to chat and
       about  99% of  those people  have absolutely nothing to  say
       besides "How old are you?" or  something equally irrelevant,
       fewer SysOps even bother answering their pagers every day.

    4. When you are offered a place to leave comments when exiting
       a system,  don't try  to use  this area  to ask  the  SysOp
       questions.  It is  very rude to the other callers to expect
       the  SysOp to carry  on a half  visible  conversation  with
       someone.  If you have  a question  or statement to make and
       expect the SysOp to respond to it, it should always be made
       in the section where  all the other messages are kept. This
       allows the SysOp to help many people with the same  problem
       with the least amount of effort on his part.

    5. Before you log on with your favorite  pseudonym,  make sure
       that handles  are allowed.  Most SysOps  don't  want people
       using handles on the system.  There is not  enough room for
       them, they get silly games of one-upmanship started,  it is
       much nicer to  deal with a  person on a personal basis, and
       last but not least, everyone should be willing to take full
       responsibility  for  his  actions  or comments  instead  of
       slinging mud from behind a phoney name.

    6. Take the time to log on properly. There is no such place as
       RIV, HB,ANA or any of a thousand other abbreviations people
       use  instead of  their proper  city.  You  may  think  that
       everyone knows what RIV is supposed to mean,  but every BBS
       has people calling from all around the country and I assure
       you that someone from Podunk Iowa has no  idea  what you're
       talking about.

    7. Don't go out of your way to  make  rude  observations  like
       "Gee, this system is slow".  Every  BBS  is a  trade off of
       features.  You can  generally  assume  that  if  someone is
       running a particular  brand of software,  that he is either
       happy  with  it or  he'll decide  to find another system he
       likes  better.  It  does  nobody  any  good when  you  make
       comments  about  something  that you perceive to be a  flaw
       when  it's  running the  way the SysOp wants.  Constructive
       criticism is somewhat more welcome.   If you have an alter-
       native method that seems to make good sense  then run it up
       the flagpole.

    8. When  leaving messages, stop and ask yourself whether it is
       necessary to  make it private.  Unless there might  be some
       particular reason that  everyone shouldn't know what you're
       saying,  don't make it  private.  We don't call them PUBLIC
       bulletin boards for nothing, folks. It's very irritating to
       other callers when there  are blank  spots in the  messages
       that  they can't  read and  it  stifles interaction between
       callers.

    9. If your favorite  BBS has a  time  limit, observe it. If it
       doesn't, set a limit  for yourself and abide by it instead.
       Don't tie up  a system  until it finally  kicks you off and
       then call back with another name. This same rule applies to
       downloading or playing games. Only one person at a time can
       be logged on to a BBS and it isn't fair to everyone else if
       you overstay your welcome. Remember, a  BBS is best when it
       can be left wide open.  If you try  and cheat the rules you
       just  hurt everybody by  forcing the  SysOp to  adopt  more
       stringent policies.  I can't count the number of BBS's that
       are now  locked  tighter than a drum  because of people who
       cheat and abuse.

   10. Don't  call a BBS  just to  look at  the list of  other BBS
       numbers.  Most especially don't call a system as a new user
       and run right to the other numbers list. There is  probably
       very little that's more annoying to any SysOp than to  have
       his  board completely  passed over  by you on  your  way to
       another board.

   11. HAVE THE COMMON COURTESY TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT PASSES IN
       FRONT OF YOUR FACE.  When a BBS displays your name and asks
       "Is this you?", don't  say yes  when you can see  perfectly
       well  that  it  is  mispelled.  Also,  don't  start  asking
       questions about simple operation of a system until you have
       thoroughly read all of the  instructions that are available
       to  you. I  assure you  that it isn't  any fun  to answer a
       question  for  the  thousandth  time  when  the  answer  is
       prominently displayed in a system bulletin or instructions.
       Use some  common sense when  you  ask your  questions.  The
       person who said "There's no such thing as a stupid question"
       obviously never operated a BBS.

   12. If by  some chance  you should encounter an error while you
       are online (Heaven forbid!), ALWAYS take  the time to leave
       the SysOp a message describing the circumstance. Don't just
       say "There was an error". That is not helpful in the least.
       Chances are that he knows there was an error. What he needs
       to know is what you were  doing when the  error occurred so
       that he can  have some chance of finding and correcting it.
       If the error happened after you input  something,  tell him
       what it  was. Remember  that a  BBS  can't  improve  unless
       you're willing to help.

   13. Don't be personally abusive. It doesn't matter whether  you
       like a SysOp or think he's a jerk. The fact remains that he
       has a  large  investment  in making his  computer available,
       usually out of the goodness of his heart. If you don't like
       a SysOp or  his system, just  remember  that you can change
       the channel any time  you want.  Calling a  SysOp  names or
       making uninformed comments  about  his lifestyle only shows
       you for the child you really are.

   14. Keep  firmly  in  mind that  you are a guest on any BBS you
       happen  to call. Don't  think of logging  on as one of your
       basic  human  rights.  Every person  that  has  ever  put a
       computer  system  online for  the use of  other people  has
       spent a lot of time and money to  do  so.  While he doesn't
       expect non stop pats on the back,  it seems reasonable that
       he should  at least be  able to expect  fair treatment from
       his callers. This includes following any of the  rules  for
       system use he has laid out without grumping about it. Every
       SysOp has his own idea of how he wants his system to be run.
       It is really none of your  business why he wants  to run it
       the way he does. Your business is  to either abide  by what
       he says, or call some other BBS where you feel that you can
       obey the rules.



 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > NVN WANTS YOU! STR InfoFile       Another Network Supports Amiga!
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""


     National Videotext  Network (NVN) has  recently  added  an Amiga Forum
 to it's growing  lists of available  services.  The Amiga  Forum  is ready
 and waiting for you!

     The future  of NVN will be one which continues to remain sensitive and
 responsive to market needs. Additional services and advances in electronic
 information will  continue to  be added, to provide unique and interesting
 services on an on-going basis.

     NVN service  offerings can  be broken  into three  categories:  Basic,
 Premium, and Premium Plus.


                      ****************************************
                      ****************************************
                      **         9600 BAUD acious!          **
                      **  For users with 9600 baud modems   **
                      **     SAME PRICE AS 2400 BAUD!       **
                      **       TRUE on line savings!        **
                      ****************************************
                      ****************************************

  Basic Services
  --------------
      Most  of  the  Basic  services  are  available 24 hours a day with no
 connect time charges beyond  the basic  membership fee.  However, a select
 group  have  functions  for  which  transaction  fees  are  charged. Basic
 services are accessible through a flat rate charge of $5.95 per month.

  Premium Services
  ----------------
      For Premium services, Members pay connect  charges for  the amount of
 time spent in a particular service. Premium services are accessible Monday
 through Friday for a connect time charge of $9.00/hour from 8 am  to 6 pm,
 and $6.00/hour from 6 pm to 8 am; and on Saturday and Sunday for a connect
 time charge of $6.00 all day (6 pm Friday til  8 am  Monday), central time
 zone.   9600 Baud access is available at no additional cost!  Think of the
 advantages of downloading at 9600 baud for 9.00 hr Prime  Time or  6.00 hr
 non-prime time!

     Order an  extended NVN  Membership of  6 or  12 months,  pay for it in
 advance and   receive  a bonus  in connect  time at  no additional charge.
 Choose from two  subscription plans:

 6-Month Membership
     Pay just  $30 for a 6-month Membership and receive a usage credit that
 entitles  you to $15 of  connect-time  in  the  Premium  services  of your
 choice. Your total savings using this plan would be over $20!*

 12 Month Membership
     Pay  $50  for  a  full  year's  Membership and get even more free time
 on-line. We'll give you a $25 usage credit to use in your favorite Premium
 services or try out new ones. You could save as much as $45.*

     For more  information about  either of  these plans, give us a call at
 1-800-336- 9096.

     *Both extended  Membership options,  including free  usage credits are
 nonrefund-able/nontransferable.  Members  are  responsible for all Premium
 charges over the  $15 or $25 usage credit.

     You can join NVN one of  two  ways.    By  voice  phone 1-800-336-9096
 (Client Services)  or via  modem phone 1-800-336-9092.  You will be issued
 an Account # (usually within 24 hours) National  Videotex Network  and the
 Atari ST Forum will be waiting for you.



 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > STReport CONFIDENTIAL    "Rumors Tidbits Predictions Observations Tips"
   """""""""""""""""""""


 - New York City, NY                  MOTOROLA HAS 68060 ALL SET TO GO!
   -----------------


     Reportedly, the  68060 is  quite capable  of overpowering the PowerPC.
 While much attention has been  focused  on  the  prowess  of  the upcoming
 PowerPC RISC  processor, Motorola  has been  quietly working on a powerful
 successor to the 68040, the 68060, that will outperform the  first PowerPC
 to be  released, the  PowerPC 601.   Motorola's  68060 will perform in the
 range of 100 million instructions per second (MIPS), compared with  the 29
 MIPS of a 68040 with a 33MHz clock rate.  Because the 68060 will be faster
 than the PowerPC 601, the 601 will be relegated to a mid-range  Mac, while
 the 68060 will get a glamour job in a line of high-end Macs in early 1994,
 according to industry sources.  The 68060 employs  super-scalar execution,
 that  is,  the  ability  to  perform  two  instructions  per  clock cycle.
 Motorola plans volume shipments  of a  50MHz 68060  in early  1994, with a
 66MHz chip to follow.  Motorola skipped development of a 68050 in favor of
 the more radical 68060 design.



 - New York City, NY                 BABBAGES DROP ATARI LYNX LINE!
   -----------------


     From our  roving reporter  who spied  this message;  "According to the
 manager of the Babbages where I buy most of my Lynx games from... It looks
 like the chain will  be dropping  Lynx games  too!   That means  now the 3
 major Lynx  sellers, Toys  R' Us,  Software Etc, and Babbages have dropped
 Lynx from their stores.   Gee,  its getting  hard to  find titles  for the
 doggone thing!  Another one bites the dust....  THANKS ATARI!



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 > STR Dealer Directory
   ====================

   Armadillo Brothers
   753 East 3300 South
   Salt Lake City, Utah
   801-484-2791
   GEnie:  B.GRAY


         (Dealers:  To have your name added, please send Email!)

 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


                       Amiga Report's "EDITORIAL CARTOON"
                       """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""


 > A "Quotable Quote"           "Byron says, 'hey!'"
   """""""""""""""""




 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
        Amiga Report International Online Magazine ~ STR Publications
                      -* [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport *-
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 STR Online!            "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE"         March 19, 1993
 Amiga Edition      Copyright (c) 1993 All Rights Reserved            No.1.01
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
 Views, Opinions and  Articles Presented  herein are not necessarily those of
 the editors  and staff  of Amiga Report  International Online Magazine or of
 STR Publications.  Permission to reprint articles  is hereby granted, unless
 otherwise  noted.  Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the
 publication, date, issue number and  the author's name. STReport and/or por-
 tions therein may not be edited in any way without prior written permission.
 Amiga Report, at the time  of publication, is believed  reasonably accurate.
 Amiga Report, its  staff  and  contributors  are  not  and  cannot  be  held
 responsible  for the use  or misuse  of information  contained herein or the
 results obtained there from.
 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

