AtariUser29-Sep87.pdf

A Database Publication

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Adt

fol. 3 No. 5

-1

Convert sic error numbers into word

Mer e machine code into your' program

Escape the clutches of the Leather Goddesses

EXPAND THE CAPABILITIES

OF YOUR 8 BIT SYSTEM

Expanding the 1050 disk drive's strength is what ICD's US Doubler is all about. A true

perlormer in the area of hardware modiﬁcations, this chip set quickly transforms your Atari

into a powerhouse, radiating with innovative features never before possessed by a 1050.

Features like true double density for greater storage, single and dual density support, an

accelerated I/O rate designed to triple your speed when combined with SpartaDOS and full

compatibility with existing Atari software.

I PI

---, , US Doubler

It:

E29_95

US Doubler two chip set and ﬁtting instructions

This Disk Operating System has been widely acclaimed as the best DOS for the 8 bit Atari

range. SpartaDOS from ICD supports everything from 810 disk drives through RAM disks

to hard disks. A special menu allows rapid transfer, erasure and locking or unlocking of ﬁles

using only the Space Bar, Option, Start and Select keys. The utility package supplied also

features a 32 character keyboard buffer, intelligent switching between disk densities, a

binary ﬁle game menu, subdirectories and time/date ﬁle stamping.

SpartaDOS complete with 175 page manual £ 2 9 . 9 5

THE PERFECT COMBINATION — SPARTADOS AND US DOUBLER — ONLY £49.95

SpartaDOS

Construction Set

Now you're no longer limited to Atari compatible printers and modems. The P:R: Connection

plugs directly into the serial disk drive port of any 8 bit Atari computer and provides the user

with a standard Centronics printer interface and two RS-232 serial ports. It also draws its

power from your computer which means one less cord ﬁghting for a power point while its

compact size leaves your work space virtually clutter free.

The P:R: Connection's serial ports use a fully compatible A: handler and resemble those of

the 850 interface with the same signals and functions.

E69.95

P:R: Connection and manual

P:R:Connection

Micro

Supra's MicroPrint is a parallel printer interlace for the Atari 8 bit series of computers which

plugs into the computer's serial peripheral port and then directly into the printer. It works with

most parallel printers and 8 bit software and includes a built-in printer cable.

MicroPrinit

The SupraDrive AT 20Mb hard disk for the Atari XL and XE series connects directly to the

computers parallel bus, allowing high speed data transfer rates of 8-10,000 bytes per second

(approximately 10-15 times faster than the normal Atari drives).

The Supra Drive AT stores more than the equivalent of 200 single density Atari disks and can

access any information within milliseconds. All this adds up to an extremely efﬁcient system

for the serious Atari 8 bit owner. The SupraDrive AT is supplied with hard disk interface, built-

in power supply, manual and SpartaDOS.

graDrIve

E749.95

SupraDrive AT ready to plug in and use

Rambo XL transforms your 800XL into a mighty 256K computer and makes it memory

compatible with the 130XE. Now your XL can support Basic XE extended mode or the

standard RAM disk supplied with Atari DOS 2.5. With the RD. COM handler supplied with

SpartaDOS you get a 192K RAM disk enough to duplicate a full double density disk in one

pass! You must supply eight 256K DRAMS and the DOS of your choice.

Rambo XL with ﬁtting instructions

Software P.O. Box 113, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 OBE, England. Telephone: 0423 67140

Contents

News

All the latest from the ever-changing world of 8 bit Atari.

Top Twenty

Which is the top-selling Atari software?

Error Messages

Expand your Basic error codes into meaningful words.

Telesoftware

How to get listings and other programs from MicroLink.

Vol. 3 No. 5 September 1987

Managing Editor:

Derek Meakin

Gadgets

Keep unauthorised people off your micro with this lock.

Features Editor:

Peter Davidson

Reviews

Our evaluation team takes a look at the latest software.

Production Editor:

Peter Glover

Art Editor:

Heather Sheldrick

Reviews Editor:

Christopher Payne

News Editor:

Mike Cowley

Technical Editor:

Andre Willey

Hints and Tips

Get more enjoyment out of your with our readers' help.

I/O Channels

Explore and change your Dos with this superb disc editor.

Spreadsheet

Check the weather using the Mini Ofﬁce II spreadsheet.

Advertisement Manager:

Tony Nowell

Rouloc 3 1

More amazing exploits with our resident adventurer.

Advertising Sales:

John Snowden

Nora Lawton

Map • 3 3

Get to grips with Leather Goddesses: Part 1 of the map.

Whist 3 5

A version of the classic game on your Atari computer.

Editorial: 061-456 8383

Administration: 061-456 8383

Advertising: 061-456 8500

Subscriptions: 061-480 0171

Telec om Gold • 72 MAG001

Telex : 265871 MONREIF G

Quoting Ref. 72:MAG001

Prestel Mailbox: 614568383

Published by:

Databas e Publications Ltd,

Europa House, 68 Chester Road,

Haz el Grove, Stockport SK7 5NY.

Merger 3 9

Put macnme code in Basic data statements with this utility.

Special FX 4 1

A program to produce scrolling messages on your screen.

B •3 , 5 7 3 Ja n u a ry-Ju n e , 1 9 8 6

Subscription rates for

12 issues, post free

[12 — UK

El 5 — Europe (incl. Eke)

£30 — Overseas

ISSN 0266-545X

•'Atari User" welcomes program listings

and articles for publication. Material should

be typed or computer•printed, and pref-

erably double-spaced. Program listings

should be accommpanied by cassette tape

or disc. Please enclose stamped, self-

addressed envelope, otherwise the return

of material cannot be guaranteed. Contrib-

utions accepted for publication by Database

Publications Ltd will be on an all-rights

basis,

co 1987 Database Publications Ltd. No

material may be reproduced in whole or in

part without writen permission. While every

care is taken, the publishers cannot be held

legally responsible for any errors in articles,

lis tings , or advertisements.

"Atari User" is an independent publication

and Atari Corp (UK) Ltd are not responsible

for any of the articles they contain or for any

of the opinions expressed.

News trade distribution: Europress Sales

and Distribution Limited, Unit 1, Burgess

Road, lvyhouse Lane, Hastings, East Sussex

TN35 4NR. Tel: 0424 430422.

Five Liners

More prize-winning mini programs sent in by our readers.

Classiﬁed

Advertise all your unwanted hardware and software.

Game of the Month

Fly your super helicopter on a dare-devil rescue mission.

Buffer

A detailed review of the time-saving MicroStuffer.

Software Solutions

Our resident expert solves your programming problems.

Mailbag

The chance to get your news, views and name in print.

September 7987 Atari User 3

Ofﬁce II

and business

programs in just

ONE package — at

a price that simply

can't be matched!

powerful home

P1ELEC

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MOMER

FUEL CO5TS

WNW

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DATABAS t

Build up a versatile card index,

use the ﬂexible print-out

routine, do powerful multi-ﬁeld

sorting, perform all arithmetic

Functions, link with the word

processor — and more!

WORD PROCESSOR

Compose a letter, set the print-

out options using embedded

commands or menus, use the

mail merge facility to produce

personalised circulars — and more!

ORDER FORM

Please send me Mini Ofﬁce 11 for the

Atari 400/800/XUXE (48k required).

on 51/4' disc for £19.95

1 enclose cheque made payable to

Database Software, or debit my

Access/Visa card:

NONE

SPREADSHEET

Prepare budgets or tables, total

columns or rows with ease,

copy formulae absolutely or

relatively, use a wide selection

of mathematical and scientiﬁc

functions, recalculate

automatically — and more!

COMMS MODULE

Using a modem you can access

services such as MicroLink and

order a wide range of goods

from ﬂowers to software, send

electronic mail, telex and tele-

messages in a ﬂash — and more!

111•111•1

MUM IEEE

Exp. date

Signed

Name

Address

LABEL PRINTER

Design the layout of a label with

the easy-to-use editor, select

label size and sheet format,

read in database ﬁles, print out

in any quantity — and more!

GRAPHICS

Enter data directly or load data

from the spreadsheet, produce

pie charts, display bar charts

side by side or stacked, overlay

line graphs — and more!

ORDER HOTLINE:

TEL: 061-480 0171

SEND TO; Database Software,

Europa House, 68 Chester Road,

Haz el Grose, Stockport SK7 SNY

DATABASE SOFTWARE

MEE

Hazel Grave, Stockport SK7

SNY

News

More disc-based

games are due

A DISC revolution may be on

the cards for Atari 8 bit users.

With a new drive due to be

launched this month, Atari

has begun in depth research

into potential boom markets

for disc-based software.

This year's launch of the

65XE games machine, with

the option to add a keyboard,

encouraged the production of

cartridge based software as

well as the more usual

cassette.

But with the rebirth of

Atari's own software pub-

lishing company label and the

increasing list of titles, the

prospect of producing disc-

based games seems more

attractive, says the com-

pany's technical director, Les

Player. He said Atari had a lot

of new 8 bit software going

through its testing depart-

ment at the moment.

This was mainly new arcade

games but there were a

couple of conversions.

"Most are cassette-based,

but we are looking to

see how soon we can begin to

concentrate on disc-based

programs", he said. "If

there's a market, we're happy

to lead the way".

He explained that in the US

cassettes were not used with

the 8 bit machines. Over

there, discs were the order of

the day.

The new drive will be

double sided, 5•25in, but pric-

ing and availability details

were still being worked out.

Les Player said he had been

impressed by the quality of

games coming into Atari from

smaller software houses and

individuals.

"We are really happy to

encourage these people. We

will have a good look at their

work and put it through the

testing department. If it's

good enough we'll put it out

on our own label," he said.

"With the new 65XE selling

so well, and a pre-Christmas

boom expected, we have got

to put out as much good qua-

lity 8 bit software as we can.

"And if it works out that

people want this on disc, then

so much the better".

Budget

nasties

A BOW and arrow is the only

weapon available to ﬁght off

the scary nasties in Forbidden

Forest, just re-released for the

Atari 8 bit on the Top Ten

budget label.

The player controls a small

character who has to venture

deep within a creepy scrolling

forest-scape.

The quest is to defeat the

evil Demogorgon — visible

only during ﬂashes of light-

ning. But along the way there

are giant spiders, bumble

bees, dragons, phantoms and

skeleton soldiers. Price E1.99.

Deal brings new

Sports

simulation

hardware line

DECATHLON, the new sports

simulation from Firebird for

the Atari 8 bit, allows up to

four players to compete

against each other in ﬁ eld

events.

The game, from Firebird

(01-323 67551, however

allows only two players to

compete against each other

in the track events at any one

time.

The 10 events are: the 100,

400 and 1500 metre races,

long jump, high jump, shot

put, discus, javelin, pole vault

and the 110 metre hurdles.

Price £1.99.

Om on the

rampage

SPELLS and a cast of more

than 70 characters are all part

of the new adventure game

Knight Orc for the Atari 8 bit

from Rainbird Software

(01-240 88381.

In three parts it sets you

loose as an oppressed Orc

rampaging across adven-

tureland trying to ﬁnd a way

out.

One object of the inter-

active game is for the Orc to

get its own back on the gener-

ations of adventurers who

have persecuted it, Each of

the 70 characters makes its

own decisions and lives its

own life.

Communication with the

other characters, learning

spells and solving puzzles are

all a vital part of the adven-

ture. Price E19.95

character keyboard buffer,

intelligent switching between

disc densities, sub-directories

and a time/date ﬁle stamping.

Price E29.95.

The third ICD product to be

distributed by Frontier Soft-

ware is PR Connection which

plugs into the serial disc drive

port of any Atari 8 bit com-

puter and provides a standard

Centronics printer interface

and two RS-232 serial ports.

Price E69.95.

SOLE distribution rights for a

range of products from ICD of

Illinois has been announced

by Frontier Software (0423

67140),

The ﬁrst product — US Dou-

bler Chip — is a two chip

upgrade for the Atari 1050

disc drive which gives true

double density for greater

storage and an accelerated

I/O rate. It is designed to triple

the speed of disc operations.

Price E29.95.

To complement the Dou-

bler upgrade is SpartaDos

which supports 810 disc

drives, ram discs and hard

discs.

A menu allows rapid trans-

fer, erasure and locking and

unlocking of ﬁles using only

the spacebar, Option, Start

and Select keys.

A utility package is also

supplied and features a 32

FOLLOWERS of Sherlock Holmes will be pleased to hear

that US Gold (021-356 3388) has released an Atari 8 bit

version of Datasoft's 221b Baker Street.

The player takes the part of either Sherlock Holmes,

Doctor Watson, Irene Adler or Inspector Lastrade — all

characters from Conan Doyle's Holmes stories.

Like all good detective stories the player has to pit his

or her wits against other players in order to solve a

number of crimes, Price E2.99 on cassette and £1499 on

disc.

September 1987 Atari User 5

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