@8`************************************ Zmag/A\zine ** (Chicago Edition) ** March }1,1988 ** ** HOT Atari News and Reviews ** Editor:Clinton Smith }** Asst.Editor:Ray Prince ******************************************************Xx In This Issue *************}*******Atari hits the airwaves*User Group Report-Claug February 20th*Zmag's 8-bit Write-in Campaign*Atarifest 88 Update*}Info on the ST-Transformer Ver.2*Zmag's Solution to the Atari 8-bit-Infocom Situation*Atari Newsstand-Atari Explorer March/ }April 1988*ST Review-Gunship by Microprose*Zmag Programmer's Workshop*Choice Download for the ST*User Group Bulletin*Loc }al BBS News*Items for Sale*Local Dealers and Repair*******************Xx Editor's Notes ******************** I know tha }t this is more of a Local BBS News item,but I wanted to makesure that all you 8-bitters read this right off.Recently,Softwar }e Plushas been asking for volunteers to be Sig-Ops(Special Interest Group-Operators)for their machine specific sigs.Well,gu }ess who the new Atari8-bit Sig-Op is? That's right,none other than(Fanfare please!)ClintonSmith,otherwise known as the Edit}or of Chicago Zmag.The Atari 8-bit Sigon Software Plus isn't very active currently(there are only 8 messages!)so I'm asking} that you give the board a ring.It goes up after the storecloses,so call after 10 PM.If you have any interesting 8-bit files} thataren't already in the Atari 8-bit file section(6),upload them.Also,ifyou have any news items for Zmag or any questions} for me,Software PlusBBS will be an excellent place to leave me a message at.The number is(312)520-1780. Along with being} able to list items that you wish to sell in IFS(Itemsfor Sale),you can now advertise for items that you are looking for.So}if you are unable to find a particular piece of hardware or software,leaveme a message.Maybe someone has it sitting in their} computer room,collectingdust.Thanks go to Rez Man,for the suggestion of adding this service.Sysops!! Is your board carryi}ng Zmag?Let me know about it.Leave the name and number of your board to me in a message on one of the Zmag Boards or send t}he info to:Zmag-a-zine:Dept U2104 North KostnerChicago,Il 60639Zmag is looking for support from user groups(articles and} softwarereviews).If you are a user group that would like to support Zmag dropme a line at:Zmag-a-zine:Dept S2104 North K}ostnerChicago,IL 60639Got a question or comment about Zmag? Leave a message to me(Clinton Smith or Clint Smith on Runequ}est)on one of the Zmag Boards orwrite to:Zmag-a-zine:ATTN Editor2104 North KostnerChicago,IL 60639**********************}******Xx Atari hits the airwaves ***************************** It's a very strange feeling seeing commercials promoting At}ari 8-bitcompatible games once again.Atari has just came out with 2 new commercialshawking games for the XE Game System(an }undercover 65XE). The first one,that points out the differences between Nintendo's Baseballand Hardball on the XEGS,reminds} of the good old days when Atari andMattel were always taking swipes at each other in their ad campaigns. The second commer}cial shows the different sports titles that areavailable for the XEGS.Featured are Hardball,Fight Night,BallBlazer,andBarny}ard Blaster.The graphics of Barnyard Blaster(for use with the lightgun)look excellent and gives me some hope that we can exp }ect some goodnew titles from Atari in the near future.******************************************Xx User Group Report-Claug!} February 20th ******************************************* There has been a great deal of interest in AtariFest 88 and ever"}ythingis going well.A number of places have been looked at as possible festsites,and the current favorite is the O'hare Exp#}o Center.Nothing definatehas been set yet though. There has been a rumor circulating that Atari will be holding it'sown se$}lf-run Atarifest in May,1989.No one is sure if this will have anyeffect on our fest,but it is being looked into. The Atari %}laser printer is supposed to be shipping,however it's $1500price isn't nearly as attractive as it once was.Some people have &}heardthat the Okidata laser has been going for around $900. A new dealer was introduced introduced at the meeting,C-Bug Inc'}.C-Bug deals only in high quality blank disks,disk cases of various types,and labels.I was able to get a really nice 3 1/2 (}disk holder for $4 thatholds 50 disks. The dealer's tables I saw a couple of new titles at the meeting,including:Moebius()}ST)by Origin Systems-A martial arts adventuresShadowgate(ST)by Mindscape-A graphic adventureMicrosoft Write(ST)by Atari-The*} long awaited word processorGunship(ST)by Microprose-The long awaited helicopter combat simulationGFA Artist(ST) by Michtro+}n and OCP Art Studio(ST)by Firebird-Graphicprograms On the hardware side,the XF-551 Double sided,Double Density drive wasb,}eing sold at the meeting by Coz Computers.Unforuantely A-Dos is notready yet so you still can't utilize the drive to it's fu-}ll potential.***********************************Xx Zmag's 8-bit Write-in Campaign ************************************ Zm.}ag has started to recieve some responses for the 8-bit write-incampaign.MicroProse,Epyx,and Accolade have been mentioned as /}companiesthat users would like to see more 8-bit stuff from and will go on to thelist of companies that we will target with0} our letters.I will startlisting the companies addresses in the next issue of Zmag. In the latest Claug Newsletter,Dirk Va1}ndenHeuvel points out that bothOrigin Systems and Interstel would like to release 8-bit versions ofUltima 5 and StarFleet 22},but haven't been able to find anyone to do theprogramming.Dirk suggests that it would be a good idea for Atari to buythe r3}ights to them and then comments,"Nawww,that would be too smart."Well,let's tell Atari that we think they should liscense tho4}se titles!What titles do you want to see released for the 8-bits? Let me know. I recieved a response with a very good appr5}oach when it comes to writingsoftware companies.The response follows: Author: hummer To: Clinton SmithI just sent off a 6}letter to Access. The general form I followed ( andthe one I recommend) is to express you gratefulness and satisfaction for7}the good software they have released for us in the past.I praised Leader Board. Then to ask them for more of that kind of 8}finesoftware in the future (or to port existing software for us). Iask for 10th Frame, a game that looks great even on the9} C64 8bit, 40column computer. I then listed the User groups I was associated with andexplained that I was speaking for sev:}eral others in the group that feltthe same. End by saying that you would enjoy hearing from them on theirfuture products a;}nd explain that you would willingly pass on any informationfrom them to other Atari 8 and 16 bit owners. I haven't heard an<}ything(its only been two weeks), but I might. I hope to slowly write to allthe other major companies in the next couple of=} months. It is actuallya lot of fun and I hope I am keeping the Atari 8bit name in front ofthem. Thanks for the assistanc>}e Hummer,those are some terrific tips. Other points that users thought should be made in our letters include:1.More retail ?}outlets to carry 8-bit software.This would be in our lettersto Atari itself.Actually,if the XE Game System continues to do w@}ell,they'llbe in more retail stores and as a result those stores will carry Atari8-bit software.2.Companies should releaseA} their games on cartridge.Along with beingcompatible with the growing XE Game System user base,the cartridges wouldalso be B}more difficult to copy than disks thus disuading their piracyfears.If they don't have the facilities to make cartridges,suggC}est thatthey contact Atari to see about liscencing their titles and having Atariproduce the cartridges. All in all,we're D}off to a good start.Along with companies and points youwould like to see made in our letters,I'd also like you to suggestpaE}rticular titles that you would like to see in Atari 8-bit formats. The lack of new quality 8-bit titles has spurred Zmag inF}to starting awrite-in campaign.Software publishers have to made aware that we're outhere and we want quality software.WhatG} companies do you think that we should write to? Please leavesuggestions to me on the BBS'.What particular points do you thiH}nk shouldbe in the letters?************************Xx AtariFest 88 Update ************************* The following is froI}m BeerCan BBS's system newsATARI-FEST News Up-Date! Well, thanks to info from Marty Conroy (CLAUG), there's a tentativelJ}ocation for this years Atari-fest! The O'Hare Convention Center,at the Kennedy exit and 294 Expressway,and a short walk fK}rom the River Road C.T.A. bus stop. The possible dateswould be the 26th,27th, and 28th of August. The cost per booth for L}the 3 days would be $400.00 per vendor,on adecreasing scale with extra booths purchased by the same vendor CLAUG is puttiM}ng up $300 as a firm committment towards the event andother groups LCASE,ALIEN,SCAT,and others will put up a fair shareto sN}et the thing in motion, ie:bank accounts,post office expenses and24 hour hotline for voice info and updates; also printing cO}osts,causeas soon as we set the date and the location, we'll be sending advancetickets to every user group in the Atari kinP}gdom. Atari,Sunnyvale, will also put up some seed monies as an invest-ment to insure the success of the event.(The onlyQ} things that we don't know about for sure is if Mail-Order andNon-Store front dealers are allowed to participate!....... AppR}arently,last year they were not!!!.....)Well, thats all for now... As more news on the fest comes in, I'll beposting it fS}or ya!.....-Boozer-***************************************Xx Info on the ST-Transformer Ver.2.0 *************************T}*************** The following is from a recent East Coast Zmag.by Darek MihockaFebruary 7, 1988Information about ST XfoU}rmer II:Since the release of the Xformer in October, I have mainly heard only twothings from people: make it run in monochV}rome, and make it faster. Themonochrome part was easy, and now with Omni Res, it is even better. Thespeed issue was a bit hW}arder to address. The dispatch algorithm usedcould have been sped up slightly, by getting rid of common code and thussavingX} some jumps and branches. But to get a really major speed increase,I started writing a new emulator from scratch and came upY} with some voodoothat allowed me to write an emulator that is TWICE AS FAST as the emulatornow available. Thanks go to DaviZ}d Small,Charles Smeton, and Jan Gray forproviding some of the speed up ideas.Here at a glance are some of the features of [}ST Xformer II:- twice as fast, runs at about 40% the speed of a 6502- a GEM based non-cryptic user interface that allows y\}ou to re-configurethe emulator with the menu bar. No more deleting and renaming of files.- 4 modes: generic 6502, Atari 800]},Apple ][, and C-64 emulation (I shouldhave provided a DEGAS file containing a screen shot showing Commodore 64BASIC in act^}ion on the emulator, but that would probably make most peopledelete this file right away!)- online documentation (i.e. from_} the menu bar)- player missle graphics and sprites,greatly increasing compatibility- a hardcopy of detailed documentation a`}nd source code will be availablefor a small fee. (Hey, I gotta eat too!)- phone support will be provided if you really get a}stuckThe program will be available on July 1, 1988, and will be shareware.That means it'll be free and available on most Bb}BSs and informationservices at that time.The program will soon go out to a few beta testers who will put it throughthe wrc}inger. A preview version will be made available to magazines anduser groups on May 1, 1988. If you are a user group executivd}e and areinterested in getting the preview version to demo to your user group,send a recent copy of your newsletter,your nae}me and phone number, and $5(to cover the cost of a disk, a mailer,and postage) to me:Darek Mihocka310-D Bluevale St. N.Wf}aterloo, OntarioN2J 4G3CANADAand I'll give you a call when the disk is about to go out (in late Aprilor early May).Anyg}one will last minute requests and suggestions for the emulator can dropme mail, email, or call the "support line" (really juh}st my modem line, hehe, so if you call and get a modem carrier, hang up). Of course, afterthe preview gets out, I'll definai}tely be taking last minute suggestionsand bug reports before letting the cement dry.To contact me by email, you'll need anj} account on one of the informationservices listed below, and then send the email to the appropriate ID:BIX: darekmCompusek}rve: 73657,2714DELPHI: DAREKMGEnie: DAREKMThe ST Xformer support line is:(519)-747-0386On the FOREM FNET network, sendl} email to Gilligan's Island BBS(node #118).Hopefully it'll find a path through. That's all! Enjoy ST Xformer 1.2 and pleam}se be patient about getting STXformer II. It will be worth your wait.**************************************************Xx n}Zmag's Solution for the 8-bit-Infocom Problem *************************************************** After reading why Infocomo} hasn't been releasing it's latest adventureson the Atari 8-bit,I thought that there has to be some kind of simplesolution.p}The problem is that the Atari drive can't hold enough info.The solution is so simple it's amazing that Infocom didn't think q}aboutit. What storage medium can be used with all Atari 8-bits(even the onesthat don't have disk drives)? Why cartridges or}f course! And thanks toAtari's new 256k bank switched cartridges that they came up with forthe XE Game system,even the largs}er games could fit. The best way tohandle this is to have Atari liscense the Infocom games and haveAtari release them.This t}would especially benefit Atari because Ataricould push them as keyboard games for the XE Game System.I thinkthat the idea iu}s workable,now the only problem is in getting somebodyto listen.If you'd like to help why don't you drop a line to Atari orv}Infocom.Infocom125 CambridgePark DriveCambridge Ma 02140Atari Corp1196 Borregas Ave.Sunnyvale,CA 94086**************w}******Xx Atari Newsstand ********************* Atari Explorer March/April 88 If you've ever wondered what goes on at Atarx}i's Customer RelationsDepartment,check out pages 10 and 11 of this Atari Explorer.One interestingnote:60 percent of the caly}ls to Customer Relations are about theavailabilty of the 5200 joystick replacements.As an owner of a 5200,thereplacement joz}ystick doesn't suprise me.However,the fact that people whoown a system that stopped getting new games years ago are still we{}aringout their joysticks,tells me that the 5200 was a much better machinethen some people gave it credit for. Explorer is |}co-sponsoring a contest for the Advanced Art Studio byFirebird.The program has some special features such as sprite design a}}ndanimation that make it an all around graphic tool.Check out page 22,tosee how to enter your AAS graphic masterpieces. Ha~}rdware Reviews-STProTablet ST by Qunatum Microsystems-A drawing tabletZ-Time by Terrific Corp-A clock/calender chip Softwa}re Reviews-STSpectrum 512 by Antic Software-512 color graphic programFleet Street Publisher by Spectrum Holobyte-desktop pu}blishing programSuper Directory by Michtron-A disk cataloging programLabel JRB by P.A.C.E.-disk label printing and director}y printing programQMI Deskcart by QMI-A clock/calender,14 desk accesory cartridgeDBSense by by Sense Software-fully relatio}nal database managerEasel/ST by Computer Fenestrations-desktop art loaderTest Drive by Accolade-driving simulationMarble M}adness by Electronic Arts-arcade translationAirball by Michtron-maze adventure gameDiscache by Amgem-disk caching programD}eep Space by Psygnosis-space simulationPower Print ST by Alpha Systems-screen print programTrue Basic by True Basic Inc.-A }new version of the Basic language On the back cover of the issue,Microdeal has a new ad that features their2 new games,Leat}herneck and Tanglewood.One interesting note in the textabout Leatherneck caught my eye.The game,which is a vertical scrollin}gshoot-em up(along the lines of Data East's Commando),has an option thatallows 2 people to guide their soldiers along shoot}ing bad guys.But theinteresting part is that with a special adapter,up to 4 joysticks canbe hooked up so a quartet of soldi}ers can all play at the same time.Icertainly hope that the adapter will be utilized in future titles,sothat four player act}ion(something that has been missing since the daysof the 400 and 800)can once again be apart of Atari gaming.**************}********Xx ST Review-Gunship *********************** Gunship by Microproseprice:28 to 45 dollars If you've ever seen the} film Blue Thunder or the Tv show Airwolf,youknow just how deadly an attack helicopter can be.Now you can feel whatit is li}ke to fly what has been refered to as "a flying tank". Gunship by Microprose is a simulation of flying an Apache AH-64Aatta}ck helicopter in combat situations around the world.One of theprogram's best attributes is the amount of variety there is.Y}ou can choose from 1 of 5 areas to fly missions,each area has 3 levelsof dificulty,and there are a number of attributes you }can alter to makethe missions more difficult or easier,such as easy or realistic flight,weather conditions,and landings. I}f you are just starting out,fly combat on the gunnery range in the U.S..The enemies are dummies and fire simulated weaponary},so you don't haveto worry about being shot down.This will give you a chance to practiceflying and shooting targets without} any danger.When you've finished yourflight training,you can head out to one of 4 hot spots in the world,thatinclude Southe}ast Asia,Central America,the Middle East,and Western Europe(during a hypothetical US/USSR conflict). In order to better aqu}aint you with Gunship,let's go through a typicalmission. First,on the defaults screen,we'll select Duty assignment in the M}iddleEast,Volunteer Hazardous Duty(tough,accurate,fast reacting opponents).After selecting Continue,you go to the Mission s}creen.This screen describesyour mission objectives and gives you your password.Look up the propercountersign in the manual(}friendly bases will ask for the countersignas you approach them,give the wrong one and they'll assume you're anenemy choppe}r and shoot you down).The grid map is read left and up,therefore if you're at a base that is at 3,3 and your primary objecti}ve(an enemy helipad)is at 10,3,you have to fly due east to reach it.After you've read your objectives,check the map to see }where they'relocated.If the mission appears to be more dangerous than you want to messwith,you can go on sick leave to avoi}d it.Your commanding officer willnot be pleased with you however and will place a reprimand in your file,making promotions }more difficult to get.Selecting Continue will placeyou on the arming screen.An overview of your chopper and it's weaponsare} shown.By selecting a weapon(such as a sidewinder air missle),you candrag it over to the chopper and put it on.Depending whe}re you are inthe world,will determine what weapons you'll wish to load up on.WesternEurope and Middle East have lots of tan}ks so Hellfires(laser guided,airto ground,tank missles)will be very handy,on the other hand,CentralAmerica and Southeast As}ia have more missile launchers and infantry soFFARs(Folding Fin Air Rockets(unguided air to ground missiles)would beprefere}d.If Russian Hind helicopters are present,sidewinders(heat seekingair to air missiles)will also be handy. Selecting continu}e will place you at the mission.Take off by startingboth engines,engaging the rotor,and pushing the collective up.Yourchopp}er is equipped with a small computer screen that performs 3 functions.1.Map-You see the area(of the map)that you are flying }over.2.Targeting Camera-When the word target appears over the screen and youpress your fire button,a zoomed view of your ta}rget appears with it'sidentification and it's distance from you.3.Radio-Occasionly the base will send you messages,and you }press thespace bar to see what they are. After you have destroyed the primary and secondary objectives you mustfly back to} a friendly base and land.Your commander will rate the missionon how many enemy targets were destroyed,if both objectives we}re destroyed,and how long it took you.You will recieve medals and increases in rankdepending on how your missions go.The ul}timate Apache pilot is Colonel,with a Congressional Medal of Honor,one or more lesser bravery awards,and a campaign ribbon }for each area. Let me first say that I love this game.It is the best flight combatsimulation that I have ever played.The so}lid object graphics look greatand thanks to the ST's speed,the illusion of flight is very smooth.One of my favorite images }in the game is that of the soviet helicopter.When you're far away,it looks like a dot,but when you're close enoughto see it} out your cockpit window,it's blade appears to be spinning.Sound effects,while not of digitized quality,are still great.The }soundof your helicopter is one of the best I've ever heard.If you've beenwaiting for a simulation that will knock your sock}s off,Gunship is it.Editor's Note:It's so great to see that software companies are recognizingthe fact that there are a lot} of ST hard drive users and 1 meg users.The program can be run from a 512k ramdisk or a hard drive.Also,thekeyboard overlay} that comes with the game is a terrific help in controllingthe chopper.*******************************Xx Zmag Programmer's} Workshop ******************************** I haven't been receiving any submissions for ZPW,so I'll start theball rolling }myself. Ok programmers! This is your challenge. I think that a program thatwould enable 8-bit users to look at ST picture f}iles would be interesting.The two most popular ST picture foramts are Neochrome and Degas,so theability to load pictures fr}om one of these formats is preferable. You can approach it from a number of ways.The easiest picture filesto view would pro}bably be ones that are in High-res Monochrome(600 by 400)or Med-Res 4 colors(600 by 200).All that would be needed would be a} wayto scroll around to see parts of the picture. Low-Res 16 color pictures(320 by 200)will be just the thing for someonew}ho wants a challenge,due to their having 16 colors on screen at once. Well,now it's up to you programmers out there.Think th}at you're up tothe challenge? The old saying is that everybody complains about the weather but nobodydoes anything about }it.Well Zmag has been distressed over the lack of8-bit public domain software recently and is now doing something aboutit.E}ven though the commercial developers have forsaken our systems,thereare still plenty of good 8-bit programmers out in the pu}blic domain.Zmag Programmer's Workshop has 2 purposes.1)If you have an idea for a program but you don't know how to program},leave me(Clinton Smith)a message telling about your idea.I will put theidea here in the ZPW column so that any programmers} who are out therereading Zmag can see the ideas and might say"Hey I could do that!".2)If you are a programmer who is havin}g a programming problem(Example:Howdo I do a display list interrupt?)leave me a message and I'll put it hereso other progra}mmers can hopefully give you an answer.I know quite a bitabout 8-bit programming myself and I'll answer your problem persona}llyif I can.The Zmag Programming Workshop is going to depend on the support of theusers.If you have a program idea,please }submit it.If you're a programmerand you have the answer to one of the progamming problems or you thinkyou can implement one} of the ideas,let me know about it.***********************Xx ST Choice Download ************************ A few weeks ago,}I talked about music files on the ST.I mentioned thatMusic Construction Set files had started to appear on local boards.I am}happy to say that there are a great many MCS files up on the boards now. If you'd like to get a taste of MCS files,I strong}ly recommend that youdownload MCSSONGS.ARC from the ST Music Sig on DataMania BBS.Included inthe file are a large number of} MCS song files and the latest version ofthe stand-alone Music Construction Set song player.Ver.1.5 now includesa Jukebox m}ode,that plays all song files that are on your disk,one afterthe other.Some of the better songs on the disk include Axel F,G}hostbusters,and a song from Electronic Arts called Melodrama.Melodrama is a medleyof silent movie-type music that sounds pe}rfect. If you have a midi keyboard,MCS Plsyer will play the songs through it.Ifyou haven't added a midi keyboard to your sy}stem yet,don't worry theprogram also plays the song via the ST's sound chip(and they also soundquite good that way)*******}*****************Xx User Group Bulletin *************************Chicago Area User Group ListIf a group has not been incl}uded in the list,please leave me a messageon one of the Chicago Zmag Boards.Also,provide the following info:Mailing Address} of the groupVoice Hotline Number(if there is one)and Group BBS Number. CLAUGChicagoland Atari User GroupHotline(Anser}ing Machine):(312)848-0333BBS:(312)889-1240SCATSuburban Chicago AtariansP.O. Box 72266Roselle, IL 60172BBS:(312)462-9}844FACEFederated Atarians Chicago EnclaveP.O.Box 84Franklin Park,IL 60131Hotline:(312)348-3609BBS:(312)975-6541L.C.A}.C.E.Lake County Atari Computer EnthusiastsHotline:623-3815BBS:(312)680-5105LAUGLocal Atari User Group508 Richards Str}eetGeneva,IL 60134Hotline:(312)232-7510 FACE NEWS**********NEW USER GROUP STARTING!FACE (Federation of Atarians, Chic}ago Enclave) is a new user group serving the North Side of Chicago. Meetings are held in the Wrigleyville area.Leave a mess}age on LABBS for info on the group.FACE (Federation of Atarians, Chicago Enclave), has a new meetingplace and a new day fo}r meetings! PLACE:Wrigleyville Restaurant and Tap, 3724 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60613. This location is almost i}n the shadow of Wrigley Field!All future meetings will now be held on the FIRST MONDAY of every month! If you have a quest}ion about FACE(or if you want to find out thedate,time,and location of the next meeting)call the FACE Hotline.(312)348-3609}(answering machine).CLAUG NEWS***********CL.A.U.G. HAS EXPANDED !!! Do you live on the South Side of Chicago, and don't} want to travelto the regular meetings? Well, CLAUG (the ChicagoLand Atari User'sGroup)has solved your problem. Since last }March, CLAUG has had a brandnew addition to the family - a CLAUG SOUTH !!Still a part of the CLAUG family, yet they meet on} the 4th Saturdayof each and every month in the Knights of Columbus Hall at 95th andSouthwest Highway. Meeting times are po}sted in all CLAUG newsletters,and information is available on the CLAUG BBS, or you can call theCLAUG hotline at 848-0333.}The next meeting of CL.A.U.G. North will be held Sunday March 20Triton College, 2000 Fifth Ave. River Grove. Starting time }is 11:00 AM.The next meeting of CL.A.U.G. South will be held on March 26 at theKnights of Columbus Hall, 5830 W. 95th St. }in Oaklawn. Starting time is11:00 AM.Upcoming CLAUG MeetingsCLAUG NORTHMarch 20thCLAUG SOUTHMarch 26thSCAT NEWS****}******* The next SCAT meeting will be at the College of DuPage, StudentResource Center. The meeting is on Saturday, Marc}h 5, 1988. Themeeting starts promptly at 11:00. LCACE NEWS************L.C.A.C.E. BBS (PYTHON)300/1200/240024 HRS * 7} DAYS312 680-5105Upcoming LCACE meetingsMarch 12th,April 9thLAUG NEWS**********LAUG is a small(but strong)users group} that services the greater FoxRiver Valley area.Although we have existed for five years(in severalforms)we have had less th}an 50 members at any given time. But,we arealways on the look-out for new members. Though our overall stature may be small }in comparison to the ChicagoLandgiants;To us,less is more! Our size allows us to be more personal(ie.we all know each other}). Our monthly roundtable discussions provide each member the oppurtunityto introduce himself,elaborate on his hard(and sof}t)ware,ask questionspertinent to his needs,and respond to the needs of the others'. Next,an oral review of the months publi}c domain disks is given by ourLeader/Librarian.The group makes these SD/DS disks(and others)availableto members for the tok}en sum of only "One Dollar"each.Profits are rolledover into quarterly "commercial" (and PD)software drawings(all paidupmemb}ers are elegible to participate). After a quick cup of coffee and a view of the wares,of visitingentrepeneur:Mars Merchandi}sing;The group is reassembled to take-in thesoftware demos for the evening(usually in the form of applications,modifications},utilities and occasionly games). The group serves(primarily)the 8-bit ATARI user.All members are entitledto a place to me}et and exchange views,the quarterly software drawings,the convenience of an on-site ATARI merchant,inexpensive PD disks,and }amonthly group newsletter.The annual membership fee is $10.00. LAUG meets on the third Monday of the month(at 7PM)in the Me}eting Hallof the St.Charles Savings and Loan(across the parking lot from a "BurgerKing" restaurant). 38(a.k.a. Roosevelt Rd}./State St.)and Randall Road(3 miles west of Rt.31). Future meeting dates include:March 21st(prize drawing),April 18th,May}16th and June 20th(prize drawing).Call:231-0588(West Chicago);859-0413(Montgomery); 388-8034(Calumet Park);466-1277(Sug}ar Grove),for directions to our meeting or any other information.*******************Xx Local BBS News *******************}*New BBS Features Runequest has added a great feature for all you fans of Baseball.AMicroleague Baseball board.For info on} becominmg involved in the gamecall Runequest BBS. Blue Moon has added some major storage.It should be up to around 130meg}abytes by the time you're reading this. River Styx 2 is running with 2400 baud,has 40 megs of storage,andsupports the 8-bit}s and the STs. Claug BBS has added 2400 baud,and a 40 meg hard drive. Labbs is currently down,and I've heard that they're s}witching over toan ST BBS program. Software Plus' 8-bit Sig has a new sig-op,me.Give the board a calland upload and post m}essages. Just after I took over as Editor of Zmag,back in 1986,one of the firstnew boards to start carrying Zmag was Space }Station BBS.It eventuallywent down towards the end of 86 and hasn't been heard from since.Theother night I got a call from }Space Station BBS sysop,Harold Alexanderand received that the Space Station is back in orbit.The board is beingrun on BBCS(}Bulletin Board Construction SET)and has a terrific selectionof 8-bit files.It's 300/1200 baud and it's number is (312)546-19}98.Ohdid I happen to mention that Space Station will once again be carryingZmag?Increased Storage Nightnet BBS has added }hard drives and the board is running with 30megs of storage.Nightnet runs on Oasis BBS and supports ST and 8-bitusers.It's }number is (312)974-3123 Runequest which is currently running at 30 megs will soon be addinganother 20 to bring it up to a w}hopping 50 megabytes of storage.It'snumber is (312)430-4234 BeerCan BBS is now running with 1 megabyte of storage.It's numb}er is(312)425-3021New BBS programs Blue Moon has changed to new software(BBS Express ST)and is stillallowing 300 baud us}ers.Zmag BBS'BeerCan (312)425-3821Blue Moon (312)457-2219Claug (312)889-1240Data Mania (312)923-1932LABBS (312)975-65}41NightNet (312)974-3123Phase to Ground (312)816-3023River Styx 2 (312)432-2659Runequest (312)430-4234Scat (312)462-9844}Software Plus (312)520-1780Space Station (312)546-1998*******************Xx Items For Sale ******************** Can't f}ind a piece of hardware or software that you want to buy? Alongwith for sale ads,IFS will also be accepting "wishing to buy"} ads.Giveyour name,BBS' where you can be left messages,and what item(or items)thatyou are looking for.Maybe one of the read}ers has what you're looking for.From:GEORGE VICTOR I would like to sell my SX212 modem & SIO port box, including RV}HANDLER,EXPRESS!, & AMODEM 7.4. This is a nice package for an 8-bit withprinter. I'm hard to reach by phone, but I check i }nto CLAUG, SCAT,andlately NIGHTNET often. I'll consider any offer. I paid $135 for the whole schmere.From:BoozerI have  }some items for sale that I would like you to post in yer IFScolumn.1)Atari 1050 Diskdrives ------ $902)Basic XE --------- }---------- $303)XM301 300 Baud Modem ------- $30If you are interested in any of these Items,leave E-mail to Boozer at his }board or Runequest BBS.Be sure to mention that you read about them inZmag.Do you have Atari computer items that you want t }o sell? Do you wish thatyou could reach a lot of people with out having to post messages all overthe place? Zmag has a new} column just for you.IFS(Items For Sale)is a quick and easy way to reach the Atari userswho read Zmag.Putting your ad in IF}S is absolutely free,all you haveto do is leave me a message telling me what items you are selling.Leaveeither your phone n}umber or the name of a BBS where you can be lefta message so interested parties can contact you.***************************}**Xx Local Dealers and Repair ****************************** Can't find anyone in the area who sells Atari Hardware and So}ftware?Can't find anyone who can give you service? Well look no further,Zmagis proud to announce it's new Local Dealers and} Repair list.If youknow of someone who's not on the list,let me know about it.Also,pleasefrequent these dealers.They've mad}e a commitment to supporting us andwe should show thanks by supporting them.Many of these dealers are atSCAT and Claug user} group meetings.Mega ST DealersJaf-Data Systems.Computer CellarAtari Dealers:Computer Cellar(Store)220 1/2 W.Main Str}eetST.Charles,IL 60174Phone:(312)584-4048After Store hours:(312)289-5751BBS:(312)289-1089Coz Computers(Store)3705 N.So}uthportChicago, IL 60613Phone:(312)472-2925CSA Limited306 N.Busse Hwy.Park Ridge,IL 60068Phone:(312)823-7003Blue Moon} BBS(312)457-2219JAF-DATA Systems2217 W.109TH STChicago,IL 60643Phone:(312)238-4348Mars MerchandisingPhone:(312)530-}0988Target ComputerPhone:(312)971-0219Atari Dealers+RepairSoftware Plus(Stores)731 West Dundee Rd.Wheeling,IL 60090P}hone:(312)520-1717BBS:(312)520-17802001 West Irving Park Rd.Hanover Park,IL 60103Phone:(312)837-69006212 North Western} Ave.Chicago,IL 60659Phone:(312)338-6100Atari 8 Bit repairsBenden Weyr Electronics. Phone:(312)975-7729(Answering Machi}ne)Atari ST repairsHOWARD MEDICAL COMPUTERS1690 N. Elston Ave.Chicago, IL 60622 Phone:(312)278-1440*****}********************************* Zmag-a-zine March 1,1988 **************************************thout it.The punrpose of ChoiceDownload is to let you know about the best files available for yourAtari system.The success of CD will depen}d upon you,the users.Ifyou come across a really good program for your Atari(8-bit or ST)leave a message on one of the Zmag  }carrying BBS'.Tell me the name ofthe program,it's filename,the BBS you got it from,and what sig orsection it is in(if it is!} a MICHTRON BBS,the file number would alsobe appreciated).************************Xx User Group Bulletin ****************"}*********NEW USER GROUP STARTING!FACE (Federation of Atarians, Chicago Enclave) is a new user group serving the North Sid#}e of Chicago. Meetings are held in the Wrigleyville area. You are invited to a GET ACQUAINTED, OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, Nove$}mber 14th from 1 to 5 PM. There will be snacks, a raffle of free software, and other articles, including an answering machin%}e worth $79.95. The OPEN HOUSE will be held at 3600 N.Lake Shore Dr.First copy of a monthly Newsletter& membership applicat&}ions available.ALL ATARIANS INVITED! ST users needed!The next meeting of CL.A.U.G. North will be held Saturday November 21'}at Triton College. Starting time is 11:00 AM.The next meeting of CL.A.U.G. South will be held Saturday November 28at the (}Knights of Columbus Hall at 95th and Southwest Hwy. Starting at11:00 AM.Notice: The next SCAT meeting will be held on Satu)}rday, December 5,1987. The meeting will be at the College of DuPage in Glen Elynn inthe SRC (Student Resource Center). Th*}e meeting starts at 11:00. December's meeting will be our annual SCAT Christmas party! SCAT willprovide chicken and pop, +}and we ask that the members bring chips, salads,cookies, etc. We will be having our annual swap meet, so bring your oldhar,}dware and software. We will also be having an auction, with theinfamous Bob Shuricht as auctioneer. Portions of the auctio-}n will begoing to a needy family in the Chicagoland area.Note: This meeting is NOT open to the public, but is for members.}only. However, you may join at the door for the usual $15 per yearmembership fee. Notice: The next ST SIG meeting will be/} held on Tuesday, December 1,1987. The meeting will be at the Roselle Library in Roselle. The meetingstarts at 7:00. Plea0}se note, we are looking for a new SIG chairman. Ifyou are interested, please leave me a note on this BBS.CL.A.U.G. IS EXPA1}NDING !!! Do you live on the South Side of Chicago, and don't want to travel to the regular meetings? Well, CLAUG (the Chi2}cagoLand Atari User's Group)has solved your problem. Since last March, CLAUG has had a brand new addition to the family - a3} CLAUG SOUTH !! Still a part of the CLAUG family, yet they meet on the 4th Saturday of each and every month in the Knights4} of Columbus Hall at 95th and Southwest Highway. Meeting times are posted in all CLAUG newsletters, and information is avai5}lable on the CLAUG BBS, or you can call the CLAUG hotline at 823-7003. Stay tuned here in ZMAG, and on the BlueMoon or CL.6}A.U.G. BBS's for more information !!! L.A.U.G. members neededFrom:Tim Brown,LAUG President As Dennis pointed out our 7}group is small and we are looking for members.For any of you who are interested call me voice at... 312-554-1273E8}VENING BETWEEN 6:00 AND 10:00Ask for Tim.TIM BROWN************************************** Zmag-a-zine November 10,9}1987 ************************************** /ZMAG0301TXTZMAG1110TXT