From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Communications Software
Date: 7 Sep 1992 10:20:03 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

In article <1992Sep7.102254.18371@peponi.wcc.govt.nz> sheppard_r@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>In article <1992Sep6.061914.3314@actrix.gen.nz>, Steven.Wells@bbs.actrix.gen.nz writes:
>>FreeZe-Dried has background dialling,
>>built in text editor,
>>fully configurable scroll-back.
>>fully configurable ascii sending.
>>Automatic login learning.
>>Anti-timeout signals.
>>48/50 line screen on monochrome systems.
>>resolution independancy.
>>on-line timer.
>>Background event relay.
>>Different fonts (loadable).
>>Keyboard shortcuts for virtually all on-line commands.
>>Keyboard selection of menu items.

  Heh. Go buy STalker & STeno from Gribnif software. They'll do all of that,
and more. STalker is the terminal program, and STeno is an ASCII text-file
editor. Both run as accessories or programs, and give you fully-background
EVERYTHING. You can have STalker closed while data is coming in over your
modem, and the window is automatically updated when you re-open the window,
for instance. A "virtual terminal window" lets you call systems with screens
200 columns wide and up to 2,000 rows tall. You can adjust the font size of
the window text, or use GDOS fonts if you prefer. You can run multiple copies
of STalker (as an accessory), to support multiple serial ports on the
higher-end ST/TT machines, for example. Background autodialing, fully-loaded
script language, all the good stuff. Drop-down menus (as an accessory or as
a program) and standard GEM dialogues handle everything.

  Oh, hey, there's even a fully-functional VT100 emulation, and background
ZModem download capability (start the download, close the STalker accessory,
go do something else, tra la la). And if you have a large-screen monitor,
just resize the window and go hog-wild.

  STeno is a no-nonsense ASCII text editor that also works as a capture buffer
for STalker. It's simple and clean, and now I use STeno for all of my basic
text editing, short of full-featured word processing.

>>non-GEM user interface (much faster than GEM).

  Eeeeeew. Don't tell me you're one of those who prefer the "GFA BASIC draw
dialogue boxes and buttons on the screen" mentality...

>But what about D.C's STORM, writen by Allen Page the Flash man, could this be
>the Best Terminal program for the Atari's...???

  I haven't seen STorm, and I don't think it's out yet. I'll just add that I
was a big Flash fan -- it was my first and favorite ST terminal program, for
a lot of good reasons. Finally, though, I jumped to STalker/STeno, and strongly
endorse it. Until I see otherwise, this is one terrific telecommunications
package.

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

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