From: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block)
Subject: Re: 500 Pound Atari Falcon?  Re: Sydnes is gone?!!
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 19:57:27 GMT

darling@cellar.org (Thomas Darling) writes:
: Not in the quoted text, but ST (and STe) audio is supported.  No, I don't
: know the specifics.

Oh well.

: Well, since Calamus SL, PageStream, WordFlair II, STalker 3.0, STeno, and
: Arabesque all work unmodified on the Falcon, I guess they've figured it
: out, haven't they?

I guess so.  However, they don't really say how it's done.  Do colors
get remapped?  etc...

: Sam Tramiel (who I wouldn't trust as far as I can throw him, but seems to
: know about this stuff) says that those top 2 megs of standard 16 meg ram
: have to be masked out in order to preserve ST/STe compatability.

Hmm... (shrug) Whatever, Jack.

: Well, you're wrong.  "A few" are being demonstrated along with the machine
: at Atari Messe in Germany.

That's good.  At least you'll have something to put in that slot.
Know which ones, out of curiosity?

: No, it won't.  It will come with stereo mike PORTS.

PORT.  Singular.  I think they should at least have used RCA.

And they're going to make peopple go out and buy a cheesy mike.
Great.  ;)

: Tramiel says you can use either a standard VGA monitor or one of Atari's
: colour monitors with it.

Yeah, I guessed at that.  So it doesn't sync down to 15.75.  Sounds
like a _GREAT_ video machine.  Not.

: Cubase 3.0 and C-Lab's new Notator Logic both work on it, apparently.

I didn't think they'd relocate the midi ports.  :)

: This is the kind of gripe you only see non-MIDI users haul out.  There is
: no, I repeat NO reason to have a MIDI THRU on your computer.  In every
: sequencing or patch-editing application you'd care to use, you want incoming
: MIDI auto-chanellized to the sound source you're dealing with at the time.

That's not necessarily true, is it?  If you don't WANT the computer as
part of the chain under certain circumstances (like you've got
something else) or you've got long midi chains, it can help.

: I imagine some of you folks also think The Connection Machine sucks because
: it has no joystick ports.

Oh, yeah.  It doesn't suck.  It looks so cool, it's worth buying just
to sit it in your living room.  You could say it's modern art...  ;)

: The spec sheet reads "High speed LocalTalk compatible LAN," for whatever
: it's worth.  Personally, I'll be amazed if anyone uses it. 

I wouldn't be surprised if people used it.  If they CAN.  He mentioned
testing software for AppleTalk protocol.  Which probably means it
doesn't come with the Falcon.  Like I said, it's STUPID.

: Again, the spec sheet:
: 
:       Two joystick connectors
:       Two enhanced digital/analog controller/light pen connectors

And that's supposed to clear it up?

: It's RS-232C.

You're sure?  Tramiel didn't even sound sure.

: Clearly, to save money and get the thing out the door.  Although if they had
: to use an existing case design, they could've gone with the Mega's box.

Preferrably, the TT's.  They should have lots of THOSE boxes sitting
around.

Greg

--
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(:	gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu			Gregory R. Block         :)
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