From: rjung@aludra.usc.edu (Robert A. Jung)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video,alt.games.lynx
Subject: Monthly Lynx FAQ posting
Date: 31 Aug 1992 19:01:43 -0700
Organization: Southern California Lynx Enthusiasts
NNTP-Posting-Host: aludra.usc.edu

(Changes this time around: ComLynx trivia, "blinking pixel" update, games
list update, Lynx II disassembly instructions, more detailed Cleveland
Free-net instructions, CompuServe's Lynx/Atari 8-bit SIG. Thanks to everyone
who suggested changes and improvements!)


 |||
 |||  ATARI Lynx "Frequently Asked Questions" File!  Updated: 8/29/92
/ | \

        Created by Darius Vaskelis, who saw the need and filled it.
        Maintained by Robert Jung (rjung@usc.edu)

============================================================================

This file is not maintained by, overseen by, endorsed, or otherwise
associated with Atari Corp. or any of its subsidiaries. It's just a
collection of questions and answers.

This file is posted on a monthly basis, usually around the first of the
month.  It is maintained by Robert Jung at rjung@usc.edu on USENET. Send
corrections, news, updates, comments, questions, or other stuff to that
address. All mail is welcome!

Updates since the last publically posted FAQ on rec.games.video have a
vertical bar in the first column.

============================================================================

Q. What is the Atari Lynx?

A. The world's first hand-held color video game system.  Sold by Atari, the
   Lynx offers true multi-player competition, built-in 3D and distortion
   graphic effects, reversible controls, and fast arcade action for under
   $100.

============================================================================

Q. What's the relationship between the Atari Lynx and Epyx?

A. The Lynx was originally conceived by Epyx in 1987. It was called the
   "Handy" at that time.  Two creators of the system, Dave Needle and R.J.
   Mical, were also members of the Amiga design team. Atari bought the
   rights, and the rest is history.

   While it is true that Epyx no longer does Lynx development, Epyx is still
   required by its contract with Atari to provide technical support, which
   it still does.

============================================================================

Q. Are Lynx game cards encoded with any encryption scheme?

A. Yes and no.  Most of the game card is not encrypted, just a few hundred
   bytes.  The game-card verification system was introduced to enforce game
   quality, which Epyx perceived as a major threat after looking at what
   happened to the Atari 2600 (VCS) towards the end.

   Atari does NOT do the encoding of the game cartridges.  Epyx still does
   them.  Epyx makes no judgement on what is encoded, but encodes everything
   that Atari requests.

============================================================================

Q. What are the differences between the original Lynx ("Lynx Classic") and
   the new Lynx ("Lynx II")?

A. The new Lynx is a bit smaller and lighter than the original Lynx.  It has
   a slightly longer battery life, and can also just turn the screen off
   during a game pause to save batteries.  (The original Lynx had a five
   minute auto-power shut-off that would have prevented this from being
   useful.  It is gone in the new Lynx.)  A power LED has been added (which
   also blinks when battery power is low), and cartridges can be slipped in
   a little bit easier.

   The only differences in a technical sense is that the new Lynx has a more
   efficient internal design, and the headphone jack supports stereo sound.
   The speaker in new Lynx is also not as loud as the original Lynx,
   although it's still more than adequate for all but the noisiest
   situations. The speaker in new Lynx is a 16-ohm speaker, which causes the
   system to need twice as much power to drive the same volume through it.

   Also, the new Lynx can experience what is called "blinking pixel
   syndrome" with certain game cards.  With certain game cards, one pixel on
   the screen (usually stationary) cycles through all the colors very
   quickly. It does not affect game play, and isn't always noticed unless
|  it's looked for. It seems to be fixed in later Lynxes, making it even less
|  of a factor.

   The power consumption in the new Lynx is only slightly less than in the
   original Lynx, and is not enough to account for an extra hour of play
   time.  The extra hour is claimed by assuming that the user will turn off
   the backlight for some of the running time, which could be counted as
   dead time, not game time.

============================================================================

Q. What are the specifications of the Lynx?

A. Physical dimensions:

       Size: 9.25" x 4.25" x 2" (10.75" x 4.25" x 1.5" for original Lynx)
     Screen: 3.5" diagonal (3.25" x 1.88" approx.)
    Speaker: 2" diameter

    Buttons: Two sets of fire buttons (A and B)
             Two option buttons (OPTION 1 and OPTION 2)
             Pause button
             (OPTION 1 + Pause = Restarts the game
              OPTION 2 + Pause = Flips the screen, which allows the Lynx
              controls to be reversed)
             Power on light (Not on original Lynx; indicates unit is on)
             Power on button
             Power off button
             Backlight button (Not on original Lynx; turns off the screen,
               but does not turn off the game. This saves electricity use
               when a game is paused)
     Joypad: Eight directional
   Controls: Volume
             Brightness
      Ports: Headphones (mini-DIN 3.5mm stereo, mono on original Lynx)
             ComLynx (multi-player)
             Power (9V DC, 1 A)
             Game card slot
             Battery holder (six AA)

  For the technically minded, the Lynx has two basic chips that form a
  cooperative set of co-processing subsystems that maximize the Lynx's
  performance by sharing the work of executing a game program.  These
  chips are called Mikey and Suzy.

  Mikey (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)
  - MOS 65C02 processor running at up to 4MHz (~3.6MHz average)
      8-bit CPU, 16-bit address space
  - Sound engine
       4 channel sound
       8-bit DAC for each channel
       (4 channels x 8-bits/channel = 32 bits commonly quoted)
       Range of 100Hz to well above the range of human hearing
       Stereo with panning (mono for original Lynx)
  - Video DMA driver for LCD display
  - System timers
  - Interrupt controller
  - UART (for ComLynx)
  - 512 bytes of bootstrap and game-card loading ROM

  Suzy (16-bit custom CMOS chip running at 16MHz)
  - Blitter (bit-map block transfer) unit
  - Graphics engine
      Hardware drawing support
      Unlimited number of high-speed sprites with collision detection
      Hardware high-speed sprite scaling, distortion, and tilting effects
      Hardware decoding of compressed sprite data
      Hardware clipping and multi-directional scrolling
      Variable frame rate (up to 75 frames/second)
      4096 color (12-bit) palette
      16 simultaneous colors (4 bits) from palette at one time
      160 x 102 "triad" standard resolution (16,320 addressable pixels)
      (A triad is three LCD elements: red, green, and blue)
      Capability of 480 x 102 artificially high resolution
  - Math co-processor
      Hardware 16-bit multiply and divide (32-bit answer)
      Parallel processing of single multiply or divide instruction

   The Lynx contains 64K (half a megabit) of 120ns DRAM.  Game-cards
   currently hold 128K (1 megabit) or 256K (2 megabits) of ROM, but there
   seems to be a capability of up to 2M (16 megabits) on one game-card.

   With alkaline batteries, the reasonable average battery life is 5 hours.
   (4 hours with the original Lynx)  The Lynx can run off rechargeable
   Ni-Cad batteries, but average battery life drops drastically to 1.5 hours
   per recharge (1 hour for the original Lynx). Your milage may vary.

============================================================================

Q. Why does the Lynx use a 6502 and not a 68000?

A. From R.J. Mical, one of the Lynx's creators:

   "Some people believe it's less of a processor than the 68000, for
   example.  That series of chip was used in the Amiga, but it wouldn't make
   our machine do things any better.  In fact, it would only make the unit
   larger and more expensive.  It's also harder to write 68000 code, so we
   definitely made the right decision."

   From Stephen Landrum, another of the Lynx's creators:

   "The real answer for the choice for the 6502 vs. 68000 was price.
   Secondary considerations (that did not really enter into the decision
   making process): 68000 code is very fat compared to 6502 code.  An
   application that takes 1K of 6502 code averages 2.5 to 3K of 68000 code.
   The 6502 is very bus-efficient, the 68000 has lots of dead time on the
   bus.  As for it being harder to write 68000 code, that is probably not
   true, and in any case was not part of the reason the decision was made."

============================================================================

Q. Is the Lynx an 8-bit or 16-bit system?

A. If 16-bit refers to the main CPU, (such as the Sega Genesis/MegaDrive)
   then the Lynx is an 8-bit system.  If 16-bit refers to the graphics
   engine, (such as the NEC TurboGraphix-16/PC-Engine) then the Lynx is a
   16-bit system.

============================================================================

Q. What accessories exist for the Lynx?

A. The following products are known to be available:
   * ComLynx cable. Connects multiple Lynxes together for multiplayer games.
   * AC adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any AC wall socket.
   * Cigarette lighter adaptor. Powers the Lynx from any automobile cigarette
       lighter. Will support one or two Lynxes simultaneously.
   * Atari Lynx Sun Shield. Folds down to protect the Lynx screen, and pops
       open to shade the Lynx screen from sunlight for outdoor play. (NOTE:
       There are two models; you need the one appropriate for your Lynx)
   * D-cell battery pack. Holds six D-cell batteries, and can be attached
       with a belt clip. Alkaline batteries provides power for up to 20 hours
       of playing.
   * Atari Lynx carrying pouch. Holds a Lynx, several game cards, and a
       ComLynx cable. Attaches with a wrist strap/belt loop.
   * Atari Lynx Kit Case. Holds a Lynx, up to 24 game cards, and assorted
       accessories. Padded interior with Velcro dividers, can be customized.
       Carried with a handle or a shoulder strap.

============================================================================

Q. What do I get when I buy a Lynx?

A. The Lynx is available in two packages:

   The Lynx "Deluxe Package" costs $129.95. It includes the Lynx unit, a copy
   of the CALIFORNIA GAMES game card, a carrying case, a ComLynx cable, and
   six AA Alkaline batteries.

   The Lynx "Base Package" costs $89.95. It comes with only the Lynx, and
   includes no accessories.

============================================================================

Q. Is there a TV tuner option for the Lynx?

A. No. Atari's official position is that market research shows that a TV
   tuner, while a neat idea, would not be bought by most players. The
   unofficial word from Stephen Landrum is that the Lynx screen display
   is not capable of handling a broadcast television picture.

   There is also an unverified rumor that a European (Great Britian)
   developer has invented a Lynx TV tuner, which plugs into the Lynx's
   cartridge slot. This story has not been verified, though.

============================================================================

Q. Do all players "lynxed"-up via ComLynx need a copy of the game being
   played?

A. Yes.  All players need a copy of the game card.

============================================================================

Q. What's the ComLynx port like?

A. There is limit of 18 players via ComLynx. In practice it may be possible
   to connect more units together, but to operate within specifications, the
   drivers in the Lynx cannot drive over more than 17 units with pull-ups on
   the serial ports.

   ComLynx runs from 300.5 to 62.5K baud.  It works on a "listen and send"
   structure.  Data transmission between Lynxes is done in the background,
   freeing up the CPU to run the game instead of communicating.  It's called
|  "RedEye" in-house at Atari, named after an early idea of having Lynxes
|  communicate with infra-red transmissions.

   It uses a three-wire cable (+5V/Ground/Data) and allows for
   bi-directional serial communications.  The system frames messages in
   terms of 11-bit words, each consisting of a start bit, eight data bits, a
   parity bit, and a stop bit.

============================================================================

Q. Sometimes a multiplayer ComLynx game will freeze up. Why?

A. A ComLynxed game will freeze if communication between the Lynxes is
   interrupted.  If your game is freezing up in the middle of a session, it
   may be due to a fray in one of the ComLynx cables. The cable gets
   jostled, communication is broken, and the game "freezes." Jiggling the
   cable may fix the solution temporarily, but the best cure is a new cable.

============================================================================

Q. What are all of the current Lynx games available in the United States?

A. Current Lynx Games List (The notation "(x)" means to refer to footnote
   number x):

   Title              Stereo?  Players  Description
   -----------------  -------  -------  ---------------------------------
   A.P.B.               no        1     Be a cop, drive a car and patrol
   Awesome Golf         no       1-2    Go for par on 3 18-hole courses
|  Basketbrawl          no       1-2    Shoot hoops, attack opponents
   Batman Returns       no        1     The Dark Knight Returns again
   Block Out            no        1     3D Tetris-like game
   Blue Lightning       no        1     High-speed jet combat
   Bill & Ted's         no       1-2    A radical adventure through time
     Excellent Adventure
   California Games     no       1-4(1) Harmless fun in the sun and sand
   Checkered Flag       yes      1-6    High-performace Indy auto racing
   Chip's Challenge     no        1     Scrolling mazes and puzzles
   Crystal Mines II     no        1     180 dirt-digging mining puzzles
   Electrocop           no        1     3D rescue mission adventure
   Fidelity Ultimate             1-2(2)   Chess against the computer or a
     Chess Challenge    no                friend
   Gates of Zendocon    no        1     Side scrolling space shooter game
   Gauntlet: The        no       1-4    Fight through dungeons for a gem
     Third Encounter
   Hard Drivin'         no        1     Stunt and speed driving simulator
   Hockey               no       1-2    Hot action on the cold ice
   Hydra                no        1     Pilot a flying boat through the enemy
   Ishido: The Way of   no        1     Place colored tiles to match
     the Stones
   Klax                 yes       1     Catch and position color tiles
|  Kung Food            no        1     Bouts and routs in the refrigerator
   Lynx Casino          no       1-2    Try to beat the odds the safe way
   Ms. Pac-Man          no        1     Run the mazes and eat the dots
   Ninja Gaiden         no        1     Street fighting game
   Pac-Land             no       1-2    Run and jump through Pac-Land
   Paperboy             no        1     Deliver newspapers, keep your job
   Qix                  no       1-2(2) Use colored boxes/trap the helix
   Rampage              no       1-4    Be a monster and destroy cities
   Rampart              no       1-2    Build a castle and defend it
   Road Blasters        yes       1     Auto racing with guns and rockets
   Robo-Squash          yes(3)   1-2    3D racqetball
   Robotron:2084        yes       1     Save the humans from robots
   Rygar                no        1     Run and jump to fight the beasts
   Scrapyard Dog        no        1     Run and jump to rescue your pet
   Shanghai             no       1-2    Remove all tiles from 7 layouts
|  Steel Talons         no        1     Helicopter combat flight simulator
   S.T.U.N. Runner      no        1     Tunnel warfare at 700mph
   Super Skweek         no       1-2    Paint tiles to save the day
   Todd's Adventures in no       1-8    Explore slimy caves for treasure
     Slime World
   Toki                 no        1     Run-and-jump to rescue your cavegirl
   Tournament           no       1-4    Robots and exploding balls all
     Cyberball 2072                       for futuristic gridiron action
   Turbo Sub            no       1-2(4) 3D warfare in the ocean and air
   Viking Child         no        1     Adventure, save the princess
   Warbirds             no       1-4    Biplane dogfight simulator
   Xenophobe            yes      1-4    Arcade alien fighting game
   Zarlor Mercenary     no       1-4    Scrolling shoot-em-up
   Xybots               no       1-2    Destroy the robots in a 3D maze

Footnotes:
   (1) Manual says 1-2 players, 1-4 is possible
   (2) Multiple players on one Lynx, alternating turns.
   (3) Stereo sound does not match game action.
   (4) Two players can compare scores, but not interact directly

============================================================================

Q. What are some of the upcoming Lynx games?

A. Upcoming Lynx Games List:

   Note: This list is hardly definitive.  It's based on many sources,
         and in some cases, it just might be dead wrong.  Games also
         often change from pre-release to production.

   Title              Players  Description
   -----------------  -------  ------------------------------------------
   Baseball Heroes      1-2    The all-American ball game
   Battle Universe       ?     ???
   Battlezone 2000      1-2    Update of the classic tank battle
   Blood & Guts Hockey  1-2?   Hockey with the violence knob turned up
   Cabal                1-2    Shoot for your country and your freedom
   Cards                 1?    Cribbage, Gin, and Solitaire
   Daemonsgate I         1?    Fantasy role-playing
   Defender/Stargate/    1?    The arcade classics from Williams
      Defender II
   Dino Quest            1     Use your brain and lead your cave clan
   Dirty Larry:          1     Take a weapon and blow the punks away
      Renegade Cop
   Double Dragon        1-2    Street fighting game
   Dracula               1     Watch out for the vampire!
   Eye of the Beholder   1     First-person dungeon-exploring adventure
   Full Court Press     1-2    Fast action basketball
      Basketball
   Geo Duel             1-4?   Move light walls to conquer the world
   Gordo 106             ?     ???
   The Guardians:
      Storms Over Doria 1-4    Large scale role playing-type game
   Heavyweight          1-2?   Boxing game
      Contender
   Home Controller       ?     ???
   Hyperdrome           1-4    Jet-flying ball-slamming 3D sport
   Jimmy Connors Bad    1-2    Hit a ball over a net, while Connors comments
      Boy Tennis
   Joust                1-2    Fly your ostrich and dismount other fliers
   Krazy Ace Minature   1-4    Putt for par against zany obstacles. Comes
      Golf                        with course construction kit
   Leaderboard                 Golf
   Lemmings             1-2    Save the green haired dudes
   Lucky Stars           1?    Horoscopes, biorythm tracking, etc.
   Lynx Casino          1-4    Go gambling without risking real money
   Malibu Beach         1-4    Ball-bouncing fun on the beach
      Volleyball
   NFL Football         1-2    American football, pure and simple
   Ninja Gaiden III:    1-2?   Sequel to the martial arts game
      Ancient Ship of Doom        (port from the Nintendo)
   Ninja Nerd            1     Time-travelling, nerds, and ninjas
   Operation Desert      1     The UN vs. Saddam!
      Storm
   Outpost Mars          ?     ???
   Pinball Jam           1     3 famous Williams' pinballs on a Lynx
   Pit Fighter          1-3?   Fight for fame and money in sleazy bars
   Power Force           ?     ???
   R.C. Destruction     1-4    Car-blasting game
      Derby
   Rabbit Quest          ?     ???
   Rai-Den              1-2    You vs. the aliens in a scrolling shooter
   Road Riot 4WD        1-2    Off-roading mania with a stun gun!
   Rolling Thunder       1     One agent against the evil empire
   720 degrees           1     Skateboarding for fame and profit
   Shadow of the Beast   1     Be a barbarian fighting evil!
   Spacewar             1-2?   Simple head to head action
   Spot: The Video Game  ?     The 7-up Mascot goes on an adventure
   Starship              ?     ???
   Steal Home           1-4    Take me out to the ballgame
   Strider II            1     Run, jump, swordfight the techo-enemies
   Super Asteroids &     1?    Two updated classics on one game-card
      Missle Command
   Super Off-Road       1-4    Off-road racing on the Lynx
   Switchblade II        1?    Run/jump/kill sci-fi game  4Mbit?
   Time Lord             ?     ???
   Vindicators          1-2    Use your tank to destroy space stations
   World Class Soccer   1-4    Football for the rest of the world

============================================================================

Q. My Lynx screen is badly scratched! How can I fix it, what can I do?

A. Get some "plastic scratch remover" or "plexiglass scratch remover."
   You can find it in hardware stores, or look in your Yellow Pages under
   "Plastics."

============================================================================

Q. Where can I find secrets, tips, and hints for <insert game name here>?

A. Damian Gick maintains a comprehensive list of Lynx cheats, secrets, and
   tricks. The file is updated periodically, and can be received with
   anonymous FTP at atari.archive.umich.edu. If you cannot find it there,
   contact Damian at paranoid@mentor.cc.purdue.edu on USENET.

============================================================================

Q. Where can I get a review and/or comments about <insert game name here>?

A. Robert Jung has written detailed reviews for every Lynx game ever
   released. They are available on-line at the Cleveland Free-net's Lynx
   Support Section (see below). If you cannot reach the Free-net, you can
   also contact Robert at rjung@usc.edu on USENET.

============================================================================

Q. What are other sources for Lynx information?

A. Publications:

   - A.P.E. Newsletter               Dedicated Lynx newsletter ("A.P.E."
     2104 N. Kostner                 stands for "Atari Portable
     Chicago, IL 60639               Entertainment").  Write to Clinton
     GEnie: C.SMITH89                Smith.  Published five times per
                                     year, cost is $6.00/year.

   - Atari Explorer                  Atari's official magazine.  Lynx
     P.O. Box 6488                   information is periodic, but often
     Duluth, MN 55806                early and biased.

   - AtariUser                       Atari-oriented magazine.  Lynx news
     113 W. College Street           and reviews on a regular basis.
     Covina, CA 91723-2008           Subscription is $19.95 (12 issues),
                                     free at newsstands.

   - Electronic Gaming Monthly       General video-gaming magazine with
     1920 Highland Avenue            some Lynx coverage.  Will often get
     Suite 222                       screen shots and reports of new
     Lombard, IL 60148               games before other publications.

   - Gamemaster                      Dedicated specifically to the Lynx,
     Gamemaster Computer             including reviews, tips, and buy/
          Publications Ltd.          sell/trade activity.  10 issues/year
     P.O. Box 2224                   for $10, free sample issue available
     Arvada, CO 80001-2224           on request.  (303) 423-6805

   - Gamepro                         General video-gaming magazine with
     P.O. Box 3329                   some Lynx coverage.
     Redwood City, CA 94064

   - On Target                       Dedicated specifically to the Lynx,
     18C Boyle Avenue                including reviews, tips, and buy/
     Cumberland, RI  02864-2306      sell/trade activity.  Bi-monthly,
                                     $4/year, checks to "Matthew
                                     Szewczyk", (401) 658-3917 and talk
                                     to Matt.

   - Portable Atari Gaming System    PAGS is a quarterly newsletter with
     P.O. Box 37692                  reviews, editorials, news & info,
     Raleigh, NC 27627-7692          and gaming tips.  One year costs
     GEnie: E.SCHOFIELD              $12.00.

   - Video Games & Computer          General video-gaming and computer-
     Entertainment                   gaming magazine.  Lynx news often in
     9171 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 300  news articles and in the dedicated
     Beverly Hills, CA 90210         portable-gaming column.

   Usenet newsgroup:

   - rec.games.video       often contains Lynx reviews and discussions
   - alt.games.lynx        Lynx-related discussions, often crossposted to
                             rec.games.video

   Internet FTP sites:

   - atari.archive.umich.edu or terminator.cc.umich.edu (141.211.164.8):

       /pub/atari/portadd  has back-issues of Portable Addiction, a
                           newsletter about the Atari Lynx, Sega Game
                           Gear, and Atari Portfolio.  Subscribe by
                           sending a note to tjerk@nikhef.nl.

       /pub/atari/misc     contains lynx.txt.Z, a compressed file with
                           some GEnie roundtable discussions on the Lynx.

   Internet TELNET site:

   - Cleveland Free-net AtariSIG

       freenet-in-a.cwru.edu or cwns16.ins.cwru.edu (129.22.8.82)
       freenet-in-b.cwru.edu or cwns9.ins.cwru.edu (129.22.8.75)
       freenet-in-c.cwru.edu or cwns10.ins.cwru.edu (129.22.8.76)

|      You can log on as a visitor to explore the system. At the opening
|      menu ("Please enter 1 or 2:"), enter "2" to log in as a visitor.
|      At the next menu, enter "2" again to explore the system. You will
|      then read an opening disclaimer and a login bulletin, then be sent
|      to the main Freenet menu. Once inside, type "go lynx". Follow the
|      menus to read Lynx-related discussions and reviews.

   BBS:

   - STAR-LINX BBS

       (602) 464-4817, 300/1200/2400 bps

       It's located in Mesa, Arizona (USA) and has a Lynx Club.  Be sure
       to have your California Games game-card handy when you call to
       gain higher access.

   Hotline:

   - Atari Lynx Hotline for tips and strategies: (708) CRY-LYNX
                                                       279-5969

   Online service:

   - GEnie Atari ST Roundtable BBS, Category 36

|  - CompuServe, Lynx Data Library and Message Group, in the ATARI8 forum.
|    Reviews, discussions, tips, and a monthly contest.
|    (Type "GO ATARI8", and join the forum)

   International clubs:

    - Germany:     Internationaler Lynx Club
                   Hans-Jorg Sebastian
                   Siegfriedstr. 3
                   3684 Schmitten 3
                   Germany

    - Netherlands: International Lynx Club
                   Leon Stolk
                   Vanenburg 2
                   7339 DN Ugchelen
                   The Netherlands

    - Austria:     Internationaler Lynx Club
                   Christian Lenikus
                   Obertraun 27
                   4831 Obertraun
                   Austria

    - Switzerland: Swiss-Lynx-Info-Club
                   Eugene Rodel
                   Sangeliweg 45
                   4900 Langenthal
                   Switzerland

============================================================================
|
Q. How do I disassemble my Lynx II (assuming I want to)?
|
A. The original Lynxes were easy to take apart, for whatever reason you
|  needed. The new Lynx IIs are more puzzling, but not impossible. The
|  following set of (edited) instructions are provided by Ken Small
|  (kens@umich.edu):
|
|  "It's not hard, but there are a lot of fragile pieces and the elctronics
|  are sensitive to all the things that electronics are usually sensetive to,
|  like static. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.
|
|  "First, remove the rubber pads from the bottom of the Lynx. They're glued
|  on, but they peel off pretty easily. Beneath them are screw holes -- remove
|  them. Note that it's *very* easy to tell if your lynx has been opened,
|  since you leave holes in the glue stuff. Take off the back of the case.
|
|  "Remove the screw located inside the battery area. Be careful when
|  replacing this; it can strip easily. Mine is stripped, but the rest of the
|  case holds the battery bay in place. Remove the battery bay piece.

|  "You will see a circuit board with a couple of wires and circuit ribbons
|  attanced to it. Carefully unplug all of these. The ribbon in particular
|  seems flimsy. Do not puncture or otherwise damage it. Remove the circuit
|  board.
|
|  "Beneath the circuit board is an assembly screwed to the inside of the
|  case, which contains the screen, button contacts and buttons. A warning
|  when unscrewing this-- the are LOTS of small pieces in here, and they're
|  particular about how they go back in. In particular, be careful about the
|  A/B buttons, which are slightly different sizes, and the rubber mat around
|  the LCD screen, which has nothing to hold it in place.
|
|  "The last thing is the joypad contact itself. This is a small rubber mat
|  held in place by a snap-on piece of plastic. You can carefully remove the
|  plastic to get under the apron, where the contacts can be cleaned. Clean
|  in-between the contacts, being careful not to abrase the contacts
|  themselves. They look like half-circles with a small (half-millimeter or
|  less) space between. Grunge between them can register an intermittent false
|  contact, which looks to the player like the joypad is being quickly,
|  repeatedly pressed in one direction."
|
============================================================================

Q. What's the Lynx developer's kit like?

A. Hardware:
   - Commodore Amiga computer: 3M RAM and hard disk.
   - "Howard" board: A parallel-interface module that has the electronics
     of the Lynx, also with debugging tools.  A large PC board inside of
     a metal case with power supply, and connections on the back for
     cable to connect to the Amiga, and to the "Howdy" unit.
   - "Howdy" unit: A small PC board in a plastic case with buttons and a
     Lynx display, and a cable that connects to the "Howard" board.

   Software:
   - Handy-Bug: A powerful symbolic debugger, also contains a disassembler.
   - Handicraft: Graphics translator that takes IFF files and turns them
     into coded Lynx sprite definitions.
   - HSFX: Sound editor
   - Macro libraries
   - Example programs
   - Notebook of system documentation ("about 3 1/2 inches thick... we've
     stopped counting pages") plus updates

   A full Lynx Developer's Kit currently costs around $5,000.

============================================================================
END of ATARI Lynx "Frequently Asked Questions" File.

                                                --R.J.
                                                B-)

//////////////////////////////////////|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
   Send whatevers to rjung@usc.edu    |      If it has pixels, I'm for it.
--------------------------------------+------------------------------Lynx up!
"You weren't chosen because you are the best pilot in the Air Force. You were
    chosen because you are the class clown and frankly, you're expendable."