Amiga Users Group Inc. Workbench September 1998 Number 138 The Latest from Jeff Schindler It really “sunk” in…why the Amiga is It’s been a very long and hot summer here at different and why it’s so important for us to reach Amiga, Inc. headquarters. We have been busy and our vision for the future Amiga and get it right. working steadily to secure Amiga’s future. While Thanks for your continued support and patience, we have missed the announced target date for our you make Amiga what it is. Remember, its OS partner, we have continued to negotiate, “adventures” like this that keep Amiga in our execute contracts, and work on our plans for the hearts. next generation Amiga. Jeff Schindler I can promise you that we have been General Manager, Amiga Inc. working very hard. We are even more excited about the future than ever before, but we are Rumor Control from Bill McEwen determined to do it right and this takes time. Here are some of the One evening at home I was reminded how rumors that are circulating: important doing things right is. One of my The new Amiga will be family’s favorite things to do in the evenings is to based on the Intel Merced watch a movie or play interactive adventure chip. WRONG! I want to games. We all headed out to the nearest store to make this perfectly clear. make a selection. We selected the Titanic The next generation of adventure. I proudly explained to our children Amiga machines that run that the Amiga was used in part of the production OS 5.0 will typically be of the movie Titanic. What an “adventure” it media-processor based. The turned out to be! last time I checked Intel We all gathered in our home theatre room, didn’t have one of these. in front of the Destination PC/TV, and proceeded The BeOS is the OS to install the game. My wife and our four children partner, and they are what were excited to play and the “adventure” began. everyone should develop to. WRONG! Please do We loaded the game...and it crashed! Then not jump at every rumor. As mentioned before, we noticed a yellow insert, titled WARNING Be is ONE of the OS partners that we are with a long list of instructions. It had us turn off considering. There are at least 6 others that are on features that would degrade the video and audio the list. quality and slow the Amiga has no plans for the high end of CDROM performance. the platform, and will not have any support for Slowly one by one, our NewTek. WRONG! Keys to our success are the kids left the room. Each of ability of the next generation Amiga architecture them saying...”let me know to be scaleable and work well as a home when you get it running, computer and the high end with the Toaster and Dad”. Our 7 year old son Flyer. James was the only one OS 3.5 is back and in development. We are who sat by earnestly currently evaluating the market needs for an OS waiting for the Titanic upgrade before OS 5.0 ships. No decision has adventure to come alive. been made. As soon as we have all of our What he ended up seeing information gathered, we will make the final was…black screens with a decision and let everyone know. white hourglass and his Amiga Classic is only for those machines Dad getting ready to throw compatible with OS 4.0. WRONG! The Amiga the wireless keyboard Classic line is for the applications and hardware through the 32 inch that currently run OS 3.1. If it runs 3.1 then it is monitor!! After two hours in the Classic series. of shutting the machine The new Amiga architecture will not be down and re-booting our compatible with the current Amiga applications. adventure was over (before We plan to have hardware and software it started). With anger and compatibility for the developer platform and disappointment, we put the software emulation for OS 5.0. game back into it’s box, to I hope that this helps in dispelling some of return it to the store. The the rumors. I am sure that there are more, and only thing that kept going once I receive a rumor from more than a few through my mind was “it people, we will get the answers up as quickly as shouldn’t be this way”. Just like the Titanic, no matter possible. how massive, nothing is Bill McEwen unsinkable! Head of Marketing, Amiga, Inc. A Word From The Boys. A Word September 1998 Workbench 1 Amiga Users Group Inc. Editorial As a desktop publisher I have to use PC based programs at work which can leave you pretty frustrated Editor at the end of the day. Doing simple tasks like choosing fonts and editing pictures can become a chore Tom Heeren with PageMaker. Fonts are not represented at all, in a selection menu, as they are in PageStream (03) 9583 6259 meaning that one must refer to to a pre-generated list to choose the font you want. The other text [email protected] related feature missing in PageMaker is a menu to insert a specific character into your text. PageStream makes this task easy, so you do not need to learn various codes that represent these Contributions special characters. Contributions can be soft copy (on 3½” disk) or The editing of pictures on the PC requires the use of another program such as PhotoShop. Whilst hard copy. It will be this is essential if you wish to make major changes to the image it is not required for simple actions. If returned if requested and all you need to do is change a pallete colour or perform a simple filter action PageStream’s associated accompanied with a self- program BME (BitMap Editor) is a better option. This small program allows you to change features in addressed envelope. your inserted images quickly and easily which are then immediately displayed in PageStream. You can The editor of the Amiga even edit EPS graphics in ways that would make users of PC’s envious. All this for about $300.00. Users Group Inc. news- This is chicken feed when compared to the programs required to do the same thing on a PC. You letter Workbench retains would need to spend about 5 times that amount to get the same functionality. It’s a pity I can’t take my the right to edit con- Amiga to work with me and be more more productive in the same time period. tributions for clarity and length. Send contributions to: Tom Heeren Tom Heeren 24 Herald Street Cheltenham Vic 3192 [email protected] Parallel ZIP interface for the Amiga sers Gro Advertising U u Computer now available! Advertising space is free a g p Works with any Amiga; Just plug into your for members to sell i I parallel port and game port and install included private items or services. n For information on com- m software; Use both Amiga fomated and PC c formated ZIP disks; $24.95 includes shipping and mercial rates, contact: . A handling OR order a brand new Iomega ZIP drive James Gardiner (03) 9553 3826 and Amiga ZIP interface both for only $149.95 [email protected] To Order: Send Check or Money Order for $24.95 for ZIP Deadlines News interface or $149.95 for Parallel ZIP drive and Workbench is published Meeting ZIP interface US funds only each month. The deadline This months meeting has not been planned yet Include name, address and Email. for each issue is the 2nd but rest assured that something interesting will Sunday of the month of turn up! publication. Reprints Forthcoming Meetings All articles in Workbench If you can help with ideas for our monthy are Copyright ©1998 the meetings please contact a committee member. Amiga Users Group Inc. unless otherwise in- September 20: Next club meeting. Stafford Weston dicated. Articles may be reproduced for non- commercial purposes if Membership Renewals Technology accompanied by a credit If you haven’t already done so please remeber to 1215 Taft Street line including the original renew your club membership this month. Send Eugene, OR 97402, USA author’s name and the your remittance to the Membership Officer, We Ship World Wide! words “Reprinted from Alexander McCooke to ensure you stay up to Send Mail To:[email protected] Workbench the newsletter date with all the developments in Amiga of the Amiga Users Group, PO Box 198, computing. Moorabbin, Victoria 3189”. Music Special Interest Group In This Issue Disclaimer Some years ago this club conducted a very The views expressed in the successful Music SIG. If there are members who A Word From The Boys .......................... 1 Amiga Users Group Inc. have, or who are considering acquiring, a MIDI newsletter Workbench are keyboard and would like to see the SIG Editorial & Club News ............................ 2 those of the authors and do resurrected, please contact me on 9798-6552. If Amiga Tech Talk ...................................... 3 not necessarily represent the views of the editor or the there is enough response, I would be willing to Genetic Species ...................................... 4 committee. get the SIG off the ground and to give some basic Amiga Directory ...................................... 6 instruction in the use of MIDI and of Bars & Speedier Amiga....................................... 6 Newsletter produced by Pipes Professional, if required. Reader Classifieds.................................. 7 About the Group ..................................... 8 © Norm Christian Doggone Productions 2 Workbench September 1998 Connecting a CDROM & Talk Amiga Tech 3.5" HDD to your A1200 Introduction: 4 pins (41–44) in the A1200 are used to power This hardware modification allows you to (+5V, 0, 0, +12V) the 2.5" HDD’s and are not connect a 3.5" IDE hard drive and an IDE needed here (unless you decide to keep your 2.5" CDROM drive to your Amiga 1200.