Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!sunic!kullmar!pkmab!daniel
From: daniel@pkmab.se (Daniel Deimert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Comments on STE -- (un)known facts
Keywords: atari, ste
Message-ID: <2310@pkmab.se>
Date: 18 Nov 89 16:13:47 GMT
Organization: \"Orebro's Tech. College, Sweden
Lines: 51


I have just got hold of my 1040 STE (Friday) and thought the
Net might be interested in some facts, which should be well known.
If they are or not... Well.. Read the following:

What it has

	- Smooth one-pixel scrolling in hardware
	- Two 8-bit D/A-converters for stereo sound
	- RCA stereo output
	- Blitter (thanks guys!)
	- Six (6) joystick ports [Atari BUSINESS Computer, ha!]
	- A palette of 4096 colors. almost useless with the RF-modulator

My first impression is that it could have been better. Much better.
Sure the scrolling is impressing. But the sound... Nah, I've heard
better. The future can't be playing raw sampled sound -- takes too
much memory.

Along on the language disk with handwritten label that follow are two
different demos, apparently written with Turbo C 1.1 (Yes, I've
disassembled them. I had to!) that shows the new capabilities.
Why not put them together, it would be more impressing!

The sound demo sounds good -- but the samplings are boring and really
not that good.  You could have done better!

The scrolling demo consists of nine pictures in pattern of 3 times 3
screen where you can scroll softly to any point by moving the mouse.
Nifty!


But, listen now Atari, a large BUT.  *No* documentation about the
new chips followed.  Not even a list of adresses, not even a little
"read.me" on the language disk!
Why?  Don't you want people to use these new features, just the
software houses, or what?


More information follows as soon as I manage to find out.  Any
information about the STE can be posted to me. I will summarize to
the net if it's interesting.

[BTW, funny with the hbls in "desktop info"!  Not much work, but
it really looks nice...]


-- 
    Daniel Deimert, Fridstav. 4, S-715 94 Odensbacken, SWEDEN
    Internet:	daniel@pkmab.se
    UUCP:	...{uunet,mcvax}!sunic.sunet.se!kullmar!pkmab!daniel