Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!boyd
From: boyd@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Just gripin'...
Message-ID: <1990Dec11.171455.16363@mailer.cc.fsu.edu>
Date: 11 Dec 90 17:14:55 GMT
References: <12088@milton.u.washington.edu> <1063@mat500.uucp> <1990Dec10.191405.1924@wam.umd.edu>
Reply-To: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Organization: Florida State University Computer Science Department
Lines: 55

In article <1990Dec10.191405.1924@wam.umd.edu>, charlie@wam.umd.edu (Charles William Fletcher) writes:
>In article <1063@mat500.uucp> leo@mat500.uucp (C. Bullerdick) writes:
>
>>[....description of neato software...]
>
>I would love to *SEE* them--but where. My point is that I can't
>find a dealer (in the DC area) where I can view software. Everything 
>is mail order. Unless I see a review that makes it look like the 
>software will fit my needs, I never really get it.
>
>-Charlie

I would recommend to ANY ST user that they get a subscription to Current Notes  
magazine.  I believe they are now $27 per year.  They have great reviews, 
and will actually tell you that something is caca (I have never seen STart 
do that, though they have reviewed some real dogs).  This mag started out 
as a newsletter for several large Atari Users Groups in the DC area, and just 
kept getting bigger and better.  They also have a great PD library, and are 
commited to keeping it up to date (for example, I was told that I could send
my purchased PD disk of whatever version n and they would put version n+1 on 
it for free).  I have bought disks from places and found them to have bad 
arc files, old versions, files missing (No .rsc!  Arrrgh!) etc.  I have never
had these or any other problems with CN.  For those of you that use the 
Spectre, there is a monthly column which discusses this.  Whenever I meet a 
new STer (it actually happens quite frequently, by the way), I always show 
them an issue, and as of yet they have ALL bought subscriptions.  The mag is
thick and meaty, no color adds.  It is produced completely on an ST system
(and it looks really nice, I belive they use a combination of Pagestream, 
Calamus, and Publisher ST).  This mag can cure the MAIN problem with most 
STers in the US, mainly that they don't know about what is available, and don't 
want to find out the hard way.  Reviews are the main emphasis in this mag,
not marketing/advertising crap.            

The address for CN is :

        Current Notes Subscriptions
        122 N. Johnson Rd.
        Sterling, VA  22170
        (703)450-4761                  $27 for 1 years subscription 
                                      (10 issues, they skip aug and jan)

If you call them, you may be able to arrange ordering just one issue, to 
check it out.  They are also sold in several book/magazine stores in the DC 
area, and at some Atari dealers (chicken and the egg . . ).  

I am in no way connected with CN, other than as a satisfied customer.  So 
satisfied in fact, that I bought all their back issues so I have a complete
library of ST info (how many of you can say THAT?!?).  If you are a somewhat
discouraged ST owner, $27 is a lot cheaper than a new computer!  

-- 
             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "God is a comedian playing to an 
          FSU Computer Science       |      audience too afraid to laugh."
        Technical Support Group      |
      email:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu  |                  - Voltaire