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From: s37837k@saha.hut.fi (Jari Lehto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: A plea for assistance!
Keywords: help
Message-ID: <1991Feb10.000730.6676@santra.uucp>
Date: 10 Feb 91 00:07:30 GMT
References: <1963@gold.gvg.tek.com>
Sender: news@santra.uucp (Cnews - USENET news system)
Reply-To: s37837k@saha.hut.fi (Jari Lehto)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, FINLAND
Lines: 91

In article <1963@gold.gvg.tek.com> dond@gold.gvg.tek.com (Don Davis) writes:
>I am a new ATARI user who is full of questions. Hopefully some
>of you can help me get started. There aren't any other ATARI users
>in my area (that I know of) and the "good deal" I got didn't include
>much documentation! Thanks in advance for any replies.
>
>I need a description of the operating system. I would really like 
>	to know how the desktop works, how files are managed, how 
>	does the OS know what devices are connected, ect. Where can
>	I find one?

You like to go quite deep? ST is quite a plug-and-play machine, you
don't need to tell much to it to get peripherals work. But
there are books that scan deep inside ST. They are a bit hard to find
nowadays. In UK and Germany they are well available.

>I have an ATARI 520ST with 500K ram (s/n# A11003969 - does that mean 
>	anything to anyone???). What are my options for upgrading?

That can be a base for anything. I started out with a regular 1040STF.
Now I have a 16MHz 4Mb RAM 170Mb harddisk bigscreen monster living in
a tower-housing. The old motherboard is still there! That is possibly
with every ST. Best expansions are avilable in Germany, except RAM.
To upgrade RAM, from UK you can find definitely the best expansions.

I live in Finland, and still I export almost everything form my ST
from Germany, UK and USA.

>I have a printer that will not operate with the CENTRONICS cable (the 
>	same printer/cable operate fine when attached to "one of those
>	other PC's"). How does the ST know if there is a serial or
>	a parallel printer attached? What is the correct cable 
>	configuration to use?

The cable I used (before I bought a laser) was a simple direct centronics.
With ST the printer should be able to emulate epson. There is a desk-accessory
where you can set printer's port and other stuff, but I never used it bacause
all programs printed nicely without any extra settings. Centronics is a
default for printer in ST.

>What are my options for a hard drive? What type of HD am I looking
>	for? I now have two floppies - SS354's.  

Get yourself a SF314 or other 2S-drive fast! You will definitely need one.
There are hard drives specially made for ST, the megafile-serie, but a
very good alternative is a DMA-SCSI -interface (ICD, Supra, etc.) and a
SCSI-harddisk (Quantum, Seagate, Conner, Maxtor). I have myself a ICD SCSI
interface with two Seagate ST296N 85Mb harddisks. Works fine. With megafile
there are only 2 good, the 60Mb model and the removable 44Mb. Smaller than
40Mb are likely to get filled up too quickly...

>Is there a translation capability to read/write IBM & MAC 3" discs?

ST reads directly IBM's 3.5" DD disks. With discovery-cartridge or Spectre GCR
Mac-emulator you can access Mac-disks. By the way, Spectre is worth trying!
Faster than Mac + and bigger screen. Copatibility is very high!

>Are either of the monitors compatable with other PC's? I have a SM124
>	and a SC1224 as well. (e.g. I don't need two monitors,
>	simultaneously - could the one I'm not using be hooked as a
>	display for something else?)

Both MONITORS are, but their connectors ARE NOT! I use multisync instead
of two separate monitors...

!>Must I dismantle the unit to read the PROM version? Is there a way to 
>	ask it? ...and what is the current version of the OS? If I don't
>	have the current version, how can I get it?

No, you can't see the version directly from anywhere. But if there are
more than one year mentioned in the copyright-line of the TOS-box, first
drop-down on desktop, about ... , the TOS is newer that 1.0.
Latest is 1.4, you can get it from almost any Atari-dealer.

>	Thanks again for any help offered. I'm excited about the ST and 
>	looking forward to becoming "more functional"!!
>	Replies can be faxed (916)478-3887,
>			posted, or 
>			mailed: Don Davis
>				219 Gethsemane
>				Nevada City, Ca 95959
>
>				

Always happy to help. If you have further questions, please followup or 
send me email.

			Jartsu


	*** Jari Lehto, jartsu@otax.hut.fi, s37837k@saha.hut.fi ***