Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!petunia!csuchico.edu!ekrimen
From: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Mega STe Question (or Problems)
Message-ID: <1991May28.033810.19080@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Date: 28 May 91 03:38:10 GMT
References: <2820@prles2.prl.philips.nl>
Sender: news@ecst.csuchico.edu (USENET)
Organization: California State University, Chico
Lines: 99

In article <2820@prles2.prl.philips.nl> johnj@idms.UUCP (John Janssen) writes:
>
>As I stated in my previous message, I finally (!) got my Mega STe.
>I love the machine, it is good, except for the booting process
>(and the noisy fan).
>
>I only had a 1MB ST without hard disk before, so I do not know 
>if the following questions are particular for a Mega STe.
>
>
>Is the following normal?
>
>1. When I switch on the computer, it takes very long (>30s)
>   until it boots from hard disk.

Apparently, this is Atari's wonderous delay for allowing the hard drive
to come up to speed.  I think there's a way to cancel the delay with a
keypress, but I don't know what it is.  Hey, BTW, isn't there a PD program
called ROACH or something that changes the delay?!

Jerry Pournelle in his 'review' in Byte also commented on this delay.  He
made it seem like his TT waited for several minutes however.


>
>2. When there is no floppy disk in the floppy drive 
>   the light of that drive stays on forever (after booting).
>
There's some programmer at Atari who likes having a lot of lights on
his machine.  If he had his way, the ST would have an oscillating red glow
like the car, KITT, on "Knight Rider."  I heard this is the same guy who 
decided that they should put the joystick/mouse ports on the underside
of the STFM/STE machines.  This is also the guy who decided that the
keyboard port on the MegaSTe/TT detachable keyboard should be on the
opposite side as the keyboard port on the main console.
 
This floppy light phenomenon has been around forever and ever.  I can't 
believe that they call this a feature.  I agree that it is annoying.  
When I got my STe and it did the same, I called Atari Technical Support 
and asked them about it.  They said that if it doesn't hurt anything,
don't worry about it.


>Please reply (see below) quickly, as I do have a 
>one week money back garantee in case of problems.
>
>
>I found out the following (undocemented) sequence for a quicker
>start-up, however I do not like it:
>
>1. Switch on all peripheralls (monitor, printer, etc).
>2. Switch on computer, having an empty formatted disk in the FD.
>3. Sometimes the light of Floppy drive flashes(=on) shortly.

According to Allan Pratt, the floppy light always comes on during a
reboot to initialize the keyboard.

#2 helps so the computer doesn't choke on the drive waiting for a disk
to be installed.

>or: replace 1.- 3. with: Press Ctrl-Alt_RightShift-Del.

which is a coldboot and is very handy.

>
>4. Light of Floppy drive flashes aprox. 1-2 seconds.
>5. Light of Floppy drive flashes aprox. 1-2 seconds once again.
>6. Press Return.
>7. Boot starts from Hard disk immediately now.
>
>The same is true when no disk is in the FD, but then
>5-6 changes in:
>5. The light of the floppy drive goes on and stays on.
>6. Wait until the disk-head crash noises are over
>   and press Return then.
>(Note the drive light stays on, even after the system
>has started and when running applications. It will only
>go off after using the FD at least once).
>
>Any comments?
>Please!
>

Having the floppy light on is quite annoying.  No, I don't lose sleep over
it, but it is a pet peeve.  I also don't understand why the floppy waits
so long until it 'decides' that there's no floppy in it.  There was some
discussion about this a while ago, and it was mentioned that MS-DOS 
systems do this too.  But I've found that they don't wait nearly as long!

>So what I mean to say is  >>>  PLEASE REPLY BY EMAIL <<<, 

A copy of this article has been sent to John.  I just thought you'd
want to hear me bitch and moan. :^)


-- 
   |||   Ed Krimen [ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu or al661@cleveland.freenet.edu]
   |||   Video Production Major, California State University, Chico
  / | \  SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261