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Path: utzoo!hcradm!hcrvx1!hugh
From: hugh@hcrvx1.UUCP (Hugh Redelmeier)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: I*S Talk by Batteries Included, review follows.
Message-ID: <1382@hcrvx1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Aug-86 16:21:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: hcrvx1.1382
Posted: Fri Aug  1 16:21:47 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Aug-86 04:07:55 EDT
References: <860729020349.0000079A.AEOA.AA@UMass>
Reply-To: hugh@hcrvx1.UUCP (Hugh Redelmeier)
Organization: Human Computing Resources, Toronto
Lines: 45
Summary: 

In article <860729020349.0000079A.AEOA.AA@UMass> Flash@UMass.BITNET (Rick Flashman) writes:
>       I just purchased I*S Talk by Batteries Included. Basically, what I can
>say is that the product seems like a good one, but version 1.00 should not
>have been released to the market, too many bugs.

> ... It [I*S Talk -- DHR] is the BEST GEM program,
>since the other ones out there (MI-TERM and FLASH) are worse and have even
>more bugs.

>... He showed us I*S Talk as a complete finished product, and
>went on to talk about how FLASH terminal is full of bugs. When it turns out
>that his product is in much worse shape.

First, this posting is contradictory.  Flash (the program) and
I*S Talk can't be both worse than each other.

I use Flash (the program) and am quite happy with it.  But: I know
(and like) the developers.  Whenever I have had a problem, they have
fixed it.  My problems have not been bugs:
1. Flash does not support some of the more obscure features of VT100
   (double-sized characters, for example).  The initial version did
   not support scrolling regions because the authors thought this
   feature was unimportant.  To a UNIX user it is not, so they have
   put it in.
2. Once the scrolling region was added, I had a problem switching to
   48 line mode: the scrolling region was not changed.  Now it is.
3. It sometimes takes a few clicks of the right button before Flash
   notices.  The authors tell me that this is a GEM problem.  They
   told me to hold the button down longer but I haven't tried this.

I think that there were some other small problems with the initial
version, but I never hit them.

The authors regularly sign on to COMPUSERVE, so you could talk to
them there.  (This is an observation by me, not a commitment from
them).  On COMPUSERE, there is a bug list & fix file: in atari16
sig, data library 2 (telecom), brouse with keyword "flash".

My ST makes a great terminal for my UNIX machine.  I love using JOVE
with a 48 line screen.  And it works at 9600 Baud (with flow
control).

Hugh Redelmeier (416) 922-1937
{utzoo, ihnp4, decvax}!hcr!hugh