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From: Patrick@ark.cs.vu.nl (Patrick van Kleef)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: News From Hannover Messe
Message-ID: <921@ark.cs.vu.nl>
Date: Thu, 5-Mar-87 19:49:41 EST
Article-I.D.: ark.921
Posted: Thu Mar  5 19:49:41 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Mar-87 00:01:13 EST
Organization: V.U. Informatica, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Lines: 67
Keywords: SmallTalk - Sampler - MultiTasking - Upgrades

I just returned from a loooong and very tiring visit to the
Hannover Messe. Fortunately, Tandon flew me there, but I took
a car back... Ah, never again.

ANyway, I've got some nice news. The entire Tramiel-clan was there
and I spoke to Leonard who gave me some good information.

- There "definitely _is_ going to be an upgrade for existing
  ST-owners to new ROM's and new Blitter. Memory upgrades
  are likely too, but that would make make a replacement
  of the power supply necessary (I think). Leonard told
  me Atari's still thinking about what to do with the
  current buggy ROM's. If the blitter's installed, new
  ROM's come with it. But what to do with people that don't
  want the blitter? Up to marketing, Leonard said.

- EXCITING!!! I saw a, wha the author called "a full" implementation
  of SmallTalk on a MegaST 4. This was the 'hottest thing' around.
  Just before I saw Kodak showing a SmallTalk system costing
  megabucks. And the MegaST is gonna retail 4000 DM ($2000)!
  Harddisk necessary though (and the 4 meg too!). I was impressed.
  They showed a 'big' system next to the MegaST... no difference
  but the price-gap.

- MicroDeal showd some demo's of games to be released. Goldrush
  was one and looks extremely good. Digitized sound, extremely
  good graphics. And talking about digitzed sound: this summer
  they're gonna release a sound sampler. They showed a prototype:
  more than 1 minute of good sound in a 1040ST. Can be played
  back to sampler and from there on to hi-fi system (good
  quality) or to ST-monitor speaker (also real nice). Digitized
  sounds may be used in programs. Also saw some other company
  mixing living video and graphics (like Amiga Genlock), but
  was dying of thirst then and gave beer first priority. No
  more info on that.

- An Austrian programmer provided me with small program that
  lets you extend the number of DA's without limit. The
  EXTENDER.ACC he wrote already had al basic DA functions
  (install printer, modemport etc) and lots of other
  things I don't understand. But I have the manual so
  I'll let you know more when I think I know more (may be never :)

- Atari  has an interface board so existing ST's (1040's for sure)
  may be used with the laser printer. They should have more
  memory for full use (extensive graphics etc.), so that's why
  I said something about possible memory upgrades. The laserprinter
  is gonna retail for 3000 DM ($1500) and will have software to
  emulate an Epson FX-8000. No more news on that.

- Engineers are looking into incorporating the 68020 with
  mmu or the 68030 (which has built-in mmu [mmu=memory management
  unit]) in new machines. Whichever is the cheapest will be
  the one. This, ofcourse, refers to the Atari TT, the
  Thirty Two(bit) machine. It will be out "after the summer" Shivji
  (hope I spell it right) said. The TT will use an existing
  ST as front-end. "But how about higher resolutions," I asked
  Leonard: "Will that mean there won't be higher resolutions?"
  He replied: "All current ST's can have higer resolutions. Providing
  you install a new video-driver and use the DMA-port. It surpreses
  me no-one has done this yet."

Full report in the newsletter I talked about earlier. It may be
a while before non-BITNETters receive it, because I still
have'nt found a way of addressing them from within the
mailinglist (an no, I'm not gonna type each and every
individual name every time).