Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!sun!imagen!atari!kbad
From: kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: WHICH TOS?
Summary: Look at the copyright dates to check TOS versions.
Message-ID: <1531@atari.UUCP>
Date: 6 Jun 89 23:06:03 GMT
References: <8906051405.AA21718@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher)
Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 28

The best way to visually determine what TOS version you're running is to
look at the copyright date in the "Desktop Info..." dialog.  Here at
Atari, we like to call the versions by name; the first TOS release is
"ROM TOS" and it has a copyright year of 1985.  The TOS that was put
into the Mega computers is "Mega TOS" (we would call it "BLiT TOS",
because the only major difference from ROM TOS is BLiTTER support, but
that name is used by some German developers to refer to the hacked-up
TOS ROM that works with a 68020).  Mega TOS has copyright 1986,1987 in
the Desktop Info dialog.

When TOS 1.4 becomes available to the general public, it'll be pretty
obvious from the Desktop Info box what its name should be.  As far as
dates go however, it's copyright 1985,86,87,88,89.

Unfortunately, there are so many versions of TOS 1.4 floating around on
BBS's, being sold by Atari Dealers (yes, it's true *sigh* -- illegal
and bug-ridden copies of Beta Test ROMs are being foisted off on
unknowing Atari customers by a few money grubbing dealers), and
available from other channels that it might be worthwhile to have a
"version-checking program" so that people can know what TOS version
they're actually using.  This program could be useful to the majority of
honest dealers out there so they can prove that they've got the "real
stuff" ;-) and it could be a benefit to the wary customer.

-- 
   |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
   |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
  / | \  #include <disclaimer>