CODING PARTIES
A planning which is likely to be charged this year... In April 1999
(I hope for that this Toxic Mag will have come out a little before), it
less than 4 coding did not leave which awaits you.
As you can note it, the coding parties flow and one is likely to have
one year very charged (such an amount of better !). You will notice
that I did not often indicate the dates and the places, it is normal
since I miss time to collect all information necessary, and I am quite
sorry (army suxxx !). The best way of being with the current is of
reading the Puces Informatiques, in the Agenda heading. For those
which have access to Internet, connect you on site Orange Juice (that
must be something like "http://ojuice.citeweb.fr")
or on IRC on the channel #demofr. If you have only one minitel, you can always request
information on the 3615 RTEL1 in Demos heading (type *DEMO on the page
of the menu). Good CP !
ST MAG AND DREAM
It is not a secrecy for anybody but we had not spoken about it in the last
Toxic Mag : ST Mag it is finished. As well as the Terre Du Milieu
(see the article on this subject). Since, Godefroy de
Maupeou created a new company to promote Calamus SL and write articles in
Dream. Although it is especially centered on Linux, Dream is the only
French magazine on paper dedicated to alternative data processing. In
the numbers to be appeared, we should find regularly 4 pages of news
Atari as well as a mag with format HTML in the CD-ROM. An initiative
which one can only encourage, by hoping that it is not momentary.
THE PROMETHEE ASSOCIATION
In reaction to the closing of the Terre du Milieu and abandonment
of ST Magazine, a new association was born. Created by Loïc Sébald,
it has several goals: the development, promotion and the consistency
of the systems under TOS and alternate. Wow, only that ! Association
publishes mainly a monthly fanzine sold on subscription, ACC, of which
should find to you the test in the press review.
We invite all the atarists to return in liaison with the persons in
charge of association. Here their address, do not forget the envelope
stamped for the return:
TESTOSTERONE, THE FANZINE OF THE IMPASSIONED ATARISTS
A few months before ACC, a new fanzine had made its appearance:
Testosterone. Funny of name for a semi-monthly fanzine of 20 pages
entirely dedicated to all the Atari machines. It is the work of
Pascal Cornot that some undoubtedly know since he is also the author
of " Falcon Seulement ". You will find a test of the first two
numbers of Testosterone in the press review.
CENTEK REDESIGNS THE PHENIX
The Phoenix did not come out yet of its egg that our friends from
Centek do not cease modifying its future characteristics. Since
September 1998, the Phoenix is not any more one Atari clone. It will
be however possible to make function programs TOS thanks to an
emulation software. Does Centek want to create a new standard ?
Wouldn't this be risky vis-a-vis the PC and Macs ?
Moreover, new characteristics of the animal fell in February: the DSP
56301 from now on is connected on PCI bus, the future chart for the 3
(yes, 3 !) Additional DSP will connect on one of PCI ports and either
on a specific port, new Ultra-SCSI controllers and USB were implemented
and will be connected on PCI bus, two connectors IDE will be present
(to accomodate 4 peripherals maximum), the ports parallel, series and
midi were removed although they are planned for interfaces USB, the
component QUICC which had so much made speak about him also disappears
and, finally, RAM EDO is replaced by SDRAM, of a better price/performances
ratio. Let us leave the word to Centek since their site
(http://www.centek.fr) contains the
justification of such modifications:
" The prime objective was to reduce the cost of manufacture appreciably:
the suppression of the QUICC and the passage of functions on the PCI
(reduction of programmed logic) follow that. The reduction of cost
still currently continues to balance the cost of the increase in the
performances. The second objective was to take into account the
technical remarks of certain developers (of which Soundpool) in the
field of the DSP. They wished to have the possibility of transfers
much faster between the DSP. With the DSP on PCI bus, architecture is
optimum. On our side, we wished as much as possible to discharge
le(s) processor from the spots of transfers of data. For that, the
IDE and the USB are as them in PCI. [...] The final objective was to
approach more quickly as envisaged this total architecture PCI for
future machines like the PHENIX 2 (code name). The PHENIX is
comparable with the last PC. The choices of the new components on
delayed well the completion of this new mother chart, which touches
with the goal... "
Remain more than namely WHEN this machine will be available...
NEWS OF TITAN DESIGNS
We spoke about Titan Designs in the last Toxic Mag in connection with
its the last two products for Falcon: Eclipse (an adapter PCI) and
Tempest (accelerating card). These products, which are still with
the state of prototypes, should be available for the first quarter
1999.
We received further information on Eclipse. This adapter will not
require to put its Falcon in a tower. Indeed, the adapter in itself
will connect on the port of extension of Falcon which is on the mother
card, while graphics board PCI will be placed in a case which one
will be able to pose or fix on Falcon itself. Only Falcons gone up
out of turn will be able to be exempted of this case of the moment
when they offer enough place for card PCI.
Concerning the Tempest card, its creators think of integrating a
processor Power PC into 200 MHz. Attention, that depends on the
availability of the software emulation of processors 68K. Coldfire
used will be given rhythm to 40 or 50 MHz. Let us point out the
characteristics of the Tempest card quickly :
- Port AGP (Advanced Graphic Processor) to connect fast video cards there;
- support for memory SDRAM (up to 256 Mo);
- port of extension designed to interface a card Eclipses. In this case, card
PCI will be connected on port AGP, which will free the port PCI of the Eclipse
for other peripherals (Ultra-Wide SCSI, networks, cards sounds, etc).
It should be noted that some wire will have to be welded onto the mother
card in order to increase the compatibility of the programs which
must use the 68030. If you do not have Falcon out of turn, you will
have to remove the metal shielding in order to install the Tempest
card correctly. However, the passage out of turn will be obligatory
for the addition of an Eclipse card.
SOME REMARKS ON TOXIC MAG SPECIAL ISSUE #3
The publication of Toxic Mag special Centurbo 2 made react some
atarists (the remarks were collected on e-mail
"toxicmag@caramail.com") :
«In article CT2.HTM, it is known as that there is no component to
weld or unsolder, but the 030 should either be unsoldered, or to
unsolder at least 1 leg (as for the AB040) for it receives the signals
when even.»
(Boub)
«Concerning the article of White Ninja (News CENTEK), I make a
point of announcing that my disc IDE Quantum Fireball Eclipse 2.5 Go
culminates to 9.3 Mo/sec in reading/writing.»
(Mangue/ADR)
CENTURBO 2 REVISION B : THE REVENGE
The famous card of the " whole with 50 MHz " for Falcon returns in a
new version which removes the bugs her older sister. The fans of
power will appreciate the architecture of the CT2, since it is built
around 2 buses 32 bits (let us recall that the bus of Falcon of origin
is in 16 bits). Centurbo 2 is provided with software CENTSCREEN 3,
CENTVIDEL 3 and CENTVIEW. The card was scheduled for February 1999,
hope that it will not have too much delay as it is, alas, the practice
at Centek. The price of the CT2 without RAM is of 1890 FF, for which
one needs add300 FF for 16 Mo or well 550 FF for 32 Mo of RAM.
It is also possible to buy a coprocessor 68882 per 250 FF moreover.
Centek stated that this new CT2 will be the last version, in order to
concentrate on the Phoenix whose childbirth is rather painful.
Small precision... (by Zool)
Compared to what was known as concerning the data-processing
industrial development programme of national education... In my
schoolthey do not make like the fat Allègre says to us :
In short, the only box which gains there in this plan, it is Krosoft
(like Thomson 10 years ago...).
We understood why Billou licks the boots of the mammoth...
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