Conference 7.286::atarist

    Hi Rich,
    
    From what I have been reading in the magazines it seems that some of
    the software written for the old STFM etc. used non-standard memory
    adresses in the coding. Since the STE's have extra bits of hardware,
    some of which are accessed through these memory addresses, there can be
    some problems caused.
    
    Atari say that provided the software was written 'by the book' ie
    using calls to the operating system, then it should work o.k.
    Obviously, most programmers, in efforts to gain extra speed and
    efficiency have written their own routines which may well come into
    conflict with the new hardware.
    
    The general way things are going seems to be that the STE is here to
    stay, and that most pieces of software from the major manufacturers are
    now being modified to work on STE's.
    
    I think that the STE is a good buy, but there is a chance that some of
    your existing software wont run on the new machine. For those you can
    still use the old machine. Or maybe you could network them, and
    down-line load the software from....................!?! Don't worry,
    only kidding.
    
    Hope this has been of somehelp. (Keep an eye on the STmags for more
    info). Maybe someone from the States where the STE has been out longer
    has some more info.
    
    Mike.

    
    Thanks Mike, you've put my mind at rest (slightly), the problems not as
    bad as I thought.
    
    Rich.

    Re: STe in states
    
    We haven;t even seen them yet, let alone been able to buy them.
    
    Canada has them however.
    
    Chad
    

    I've recently upgraded to an STe from a 1040, so I guess I'm a bit
    biased. But I think the STe is an improvement, if only because the
    memory upgrade from 1MB to 2MB is so much cheaper than the STFM. I've
    read a lot about software incompatibility, but my experience is that
    most software runs: all my business software, and virtually all the
    games software. Interestingly, Xenon ran from the Atari Super Pack, but
    not from Ocean's Precious Metal. This suggests that the actual programs
    are not intrinsically illegal, as per Atari's guide-lines, but that the
    copy-protection may be. The disk drive only reads to Track 81; my old
    STFM could get to Track 83. I understand a lot of copy protection uses
    these latter tracks, so that's where a lot of the problems lie.
    
    Regards 
    
    Carl
    

>>                       <<< Note 849.4 by STRIKR::RAYER >>>
>>                              -< Not at all ... >-
>    copy-protection may be. The disk drive only reads to Track 81; my old
>>    STFM could get to Track 83. I understand a lot of copy protection uses
>>    these latter tracks, so that's where a lot of the problems lie.
    
    
    Not at all... I have an STe, It does still depend on who did the
    programming as to whether it will work. I have several disk utilities
    that will format/copy between 0 & 82 (83 track is this the same?)
    Together with 11 sectors I get close to 900 K on the disk and yes the
    standard operation system will still read these files correctly. 
    
    Generally there is a lot of mis-information caused by misunderstanding,
    frustration, and a lack of clear messages from atari. Most of the stuff
    I have tried works, I've found two games from the same source that
    didn't, and STOS and STOS-written stuff still will not work.
    
    Richard

    A quick question concerning the STe and the Philips CM8833 Colour
    Monitor. Using it with the old ST cable, and the new STe cable, I'm
    getting very slight interference patterns on the screen. These are
    subtle vertical colour distortions. I spoke to a retailer, who said
    that there had been problems of compatibility between the monitor and
    the ST; and that resistors had now sorted this out. If so, then at
    least on mine, not wholly convincingly.
    
    Yet, on some games, there are no distortions at all. On others, some.
    There seems to be some connection between the interference and disk
    drive access (both floppy and hard disk).
    
    Has anyone got any ideas?
    
    Regards, Carl
    
    PS: The STe is an upgrade from an ST, which produced no interference on
    the monitor.

Could be a bad ground connection that prevents the cable from being
shielded, or it could be that the cable is unshielded and the STe produces
more interference than the ST.  Try wrapping the cable with aluminum foil
and grounding it to the STe chasis.

							-Dave

    I read an article about the STE in ST fORMAT, the one thing I like
    about it (Besides all the Xtra bits and bobs) is the Joystick ports
    are on the side and not underneath the machine and you can have
    two extra players without having to bye an interface, that makes life
    easy if you ask me!!!!                               
    
    I wouldn't complain about the STE, It looks O.K.
    
    
    Chris
    xxxxx

    I thought the ports on the side where the 2 EXTRA *analog* ports
    (joysticks could be used), but the good old ports 0 & 1 where still
    underneath.
    
    Therefore any software would have to be re-written to use these new
    ports '2 & 3', so I didn't think old favorites like Gauntlet II using
    them. 

    As an STe owner I can confirm .9, the ports on the side are new 15 pin
    analogue ports. The joystick and mouse ports are still underneath.
    
    Richard

    	I just got an STe,and have tested all my old software.95% of it
    works fine.      
    
    	The only really important one that doesn't work properly is
    Steinberg Cubase.
    	It loads ok and all the functions appear to work except I get no
    response from the mouse.I can however control the mouse pointer from
    the keyboard.
    
    	Does anyone have a possible solution for this.
    
    	Thanks
    		Brian.

    Brian,
    
    now, 4 motns later, does Steinberg Cubase work on the STE?
    
    J�rgen.

    No!
    
    	I have given the STe to my son and am now using the STFM again.I
    believe the problem is fixed in a later version of Cubase.
    
    	Brian