*************************************** * * * P O R T F O L I O N E W S * * * * Internet newsletter for * * Atari Portfolio users and fans * * * *************************************** No 3 June 20, 1995 INDEX OF THIS ISSUE - CD-ROM DISK - EMAIL ADDRESS - URGENT! - SUPPORT RE:PORT the only English PF magazine still exists - THE RE:PORT INDEX - HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH PF USERS - HISTORY OF PORTFOLIO CLUB IN CZ (CZECH REPUBLIC) - ATARI PORTFOLIO ON THE NET AND IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES - - UNITED KINGDOM - - GERMANY - - SWEDEN - - THE UNITED STATES - - FRANCE - - ITALY - HELP CORNER - - serial program SLAVE - SOFTWARE PACKET No 2 - - SERIAL COMMUNICATION - ACOM - PORTFOLIO PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FROM PORTFOLIO CLUB - MORE INFO ON THE 1 MB RAM CARDS - THE 1.44 MB FDD UNIT for Portfolio - WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR **************************************** CD - ROM disk with PF soft in fall (autumn) > Yesterday (8.VI.1995) we received information > about the permission to place up to 60 MB of > Portfolio soft on a CD ROM disk that will > be published in fall. > > Now we are looking for all PF fans who want to > share in this project and are willing to make > some soft for PF and place it on the disk. Do you want to join this project? 60 MB is enough place for your soft and ideas. Please e-mail as soon as possible to get more info. **************************************** > EMAIL ADDRESS > > use this address > > sedlakj@dec59.ruk.cuni.cz > > other addresses seem not to work from some servers. > > If any e-mail trouble, be persistant. We do exist. > > FAX NUMBER: > > if any trouble with connection use: this FAX number: > + 42 2 29 51 86 > please indicate that it is a fax for PORTFOLIO CLUB > > or phone > + 42 2 99 61 894 (also answering machine) > **************************************** * URGENT! - SUPPORT RE:PORT THE RE:PORT MAGAZINE STILL EXISTS ! It is the only paper magazine for Portfolio in English that has survived. 17 issues has been published. Here is what the publisher DAVE STEWARD has sent us: I am offering back issues for US $10 (US funds only!) each. Here is the information, which you may feel free to pass on to others. I hope your Portfolio club goes on for a long time! Any of these issues can be had for US $10 each (check or money order only) from: Re:Port c/o David Stewart 1504 Winterset Parkway Marietta, GA 30067 Each issue comes with a 3.5" IBM DD disk, which can be read by the Atari ST computers as well as Macintosh computers with SmartDrives (and of course by any IBM-PC compatible computer). Just indicate the volume/issue numbers that you want. Please allow four to six weeks for shipping. If you have any questions about the issues or programs that you'd like, please send email to 73770,2021 on CompuServe or DAVESTEW@NETCOM.COM on the Internet. NOTE: Please place your order as soon as possible! Re:Port is stopping publication soon. This offer may not last! Please SUPPORT DAVE STEWARD - he needs encouragement and encouragement!!! - send him e-mail and subscribe to this magazine - the Re:port is a unigue source of programs for Portfolio - send him texts and files to be published ********************************** THE RE:PORT INDEX Here is the list (index) of the issues published: Volume 1, Issue 1 ----------------- Article: Welcome to Re:Port Gleason on PBasic (PBASIC) >From the Editor: 60View instructions (60VIEW) Editorial: Non-disclosure policy slows Port development DOS Tips Backup and restore C: drive with batch files (BACKUP.BAT, RESTORE.BAT) Editor: Macro puts text in date, documents (MACRO) Worksheet: Checkbook balancing (CHECK.WKS) Address Book: Using the Port as a study partner Industry News Volume 1, Issue 2 ----------------- Spell checker (SPLCHK) Stupid Port Tricks: Worksheet games (DICE.WKS) Quick Tip: Battery watching Industry News: HyperList, music program, RAM card replacement cases Gleason on PBasic (PBASIC 4.9) PBasic vs. PowerBASIC Online Services (Complete text listings of CompuServe and GEnie library areas. Since then, we have published only bimonthly additions) Backup/restore (BR) Book Review: Abacus Port guide Bug RePort: Macro update (MACRO) Tip on hiding files Mailbox Volume 1, Issue 3 ----------------- Program Reviews: Finance, Terminator 2 File Manager, PowerBASIC, Business Contacts and Information Manager Editor: Getting .HOO files to work Industry news: Port memory, Util compiler, shareware disks Checkbook program with link to Quicken (CHECK) Settings program (SETTINGS) Piano program (PIANO) Gleason on PBasic Online Services (LISTINGS, BANNER, CGASHOW, CODE, DIAL, ESHOW, LAUNCH, MAC, MUTE, PGCUNIT, SCRMODE, SECURE, TRIG) Ordering information Mailbox (UPDATE.COM, ANSI.SYS) Volume 1, Issue 4 ----------------- Updated Launch program (LAUNCH) Industry News: 512K cards, APB book, graphics service Gleason on PBasic Worksheet tip Review: Instant Speller Battery monitor program (BAT) Jeopardy helper program (JEO) Beginner's column: Dropping File Manager Online Services (LISTINGS) Advanced column: Graphics Looking ahead: Port in space DOS to Port: Adventure games Services: Fast shipping, custom programming Volume 1, Issue 5 ----------------- Worksheet: Plot graphics (SEEWORK) Port uses: Police work Industry News: Hard drives, carrying cases, European software Review: HyperList Gleason on PBasic (PREAD) Graphics programs (PDRAW, PGCVIEW, ANIMATIONS) Solitaire game (SOL) Beginner's column: Getting files from the desktop to your Port Port problems: How to install a PC Card Drive Quick tip: Faxing Advanced programming: Graphics routines in Turbo Pascal User-to-User: Get things done Volume 1, Issue 6 ----------------- Communications (PORTCOM) >From the Editor: Moving to Iowa Industry News: Port demo, movie star, RAM cards Gleason on PBasic Pacman-like game (PORTMAN) Windows graphics on the Port (WINPGC) Editor/Diary: To-do program (TODO) Voice synthesis (HELP, BIRTHDAY) Best sellers Beginner's column: Tips! Communications routines Online services (LISTINGS) Volume 2, Issue 1 ----------------- News on 1/2/4 meg cards Industry News: Carrying case, more sound, British newsletter PowerBASIC column Snake game (SNAKE) Bug RePort (TODO) Editor: Delete utility (DELETE.HOO) Review: DOS Utilities Card (feature complete list of card contents) More on editor hooks How to write hooks Online services (LISTINGS) Volume 2, Issue 2 ----------------- Universal Interface announced Back issue list 1/2/4 meg cards unavailable PBASIC memory Terminal+ review Copy protection Custom alarms Simon game 60Hook Resize C: drive Double disk space DOS help TSR programming Volume 2, Issue 3 ----------------- Universal Interface review 1993 Port Tips 524K FlashCards Screen fader Address Book Concentration game Custom alarms Error messages Special Port ports Volume 2, Issue 4 ----------------- FlashCards available Lynx available CD-ROM New PBASIC Grocery shopper Skiing game DOS programs Dealing with archives Input controls Volume 2, Issue 5 ----------------- PBASE review Move to Atlanta Atari & IBM Reading .WKS files in PBASIC SuperPrint utility Peg game Memory and storage space Online help Making hook files work Volume 2, Issue 6 ----------------- Optrol delivers 1, 2, 4 megs cards Review of Autobyte TimerKeeper ROM card BSE drops Universal Interface Atari release Jaguar game system Minefield game Program to adding quick meetings to diary file Updated WINPGC program Beginners: Understanding disk drives Advanced: The .DRY file format Mailbox Volume 3, Issue 1 ----------------- Port upgrade guide CONFIG.SYS configuration can save memory Port CD-ROM available TIPI programming language Punk Jr. game FIND program seeks our Port files Review of desktop versions of Port programs Beginners: Battery usage Advanced: Scrolling on the Port screen Mailbox Volume 3, Issue 2 ----------------- How to find Port info on the Internet Optrol drops 524K card FILTER program organizes address books HEADACHE solitaire game Beginners: Using the Port online Advanced: The .ADR file format Mailbox Volume 3, Issue 3 ----------------- The Perfect Palmtop ZModem on the Port WIPEINFO ensures deleted data stays gone POKER game deals fun Beginners: Year-end Port tips Advanced: Object-oriented Port library? Volume 3, Issue 4 ----------------- Re:Port announces that it is stopping publication Bon Voyage to PBASIC creator BJ Gleason ADR utility finds any name in any .ADR file fast CRYPTO game offers hours of puzzling fun Re:Port reader takes you on his travels Review of World Clock program Volume 3, Issue 5 ----------------- Re:Port's last issue, not yet to press Should be available by Aug. 1, 1995. =============================== REAL LIFE : David E. Stewart INTERNET : davestew@netcom.com COMPUSERVE: 73770,2021 =============================== **************************************** * HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH PF USERS Many of the PF users will never get in touch with Internet. And if they do, search engines for WWW and NET usually produce no information about Portfolio. We can help PF users in the outer world (and we are obliged to do so, they are our computer friends). Experience shows that they are glad if they learn that PF has not died. Here are three tips how to help other PF users: 1. where to find them 2. what to offer them 3. run a local club 1. Where to find PF users (in your country): * read private advertisements in PC magazines. You can find people selling PF. Try to touch them. They will be surprised and they usually say that they would not sell PF it there were more new things. There are new things but they do not know about them. And will not know UNLESS YOU TELL THEM. * read private advertisements in city FREE-AD newspapers. There are usually columns for computers and people can place an AD for PF here for nothing (those who sell PF usually do not want to spend any extra many). * in many countries there are strong groups of Atari ST users. Often ATARI ST users have Portfolio. Get in touch with them. * dealers - some dealers of Atari stuff have addresses of people who bought things from them. * if you want - place your own advertisement in PC magazine, or FREE-AD newspaper. (Well, it proved not to be too efficient) 2. What to offer to a newly found PF user * Prepare a diskette with some files that you yourself use and add things from internet or other sources. You can offer such a diskette for some price (5 USD or so). * Write some short summary of what is available for Portfolio. And there are many things. (E.g. print this issue of Portfolio News on your printer and distribute it.) * Inform the PF users that there is RE:PORT magazine and Portfolio News (you are just reading) available and that you can get him a copy. (again you can ask for some money) What is available for Portfolio - a brief list (information for any PF fans especially outside the internet) - new Portfolios still sold - many countries (many old dealers) still support Portfolio - parallel, serial inteface avaialble - parallel intefaces, RAM cards are produced by our Portfolio club - FDD 1.44 MB unit for Portfolio (completely new product for all PF users) - 1 MB RAM cards still sold ( only a few PF users outside the USA know about the 1 MB RAM cards) - Re:port Magazine still published - Portfolio News published in Czech on paper and in English on the net - old soft and new soft *********************************************** * History of Portfolio club in CZ (Czech Republic) (written by JS) First Portfolios arrived in CZ in 1989. There were some activities at that time, something like a club, but everybody relied on Atari dealers. In 1993 the Atari died in Europe and so did the dealers in CZ. Many (cca 3000) Portfolios have been sold in CZ since 1989. The greatest problem was the national version of Portfolio. Atari dealers told everybody that it was not possible to make PF "speak" Czech unless chips inside PF were changed. This "operation" increased the price of PF by 1/3. I bought a second hand PF in fall 1993. Soon I learned that without PC or a RAM card my data were always lost. Then, in Jan 1994, I finally saved some money and bought a RAM Card. I happened to get a diskette with BJ GleasonP2s PBASIC 4.91 and I learned it is possible to work in graphics with a speed of up to 20 screens per second. This gave me the idea that national version can be achieved. I wrote a simple text editor running in graphics using PBASIC. And it worked. I became sure that if somebody wrote the same in assembler it would be as fast as the text mode. I looked for someone to do this job. I did not find anybody so I wrote an assembler editor (called Czech editor) by myself. But later I found two brothers (Martin and Milan Hrdlicka) who were making soft for Portfolio and they completed resident driver for screen and keyboard. So the first goal - national version has been achieved. We started to sell the Czech editor and the national version. Thus we got in touch with other PF users. We saw the need to produce hardware - so we started - RAM Cards, parallel interfaces, FDD unit, PortWalk and software. ************************************** Atari Portfolio on the Net and in different countries Here is a list of some places that have Portfolio information. Please check them out and send us back your findings. Or compile list of things really available. ********************************** UNITED KINGDOM: Atari Web Pages Latest News Version 1.0 Date 6/6/95 by Mark Stephen Smith Hello and welcome to the news item on the Atari Web pages. This document will describe the Atari Web pages as provided by Mark Stephen Smith and will inlcude a list of the latest updates for the month. Each month I hope to update this text with the very latest additions and news on the Atari Web pages. Hopefully these pages will provide an invaluable service to their users, but they are still at an early stage and developing all the time. As such any feedback and support you may have for these pages is more than welcome, it is infact encouraged. The more input I get from its users the better, as then I will know what is good and bad about these pages and can change them approproately in the hope of increasing their value to their readers. Where do I find the Atari Web page? ~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ >From your Web browser choose to open URL and enter the following address: http://www.mcc.ac.uk/~dlms/atari.html If you can store a hotlist of addresses or something similar on your browser then it may be worth including this address for quick access in the future. Once you've done that you should see my main page so I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to write with your thoughts. (*NOTE*: This is the new site for the Atari Web pages, take note of it!) Newsgroups ~~~~~~~~~~ Atari related newsgroups. Send updates. The currently supported news are: comp.binaries.atari.st comp.sys.atari.advocacy comp.sys.atari.announce comp.sys.atari.st comp.sys.atari.st.tech comp.sys.atari.programmer rec.games.video.atari alt.games.lynx What to expect in the future ~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~ ...... In the near future I will be adding a Portfolio section to cover the portable computer by Atari called the Portfolio. This area will be supported by the Portfolio club. Thank you and see you with the updates to these pages next month! Mark Stephen Smith : msh@dl.ac.uk or dlms@nessie.mcc.ac.uk Atari Web Pages : http://www.mcc.ac.uk/~dlms/atari.html ************************ GERMANY: I am searching for Portfolio-Stuff on the net... Pages, Software, etc. Do you know some places for it? I've already put some Portfolio-Info's in my Homepage (rzserv2.fh-lueneburg.de:1701/u1/wwg28/www/acf.html). greetings, Wolf From: wwg28@rzserv4.fh-lueneburg.de (Wolf-Rainer-Gross) ************************ GERMANY: Hallo, A german company in Hannover still sells portfolios for 130 DM. The address of the Hannover company is: Digital Data Deicke, Nordring 9, D-30163 Hannover, Tel.: +49-511-6370-54 (-55). FAX-number I don't have. Best greetings Rolf (henze@hrz.uni-kassel.de) ************************ SWEDEN: I live in Sweden and have looked at a portfolio at a shop in Stockholm. Since I am an ST owner, I would love to have a Portfolio as well. If I can get some of these things from you I will definitely consider a Portfolio. Regards Mikael Hillborg, Computer Scientist, Sweden Email: Mikael.Hillborg@eua.ericsson.se ******************************* THE UNITED STATES Portfolio Support Area - Fred Horvat Well a couple issues back I mentioned I would give a list of dealers that supported our favorite palmtop. Well below is a list of places that either have hardware, software, or both for the Portfolio. Besides the listed dealers a great source of information and software is online. The larger bulletin boards services like Compuserve and Genie have file directories just for the Portfolio. I also believe under the Atari file archives you can still request files from the Portfolio directory. Besides the files, online there is a wealth of information about the Portfolio and palmtop computing in general. Beside bulletin boards as a source for public domain an shareware software is from public domain librarians. For a list of commercial software vendors check out the book that came with every Portfolio called "APB" which stands for Accessories, Peripherals, Bulletin. Besides having commercial software available it has tips and other use full information. The version I have is Volume 2, Number 1. I believe this was the last one printed. If you don't have a copy of the "APB" contact Atari, the cost listed on the cover is $1.00. Last but not least let us not forget our local user groups and Atari dealers that have been there all these years for us. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Atari Computer Corporation 1196 Borregas Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1302 408-745-2000 Services Available : Atari Portfolio purchases, exchanges, APB software purchases (if available). --------------------------------------------------------------------- B&C ComputerVisions 1725 De La Cruz Blvd. #7 Santa Clara, CA 95050-3011 Phone : 408-986-9960 Fax : 408-986-9968 Services Available : Full service Atari dealer. Sells Portfolio, software, Hardware, flashcards, and more for the Portfolio. --------------------------------------------------------------------- BRE Software 352 W. Bedford Ave Suite 104 Fresno, CA 93711 Orders : 800-347-6760 Information : 209-432-3072 Services Available : Portfolio public domain and shareware software. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dayton Discount & Sound Hwy. 92 Belleville, WI 53508 Phone 608-424-6111 Tues-Sat 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Services Available : Atari dealer. Sells Porftolio, Software, and more. -------------------------------------------------------------------- D&P Computer P.O. Box 811 Elyria, OH 44036 Orders : 800-535-4290 Information : 216-926-3842 Services Available : Full service Atari dealer. Sells Portfolio, software, hardware, flashcards, and more for the Portfolio. --------------------------------------------------------------------- It's All Relative 2233 Keeven Lane Florissant, MO 63031 Phone : 314-831-9482 Services Available : CD-ROM and software dealer. Some Atari CD-ROMS have Portfolio public domain and shareware software. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Toad Computers 570-F Ritchie Highway Severna Park, MD 21146 Orders : 800-448-8623 Information : 410-544-6943 Fax : 410-544-1329 BBS : 410-544-6999 The hotest info: New PF $200 1MB RAM/FLASH CARD $179 PC Card drive $79 110V AC adapter $10 Portfolio Books $17 Contact: David Troy [toad@charm.net] Toad Computers, Inc. (800) 448-8623 Orders America's Atari Source (410) 544-6943 Info http://www.charm.net/~toad/ (410) 544-1329 FAX ftp://ftp.charm.net/pub/home/toad/ (410) 544-6999 BBS Pushing for a GEM Web Browser! (410) 544-0098 FAX-Back There is a WEB page for Portfolio!!! Services Available : Full service Atari dealer. Sells Portfolio, software, hardware, memorycards, CD-ROMS, and more for the Portfolio. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************** THE UNITED STATES Hello again, >There are some arichves that have PF files. >There is CAIN who has Portfolio Corner. I have taken all the files from archive.umich,edu, and am looking through them. Cain carries only a little bit of info, I will send them some when my pages are ready. I am putting together WWW page, I have the FAW, and and putting up anything else I can about the Portfolio, please sen me any info you have, and I'll put it on a special page. you can MIME enclose it in a message here, or you can ftp stuff to: donna.umd.edu in the /pub/incoming dir. Andrew Diller | dillera@is-next.umd.edu andy@rasputin.umd.edu ************************** THE UNITED STATES Hi. I have an old Atari Portfolio collecting dust -- what kind of activities are you aware of on the net for Port users? I have a few Atari Portfolio programs that I wrote on phxmedia.com in the /pub/coolstuff/ directory. Check them out! (Games mostly) Jay Vaughan > MAIL - jay@phxmedia.com Phoenix Media Labs > WEB - http://phxmedia.com ************************** FRANCE The company TURTLE BAY INFORMATIQUE sells Portfolio and peripherals. They have ordered some products from our Portfolio club. This means that PF users in France can buy the products in their own country. Here is the address: Turtle Bay Informatique 90, rue massena 69006 Lyon tel: 72 75 92 84 fax: 72 74 49 85 e-mail: 100616.3455@compuserve.com ************************ ITALY An Atari dealer from Italy has just contacted us. More information in next issue or upon request. ****************************************** HELP CORNER This part of Portfolio News is designed to bring your questions, troubles and worries to the public. If you have any suggestions that may help send your help to the person asking for help and send also a copy to Portfolio News. All PF users may benefit from it. Let us start: ---------------------- You might be able to help me with a problem. I recently bought the serial link which came with a card (Slave+ ver 2.5) and software for my PC (Master PC ver 1.0) but I am having trouble with them. I know that I have things configured properly because the PC lists the directory of the Portfolio upon starting the software. But when I attempt to transfer a file from the Portfolio to the PC the program eventually times out with a message that the Portfolio is not responding. Then I find a zero length file on my PC so at least I know an attempt was made and that the connection is good. Any ideas what would cause this program to lock up when attempting to transfer files. I am finding it very frustrating not being able to download the interesting software I have found for the Portfolio. I also need a way to back up the data I have on the Portfolio. Take care... Darrell Burkey +61 6 295 6820 (work) dburkey@pcug.org.au 041 110 6172 (mobile) Try "http://www.pcug.org.au/~dburkey" ------------------------------------ ****************************** SOFTWARE PACKET No 2 This issue of Portfolio news comes with a packet of software for Portfolio. Here is a list: ACOM.EXE a communication program for serial interface ACOM.DOC text to the file 60COLS.EXE 60*10 characters on PF screen a demo by Dave Steward 60COLS.DOC text to the file CHARDATA.DAT character set for 60COLS.EXE PSHELL simple shell commander for COM and EXE files on Portfolio How to get the files: 1. Save the e-mail message into a file. In ELM mailer press s) option and enter a name of the file. I think it is good to name the file SOFT2. 2. Then quit your e-mail program. You will be at the unix prompt. 3. Use the UUDECODE command to convert the SOFT2 mail file into data file. Enter following: UUDECODE SOFT2 The result should be a file "soft2.arj" 26898 bytes long. (Be careful about small and capital letters - unix makes difference between them) 4. The "soft2.arj" is a normal ARJ file. You must tranmit this file from your unix directory to the local (DOS) directory. You fill use the FTP programme. 5. The soft2.arj can be extracted by arj.exe file. 6. Here is the result: 60COLS EXE 9,419 04-27-91 3:36a 60COLS DOC 1,805 04-27-91 3:39a CHARDATA DAT 168 04-27-91 1:51a ACOM DOC 13,177 08-21-91 10:37a ACOM EXE 9,955 08-21-91 10:37a PSHELL EXE 1,563 09-09-91 10:25p 7. If you have any problems ask your internet supervisor or send e-mail to our club. ************************************* SERIAL COMMUNICATION - ACOM Finally a serial software that works I have come across a few programs for serial communication. The only that worked is the ACOM.EXE More info about the program (the complete documentation is in the ACOM.DOC file) ACOM is a communications program written for the Atari Portfolio. However, it will run on IBM PC compatibles as well. Its purpose is to provide enhanced terminal emulation and file transferring capabilities for the Portfolio. It can copy the conents of a 128k ramcard from the Portfolio to a PC in a minute and a half. ACOM requires approximately 32k of memory for all code and buffers. ACOM can be used as a terminal emulation program, as a file transfer program, and as a host control program. It is able to determine whether it is running on a Portfolio or a PC, and setup its interrupt handling accordingly. Regarding the speed of the Portfolio com port, it seems that 38400 baud may be the highest feasible transfer speed. This is about the point that other factors influence the transfer rate more than the raw communications port speed. This speed also works satisfactorily on most other PC's I have tested. A fair amount of time and money has been spent developing this program. If ACOM proves useful, your comments and bug reports will be appreciated. Should you wish to compensate the author, get on our mailing list, and receive the latest copy of ACOM, please specify your disk size and send $25 to Roudley Associates, Inc. PO Box 608 Owings Mills, MD 21117 If you use the program, and do not wish to compensate the author, please be generous to those in need and increase your donation to your favorite charity or church. Charles Cook 71370,1025 *********************************************** Portfolio Products available from Portfolio Club So it is possible now to get all the things we have for PF Here is the list: CODE description price in CZC note ************************************************************** HPC 010 new PF 128k RAM 5800 HPC 011 new PF 512k RAM 8200 HPC 102 Atari serial interface 1900 HPC 202 Atari 64k RAM card 1900 HPC 104 256k Memory expansion+ 2900 HPC 301 PC card reader 2800 HPD 300 parallel interface 1400 HPD 400 128KB RAM card 2300 HPD 500 FDD unit 1,44 MB 5800 + 25pin par. interface + 32 KB RAM card with software HPD 600 PortWalk tape recorder 700 interface HPD 103 Leather case for PF 500 HPD 200 Portfolio Tech. Guide 400 120pgs, English + diskette HPD 203 Portfolio Programmier Praxis 400 345pgs, German + diskette HPD 700 Upgrade your RAM to 512 KB 3500 HPD 801 60 pin PF BUS connector 300 HPD 803 hardware adaptation for 700 permanent NiCd usage ********************************************** How to order the products 1. Decide what you want to get. It seems better to find some PF friends and share the expenditures on charges for sending the stuff. 2. Send us your "order" by e-mail to sedlakj@dec59.ruk.cuni.cz by fax to + 42 2 29 51 86 3. We will contact you back, telling if the products are currently available and stating the total price in CZ. (total price + shipping charges). Current rate: 1 USD makes 25.30 - 26.30 CZ crowns 4. Send the money in USD or DEM to our bank account account no. 770252-028/0800 at Ceska Sporitelna Praha 2 5. After receiving a note from bank, we will send the ordered things directly to you. Note: The HPD 700 is internal upgrade of your Portfolio RAM. You must send your Portfolio to us. The replacement takes 5 days. ********************************** MORE INFO ON THE 1 MB RAM CARDS For the technical specifications, I will quote from the booklet supplied with the RAM card itself. "The FMAP 1 fits in the Atari Portfolio memory card slot like 128K RAM card and has 8 ti;mes the file storage capacity. The memory is organized in 64K blocks. It offers over 10 year data retention without any batteries or any other power source. Data bits are retained as static charges on electrodes encased in nearly perfect insulator. This is essentially the same mechanism as that used in EPROM. Unlike EPROM, flash memory can be erased (flashed) and rewritten while still plugged into the Portfolio. The flash memory card data is also safe from magnetic fields that can corrupt data in ordinary magnetic storage media. The cards add only baout 3% to the load on the Portfolio's batteries when it is turned on and no load when the Portfolio is turned off. The card can safely be left inserted continuously." *********************************************** THE 1.44 MB FDD UNIT for Portfolio In 1993 one Portfolio fan succeeded in connecting a 5.25" unit (360 KB) to Portfolio. Later the connection to 3.5" FDD unit (1.44 MB) was realized. The purpose of this was to replace the expansive RAM cards by a cheap device with multi-fold storing capacity. The cost of the unit is lower than the price of two Atari RAM 128 KB Cards. In the end a special 3.5" FDD unit for ultra light notebooks has been utilized. This unit also solves the problem of power supply. The ordinary FDD units require 12 Volts supplies. The ultra light FDD made by TEAC requires only 5 Volts and is only 12.5 mm high. The idea was to create a device smaller than the Portfolio itself and the idea was realized. The circuits has been place under the FDD drive so that the total height do not exceed 20 mm. There is no comparable device in the world market. The unit also includes a parallel interface fully compatible with the Portfolio interface. This means that the internal applications and file transfer software can communicate through the interface without any difference. The built-in interface is fully "transparent" - this means that you can read from the diskette and at the same time print the data through the parallel interface. The FDD unit is able to read and write 3.5" diskettes both of the 1.44 MB and 720 KB capacity. The IBM PC standard is fully supported. Another important part of the unit is the software driver that installs the FDD as another drive of your Portfolio (Unless other drives already installed, the FDD will appear to be the drive D:). The driver is a 3 KB long resident program that is loaded via CONFIG.SYS command DEVICE. You can use the new drive (D:) as any other drive you are used to. The greatest problem to solve was the power supply. The FDD unit requires at least 5 Volts and Portfolio can give 4.5 V at its maximum. (If NiCds are used only 3.6 V). The problem was also increased by the fact that the motor of the FDD needs 600 mAh at its start and this power "shock" may destroy some Portfolio circuits. The solution was found in an additional NiCd battery pack (7V, 750 mAh) that is connected into the FDD unit from the back side. If fully charged, Portfolio can work with the unit for 4 to 5 hours. The battery pack is charged automatically if original Atari AC adapter is connected to Portfolio. The original Atari adapter must be used as it gives the accurate voltage for recharging the NiCd pack. (The universal AC adapters are usually weak and if they are connected to the 750 mAh pack their output vo ltage goes down.) Other unique qualities of the FDD unit * Cash utility If you install the driver by means of the DEVICE command in CONFIG.SYS the driver creates a CASH memory area that buffers data. It is necessary to make the unit work. The reason is following: Portfolio has a bit simpler BIOS than PC. And it is not designed to work with large quantities of data. If Portfolio reads from a disk device it reads always one sector only. And if two following sectors are to be read from the diskette, the BIOS has no time to work with the data. This causes big delays. (The diskettes rotates 6 times a second and thus reading 18 sectors (one track, that is 18*512 bytes) takes 3 seconds. So for example to read 43 KB PBASIC from the diskette would take 15 seconds. The algorithm of the cash is the same used in Pentium processor : Write-Through and Write-Back. This enables to read one track at once (9 or 18 sectors during one rotation) and then the BIOS reads the data in its slow way from the cash. The same problem is when writing data back to the disk. The cash solves it again. All data are written down into the virtual sectors in the cash and when the output operation is finished the data are written to the diskette at once. * The Portfolio speed The slow speed of the Portfolio allows only 720 KB diskettes to be processed. If standard rutines are used for reading 1.44 diskettes, every third byte is lost. This has been solved by a special hardware solution that locks up the clock cycle of CPU bus and thanks to a special rutine that is two instructions shorter than the standard rutines. * ROM error Yet another problem remained. There is some error in Portfolio BIOS that causes the failure of MkDir (INT 21H, Fn 39H) function with 3.5" 720 KB diskettes. If you use the MkDir command with 720 KB diskette Portfolio will crash. The data on diskette are lost and FAT is damaged. Even this problem has been solved and the driver also takes care of the MkDir function and if the user attempts to make a new directory the driver replaces the bad rutine in ROM by its code. About the designer of the FDD The FDD is a result of one personP2s efforts. "I spent the whole 1993 on the FDD development", says Tomas Dusek the father of the unit. "I think it was worth while. I learned the very details of PC BIOS and I made something that nobody else has made. After the PortWalk (tape recorder interface) it was my second peripheral for Portfolio. The crazy thing is that I developed the unit in my free time, ....., and it was mainly sponsored by money from my full time job. At day I worked in one computer comp any, in the evenings I used to solder. When I started to produce more units I had to make the business legal - I had registered a private company "Sunny-Soft". It is not a big company - in fact just me. But it works." BUY THE FDD UNIT NOW The 1.44 MB FDD unit and more at the price of just two Atari 128 KB RAM Cards!!! The FDD units opens the data world to you and your Portfolio. Now you can read the data from diskettes directly without any cable and file transfer software. You can save the results of your work on the diskettes and work with it in your desktop PC in almost no time. SPECIAL OFFER: 1.44 MB FolioDrive FDD UNIT 25 pin parallel interface on board 7 Volts NiCd battery pack + parallel cable + software on diskette included !!! + 32 KB RAM CARD with installed driver This all just for 5800 CZC. Where else in the world can you get so much for your money? *********************************************** * What we are looking for: - any PF fans that want to join us - any PF users who are able to develop new soft - information about: Re:Port, Portfolio Connection Newsletter, etc. - any kind of emotional, mental and other support - any dealer that is willing to go on with PF stuff and wants to sell our products *********************************************** This issue of Portfolio News was published on May 15, 1995. ************************************************ Special greetings to: Don Messerli - for his soft and graphics BJ Gleason - for PBASIC and tons of other things S. Spoelstra - for his BASIC, and others Tomas Dusek - Go on developing the hardware! Martin & Milan Hrdlicka - the authors of new graphic BIOS Dave Steward - Re:Port is the only that has survived, and that is your work, thank you and to other PF friends who support us