February 2020
•February 2020 Edition•
Another great SPACE meeting last month! Roger’s demo of setting up the latest SpartaDOS X with the SIDE2 cartridge and the XL with Ultimate1MB module was truly amazing. Thank you Roger! The things that our little Atari computers can do today! Last month I wrote briefly about looking to finally move on from Eudora. Well, I briefly moved into Pandora Mail, after working hard to get it working just the way I wanted, Mostly. But then I realized that, while I had managed to keep of the attachments properly attached, all the mail message statuses had been lost. Further research suggested I could use an earlier version of Thunderbird to make a better import from Eudora, and then go from there. That was tricky to get going, but once I did, I ended up being very impressed with Thunderbird’s behavior in general. And I ended up not going back to Pandora Mail, but sticking with Thunderbird. I also moved my RSS reading and Usenet newsgroup reading into Thunderbird as well, so it took over from three separate programs I was using before. Things are working very well!
What started out as a slow night, with only Glen and myself at the January SPACE meeting, turned into another interesting one. After Glen went through the DOM with me, and the time read 7:15, it looked a little bleak. Then our President, Michael Current, walked in followed shortly after by Roger Mier, and then around 7:30 Steve Peck made it. So, as it turned out, we proceeded with a normal monthly meeting. Michael brought a book from his library, titled “Computers as Theater,” by Brenda Laurel. After Michael read a few sentences from the book it seemed like a good title for me to pursue. I looked it up at our library in Inver Grove but had no luck there, so now I am going to have my sister-in-law, who works at the South Saint Paul library, search all of Dakota County libraries to see if she can find it for me. Roger gave us a demo of a cartridge he brought in that I will defer to him to explain, but it was truly amazing. Imagine using your 8-bit without needing a floppy drive. I hope you can all make a meeting where Roger can show the rest of our members.
What I always thought were shortcomings with the IMAP protocol I can now tell had more to do with Eudora’s old implementation, because Thunderbird works with my mail server remarkably smoothly. I’m still feeling good about the move.
As for our Treasury, we started the year with a balance of $780.54, and at our January meeting we sold six 8-bit DOMs for a total of $18.00. So at month end we have a current balance of $798.54, but realize I need to get ahold of Falcon Heights and get our 2019 room rental fee of $300.00.
(By the way, Thunderbird makes it easy for me to report that I have over 30,000 saved emails that I’m talking about in this email migration!)
Even then, we will have a balance of about $500.00. So the Club is in great shape beginning the new year.
Have you heard by now that there should be Atari-brand hotels turning up in the US over the next couple years? How exciting, I say! I hope they are successful, and I hope they bring today’s Atari a new, reliable revenue stream to ensure their continued viability for a long time to come. I would totally stay at an Atari hotel given the chance!
Well, I am off to watch the NFL playoffs and eventually the Super Bowl. I already know the Vikings got beat (really bad), and the Packers won (just barely), but it looks like San Francisco and the Kansas City Chiefs will make it to the finals.
Thanks, keep using that Atari, and come to your next SPACE meeting: Friday, February 14, 2020.
So, with college basketball and hockey heating up, I am going to have fun the next couple of months. See you all on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, for our next SPACE meeting. TABLE OF CONTENTS: PAGE ONE: The President’s Corner Treasurer’s and Secretary’s Reports PAGE TWO: Atari 8-bit DOM Review PAGE THREE: SPACE Comics Section PAGE FOUR: Recent Atari News Final Thoughts
HELLO WORLD! Welcome to the first Secretary’s Report of 2020. I will waste no time and begin. The meeting commenced at 7:45 PM on January 10, 2020. In the first meeting of the year, we have ten paid-up members, another great DOM, a demonstartion of a great Atari product, and great news from the Atari world. The website report is good from our President, Michael Current, The Facebook page is functioning and doing well. We also talked about a cool new project called FujiNet. What is FujiNet? Well, it is a project that will, for example, allow disk images to be used on a PC and an A8 computer through WiFi. If I recall correctly, it is even able to network other A8 components wirelessly. I will research more on this myself in the immediate future, as it piques my interest. More on this will be posted later in future issues of the Newsletter. Keep posted for future updates! Also, Roger was kind enough to demonstrate his Side2 cartridge for the Atari 8-bit computer. It is a winner, too. It involves using a CompactFlash cartridge on the A8 computer. CF cartridges store a lot of data and it can be used for anything. We saw the cartridge in action, and it is fast-loading and fun to use. But, it uses up the cartridge port on the computer, and that can also be used for other things as well. But, I was inpressed with it, and I might want something like it some day. Well, that concludes the Secretary’s Report. Have a great day, and happy computing! In the words of the great Stan Lee… EXCELSIOR! TRIVIA TIME! In the Atari 2600 game, “Moonsweeper,” the music at the game over screen is actually from the old hymn “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” While in the Atari 7800 version of “Choplifter,” the music you hear when you first take off on a sortie is from the classic hymn “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
“Captain Pork,” the last file on Side A of this DOM, is a picture by Piesiu/Agenda, showing a pig with an eyepatch playing with paper boats on a pond.
Well, here we are with another DOM Review for the A8. In this DOM, we have an intro, some music, and games. I will just cut to the chase and get started. Let’s see what we have, shall we? January 2020 DOM, Side A: The first file on this DOM is called “Autari Intro.” It was created for Lost Party 2019 by Bocianu, and it looks like Lotharek played a part in it as well. For those of you that do not know of Lotharek, he built the Video Board XE for the Atari 8-bit computer line. So, in the Atari world, he is very well known for his abilities. Anyway, the intro shows a license plate, modeled after a personalized European Union license plate. It then shows a logo that says “Autari,” exemplifying the Atari Fuji logo in the letter “A.” There is also great muic in this intro as well. The graphics are spot on. There may be a PAL issue, because the license shakes during the intro, but this is nothing to worry about. It plays well. So, with that I will score this intro. SCORE: Graphics: Sound: TOTAL SCORE:
9 9
It is striking. Cartoony, but excellent graphics. It really stands out and I like the way it is presented. It has a punny name , but it works. TOTAL SCORE:
10/10 (perfect score) Side B:
The entire side B of this DOM is a game called “Imogen,” by AcornSoft. It shows a wizard trying to figure out how to get through he rooms in the game by changing into different animals with different abilities, and it is challenging. I think that the graphics need work, but everything else is great. I understand that this is a translation of a port, and I love the technical work put into it. It does look good and it is a great game otherwise. So, I say good job. Kudos. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Sound: TOTAL SCORE:
6 9 7 8 30/40
Well, fellow Atarians, this concludes the A8 DOM Review. Thanks for reading! I will see oyu next month, if I can make it to the Club. Carpe Diem, felloe SPACE Cadets!
18/20
The next file is a game called “601F,” which is a golf game (you can tell by the way the name of the game looks). It is interesting, and looks quite technical. Just like any golf game, hit the ball in the hole. Simple. This file was created by Agenda for ABBUC. I like the way it looks. It looks like a great game and I would enjoy playing it sometime. I will score the game accordingly. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Sound:
7 9 9 10
TOTAL SCORE:
35/40
Another game on this DOM is called “Train 3,” by Petr Postava and Baha Software. It is like the game Surround for the A2600. The rules are simple. Colect the ghosts and form a train, being careful not to crash into anything. It is a cute game. It needs better music, but it looks good. I like the premise of the game. Basically, it is strategy and a puzzle. It is a good job in programming and technical skill. SCORE: Graphics: Gameplay: Animation: Sound: TOTAL SCORE:
7 8 6 7 28/40
The next file is a music track called “I Forgot the Melody Again,” by LiSu. Reminiscent of the classic tune “Popcorn,” it has a peppy beat and it sounds great for an 8-bit track. I love it and it deserves high marks. TOTAL SCORE:
9/10
The next SPACE Meeting will commence at 7:30 PM, on Friday, February 14, 2020. We hope to see you there! Thanks! Happy Valentine’s Day!
SPACE COMICS SECTION! The Misadventures of A-Man and C.D. By Steven Peck
Angel, Bandit, and their Ferret Fracas By Steven Peck
Recent Atari News Atari® Announces World-Class Video GameThemed Atari HotelsTM First Atari Hotel to Begin Construction in Phoenix in Mid-2020 New York, NY (January 27, 2020) – Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and entertainment producers — today announced a deal with GSD Group — a leading innovation and strategy agency, led by founder Shelly Murphy and partner Napoleon Smith III — to acquire the rights to build video game-themed Atari Hotels in the United States, with the first location breaking ground in Phoenix, AZ later this year. Atari, a trailblazer in the gaming industry, is pioneering an exciting new concept: a unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination. Atari Hotels level up hotel entertainment with fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability, including the latest in VR and AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality). Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events. Hotel development and design is being led by Shelly Murphy’s GSD Group and Napoleon Smith III, producer of the wildly successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise reboot. True North Studio, a leading Phoenix, AZ-based real estate developer — currently working alongside GSD Group with Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation — will develop the first Ataribranded hotel. “We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.” More than 2.5 billion gamers across the world spent more than $152.1 billion (US) on games in 2019 alone; an increase of +9.6% year on year. One of the most distinctive trends in gaming is gamers gravitating toward recognizable intellectual property. Atari Hotels will offer consumers exactly that, marrying the origins of gaming and the future of the booming industry into a fun and unique travel destination. “When creating this brand-new hotel concept, we knew that Atari would be the perfect way to give guests the ‘nostalgic and retro meets modern’ look and feel we were going for. Let’s face it, how cool will it be to stay inside an Atari?!” said Napoleon Smith III. “Atari Hotels will be the first of their kind in the US, offering gamers of all ages the ultimate in immersive entertainment and in every aspect of gaming. We’re excited to be working on this project with such great partners and to bring a big win to Arizona,” added Shelly Murphy. The first of the Atari Hotels is planned to break ground in 2020 in Phoenix, AZ with initial additional hotels planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose. For more information about Atari Hotels, please visit www.atarihotels.com. About GSD Group GSD Group is a leading innovation and strategy group — with experience in finance, education, entertainment and creating innovative verticals with legacy brands. GSD Group is associated with Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation and DesTechAZ. About True North Studio
True North Studio is a collection of talented professionals that hail from a variety of specialties, but share a common goal — to create and curate exceptional spaces where incredible things happen on a daily basis. And they have the expertise and acumen to make it work. The founders have decades of experience in commercial real estate construction, development, finance, and accounting and have been involved in more than $6 billion in projects around the world. The team consists of some of the best people and partners in the industry and the portfolio of properties is carefully managed, and provides an incredible array of opportunities and experiences. About Atari Atari is an interactive entertainment company. As an iconic brand that transcends generations and audiences, the company is globally recognized for its multi-platform, interactive entertainment and licensed products. Atari owns and/or manages a portfolio of more than 200 games and franchises, including worldrenowned brands like Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Pong®, and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari has offices in New York and Paris. Visit us online at www.Atari.com. © 2020 Atari Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved. Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc. Disclaimer: The realization of the plans, and their operational budget and financing plan remain inherently uncertain, and the non-realization of these assumptions may impact their value.
Message from Captain Irata: “The New Year is here! Make a resolution to beat your favorite Atari games in 2020!” HOO-RAH! Final Thoughts By Steve Peck Well, it looks like we will have an early Spring, at least according to the groundhog not seeing his shadow. I want to let everybody know that this is a great honor being the Newsletter Editor. I am open to new ideas for the Newsletter. If you have any requests or ideas to improve the Newsletter, please let me know. I want to further improve the Newsletter, but I need new ideas. I can think of things on my own, but if you have anything, please feel free to tell me. This includes jokes for the comics, new articles, improved articles, et cetera. I want to get new ideas going. My contact information is on the back page of the Newsletter. Or, you can talk to me at a meeting sometime. Carpe Diem, fellow Atarians! Thanks!
H appy
G roundhog Day and Pre sident ’s Day, and have a gre at
Februar y in 2020! Thanks !
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