Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8602262201.AA01878
Posted: Wed Feb 26 17:01:56 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Feb-86 21:57:47 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 61

Terry-

Hmmm, looks like that we've got a problem here...

When the ST was presented to the public all testers told that it is

using an enhanced CPM/68k. They also told that the disks use the IBM

PC format. Actually it's the same, except 2 small differences. If you

add a 5" floppy to the ST you can transfer ONE file at a time (with

more you get problems with the file allocation table) from the PC to

the ST and vice versa. In the 'Hitchhikers Guide to the BIOS' and

in the documentation they compare their system quite much with MS-DOS

(sometimes to often). Actually it is very similar to MS-DOS (not only

Unix; like I told before). The subdirectories are handeled like in

MS-DOS. I never worked with CPM/68k but there was a time when I wanted

to build such a system (was too expensive), so I know at least some

facts about it. Unfortunately I don't have access to my documentations

right now... but I'll dig it out when there is need for it.

(Then I can post a comparison of the system calls.)

In general you push your desired function on the stack and call the

system. And this functions are different in both OS's as I know.

Next: You've got several system components: GEMDOS,BIOS,XBIOS,GEM and a

grafics kernel. GEMDOS is not GEM, it's more like BDOS in CP/M.

The XBIOS is an extension of the BIOS. The kernel supports the GEM (You

can use it without GEM if you like). Even without GEM the TOS doesn't

look like CPM/68k. Try to run an CPM program (of course from the TOS)

und you'll see what happens...several bombs...reset....:-)

  The problem is that ATARI had the intention to use CPM (and told so)

but changed their mind later on. But several M-magazines are still

writing something about CPM68k on the ST. If they would have tried

to run an CPM program the would have known better.

Finally, I'm not the ultimate source for such informations, I know

some facts but not all...feel free to revise the above.

Johann Zuschlag (I6191008@DBSTU1.BITNET)

Article-I.D.: nmtvax.959
Posted: Mon Mar  3 10:23:27 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 06:15:40 EST
Reply-To: rob@nmtvax.UUCP (Rob Kenyon -A stranger in a stranger land)
Organization: New Mexico Tech (You call that an Organization?)
Lines: 20


Hey Guys and Gals!

	Could we like get these new newsgroups organized?  I'm tired of having
to weed ST articles out of atari8 and I am still wondering why there is 
a net.micro.atari anymore.  I don't know of any 32 bit ataris (yet!)

The worst thing is, I don't even own an atari!

I have to fix that some day...
-- 

Robert Kenyon                                p /
...ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!rob                   /
rob@nmt                                      / g

They say there is strangeness too dangerous,
In our theaters and bookstore shelves.
Those who know what's best for us,
Must rise and save us from ourselves.