I: Eh, hi officer, um, we had a flat tyre back there, do you
think you guys can get us out?
P: No, that's not my job, my job is not to help your fucking ass
out.
I: I mean, ah, you know, I don't have any other way to get home.
P: That's not my job, asshole.
I: Well, eh, could you tell me what you job is?
P: Right now my job is eating these donuts, or maybe...eh, wait
a minute, aren't you...
BLAM.
BLAM.
BLAM.
I: Yeah.
Body Count
A THIRD ATTEMPT AT THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE DISK MAGAZINE ROUNDUP!
PART 1
by Richard Karsmakers
In ST NEWS Volume 7 Issue 2 the predecessor to this disk
magazine roundup appeared - the penultimate roundup. In Volume 8
Issue 2, over one year later, a panultimate version appeared.
This time it's just the third one. Nothing pen-or pan-ultimate
about it, it's just as up-to-date and extensive as possible (and
maybe post-pan-ultimate or something). And, likely, this is still
not the last you'll see of it, what with my intention to publish
updated versions of this article about once a year.
I have refrained from trying to include all online magazines
(like the hundreds of different Net Digests, to name but one
common class of examples), and instead only included the ones
that may be of interest to general ST users and fiction
afficionados.
Anyway, now for this newly incarnated roundup. The first version
contained "over *fortytwo*" entries, the Volume 8 Issue 2 one had
86. Again there has been a bit of growth, so that all in all this
third occurrence lists 121 entries, of which 40 are references
to on-line efforts.
Thanks need to go to Dave Mooney and John Weller of "STEN" (even
though they r.i.p.) for the original idea back in '91 or '92
somewhere, and a lot of other people (mainly disk magazine
editors and e-zine list compiler John Labovitz) whom I can't
possibly all start mentioning here. Cheers to all you guys!
=================================================================
Status: Mentions whether the magazine is Public Domain,
shareware, commercial or whatever else is possible.
User interface: Does the mag have a user interface of its own?
if so, what's it like (very briefly)?
Latest issue: The latest (or last) issue of the magazine. This
particular information is limited to my own knowledge and it
therefore not infallible at all! Better, perhaps, to interpret
this as "latest known issue".
Address: The address (standard mail address and/or email) where
the editorial staff may be contacted. If the magazine is dead
this is considered irrelevant.
Health: Is the magazine still being released or has it, let's
euphemize, passed away already? Interestingly, there are also a
few in-between possibilities.
Language: What language is (or which languages are) used in the
magazine?
=================================================================
=================================================================
AAUSAC - NASA MAG
=================================================================
AAUSAC
A disk mag by the Association of Atari Users in Schools And
Colleges. It is put together by a chap called Terry Freedman, and
its aim is to bring together teachers and lecturers who use the
Atari in their work.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. An old version of the Newsdisk shell.
Latest issue: Number 1.
Address: 45 Douglas Road, Goodmayes, Essex, England.
Health: Alive?
Language: English.
Access Magazine
This magazine gives access to a behind the scenes glimpse of
people and place you've always wondered about, while revealing
all they can discover about the world of entertainment (and they
claim to be rather good at this). They provide you with up-to-
date info on everything from the supernatural to the art of
cooking. It's said to be very diverse, but no hands-on experience
here. It's bi-monthly, and its editor is Shirley Bragg. It
started early 1994.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Email access@ambassador.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
ACUSG
A disk magazine that came from a London Atari ST user group. At
least 2 issues are known to have come out, but they probably
ceased existing after Volume 1 Issue 2. Articles were tiny
(displayed in dialog boxes, for crying out loud), and accent was
put on programs that could be run from the shell. The last known
issue (i.e. Volume 1 Issue 2) was released in June 1987.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one that was, let's face it, bad.
Latest issue: Not certain; probably Volume 1 Issue 2.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
Admirables Mag
A Finnish disk magazine with a demo'n'hacking atmosphere. Nice
music (some of it ripped), nice demos, nice graphics. Quite a lot
of stuff is offered, among which also quite a load of articles.
The editor seems to be Claff Moron of the Admirables. This may
(hopefully) not be his real name (no offence intended if it is!).
It is very confusing in all to know that this seems also to be
the name of a French magazine that was born dead, again with
Claff Moron in it?!? Not even someone connected with this
magazine seemed to be able to explain this satisfactorily. Maybe
I'm just stupid.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one. Quite slow.
Latest issue: Number 3.
Address: Kotimaenkuja 4, 27230 Lappi TL, Finland.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Amateur Computerist, The
A sortof regular computer magazine, covering all sorts of
different computer-related subjects. Starting with Volume 4
numbers 2/3, it's become available in electronic form instead of
the usual paper-only one. It's an American magazine edited by
Ronda Hauben and is mostly devoted to Internet-related subjects.
Not a real computer magazine in general, despite its name.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Volume 5 Issue 3/4 (summer/fall 1993).
Address: Email au329@cleveland.freenet.edu.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Amazine
A disk magazine that used to be made by the demo coders Mad
Vision (who seem to be French, Belgian and English). User
interface used to consist of a menu where you could type the
number of the article you want to read. Later issues had a mouse-
driven menu. Quality of English varies considerably depending on
who authored a particular article. Loads of humour (BBS and
internet-sourced material). Strictly Underground and probably
fairly illegal. One of its earliest issues was reportedly sent to
F.A.S.T. (the Federation Against Software Theft) by MicroMart.
Very odd. In January 1993 Mad Vision left the ST scene and the
magazine was taken over by the Hemorhoids.
Status: Public domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one.
Latest issue: Issue 4.
Address: Used to be Mad Vision W.H.Q., BP 19, B-4030 Grivegnee
1, Belgium.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Armadillo Culture
An ASCII Internet magazine, described as "the excremeditation of
a hyperactive Armadillo's opinions, and other stuff." Sounds
really interesting, not? It contains stuff about music, books,
stories, the works. The lyout is a bit chaotic, which is a bit of
a bummer because that's the only thing aesthetic an on-line
magazine can offer.
Status: Public domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Issue 6.
Address: 2857 Foxmill Rd.. Herndon, VA 22071, USA. Email
sokay@mitre.org.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Atari Digest
These are messages and discussions taken off UseNet and
consequently edited. It is primarily focused on American
interests, and a treat for the technically interested. If you
have a look at their 'latest issue', below, you will see it's a
number that suffices to let you know how long they've been going
on and at what approximate frequency it appears.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Last documented one is 206. Probably more.
Address: Not known.
Health: Probably still alive.
Language: English.
Atari Explorer On-Line
When, early 1992, a magazine called "Z-Net" (Cf.) started
working together closely with the regular paper magazine "Atari
Explorer", this on-line magazine was founded. Most of the "Z-Net"
staff went to work for this mag afterwards. Around New Year
1992/1993 Ron Kovacs resumed publication of his "Z-Net". "Atari
Explorer On-Line" went on with a new editor, Travis Guy.
This magazine, incidentally, if often referred to just as 'AEO'.
It's sortof bi-monthly and contains lots of hot inside
information as far as Atari is concerned. They also do special
extra dedication issues. Sometimes they get very big with lots of
information and renditions of entire Genie Roundtable Convention
stuff. Quite incredible.
When you have a subscription to AEO, you automatically get the
Atari Programmer's Journal, a somewhat more technical compendium
sort of thing that is released once every few months or so. This
also includes UUencoded source material at times. Additionally
you also get special Jaguar-related issues and "AEO News" issues.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Volume 3 Issue 10 (July 2nd 1994); the Atari
Programmer's Journal latest incarnation is issue 4 (March 31st
1994); the Jaguar Edition latest issue is #2 (May 27th 1994);
the latest AEO News issue is #4 (June 18th 1994).
Address: Email aeo.mag@genie.geis.com. Internet subscribers can
request a subscription at stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Atari Power Entertainment Online
This is a monthly online addition to the "Atari Power
Entertainment" magazine. It's about Lynx and Jaguars, and I
believe the first issue was released in April 1994.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: April 1994.
Address: APE Newsletter, 2104 North Kostner, Chicago, IL 60639,
USA (send a letter here and you'll get a free ish of the actual
magazine with an added subscription form). The email address is
c.smith89@genie.geis.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Atari Star
A new disk magazine about which nothing is known except that
it's supposed to have released its first issue on March 30th and
that it contains sections on computer-related and non-computer-
related stuff, interviews with authors and more. It's probably
English.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Not known.
Latest issue: Issue 1.
Address: Not known.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Atari United!
Or "AU!". A special preliminary issue was released through
STeve's Software at the Glendale Atari Show in the US in
September. It offers news, reviews, press releases, program
demos, public domain software and any other information that
might be of interest to owners of Atari TOS computers. It has a
custom interface written by Bry Edewaard and Scott Ettinger.
Compatible with any ST/TT/Falcon, uses any 80-column resolution.
Managing editor is Gordie Meyer. It explicitly permits user
groups to republish its material provided credits is given.
Articles are extensive and well-written, and bonus archives
containing ZIP archives filled with goodies are also found on the
disks. All articles are in one file that is loaded on startup.
Status: Commercial (4 issues per year, US$ 4,95 a piece or US$
16,00 a year).
User interface: Yes, a custom one that's quite smooth and
entirely GEM-driven.
Latest issue: Issue 2 (Winter 1994).
Address: P.O. Box 1982, Ames, IA 50010-1982. Email account
number biblinski@delphi.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Athene
I have never seen this on-line magazine. For sake of
completeness I have included it here. Until its 'death' in March
1991 it seemed to focus primarily on fiction, and seemed to be
quite like "Quanta" (Cf.). It was a monthly publication, edited
by Jim McCabe. After its death it seems to have gone into
"Intertext" (Cf.).
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: March 1991, the seventh issue.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
Auto-Mation
A British (?) disk magazine that started late 1993. Initial
impression have been quoted by a PD library to be "very good and
worth a look anyway". No hands-on experience.
Status: Public Domain.
User Interface: Not known.
Latest issue: Volume 1 Issue 1.
Address: Not known.
Health: Probably alive.
Language: Probably English.
Bad Subjects
A magazine (quote) "intended to promote radical thinking and
public education about the political implications of everyday
life. We offer a forum for rethinking American 'progressive' or
'leftist' politics. We invite you to join us and participate in
all aspects of Bad Subjects." Topics you might find in here are
"Beverly Hills 90210", poetry slams, popular music and the
culture of addiction.
Wowee!
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Email badsubjects-request@uclink.berkely.edu.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Big Night Out Magazine, the
An English magazine, colour only, edited by Paul Bramwell of The
Corruption Software Group. It contains lots of short articles.
Cute music, nice demos.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one.
Latest issue: Number 2.
Address: 28 Woodlands, Seaham, Co. Durham, SR7 0EP, England.
Health: Alive?
Language: English.
Bits and Bytes Online
An electronic (online) magazine for text-based life forms,
published at irregular intervals, but 2 or 3 times per month
approximately. The editor is Jay Machado.
Status: Public Domain, online.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: 1529 Dogwood Drive, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003, USA, email
jaymachado@delphi.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Church ST User
This disk magazine which arose somewhere in 1991 or 1992 is set
up by the Reverend Joe Clemson. Its intent is the forming of a
forum for the mutual support of the Atari ST in Christian Work.
It features Public Domain software, and tries to promote the ST
in PC-dominated pious circles. To give you an indication of what
it costs, a subscription to the three 1992 issues cost £3.50.
It's mainly aimed at the UK (which is probably infidel enough to
warrant extra spiritual care).
Status: Commercial (sortof).
User interface: Not known.
Latest issue: Issue 5.
Address: 33 Cromer Avenue, Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear,
NE9 6UL, England.
Health: Alive?
Language: English.
CIP ST
This was the magazine of a German user group, done by editor
Ulrich Veigel. The last documented issue that got out was issue
4, of May 1988. The program has an own shell which consisted of a
large program in which all articles were integrated. Article
loading times, thus, were nonexistent. Loading the program took
quite long, though (it would, wouldn't it?).
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one.
Latest issue: Number 4.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: German.
Core
A literary internet magazine that concentrates on featuring
quality short fiction, poetry and essays. It started in August
1991 and it usually doesn't exceed a size of about 30 Kb. It's
editor is Rita Marie Rouvalis.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Volume 2 Issue 4 (April 1993). Due to busy-ness
Rita hasn't done much lately, but she'll get back to it she
says.
Address: Email rita@eff.org.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Crash
A description of this magazine goes like "A guide to traveling
through the underground. Alternative travel stories, hints and
tips". And that's all that is known, except for the fact that the
editors are John Labovitz, Miles Poindexter and Nigel French.
Status: Public Domain, online.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: 519 Castro #7, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA, email
johnl@netcom.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
CSC
Nothing known about this, except for the fact that at least one
issue was made and that it's in French.
And that it actually exists, of course. Or maybe existed.
Cyberspace Vanguard
This online magazine carries news and views of the Science
Fiction and Fantasy universe. Its editor is T.J. Goldstein, and
the first, preview, issue was released in December 1992. The
first real issue was Volume 1 Issue 1. It features reviews,
articles, columns, interviews, news, etc., and is spread through
at least 23 countries on six continents. It is published
approximately bimonthly, but the editor would eventually like to
do it on a monthly basis provided enough people help with it.
Personally, I think this is one helluva brilliant magazine. I
have never seen so much hot news and stuff (also about future
films and books in general) in one go. No true fantasy/science
fiction fan should be without this. If he/she has email, that is.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Volume 2 Issue 2 (March 31st 1994).
Address: Email cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Daily Error
Probably abortive attempt at a great magazine, said to be French
and the replacement of another magazine (name unknown). It looked
too much like I demo, is claimed.
Their pre-issue/demo was released around 1991.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Very custom, yes.
Latest issue: The demo.
Address: Irrelevant.
Language: English.
DargonZine
This is yet another on-line magazine. Its editor is Dafydd
Cyhoeddwr (I'm not sure whether this name should be taken
seriously though, though I think this is considered a fairly
standard name in Welsh or Irish). Focuses primarily on fiction.
It does stories written for the Dargon Project, a shared-world
anthology similar to (and inspired by) Robert Asprin's Thieves'
World anthologies, created by David "Orny" Liscomb in his now
retired magazine, "FSFNet" (Cf.). The Dargon Project centers
around a medieval-style duchy called Dargon in the far reaches of
the Kingdom of Baranur on the world named Makdiar, and as
such contains stories with a fantasy fiction and sword'n'sorcery
flavour. It surely sounds very inspired. The magazine seems quite
prolific at times, what with 1990, for example, seeing 11 issues.
Quite irregular, it started in 1988.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Volume 7 Issue 1 (February 14th 1994).
Address: Email white@duvm.Bitnet.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
DBA Magazine
A widespread, very popular Dutch disk magazine with a user
interface akin "Maggie" (the new version). "DBA" had this kind of
menu before "Maggie", they claim. Custom music, nice menu, smooth
working, multiple musical pieces, good graphics, intuitive, OK.
They write in English but one of the submenus is devoted to Dutch
stuff which makes it stand out among the others. They tried doing
monochrome versions, but they're still colour-only so it seems.
Issue 4 is a compilation of stuff that appeared in issue 1, 2, 3
and 5 (yes, strange chronology but true nonetheless). Their
recent issues - up to issue 9 - have taken up two disks. Issue 9
was the first attempt at Falcon compatibility and Issue 10 was
Falcon only (and supplied on 1 HD disk).
The only thing not totally perfect about "DBA" is that perhaps
many of its articles are a bit bland and the English tends to
have its own biorhythm where general good quality is concerned.
They have different fonts but don't support text styles.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: A smooth and nice-looking custom one.
Latest issue: Issue 10 (May 1994).
Address: Postbus 506, 9200 AM, Drachten, the Netherlands. Email
gertk@ttgk.textlitho.nl.
Health: Alive.
Language: English, with one column in Dutch.
Digital Disk Magazine
Multi-format (ST/Amiga/PC) magazine, proclaimed non-elitist (you
don't have to be in a demo crew), offering coverage of topics
such as Network News, Digital Art, 68000 tutorial, Software
Reviews and, yes, short stories. All different formats have a
core of the same articles with added platform-specific stuff. It
also offers PD programs and music modules. It is distributed as
"Magic Shadow Archiver" file, and its editor is Steve Hill. The
first issue was released August 1993. As of issue 4 it's
subscription only, which will set you back £8 for 4 issues or £20
for 12.
Status: Public Domain before Issue 4, sortof commercial after
that.
User interface: A GEM interface, not too brilliant and very
slow.
Latest Issue: Christmas 1993.
Address: 85 Ceres Road, Plumstead, London, SE18 1HL, England.
Email sh1aoy2@greenwich.ac.uk.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Digital Games Digest
A modem magazine that concentrates on games reviews for all
formats (including PC, ST, Amiga, handheld, consoles, etc.). Its
editor is Dave Taylor.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Unknown.
Address: Email taylor@limbo.intuitive.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Discbox
A disk mag that took a 'new' approach to the concept, by showing
the articles as "Degas" pictures through a slideshow program.
Articles were extremely brief, and about 40-50 pics (i.e. screen
pages) appeared in one issue. Lots of the screens were dedicated
to ads for the people who put it out, which are the Prophecy P.D.
Library folks. Colour only.
Status: Commercial.
User interface: No. Well, maybe 'yes' - a slideshow program.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: 1,571 Dumbarton Road, Scotstown, Glasgow G14 9XE,
Scotland
Health: Possibly dead. Not entirely certain, hence the address.
Language: English.
Disk Magazin
A short-lived initiative by Timo Schmidt, who after that became
one of the staff writers of "Maggie" (Cf.) for a while. "Disk
Magazine" was published in German, and had a user interface that
was, certainly by today's standards, very clumsy to work with.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes, a custom one.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: German.
Disk Space
Though still suffering from the odd bug in its fresh user
interface, "Disk Space" is a promising disk magazine that we're
likely to hear more of in the future. Its editor is Jason
Reucassel, who has nothing against publishing lots of fiction in
his mag - good idea!
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one.
Latest issue: Issue 2. This is quite old by now, actually.
Address: 10 Stewarts Way, Marlow Bottom, Marlow, Bucks SL7 3QL,
England
Health: Alive?
Language: English.
Disk Times
A Finnish disk magazine, but thank God (in whom I don't believe)
it's written in English. It used to be produced by the Universal
Coders (UNC), but they either seem to have renamed into Armade or
these new guys have taken over. Lots of humour and stuff, good
soundtracks (they use tracker music). Some people find it a bit
childish, though.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. A custom one like a large rotating drum.
Latest issue: Volume 1 Issue 5.
Address: Unknown.
Health: Alive?
Language: English.
Dizzy Diskzine
This is not so much a regular disk magazine as a sort of disk-
based (non-official) Dizzy Games helpline. The 'magazine' is
updated once every couple of months and includes all cheats and
solutions to the Dizzy games ("Treasure Island Dizzy" and the
other Dizzy Codemasters games). They're done by Chris M. Banham.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None. Just text files.
Latest issue: Not applicable. Latest 'version' unknown.
Address: 36 Chestnut Avenue, Euxton, Lancs PR7 6BS, England.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
DNT Papers
Although the editorial contents are in French as well as
English, this mag leaves a good impression, even though
everything seems a bit slow (between screens, 'calculating' when
going up or down a page, etc.). It's made by the DNT Crew,
consisting of two chaps that call themselves Flips & Pips. It
only runs on colour. As of the third issue the user interface
is a lot better. The fourth issue proclaimed the mag's death,
but then came issue 5. So they're undead or something.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes, a custom one.
Latest issue: Issue 5.
Address: 5, Bis Rue de Planchepaleuil, F-63200 Rion, France.
Health: Alive, or undead maybe.
Language: French and English.
Erotica
A new defunct American porn magazine with a mediocre ST medium-
res shell, offering nudy pics and sex-phone stories, like
vibrator reviews and sex book reviews.
Status: Pubic Domain.
User interface: Yes, GEM oriented thingy.
Latest issue: 2.
Address: Irrelevant.
Health: Died during The Act.
Language: English.
Fair Play
A disk magazine that I only read something about. No details are
known, but the user interface is said to be crap, the articles
few (something like 10) and its directory scattered (source: "RTS
Track").
Falcon Magazine
A weekly but unfortunately rather short-lived disk magazine
especially for the Falcon. The first issue came out on June 28th
1993. Its editor was Jos van Roosmalen. The first two issues were
text files on disk, less than 50 Kb in size, and the rest of the
disk was filled with various source material and programs. It is
a shame that this magazine ceased to exist so quickly, because it
was a most excellent way to get the best from your Falcon, even
though it was written in Dutch. Issue 3 (mid July) saw the
introduction of a GEM interface, but it was very sloppy (though
"MultiTOS" compatible!).
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Issue 3.
Address: Not important.
Health: Dead.
Language: Dutch.
F.A.S.T.E.R.
The magazine that started everything with regard to a neat user
interface - one of the very earliest ST disk magazines, having
started somewhere in the autumn of 1986. It was Canadian of
origin, and I seem to recall that some of the earliest issues had
a set of English articles and their copies in French. Later
issues were English only. They were the first that had a user
interface, and they survived only a bit more than a year -
probably because they were commercial, which tends to make things
more complicated than they need be . Last known issue was Volume
2 Issue 4, and I'm pretty sure that's the final one too.
The "F.A.S.T.E.R." user group still lives on, so it seems.
Status: Commercial.
User interface: Yes. A custom one (the first one).
Latest issue: Volume 2 Issue 4.
Address: No longer relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: Used to be French and English. Later issues were only
in English.
Fiction Online
This magazine was launched in spring 1994 and features short
stories, chapters of novels, acts of plays and poems. Initial
contributors are associated with the Northwest Fiction Writers
Group of Washington, DC. It will also publish works by other
authors and welcomes submissions from the public. The editor is
William (Bill) Ramsay.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: None.
Latest Issue: Issue 1 (Spring 1994).
Address: Email ngwazi@clark.net.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
FSFNet
This was the forerunner to "DargonZine" (Cf.). It has in the
mean time ceased publication. A total of 11 issues appeared under
editorship of "Orny" Liscomb until 1988. No hands-on experience.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Issue 11.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
Funhouse
This is, hold on, "the cyberzine of degenerate pop culture". It
started in March 1993, and is written and edited by Jeff Dove. It
covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are music reviews,
concert reports, and books examined. A most excellent online
magazine, and don't let the name fool you into thinking they're
not at least halfway seriously interesting.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Volume 1 Issue 4 (April 1994).
Address: Email jeffdove@well.sf.ca.us.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
GEnieLamp Atari ST
This is the resource magazine covering the Genie (BBS system) ST
RoundTable. It offers all information that could otherwise be
found on Genie, comprising an enormous amount of up-to-date
information. It is weekly released in ASCII format, but uses some
sort of indexing system within the text. Sometimes it offers
pictures as well. It is published by T/TalkNET, and the editor is
Bruce Faulkner.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: No.
Latest issue: Volume 3 Issue 67 (June 17th 1994).
Address: Email genielamp@genie.geis.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
GRIST On-Line
This is a journal of electronic network poetry, art and culture.
It's eclectic, and will be open to all the language and visual
art forms that develop on the net. It's an ASCII text file edited
by John Fowler.
Status: Public Domain, on-line.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Columbus Circle Sta., P.O. Box 20805, New York, NY
10023-1496, USA, email fowler@phantom.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Guildsman, The
This is yet another modem magazine spread as text file, this
time being the Journal of Gamers' Guild of UCR. It is devoted to
role-playing games and amateur fantasy/SF fiction.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Not known.
Health: Probably alive.
Language: English.
HP Source
A disk magazine that (also) payed attention to STOS programming,
the successor to "STOS Bits" (Cf.). It also payed attention to
"GfA Basic" and assembler, and had a much neater user interface
than its predecessor. The editor, Leon O'Reilly, decided to call
it quits after issue 2 as he considered it wasn't perfect enough.
Rumours have it that it was intended as sortof an undead "Maggie"
(Cf.) but "Maggie" suddenly went undead all on its own so there.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes, a custom one.
Latest issue: Issue 2 (released at Ripped Off Convention 1992).
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
HotWired
"Wired" is a regular paper cyber/network/whatever magazine in
the United States that's incredibly cult and trendy and loads of
other good adjectives (including "yuppie", according to its
adversaries). To stay in touch with what it is doing and get an
interesting weekly news mailing, "HotWired" is the thing to
subscribe to. Subscribe by sending a message containing
"subscribe hotwire" to the email address mentioned below. It has
almost 8,400 subscribers (!), with hundreds added about every
week. For help, send "help" instead. End your message with "end".
With this mail server it is easy to get the full back issues of
the real "Wired" magazine too - all you have to do is get all
individial articles and glue them together. And the actual
"Wired" is to computer/cyberspace hobbyists and all
intelligent beings what "Atari Explorer Online" is to Atari
phreaks.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Volume 1 Issue 13 (July 22nd 1994).
Address: Inforama@wired.com.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
ICTARI
According to an ad I read somewhere: "Are you an Atari
programmer? It does not matter which language you use, whether it
be STOS, assembler, C, or whatever takes your fancy, you nee
ICTARI, the Atari ST Programmer's Disk Magazine." Features
sources and ideas for novices and experts alike.
No hands-on experience.
Status: Public Domain?
User interface: Probably yes.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: ICTARI, The ATARI Programmer's User Group, c/o Peter
Hibbs, 63 Woolsbridge Road, Ringwood, Hants., BH24 2LX,
England.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Inc Magazine
A disk mag offered by the Incoders, a demo crew from Sweden.
Made by a bunch of real enthusiasts, but once said (I quote) to
have "the effect of a bunch of schoolkids leaping up and down"
(source: "STEN" disk magazine roundup). Articles were short and
its appeal was limited. One of its writers, one Mr. Cool, went on
to "DBA Magazine" after "Inc Magazine" folded.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes, a custom one.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
Indy Magazine
In mid 1994, the latest hot thing, presumably with monthly
intent. Little is known about it, however, at current, other than
that it is released by a union of German crews calling themselves
Independent (some 70 people in total, with some excellent
graphics persons).
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Probably yes.
Latest issue: None yet, except for the demo.
Address: Unknown.
Health: Being born.
Language: Most likely to be German.
Inside Info
A bi-monthly disk magazine published by the New South Wales
section of "ACE" (Atari Computer Enthusiasts). It's basically a
magazine for members, so it includes meeting minutes and stuff
like that. Looks OK, especially if you want to stay in touch with
down under. Has a good shell, but you have to wade through a bit
too much before you can get down to the actual reading.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes, the "Infodisk" shell.
Latest issue: Issue 69.
Address: 20 Blairgourie Circuit, St. Andrews, NSW 2556,
Australia.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
InSoft Disk Newsletter
A US disk magazine. Nothing is known about the amount of issues
that have appeared, and not even if the only issue of which
notice was made (an August 1986 one) was indeed the first one.
Status: Probably Public Domain.
User interface: Probably. Not certainly.
Latest issue: Not known.
Address: Irrelevant.
Health: Dead and decomposing.
Language: English.
Interleave
A rather excellent disk magazine with literary tendencies that,
unfortunately, folded after two cult issues that appeared in
1991. Its editor was Tom Zunder, who filled the mag with
"software, music, films and sex". What more would one want? Tom
continued writing for "STEN" (Cf.) and "ST NEWS" (Cf.) for a
while, but was never heard of afterwards.
Status: Licenceware.
User interface: The S.A.N.D. shell.
Latest issue: Number 2.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
InterText - An Electronic Fiction Digest
Like its predecessor, "Athena" (Cf.), this magazine is devoted
to publishing fiction - lots of it. It's a network magazine
edited by Jason Snell, and has so far come out bi-monthly (except
for four month gaps between V1N1 (March 1991) and V1N2 (July
1991). The first issue was released around March 1991. It's a
rather excellent magazine, capably edited and all.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: Volume 4 Issue 4 (July/August 1994, the 19th
issue).
Address: 21645 Parrotts Ferry Road, Sonora, CA 95370, USA. Email
jsnell@ocf.berkeley.edu.
Health: Alive.
Language: English.
Jag!
"Jag!" is an on-line Jaguar-dedicated magazine in German. I am
not sure when it started exactly, but probably around the end of
1993 or in January 1994. Half of it is about Jaguar game reviews
and all kinds of interesting stuff, the other half consists of
advertisements. It's released every two weeks, and its editor is
Carsten Nipkow.
Status: Publis Domain, on-line.
User interface: None.
Latest issue: 3/94 (February 1994).
Address: An der Ruthe 9, D-58791 Werdohl, Germany.
Health: Alive.
Language: German.
Lavarush
Unfortunately not much is known about this disk magazine, as I
only found half an ad of it (in the now long defunct English
"Zero" glossy magazine), of which I'll share the text with you:
"Lavarush, new ST diskzine for everyone with computer reviews,
features, music, films,"...
And, indeed, that's where it stopped. More info seriously
needed.
Ledgers Magazine
This was the demo group "Untouchables" disk magazine. It was
very enthusiastic and full of humour (and indeed, seemed to
consist primarily of it). Featured short articles, but many of
them. One of the better and definitely one of the most zany disk
magazines around. Their user interface used to be a GEM pull-down
menu but later became a mega-demo-like playfield with selectable
bunches of articles as opposed to demo screens. The editor and
chief coder was Matt Sullivan. Neat intros. Colour only. They
seemed to appear about every month, which was quite a feat!
Status: Used to be licenceware, but shareware as of issue 9.
Cost £3.
User interface: Yes. A fully custom one. It differs per issue.
Latest issue: Issue 13 (September 1992).
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead. Sometimes there's a tiny rumour of life, though.
Language: English.
Maggie
Having started in June 1990, "Maggie" (or "Disk Maggie") quickly
became one of the very best ST disk magazines. It was initiated
by the British Lost Boys and at the time almost entirely written
by Michael Schussler (a German guy living in England). As of
issue 8, when Michael joined the Delta Force, they became
unbelievably much better, with a totally slick menu, much better
music, picture and a fast page viewer. Definitely one of the top
quality disk mags on the ST ever, especially for the demo-
admiring fraternity. Issue 10, though outwardly still brilliant,
was a real low because it featured a lot of rather explicit porn,
making it rather less suitable for the general public.
A great turnpoint came in 1993 when, with the release of issue
11, "Maggie" turned out to have been taken over by some British
guys. All the good bits previously present were now complemented
with much better writing and a healthy dose of enthusiasm. From
that issue on, "Maggie" looks once more to be destined to be one
of the very best disk magazines on the ST, Falcon-compatible and
all. The editor is Chris Holland (CIH), and the mag attempts to
be bi-monthly.
Remarkably, it works on colour as well as monochrome.
Status: Licenceware (up to and including issue 10), Public
Domain (later issues).
User interface: Yes. A nice custom one.
Latest issue: Number 13 (January 1994).
Address: 84 North Street, Rushden, Northants NN10 9BU, United
Kingdom.
Health: Alive.
Language: Previously English with some German, now only English.
Magnum
A Polish disk magazine made by the group Illusions (or Warriors
of Darkness; maybe they have several names). The first issue was
released in the summer of 1992. Its articles are rather short and
few, displayed in 40-column mode. Only colour monitors are
supported. It has a custom user interface where the cursor keys
lead you through the various options and the space bar selects
them. You have several menu screens. The music is in tracker .MOD
format, and it quite excellent. There are several modules in
each issue.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: A custom one. Not too excellent, not too bad
either.
Latest issue: Issue 4.
Address: Ul. Bukowska 16/25, 32-050 Skawina, Poland.
Health: Alive?
Language: Polish.
Massive Mag
This is a magazine produced by the Admirables, the editor being
a chap called Claff Moron (let's pray this is not his real name -
no offense, Claff, if it is!). It was made in France, and four
issues have appeared before it died.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes.
Latest issue: Issue 4.
Address: Unknown.
Health: Dead.
Language: Unknown, but probably French and/or English.
MAST Newsdisk
In 1988, ex-US distributor of "ST NEWS" (Cf.) David Meile
started his own disk magazine with the MAST user group ("MAST"
was "Massuchusetts Atari ST" user group). It was called "MAST
Newsdisk", of which only two issues are known to have been
released (the last one in April 1988). It used the "Newsdisk"
shell program. After this magazine sortof ceased, suddenly
nothing was heard of David (he got married somewhere, I believe)
and "ST NEWS" had to look for another US distribution channel.
Status: Public Domain.
User interface: Yes. The "Newsdisk" shell.
Latest issue: Number 2.
Address: Not relevant.
Health: Dead.
Language: English.
NASA Mag
This disk magazine, of which little is known except for the
fact that at least one issue appeared, and that it is written in
French and English. It might be dead, it might be alive. More
information required.
Disclaimer
The text of the articles is identical to the originals like they appeared
in old ST NEWS issues. Please take into consideration that the author(s)
was (were) a lot younger and less responsible back then. So bad jokes,
bad English, youthful arrogance, insults, bravura, over-crediting and
tastelessness should be taken with at least a grain of salt. Any contact
and/or payment information, as well as deadlines/release dates of any
kind should be regarded as outdated. Due to the fact that these pages are
not actually contained in an Atari executable here, references to scroll
texts, featured demo screens and hidden articles may also be irrelevant.