Newsfront

• Although not new news, Some still may not know that Creative Micro Designs, Inc., is currently designing the Super64CPU accelerator. This external 3" tall by 6" wide by 2" deep cartridge will allow Commodore computers to execute programs at either 10MHz or 20MHz (actually, 9 and 18 MHz, realistically). The unit uses the Western Design Center's 65C816S CPU, which is object code compatible with the 6502/6510/8502. The CPU, used in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as well as other products, can be switched between 6502 emulation mode and "native" mode, which allows the following:
  • access to 16 MB of RAM without bank switching.
  • 64kB stack.
  • 64kB zero page (now called "direct access").
  • 16 bit registers.
  • Support for virtual memory systems.

  The unit is scheduled for production in February, 1996, and will cost ~US$149.00 for the 10MHz unit and US$199.00 for the 20MHz unit.

• The following information was relayed to the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm by Jack Vanderhite, editor and publisher of COMMODORE CEE disk magazine:

  Rather than reply to all the messages asking about DIEHARD I will tell all what has been happening over the last few days.

  Brian Crosthwaite, Publisher of Diehard, contacted CMD, Loadstar, and Commodore CEE this week with the following form letter faxed to each of us:

  Diehard, the Flyer for commodore 8bitters is planning to cease publication and we are looking to transfer our subscription fulfillment. Our number of outstanding subscribers is approximately 8,400 and I would be willing to throw in the balance of the list, totaling approximately 12,000.

  Please call me at (xxx)xxx-xxxx if you are interested in acquiring these readers and names.

  Sincerely,

  Brian L. Crosthwaite Publisher

  Each of us did contact Brian for further details. They are bleak. The total number of paper issues due to subscribers is approximately 64,000. This does not count the approximately 1,200 spinner subscribers which would make approximately 10,000 disks due.

  The cost of publishing alone would amount to approximately $100,000 for printing, layout, disks, ,mail cost, etc. Not taking into account the cost of articles, etc.

  when asked about money Brian's only comment was "There is none. It's gone."

  a further complication is that Tom Netsel told me last week that General Media says that Brian has assumed the obligation to deliver the balance of the Gazette subscriptions. I questioned Brian about this. Brian says that general media faxed him the terms of transference of the obligation and that he faxed back an acceptance of the terms. While I have not seen the actual faxes involved it does sound like offer and acceptance of a binding contract from here.

  Obviously, all of us have rejected this offer. I have been told that there is an issue of Diehard at the printers, probably printed. However, the printing bill alone is over $8,000 plus the cost of mailing. Since there is no money it sits there.

  If anyone were willing to assume the total obligations they would have to assume a liability of well over $100,000 over the next year before any returns from renewals would even make a dent in this huge obligation.

  Please Note: I am putting this out as a public message. This is ALL I know.

  Please do not come back at me asking questions. I have nothing more I can add to this.

  Jack VW

  So, if you have outstanding issues of dieHard due you, as the editor does, the fears have been confirmed. However, for those who purchased the dieHard "Spinner" disk, read on for the encouraging news.

• The LOADSTAR disk magazine has been recently purchased from Softdisk Publishing by LOADSTAR principles Fender Tucker and Julie Mangham. Now owned by J and F Publishing, a corporation founded by Mr. Tucker and Mrs. Mangham, provide the magazine with even more flexibility Tucker states that now LOADSTAR is "more solvent then ever before". Existing subscribers will see no difference with this change, as Softdisk and LOADSTAR will continue to maintain a close relationship, with Softdisk continuing to handle subscriptions, in addition to other tasks.

  In related news, J and F Publishing has agreed to fulfill the remainder of the outstading dieHard "Spinner" subscriptions. Although unfortunate that dieHard left its subscribers out in the cold, it is commendable that these subscriptions will be fulfilled with LOADSTAR issues. The agreement will provide one issue of LOADSTAR for every two issues of the Spinner, as the Spinner was a single disk, whereas LOADSTAR is double that. No word has been heard yet on the fate of dieHard paper subscriptions. All 1200 Spinner subscribers should be receiving information about the subscription fulfillment soon.

• For those people wishing to use the Internet with their Commodore 64, only to find out that the local Internet Service Provider (ISP) only provides Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) service with no shell account service, help is coming. A prototype Transmissions Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol stack with SLIP support has been developed by Daniel Dallmann (Daniel.Dallmann@studbox.rus.uni-stuttgart.de) of Germany. Available now via the Internet (ftp://131.188.190.131:/pub/c64), the package is by no means complete, but does include the basic TCP/IP stack, the SLIP driver, and a rudimentary Telnet application.

• Another Commodore hardware/software supplier has announced its online presence: Performance Peripherals Incorporated. Maker of the RAMDrive and BB units (BBGRAM, BBRTC, and BBGRam), PPI published an online catalog that users can retrieve via the C=Hacking WWW Site (http://www.msen.com/~brain/pub/PPI_catalog.11.95.txt) and the C=Hacking MAILSERV server. (send PPI_catalog.11.95.txt). In addition to importing FLASH8 (the 8MHz accelerator cartridge from Germany), PPI manufactures CommPort, which is a 6551 UART cartridge (ala Swiftlink) which has the basic 6551 functionality with the addition of switch selectable NMI or IRQ interrupt triggering and switch-selectable $de00/$df00 addressing.

• PPI has one more trick up its sleeve. PPI will be carrying Novaterm 9.6, the newest version of Nick Rossi's oft-used terminal program for the C64. The blurb follows:

  Novaterm 9.6 is a complete terminal emulation program on cartridge for the C64. Novaterm has several features such as 80 column ANSI on a stock C64, and compatibility with CommPort, RAMDrive, BBGRam, and many other hardware devices. Just connect a BBGRam, and Novaterm can use it as a "buffer" for storing text or as a "virtual disk" for quickly and easily downloading files. Definately the perfect setup for Internet usage. And since Novaterm is in cartridge form, the program loads in seconds, not minutes. Novaterm 9.6 is the latest version programmed by NICK ROSSI. Includes autoboot switch.