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NEWSBREAKS
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COMMODORE IN PURSUIT OF THE MARKET
     Commodore wants to create 60,000 new Amiga owners before Jan. 1. To
help the projection become reality, it has earmarked $15 million for an ad
blitz that should be starting just about now.
     The TV ads produced by George Lucas (Star Wars) will go after potential
home users. The 30- and 60-second spots won't be shown in all markets but
will cover about 40 percent of the U.S., targeting metro areas. An estimated
90 percent of the adult population will see the Amiga spots an average 20
times each.
     The magazine ads will feature eight-page spreads with an 800 number and
are slated for news magazines, as well as video and electronic music
publications.
     Commodore characterizes the advertising as no one-time event, but the
start of a consistent campaign to popularize the computer.

BUSY COPPERMAN
     Commodore President Harry Copperman, in charge since April, has ruled
the company's applications and technical support group for third parties
will report directly to him. The group, headed by Gail Wellington, was
formerly part of the research and development arm of the company.
     The move's aim is to "better integrate third-party developers into
Commodore's new sales and marketing strategies for expansion into the
education, government and business markets," according to a press release.
     In addition, Copperman told of a plan for an ambitious software
development program designed to increase the utility of the company's three
product lines and take advantage of opportunities within worldwide markets.
     Said Copperman, "A strong presence in the development arena is an
essential component for our long-term marketing strategy. We are doubling
our applications and technical support staff for third parties, which
reflects our continued commitment to the domestic and international
development community."
     Wellington said plans call for forming a developer's advisory board, a
worldwide electronic communications link, marketing support added to
technical support, coordination of user interfaces and documentation
standards, and more active participation in key third-party projects.

MAIL ORDER AMIGAS TARGETED
     Commodore doesn't want Amigas and company-produced peripherals sold by
mail order. In a simple plan designed to protect authorized dealers, it will
"de-authorize" and quit supplying firms selling the machine -- often at
steep discounts -- by long-distance shipments.

NEW RETAILER RULES
     Your Amiga dealer may or may not continue to be authorized. Commodore
has required all present retailers to submit to re-authorization. Some will
be dropped; others will be added. Criteria for re-authorization include past
sales, service and marketing. The authorizations were due to be complete
in early October.

THE APPLE CONNECTION
     Commodore President Harry Copperman has named C. Lloyd Mahaffey vice
president of marketing. They are former Apple confreres. At Apple, Mahaffey
directed educational marketing and efforts in selling Apples within the
Federal Systems Group.

CONNECTING POINT
     A big reseller agreement has been inked by Commodore and Connecting
Point of America, the fastest growing franchiser of retail computer stores
in the U.S. There are 325 outlets in the U.S. The group will warehouse,
redistribute and sell Commodore Amiga and PC hardware products.

HARD DRIVES
     Consider an alternative to SCSI hard drives.
     Spirit Technology has an adaptor for using IBM-type ST506 hard drives
on the A2000. Cost: about $170 for board and software, no drive.
     Pre'spect Technics offers ALF, an acronym for Amiga Loads Faster. It
also allows IBM-type hard disk connection. Packages are available including
the hard disk.

ULTRACARD: HYPERMEDIA FOR THE AMIGA
     UltraCard, modeled on HyperCard for the Apple Macintosh, is a
multitasking information construction environment that links images,
numbers and text into interactive, custom information bases.
     Like HyperCard, it presents a "card stack" metaphor for browsing
through such information as text, numbers and imported IFF images. The
facets are stored on individual stored on "cards" in the stack. These cards
can be linked. In addition to collecting and linking static information,
the system can be used for data storage, calculating applications, and even
for construction of user interfaces for other programs -- including linked
ARexx-compatible applications. It can be used as an authoring system for
CD-ROM and video disk technologies. It's from Intuitive Technologies, 2700
Garden Rd., Suite 6, Monterey, CA 93940. Telephone (408) 646-9147.

X-CAD IN THE U.S.
     CAD Vision International, based in the UK, is distributing its X-CAD
Designer through American Software in the U.S. Features include
user-definable screen menus, dimensioning facilities, isometric grids,
multiple viewports, 256 layers, and access to standard symbol libraries.
Cost $150.

PROWRITE - SKIP THE FLIT
     New Horizons Software guarantees its latest version (V2.5) of ProWrite
is bug-free. It claims the program is the Amiga's best selling word
processor.
     The bug-free guarantee states New Horizons will correct any verified
discrepancy between the ProWrite manual and the program's behavior with 30
days or, failing to do so, refund purchase price to buyers who wish to
return the product.
     Suggested retail price is $125. New Horizons Software Inc., POB 43167,
Austin, TX 78745. Telephone: 512-328-6650.

LOGO FROM COMMODORE
     Amiga LOGO has been published by Commodore-Amiga in English, French,
Italian, German and Spanish versions. The $100 package includes the program
and extensive documentation. It offers up 32 colors, four selectable screen
resolutions, interactive "discovery-oriented" mouse-drive and pulldown menu
environment, programmable and freehand graphics, list and symbol processing,
windowing, and the same basic vocabulary used in Logo textbooks.
     Logo has been presented as a discovery language and is often used to
teach basic mathematical concepts to young users.

PROGRESSIVE PERIPHERALS
     -- VAULT is a data storage system for the Amiga 1000 and 500. It's a
hardware and software interface that allows using standard, low-cost
IBM-style hard disks with the computer. It comes with software, Utility
Manager, to simplify installation. The product also comes with CLImate, a
software utility program. The $600 price includes a 20-meg drive,
controller, software and power supply.
     -- Baud Bandit is a telecommunications program with room for 1,000
entries in each phone book, customized entries and ARexx support. Cost: $50.
     -- FrameGrabber 256 is a real-time eight-bit video digitizer that will
capture interlaced, 256-shade monochrome images in 1/30th of a second on a
standard Amiga monitor. With an RGB camera or color wheel, it will digitize
static images in a claimed 16.7 million colors with 24-bit "true color"
accuracy. Cost: $700.
     -- UltraDesign is a high-end CAD system with configurable parameters.
Constructional aids include auto-dimensioning, user-definable grid markings
at two levels, grid snap, seek object, end point, middle point, center of
ellipse . . . it's equipped with a separate PasteUp program for output of
one drawing over several pages or several individual drawings in one
operation. Cost $400.
     -- EXP-8000+ is an eight-megabyte internal expansion board for the
Amiga 500. It uses a megabit x 1 DRAM chips and can be expanded to two, four
or eight megabytes. It provides an option for adding a 68010 processor and
under-adjustable 68881 12.5 or 24 MHz math co-processor. Pricing will be
announced.
     -- The Dunlap Utilities, more than 40 interactive utility programs for
the Amiga, utilizes "modular software," which allows multiple, independent
programs to perform as a single application, while allowing other software
to be used at the same time. The utilities can enhance the operating system
and replace the Workbench and CLI with a custom, user-defined interface.
Cost $80.
     -- miniGEN, a small external device connecting to the RGB port on the
back of the Amiga, is a low-priced genlock device, $220. It features RCA
connectors for video in and out. Video out connects to a video recording
device. Video in has three modes: Amiga-only, video-only, and mixed for
graphics and overlaid text. Progressive says it's the "lowest price genlock
in the Amiga industry that meets RS-170A, the broadcast standard." It's due
in NTSC and PAL versions.

PROJECT D
     Project D's latest parameter release was due for release Oct. 1.
registered users get the updates for $7.50. The software is a copying tool
and has other disk utilities. The parameters update the list of titles,
otherwise protected, that can be copied by the utility. Fuller Computer
Systems Inc., POB 9222, Mesa, AZ 85214. 

AMIEXPO CALIFORNIA
     It's may not be too late to plan to attend the next AmiEXPO, Oct 20-22
at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 50001 Great America Parkway, Santa
Clara, CA 95054. Exhibit hours are noon-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-6
p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Keynoters are AmigaWorld editor
Doug Barney at 5 p.m. Friday, NewTek Inc. president Tim Jenison at 9 a.m.
Saturday, and the Germany's AmigaMagasin editor Albert Absmeier at 9 a.m.
Sunday. At-the-door tickets are $20 for one day, $25 for two, or $30 for
three. Subtract $5 from the prices if you register in advance by calling
1-800-32-AMIGA and ordering with Visa or MasterCard.
     If you're new to the Amiga: An AmiEXPO is a collection of 60 to 80
vendors, from top-flight companies to user groups. There are instructional
classes, and the sales floor generally offers special show prices on
software and hardware.

AMIGA '89 - DIE DEUTSCHE AUSTELLUNG
     AmiEXPO U.S. is also conducting Amiga '89, a Nov. 10-12 event in the
Cologne, West Germany, Convention Center. Few U.S.-based firms are apt to be
exhibiting, but the event could be a big one, since a third of all Amigas
are in use in Germany, and an estimated 700,000 of the machines are in use
in Europe.
     Commodore Buromaschinen GmbH (Commodore Germany) is the official
sponsor, and Markt&Technik, largest Amiga-specific publication in the world,
is publication sponsor.
     A projected 35,000 attendees are expected.
     If you're in Europe, contact Amiga `89, Wielhauser Str. 247A, D-4630
Bochum, telephone (049) 0234-7-20-35.
     In the U.S., call (212) 867-4663.
     AmiEXPO has put together travel packages. Flat round-trip air fare from
New York is $432. There's a $768 package featuring air fare, six nights at
the Regent International in Cologne, breakfasts, hotel-airport
transportation, and a tour of the city.

DRIVER FOR THE DESKJET SET
     Creative Focus has released Super_DJ V2.0, an Amiga software driver for
the Hewlett-Packard Deskjet and DeskJet Plus. Cost is $25, and it can be
ordered directly from the company: Creative Focus, Box 580, Chenango
Bridge, NY 13745-0580.
     The driver supports letter-quality type, condensed and large. Font
changes are possible at will, with cartridge fonts and eight-bit character
sets selectable by line, word or letter. Graphic dumps are a claimed 40
percent faster than competing drivers. AmigaDOS 1.3 required.

PERFECT SOUND 3.0
     SunRize Industries plans Oct. 13 release of Perfect Sound 3.0, latest
version of the sound digitizer. Basic purpose of the hardware/software tool
is to record and store digitized sounds on disk. The new version offers a
revamped user interface, new editing tools, digital filter and gain,
precision sampling, fast sampling and microphone input. Cost: $100.
     SunRize Industries has a new address: POB 1453, College Station, TX
77841. Telephone (409) 846-1311.

SUPRA'S ADD-ON MEMORY
     Supra Corp. offers two memory boards: SupraRAM 500, a 512K board that
installs in the bottom of the Amiga 500 ($150), and SupraRAM 2000, available
in four memory configurations for the Amiga 2000 series. The latter's cost
depends on the amount of RAM installed, $500 for 2 MB, $850 for 4 MB,
$1150 for 8 MB, or $1400 for 8 MB. Supra, 1133 Commercial Way, Albany, OR
97321. Telephone (503) 967-9075.

IDG GETS THE COMMODORE SUBSCRIBER LIST
     IDG, which publishes AmigaWorld and Run, has acquired the subscriber
list of the defunct Commodore Magazine. About 45,000 Commodore subscribers
will be offered either of the two IDG titles.

CONGRATULATIONS, LOU
     AmigaWorld has named Louis Wallace senior editor of technology. He
continues charge of technical accuracy in the magazine and remains a
contributing editor of RUN.

GAMES
     Goldrunner II: Fly a single-seat fighter against robots endangering the
peace of the Ring Worlds of Triton. Microdeal, $40.
     Shufflepuck Cafe, a simulated air hockey game against opponents in a
bar not unlike the cantina of Star Wars. Broderbund, $40.
     Windwalker, martial arts action and role-playing with a variety of
characters and locales. Origin, $40.
     Blood Money: Plunder the four Outer Planets in a kamikaze quest for
gold and glory while avoiding attacks by vicious aliens. Psygnosis, $40.
Also from the company: Baal, graphic adventure against monsters and traps;
Menace, an arcade game; and Tetris, arcade game. Other Amiga titles due from
Psygnosis, in order of release from August through November: Never Mind,
Shadow of the Beast, Matrix Marauders, Flash Dragon, Aquaventura, Gore and
Firestone.
     Turbo, a race game in which other vehicles attempt to force you off the
road and blast you with grenades. Microillusions, $25.
     Times of Lore, fantasy role play and arcade action for $40; and Omega,
design cybertanks and compete on a simulated battlefield, $50. Both from
Origin.
     Paperboy, the game you played in arcades, was to ship in September.
Cost $50. Mindscape, see address below:

NO COPY PROTECTION
     Acknowledging copy-protected game software is a sore spot for many
consumers, Mindscape has decided not to copy-protect future releases. There
still may be code book or manual-based protection. Mindscape, 3444 Dundee
Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. (312) 480-7667.

     (JUMPDISK NOTE: We now turn the balance of this month's column over to
Tom Krotchko. Be aware we're straying out of the hard news area by allowing
Tom to express opinions.)

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GAMES CONSIDERED
By Tom Krotchko
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SIMCITY
     There is a flood of new game titles. My current favorite is SimCity,
Maxis Software 953 Mountain View Drive, Suite #113, Lafayette, CA 94549.
It falls somewhere between a simulation and a game. Object is to plan and
zone the perfect city. Its a variation on the old Hamurabi game, but the
idea is refreshing and execution is first rate.
     Maxis was nice enough to make the file format compatible with other
computers, currently only Macintosh and Amiga, with an IBM version planned
for late this year. You can trade your favorite cities with friends. Also
included are eight scenarios that demand you solve real and fictional
problems ranging from the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 to Godzilla
attacking Tokyo in 1957.
     Version 1.0 has two known bugs: If you use an overscanned Workbench
("morerows" for example), SimCity will crash. It may may also crash on
machines that have more than three drives of any type connected. A fix
should be ready by the time you read this. Cost $45.

GAUNTLET II
     Gauntlet II (Atari Games, no relation to THAT Atari) has problems with
early 2000s. You can tell if you'll have problems if your 2000 is the kind
that ignores your first key stroke after a reboot. There are two solutions.
One, don't buy the game. Two, after the game starts, pull the keyboard plug
out of the 2000 and reinsert it. This seems to alert the game a keyboard is
attached. Play is faithful to the original, though it looks suspiciously
like a port from the Atari ST. Cost is $40.

DEATH BRINGER
     I'm currently playing a D&D type game called Death Bringer -- a nice,
light-hearted title. It's similar in concept and execution to the classic
Dungeon Master but is not as complex. For me, Dungeon Master was a little
too complicated, so Death Bringer is a more fun. I've only started, but I
like what I see. Death Bringer is part of the Spotlight Software collection
from Cinemaware, 4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, Ca. 91362.
Telephone: (805) 495-6515. Cost $40.

CARMEN, WHERE ARE YOU?
     On a happier note, Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? has been
released. The game is a clever ploy to teach kids geography while they're
having fun. Did I say kids? Everyone will learn something from this game.
Cost $40, Broderbund, 17 Paul Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903, telephone (800)
527-6263 or (415) 492-3500).

POPULOUS
     Populous has mysteriously appeared on my desk, but I can't play yet.
I'm three adventure games behind, my perfect city isn't quite perfect yet,
and my work seems to be cutting into my game time. I could take a vacation
for a month and still not get caught up with these games.

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