** 1 page regular user group/2 pics/ 900 words **


** DAN_D.GIF here **
** Caption **
Dan Dreibelbis introduces us to the Toronto Atari Federation (TAF).

TAF is one of the largest and oldest Atari/TOS user groups in North 
America. As Dan says, "TAF currently has a membership of 126 and are 
endeavouring to reach out, find and help those in the Atari community to 
get the most out of their choice of computing platform, as well as hosting 
demonstrations of just what is new in the world of hardware and software"

TAF's new executive consists of Ken MacDonald as president, Dan Dreibelbis 
as vice-president, James Alexander as secretary, Dave Lee as treasurer, 
and Jim Philogene as member at large. Dan goes on to say "Together we have 
been mapping out strategies on how to further and preserve the club. This 
is much tougher in North America where the Atari never took off with the 
computing public as much as it did in Europe, and where to survive with an 
Atari in these days relies on mail order houses and ingenuity with a 
soldering iron and a screwdriver. Still, it's satisfying to be able to do 
the same things with an Atari that's taken for granted on the more 
established platforms."

The well-attended October 1997 TAF meeting featured special guest Nima 
Montasser from HOMA Systems House, an Ottawa-based software house 
specializing in drivers for a variety of PC CD-ROMs and for connecting 
modern SCSI-based flatbed scanners to STs, TTs and Falcons. Using his own 
hot-rodded TT, Nima demonstrated his Scan-X driver software for the 
Microtek E3/E6, a low cost flatbed that gives very impressive results; he 
also demonstrated his CD-ROM stuff, which allows Atari users to utilize 
such PC titles as Infopedia 2 (which includes the Funk & Wagnalls 
encyclopedia), Space Missions, and Total Body; all of which are able to 
display graphics and animations from these disks as well as the 
information contained on them - a very impressive demo.

November '97, was the annual TAF Flea Market, to which they had a somewhat 
smaller turnout than in previous years. Nonetheless, those who did attend 
or who brought things to swap or sell did have a good time and came away 
either with much-needed cash or much-needed hardware and software.

TAF meetings are held on the third wednesday of the month in the North 
York Memorial Community Hall on the Lower (or Concourse) Level of the 
North York City Centre Library at 5110 Yonge St. at Parkhome Ave. Parking 
garage inside the complex. Those using public transport can take the TTC's 
Yonge-University-Spadina line to North York Centre Station. Meetings start 
at 7.30pm and costs $2.00 to non-members. Membership is 35 Canadian 
dollars a year, which includes a subscription to the "PHOENIX" club 
newsletter and full use of the TAF Online BBS. Membership of TAF is Atari 
support!

** BC on **
TAF BBS: +1 416-421-8999
TAF home page: http://www.interlog.com/~schrist/taf/
TAF PHOENIX page: http://www.outer-net.com/~redfrog/phoenix.htm
Dan Dreibelbis, TAF vice president: +1 416-766-4743
Email: dreibel@idirect.com
Ken MacDonald, TAF president: +1 416-533-0504
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Cheshunt Computer Club
** CCC.IMG here **
The Cheshunt Computer Club has now been meeting regularly in the UK for 
many years, here's a meeting report...

Derryck Croker proves there's plenty of life in the Atari yet. At a recent 
CCC meeting some 15 persons gathered in the Garden Room at the Wolsey 
Hall, Windmill Lane, Cheshunt in Herts to welcome Karl Brandt of System 
Solutions to the Cheshunt Computer Club. Karl and his Hades 060 are 
ambassadors at Atari shows with the Hades proving itself as a workhorse in 
the work environment, yet still able to extract gasps of astonishment at 
its sheer speed even in TrueColour mode.

Other items of interest presented themselves during the evening; Paul's 
attempts to link a comms-enabled cellphone to a Sinclair Z88 proved to be 
a real head-scratcher, yet Steve soon had it connected to his PAKed 
MegaSTe and was downloading files from the Fortess BBS. No luck with Web 
browsing on my ST though, for the 9 to 25pin D-sub adaptor seemed to be 
missing some vital function and the STiK dialler timed out waiting for the 
cellphone to respond.

Snippets of conversations overheard included some timely advice on the 
unsuitability of high density disks in double density drives.

All too soon 10pm arrived and it was time to pack up and depart, with the 
next meeting in the new year on the 25th February to look forward to after 
Christmas.

For further information on how to join The CCC please contact Derryck 
Croker, Cheshunt Computer Club
** BC on **
Email: derryck@cix.co.uk
BBS netmail: 90:102/108@nest.ftn
Tel: +44 (0)1923 673719
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** Boxout **
Penny for your thoughts?
I like my user group because it takes me away from my keyboard for a while 
and I get to meet people who live local to me and we can chat and discuss 
problems face to face.
At previous meetings I've edited someone's HTML, helped test disks and 
programs, brought old programs and kit and so on.
The Atari platform has a community behind it - other platforms seem to be 
consist of people complaining "I only have a 20x CD", "I need more RAM - 
32Mb isn't enough for Word!".
I like my Atari, and generally speaking, I like the people associated with 
them.
** Italics on **
Paul Murphy via CiX
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** boxout **
The Atari Computing user group page is a noticeboard for user groups 
around the world. If you'd like a mention please do get in touch:

Al Goold
Atari Computing (User Groups)
"Rois Bheinn", 
Overton Crescent,
Johnstone,
PA5 8JB
Scotland

or
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Email: usergroups@ataricomputing.com
Netmail: 90:100/315.0@nest.ftn
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