BEGINNER'S BLUES
I am a brand-new beginner with an 800XL. I've been teaching myself, and some ANTIC back issues have been more than helpful. Can you suggest any other back issues that might help me? SpecificalIy, how do I use DOS 2.0 and 2.5? 1 have a manual for DOS 3, but no disk -how can I get one? How can I get the basic AtariWriter? Also, can you recommend a Home Finance/Small Business program for me?
 R. Hudgins
 Birmingham, AL

For help with DOS 2.0, see the February 1988 issue's "First-Time Atari Users Handbook. "DOS 3 was a real turkey - toss out that manual and forget it. For commercial software, the best remaining sources are the mail-order advertisers in recent issues of ANTIC.

Various home finance programs have run in ANTIC. but most are not as powerful as larger commercial programs such as Turbobase from MicroMiser and Business Manager from Reeve Software, two titles you might still be able to track down. Still, you might check out the November, 1986 "Personal Finance" issue's "Budget dataBASE" and "VGraph "programs. Also. we ran "Checkbook Balancer" in October 1987 and of course "Budgetizer" in the October/November 1989 issue.
- ANTIC ED

POWER MANAGER
I recently purchased the model CP290 Powerhouse interface and X-10 BSR modules as described in your August, 1988 articles "BSRK" and "Power Manager X-10." I tried to reach Terrific Corp. to get the cable and PowerManager software mentioned in the article, but they've apparently gone out of business. Is there any way I can get the cable and software I need for my Atari?
 Bob Avenmarg
 Maple Heights, OH

For a while, Antic Software was selling the PowerManager as part of the "Antic Arcade," our attempt to make discontinued software from other publishers available to 8-bit users. The Arcade has been discontinued, but Antic Software still has a limited number of PowerManager sets available (Catalog #TH0029,). You get manual, disk and cable for $24.95. Call (800) 234-7001 for credit card orders.

If you have an Atari 850 interface you can hook up the IBM-PC version of the Powerhouse through your own modem cable. Then you can use the software from the August, 1988 Monthly Disk as described in the "BSRk" article.

REEVE RAVES
I was pleased to see the start of the interview with Alan Reeve in the April/May issue. I have had the Diamond Cartridge since it was first released, and have enjoyed using it, but have been disappointed in the lack of support it has received since.

The Diamond OS could bring about a rediscovery of the 8-bit computer, sparking programmers' imaginations. I am not an experienced assembly language programmer, but have tried using the early programmers kit. One program is a menu demo and the other will load graphic 8 pictures. Both of these can be found in the CompuServe libraries, if you're curious.
 Kevin Packard
 Grand Island, NY 14072

PRINT SHOP PROBLEMS
I own an Atari 800XL, a 1050 disk drive and an Atari XMM-801 printer. I recently purchased the program Print Shop, but when I try to print my chosen design all I get is garbage. Can you tell me how to get Print Shop to work with the hardware I have?
 Kerry Gannon
 Futham Gardens, Australia

Unfortunately, Print Shop came out before the XMM-801 did, and the printer is just not compatible. Check the back of your Print Shop box (or the Print Shop setup option) to see a list of printers that will work with Print Shop. You might consider getting an Epson-compatible printer (the industry standard).. You'll find that most software these days assumes you have an Epson-compatible printer The only drawback is that to get an Epson-compatible to work with your Atari you will need an interface such as an Atari 850 or the P:R: Connection from ICD.
- ANTIC ED

XF551 CONFUSIONS
I just purchased an XF551 disk drive (my old 1050 drive died). I thought it was a double-sided drive, but the manual says it's single-sided. Even the old trick of the extra notch on the disk, which worked with the 1050, will not work with the XF551. How can you actually write to side 2 of a disk?
 Les Brado, Jr.
 Groveland, NY

The manual is misleading, but when the XF551 first came out the DOS it needed to format double-sided disks hadn't been finished yet. Now, with either Atari DOS-XE or ICD's SpartaDOS X you can format true double-sided disks. See the March 1989 issue for an in-depth review of both these DOSes that explains just exactly what each can do for you.
- ANTIC ED