PRICE LIST
New: PC-PSU with supply for 2 Floppies and MB02 36,00 MB02-Printerlead 13,00 Spectrum +2A, new and original package, complete 220,00 Diskinterface D80 + Flopppy for Didaktik or Spectrum 111,00 KS B-Laufwerk for D80 60,00 KS
Proface AT Extern (Keyboardinterface for connecting PC-Keyboards to Spectrum) 55,00 KS Proface AT intern 52,00 KS Melodik AY-Soundbox (unboxed) 21,00 KS 128k upgrade Kit for 48k (only Hardware Specialists) 21,00 KS 128k upgrade Kit incl. building inside (send Spectrum board) 52,00 KS Mice Maus (Mouse using Kempston Port) 25,00 KS +2 Cassetterecorder 36,00
Floppy Disc drive (1,86 with MB02, 720k with Opus, 780k with +D) Please specify 24,00 PSU for +2A/B and +3 or PSUl for +2 (also 48k and 128k) Please specify 31,00 FDD lead for 2 drives 4,00 Microdrive 25,00 Multiface 128 (working also on 48k) 26,00 Dust Cover 48k+/128k 8,00 Keyboard membrane 48k 11,00 Keyboard membrane Spectrum +/128k, new quality, not aging 21,00 Printer Ink Ribbon original STAR LC 10 , Doublepack 2 pieces 11,00 Microdrive Cartridges (ex-software) 3,50 Plus 3 Tapelead 10,50 Spectrum +2 Lightpen 36,00 Spectrum +3 Lightpen 27,00 Silverpaper for ZX Printer 5,00 Phaser-Pistole with Software (Tape or +3) 20,00 +3 drive belt 2,00 Wafadrive Cartridges 16K= 7,00 ¢¡ 32K= 7,50 ¢¡ 64K 8,00 Used: Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128k, complete with all cables 144,00 Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2, complete with all cables 70,00 Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2A, complete with all cables 65,00 Sinclair ZX Spectrum +3, built in 3li drive, complete with all cables 100,00 Sinclair Spectrum 48k (Gummy), complete with all cables + Introduction Tape 64,00 Sinclair Spectrum 48k +, complete with all cables + Introduction Tape 64,00 +3 Drive (tested) 74,00 Interface I 62,00 Opus Discovery Diskinterface with 1 x 720k Drive (new ROM) 118,00 Joystickinterface 1-Port 3,00 2-Port 11,00 Joystick (many different) 2,50 Sinclair SJS-Joystick (+2/+3) 6,00 Also we have a lot of Software offers and books. Please contact us and we will send you our pricelist. Products marked with 8BC or KS are sold in the name of 8-Bit Company or Kompakt Servis. We organise the business. Prices excluding postage. Delivery as long as stock lasts. Orders to: SINTECH, Gastäckerstr. 23, 70794 Filderstadt, Germany Tel./Fax: 0049 711 775033 Coming back to Sinclair? email: [email protected] http://www.sintech-shop.de ZXF/02 page 4
AUTUMN 2002/Issue 2
Contents Coming back to Sinclair?
Eight - that's right: eight - pages of Spectrum news (5-12) Computers today are everywhere. How box under my old bed - for the first time in a often have you heard that before? It's good ten years, I might add - and I've been exactly what people like us were predicting searching the local car boot sales and ebay Remake review: PeeJay's Maziacs PC (13) 20 odd years ago to somewhat cynical ears listings ever since (and just this by itself has - guess what: it actually came true; been a lot more fun than I would previously divorcing computers from the fabric of our ever had imagined it could be - especially the lives today would be like splitting up drama of an ebay auction!). I don't have to What you thought about ZXF 01 (14-15) Microsoft: desirable for many, but do any of this and the end result I already ultimately far too much hassle to be know won't be much to speak of by today's bothering with for real. In many ways, it's standards in technology. But the problem The ZXF interview: Alex Goryachev on the Sprinter (16-20) brilliant. In many other ways, it's just plain -solving processes I'll go through on the way dull. And the more these machines will take me right back to those simpler days, become embedded in the daily grind, the when you wanted more - yes - and ingenuity Back to the Spectrum: your ZX2000 user guide (22-26) duller they seem to get. The abilities of the was the way that you got it. average 'work computer' would have blown From Bitmap to Screen$: loading screen tutorial (27-31) If you're just returning to the Spectrum scene us away not so long ago, but there they sit, then this issue of ZXF is dedicated to you. +3/2A SCART lead: improve your Plus 3 picture (32-33) running Office, looking beige (even the Things have moved on a bit since you were trendy new black ones), next to the fax last here, but you'll soon get used to the machine and an in tray. Just appliances. changes and start feeling at home again. The Genuine User Friendly Interface (34-35) Just tools to get the job done. The Spectrum scene is an active one: there's Why go back to the Spectrum? The plenty to get involved in, no matter what answer's really not at all that complicated. 'level' you are; so pull up a chair and get Why go camping? Why listen to radio? stuck in. We've known for time aplenty that less is And one final note: let's not forget that often more when it comes to escaping the Errata (ZXF01) hobbies such as ours are a luxury far from stresses of a working life. And these days, the minds and lives of the vast majority of Page 22 - goto - The entry for ZX32 should have (05/04/00) entered as the pace gets faster and faster still, the under 'updated'; under 'Save to tape (TZX)' it should read 'Yes' people on this planet. May I ask you to pay need for less and simpler and slower is particular attention to the back page of this Page 8 - new - The download URL for Metalbrain's SevenuP is perhaps greater than it has ever been incorrect. See this issue's new for correct details. Also on this issue: a small, but very deserving charity that page, the fourth line up from the bottom of the right hand column before. should read "(listing on page 12)" I once worked for as a childcare volunteer. In recent months I've started collecting Some of you wrote to me saying ZXF was a Spectrum hardware for a new little project magazine you would pay for; I'm not asking If you enjoy ZXF and you want it to continue then consider yourself of mine, a device I intend to call the for that, but if you do have a pound or two duty bound to let me know this ([email protected]). All other feedback will be gratefully received also - criticisms (please be kind), ZX-BOX. The idea came to me when I spare in your pocket I know the White Cross improvement suggestions and notifications of any errors you think looked at LCD's home page and I've since would make good use of them. Just a you've spotted are essential for this sort of project to succeed. discovered that at least one other suggestion. If you would like to contribute to future issues of ZXF - even if it's just enthusiast has hit upon my idea exactly. Until next time. to write a letter - please do; contact me again by the email address Beyond that I'll keep you guessing for now; above. the point is that this idea marked my return Editor: Colin Woodcock to Spectrum hardware - out came the old Colin Woodcock Thanks to: John King, Alex Goryachev and Thomas Eberle. 128 and Plus D interface from the taped-up [email protected] ZXF/02 page 5 ZXF/02 page 6
Double the fun More miner action Crap is back > +3e ROM for 16 bit IDE interface > Willy's continuing adventures > CSSCGC 2002 launches Miner Willy (I played it safe there with that One of the drawbacks of Garry Lancaster's Equinox Tetrachloride has taken on the If you need guidelines, check out "So, you title, didn't I?), the character that has become +3e IDE hard disk interface (see last issue challenge to host this year's wanna write a crap game" at an icon of the ZX world, is in no danger of for more about this project - featured recently, comp.sys.sinclair Crap Games www.unsatisfactory.freeserve.co.uk/ loosing his appeal, it would appear. New to by the way, in Shaun Bebbington's Retro Competition, and the entries are already crap.html Computer Mart page in Micro Mart: nice the MM scene over the last few months are coming in. This year's contest is the seventh ZXF's own entry, Groundforce, saw lack of one Garry) is that half of the disk's capacity is the JavaScript version of Matthew Smith's annual celebration of the standard of quality simply oozing out of ZX SPIN for a lost in the conversion from 16 to 8 bit; a 1Gb 1983 classic and, just recently, a new spectrum programming most infamously frightening disk will only give you 500 Mb of space on spectrum version featuring themes from the established by the Cascade Cassette 50, number of which to store your Spectrum programs, for comp.sys.sinclair folklore. nineteen -count 'em - years ago. example (which must be just awful). evenings; The first of these really is quite a sight to For those of you uninitiated with this ancient meanwhile, my behold, four levels of the original game in In fact, 16 bit IDE interface designs do exist ZX tradition, Eq's introductory text at old mate Gareth pure JavaScript (no, not Java - JavaScript), for the Spectrum - a whole range of www.cl4.org/comp/spectrum/cgc2002/ tells has released coded by Carl Woffenden and to be found interfaces designed by Sami Vehmaa and you pretty much all you need to know: his own foray online at www.bigredswitch.co.uk/ called ZXATASP (see http://home.sol.se/ into the dregs, games/manic/. Although this version has no "CGC entries are laughably poor homebrew amiga/), and now Garry has released a new sharing with us sound, the graphics have been taken straight Spectrum games, usually written in the version of the +3e ROM to be compatible all in Ferrari Driving Experience, his recent from the original (minus the colour clash). I powerful BASIC language. with them. The interfaces themselves look day out at Thruxton and advising that "playing really didn't realise you could do stuff like this like monsters compared with Garry's simple "Some of these games delve richly into a the game is virtually indistinguishable from in JavaScript; as one CSSer put it, this is "the little device, still winter's coming and putrid goldmine of special effects: beepy the real thing." single most best use of JavaScript I think I've something's got to fill those long evenings. sound, colour clash, the lot. Others are just ever seen." Check out the For the ROM, visit www.zxplus3e.plus.com. pseudo-games that hinge upon cheap jokes. loading screen Manic Miner CSS, on the other hand, is a As long as the game is crap and somehow Spanish SPArkle tutorial in exp to new spectrum version of the game, put amusing in its crapness, it is a genuine find out how to together by N Fishwick (Fishy Fish in CSS) contender for the mouth-watering prize." > New Spectrum archive online front-end your using Andrew Broad's Manic Miner Screen If you're a returner to the Spectrum scene, creation with a SPA2, the SPAnish SPectrum Archive is a Editor and featuring such levels as the you'll no doubt be looking for a reason to work of new website of "a project aimed at the Chuntey Generator, Scribbler's Fridge and *** program with purpose, just like you used to: spectrum art, and also a few BASIC loader collection, storage and preservation of every L@@K, W@W, R@RE! *** Described by here it is, and what's more you can do it tips (if you don't know what that is, read 'Back Sinclair Spectrum program ever released in Stuart Campbell already as "the best MM secure in the knowledge that your clumsy to the Spectrum' first). Spain," and it launched on 16 September. 'sequel' I've seen," you can download the coding will actually be considered a feature. The site, sort of the Spanish equivalent of game from www.fishyfish.net/manic/ WOS, opened its doors with no less than 500 Andrew Broad himself is something of a titles already avilable in TZX and DSK format, Miner Willy guru, having released a number The Cascade Cassette 50 Can it really be as bad as they say it and it also aims to collect inlays and is? Actually, it's worse. The of MM sequels over the last five years, instructions. The Spanish contribution to the Cascade Cassette 50 compilation including Manic Miner 4 and Manic Miner: "Congratulations! You (Cascade, 1983) is the most Spectrum is often underacknowledged - this appalling collection of BASIC games The Hobbit. His amazing site at are now the owner of site, along with the great new Es.pectrum the sensational 50 ever conceived, marketed with www.cs.man.ac.uk/%7Ebroada/ complete and utter absence of emulator (see Emulator News) should help game tape called spectrum/willy/ contains a wealth of MM CASSETTE-50 brought conscience. Not even magazine broaden the picture. And the site is in type-in listings were this bad. No information, but will be closing soon as he is to you by CASCADE" English as well as Spanish, so you really really. But for something to be as due to leave university (where it's hosted). thoroughly dreadful as all that, it invariably falls off the bottom of have no excuse. Get over to So get over there whilst you still can (and hit the bad scale and ends up at the top of the good one. So actually, www.speccy.org/spa2/ right now. it's brilliant. Save). ZXF/02 page 7 ZXF/02 page 8
Emulator news Emulator news
OVERVIEW: New directions in Spectrum emulation blown emulator of all Spectrum models (but wondering how exactly you are supposed A busy few months it's been indeed, with two brand new emulators hitting the scene and not the +3e) which includes support for both to load in .WAV files (it isn't obvious) and updates implemented in many of the existing titles, a few of which we haven't heard of in a the Currah Micro Speech (see below) and the when I selected Real Tape Mode I good while. All of this, by itself, is blimmin' marvelous stuff, but the planned enhancements to Cheetah SpecDrum. Version 1.1 of the received the message "Real Tape Not SPIN are especially exciting. TZX management seems to be one of the most significant emulator, released just a few weeks after 1.0, Supported!" at the bottom of my screen, areas of emulator development over the last 12 months and the current direction being taken also supports real tape loading through your but as to whether this is a report on my is giving us increasing amounts of control over our virtual little cassettes. And quite right too. soundcard and loading from mono .WAV files. soundcard or something to do with the The tape recorder might have been physically external to the early Spectrums, but so integral You can load and save .SCR screen$ files status of the program I remain none the was its being to to the use of the computer, it was to all extents and purposes a fully fledged (for some reason, many emulators that allow wiser. Even without these enhanced part of it; it too needs to be emulated right alongside the Spectrum itself, and emulators such you to save .SCR files don't also allow you to features, however, Klive is an excellent as Spectaculator are doing a particularly good job of this at the moment. load them back in, so this is a definate bonus) little emulator that has got the competition With both Klive and the new beta release of Spectaculator featuring both the Currah Micro and - what fun! - there is also an option to thinking - as we shall see - and you can Speech and the Cheetah SpecDrum on their list of emulated features, a new corner seems to increase the speed of your emulated Speccy, grab hold of a copy for yourself at have been turned in peripheral hardware. Previously the remit only of the the likes of taking it full throttle to 'Max Power!' if you so ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/ RealSpectrum and Gerton Lunter's Z80, peripheral devices have been studiously avoided by desire (2000% on my machine): take that pub/sinclair/emulators/pc/ many of the 'mainstream' emulators until now. But with the emulation of the main machine Bilbo Baggins' carpet. windows/Klive11.zip and all its variants now generally about as close to perfect as it's possible to get, some new Klive's help system leaves a lot to be desired, VBSPEC directions are needed for authors if they are to keep on improving their babies and outdoing consisting of a credits box only; I was left their competitors (let's be honest here - it's because there are so many Spectrum emulators that their quality is so outstanding). The implications of all of this are quite exciting.
Hello again... The Currah Micro Speech ES.PECTRUM Spanish operating system - a kind of 48/128 hybrid (no tokeniser, but also no The Currah Micro Speech, manufactured by Welwyn h and e above), double vowel (as in oo), Electronics, was released late 1983 for £29.99. The double consonant (as in ll) and 'complex' (for Es.pectrum is a new Spectrum emulator by menus) - which was developed, of course, Javier Chocano, released recently in beta. little black box, which also acted as a sound amplifier example ar, as in, erm, arm). For each of into the UK 128 system for a (desperate by mixing the Spectrum's sound output with the RF these sets (see a complete list at The emulator supports a wide range of and futile) launch by Sinclair in the television signal, was a speech synthesis device that http://mudhole.spodnet.uk.com/ machines, from the original 48k to the +3. following year. ran together allophones (speech ~majik/sinclair/ Previously only supporting tape based sounds) into words. And now you can thirdparty/allophones.html), machines, the latest version as I write (0.6b2) Es.pectrum also supports the Magnum find out just how good it was, courtesy of intonation can also be made high has been updated to include .DSK support; in Lightgun bundled with +3s and +2As - is, I Spectaculator and Klive. or low by using upper case or believe, the first emulator to do so - giving lower case letters respectively. testing, a few disk images seemed to work When you power up your speech- you mouse controlled access to the fine, however Operation Wolf crashed fairly enhanced Spectrum, Currah's own A few Spectrum games (50 in total) quickly and when I tried to format a new disk I handful of games that supported this copyright message appears at the top of detected and supported the Currah was told it was write protected... emulate your device (not quite the same as a real gun in the screen; from this point on all your Micro Speech, adding synthesised way out of that one if you can. your hand, but if you've ever handled the key presses will be articulated until you messages to the action (a Magnum you'll know you're not missing (gratefully) discover the 'LET keys = 0' complete list of these games can Where Es.pectrum breaks the mould is in its much). Get it from www.espectrum.tk. command that turns this rather annoying be found at support for foreign models, including the feature off. Actually programming the www.worldofspectrum.org/ entire range of Spanish Spectrums (there's KLIVE unit to speak for you is a simple matter of assigning a infoseek.cgi?Currah*speech). If you've got a even a Spanish +3e), a French +2 and sequence of allophones to the variable s$, so typing copy, try loading up Jetman and listening to Another new emulator: Klive by Steve in 'LET s$="he(ll)(oo)"' will produce a reasonable what our hero tells you when your careless Pentagon/Scorpion support. This gives us Snake has taken us all by surprise. "hello" when you press enter. The allophones joystick management ends him up dead (yet UK users access to new Spectrum Coming quite out of the blue, this is a fully themselves come in four flavours - single letter (as in again). The cheeky blighter. perspectives, including the original 1985 128k ZXF/02 page 9 ZXF/02 page 10
Emulator news Emulator news vbSpec, the Spectrum emulator by Chris kind of forgotten about, amidst all this 'movie' files." You can find out what that's all Spectaculator's approach to this: new tapes Cowley written entirely in Visual Basic (don't activity) now has a name. Described by about at www.worldofspectrum.org/x128/. being recorded onto don't show up in the ask why, just accept it, ok?) has been Ramsoft staff as "another revolution in tape browser as they do in Spectaculator - to updated to version 1.50 and now supports Spectrum emulation," RealX, the Z80 all extents and purposes recording and fully .TZX files, including a little cassette tape "next-generation RealSpectrum optimized Not an update, but the full version of Gerton playback are treated as completely seperate, interface. Chris credits Mark Woodmass for DirectX" is (still) on its way. In the Lunter's classic Z80 Spectrum emulator is handled by different buttons and menu (co-author of SPIN) for his help in this work. meantime we have a new update to the once again availible through the new Outlet systems) and there is now basic support for Download it from http://freestuff.grok.co.uk/ classic RealSpectrum to keep us occupied site reported on elsewhere in the news block editing, allowing you to cut, paste and vbspec/. while we wait. Version 0.96.16 (beta 13), section. Once upon a time (three years insert new blocks - previously you needed otherwise known as "Katun," adds in dedicated software such as Taper to manage SPECTACULATOR ago, in fact) this was an amazing emulator; support for the Rotronics Wafadrive (a it's still very good, but its £15 price tag for such tasks. looped tape storage device not unlike the A massive update for Jonathan Needle's the full version (£20 if you want both the But that's not all. New also to this version is Sinclair Microdrive) and thus we have yet lovely Spectaculator; not only has 128 DOS and the Windows versions) makes it the 'keyboard helper' a keyboard input another file format: the format specs for support been added at last (128+ and original the only commercial PC Spectrum emulator window that is, quite simply, superb - both .WDR files are promised at the website. +2 only), version 3.0 beta also features the around that I know of, and compared to the the idea and its implementation. We've Katun also adds in support for the Magnum Currah Micro Speech and the Cheetah likes of RealSpectrum... well let's just say needed something like this for ages; lightgun via the PC mouse. SpecDrum (now where did he get that idea that you get more for your nothing these Spectaculator's keyboard map is good, but from...?). Although this is a beta realease, it Beta 13 has also been compiled to run days. All the same, good printer emulation - this is better: not only does the helper find all runs like a thoroughbred on my machine; the under Windows: RS32 is a seperate and still the only windows emulator to those awkward commands, symbols and main reason for the beta suffix, in fact, is that download but essentially the same old feature microdrive support: head over to punctuation marks, it will Jonathan has yet to update his excellent help RealSpec running in a window, and allows www.fidcal.com/ actually input them for you system to include all these new features - and WinXP users the access to the emulator Outlet/. into the emulation window since he's just become a daddy it's unlikely that was denied to them by the DOS SPIN too. he's going to find the time for this in the version. Head over to In fact, the keyboard immediate future. Ain't that the truth. www.ramsoft.bbk.org/realspec.html for SPIN had been quiet for helper offers not one, but more information on it all. a few weeks, until Paul This is the second update to Spectaculator three different ways of Dunn - co-author with since the last emulator roundup in ZXF 01, doing this. First is the X128 Mark Woodmas of this version 2.5 (released in July) having added in Onscreen Keyboard daringly innovative Romantic Robot's Multiface 1 to the A considerable number of spechums (I'm (pictured), the keys of emulator - bounced emulation; accordingly, version 3.0 now sorry, I hate that word; this is the first and which you click with your cheerily into supports the Multiface 128 also. You can last time I'll use it) around the world have Above: The SPIN keyboard helper. Genius. mouse and behave exactly comp.sys.sinclair to download this fantastic emulator - still the remained faithfull to this DOS emlator, as the keys on the real announce version 0.3 open and ready for best for creating your own .TZX files, as far as despite all of the bewildering changes going thing do. Second is the Command Finder, business. A lot has been added this time. I'm concerned - from on (not all of us are lucky enough to have which features an alphabetical scrolling list of A lot. To begin with there's support for the www.spectaculator.com. And here's a tip high speed Pentiums, after all); now their commands, symbols and modes, which can Magnum lightgun and the Currah Micro for Jonathan - when all else fails, the vacuum loyalty has been rewarded. Version 0.94 of be clicked on and entered. finally there is the Speech (are we begining to spot a pattern cleaner oftens puts babies to sleep; welcome James McKay's creation comes with bug Quick BASIC window, into which you can here?); there's improved support for to the bizarre, but beautiful world of fixes and better support for a number of file type your line of BASIC into a text box and compressed zip files and better RZX parenthood. formats, including TR-DOS. There are also have it sent to the Spectrum as either an compatibility with RealSpectrum's version a host of new "half-finished" features, such ASCII string (for 128k modes) or 48k tokens. REALSPECTRUM as ZX81 emulation, Interface 1/microdrive of the format. Now the interesting stuff: you can now insert a blank tape to record on via ftp://ftp.worldofspectrum.org/ The one we've all been waiting for (and then support and "an experimental attempt at the Recording menu (although the whole pub/sinclair/emulators/pc/windows/ process is not as intuitive as SPIN03.zip. Have fun. ZXF/02 page 11 ZXF/02 page 12
1k Minigame compo finishes we will all recall - made a game good by machine to run it on. Check out our feature 'W', bringing the total to 23. You can default. on loading screens in exp to see how download the SC ROM from With the submission deadline reached on the SevenuP can be used to clean up an image. www.wearmouth.demon.co.uk/SEA/sc01. 1k Minigame competition at www.ffd2.com/ LENSLOK emulated rom (it will run easily in emulators, such as minigame/, voting is currently in progress to SE(A) change LENSLOK, everybody's favourite most-hated SPIN, which separate out ROM files from the decide upon the winner. The contest, open security device, has received the emulation Sinclair Extended BASIC, Andrew Owen's main program code; download the file into to most (if not all) emulated 8-bit platforms once-over by Simon Owen. LensKey v1.0 updated version of Spectrum BASIC that your SPIN directory and then, in the and which required games submitted to be no is a tiny (11k) program that acts just like a aims to become fully platform independent emulator, select View > Options and in the more than 1024 bytes in total, featured no LENSLOK was supposed to, decoding the whilst maintaining compatibility with the Hardware section choose 48k and enter less than 10 Spectrum entries, ranging from seemingly random mess of blocks on the majority of Spectrum software (so it could be sc01.rom under ROM Filename). If you want Spectris (wonder what that one's about) by screen used on any of the Spectrum or Timex to see it in action first, Geoff has a Java Paolo Ferraris to Dotathon by Russell Marks. into an machines and - in theory - other Z80 based version running on his web page at Voting closes 7 October. entry machines), has become open source. www.wearmouth.demon.co.uk/ New Outlet code; Andrew will remain in overall control of the SEA/seach.htm the project, but copies of the source code can Spanish ROM translated Outlet, the disk based Spectrum magazine main now be obtained by emailing him at produced by Chezron Software, is now [email protected]. He is currently Yet more Andrew Owen, who has also available again from their new site at after volunteers for - as he calls it - 'non-techy recently released his English translation of www.fidcal.com/Outlet/. Chezron - now problems,' including such tasks as updating the original Spanish 128 ROM. You can renamed Fidcal, won't be producing any new the Spectrum BASIC programming manual to already access the Spanish language original issues, but their entire back catalogue of difference between LensKey and the plastic match SE Basic and draughting an Open of this, the precursor to the British 128k some 450 issues can be bought from, at original, of course, is that LensKey actually Source license agreement for the software. ROM, through the Es.pectrum emulator (see £2.00 a disk for 1 to 5 disks (more than that works. page 7); this update by Andrew allows us to Andrew is - as most regulars of and you get a discount). The disks are in understand it. Plus D format (which RealSpectrum can LensKey currently supports ACE, Art Studio, comp.sys.sinclair are probably well aware, read). Elite, Jewels of Darkness, Price of Magik, from the rush of air above their heads The Spanish 128 really is a fascinating ROM Tomahawk and TT Racer, and can be whenever he posts - on a different plane of to study. As with the British 128, commands Congraturations returns downloaded from http://homepage.ntlworld. Spectrum knowledgeability than the rest of us are typed in letter-by-letter, however there is com/simon.owen/lenskey/ mere mortals. One person who seems to no menu system and there are a number of The site which aims to "provide you to the know what he's talking about, however, is 'new' commands, such as RENUM and EDIT ending sequences to the games you thought SevenuP in beta Geoff Wearmouth, who has recently (these commands were functionally available you'd never see, mainly because you were released his own modified Spectrum ROM. through the British menus, but not at the crap at them" (Scribbler) is back after a year Apologies to Metalbrain for linking to an The Sea Change ROM, "a radical re-working same level of complexity - the renumber of absence. The Congraturations Archive out-of-date file in last issue's news. of the ZX Spectrum ROM" which gives an option on the British 128 Edit menu, for is at www.congraturations.co.uk. SevenuP, his rather smashing PC Spectrum graphics editor (in both Windows and Linux extra 256 bytes of RAM by relocating the example, renumbered your entire BASIC HiSoft BASIC online versions) has now reached version 0.61b. system variables in the ZX Printer buffer, is program in increments of 10, whereas the Since the version reported on in ZXF 02 incompatible with most Spectrum software Spanish RENUM n1, n2 will commence the Cameron Hayne, author of HiSoft BASIC, (0.4a), documentation has been added to the (although BASIC programs should work, and renumbering process at line n1 and "simultaneously the fastest integer compiler download and there is new support for so should many of the original 16k games increment by n2). Perhaps the most and the fastest floating-point compiler masking. SevenuP is now distributed under that made no ROM calls - for example the interesting feature is the built in text editor - available for the Spectrum," has made GNU General Public License (GPL) and 'Sinclair ten' that became ROM cartridges) complete with word wrapping - which I available the manual for this superb utility at therefore the source code can also be due to the movement of the system variables suppose was sacrificed to make room for the http://hayne.net/Spectrum/HiSoftBASIC/. obtained from Metal's website. Which is and the operating system routines. The menuing system. The manual is availible both as a web page www.speccy.org/metalbrain/. commands LPRINT and LLIST no longer and as a MS Word document. If nothing work, and the future plan is to use the space Get it from Philip Kendall's ROM collection else, you can now compile your Crap Game I like this editor very much; it's a little on the freed up by these to create two brand new at www.srcf.ucam.org/~pak21/ entry into "100% machine code," which - as slow side, however, so you'll need a fast UDGs (User Defined Graphics) on 'V' and spectrum/roms.html. ZXF/02 page 13 ZXF/02 page 14
Maziacs PC Judging from your feedback, it seems you quite liked the first issue of ZXF. I've had close on a hundred emails congratulating me on it and just one Programming: Andrew Canham (aka PeeJay) own. telling me to go and do something to myself which, well, just isn't possible (if Graphics: Andrew Canham & Ric Lumb you're that person, please email me again with an address I can reply to - I'd Download it from: www.peejays.remakes.org/ The speed with which Peejay developed this remake was quite astonishing - like for us to have a solution-focused chat). I wasn't going to print any of particularly when you bear in mind this is Here's a bit of trivia for you: did you know the first coding he's done in ten years these, but since my request for topic-based letters in CSS a while back met that Don Priestley, the original author of apparently. I wasn't quite sure what to with absolutely zero responses
I'm a Speccy fan from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I was reading your Speccy "virtual magazine" ZXF... it's excellent! WHERE IS ZXF BEING READ? Meet the Sprinter It's very well written, it has an excellent design and -the most important- it's very Many thanks to all of you who completed Tut tut. In how many Spectrum ebay auctions have I read descriptions like, "not much interesting to read. the feedback form on the download page. now, but it was state of the art in those days!" Actually, no it wasn't. I can't wait to read the second issue of the Whilst most readers are from the UK and mag, I hope you continue your excellent job. Spain, ZXF has been read in other Floppy drives and hard disks were state of the art back then. Even CD-ROMs weren't that far locations all across the globe! In total I Keep up the good work! received responses from 21 different off (my mother was using them where she worked - county library headquarters - loooong countries. See for yourself: before they became mainstream). No, the Spectrum was never 'state of the art.' What it was Hernán - and was importantly - was affordable. The concept of the home computer - something that families might be able to purchase - was an idea that appealed to Sir Clive (never mind the Country Just had read the first issue and found it Number of Rating (out why) - who, through the Spectrum and the ZX81 before it, gave hundreds of thousands of quite amazing. That's great than Spectrum responses of ten) people access to technologies and ideologies they could otherwise not have experienced. Magazines Publishing is alive again, and not The only modern equivalent of this forgotten concept seems to be the games console or a only in Rusiia but worldwide (there're at least Australia 2 9.5 second hand PC. Oh sure, the cost of PCs has plummeted in recent years, but even so 3 paperprint Speccy magazines in Russia). you're still looking at a general minimum of £400 - £500 for a new piece of kit; did you ever Good luck !!! Belgium 2 8.0 Brazil 1 10.0 think you'd find yourself regarding such prices as 'cheap'? Salaries might have gone up since Denis Denmark 4 8.3 the 1980s, but not by that much they haven't. Germany 4 6.0 You might well have heard of the Sprinter only worth a look becasue it's cheap, Well done Colin ... this is a TOP job! Greece 2 10.0 by now, developed by Peters Plus in because I most certainly am not. I The format's easy on the eye, it's well Holland 2 9.5 Russia. Do you know what it is though? remember as a newly qualified teacher my written and it's packed with enthusiasm. It's Ireland 3 9.0 A key feature is Spectrum compatibility, utter disdain at having to use an Archimedes also much more up-to-date than I would Italy 2 9.0 but this is not a Spectrum clone, and machine in my classroom. "Get with the have expected, with its articles on SPIN and Lithuania 1 0.0 neither is it an emulator. What it is is a nineties!" I wanted to cry, "where are the the very recent Exploding Fist and Sabre Zilog based Wulf remakes. Roll on issue 2, I say! New Zealand 1 10.0 PCs?" But very Russia 3 8.3 machine with 4Mb quickly I grew to Ed Serbia 1 9.0 RAM that chugs love my little A3000 along at 21MHz and Singapore 1 10.0 (I hope it's still being can display up to Gordon Blimey O'Crikey Lawks O'Bennett! Slovakia 1 8.0 used to educate 256 colours on a TV children, but I have That's blimmin' excellent, matey! When the South Africa 1 10.0 others said it was very professional, I or CGA monitor. to say I doubt that it Spain 14 8.1 thought they were just being kind. But they 21MHz? 4Mb is). And as ICT weren't.[1] I just hope you can keep it up. Sweden 1 10.0 RAM? Why on Co-ordinator of our (Arf! Yoinks! F'narr! -Ed.) Thailand 1 10.0 earth would anyone little junior school I [1] Well, they *were* being kind but they, UK 24 8.9 want to bother with soon learnt the erm... weren't being, um, "kind". Or USA 4 9.8 that? But the whole point of something. Sprinter sells for having a variety of Duncan TOTAL: 75 8.6 $170 (that's just machines for under £110). Why children to learn is it that we don't have something like this with, which is that variety results in generic over here - something that families on the computing skills, rather than platform specific Don't forget to fill out the feedback form wrong side of the rich-poor divide (which skills. A bilingual child acquires conceptual for this issue if you download and read it - hasn't narrowed since Labour came to knowledge more easily than a monolingual which, erm, I guess you are... power) actually have a chance of child because she is not restrained by a affording? single language structure: she learns to look beyond this as an abstract boundary and to Not that I'm suggesting that the Sprinter is spot the shifting concepts beyond (consider ZXF/02 page 17 ZXF/02 page 18
the conotations of the word 'kitchen,' for Why the lengthy preamble? I have a fear 6 Usage of periphery like ISA modem, distend of pixel lines. This feature is useful in example, and compare them with the that the Sprinter will all too easily be written CD-ROM, hard disk, AT keyboard, MS any 3D programs. Mouse. conotations of 'cuisine'). The current off by readers as a machine with nothing to Today only a Doom demo uses this dominance of the PC in British classrooms offer. No it's not a PC, but that doesn't 7 "Sprinter ZX" mode with access to the configuration. can only result in the perpetuation of the mean it has no place. It's cheap, it's creative some of the features of Sprinter Wintel myth that theirs is the only and the and it's an alternative. Configuration. Another configuration is the Special Video best way of doing things. Configuration. This configuration supports Anyway, I've been having a little chat with Now about the main configuration - Sprinter the Sprinter Video format (SPV). Today, SPV And the Sprinter is a very clever computer, Alex Goryachev of the Sprinter Team over Configuration. This configuration allows the is a stream of unpacked video and audio its PLD allowing a dynamic architecture that the last few weeks. Here's what he's had to usage of Estex applications. Estex is an data in size of 160x128 pixels. The controls a number of different configurations say. operating system for the Sprinter computer. Accelerator can double each pixel for - as you can read for yourself below. Today Estex contains Disk Subsystem fullscreen video mode. We have a beta (DSS) only. Estex applications provides access to the What is the Sprinter? This configuration allows the usage of the most interesting features of Sprinter computer, namely: The Sprinter is a modern 8 bit multiform software of several Spectrum clones: ZX computer with Z84C15 CPU by Zilog Inc. Spectrum +2, Pentagon 128/512 and ZS 1 Support of 4Mb memory allocation. Scorpion 256. The Sprinter CPU (Z84C15) The computer is multiform because it can 2 Usage of hard disk up to 42Gb. change its architecture and hardware is fully compatible with the Z80 (the features during work. Spectrum's CPU), therefore Spectrum 3 Text video modes: 80x32 and 40x32. Configuration has compatible modes for all For this feature the Altera PLD these Spectrum clones. Each mode has the 4 Graphics video modes: 320x256 with (Programmable Logic Device) is used. The usual Spectrum menu, Basic, AY, Kempston 256 colours (palette of 16M colours) and PLD contains information about the mouse, Tape, TR-DOS, original INT and 640x256 with16 colours. Sprinter's hardware features; this information ULA. 5 16 bit stereo sound. version of a video player which uses this can be changed by loading a new variant of configuration already. the architecture from an external file at any On first inspection you will not find many 6 The Accelerator. The Accelerator is the time. It might be a new variant of graphics differences between using the Spectrum internal device (was made in PLD) which And finally there is a Special Game screen, a new allocation of memory or mode on the Sprinter and using a real serves for quick work with memory data Configuration. This configuration serves for several new ports for extended features of Spectrum clone, but Spectrum Configuration blocks. Today it is present in all the support of some hardware features in the computer. Therefore the Sprinter can on the Sprinter has new features: configurations except Spectrum arcade games. For example one particular have several variants of hardware (hardware 1 Fast change model of Spectrum clones. Configuration. game, Thunder in the Deep (by Deviant configurations) for each user program if You can select a clone in the special group), uses a pixel by pixel hardware screen So, all these features are supported by scroll by the Accelerator. needs be. For example, the Sprinter has menu. software. Today Sprinter has a file manager Spectrum Configuration to allow it to use (like Norton Commander), a graphic files Ok, so would it be fair to say that the five Spectrum software. Other configurations 2 Usage of several RAM-disks. Six RAM Disks can be set to any TR-DOS drives. viewer (BMP, PCX, SCR), player of sound configurations can be summarised as: give the user access to all the graphic and files (WAV), audioCD player, terminal Spectrum Configuration - For Spectrum sound features of the Sprinter computer. 3 Saving/loading images of TR-DOS disks program for ISA modem, ZIP files unpacker, and Spectrum clones compatibility (TRD files). a graphics editor and a lot of utilities. Can you explain a bit more about the (with enhancements); different configurations? What 4 Change frequency of CPU (3,5MHz/21 Also, there are several special additional Sprinter Configuration - For applications abilities/features do the different MHz). Some Spectrum programs work configurations which have some differences (eg, word processing, file configurations of the Sprinter offer? better if they work quickly. from the Sprinter Configuration. management, graphics packages) Today's model of Sprinter computer (Sprinter 5 Changing some features of any A Special Doom Configuration is a Special Doom Configuration - For 3D 2000) has several configurations. Let's Spectrum modes. You can create configuration with extended features of the games. begin with the Spectrum Configuration - the special mode for each Spectrum Accelerator. In this configuration, the most popular today. program. Accelerator supports compression and the Special Video Configuration - For ZXF/02 page 19 ZXF/02 page 20
multimedia. for the Sprinter will only work in certain players, program languages and a lot of Is it easy to fit a standard hard disk to configurations - is that right? utilities were created by different the Sprinter? Are there any models Special Game Configuration - For arcade programmers. Sixteen new programs were which are incompatible? What about games. Yes, absolutely. created for Sprinter computer during this CD ROM drives? year alone. All of them are freeware. But Yes, you're right. Sprinter works in the So what sort of software has been The Sprinter can use any IDE hard disk up today we know about the first commercial different configurations for the most effective developed for the Sprinter? to a capacity of 42Gb. But a HDD with work. project of an arcade game for Sprinter. Our main work is the creation of Estex, the more than 2Gb needs to partition on 2Gb. How do you select these modes? Is this operating system for the Sprinter computer. Am I right in thinking there is a Sprinter FAT16 specification requires it. Also IDE something you do when you start the Today it is DOS with support for FAT16 and emulator for PCs already? How accurate CD-ROM can be set. is the emulator - does it emulate correctly computer or can you change back and FAT12. But we continue work and Estex will Today Sprinter can use any two IDE all Sprinter configurations? forth between modes whilst it is running? have all parts of modern operating systems: devices simultaneously. Graphics SubSystem, Graphics User All configurations and modes can be The emulator of the Sprinter computer has Interface and others. A lot of applications Who are the people behind the selected by the user program during a the name Sprint (and is by Shaos: have been created for Estex. There are file development of the Sprinter? computer session. Program can switch ports www.shaos.ru). The emulator is free managers, graphics and text viewers, to select any mode or configuration, or can software under the terms of the GNU The Sprinter Team are: Ivan Mak (Senior Spectrum Launcher (for the usage of load a new configuration from an external General Public License. It is not finished yet: Hardware Engineer) author of most ideas of Spectrum software), a terminal program, a file. today it is a very simple emulator, supporting Sprinter architecture, Denis Parinov (Senior graphics editor, an audio CD player, a WAV Sprinter Configuration only. It features Software Engineer) author of the operating For example, to use Spectrum software (as player, a ZIP archive decompressor and a lot emulation of the BIOS and Estex functions system Estex and Alex Goryachev (Sprinter TRD files) from Estex (Sprinter of utilities. A large part of the existing (but not all functions). The emulation of Project Manager). Configuration) we use the application software has been created by Sprinter users. changing version of firmware is not Spectrum Launcher. This application can Today our main target is the release of a full supported. When did the project to design and build execute TRD from a command line. operating system which will be useful for the Sprinter start and what Spectrum Launcher switches computer to programmers. Also we support the creation So, today's emulator is a shell for executing experiences/inspiration brought about the Spectrum Configuration, create a of new developers tools. some Estex applications. It can show off the the idea? TR-DOS RAM-disk, copy a contents of TRD graphics features of the Sprinter; it can help So Estex contains lots of mini The Sprinter Project started in 1996. The file to RAM-disk and finally execute programmers to create simple Sprinter applications - a bit like Windows for the ZX Spectrum computer was still very Spectrum program. Also Spectrum Launcher programs on the text screen: it can be PC, with its media player and so on. popular in Russia in that year. The original can select any modes of Spectrum useful, yes, but it can't replace a real Have other developers brought out their idea of the Sprinter Project was the creation Configuration without executing of TRD file. Sprinter computer. We are in contact with own programs for the Sprinter? the author of the emulator and he has of a new Spectrum clone which could use In this case you can start work in a usual modern periphery: hard disk, AT keyboard, Spectrum menu as on an original Spectrum The creation of a lot of mini application is a complete information about the Sprinter computer for his work. MS mouse, 3.5" floppy disk drive; also to or Spectrum clone. And finally you can usual way of a new computer which has not add a new graphic mode with 16 colors for switch between Spectrum modes during all software at start. We don't plan the So what exactly does the Sprinter cost - each pixel. But during the work, the Sprinter work in Spectrum Configuration by a special repetition of any modern operating system, and what do you get for this? developed yet more powerful features. So menu. And you can return to the Sprinter for example Windows. But we do plan to today we have a second model of the The cost of the Sprinter computer is $170 Configuration by this menu too. finance the creation of several important Sprinter computer, Sprinter 2000 (with applications: text editor, universal viewer, USD. The computer in a standard set Special configurations (Doom, Video, Game) Sp2000 mainboard). But the Sprinter is a manager of archives, data base and sheets. includes the Sprinter's mainboard, AT case, don't have any menu and can be used by Spectrum compatible computer still. It will be a powerfull pack for users. They will AT keyboard, MS mouse, 3.5" FDD, video programs only. be large and rich applications, with a lot of cable, software and manuals. So the different configurations are a bit features, but they will not be the first The Sprinter's mainboard, Sp2000, can be like, for example, the different graphics programs from other developers. Only about purchased separately at a cost of $115 USD. modes you used to get on older 30% of all Sprinter software is by This package contains the Sp2000 computers - you can change between PetersPlus. Today Sprinter users know mainboard with 4Mb RAM and 256Kb Peters Plus: www.petersplus.com them as much as you like during a several experienced programmers. File videoRAM; FDD and HDD ribbon cables; FAQ: www.petersplus.com/sprinter/faq.htm computer session, but certain software manager, terminal program, viewers, some video cable; software and manuals. Sprint: http://robots.ural.net/nedopc/sprinter/ ZXF/02 page 22
SPECTRUM +3 SOFTWARE AND SPARES Back to the Spectrum
Part One. So you're back. And the Spectrum has moved on. And you're confused. This issue we take a look at getting you back to the point at which you left: playing games on your ZX Spectrum - virtually speaking, that is...
HARDWARE: 3 inch 180K disc drive for +3. Reconditioned with 3 months warranty £10 each. These drives can be supplied with cream coloured facias in place of the black facias if wanted -- just ask. Belts for the 3 inch drive £1 each. New. Loads available. (Just send a S.A.E. with order to cover postage -- correct for up to 20 belts). Monitor lead to convert +3, +2 and +2A to use an Amstrad CTM644 colour monitor. £4 each. 3 INCH DISCS: 3 inch Blank discs: Second-hand good quality Amsoft or Maxell only supplied. All have been reformatted, verfied and relabelled. 80 pence each or £7-50 for ten. Larger quantities available 100 for £65, 1000 for £450. Sometimes available new 3 inch discs at £1 each, please ask.
JOHN R P KING 26, GUYSFIELD DRIVE, SOUTH HORNCHURCH, RAINHAM, ESSEX. RMI3 7AJ TEL: 01708 630477 [email protected] www.pcwking.freeserve.co.uk
www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=1396&forum=1&6 ZXF/02 page 23 ZXF/02 page 24
so), but you'd be wrong to assume they're all screens and multi-loader games (more on pretty much of a muchness. Spectrum TZX later). Spectaculator and emulators vary. They vary chiefly in the RealSpectrum will both allow you to save to following areas: tape. 1) The operating system they run on. 5) User-friendliness. Generally speaking, all RealSpectrum, for example, currently runs Spectrum emulators are extremely only in DOS (a Windows build has just been competant pieces of programming. There is, released), as does X128. There are also, of I feel, an unspoken assumption that the end course, emulators for other computers users of these programs will be fairly (Macintosh, Acorn, Amiga, Playstation, etc) computer and spectrum literate, however, and other PC platforms (eg Fuse for Unix); I and in my mind the emulator that best stands am qualified to comment on none of these as an exception to this is Jonathan Needle's (sorry). Spectaculator, which has a well thought out layout and help system. 2) The models of Spectrum emulated. Nearly all emulators emulate the whole range of .TZX? Snapshot file? Wot? Spectrums (ie, 48k, 128k, +2, +3 and +2A), Time to explain all those file formats. The although Spectaculator currently only Spectrum, of course, saved primarily to supports the original 48k Spectrum, the first cassette tape. The +3 had a built in 3" disk 128 and the +2 (not the +2A or the +3). drive, which was the default saving/loading Some emulators also emulate some of the media when a disk was inserted; there were eastern european clones (eg, RealSpectrum also various add on disk drive interfaces over emulates the Didaktik Kompact, the the years that allowed you to use standard Pentagon and the Scorpion) and a couple 5.25" and 3.5" drives with earlier Spectrums (RealSpectrum, SPIN) emulate Garry So you've finally realised. You think that new technology is great - of (eg, the MGT Plus D interface) and actual Lancaster's +3e (reported on last issue). course you do - but ever since you packed away that old Spectrum in a box storage devices such as Sinclair's own and taped up the lid something has most definately been missing. At last 3) Spectrum peripheral hardware supported. microdrive. In the main, however, Spectrum you understand you were turning your back on more than just an obselete Most emulators will emulate a joystick, but emulators deal with only tape and the +3 generally that was far as hardware emulation drive (the main exception to this is computer. went in most emulators until recently, when RealSpectrum, which emulates many of first Klive and then Spectaculator added in these devices). support for the Currah Micro Speech and the And now that you are back, where do you complete 'beginers' in mind, however, I hope Let's take cassette tape first. Now here's the Cheetah SpecDrum. RealSpectrum, start? A search for "ZX Spectrum" on this will all actually be a service to a variety of problem: a Spectrum program stored on tape however, emulates a vast range of add-on Google reveals over eighty thousand links, Spectrum hobbyists at various stages of their rarely consisted of a single file. Your storage hardware, from the ZX Interface 1 many of which - to even the most ZX rehabilitation; if, like me, you're spending average early Spectrum game, for example, and microdrives to the popular Plus D enthusiastic of returners - can appear to time lurking in the shadows of CSS would usually consist of at least three files: interface (you can actually put a Plus D make absolutely no sense whatsoever. wandering whether your one little question the BASIC loader would come first, followed formatted 3.5" floppy into your PC's floppy TZX? RZX? Snapshot? Chuntey? What's it will be screamed at for its ignorance/ by the loading screen and followed next by drive and read/write to it in the normal way all about? naivety/ten thousand references in the CSS the main program code. The first of these - from your emulated Spectrum). FAQ, then I hope you'll find here some the BASIC loader - would be announced by Things have moved on since the days of answers. 4) Tape support. Whilst nearly all emulators something like "Program: Asteroids" (or "Start tape, then press any key." And in this that I know of support the .TZX virtual whatever the game was called) in the top left series of articles I hope to make these So where do we start? We start, of course, cassette file format, they vary currently so far corner of the screen (as programmers got developments a little easier to digest. We'll with emulators, of which you will need at as saving to a .TZX file is concerned. All can more clever they worked out how to get rid of start this issue by assuming you to be fresh least one. There is an absolutely enourmous save to a snapshot file, of course, but if the 'program' bit and just display the game's to the modern Spectrum scene completely number of emulators to choose from (see you're authoring your own programs rather name). The purpose of this small program is and deal with matters of emulation, then build www.worldofspectrum.org/emulators.html than simply saving your place in a game then to prepare the machine for the files to follow; things up from here in future issues. for a complete list; is the Spectrum the most .TZX is a more 'authentic' way of saving your you see, when you type LOAD "" (or select Although these articles are written with emulated computer on the planet? I suspect work and also allows the luxury of loading Tape Loader from a 128 menu) the Spectrum ZXF/02 page 25 ZXF/02 page 26
expects a BASIC program to load - most spectrum emulator was the 'snapshot file'. A time). Snapshot files were great at the time - know where to send it now!) or it's distribution games, however, were written in machine snapshot file is essentially a memory dump a convenient way of loading a favourite game has been deniedby the original copyright code and machine code has to be loaded (or 'snapshot') of the Spectrum's memory at quickly - but as emulators developed and the owner. Martijn has been working tirelessly with a different set of commands (LOAD any given point - most game snapshot files pangs of nostalgia for the good old days over the last few years to contact every last "filename" CODE start address, file length or that you can download from the Internet have grew, something more authentic was game author to establish whether it's ok to LOAD "filename" CODE followed by been saved (or 'snapped') just at the point at required; also snapshots were no good for distribute their work for free via his site; a RANDOMIZE USR start address). The which they've loaded. The origins of this file multi-load games (where each level in a small number have told him it's not (eg BASIC loader, therefore, is a BASIC program format go back to the days of the original game had to be loaded seperately from Ultimate, Code Masters) - these titles are that loads in and executes the remaining files Spectrum hardware: with all these add on tape). These days, therefore, the prefered listed, then, but not availible for download. for you (effectively entering these more disk drive devices (and eventually the +3 format for distributing Spectrum software in is But there's still more than enough to choose complex commands on your behalf and three inch drive) a way had to be thought of the virtual cassette format; snapshot files are from, and you can also download many of saving you the hassle) - first the loading for transfering existing software owned by an mainly used for saving your progress the original game inlay cards (as graphics screen and next the individual from tape to (although an innovative use for snapshot files files), plus emulators, PC utilities and an main program code. disk (where was the point has been implemented at enormous amount of Spectrum in owning a posh new www.thespian.demon.co.uk/ documentation. Be appreciative, be very So it's not just a disk drive if you couldn't congrat/index.htm, otherwise known as 'The appreciative; Martijn gets nothing for his question of emulating use it to speed up the Congratulations Archive,' where you can troubles other than our unending admiration. files; the whole tape loading of all your download snapshots of games at their point containing the files has That should get you going! Next issue we'l favourite games?) Most of completion to find out what happens at the to be emulated if take a look at Spectrum game remakes, the games protected their end). The two snapshot formats are .SNA Spectrum emulators modern Spectrum demo scene and the vast BASIC loader from easy and .Z80; both are supported by the vast are to remain faithful to range of PC utilities that exist to enhance hacking, hiding the listing majority of emulators (and both support also the original experience. your Spectrum experience still more. We've (and therefore the start 48k and 128k snapshots). This is where the file only just started! addresses) through formats .TZX and .TAP So that brings us to the +3 disk drive. In the special tricks that left a come in, the former same way that .TZX is a 'virtual cassette,' blank screen and being a more recent .DSK is a 'virtual disk' or 'disk image' of a +3 perhaps a copyright formulation and more three inch disk. For emulators which support Emulators...TZX message, so it wasn't authentic than the this format (most 128k emulators do for just a matter of loading latter, but less well loading from disks; not all do for saving to the file into memory and supported across the them) you simply select a disk image via the As written above, Spectaculator and Spectaculator's cassette interface, then saving it back onto complete range of emulator's menu system and this then RealSpectrum both allow you to create complete with recording button disk with a new BASIC your own .TZX files. SPIN has also added emulators. A TZX file 'inserts' the virtual disk into your emulated loader modified as this capability to it's (ever) increasing list is, therefore, a virtual +3's disk drive - from this point on you appropriate. So disk of features recently (see new), although - cassette which contains all the spectrum files access the disk using the usual +3 in my opinion - not in as intuitive a way as drive interfaces such as the Plus D sported a necessary for the game to run, and your commands (the manual is online at Spectaculator (which is why I use that little snap button which you pressed once emulated Spectrum accesses this in just the www.madhippy.com/8-bit/sinclair/ emulator in the following loading screens your game had loaded from tape; at this point article). same way as your original Spectrum did, zxspec3man/index.html). the game would freeze and you were able to loading the BASIC loader first and so on. I've also just learned that - contrary to the save it - as it was, at that precise moment - So where do I get these files from? Some of the most recent emulators information I presented in last issue's goto to disk. (Spectaculator, SPIN) now even come with section - ZX32 also allows you to save That part is simple. The Spectrum .TZX files. To do this you must first type a 'virtual cassette player,' which allows you to So a snapshot file - in contrast to a virtual community are blessed by the work of a in and execute your save command on the play, stop and forward/rewind the virtual cassette file - really is just one file. You don't certain Martijn van der Heide; his site - emulated Spectrum (ie, SAVE "proggy", cassette; Spectaculator even includes a get the BASIC loader or the loading screen World of Spectrum then Enter twice) and then select Save As record button and the option to insert a 'blank with this sort of file; when you load it back in (www.worldofspectrum.org/) - contains the from the ZX menu, following which you tape' for your own programs to be recorded can choose either .TZX or .TAP from the you just go straight back to the point at which biggest archive of Spectrum files on the "Save as type" box - ordinarily these two on. you saved the file, be that at the start of a planet. If you can't get hold of the title you're options don't appear. Thanks to Lee game or somewhere in the middle (at the end after amongst the thousands there, it's either Prince for that information, via But before virtual cassette files (or of a level, for example, so you don't have to 'missing in action' (MIA files are listed at comp.sys.sinclair. 'Cassette/tape images,' as they're sometimes play the game right from the begining next WOS; if you find you have one of these you called) were sorted out, the mainstay of the ZXF/02 page 27 ZXF/02 page 28
Bitmap to screen$
Getting your bitmapped masterpiece from your My Pictures folder to the front end of a brand new TZX isn't as easy as it first seems. Here we take a step-by-step look at one way of doing this. Get ready to spruce up those CSSCGC2K2 entries...
WHAT YOU WILL With the comp.sys.sinclair Crap Games NEED The (freeware) Competition 2002 (CSSCGC2K2) upon us (hurrah!), tools you'll be using: it's time to dust off the orange manual and start writing BMP2SCR: PC graphics BASIC (badly) again. We all know, of course - from all conversion utility by LCD too many years of bitter experience - that loading www.lcd-one.da.ru/ screens were utterly useless as indicators of a game's 1 - Choose your image. I'm using this picture of 2 - Prepare your image. To make the image actual eventual quality; what better way then to add to Spider-man which I scanned from an old comic simpler for conversion, I've got rid of the yellow bits SevenuP: PC SCR editing utility cover. The number and layout of the colours in the background and reduced the number of by Metalbrain the crapness of your entry this year than a fantastic makes this an ideal picture for conversion. colours to 16. I've cropped the image and resized www.speccy.org/metalbrain looking loading screen that builds up expectations to a to 256 x 176 pixels. Now it's ready for conversion to level from which it really hurts to be dropped? SCR format. ZX32: Spectrum emulator by Vaggelis Kapartzianis But - somewhat surprisingly, given the very high quality www.geocities.com/ of the Spectrum software on the 'market' today - no SiliconValley/Bay/9932/ one single piece of software exists that can manage all Spectaculator: Spectrum 48k of this for you. It can be done of course, but only by emulator by Jonathan Needle using a number of different programs together. What www.spectaculator.com/ follows therefore is a process I've cobbled together and is, I would suspect, almost certainly not the only (or the most efficient) way of managing this task (I'll rely on the knowledgeable amongst you to put me right in next issue's letter page if my suspicions are correct), but it does work. So we'll be using the excellent BMP2SCR to convert our initial image into an SCR file, and SevenuP, the recently released Spectrum graphics editor, to clean it up a little. We'll be loading the SCR into ZX32 so that we can then save it out again as a snapshot file (although SCR is now the standard format for Spectrum screens, surprisingly few of the best known emulators support it; ZX32 does), then we'll be loading it in this format into Spectaculator where we can then 3 - BMP2SCR. This PC utility allows us to convert 4 - BMP2SCR (cont). In the top left corner is our start up and save our screen into a new TZX file, our image into a variety of Spectrum related original bitmap; below it is our new SCR. Notice complete with a BASIC loader all of its own. formats, but we must be careful here to choose an how the program has used bright to give our hero SCR format. I'm using option A - 'BMP to SCR some dramatic highlighting: other options from the Ready? Let's go! color' main menu (see last box) would not have given this. We could leave it here, but there's a little bit of colour clash that could be improved. Save the file... ZXF/02 page 29 ZXF/02 page 30
5 - SevenuP. In this utility we can clean up our 6 - SevenuP (cont). There. Our SCR image is 9 - Spectaculator. First of all - before we go 10 - Spectaculator (cont). Next we need to write a image whilst it stays in SCR format. There are just now ready to meet an emulated Spectrum. There anywhere near our snapshot - we need to start a short BASIC loader for the loading screen we are a couple of cells I want to work with (circled in are lots of other things you can do in SevenuP, new, blank tape on which to save it. File > New about to create and - of course - the actual game yellow) - some very minor incidences of colour such as flipping the image horizontally or vertically. brings up the box above. Select TZX format, give itself (you did remember to write a game, didn't clash. Take care to work a cell at a time - the red in A text option would be nice (hint hint)... your tape a name and select a folder to store it in. you?). A simple loader is shown above. You'll one cell might be INK; in the next it could be Your tape is now inserted into the virtual cassette notice that the SAVE command entered has "LINE PAPER. recorder. 10" added - this is so the loader runs automatically when it has loaded. Type the command as shown...
7 - ZX32. From good old ZX32 we can load in our 8 - ZX32 (cont). ...and, without any further ado, 11 - Spectaculator (cont). ...and hit Enter. But 12 - Spectaculator (cont). With the loader saved SCR file. Klive also offers this option, but the save it back out as a snapshot file (in this case in don't "press any key" yet! First you must click on to tape, we can now load in our snapshot file and snapshot file we are about to save doesn't work at the .z80 file format) using ZX > Save As. the red record button on the Cassette Recorder to save this onto the tape too. Enter the command to the Spectaculator end of the process when Important: make sure ZX32 is in 48k mode before get the tape going. Now you can click back on the SAVE as above - remembering to use the filename created with this (when you load the snapshot in the you load the SCR file - it makes working with the main emulator window and press a key to start you identified for the loading screen in the BASIC emulator clears the screen before you get a chance snapshot file in Spectaculator much easier. recording. loader - and repeat the process with the record to save it). Anyway, locate your file via ZX > Open... button described in (11). ZXF/02 page 31 ZXF/02 page 32
Update Project: +3/2A SCART lead Me and my big mouth. I happen to mention on comp.sys.sinclair the lack of SCR support in Spectaculator and, within hours, Jonathan Needle only goes and adds it in. ...which is good, erm, of course. Here's what he wrote: If, like me, you're getting back into real Spectrum hardware again, I've quickly put together a plugin for .SCR files you'll no doubt be immersed in the joys of re-discovery. A not so which you can get from joyous finding of mine was just how bad the Spectrum display looks www.spectaculator.com/download/ misc/zxscr.zip on a colour TV (emulator authors have a long way to go before they Just extract zxscr.dll into the drivers folder in the capture the sheer dreadfulness of that one thoroughly). But this can Spectaculator folder. Restart Spectaculator and you'll be able to load and save .SCR files from be overcome: Alan Cox has designed a SCART lead for the +3/2A File->Open/Save As. RGB/PERITEL socket, which John King has built and written up at Note: This will only work on v3.0 beta #1 and www.pcwking.freeserve.co.uk/helpage42.html; John has kindly given NOT 2.5 (because of plugin API differences). me permission to reproduce this information here. Please note, this So now - if you wish - you can cut ZX32 out of the equation altogether and simply load the lead will not work for the original Spectrum 128 or the first +2. 11 - Finished! To load your tape from scratch , SCR straight into Spectaculator. simply reset the Spectrum and do a normal LOAD And also this from Paul Dunn: "The latest "" (with your new tape still in the casette player, of version of SPIN supports loading of SCR files course). through drag n drop... A feature that not many Perhaps I should start by saying that the • 15 watt Soldering Iron. people know about!" Well now we do. tasks to be undertaken on this page are not • Solder. for those of you without electrical and soldering skills; for the competent, the • Electrical tape (or cable ties). following circuit will give a quality picture and Better BASIC loaders mono sound through a television set from a • MultiMeter. Fancy sprucing up your loader? Of course you do! Spectrum file names have a limit of ZX Spectrum +3. This lead should also work • Side cutters, Long nosed pliers and a small ten characters, but you can get around this in 48k BASIC by using the token codes. Each wth a +2A but as of yet I have not tested it screw driver (all of which can be found in of the keyword tokens (PRINT, LOAD, NEW, etc) are represented by single byte codes; on one. The lead was designed by Alan Cox you can insert these codes when you save and produce seriously lengthy file names by any DIY tool box). and has been built and tested by a number doing so. SAVE CHR$ 169 + CHR$ 172 + CHR$ 177 + CHR$ 203 + CHR$ 232 + CHR$ 204 + CHR$ Procedure 227 would give you, for example: "Program: POINT AT LEN THEN CONTINUE TO READ" (a full of different people (including myself) on a three characters to spare) when you load the program back in. All of the word tokens are number of different makes of TV (with almost Alan Cox offers a plain English way to given below, along with their codes. Don't forget to add "Line 10" on the end before you complete success). produce the lead and could be preferred to save. Should you build one of these leads kindly my circuit diagram: 165 RND 181 ASN 197 OR 213 MERGE 229 RESTORE 245 PRINT report the results so we may judge the • Connect SCART pins 4, 5, 9, 13, 17 and 18 166 INKEY$ 182 ACS 198 AND 214 VERIFY 230 NEW 246 PLOT success rate together and then to RGB pin 2. 167 PI 183 ATN 199 <= 215 BEEP 231 BORDER 247 RUN ([email protected]). • Connect SCART pins 7, 11 and 15 to RGB 168 FN 184 LN 200 >= 216 CIRCLE 232 CONTINUE 248 SAVE Parts and tools required 169 POINT 185 EXP 201 <> 217 INK 233 DIM 249 RANDOMIZE pins 8, 6 and 7 respectively via 68R 170 SCREEN$ 186 INT 202 LINE 218 PAPER 234 REM 250 IF • Scart Plug (also known as an Euro resistors. 171 ATTR 187 SOR 203 THEN 219 FLASH 235 FOR 251 CLS Connector or Peritel Plug). • Connect SCART pins 2 and 6 together and 172 AT 188 SGN 204 TO 220 BRIGHT 236 GO TO 252 DRAW then to RGB pin 3. 173 TAB 189 ABS 205 STEP 221 INVERSE 237 GO SUB 253 CLEAR • 8 pin male DIN in-line plug. 174 VAL$ 190 PEEK 206 DEF FN 222 OVER 238 INPUT 254 RETURN • Connect SCART pin 8 to RGB pin 5. 175 CODE 191 IN 207 CAT 223 OUT 239 LOAD 255 COPY • Five 68 ohm resistors (quarter or half watt) 176 VAL 192 USR 208 FORMAT 224 LPRINT 240 LIST • 6 feet of six core cable. • Connect SCART pin 16 to RGB pin 1 via a 177 LEN 193 STR$ 209 MOVE 225 LLIST 241 LET 68R resistor. 178 SIN 194 CHR$ 210 ERASE 226 STOP 242 PAUSE • 6 feet of single screened cable (for the 179 COS 195 NOT 211 OPEN # 227 READ 243 NEXT sound connections). • Connect SCART pin 20 to RGB pin 4 via a 180 TAN 196 BIN 212 CLOSE # 228 DATA 244 POKE 68R resistor. ZXF/02 page 33 ZXF/02 page 34
Left: Alan Cox's Scart lead visualised by John King. Plugs are viewed facing solder Another little read from my collection at www.cwoodcock.co.uk. I'm still connections. waiting for your submissions for this section. The pain can end, you know - Below: Resistor colour codes. On four band resistors the first two digits identify the value, all you have to do is sing... the third the multiplier (how many 0s to add) and the fourth the tolerance. On five band resistors the first three digits identify the value, the fourth the multiplier and the fifth the The Genuine User Friendly Interface tolerance. So the resistor (My forthcoming address to the Computer Literacy Association) below is 270 K ohms: 2, 7 and Keats said: "I am in that temper that if I Rider gave me an idea. Could it be possible 4 zeros. The were under water I would scarcely kick to that the public really did want a system that colour band on come to the top." Of course he was did everything for them? Don't scoff the edge shows referring to the repartitioning of colleagues - your immediate riposte might well the left hand multi-gigabyte hard drives. [Pause for be "What on Microsoft is the point in having a side. laughter to die down] It might seem point and click system if you can't point and incredible, in these breathtaking days of click at things?" yet I have now heard a clock speeds faster than a speeding bullet's mouse described so many times as "that box bad case of Chicken Teaka Leaka and thing" - regardless, I might add, of its memory sizes so vast the entire works of ergonomic design - I am convinced this is the Jeffrey Archer and his contemporaries case. PIN SIGNAL could be stored proportionately to a bar of An eight core cable was used for the complimentary Palmolive soap stolen by Such a system would naturally require a production of this lead and gave satisfactory 1 +12V Ceaucescu and hidden "somewhere in his degree of Artificial Intelligence. AI is, of results. 2 GND house," that the layman could still be course, at a far more advanced stage than 3 audio out pushed to set his disk caching parameters most people realise. Version 3.129 of Just in case it is not obvious, use the six 4 composite sync Satansoft's Backgammon springs immediately 5 +12V correctly - yet research continually and core cable to connect the DIN plug repeatedly suggests such a bizarre fact to to mind for its clinically proven prejudice 6 green against anyone over the age of 34. And need I video/RGB connections to the Scart plug and 7 red be true. Colleagues, I share with you your remind you all that Solitaire will never let you the single screened cable is for the sound 8 blue utter astonishment in that 90 per cent of computer users world-wide don't find a win if you should be doing something else? It connections to the Scart Plug. Once the is therefore not at all, as many might Above: +3/2A RGB/PERITEL socket General Protection Error message entirely Scart lead has been made up following the sufficient and informative a notification of suppose, that such a system would be above diagram, tape the two leads together Below: Scart plug connections their machine's troubled status, yet it goes technically unfeasible - rather it is just plain (or use cable ties). With both the TV and +3 deeper and still deeper than that. Last silly that anyone should want to create such a thing. switched off plug in your lead, then switch PIN USAGE ALTERNATIVE NAMES week, the Society for the Abolition of Obscure Acronyms - better known to us all So it is with mixed emotions that I stand on the two machines and test. 1 Audio Right Out Audio Output Right as StAbolObAm - published results implying 2 Audio Right In Audio Input Right before you all today to introduce the Genuine It is well worth the effort of making up a Scart that 80 per cent of users are unable - User Friendly Interface - which, on the advice 3 Audio Left Out Audio Output Left unable, I tell you - to calculate their ideal lead for your +3 machines, as the quality of 4 Audio Ground Audio Earth of StAbolObAm, I have shortened to BOB. 5 Blue Ground Blue Video Earth SIMMS RAM to Virtual Memory swapfile BOB is the result of 18 months of love and picture (the sound remains mono) far 6 Audio Left In Audio Input Left ratio. We have given them mice, my labour, and these are some of its features: exceeds that obtained from a Black/White, 7 Blue Blue Video Input friends; we have given them WYSIWYG [OHT 1 - note: remember to use a comical Green, Amber or Colour Monitor. Games are 8 Status/16-9 Function Switching truetype fonts and shortcut thumbnails: we typeface] 9 Green Ground Green Video Earth have not yet given enough, it seems. given a new meaning when played using a 10 Reserved Comms. Data line 2 - Full multitasking capability. 32 inch wide screen Television. 11 Green Green Video Input As some of you might know, my hardware 12 Reserved Comms. Data Line 1 company went under two years ago due to - Speech and language recognition and NB 13 Red Ground Red Video Earth Due to the nature of Television design 14 Fast Blanking Ground Comms. Data Ground the low sales of my four dimensional control, incorporating a there is a possibility that the lead will not work 15 Red Red Video Input multi-phasic soundcard - apparently user comprehensive repertoire of on every make and model of TV sold 16 Fast Blanking Blanking Input configuration of the DMA and IRQ circuit colloquialisms, dialects and idioms. 17 Video Out Ground Video Output Earth throughout the world. board jumpers to avoid conflict with the ISA 18 Video In Ground Blanking Ground requirements of other peripheral expansion - Mood swings. 19 Video Output Composite Video Output 20 Video Input Composite Video Input devices was asking too much. I was so - Mancuvian accent. 21 Ground (Common) Plug's metal shell depressed I ate a balanced diet for two © A.Cox and J.R.P.King. months. Then, a favourite episode of Knight Bob is programmed to be an assistant, a ZXF/02 page 35 After Ceaucescu's death in 1990 over 120,000 children were discovered living in grim institutions. In the county of Jud Bihor in Western Romania, children who had been assessed as 'mentally retarded' at the age of three were sent to an institution in the country village of Cadea. They were housed in old buildings that had broken secretary, a friend, a domestic pet and, focal point of a slow moving dinner party or windows and no heating or plumbing. It was dark and dirty and for the when necessary, a public relations officer. perhaps just the lightener of a dull evening in. majority of the time the children were confined to their cots. Most of Its telephone answering mode incorporates He is trained to detect the symptoms of them were tied to the bars by strips of cloth tied tightly around their a wide variety of techniques to deal with approaching boredom or depression in his wrists and ankles. double glazing sales and market research user's voice and to act quickly with appropriate surveys. It can debate the scriptures with gags. And in addition to this, he can converse The children were always dirty, hungry and cold - sixty to seventy died visiting Jehovah's Witnesses, leaving the in a variety of political and social styles, taking every winter. Their original 'retardation' was the result of early illnesses user free to enjoy a cool beer or a relaxing care of any loners, recluses, or manic alcoholic such as pneumonia and bronchitis, and years of confinement at Cadea cigarette. It is licensed to perform depressives you might previously have felt marriages, funerals and to serve drinks at uncomfortable to invite over. only compounded the problem. When they were finally released in parties. In addition to all of this, the January 1991, many could neither walk nor speak. All of the children connection of a digital video camera to the I say finally, colleagues, yet in the last few rocked backwards and forwards in their distress; their eyes were glazed system gives BOB sight, allowing a wide days there have been some startling developments in BOB's behaviour. In line with and unseeing. On release, many of the children were sent to hospital range of additional functions and advisory buildings in the mountain villages of Remeti and Bratca. It is here that roles. I submit to you as exemplification a the current fashion of computer nostalgia, he transcript of a conversation we held last has undertaken some fascinating personal the White Cross started assisting the local Romanian staff in their care. projects. This all started with a facet by facet week as I was leaving for an evening of Since the White Cross has been working with the children, over 600 cheese and pickle sandwiches at the psychoanalytic comparison between Manic Laskey's: [OHT 2 - note: use speech Miner on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and his people have travelled with the Mission to Romania. Some have only bubbles for extra laughs] counterpart on the Commodore 64 (specifically been able to give a few days of concentrated work, most average two the Eugene's Layer level) and culminated in a months and one stayed for four years! Some work with the children, BOB: Where are you going? private viewing of Wargames, after which BOB pointed out to me that Tic Tac Toe is indeed others repair the buildings and yet others deliver goods. Every Me: The Laskey's. winnable if one kills the other player. Following volunteer is special. They raise their own money for air and train fares, BOB: In that? 4.514 seconds of serious contemplation, BOB insurance, food and electricity and more than half of them do it all over asked me what I thought his chances were of again and go out for a second or even third time. Old or young, with or Me: What's wrong with what I'm wearing? being reincarnated as an Atari ST and I had to without qualifications, the combined work and presence of these many point out to him that human philosophies BOB: Have you been to the Laskey's? regarding life after death make little proviso for different people has had an amazing impact on the children. Me: You don't think it goes with the artificially intelligent software - especially that Children with blank, unseeing eyes, rocking in a world of their own are brickwork? designed to run on a PC. BOB became suddenly depressed and, in an unexpected now healthy, laughing and boisterous. The accumulative effect of the BOB: I hear they have a fondness for cake proof of Jung's collective unconscious theory, White Cross volunteers with their mixture of naivety and experience, there. started to babble Vic 20 error messages. I their energy, their perseverance, their hopes, their dreams and their Me: What sort of cake? tried to cheer him up by running his entire many different ways of showing love has created a rainbow effect of bank of Irish jokes, but to no avail. For six bouncy, confident and individual children. BOB: Battenburg. whole hours BOB introspected on the meaning of life; when, at last - after over six thousand Fundatia Crucea Alba has helped White Cross Mission with the Me: You're right. I'll change. billion computations - BOB spoke, he said the legalities of purchasing small farms, employing assistants and moving In short, BOB does everything people wish following: "How do you know you're all not a computer program?" children from the mental institutions in order to live a normal family computers could do. And more. His complex village life. We intend that these farms will be the children's homes for neural structure allows him to learn new And I repli languages quickly and efficiently, and he is as long as they need. All their lives if necessary. already fluent in fourteen different tongues, RY51: LIFE.EXE returned a floating Buying the farms is only the beginning of a lifetime commitment to although Welsh is causing him some problems. Last month, fantastically, BOB point error in module REDHER.A at those children we take out of State care. Without a regular financial discovered a pattern to babies' cries and 0008:8604. safety net we would be irresponsible if we established too many immediately struck up a conversation with a homes. We do, however, believe that this is the only way forward and pair of three month old twins on the nature are desperate for substantial funding. of PI: it turns out they didn't like it. Finally, BOB is programmed in multiple entertainment techniques. He can The White Cross Mission is a Charitable Trust Registered in England No impersonate successfully an enormous 1021176 repertoire of comic styles - although it is 52, Gwel-an-nans, Probus, Cornwall, TR2 4ND, United Kingdom recommended that slapstick mode is used as little as possible, since he has yet to Tel (+44) (0)1726 884344 Fax (+44) (0)1726 884345 Mob (+44) (0)7775700893 learn how to trip himself up without damaging himself. This can make him the Email [email protected] www.the-white-cross.ndirect.co.uk