Practical-Computing
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Reviews Spectrum Plus, IBM PC/AT, The One International Computer of the Year awards Australia A$3, Canada C$4.50, Denmark DKr35, France Fr32.60, Germany DM10, Greece Dra290, Holland DFL 9, Italy L4200, New Zealand NZ$3.95, Singapore M$6.35, Spain Pts370, Switzerland SFr7.40, USA $3.95(D72162) 11E1111E1111B E ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS Get the best from your computer with ELEPHANT disks. Certified 100% error -free and problem - free, and with quality maintained for at least 12 million passes, ELEPHANT disks are guaranteed to meet or exceed every industry standard and are compatible with virtually every computer on the market. Look for the ELEPHANT sign at your local Dealers - or in case of difficulty, phone or write direct to Dennison Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Dennison Dennison Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Colonial Way, Watford, Herts WD2 4JY, Tel: Watford (0923) 41244, Telex: 923321 France: Soroelass, 8, Rue Montgolfier - 93115, Rosny-Sous-Bois, Tel: 16 (1) 855-73-70 Germany: Marcom Computerzubehoer GmbH, Podbielskistr. 321, 3000 Hannover 1, Telex: 923818 Other Countries: Dennison International Company, 4006 Erkrath 1, Matthias-Claudius-Strasse 9, Telex: 858 6600 Circle No. 101 11111111. PRACTICAL COMPUTING DECEMBER 1984 THE LEVY SERIES 104Connect Four - the >HOT 100 >NEWS approach to take when programming '2 HARDWARE NEWS for this game. Our special 21 -page NJ Micros from Sanyo, Sharp 109guide to 100 leading and several MSX suppliers are among micros provides a complete overview the new launches this month. >REUIEWS from pocketables to multi-user and 2.IBM NEWS specialised systems. We've divided I Compaq moves into desk- them into sections, as follows: tops, and Televideo launches a 111Starter systems "personal mini". 112Home/games micros 114Home/serious micros 2.SOFTWARE NEWS 118Pocketables la Innovative software for 119Lap portables Apple's Mac, a View spreadsheet for 120Portables the BBC and comms for the Apricot. 125Eight -bit transportables 126Eight -bit desk -top models .GAMES NEWS 27Flight Simulator II, 127Eight/16-bit micros adventure games based on books, 128Transportable IBMulators and more. IBM PC/AT 133Desk -top IBMulators 72Advanced Technology reaches 134 MS-DOS micros the IBM PC line-up with the new 13568000 -based micros :::FEATURES 80286 -based model. 136S-100 bus micros 141Multi-user systems 7cSPECTRUM PLUS 142Specialised systems NV The old Spectrum, plus a new keyboard. Better, yes - but good enough? ::.REGULARS IC EDITORIAL a The micro world gears up for the Christmas toy season. FEEDBACK 7Your letters about MSX, screen hazards and the good old days. 3.1ASK PC Queries answered by John and Timothy Lee. INTERNATIONAL 5.SOFTWARE WORKSHOP 88AWARDS I Mike Lewis presents ideas on Practical Computing joins with six recursion for writing neater code. other leading magazines to nominate THE ONE FROM CHIP -CHAT the Computer of the Year and best 78DATA GENERAL 57Ray Coles on the software. Full IBM functionality in a 9.51b. development of virtual memory. package. Jack Schofield tries it out. MODEMS AND NEW COLUMN: 9nV COMMUNICATIONS BBC SECOND 59COMMUNICATIONS Email and databases: Chris Bidmead 81PROCESSORS Ben Knox starts off with a guide to dips a toe in the electronic ocean. Roger Cullis reviews products that addsetting yourself up with a modem. processing power to the BBC Micro. 9AEIGHT CIRCLES OPEN FILE .11 Mark Callaway explores 8,COMMODORE 64 14714 pages of free software eight ways to draw circles, with UTILITIES for the Apple, Atari, BBC, listings for the BBC Micro. A low-cost disc to help programmers,Commodore, Research Machines and reviewed by Barry Miles. Sinclair micros. 100AMSTRADSCREEN SAVER UNIX and LOTUS LAST WORD An economical way to save CPC -464 176BOOK REVIEWS 911Not everyone wants displays to tape, explained by D J Peter van der Linden checks out Unixcomputing to be taught in schools, as Ellis. books and Lotus 1-2-3 helpers. Paul Caswell explains. PRACTICAL COMPUTING December 1984 3 Here it is at last. One disk that will And the beauty of Sycero is that it prove to be the solution for many takes no time at all to build a simple business problems. A disk which will program for yourself. When you've built allow you to develop your own one, expanding it, or building other, programs. Exactly the way you want. more complex programs, is easy. The disk contains one of the most Once you start developing your own revolutionary programs of the year. programs you'll wonder how you ever Sycero. No matter whether you are a got on before. And no longer will you computer novice or a seasoned have to bend over backwards to make programming professional, Sycero do because the program you bought off enables you to build any type of the shelf does things differently to the business program. way you wanted. No matter what your business. No matter what your business, From traditional business there's now one program for the job. , applications like stock control, P ' 7" P P ' Atc J0061.10 ,',6.11.-,rk lat% invoicing, database management and 'Ob.. ........ ...ono:1 OrAo.V.,2, ',VOL 000 WO 04R10. k ' Sr'7' 00 F431$ 0 'kW nlle .ILW02 g 00aeon,. r"6;).1 inventory to an unimaginable number ;W-. ahd r 122:42= of specific industry applications. .4e421 Siistem C Limited Tel 0622 55142 System C Limited 7 Mill Street Maidstone Kent ME15 6XW Tel 0622 55142 Editorial EDITORIAL 01-661 3609 Christmas Editor Jack Schofield Assistant Editors Ian Stobie Glyn Moody CHRISTMAScomes but once arush year, though if than the best, simply because it was there. Art Editor micro manufacturers had their way it would Thousands of micros were sold by manu- Stephen Miller come every month, for the weeks leading up to facturers that went into receivership when the Production Editor Christmas are the home -computing world's Christmas rush abated, and this reinforced John Liebmann silly season. Machines, along with Cabbage some people's misconception that micros are a Sub -editor Patch dolls, or whatever this year's craze is, sell fashion that will pass. Carol Hammond like hot cakes. Many morethousandsoptedforthe Editorial Secretary Some of thisisdesperation buying by remaining big name of Commodore, whose Sue Jordan parents who have run out of ideas. Others market share took a huge leap last Christmas Consultants probably believe that they are buying their not through any inherent virtue of the Vic -20 or Chris Bidmead Peter Laurie children a passport to success in the techno- Commodore 64, but because the machines were world to come. The sad fact is that the nearest available when people wanted them. But once ADVERTISING 01-661 3612 many of them will get to realising their starry- that user base had been created, software Advertisement Manager eyed vision is blasting a few alien life forms off housesnaturallycateredforit.So pre - Nitin Joshi 01-661 3021 their TV screens. Christmas aberrations have resulted in long- Assistant Advertisement For whatever reason, hundreds of thousands term and dubious shifts in the state of the micro Manager of machines will be bought this Christmas by market. Dominic Forlizzi 01-661 8626 people who would not know a byte if it bit them To be fair to Commodore, it has largely Advertisement Executives in the leg. Even though the machines are the redeemed itself with its latest releases, the 16 Richard Milbourn 01-661 8100 same Spectrums, Commodores and BBC and Plus -4, which deserve any success they get Janet Thorpe 01-661 3468 Ian Walker 01-661 8425 model Bs that readers of Practical Computing this Christmas. The irony is that it could be the have bought and spent so much time on, the last chance they have to do so.Recently Advertisement Secretary Julie Hookway attitude of their users could not be more Sinclair, Acorn and Commodore declared their different. This is because the machines are belief that this Christmas's home -computer Midlands office David Harvett 021-356 4838 consumer goods, bought as a result of purely bonanza may well be the biggest, but also the seasonal variations in buying patterns. last. Sales of micros have shifted from the Northern office Geoff Aikin 061-872 8861 There is nothing inherently immoral with professionalclassestothelowersocio- micros being bought for such reasons. The economic groups and consequently over half Classified Lucy O'Sullivan 01-661 8163 money that will flow into the micro world - the market for cheap home micros has been one estimate puts it at £340 million for U.K. mined out. Group Advertisement Manager Shobhan Gajjar 01-661 8441 pre -Christmas hardware sales alone - will help After this year the manufacturers believe keep firms and products bubbling along in people will start buying computers because PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Chris Hipwell 1985. they want them for a purpose, not in response But, of course, things are not that simple. to a Christmas reflex. As a result, micros will Published by Electrical -Electronic Press, Quadrant House, The Quadrant. Last year, many people sensibly decided that have to become more practical: tools, not toys. Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. Tel: 01-661 since they were going to spend money on a Practical Computing readers will have been 3500. Telex/grams 892084 BISPRS G. micro, they might as well lash out on a BBC largely immune to Santa insanity but the Distributed by Business Press Unfortunately, International Ltd, Quadrant House, The model B. so many people withering away of the spurious annual micro Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. decided to do this that a lot came away from boom can only be for the long-term good of the Subscriptions: U.K. £14 per annum: Acorn empty handed. Even Sinclair was unable industry and end -users.