The magazine for members of RISC OS 4 arrives right on time Full details of: A beginner’s guide to TeX An introduction to data analysis Digital time travel to visit the Real Romans Issue 31 — Autumn 1999 The New Age Opens The Acorn era has finally ended. some of the new, rival, computers Acorn Computers Ltd ceased to exist which have been announced. Among in April and RISC OS 4 arrived on the them is the RiscStation, due at any scene at the start of July. Eleven lucky time now from CTA. early visitors to the SouthEast Show jumped the queue for pre-ordered It will also be an option for the Mico, copies and snapped up the first sets of which Microdigital have been chips to go on sale. demonstrating and which they plan to have available in quantity production For the rest of us there was a long, by September. agonising, wait to the end of the month for the first of the main batches Imago, a computer motherboard to be sent out. We hope to have a full mechanically compatible with the report on them in our next issue. Risc PC motherboard, is also due to come onto the market soon. This is to The release of RISC OS 4 has now be the first of a planned series being opened the door to a new generation developed by Millipede who are of Acorn-type RISC OS computers. looking to the future by not using any Castle Technology are still keeping of the Acorn proprietary chip designs, the Acorn name and familiar logo such as VIDC and IOMD. alive with new and enhanced versions of the Risc PC. Other models are Eventually, too, newer operating planned but Castle say they are not systems will be required but for the going to repeat Acorn’s mistake and present RISC OS 4 is making it will not make any announcements possible for Acorn type computers to about them until they are ready for sale. move on. We in the Club wish it every success. The tower design, as planned for Phoebe, is coming as an option in Peter Jennings All opinions expressed in Eureka are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Club or its Committee members and officers. CONTENTS 4 RISC OS 4 released on time 32 Site Seeing The new operating system and London’s Metropolitan Police what it offers. reveal their all — including how to complain about them — on 6 The RISC OS ’99 Show their WWW site. The latest information on the Club’s big Show at Epsom which 36 Sony Mavica Digital Camera replaces Acorn World. A globe trotting test of a camera which uses floppies instead of 13 A beginner’s guide to TeX film. The start of a new series introducing TeX and LaTeX and 40 Feedback: Digital photography explaining their value for writing Unfreezing the screen and mathematical, scientific and ezFlyer and where to find a ‘cute technical documents. On ftp site. image viewer’ for JPEGs. 18 Keep in touch round the world 42 In a Whirl Leave your cocoa tins at home The ARM Club puzzle this issue and take a laptop if you want to comes with a challenge to set a email from down under. new speed record in solving it. 22 TextEase Multimedia CD-ROM 44 Kosovo CD Version 4 goes triple platform on The bargain price CD that gives CD-ROM, with new features and you some interesting software a clip art collection. and helps the victims of Kosovo. 26 1st Statistical Analysis 48 Real Romans An introduction to data analysis Digital time travel, with book and and why you might find the CD-ROM, takes you on an software more useful than a entertaining trip to life in Roman spreadsheet. Britain. 2 Eureka 31 — Autumn 1999 54 All in a day for RISC OS ’99 70 Farewell Eureka disc Just one day's free time work, Why the disc has now been planning and organising the big discontinued and where to get the event at Epsom. Eureka programs. 56 Free for all 71 Members’ Ads A selection of recommended PD Offers for a spare computer and and shareware programs to computer equipment from two download when you're Web members (who are not leaving browsing. the Acorn scene). 60 Hints & Tips for Psions 3 & 5 72 Primary curriculum clip art Short cuts you may have missed Pictures with notes for use in to make those useful Pocket schools or by anyone else who Books quicker and easier to use. wants a useful collection of graphics. 62 Club products Good value and continuing low 76 How can I…? membership fees are offered with Questions on losing sound and the Club's software and souvenir adding a CD writer, answered by mug. our Technical Help team. 65 Acorn Midlands Show 78 Around the clubs The ARM Club event for Central Dates of local club meetings. and North England in November. 79 In a Whirl — The solution. 66 Gill’s Journal: Moving house Acorn users in Ireland The adventures of Gill, Toby and A proposed users group. a vanload of computer equipment, including a fried modem. 80 Club contacts Who and where. Eureka 31 — Autumn 1999 3 RISC OS 4 Released On Time The eagerly awaited RISC OS 4 Paul Middleton, Managing Director operating system, essential for the of RISCOS Ltd, said: future of Acorn type computers was “I am very proud of the efforts of the released, as planned at the small programming team at RISCOS beginning of July. RISC OS Ltd has who, in less than four months, have now released the full details with the been able to produce an operating following statement: system that will take Risc OS computer users into year 2000 and On Thursday 1 July 1999, beyond.” RISCOS Ltd successfully Key features Paul added: launched, on time, “I am grateful for a new operating • Great increase in speed. the support of system: RISC OS • Fully Millennium compliant. investors in 4. • Support for hard discs up to 256GB RISCOS Ltd and • Long filenames facilitating cross- am looking This will be platform operations. forward to incorporated in • Boot system implementing drag working with the newly designed and drop. new Board of computers and as • Advanced Configure tool. Directors that has an upgrade for • Sophisticated Pinboard tool. been formed to Acorn A7000, • Security features. take the company A7000+ and Risc • Compatibility with earlier RISC OS forward through PC computers. and Acorn software. the next stages in • Bundled commercial software. its development.” As an upgrade this is competitively priced at £120 Advance orders for RISC OS 4 are and is available from dealers or, post very encouraging and shipping free, direct from RISCOS Ltd. started at the Acorn South East Show last month. 4 Eureka 31 Ð Autumn 1999 Bundled Software · !Writer, from the authors of !Easiwriter and !Techwriter, for producing properly formatted letters and documents. · Vector, a very powerful drawing package to supplement the inbuilt !Draw program. · !Organizer to help organise your life and keep track of diary, alarms and addresses. language versions of RISC OS 4 can · !ImageFS to transparently be produced in very small quantities. convert between RISC OS and Further, as a security measure, PC and Mac graphics formats. owners' details can be burned into the · !Taborca which allows the ROM. In line with RISC OS's high generation of PDF (Portable security against virus attack, it is Document Format) files from important to note that the FlashROM RISC OS files, that can be is not user reprogrammable. imported to a PC or Mac. · PhotoDisc image library in a We hope to have a full review in the series of resolutions, suitable for next issue of Eureka. -Ed. screen display or high quality printing. RISC OS 4 Price: £120 inc VAT and delivery It has been decide that RISC OS 4 will Supplier: RISCOS Ltd be supplied on FlashROM. 3 Clarendon Road, Cyncoed Cardiff CF23 9JD This advanced format will make Tel: 01222 464020 upgrades cheaper. The use of Fax: 01222 440071 FlashROM enables each copy of Email: [email protected] RISC OS 4 to be personalised. This Web: www.riscos.com means that, for example, foreign Eureka 31 Ð Autumn 1999 5 The RISC OS ’99 Show s you will have read in Eureka and the other RISC OS press or on the AInternet, The ARM Club is organising a brand new show at the end of October, filling the place left by Acorn World. The Show is to be a two day event running on Saturday 30th October and Sunday 31st October 1999. It is being sponsored by Acorn User, Spacetech, Castle Technology and RiscStation and will be a proper exhibition style show complete with shell scheme. Current Exhibitors The following exhibitors have signed up for space so far, or are in the process of doing so: RISC OS Ltd. Archive Magazine Acorn User Magazine (Tau Press) Aleph One Ltd. Spacetech Ltd. Softease Ltd. Castle Technology Ltd. RiscStation Cumana / Cannon Computing Warm Silence Software Millipede Electronic Graphics Electronic Font Foundry APDL Circle Software R-Comp & R-Comp Interactive Akalat CJE Micros Icon Technology CTA Direct Simnett Computing The ARM Club Jonathan Duddington Irlam Instruments Ltd. The Really Good Software Company We also have a number of local clubs attending under the AAUG umbrella and we are having discussions with other companies about taking space. 6 Eureka 31 Ð Autumn 1999 The RiscStation Village RiscStation have kindly agreed to sponsor an area of ten small stands to support our aim of encouraging all RISC OS companies small and large to attend the event.