SEPTEMBER 1986 Volume 9 Issue 9 £1.25 PRACTICAL COMPUTING FOR BUSINESS AND PROFF"InNAL MICRO USERS

MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE HARDWAREApricot Xen-i Amstrad comms SOFTWAREQ&A Farsight PRD + FEATURESThe PC price plunge Laser -printer languages Quite simply, it leaves other wordprocessors lost for words. WordPerfect 4.1 includes available with a single And see how WordPerfect many features not found in keystroke. This makes learning delivers today what others are other word processors. easier than ever before and still searching for. Newspaper style columns using it a real pleasure. can be displayed on screen, What you see on the screen 120,000 word UK phonetic is what will actually print. dictionary, word -count, This makes good, professional background printing and layouts simple. automatic reformatting Documents are treated as a increase efficiency. whole and not a series of Line drawing and rulers, pages. Reformatting and sorting search and repagination after editing are 5 -function maths are automatic and very rapid. SENTINEL invaluable assets. However fast you type, you SOFTWARE The colour -coded template will never be too fast for makes using WordPerfect WordPerfect. Sentinel, Wellington House, New Zealand Avenue, simpler than you would To find out more, write to the Walton -on -Thames, Surrey, KT12 1PY. believe. Most features are address opposite. Telephone: (0932) 231164

circle 101 on enquiry card - 2 COVER FEATURE 'PRACTICAL COMPUTING SEPTEMBER 1986 CONTENTS

APRICOT XEN-i At last Apricot has launched the AT -compatible Videologic MIC-2000 Video everyone wanted it to. Steve Malone finds out 48 whether it will be the company's salvation 11.1 meets micro - page 56. NEWS AMSTRAD COMMS The PCW-8256 is designed as a ready -to -use HARDWARE NEWS MEMORIES OF word processor. Glyn Moody discovers what it is 52 Upgrade for Hercules card 14 like for email and Prestel SOFTWARE NEWS THE FUTURE Presentation graphics 16 Mass -storage technology is VIDEOLOGIC MIC-2000 currently making rapid Simon Beesley looks at a plug-in card which lets advances. Where megabytes you add video images to computer -generated 56 once seemed a king's ransom, text and graphics today it is the gigabyte barrier which is being breached. In this Q&A special section we look at some of Ever wanted to talk to your software? Mike Lewis the latest developments in the tries out a database package that understands 59 field. On page 94 Carol plain English Hammond introduces the exciting world of CD-ROMS - half a gigabyte on a 5in. disc. PRD + Then Ian Stobie looks at some of The typist's friend, Productivity Plus expands 65 the alternatives to Winchester your abbreviations as you key them in hard discs on page 97. As other technologies have moved on, STELLA Low-cost integrated package. hard discs themselves have A modelling package for the Mac with a strongly 66 become smaller and are now visual approach. John Lewis reports GENERAL NEWS available on plug-in cards. Glyn Moody tries some out on page IBM's plans for PCs 21 101. Finally on page 104 Steve FARSIGHT Malone looks at the state of This cheap 1-2-3 clone comes with a complete OPEN FILE silicon memories, and how they windowing environment and a word processor 68 too are breaking 93 thrown in as well COMMS new ground Down loader for CP/M and S&S UTILITIES MS-DOS 111 Steve Malone samples a family of £10 programs 74PCW-8256 which add that little bit extra to your software More Logo programs 112 BUSINESS PC PRICING STATISTICS Prices have been tumbling over the last two Variance analysis 116 years, and show no signs of stopping. Glyn 76 CD-ROMs Data on compact Moody plots the trend REGULARS disc - page 94. EDITORIAL INSIDE SITE LICENSING Long live compatibility 5 Steve Malone on the deals being offered to those 78 FEEDBACK who use software in bulk Your letters 7 COMMS LINK ISDN World Reporter 24 You may not have heard of it yet but the chances SOFTWARE are you will soon be using it. Jack Schofield 81 explains this radical new telecomms system WORKSHOP Error checking 29 PAGE -DESCRIPTION CHIP -CHAT Maths co -processors 31 LANGUAGES ASK PC Ian Stobie reports on a vital aspect of the 84 You ask, we answer 39 personal -publishing revolution BOOKS Brave new world 41 WORD PROCESSORS INTERVIEW Xen-i Apricot goes IBM David Barlow maps out the market for WP 89 Sir Clive Sinclair compatible - page 48. packages and picks his Top 10 contenders 87

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 3 COMPUMART NEXT DAY DESPATCH MMEs. IM 10 MI.==MD 4=1 .M4MEM OR ''4111j11=1M 40 MEM1M1 =M110 =MD 1=I 4=1111=. .= compAa LOtLIS OlivettiEPSON ASHTON TA 1 E NEC

...... ~, /1s,pteMZ ofrag ...... ,.,.MIMb ..AMM ...... , .., .1= ,1=11 MID .1ff PCIXT with ..... Upgrade your PC XT (SDD) 640K RAM 2x360K Disks £1178.00 PC XT (SFD) 640K RAM 360K - 20Mb Disks £1542.00 £2382.00 HARDCARD PC AT (E) 512k RAM 1.2Mb + 20Mb Disks PLUS 20Mb single slot20Mb PC AT (X) 512K RAM 1.2Mb - 30Mb Disks £282400 -to -install, This easy will workin any £244.00 Hard Disk ona card OnlyS575.00 Mono Monitor + Adapter Colour Graphics Monitor + Adapter £435.00 IBM PC, XTorcompatible: EGA Monitor + Adapter E800.00 PREMIUM AST SIXPACK PC XT (5) Keyboard £126.00 8087 Chip COLOURMONITOR £15400 & TAXAN 640K andgo PC AT (E) Keyboard £142.00 80287 Chip £195.00 Boost yourPC/XT beyond PC AT (X) Keyboard £126.00 IBM's ColourGraphics one-up on Parallel Adapter £37.00 Display Stand £50.00 standard withthis outstanding of multifunction £799.00 Serial Adapter £54,00 AT 360k Disk £145.00 combination monitor Only AT Parallel/Serial £88.00 PC DOS 3.2 £70.00 card andhi-res colour Education AUTOCADfor currently discounts and Verysubstantial fideschools COMPAa availablefor bona Portables colleges Portable I (256k RAM 2x360k Disks) £1377.00 Portable I Plus (256k RAM 360k 10Mb Disks) £1797.00 Portable II (640k RAM 360k + 10Mb Disks) £2707.00 Portable 286 (640k RAM 1.2Mb 20Mb Disks + SOFTWARE 10Mb Tape Backup)£3442.00 Multimate Word Processor £275.00 Deskpros Wordstar 2000 Word Processor £345.00 Model 2 (256k RAM 2x360k Disks) £1447.00 Lotus 1-2-3 Spreadsheet £275.00 Model 4 (640k RAM 360k + 20Mb Disks + Symphony Integrated £385.00 10Mb Tape Backup)£2322.00 dBase III Plus Database £415.00 286 Model 2 (512k RAM 1.2Mb + 30Mb Disks) £3127.00 GEM Collection £99.00 286 Model 4 (640k RAM 1.2Mb 70Mb Disks + 10Mb Tape Backup) £4597.00 PRINTERS All prices include Keyboard Monitor & DOS. Dot Matrix NEC P6 (180cps, 72cps NLQ 80col) £390.00 NEC P7 (180cps, 72cps NLQ, 136col) £470.00 Olivetti Mono Colour NEC P5 XL (264cps, 88cps, LQ 136col) £830.00 M24 (128k RAM 2x360k Disks) £1369.00£1605.00 Leifer Quality M24 (640k RAM 360k + 20Mb Disks) £1907.00£2143.00 NEC Spinwriter ELF (18cps) £280.00 M24SP (640k RAM 360k 20Mb Disks)£2182.00£2418.00 NEC Spinwriter 8850 (55cps) £886.00 NEW MODEL IBM Quietwriter Model 2 (45cps) £1115.00 M19 (256k RAM 360k + 10Mb Disks) £1639.00£1949.00 All prices include cable. All prices include Keyboard Monitor & DOS. Other Printers, Multifunctional Cards & Software available. Please ring for an immediate response and the latest prices. Additional discount available for educational orders.

Prices exclude VAT & Delivery. All goods subject to availability.

- circle 106 on enquiry card - ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 270923 55633 4 Unit 8, Woodshots Meadow, Croxlentre, Watford, WD1 8YU EL -Af-0,flA

EDITORIAL 01-661 3633 Telecom Gold 1111IET727 Editor GLYN MOODY Deputy Editor (Production) JOHN LIEBMANN Art Editor HUGH ANDERSON Assistant Editor IAN STOBIE Senior Reporter STEVE MALONE Reporter/Sub-editor CAROL HAMMOND Editorial Secretary RUTH LAZENBY ROBERTS Consultant JACK SCHOFIELD ADVERTISING 01-661 3612 Advertisement Manager NITIN JOSHI 01-661 3021 Assistant Advertisement Manager NEIL MARCHANT 01-661 8626 Advertisement Executives KATE SCALLY 01-661 8425 JANET THORPE 01-661 3468 Midlands and North: 061-872 8861 Advertisement Production Control JACKIE PERRY 01-661 8649 BRIAN BANNISTER 01-661 8648 Advertisement Secretary LYNN DAWSON 01-661 3612 Classified SUSAN PLAITS 01-661 8163 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR SIMON TIMM LONG LIVE COMPATIBILITY Recently we witnessed the end of an era in these areas. It has become necessary to test each pro- Britishmicrocomputing.Afteryearsof gramindividuallytodiscover whetheritwill trying to emulate its fellow fruit, Apple, and function properly with a particular collection of to engender its own alternative micro standard, extras.For example, you might need to know Apricot has bowed to the inevitable with the launchwhether a particular package will work with the 8087 of its Xen-i IBM compatible. Since ICL seems to be maths co -processor; with Above Board or Rampage concentrating on the multi-user market, this leavesmemory -expansion cards; with IBM's EGA colour the U.K. with no major player going it alone with aboard or Olivetti's own version. If it works with one mainstream micro. it may not work with a rival product. In other words, National pride apart, perhaps this last, reluctantyou can no longer take any package for the IBM PC defection is not such a tragedy. After all, it seems to and be sure that it will run with such systems. So be agreed that compatibility is a Good Thing. Itmuch for compatibility. Cover feature: page 93 means that software houses can write for a common Unlike manufacturers such as Apricot who con- PUBLISHEDbyElectrical -Electronic standard, and so do not have to worry about endlesscentrate purely on micros, IBM has no interest in Press, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, ports and patchings to cope with the alternatives. Itpushing its technology to the limits. A full -power Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. Tel: 01-661 3500. Telex/grams 892084 BISPRS G means that the clone makers have been able to move version of the AT would have threatened sales of its DISTRIBUTEDbyBusinessPress in and turn the whole PC arena into a commodity low -end minis like the System 34 and 36 machines. International Ltd, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS market. Yet there is no doubt that the evolution of standards SUBSCRIPTIONS: UK £16.50pet The user has benefited enormously from theworks to the advantage of manufacturers and users annum; overseas £30.00 per annum; selling price in Eire subject to currency resulting price war. Clones are currently duckingalike. Even one created by IBM is preferable to no exchange fluctuations and VAT; airmail below the £500 barrier for the first time, and theystandard at all, though the original PC standard is ratesavailableonapplicationto show no sign of stopping there. But with everyone socreaking under the weight of the multitudinous add- Subscriptions Manager,BusinessPress InternationalLtd,OakfieldHouse, keen on this compatibility, few have stopped toons that are coming to negate its basic principle. PerrymountRoad,HaywardsHeath, consider what exactly it is that things are supposed to What is needed is a new standard. It should be a Sussex RH16 3DH. Tel: (0444) 459188 PRINTEDinGreatBritainforthe be compatible with. Does compatibility even exist? natural outgrowth of the old one, and must address proprietors Business Press International Initially, of course, there was just the IBM PC -the growing needs of users who are taking up the Ltd by Ben Johnson & Co. Ltd, York. Typeset by Lithotype Design, London or rather, various versions of it. The first U.S. entry-myriad options for expansion. The new standard will EC I level system had 16K RAM and stored its software on not be based around the 80286 chip, as it is by now ©Business Press International Ltd 1986 a cassette. In the U.K. there was a version with 160K hopelessly compromised. Instead we must look to ISSN 0141-5433 Would-be authors are welcome to send floppies, and another with 320K floppies. Now thethe next generation of the IBM PC, based around the articlesto the Editor but PC cannot standard has been increased to 360K. The launch of80386. And this time, for its own good, IBM must undertake to return them. Payment is at £35 per published page.Submissions the hard -disc IBM PC/XT brought with it a fewrespond to the market, rather than dictate to it. That should be typed or computer -printed and more divergencies: the BIOS was slightly changed, as way itwill preserve its linchpin position in the should include atape or disc of any program. was the operating system. The PC/ AT represented aindustry, while allowing the rest of us to reap the Every effort is made to check articles and more divergences: the BIOS was slightly changed, as benefits of a truly common and viable standard. listings but PC cannot guarantee that quite different from the PC's 8088, and the AT uses programs will run and can accept no Compatibility is dead: long live compatibility. responsibility for any errors. a full16 -bit architecture internally and for the expansion slots. Then there is the 1.2 Mbyte floppy: although it can read old-style 360K discs, trying toEIYEARS AGO... write to one can be catastrophic. A newventure has been set up to manufacture and The introduction of a new machine would have sell a British microcomputer, designed to compete been perfectly justified in a fast-moving market, had with international best-sellers like the Apple and the it represented a fundamental advance on the older Pet. The machine is the Z-80 based Gemini 801 which IBM PC. But the AT does not. There is no software was originally launched at Compec 80, and has since been modified. which can take advantage of the 80286 chip's British Micros is the new name behind the Gemini superior specifications, other than its greater speed. microcomputer and was formed when John Marshall, As aresult, many users have been reluctant to managing director of Gemini, joined forces with upgrade, and have instead stuck to their IBM PC, Manus Heghoyan of Hegatron (EC) Ltd of Watford. achieving extra performance by the micro equivalentThe new company will be based in Watford. of turbocharging. This has led to a proliferation The Gemini microcomputer is competitively priced of co -processorsand go -fastercards,memory - at £1,195 plus VAT, which is for a complete system expansion boards, plug-in hard discs, and special less the video monitor. Software is at present being developed for the system, although the machine is - video and colour boards. In effect, the PC has supplied complete with CP/M and a 24K Microsoft become little more than a card cage with a power - Basic, Microsoft Cobol, Fortran and a special APL, supply. will all be available as well. Unfortunately, no standard has evolved in any of PC Volume4 Issue 9

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 5 Presenting the Digitask Turbo 286 Near perfect PC/AT emulation without the astronomical price (from £1499) [113ITRISN Call for details Unit M, Charlwoods Business Centre, Charlwoods Rd, East Grinstead, W. Sussex RH19 2HH Telephone (0342) 24631 Dealer enquiries welcome Origin-Woodlands Hill, California, U S A Telex 957418 FEEDB A CK Our Feedback columns offer readers the Computer opportunity of bringing their computingThe pa perless sceance? experience and problems to the attention ofoffice others, as well as to seek our advice or to make FOLLOWING your news item about COLIN DAVIS of Coda Systems Rair's upgrade boards for the ICL suggestions, which we are always happy to made some valid comments PC range in your April issue I receive. Make sure you use Feedback - it is your concerning the paperless office in wrote to them requesting more chance to keep in touch. the Feedback section of the July information. In May I repeated WRITE TO: issue. But I wonder if at a time the letter, and again in June. Feedback, Practical Computing, Quadrant House, when "sell cheaper" seems to be There is still no reply by letter or the operative buzz -phrase a by phone. Perhaps they Rainy The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS system such as he advocates - exist. Was their Black Box ever a which couldn't possibly be low- coffin? Do you think I should priced - would find much of a study computer sceance to contact A MORAL TALE welcome in this volatile them on the other side? YOU know the way it is, I'm sure. First of all you cosset and nurture marketplace? ALEX K GODDEN, your new computer, then after a while you forget what an Indeed is there actually any Oxford. uncomplaining little asset it is. You start to leave it switched on and manufacturer out there prepared grumble when it doesn't understand. Even worse, you forget its to put in the R&D effort and Computer intrinsic value and leave it exposed to the less principled classes. expenditure which would be So it was with my poor little Epson HX-20, which had served me required to develop such a consultants well for nigh on two years. Rashly, I did not bother to insure it, and hardware system? even more rashly left it in the car where those self -same unprincipled DAVID M BARKER, I WELCOMED and agreed with the classes could see it. They took it without asking me. Ipswich Business Computers, majority of comments made by As I was half -way through a piece of research work, for which most Ipswich, Carol Hammond in her article 'of the data was compiled on the FIX -20, the loss of my machine was Suffolk. about computer consultancies in disastrous. The car insurance did not cover me, so there was no way I the July issue. However, I feel could claim on that. I hadn't been paid for the work and so was pretty Fair treatment that some of your readers may be hard up. Things looked grim. misled regarding the cost of for lap-helds consultancy fees - the fees In desperation I wrote a letter to Epson at Wembley, and told them of my plight. No doubt you, like myself, would have tried them with quoted were upwards of #'60 an I FELT that the advice given on very little hope of success. But guess what happened about 10 days hour. lap -held micros to A L Lakin in later? Yes, one of those supposedly hard-nosed executives at Epson The fees of the Hertfordshire July's Ask PC was rather sent me a new FIX -20! O.K. so it was only on loan, but after all it was discouraging. Over the last two Microsystems Centre are well my fault that I lost mine, and I wasn't exactly a plum account with below this figure at £250 per day. years I have moved from typing one HX-20 in two years. As the article states, being manuscripts to word procesing members of the Federation of So what's the moral? First, never skimp on computer insurance. them. I use a lap -held NEC Second, at least one computer company still has the capacity for Microsystems Centres, our advice PC -8201A in combination with compassion, even for idiots who lose their precious hardware! is totally unbiased as all centres an Apricot PC, a Sirius and an JEREMY TORR, work to a strict code of practice IBM PC. laid down by the DTI. Most of Telford, Progress has been smooth and the other 25 members of the Shropshire. comparatively untroubled. The Federation will quote comparable PC -8201A is fine for fees, with the possible exception straightforward text entry, not of the NCC whose substantial IBM 5110 Sanyo user only in libraries but also on overheads result in their centre journeys and during otherwise being forced to charge I NOTED with interest the 5 Years group unproductive situations such as significantly higher fees. Ago item in your November committee meetings. The Incidentally, like ourselves the 1985 issue which referred to the I WOULD like to bring to the legibility of the LCD screen NCC are just members of The IBM 5110. I have recently been attention of Sanyo users like P A matters less if the material will Federation of Microsystems given a 5110 model 2 with a Duval - whose letter appeared later be edited on a normal Centres. The Federation is not a 5114 disc drive and a 5103 in July's Feedback - that there ismonitor, and only a giant would franchise operation; it has its own printer. an active Sanyo MBC-550/555 find serious difficulties with the administration and is not run by Although I have a selection of user group with a monthly size of the keys. the NCC. manuals there is no information newsletter and a public -domain One of its great advantages for C L COCKRILL, about machine code or the sort software library. Members help a person new to computing is Hertfordshire of technical manual available for each other and are encouraged to that although - or because - it Microsystems Centre, all modern micros. Do you know form local groups to hold has limited possibilities, learning De Havilland College, of any such information? meetings, etc., but there is no to use it is simple. The Elstree Way, The machine has RS -232 official hotline. handbooks are good. The Borehamwood, asynchronous comms and ASCII Those who read Soft Sector - machine does not have to be left Hertfordshire WD6 1JZ. conversion on disc but it does an American monthly magazine switched on to preserve files if not seem to work properly. IBM for Sanyo personal computer they are going to be transferred will help at an exorbitant cost - users - may have seen our name to another micro in a few days or Kermit on the they offered me a printer/plotter in the list of Sanyo user groups it even weeks time. If a lot of program for £532. publishes every three months. material has to be entered at once Mac I find the machine and its We have no connection with Soft some files might have to be saved IN YOUR June issue the article on Basic quite fascinating and would Sector except that, as far as I on cassette, but this is an easy Kermit omitted to say that it is like to know more about it. Can know, it is the only monthly process. also available for the Mac. We you help? dedicated to Sanyo users. The communications setup is have a copy on a PDS disc if A H POTTER, M H SYED, manageable for a beginner. I anyone is interested. Witham, Sanyo MBC-550 / 555 User Group, have had no problems uploading JOHN LEWIS, Essex. Wistaria, files to the other micros. If text is Macintosh User Group, 53 Acacia Grove, going to be edited with a word 55 Linkside Avenue, THE EDITOR ADDS: Any New Malden, processor some adjustments have Oxford OX2 8JE. offers? Surrey KT3 3BP. (continued on next page)

circle 171 on enquiry card 7 NEXT MONTH F E E D B A C K

(continued from previous page) an idea for a SIG, or would like SPECIAL SECTION to be made to line endings, but to use an area on the Compulink this problem, though annoying, BBS as a forum for a club or a DATABASES is soluble - see, for instance, non-commercial organisation we The database market is currently Mike Lewis on page 125 of should be delighted to help. undergoing something of a renaissance. December 1985's Practical As its log -on screen shows, While users might have begun with a Computing. Compulink is a user -supported spreadsheet or word processor as their I imagine that other similarly bulletin board. We borrowed the priced lap-helds would do a term from the world of public - first programs, they are now moving on to similar job. Of course pessimism domain software, as our ideals are more advanced applications involving is desirable, and careful pre- similar. The authors of user - databases. We look at the whole field, purchase testing essential where supported software classics such as from the simple pop-up flat files to the any computer is concerned. But I PC -Write, Procomm, etc., powerful application generators. do feel that computing request that anyone who uses magazines should not be their products and feels that they unnecessarily forbidding when have benefited from their use SOFTWARE potential computer users ask for should consider making a advice. contribution to support the Equals 22 is a program which will solve SANDRA CAIRNS, author. We make the same plea equations -a kind of inverse Birkenhead, to users of our BBS. spreadsheet. We try it out. And we take a Merseyside. We are firmly committed to look at Word Perfect Library, a program the concept of public -access which offers memory -resident utilities as Hitachi PC databases. We have in the past, well as a complete program environment. and will in the future, always upgrades have some part of the Compulink BBS open to the public. We have HARDWARE HITACHI 16002PC owners can a much more liberated view obtain more information on regarding access to the general The IBM Convertible has not yet arrived in upgrading to 512K or 640K main public than other dial -up this country, but we provide a sneak memory and to MS-DOS 2 or 3 systems, both commercial and preview and compare it with the new by sending an s.a.e. to me. Prices non-commercial. The worst thing Zenith lap -top. There is also a look at the come to between one-third and of all, in our opinion, is to have advanced graphics boards you can choose one-half of those available our computers sitting idle. from. elsewhere. FRANK THORNLEY, JOHN D BEVAN, Compulink User Group, 46 Queens Road, Guildford, FEATURES Hertford, Surrey. PC Hertfordshire SG13 8AZ. Are you damaging your discs every time Paperlogic you use them? We explain the day-to-day perils of the floppy world. Plus a report on Compulink Limited IN THEarticle headed "IBM how Microsoft's Windows is starting to hit FOLLOWINGBen Knox's article the big time in the City - just in time for about Compulink which Compatibles Top 10" on page the Big Bang. appeared on page 32 of your July 88 of our July issue we showed issue I felt compelled to write to a photograph in error of a explain further the subtleties of Paperlogic Turbo PC TOP 10 SURVEY our bulletin -board system. The alongside a paragraph headed theme of Ben's article was quite "PC Clones from (500.00". More and more people are buying unexpected, and slightly We advised readers when modems: we give our best 10. misleading. buying a cheap clone to bear The "BBS purists" whom Ben in mind that there will be refers to are almost certainly users little support forthcoming and as opposed to sysops. We that these companies come modelled Compulink on user and go with distressing groups and bulletin -board frequency. We now wish to systems we experienced while point out quite categorically living in the U.S.A The idea of that we had no intention of the pay -to -play BBS is nothing implying that these new. statements related specifically Ben's statement about to Paperlogic Limited. Indeed Compulink being a charging BBS we can confirm that is not strictly true either. You Paperlogic Limited is a well don't have to pay to use the established and reputable Don't miss the October issue of company which has been in Compulink BBS; we have several existence since 1978. access levels, from New User to Subscriber. The only restricted The Paperlogic Turbo PC cost some £1,495.00 and was areas are the IBM PC specific areas. The non -restricted public- not a cheap clone. It was withdrawn from the market in 'PRACTICAL access areas are generally special interest groups run by volunteer August 1985 and we were wrong therefore to publish co-sysops. We are always open to new the picture in the July issue. ideas for SIGs, and we would like We now apologise for our COMPUTING error and for any to make an offer to anyone who On sale at W H Smith and all good newsagents after 10 September. would like to run a SIG on the embarrassment caused to the company or its directors. Contents may vary due to circumstances beyond our control and are subject to Compulink system. If you have change without notice

8 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 Introducing the TeleCAT-286' AT Performance for £2695 complete.

Up till now, with a mid -range budget, you had systems for 750,000 users worldwide, we've to settle for mid -range performance. And a designed a machine that's the last word in mid -range set of features. ergonomics. With sculptured keycaps on a But now you can settle for a whole lot more. high -quality keyboard. LEDs on the three critical With the new TeleCAT-2867m from TeleVideo. locking keys. And a footprint that's nearly a third smaller than IBM's AT. So you get more of your MORE PERFORMANCE desk back, too. The TeleCAT-286Tm retails for roughly the same price as a comparably -equipped IBM XT. But the FIND OUT EVEN MORE: similarity ends there. Instead of starting you off There's a whole lot more we could tell you about with a stripped -down box, we've loaded up the the TeleCAT-286Tm. But it's an even better idea to 512KB TeleCAT-286Tm with everything you need. get your hands on it. So call us on 09905-6464 Like a 20MB hard disk. A 1.2MB floppy. An Intel and we'll tell you the nearest place you can 80286 CPU that runs at either 6 or 8M1-Iz dock try one. speed. There's even a standard 14" high -resolution For high performance at a low price, don't 640X400 monitor for text and graphics. settle for less. To make even better use of internal space, we socketed the TeleCAT-286Tm for 1MB of RAM, and also included serial and parallel ports on the TeleVideo® motherboard. As a result, we can still give you three extra expansion slots. Settle for more. 1986 TeleVideo Systems, Inc. MORE PRACTICALITY Screen graphics by Chartmaster 0 Decision Resources, Inc. Using our experience in building terminals and IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Inc.

TeleVideo Systems International Limited Dome House 50 Guildford Road West End Woking Surrey GU24 9PW Telephone: Chobham (09905) 6464 Telex: 858922 TELVID.

- circle 111 on enquiry card There's only onething better thanan Apricot XEN and that's another.

circle 107 on enquiry card - Fast access Winchester THE CONCEPT. disks in the XEN Mainframes - with 20, 50 or 100 megabytes - plus the Apricot XEN .4 Workstation's 1 megabyte of main memory and Intel 80286 proces- sor give each user more speed and power than a typical PC. 11 But if you've already invested in personal computers - whether Apricots, IBM"''s or IBM® compatibles - you If you produce the fastest, the most powerful and the can link them into XEN Multi -User right away. most friendly personal computer around, where can you Friendly Microsoft"' go from there? Windows gives you access to more The high-performance Apricot XEN has won than 2,000 software packages acclaim from the entire industry by running all the including all the best-selling industry standard software faster than any other personal packages from the world's leading business software houses. computer. The power to communicate comes as standard. Telex You have to admit, it's a hard act to follow. services, internal and external electronic mail and access to But we think we've come up with another winner. the world's public database services are all readily available. And all the telephone dialling and billing requirements of an entire company can be handled by the

APRICOT XEN MULTI-USER XEN TEL integrated telephone system. A complete office system that allows your staff to Printers, including the Apricot Laser, can be shared share programs and data, switching between several tasks by a whole office. at the touch of a key. A system into which your existing PC's can probably be incorporated. THE PRICE. A system that lets you share Apricot XEN Multi -User's sheer value for money printers to keep your running costs leaves the minicomputer standing. down. It starts at £7000 - for a Mainframe and software A system capable of linking with two workstations - and finishes where you want it to. into the world of voice and data Additional Workstations can be added for under £1000. communications. Now picture a typical minicomputer: take away XEN And all using friendly graphics software. Multi -User's friendly software, Microsoft Windows and multi -tasking, the telephone manager, half of the storage, most of the performance and all of the versatility. THE MULTI-USER SYSTEM. Then double the price. Apricot XEN Multi - That's the competition. User is just like having an And professional support comes as standard. Apricot XEN supermicro on Apricot XEN Multi -User is only available from qualified every desk. Apricot Computerworlds, Business Centres and Specialist The Apricot XEN Dealers. Mainframes act as the system's common resources. Each has 2 megabytes of memory as standard, with a built-in tape unit for data security. £7000 Please send me a free information pack on the Apricot XEN Multi -User.

To: Apricot UK Limited, 11.-"occv FREEPOST Halesowen, West Midlands B63 1BR.

aPricot Name kin/ MULTI -Us Position Company The onlyalternative is Address Tel PC 3

Prices quoted exclude VAT, maintenance and installation. to pay more for less Microsoft is a Registered Trade Mark of Microsoft Corporation Inc. IBM is a Registered Trade Mark of International Business Machines Corporation. I

I AR 11W

We at RAD SYSTEMS provide a total service based RAD SYSTEMS IS YOUR NO 1 DEALER FOR: on our promise of "if we sellit - we support it". RAD Systems is the company that listens. We recognise that different users have different requirements and we place a good deal of emphasis on providing sufficient options to enable Authorised selection of a system that is right for each PEGASUS particular situation. With a total of 27 years of Dealer dedicated computing experience we can help our SOFTWARE customers to get the very best from the hardware Olivetti and software they have purchased. Our qualified technical support engineers are Networking always available to consult with customers on any problem relating to one of our products, and any service from a word of advice to a training session on your premises, is regarded as fundamental to our sales support. Multi-user From our base in Harrow our repair centre offers network field maintenance and repair services. Our service installation facilities include an IBM Approved Maintenance and support Workshop manned by experienced IBM trained Multi-user engineers. bespoke software Our centre is a comprehensive, well equipped and professionally run complex offering demonstration, training and repair services. High Performance Hard Disk and Streamer RAD Systems is right there with you giving: Advice on computer equipment to suit your precise needs. IBM trained technicians to install and train your staff. Our friendly helpful hot-line support just a 30Mb Hard Disk Upgrade phone call away. 30Mb Fast Tape Streamer A regular maintenance service to ensure the efficient working of your investment. Please ring for an immediate response and the latest prices. Printers, Multifunctional Cards & Software available.

RAD SYSTEMS RAD Business Technology Centre, SYSTEMS 111 High Street, Wealdstone, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 5DL. Telephone: 01-863 2559 Telephone: 01-863 0189 - circle 158 on enquiry card - Telex: 8950511 ON EON E G Ref. 14306001.

is PC TT4--"A COMPLITER FOR THOSE. WITH MORE SENSE MAN MONEY

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4.77/8 MHz Turbo -processing 8 expansion slots With turbo -processing up to three times faster than the IBM PC/XT, outstanding compatibility and a quite 360K floppy disk drive Parallel printer and joystick interfaces amazing specification, the PC II is a new price and High resolution monochrome Security lock performance pacesetter. monitor with tilt and swivel base

It'll handle all leading software written for the IBM PC, Quality AT -style U.K. spec. Real time clock/calendar with it's built to strict American FCC standards and it's keyboard battery back-up available with a host of expansion options which leave Highly compatible legal BIOS 150 watt U.L. approved power supply the competition standing - motherboard expansion to 1 Mb creating hard disk performance 384K RAM With all this and 12 months free warranty, a low-cost maintenance option and guaranteed 72 -hour delivery, the PC II not only makes more sense it disk, 2nd floppy, Winchester and colour monitor leaves you with a lot more of your money. options.You can even select the latest fully -licensed Call Opus now on 0737 65080 for full details of the amazing PC II - 3.2 versions of MsDos and GW Basic. the IBM-compatible that's a generation ahead. Generous education and Just £499 now buys you a new generation of government discounts available. Dealer and export enquiries welcomed. Price exclusive of VAT and carriage. PC -compatible with an unbeatable specification. Opus Supplies Ltd, 55 Ormside Way, *a 0737 65080 Holmethorpe Industrial Estate, Opus. Redhill, SURREY RH1 2LW.

- circle 130 on enquiry card - IBM-PC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. MsDos is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. N E W S HARDWARE AT clone HERCULES UPGRADES breaks MONOCHROME CARD £2,000 A NEW monochrome video Although the new card is not Hercules emphasises that the controllercardfromHercules compatible withthe IBMnew cardis an extension to its barrier Computer Technologyis now Enhanced Graphics Adaptor card, range and is not intended as a PERSONAL COMPUTER COMPATIBLES available. It combines the speed ofHercules says it is compatible with replacement for the previous video has launched a full -function ATtext displays with the versatility of itsearlier video cards. Suppliedcards, which willstillbe avail- clone for £1,995. The machine, graphics displays. Known as thewith the card is Fontman software able. The Graphics Card -Plus is known as the AT -1020, features a Graphics Card Plus, the companywhich contains a number of founts distributed by Softsel and First 20Mbyte hard disc,a 1.2Mbyte claims that it will radically alter theand enables users to define theirSoftware and is expected to be floppy disc and an EGA colourappearance of applications. own founts. priced at just over £300. The earlier monitor as standard. The Graphics Card Plus is based The bundled disc also containsHercules Graphics Card has been Other features of the AT -1020around a custom Hercules chipRamfont drivers for a number of reducedinpriceandisnow are a 640K memory, 8MHz and calledtheV-112,whichthepopular application packages such expected to retail at around £250. 10MHz switchable clock speeds,company claims is unclonable. Itas Lotus 1-2-3release2.0 and FirstSoftwareisatIntec-1, Phoenix BIOS, two serial and two can store up to 3,072 user -definedMicrosoft Word. The card has beenWade Road, Basingstoke, Hamp- parallelports,andeightfull- character cells in RAM. Under the made available to a number ofshireRG24 ONE.Telephone: length expansion slots. new Ramfont mode, each of thesoftware houses. Hercules expects (0256) 463344. Softsel is at Softsel Further details available from character cells can be bit mapped thenew generation of software, House, Syon Gate Way, Great Personal Computer Compatibles, bysoftwareand combinedincludingthenextreleaseofWest Road, Brentford, Middlesex Mayo House, Mayo Road, Walton - together by the V-12 to form text WordStar,tohavethenewTW8 9DD. Telephone: 01-588 on -Thames, Surrey KT12 2QA. or graphics. Ramfont drivers built-in. 8866. Telephone: (0932) 231199. Built-in modem for Penman THE Penman plotter is a low-cost robot plotting device which was reviewedinlastSeptember's Practical Computing.Itis now available with a built-in modem, allowing data to be downloaded and used tocreate maps and diagrams instantly. Details from Penman Products Ltd, 8 Hazelwood Close, Dominion Way, Worthing, West Miracle Sussex BN14 8NP. Telephone: Multi -compatible (0903) 209081. modem MODEM manufacturer Miracle graphics board Technology has added another model to the range, called the Keeps it from Atlanta WS -4000.The new modem, ATLANTA DATA SYSTEMS has EGA, the graphics adaptor has pricedat£149.95, is Hayes with Kodak introduced a graphics board whichflicker -free soft scrolling, RAM - compatible. KODAK is making its first move into it claims is fully compatible withbased character generator and an The standard WS -4000 offers thepersonal -publishingmarker the IBM MDA, CGA and EGAeight -page display memory. Theboth V-21 and V-23 standards and with a system known as Kodak formats, as well as with Hercules. board is being offered at £291.65 can run at 300 baud, 600 baud EktaprintElectronicPublishing This enables the device to support as a special introductory offer. For 1,200 baud, 1,200/75 baud and Inaddition, SystemorKeeps.The whole Lotus1-2-3andSymphony, furtherdetailscontactAtlanta 75 / 1,200baud. systemcomprisesUnix -based Framework, and a number of other Data Systems, 350/ 356 Old Street, Miracle is releasing a number of optionalextras,which canbe software, a file server, a terminal products. London EC1V 9DT. Telephone: and a mouse, and is aimed at Known as the ADS Proboard-01-729 1411. purchased either in the original department level or higher. machineorlaterasfactory Keepsisbasedaroundthe upgrades. These include V-22 and CompositionWorkstation, a V-22bis support, a battery -backed standard terminal fitted with theHard disc on to tape internal phone directory and Bell - file -server unit.Itcan be net- TEAC has launchedacassette board; the necessary softwareis standard protocols to allow access worked toa number of work streamerkitforthe IBM PCsupplied on floppydisc.Teac to the U.S. telephone network. stations, and connected to one of a throughitsU.K.distributor, saysthata45Mbyteversion The WS -4000 has received BABT range of Kodak laser printers. Tekdata. The MT-2ST system iswill be available shortly. Further approval. Furtherdetailsfrom Kodakclaimed to be able to dump a details can be obtained direct from Further details can be obtained Copy Products,Kodak House, 20Mbyte hard disc on to cassette Tekdata,Federation Road, from Miracle Technology (U.K.) Station Road, Hemel Hempstead, tape in four minutes. Burslem,Stoke-on-Trent,Staff- Ltd,St.Peters Street,Ipswich, HertfordshireHP11JU.Tele- The kit comes with a half -height ordshire ST67 4HY. Telephone: SuffolkIP1 1XB.Telephone: phone: (0442) 61122. tape drive and plug-in controller (07082) 813631. (0473) 216141.

14 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 N W S HARDWARE MS-DOS AND XENIX RE 111114uter GET TOGETHER AT LAST introduced a USERS uncertain whether to opt for e. Known as an MS-DOS or Xenix system can the Ivy 2, the base machine now have both in the form of the costs £1,995; this does not Compucorp Connection.Itruns include the cost of disc drives bothoperatingsystemscon- or MS-DOS. Details from currently, and provides the power (U.S. area code 617) of Xenix, yet is able to run IBM 853-6914. PC -DOS applications. The U.K. distributor for The Connection is based around Corvus has begun shipments twoprocessors.A National of an interface which allows Semiconductor3203232 -bit the Apple Macintosh to be processorisconfiguredtorun fitted to Omninet. Suitable for Unix, while a standard Intel 8088 512K versions of the Mac, it is is dedicated to running IBM PC claimed to be a high- software.Themachinecomes performance alternative to with a monitor and is supplied Appletalk. Details on (0332) with 1.64Mbyte of memory. $ 40085. wt. Theentrypriceforthe t t V Torch Computers has Connection is £2,750. For details introduced a disc -less work- ' 1 contactCompucorpLtd,Cun- station version of its U nix - ningham House, Westfield Lane, based Triple -X Kenton,Middlesex HA3 9ED. microcomputer. The work Telephone: 01-907 0198. Compucorp's Connection: separate processors for PC -DOS and Unix. station comes with a colour monitor and is intended for use with Ethernet. Contact (0223) 841000. Wyse PC -286 launched The Unity modem from Datalines is a V-21 and V-23 WYSE TECHNOLOGY,thewell- disc, serial and parallel ports and a monochrome WY -530 is priced at modem on a card for the IBM known manufacturer of terminals, choice of a 20Mbyte or 40Mbyte£192, the WY -630 colour display PC. The device features has launched the Wyse PC -286 hard disc. Prices start at £1,995 for costs£490,withthe WY -640 autodial and auto -answer, through its U.K. distributor, Kode the single -floppy version, rising toEGA -compatible model at £610. and is Hayes compatible. Ltd. Like other recent AT clones, £2,495 with the 20Mbyte hardAll the monitors come with a tilt - Information from (0908) the PC -286 has a switchable clock disc and £3,395 for the 40Mbyte and -swivel stand. Further details 311077. speed of up to 10MHz. version. from Kode, Station Road, Calne, Systems Constructors is The Wyse PC -286 is fitted with Wyse has also announced theWiltshire SN11 OJR. Telephone: one of the first U.K. 640K RAM, a 1.2Mbyte floppy launch of three monitors. The (0249) 813771. companies to offer a 3.5in. drive for the IBM PC range. Available in internal or external versions, the drive Extra will allow PCs to read MS- DOS 3.5in. data discs. For expansion details phone (0202) 297315. The 6300 Colourwriter is a for the PC high -resolution plotter from Advance Bryans Instruments. IF YOU have run out of slots on your The machine is supplied in PC, or have bought a clone with seven -pen and 10 -pen few available expansion slots, you versions, enabling a wide can purchase an expansion chassis variety of colours to be used. from RCS ComputerServices. Details from 01-640 5624. Therearetwo modelsinthe Measuring just 115mm. by current range. 60mm. by 12mm., the The PCX-6A base model, priced AM -0101 is claimed by its at £675, has a capacity of six PC manufacturer, Astec Europe Olivetti plug-in disc slots available for use, which are Ltd, to be the smallest V-21 OLIVETTI has launched a plug-in meanthatalthoughitfitsconnected to the computer via a modem available. BABT 20Mbyte hard disc for the IBM PC comfortablyinsidetheOlivetti ribbon cable fitted to a short -slot approval for the device is still and compatibles. Priced at £599, M-24 series,itisunsuitable forcard in the PC. The other model in pending but details can be thedevicewillinitiallybe theM-19.PSU saysthatthe therangeisthe PCX-6AHD, obtained on (0734) 509411. distributedthroughPersonal exceptionally low price is due towhich can handle 10Mbyteor Ramgate is a multi -function Computer Upgrade Ltd. Olivetti's and its own desire to20Mbyte harddiscs.RCS was card for the AT from The OPE Hard Disk Card fitscapture a substantial part of the unable to quote a current price for Intelligence Research Ltd. The into a single long slot and takes its expandingplug-inhard -disc the HD version as the price of hard plug-in card is fitted with two power directly from the bus. The market. discs is falling so rapidly. serial ports, one parallel port device will be bundled with the FordetailscontactPersonal Contact RCS Computer Services and a joystick port, and is QDOS file -management system, Computer UpgradeLtd,Voss at Headway House, Christy Estate, available in a range of whichwouldnormallycosta House, Thames Street, Walton -Ivy Road, Aldershot, Hampshire memory configurations from further £39.95. on -Thames,Surrey KT12 2PU.GU12 4TX. Telephone: (0252) 512K up to 3Mbyte. Details The dimensions of the hard disc Telephone: (0932) 231100. 333575. from (0273) 420196. PC

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 15 N W S SOFTWARE SOFTWARE PERSONAL -PUBLISHING SHORTS SQZ reduce,e amount of PACKAGES BOOM e a s 1-2-3 or BOTH Micropro and Software Pub- which will come out under the you embed commands in your text cupies. It lishing Corporation plan to launch Harvard brand name. Users will befiles. To help you get tables and also allows you to transmit personal -publishing packages for able to move data between the twocharts out of other applications worksheets through text - the IBM PC by the end of this year. products. into your document it also comes orientated email systems. Micropro'sproduct,code - Both Micropro and Softwarewith a memory -resident screen - SQZ costs £66 from 4-5-6 named Prism,isa full -functionPublishingCorporationhave grabbing utility. Sclaserplus works World. Ring (0473) 50771. page -layout package developed in decided to support the Postscriptwith the HP Laserjet and Laserjet Laser Font Master lets you conjunction with Island Graphicspage -description language, whichPlus,andcosts£345.Contact create and download your Corporation. It will be WordStar means these new products will beSoftware Ltd on 01-278 2377. own character sets to the compatible, accepting files from capable of driving certain types of Fontasy is simpler but costs a Canon Al and A2, and the all Micropro's word processors as full-scale typesetting machine inmere £70. It will do text charts, Hewlett-Packard Laserjet Plus well as supporting any file in IBM's addition to office laser printers. newsletters and reports. You can printers. The utility costs DCA format. Micropro is likely to For moredetailscontactoutput to a matrix or laser printer £150. Contact Vuman pitch Prism at the top end of the SoftwarePublishing Europeat in a wide variety of founts and Computer Systems 061-226 market. 85-87 JermynStreet,London incorporate headlines and graphics 8311. SoftwarePublishingCorpo- SW1Y 6JD. Telephone: 01-839in multi -column layouts. Details Diskoptimiser speeds up rationwillbe introducing two 3864. Micropro International Ltd from CtrlAltDeli on (0980) hard -disc operations on IBM personal -publishingproducts. is at Haygarth House, 28-31 High 662759. or compatible systems by One is an existing IBM package,Street,London SW19 5BY. FinallyMirrorsoftintendsto collecting each file into a Clickart Personal Publisher, which Telephone: 01-879 1122. launch Fleet Street Editor for the contiguous block. It costs £56 thecompanyisbuyingfrom Meanwhile several other newIBM in September, priced at £149. from Ideal Software. T/ Maker. This will become its personal -publishing packages haveThis is not the BBC package of the Telephone: 01-399 2066. simpler, lower -cost offering, poss- been launchedfor IBM com- same name; in fact in it is a lightly D -Analyst converts dBase ibly going out under the PFS patibles.TherivalMacintosh modifiedversionofClickart III programs to multi-user brand name. system is of course already wellPersonal Publisher, the program dBase III Plus programs. You Fortheprofessionaluser, catered for in this application area. Software Publishingisbuying. can then run them on dBase- Software Publishing has signed a Sclaserplus is designed to handle According to Mirrorsoft this will supported LANs with full file - deal with Bestinfo Inc. to develop lengthy documents, using a com-pose no problems. Contact Mirror - and record -level locking. D - aPostscript -supportingproduct mand -language approach wherebysoft on 01-377 4837. Analyst costs £49.95 from ICCT Ltd on 01-398 9636. Modula-2 is the latest language available for the Presentation Mac. The Macmeth package PFS product range includes a compiler, all the graphics standard Modula-2 libraries and special libraries to choices to be restructured support the Mac interface. It costs £175 from Real Time VCN INTERNATIONAL is launching SOFTWARE PUBLISHING CORPORATION is Concorde, a new high -end pres- revamping its PFS software range Associates on 01-656 7333. entation product. Concorde com- for the IBM PC. Out go best- bines the idea of a large library of selling products like PFS Write and images with more powerful chart - PFS File, to be replaced by two Freeware drawing facilities.Text charting separate lines of software. One is has also been improved, so that targeted at the beginner, the other hit list you can now choose from 15 built- at more experienced users. THE table below lists the 10 most in founts and import data in Lotus, PFS First Choice is aimed at popular public -domain software DIF and Multiplan formats. The newcomers, althoughitshould productsaccordingtothe new VCN packagecosts £550. also appeal to many occasional Compulink User Group. ExistingExecuvisionuserscan computer users. It combines word upgrade for £295. VCN Inter- processing, database, spreadsheet 1 Procomm Comms and comms in a single environ- 2 PC Write Word processor nationalcanbecontactedon Thought processor plentyof context -report -writingpackage,File, 3 PC Outline 01-948 5771. ment with 4 PC Deskmate Sidekick clone dependent help. First Choice costsfeatures a cross -tab report view A new home-grown contender is 5 PC File Database Microchart Plus from Praxis Soft- £149 and should be available insimilar to Reflex, and the ability to interchange data with Lotus and 6 PC Calc Spreadsheet ware Ltd. This package can read September. 7 Kermit Comms Lotus, Multiplan, DIF and ASCII For more experienced users thedBase as well as with other PFS 8 Fansi-console Screen improver files, and has its own spreadsheet - company is launching the PFS Pro-products. Both Plan and File cost 9 Utilities Various like data -entry mode. For £145 it fessional Series, three individual£299. All three packages are due 10 Games Various offers control over the final appear- applications which can exchangeout later this None of the new ance of business charts. Contact dataifrequired.ProfessionalPFS products are copy protected, aMost of the programs run on the Praxis Software on (0892) 42267. Write, the word processor, costschange from previous Software IBM PC or clones. The software is Computer Support Corporation £189.It has a built-in spellingPublishing Corporation policy. An available to Compulink members has released new versions of Picture checker, thesaurus and its ownupgrade product to allow users to at a cost of £3 per disc. Member- Perfectand Diagraph.Picture mail -merging function. It can alsorun Professional Series packages onship costs f30 per annum. Perfect, price £340, is a charting accept charts from Harvard Pres-local area networks is promised for Details available from Compu- package, while the £440 Diagraph entation Graphics, October. link User Group, 67 Woodbridge is more suitable for text charts, The Planspreadsheetoffers ContactSoftwarePublishing Road,Guildford,Surrey GUI formsandflowchartsThese built-in graphics and an easy -to - Europe at 85-87 Jermyn Street, 4RD. Telephone: (0483) 65895. packagesareavailablefrom use record and playback macroLondon SW1Y 6JD. Telephone:For the V-21 and V-23 bulletin Tekware on (0562) 882125. system. The record -handling and01-839 3864. board dial (0483)573337. 11

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 16 Borland introduces the library of affordable quality software for your IBM PC or compatible At Borland our philosophy is best described in four words: Quality, Speed, Power and Price. Two of our products were recently nominated for a "British Micro Award". One, Sidekick, received a "British Micro Award". In the United Kingdom, Borland products are now available at your local dealer or through Softsel (01) 568 8866, P & P Micro Distributors (0706) 217744, Altor Ltd (041) 226 4211 and First Software (0256) 463344. If you use a PC - choose Borland software. Pascal Programming: Turbo Pascal£69.95 High-speed Pascal compiler and integrated programming environment. Turbo Tutor£29.95 Basic through advanced Turbo Pascal programming concepts and techniques. Turbo Graphix Toolbox £49.95 High -resolution graphics for Turbo Pascal. Turbo Editor Toolbox £49.95 Word processor construction set for Turbo Pascal. Turbo Gaineworks £49.95 Chess, Bridge and Go-Moku in Turbo Pascal. Turbo Database Toolbox £49.95 Complete library of database routines for Turbo Pascal.

Business Productivity:

Reflex: the Analyst £99.95 Nominee British Micro Award! The analytical database manager. Reflex Workshop £69.95(Available August 15th, 1986) 25 different Reflex applications. Sidekick £69.95British Micro Award! Complete desk -top management. Includes notepad, calculator, telephone dialer and more. Superkey £69.95 Cuts down keystrokes and encrypts files for confidentiality. Traveling Sidekick £69.95 Professional time -management binder, includes software that works with Sidekick.

Artificial Intelligence:

Turbo Prolog £69.95 High-speed compiler for the Artificial Intelligence language, Prolog.

Electronic Reference: Turbo Lightning£69.95 Electronic reference work access system. Includes on-line spelling checker, Random House Dictionary and Thesaurus. Lightning WordWizard £49.95(Available August 15, 1986) Turbo -Lightning's technical reference manual and applications.

il. ,11 Ilt i11=11OMEN

INTERNATIONALBORLAND 17 Turbo Pascal, Sidekick, Superkey and Turbo Tutor are registered trademarks and Turbo Lightning, Turbo Lightning Library, Turbo Prolog, Turbo Graphics Toolbox, Turbo DataBase Toolbox, TurboEditor Toolbox, Turbo GamesWorks, Lightning WordWizard, Reflex: The Analyst, Traveling Sidekick, MicroCalc, MicroStar, GeoBase and BinderWare are trademarks of Borland International, Inc. or Borland Analytica Inc. Random House is a trademark of Random House Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Inc. © Copyright 1986 Borland International. --- circle 104 on enquiry card 4- Loading please wait

"'

While other computersarestill starters orders, you'reoff andr

The Amstrad 6128 has a built-in advantage over most Loads more business programmes other home computers. There are hundreds of games to play on the 6128, but Its fast loading disc drive unit. it also has its serious side. An ordinary cassette driven computer can take as long It can handle spreadsheets, database and account as 15 minutes to load. management programmes. Whereas the 6128's built-in disc drive will load the It can file and index, produce standard letters and same programme in seconds. compile reports. Which means you don't waste And it will even keep track of valuable playing time loading. rates, mortgage and H.P. payments for And it also means you can you if you want it to. quickly get into more sophisticated The 6128 comes complete programmes, using more of the 6128's with green screen or full colour big 128K memory. monitor, as well as keyboard with AVAILABLE AT: ALLDERS BOOTS CLYDESDALE COMET CONNECT CURRYS DIXONS ELECTRIC SUPREME LASKYS JOHN LEWIS JOHN MENZIES POWER CITY RUMBELOWS I8 Score: 00000U0 PPE Event: 1 - 100 Metres gunlify 14:2Ss mtteuirres L.ves 3 SPEED 034.4 8s ..orsa. glig .1gr.088 under .b.s.0.1340P4-_-4sAINXENIk-ftlalaWASSR ning.

built-in disc drive. But if you want still more, additional disc drives, P Please send me more information fast. printers and joysticks are all available. You could be off and running on a 6128 for as little Name as £299 (green screen) or £399 (colour monitor). At those prices, you won't be surprised to learn that Address it sells almost as fast as it loads.

WITH GREEN SCREEN AROUND S.2 99 6128/PC1 The Amstrad 6128. WITH COLOUR MONITOR AROUND s,399 With disc drive and 128K memory. LAmstrad P.O. Box 462, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4EF. 19 ULTIMATE W.H. SMITH WIGFALLS AND GOOD INDEPENDENT COMPUTER STORES - circle 154 on enquiry card - HARDWARE THAT'S SOFT ON YOUR POCKET.

16 colours each foreground and EGA BOARD background Extraordinary multimode video card, light pen interface including all the capabilities of the IBM Standard one year warranty Enhanced Graphics Adaptor, Hercules £69 Monochrome Graphics Card, IBM Colour MULTI I/O CARD Card, and IBM Monochrome Card. PC, XT, AT compatible Combination floppy disk controller and on -board 256K RAM buffer multi -function card 720 x 350 monochrome (Hercules controls 2 floppy disk drives compatible) parallel printer port 640 x 350 for IBM Enhanced Colour RS232 (serial) ports Display battery -backed 640 x 200 or 320 x 200 for IBM clock/calendar Colour Display game port (for joystick) £99 parallel printer port SERIAL CARD Serial (RS232C standard) interface card MULTIFUNCTION for connections to modems, printers etc. BOARD selectable baud rate - 50 to 9600 baud 5, 6, 7, 8 bit characters with 1,11/2, 2 stop Multi -function add-on board for the IBM bits PC and compatibles at a fraction of the fully prioritized interrupt price of US -manufactured multi -function system boards. controllable from DOS, i29 up to 384K of parity -checked memory BASIC, various languages in banks of 64K manual includes advanced serial RS232 port (for modems, etc) programming section parallel printer port, Epson/Centronics built-in parallel printer These boards are all available for the IBM compatible adapter PC, XT, AT and compatibles. All are battery -backed clock/calendar, includes our standard provided with our standard 12 month automatically sets system date and time one-year warranty £89 hardware warranty: ifit doesn't work, we compatible with RAM disk 512K RAM BOARD will replace it. Price is for OK board; add £10 for each 64K Full-length RAM card, expandable to 512K Bristol Micro Traders distribute a full range of memory. maximum in parity -checked banks of 64K. of hardware and software, including chips, User -selectable base address. One-year boards, and drives for PC-, XT-, and AT - MONO GRAPHICS warranty, as with our other board compatibles, as well as XT- and AT - products. compatibles systems. CARD Please add £10 for each 64K of memory. High -resolution monochrome graphics 49 For further information on hardware adapter with printer port COLOUR GRAPHICS products, write to our Upgrades Group or directly replaces the IBM PC ring us on (0272) 279499. monochrome adapter CARD text mode, 80 columns x 25 lines, fully Colour graphics adapter, fully compatible Volume buyers, telex 449075 or ring compatible with Big Blue's. (0272) 298228. software -selectable high -resolution Standard 80 x 25 as well as 40 x 25 text graphics mode 720h x 348v modes Send your order to: Bristol Micro Traders, fully compatible with 1-2-3, Symphony, 640 x 200 high -resolution mono Upgrades Group, Maggs House, Reflex, other leading graphics products graphics mode 78 Queens Road, Bristol BS81QX. under 'Hercules' option 320 x 200 colour graphics mode

PLEASE SEND ME: Quantity Amount Quantity Amount Please note that these boards are compatible with the IBM bus, and Multifunction board £99 Multi I/O card © £99 therefore are available for the IBM PC, + sets of 64K RAM @ £10 XT, AT and compatibles only. Where Printer card £19 software is supplied, it is supplied in RAM board (tit £49 PC- DOS/MS-DOS format. + sets of 64K RAM ra £10 RS232 serial card © £29

Mono graphics card @ £89 Game port (2 joysticks) (4 £19 These products are warranteed for a full12 months. Defective RAM or Colour graphics card% £69 Floppy Controller © £39 Total enclosed boards will be repaired or replaced. (UK add 15% VAT) Mono card (text) @ £79 Hard disc conroller £129 Official orders accepted from PLC's, government and education authorities EGA board 4 £295 Hard/floppy controller @ £149 only. Outside UK, make payment by bank draft payable in pounds sterling.

NAME:

SHIPPING ADDRESS:

CITY: POSTAL CODE: BRISTOL TELEPHONE: Micro Traders L IBM is a trademark of IBM Corporation, Hercules of Hercules Computer Corporation. circle 109 on enquiry card 7s) NEWS SHORTS IBM: NO PLANS TO Olivetti has announced that its revenues for 1985 were up 34.1 percent over the previous year. Chairman DROP OUT YET Carlo De Benedetti attributed the increase partly to U.S. THE PC MARKET has been thrown past year. He replied:"If after PChasproductfeaturesand sales assisted by its partner into confusion following remarks time, we saw part of the PC market capabilitiesthatareableto AT&T. Details on 01-785 by IBM chairman John Akers in a becoming a commodity you woulddifferentiate it from the rest of the 6666. question -and -answer session in the see IBM departing from it." market." Tandon Computers has U.S. Following his remarks, many Although this might seem to be What this seems to mean islaunched its range of low-cost people have concluded that IBM an indication of IBM's intention tothat while customers buy IBM's IBM compatibles in the U.S. may be prepared to pull out of the withdraw from the low -end PCreputationandservicethe The machines have previously PC market. and XT markets, IBM has beencompany will continue to remain only been marketed in Akers' remarks stemmed from a quick to dampen such speculation. in the market. But if customers Europe, but now the question of how IBM viewed the The company has stated that it isforsake IBM for the clones, thencompany has made deluge of low-cost PC clones that committed to leadership in thethe company would reconsider its distribution deals with the have entered the market over the PC industry, adding: "The IBM position. U.S. chains Entre Computers, Sears Business Systems and Computerland. Details on 01-734 2907. Demand picksup Infocheck has upgraded its database of limited for Apricot companies. It now offers Telecom Gold users a FOLLOWING the launch of the Xen-i took advantage of the rock -bottom company credit report which and the repricing of the XI and F - prices while the stocks lasted. can provide information on series models, Apricot has found TheXI,whichApricot is accounts over four years, itsmachines ingreat demand. continuing to manufacture, is also financial ratios and a credit After reporting poor results for selling well. It is still available from rating. Phone 01-377 8872. 1985,the company last month dealers at £899 for the standard A new study from announced the discontinuation ofversion, and at £1,299 for the Intelligent Electronics Europe the low -end F range and a lower hard -disc model. Apricot says that reports that the installed base price for the XI, together with the the machine does not figure in its of micros in the European launchoftheAT -compatible plans for 1987. education system now Big Bang Xen-i. Initialreactiontothe Xen-i exceeds one million, and As aresultApricot's dealers from both users and dealersis projects a base of over three countdown reported a phenomenal response favourable, with general approval million by 1990. It comments THE EXHIBITION Systems for thefrom customers eager to snap up a atthe performance and designthat while the U.K. was the City was held at the Barbican inbargain. Machines in the Apricot of the machine. We review theforerunner of establishing London between July 15-17.Its Collection F series are being priced Xen-i on page 48 of this issue. computers in the classroom, purpose was to offer a last chanceby dealersas lowas £450.It Further details available fromthe reliance on eight -bit home for city financial firms to examineappears that many of the machines Apricot plc, Apricot House,17 micros may prove to be an thecompetingproductsand wereboughtbyeducational WestbourneRoad,Edgbaston, expensive mistake. technologies on offer before the so- instituteswhoalreadyhada BirminghamB63 3NT.Tele calledBig Bang intheStock number of Apricot machines, and phone: 021-501 2284. Exchange on October 27. Central to the exhibition was Data SEAQ,theStockExchange Automated Quotation service.It Cheap IBM software Protection will enable brokers and investors to THE IBM PC User Group hasprovided are either in the publicreport view the price movements of all published its latest catalogue ofdomain - which means they are the shares quoted on the Stock software. Costing £3, it lists over free - or are user supported. This IN HIS recent report to Parliament, Exchanges. They will also be able 200differentdiscs,eachone means that the programs can bethe Data Protection Registrar has to interact with the dealing floor of containing around15 programs copied and passed on, but users arereported that registrations under the exchange. ranging from games to utilities and encouragedtosend asmall the Act up to the middle of June Contact Online International, applications. contribution to the authors. were around 136,000. Referring to Pinner Green House, Ash Hill Thediscscost£5eachto Detailsfrom IBM PC Userpeople's reaction to the Act the Drive,Pinner,Middlesex HA5 members,plus VAT anda Group, PO Box 830, London SE1 Registrarsays: "Manypeople

2AE. Telephone: 01-868 4466. handling charge. The programs 2BQ. Telephone: 01-232 2277. support the objectives . . . there may be simpler ways for those objectives to be obtained. It is up toParliamenttodetermine A quiet time at the PC User show whether amendments to the Act THE PC USER SHOW got off to awere Lotus,Softsel and Digital Therewereanumberofare necessary.' ' sweltering start on July 16. Run- Research. Taiwanese clones on show. The Around 60 complaints had been ning for threedays,the show A numberofvisitorswere cheapest that we came across was a received from the public and a attracted most of the big names inattractedtotheCommodore 256K, single -floppy model from ateam of investigatorsisbeing the industry, although there wasstand, which gave demonstrations Dutch company called Genisys, recruited. littlein the way of major new of the Amiga with the Sidecar add- priced at £375, although this did Further details from the Office products. on for IBM compatibility. Nearby not include a monitor. Genisysof the Data Protection Registrar, Among the largest stands wereFerranti showed off its latest 3D expects to launch the machine,Springfield House, Water Lane, thoseof IBM,Compaqand generationpackage,working knownastheCompetitor,in Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AX. Apricot. Notable by their absenceunder Autocad. September. Telephone: (0625) 535777.

PRACTICALCOMPUTING September 1986 21 QUAESTUS A NEW WORD FOR SPEED AND POWER

OUAESTUS COMPUTERS are designed and manufactured in the USA with three main objectives in mind, IBM-PC compatibility, speed, and low cost. The OUAESTUS range consists of three families, OPC, OAT, and DART OUAESTUS OPC All models are based on 8088-2 with 8MHz clock, complete with 640 KB RAM, 2 x serial ports, 1 x parallel port, 1 x 360 KB floppy drive, and monographics card with amber monitor. 1000/o PC/XT compatable, 1.67 x faster than the PC OUAESTUS OAT All models based on 80286 with 8MHz clock, complete with 1.2MB RAM, 2 x serial ports, 1 parallel port, 1 x 1.2MB floppy drive 1 x 20MB hard disk, and monographics card with amber monitor. 1000/0PC/AT compatable, 1.25 x faster than the AT OUAESTUS DART All models based on 80286 with 10MHz clock, with 8MHz 80287 co -processor, 2MB of no -wait state RAM, 2 x serial ports, 1 x parallel port, 1 x 1.2MB floppy drive, 1 x 20MB hard disk, EGA colour graphics card, and colour monitor. 1000/oPC/AT compatable, up to 4 faster than the AT

O PC1..OPC £1192 OAT -20 OAT £2477 OPC2..OPC with 2 x 360K FD £1263 OAT -40 OAT with 40MB HD £3906 O PC10.0PC with 1 x 10MB HD £1549 and 60MB tape streamer OPC20. OPC with 1 x 20MB HD £1692 OAT -72 as above with 72MB £5120 OPC30. OPC with 1 x 32MB HD £1906 FAST hard disk OPCMAX.. OPC30 + 60MB Tape £2692 DART -20 DART £3620 These are typical configurations, hard disk is available in 10,20,40 or 72MB the 72MB being fast read/write. Memory expansion is available for all models. For CGA and colour monitor add £321, for EGA and colour monitor add £607 CARDS AND PERIPHERALS RGB colour graphics £142 Primage 100.. Daisywheel printer £1355 Hi -Res mono -card £242 100cps, emulates Diablo 630 and Epson F X-80, will print graphics. 384K multifunction £206 Paper feeders available. 640K multifunction £285 4 port serial card £242 Alloy slave processor £640 Turbo 286 OK £428 8088-2. 512K RAM, 2 x serial ports. Turbo 286 512K £711 EGA plus multi video £428 Kimtron PC -Terminal £530 AT serial/parallel port £128 1.5MB AT expansion card £714 OPC-3U £2625 1.5MB AT expansion kit £214 Upgrades OPC to 3 user, includes slaves, terminals, and software. Gold Ouadboard 384K includes software £568 includes software OAT -5U £5182 Silver Ouadboard 384K £496 Upgrades OAT to 5 user, includes slaves, terminals, and software. Liberty Lotus RAM 1MB £711 Liberty Lotus RAM 2MB £996 Seagate 20MB HD with controller £444 Liberty AT RAM 1MB £782 Liberty AT RAM 2MB £1068 Any other cards please phone or telex for lowest prices. Trade enquiries IEEE -488 controller £150 welcome. 20MB WD Hard Card £515 Genoa EGA graphics card £258 Attachmate comms card £616 We are also able to supply any MS-DOS software and can supply Xenix for use with the AT and DART for £246. PRESTEL AND VIEWDATA ON THE UNMODIFIED IBM-PC VIDTERM..The ultimate Viewdata terminal emulation for the IBM-PC, all that is needed is the PC, a serial port, modem, and Vidterm. Vidterm supports Hayes compatable, auto -dial, and manual dial modems. It also has full page storing,El45 carouselling, and printing capabilities PC -Editor.. The best viewdata editor at any price, Fully menu driven, help assisted editor, supports telesoftware, bulk updates, frame management, alpha graphics. Includes a sophisticated word processor for database editing, with features like, global search and replace. and many more £215 PC -Display.. The most powerful viewdata system available for any PC. Fully menu driven, supports up to 11 simultaneous users, with on line monitoring. Up to 9000 pages on a 10MB hard disk. Can cope with CUG's £285 We can also carry out training at your premises, with very reasonable rates, and can supply most type of Electronic -Mail systems on a consultancy basis. All Prices Quoted Exclude VAT and carriage. Cash with order please. TRIANGLE CORPORATION LIMITED 7 The Bourne, Albury, Near Ware, Hertfordshire, SG11 2JR Tel. 0279-74-754, Telex 295141 TXLINK G OTE MBX 219993705 One To One 14517001

22 circle 176 on enquiry card - EINSTEIN COMPUTERS: THE AFFORDABLE PACKAGE YOU REALLY WA TI 500

SOFTWARETITILIESFROMTATUNG DIRECTMail OrderOffice, (51,44ck c, AVAILABLEcontact the for details 230,Telford, P.O. Box TF1 6SP. Shropshire,

is.

£150 WORTH OF BUSINESS PACKAGE A: EINSTEIN BASIC AND 10 GAMES SOFTWARE Built-in 3" Disc Drive Connects direct to your T.V. with any package you Massive 80K Ram Memory Not limited to one language purchase including Word Familiar QWERTY Typewriter Keyboard Connects to virtually any printer or monitor Processing, BBC Basic, Plus: facility for 3 additional disc drives, Hard disc drive facility, Centronics port, RS232 port, Spreadsheet and Database. user ports, analogue digital converter plus much more. PACKAGE B: STARTER ?ACK PACKAGE C: ADVANCE PACK PACKAGED: ENHANCE PACK PACKAGE E: PROFESSIONAL PACK

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SINGLE DRIVE EINSTEIN COMPUTER SINGLE DRIVE EINSTEIN COMPUTER TWIN DRIVE EINSTEIN COMPUTER TWIN DRIVE EINSTEIN COMPUTER PLUS GREEN MONITOR PLUS COLOUR MONITOR PLUS GREEN MONITOR PLUS PLUS GREEN MONITOR PLUS High resolution 12" display with 14" high resolution screen with 80 COLUMN CARD 80 COLUMN CARD PLUS PRINTER antiglare screen 16 vivid colours Second disc drive doubling the Superb Dot Matrix printer, text and Suitable for a range of home and Excellent graphic animation storage capacity semi -graphic -bidirectional, logic simple business uses Ideal for sophisticated games Can be used for storage of data and seeking Connects to your T.V. for colour Package connects to virtually programmes Various print styles, normal/ games facility any printer Simplifies copying of programmes condensed/enlarged mode Package connects to virtually any Ideal for full colour business 80 column card for massive increase 100 characters per second printer or colour monitor programmes in business software capability Adjustable sprocket feed and Option of the 80 column card to Package connects to any printer friction feed extend business use f 59.00 Option of connecting to your T.V. screen for colour games The flexibility of Einstein is phenominal. In addition to these packages outlined above numerous peripherals are available. SOME EXAMPLES OF EINSTEINS CAPABILITIES (storage on one side of diskette) Powerful Word processor for the home or business up Sales ledger up to 500 Accounts FORDETAILS to 100 pages Invoicing, mailing, nominal ledger PLEASE Programmable spreadsheet with graphic facility up to Viewdata, Prestel RING 1300 cells Comprehensive specific vertical packages for EINSTEIN THE Advanced Database management up to 30,000 records pharmacists, cash sales -simplex, Telepack, HOTLINE Stock Control up to 500 products Micro landlord, Garages, Farms etc. (0952) Purchase ledger up to 500 Vendors Educational Packages Plus a great deal morel 613111 I would like to take advantage of Tatungs unbeatable 'direct from the manufacturer' offer. EXT 311 (Please tick). Package A My cheque is enclosed for f or please debit my credit card account to the amount of f ) No. is Package B My Access () Visa ( 11 [Hill 1 Package C Please send me further details of the Einstein Name Address Package D Package E Postcode Tel I understand that if I return the package within 10 days, in perfect PC 9/86nTATUNG condition, my cheque will be returned or my credit account credited. Tatung (UK) Ltd., Stafford Park 10, Telford, Shropshire TF3 3AB

circle 157on enquiry card -- 23 SEARCH SEQUENCE

WELCOME TO WORLD REPORTER

T search enter appropriate file name, or For a list of files enter SUMMARY For information about a file enter DETAIL For further assistance enter HELP

ENTER APPROPRIATE FILE gdn

SON THE GUARDIAN (Copyright Guardian Newspapers Ltd 1984,1985,1986) 1 - 19 May and 16 July 1984 to 1 July 1986 *SIGN ON 13:59:01 04 JUL 86 WR > BY BEN KNOX get computer GET COMPUTER 2743 ITEMS RETRIEVED WORLD WR REPORTER pick ben knox PICK: DEN KNOX 3 ITEMS RETRIEVED Through Telecom WR Gold you can now headline all pinpoint any article HEADLINE ALL SORTING from the world's 1 GDN 12 Jun 86 COMPUTER Guardian: Too much learning is a dangerous thing / Training microcomputer users (1054) major news 2 GDN 08 May 86 Computer Guardian: The pagers versus the scrollers / Comparing videotex with text -based online information publications. services (1177) 3 GDN 24 Apr 86 Computer Guardian: The information war that delights ST / Telecom Gold challenge to Prestel (1468) ne of the major selling points of on-line database Copyright GUARDIANNEWSPAPERS LTD 1984, 1985, 1986 WR >

0and information systems is context 1 that they can provide 'relatively CONTEXT 1 cheap access to professional ser- SORTING vices which, under normal circum- GDN12 Jun 86 COMPUTER Guardian: Too much learning is a stances, would be prohibitively dangerousthing / Training microcomputer users (1054) costlytoinstallas dedicated systems.Unfortunately,ithas taken a long time for these pro- By BEN KNOX fessionalservicestoarrivefor There are a number of ways organisations try to train their staff. The first introduction might be a 'COMPUTER literacy' British users. course, about all the bits and pieces of the COMPUTER: ROM, RAM, Telecom Gold and Microlink are VDUs, Operating Systems, mainframes, minis, micros and perhaps now undoubtedly the leaders in even a hit of programming in a language like BASIC. setting up new databases and gate- waysontheirelectronic -mail system. A recent addition is the World Reporter database, which is Keesing's Contemporary Archives, items you specify. The last text you to get to know how to work the operated by Datasolve Ltd. World The AssociatedPress newswire, searchcommandavailable is system at a cheap rate - though it Reporter is a large full -text data-Asahi News Service, Tass, BBCContext, which will display the is a pity that World Reporter can- base of international news, current Summary of World Broadcasts, headlines or titles of each itemnot provide this facility completely affairs and business information. BBC External Services News, and retrieved, as well as paragraphs offree, as happens on many other Itsinformationsourcesinclude Global News Analysis. textin which the search termdatabase systems. Telecom Gold some of the world's leading news Once you have entered the file occurs. Every occurrence of the charges World Reporter at X1.15 services, newspapers and periodi- code, you must start your search.search terms - in this case of theper minute, or 15p per minute for cals. The main searching command isexample search they are "compu- the learner system. If you are a Telecom Gold userGet, which will search the wholeter" and "Ben Knox" - is high- Itis alwaysworthlooking you can access World Reporterfile for items containing a particu-lightedincapitals.Paragraphs around to see if there are cheaper simply by typing WR at the > lar term. Once World Reporter haswhich do not contain the search ways of accessing your chosen data- system prompt. You are then pre- found all the occurrences of theterms are not displayed. base. You can often find that sented with a menu. Before you term you specified in the Get com- World Reporter looks a littleanother system has a different start to use World Reporter it is a mand, you can narrow your searchdated when compared to systems chargingarrangement which very good idea to order a copy ofdown with the Pick command.such as Compuserve's Electronicmight be more suitable for your the Quick Reference Card. On Pick is used in the same way as Get, New Service. It would be nice to beuses. Shopping around like this Telecom Gold, thisis done by except that it is only applied to the able to store search parameters, so has been possible in the U.S. for entering items which were selected by the that you could carry out a complete many years, since many database REQUEST-WR Get command. A typical search search with a simple command. filesare duplicated in different as the system prompt. sequence is shown above. Also useful would be a story tag- systems. An example of this is pro- Once youenterthe World Once you have narrowed yourging feature, where news stories vided by Infomatics Daily Bulle- Reporter database, you are askedsearch down toa manageable containingparticularkeywords tin, which is available in the U.K. which file you want to access. At number of items, you will want towhich have been set up by theon Telecom Gold or in the U.S. this point you enter the code fordisplay them. The Headline com- accountuserareautomatically through Newsnet. the publication you want to search.mand will give details of the titlescanned for and stored. Forfurtherinformationon The files available on the systemof the story and the date of its A good feature of the WorldWorld Reporter contact Datasolve, are Financial Times, The Washing- publication. Reportergatewayon Telecom99 Staines Road West, Sunbury - tonPost,The Guardian, The Next you can use the Text com-Gold is that it provides a learneron -Thames,Middlesex TW16 Economist, New Scientist,mand to get the full text of the database of old news. This allows 7AH. Tel: (09327) 85566.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 24 WHAT'S THE NAME ON THE NEW RANGE OF PC'S ON HIS DESK, HIS DESK, HIS DESK & HER DESK?

I

(CLUE:THEY MANUFACTURE ONE PC EVERY IS SECONDS) - circle 105 on enquiry card - 2s Surprise? Surprise? Surprise? Surprise? It's surprising how many people who profess to know/ about computersstill 05 SECONDS) think we only make typewriters. In fact, we have the most automated PC factory in Europe (see clue overleaf). Last year alone, while the worldwide PC market grew by 24%, Olivetti PC sales increased by over00 SECONDS) 100%. And with total turnover of £3,000 million and profits up by 40%, our resources are reassuringly sizeable. And as you can see, our range is prodig- ious too. A brief perusal of the specifications opposite will reveal a particular PC designed and built to solve your particularproblems. (45 SECONDS) Hardly surprising when you consider our investment to date of over £100 million in PC development. After 78 years in the business of helping businesses, we understand the office en- vironment better than anyone. Witness our(60 SECONDS) support programme with its unrivalled dealer network and over 600 engineers at your service. So if you're looking for a partner with resources, stability, technology and support, we've got the answer. Clip the coupon or call Carol White on 785 6666 and we can talk business. Olivetti M19: Your starting point in personal computing or an intelligent olivetti work station. Compact (footprint only 12.7 x15" around half the size of a standard PERSONAL PC); silent; standard features include: up to 640K RAM on motherboard; mono- COMPUTER chrome/colour graphics controller; space for one or two floppy disk drives M19 (51/4" diskette), diskless, or with 10MB hard disk and floppy disk drive; serial and parallel interfaces and two proprietary expansion slots.

Olivetti M22: When you need real computer power on the move. olivetti Uniquely designed portable personal computer: 1/3 height 51/4" disk for full PC PERSONAL compatibility; second MFD emulated by Silicon disk; 256K RAM as standard COMPUTER expandable to 1MB on motherboard; second CPU gives full concurrency for M22 integral ROM based software; back -lit LCD display has six levels of bright- ness, contrast control and is tiltable from 0-180° Battery or mains operated.

(Available 3rd Quarter 1986)

Olivetti M24: The biggest selling PC compatible, available in three versions. An unrivalled range of standard features: fast - 8086 processor olivetti running at 8MHz; 128K RAM expandable to 640K on motherboard, parallel and PERSONAL serial interfaces; monochrome/colour graphics including super -high resolution COMPUTER (600 x 400); space for two disk drives for 51/4" diskette or 10MB hard disk. M24SP: higher performance model operating at 10MHz with 20MB HDU M24 and 640K RAM standard. M24/3270: a full functional 3270 terminal retaining full PC compatibility; highly expandable; increased performance prevents degrad- ation of the 3270 cluster controller.

olivetti Olivetti M28: The ultimate in PC performance or a powerful multi-user PERSONAL system. Very fast - 80286 processor running at 8MHz (1/3 faster than its major COMPUTER rival). High capacity: 360K or 1.2MB floppy disk drives; 20, 40 or 70MB HDU 20MB streaming tapes; 512K RAM standard, up to 1MB on motherboard and a vast 7MB in total. III1168111

To: Carol White, British Olivetti, Olivetti House, 86-88 Upper Richmond Road, London SW15 2UR. Tel: 01-785 6666. Please rush me details of the Olivetti range of personal computers. Name Position Company Address

Tel. No PCILRISEPT - circle 128 on enquiry card olivetti OLIVETTI PERSONAL COMPUTERS. YOU WON'T FIND A BETTER ANSWER. THE CENTRONICS PP -8 LASER PRINTER.

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Computer Products Limited 1:>s Head Office: Enfield Hall, Enfield Road, Edgbaston, BirminghamB15 1QA / Telephone 021-454 2288 Giltspur House, 6 Giltspur Street, London EC1A 9DE o ,:><\ 4, Telephone 01-248 1711 ck< 850, Birchwood Boulevard, Birchwood, Warrington WA3 7QZ ÷- so-(.9 Telephone 0925-821776 'IBM is o registered trade mark of International Business Machines. // alow that computers are part problems is to set up a sort of two- This is the basis of the so-called of everyday life for millions dimensional parity check. Here, "error -free" communications pro- of people, itis no longer the dataistreated as a matrixtocols,suchas Xmodem, possible for sloppy programmers to rather than a simple bit stream. Modem -7, and Kermit. Here the hide their mistakes behind worn- For example, on a reel of nine - data is sent in blocks of, say,128 outexcuseslike"garbagein, track magnetic tape, eight of the bytes, each block being followed garbage out". Just as most people tracks might hold data bits, with by some form of checking infor- now know that there is really no the ninth reserved for parity, thusmation. In Xmodem thereisa such thing as a computer error, so applying a check to columns ofone -bytecheck sum, whichis they are realising that it is the pro- bits. In addition, each row of bits, formed by adding the numeric grammer's job to stop the garbage as viewed longitudinally within avalues of every byte in the block, from getting into the program in block, has a further parity bit. dividing by 255, and taking the the first place. In this way, a single erroneousremainder. Happily,mostprogrammers bit can be quickly located, since Ifthereceiving programis understand the importance of datatheparitymechanismwillhappy withthecheck sumit validation.Ifyourapplication uniquely identify its row/columnsignals the sender to proceed with requires the user to enter some- address. And onceithas been thenextblock.Otherwiseit CHECK IT thinglikeaphonenumber, found, it can be put right simplyrequests a retry. If more than a pre - postcode,orcreditlimit,the by reversing its value. Other minor agreednumberofretriesare OUT chances are that you will check discrepancies, such as adjacent bits necessary the line is deemed too There are several the input in some way before becomingtransposed,canbe noisy and theuserisadvised acceptingit. You will want tofound and corrected in a similaraccordingly. simple ways for a make sure that the phone number way. Of course,the Xmodemsystem to check th contains only digits and certain Another approach isa systemmethod is just one of several ways integrity of the dat symbols, or that the credit limit isdevised by R W Hamming. In the of arriving at a check sum. It has within some defined range. Hamming method, each unit ofthe advantage of being very simple receives and to information contains four bits ofto implement and it needs only correct any errors. COMMS ERRORS data and has a further three parity one additional byte for each block This is fine for data that is being bits. The first parity bit is based onof data. Other techniques are more would be 2, making it 9542, since entered by a person. But what the first three data bits, the secondaccurate but tend to be harder to 9 + 5 + 4 + 2 adds up to 20. aboutdata comingintoyour parity bit on the first, second andprogram. For example, there are Provided that customers are only program from an existing disc file, fourth data bits, and the finalvarious versions of the cyclical re- issued with numbers which pass or perhaps via a comms link? After parity bit on data bits one, threedundancy check. They are virtually this test, any program which has to all, errors do arise from defective and four. guaranteed to spot an error but deal with such numbers can easily media,noisy phone lines and The advantage of this method ishave to be coded at the level of apply the appropriate checks. faulty equipment. These errors that if any one of the seven bits has individual bits. In fact this simple method does have to be detected - and if thewrongvalue, adifferent not go quite far enough. For one possibleputright - without combination of the parity checks ERROR TRAPPING thing, it will not trap one of the human intervention. will fail. It is therefore very easy to Another well -established commonestmistakesmadeby The simplest way of verifying see which bitis wrong and tomethod of trapping errors is thehumans when dealing with long data is the familiar parity check. correct it. The disadvantage is that check digit, widely used by banks, numeric strings: transposition of Parity,inthiscontext,means it cannot correct multiple errors in insurance companies and the like.characters. To get roundthis, "evenness": the number 4 has the same four -bit unit. Check digits are often appended to the digits are usually weighted even parity, while 5 has odd parity. In the world of data commu- account numbers, customer codes, according to their position in the A parity check involves attaching nicationserrorcorrection,as and other numbers where accuracy string. If the weights are carefully an extra bit to each unit of data - opposed to mere error detection, is isof great importance. Despite chosen, a very high proportion of a byte, a digit,a character or much less of an issue. With a tape their name, they are not alwayserrors can be detected. whatever - to force it to be eitheror disc, once the data has become numeric digits - the method An example of this is the system odd or even, depending on the corrupted it is probably too late forworks just as well where letters are usedbytheLondonStock system in force. the process which originated it to involved. Exchange. Each of the thousands Even ontheearliestmain- put it right. It is up to the program The simplest way of using check of securities that are traded in frames, every location in the core that reads the data to sort thingsdigits is to append a digit to the Londonhasauniqueserial memory had an associated parity out. With comms, the sender is account number such that the totalnumber, as shown in the Stock bit. The system is also widely used still on the line so you only have tovalue of all the digits is a multiple Exchange Daily Official List. These on magnetic tape and in data askittotransmitthe suspectof 10. For example, if the numberso-called SEDOL numbers contain communications.Oneofthe characters again. is 954 the appropriate check digit six digits plus a seventh digit for reasons for the popularity of the checking. The digits are assigned eight -bit byte - and remember HECK ROUTINES weights of 1, 3, 1, 7, 3, 9 and 1 res- that not all computers have an pectively. 1000 'Two subroutines for dealing with check digits in seven -digit If you multiply each architecture based on this magic numbers. The check digit is calculated such that when the digits digit by its weight, then total the are multiplied respectively by the weights 1,3,1,7,3,9,1, the number - is that it caters for the sue is multiple of 10 results, you should arriveata well -established seven -bit ASCII 1010 'In both routines, WEIONTSS is a constant, pre -defined a '1317391'. number which is a multiple of 10. This is the only aim to alter if different weights are used. code with an extra parity bit. All variables are integers unless otherwise declared. The programming needed to But the method isfar from 2000 'Routine far validating check digit, contained in seven -digit number handle this operation is perfectly in CHECK.STRIN081 returns CRECK.RESULT, which is true if validation perfect. Since the extra bit can is oh. straightforward,as you can see 2010 TOTAL° 'Initialise running total have one of only two possible 2020 FOR J1 TO 71 from the two subroutines shown in values, there can only be a 50:50 WEIONTED.DIGITOALIMIDUCHECK.STRINO$,J,1)).VALIMID$INEIGHTSS,J,Ins the listing. The first checks an 2030 TOTALTOTALvWEIBHTED.DIBIT, chance of catching an error. It does NEXT J 'Get total of weighted values incoming number according to its not cater for bits or bytes becoming 2040 CHECK.RESULTITOTAL MOD 10 0) 'Return the result check digit. The second generates a 2050 RETURN transposed, or for random noise 2500 'Routine to append a check digit to the six -digit number in CRECKATRING check digit for a given number. 2510 TOTAL0 'Initialise running total thatjust happens to have the 2520 FOR J1 TO Os Youcaneasilyamendthese correct parity. And even if you WEIGHTED.D181TwYALIMIDSICHECK.STRINE40,1))11YALIMIDSIMEIONTS$0,11) routines for different weights and a 2530 TOTALTOTAL .11E1611TED.D161T1 detect theerror,the technique NEXT J 'Get total of weighted value different modulus, and you should doesnotprovide awayof 2540 CHECK.VALUEl0-(TOTAL MOD 10) 'Get value of check digit 2550 CHECKATRINOOCHECK.STRINGORIONTSISTRSICHECK.YALUE),I) have no difficulty in making them correcting it. 'Append this to original number work with letters and other non - A first step in overcoming these 2560 RETURN numeric characters.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 29 Demonstrations * Support SYSTEM SHOP Installation * Consultancy The newly released range of computers EPSON PC N from NCR are ideal if Epson PC single floppy £665 you are looking for a high oerformance, high Epson PC dual floppy £750 spec and neat looking IBM X1 or AT compatible Epson PC 20Mb hard disk £1350 from a large and long established computer Epson PC+ single floppy £1295 manufacturer. Epson PC+ dual floppy £1395 Take for example the PC8, an AT compatible Epson PC+ 20Mb hard disk £1799 driven by an 80286 8Mhz processor. It comes with an enhanced keyboard and a large screen giving very high resolution (640 x 400), both in These range of machines are unusual in colour and mono. Configurations can include fast that they combine brand quality with very full height hard disk and tape streamer internally low cost. mounted. The Taxi PC is fully IBM compatible and is To cap it, prices are competitive and all machines available with mono or colour screens. come with a three month on -site maintenance Configurations available range from sin- contract backed by NCR, plus our service and gle floppy to 20MB hard disk systems, all support. very competitively priced.

Prices for the IBM PC PC and compatibles for the latest versions, ex VAT. Other titles SOFTWAREare available, please call or drop in. Government, Education and Export enquiries welcome. TURBO COLLECTION Turbo Pascal ver 3 £45 dBase III PLUS £375 MS Windows £79 Sage Bookeeper £199 Turbo Pascal 8087/BCD £80 GEM Collection £99 MS Word 3 NEW£285 Sage Accountant £345 Turbo Database Toolbox £35 GEM Draw £105 Multimate Advantage3.6 Sage Accountant Plus.£465 Turbo Editor Toolbo)( £45 GEM Graph £140 £250 SageFinancialController Turbo Gameswork £45 GEM/Summa Mouse bundle Paradox v1.1 POA £750 Turbo Graphics Toolbox £35 £185 PFS Write (w/speller) £99 Summa Mouse... £99 Turbo Tutor £25 Lotus 1-2-3 rel 2 £265 Q & A symantec NEW£199 VP Info NEW £79 Turbo Jumbo PackNEW £175 MS Chart 2 NEW £185 Reflex v1.1 NEW £70 VP Planner £79 Turbo Lightning £70 MS Macro Assembler £120 Sidekick (unpotected) £55 Worder ect 4.1 £285 Turbo PROLOG NEW£70 MS Multiplan 2 £175 Smart System III £450 Wordstar 2000 rel 2 £275 Superkey NEW£49 MS Quick Basic Compiler£85 Supercalc4 NEW £235 Wordstar Professional...£235 AST RAMPAGE 2.0MB £475 QUAD EGA PLUS £250 MONO GRAPHICS CARD£99

Mon4119 to 5 Computer Precision Limited Access BARCLAYCARD computer 01-226 3043 Sun 18 to 1 271 Upper Street in -recision TELEX 299091 BRIDGE ATTN COMPRE London N1 2UQ Aft

- circle 104 on enquiry card -

CAMEL PRODUCTS FOR BBC C-64 QL SPECTRUM STAND ALONE NOW IN ghe 2JuuertahiveBLOPROM-RS TANDON * For micros with an RS 232 port. Either polarity RTS/CTS. 0 * Fully intelligent uP based unit. avnbridge * Baud rates: 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600. True PC Compatibles * EPROM types: 2516-32-64, 2716-32-64-128-256-512, 513, 2732A -64A -128A Printers * Functions: CHECK, READ, BLOW, VERIFY, CRC (RAM/EPROM) Monitors « Programming modes: SMART, FAST and EXTRA FAST Add-on cards £ P TANDON PC 640KB RAM, 2 x 360 KB floppydrives, 7 slots, 14" hi- Special Features: res monitor, keyboard, skit for maths chip, parl/Cent port, MS DOS, * Reverse device protection GW Basic, upgradable to PCX 1195 -4 o.* System activity indicator LED TANDON PCX XT -compatible, 1 x 360 KB floppy, PCX 10 with 10 * Safe break Panic button MB Winchester 1295, PCX 20 with 20 MB 1495 * 110V/60Hz option TANDON PCA AT -compatible, 512 KB RAM, 80286 CPU, 1x 1.2 MB floppy, 14" hi-res monitor, MS DOS, GW Basic 1795 re -0 0. PCA 20 WITH 20 MB HARD DISC £1995. New lower prices. PCA 30 .089.95 w/30 MB 2495 O 2995 inc. cable and disc/ud (choice) for PCA 40 with 40MB Hard disk IBM-PC, BBC, Apple, QL, Spectrum. TANDON COLOR OPTION monitor & adaptor card 295 The price is the surprise NEWTECH ASUKA Japanese PC -compatible. 640 KB RAM, 2 x 360 incl. cable and disk/u (choice) for IBMPC, BBC, Apple,QL, Spectrum. KB floppy, keyboard, Mono Graphics card, 8 slots, MS DOS 595

TANDON RS232 card forIBM PC £65.00 PHILIPS MONO MONITOR -7513 TTL inputs, 20 MHz b/w, 12" green 109 DHOBI-1 Mains operated EPROM eraser £18.95PHILIPS COLOUR MONITOR-CM8533 Comp video +RGB+TTL, 12 MHz ccDHOBI-2 as DHOBI-1, but with automatic timer £22.95 bandwidth 269 W TRIUMPH ADLER DAISYWHEEL PRINTER-TRD7020 paper width 14 20 co 2 More! CAMEL PRODUCTS More! cps 339 0 QE -32replacement ROM for Q - T A CUTSHEET FEEDER-RS33 Paper W 5.7-11.75", L 8.25-11.75, 80 sheets 159 ccBB -PROM 29.95 Q -PROM 69.96 PARALLEL (CENT) CABLE - Tandon, IBM, Newtech to Adler, Epson etc 12 PROM /27256 £14.95 Q -CENT 26.04 BB -CENT CABLE 8.65 PROM -64 MULTIFUNCTION CARD -512 KB,2 ser. ports, clk/cal, games port 99 34.75 64 -CART 5.95 ROM -SP 29.95 PROMER-SP 29.95 PROMER-81S256K RAM CARD -PC/XT compatible. Start addr. any 64K boundary 49-1 24.95 BLOPROM-SP 89.95 CRAMIC-SP PRINT -SP 31.25 POLYPRINTMONO DISPLAY CARD - 80 char x 25 line. Flash, inverse, intense etc. Parl I/F 44.95 PIO-SP 18.50 NIKE SP/AT 81 17.35 MEMIC-81 29.95 79 PROMER-81 24.95 P10-81 14.95 MONO GRAPHICS CARD - 720 x 348 pixel with pan printer I/F 89 FLOPPY DISC ADAPTOR -PC/XTcompatible for two 5 i" drives 39 GUARANTEED DSQD 96 TPI 5 1" discs. Box of 10 10.95co Cambridge Microelectronics Ltd. co E CB4 1UY ALPHACAM PRODUCTS LTD ENGLANDco One MiltonRd., CAMBRIDG TLX 81574 CMLTEL (0223) 62100 TLX 81574 ALPHA TEL(0223) 314 814 Backed by CML, a hardware Consultancy 0 CML is a MAPCON Approved Consultancy Let us help you configure the system you need 0 cc We convert your ideas into products, ON SCHEDULE, ON BUDGET, ON TIME

BLOPROM-SP CRAMIC-SP POLYPRINT NIKE-SP/AT/81 PIO-SP P10-81 30 circle 108 on enquiry card 4- ahe first thingIlearned at numbers simultaneously - your A modern microcomputer school was that mathematicalsalary and the Chairman's, formathssoftwarepackagewill computationsareexcruc- example. To establishafixed- include integer and floating-point iatingly difficult and very prone to point format to handle the com- arithmetic routines, together with erroronceyougetpasttheputation without risk of overflowformat -conversion routines and a 2 + 2 = 4 stage. The reasons for this or underflow would require a long range of trigonometric and trans- were not hard to find. Since there stringof simple microprocessorcendental functions. The ROM - are only 10 fingers on the humanoperationsandalotof databased Basic interpreter available arithmetic peripheral,the dyn-shuffling. on most machines will include amicrangeandtheprecision such a package, and the facilities it available to me fell lamentably TWO PARTS makes available can be checked out shortofthemathsteachers' To overcome this limitation youin the Basic manual. expectations. I could see why the can use the so-called "floating- Unfortunately, the performance girls did better than me: their point"format,inwhichthe achievedbyasoftware maths open -toed sandals gave them an number to be represented is stored package isnot very spectacular. unfair advantage. But how myas two separate parts: a fractionA few hundredfloating-point fellow classmate Billy Raymond and an exponent. In this case the operations per second is about the SPEEDING could consistently get better marks dynamic range and the precision ofbest that can be achieved even on a despite having lost an index finger the calculation part company. The 16 -bit machine like the IBM PC. UP THE in his dad's threshing machine was range is determinedbytheThis does not pose a problem ifNUMBER quite beyond me. number ofbitsusedfortheuser programs arenot compu- Microprocessor chips are bad at exponent, and the precision by thetationally orientated. But where CRUNCHER maths too. A glance at the datanumber ofbitsusedforthethe complex processing of large sheets shows that their arithmetic fraction. numerical arrays is required - in Most standard CPU unitswillonlyhandle integer Taking simple examples, andthemodelling of aerodynamic chips have a limite binary numbers which fit withinusing decimal representation for structures,for example - then the confines of their data registers. the benefit of human readers, thesimple programs can take hours or repertoire of Therepertoireofarithmetic number even days to run. arithmetic function functions,evenonthemost 123.45 Fortunatelyasolution is but adding a sophisticated16-and32 -bit could be represented as availableintheformof the devices,extends onlyasfaras .12345 (fraction) floating-pointco -processorchip specialised maths c simplebinaryaddition,sub- x 103 (exponent) (FPC). It does in hardware what processor can hast traction,multiplicationand and themathspackagedoesin things along. division.For a 16 -bittwos - .00012 software, but with a tenfold to complementbinaryrepresent- could be represented as twentyfold increase in speed. ation, the dynamic range stretches .12000 (fraction) The first FPC to be widely used and the NEC uPD-72191 which only from -32,768 to+ 32,767. x 10-3 (exponent) wastheIntel8087,whichis operate with the 16 -bit Intel chips Relying on this alone could mean A floating-pointarithmeticintended to work with the Intel as well as NEC's own V series of that your Chairman becomes the package could multiply these two8086 microprocessor. It is designed microprocessors. victim of a rounding error per-numbers by multiplying the twoto be closely coupled to its parent petrated by the accounts computerfractional parts and then adding processor,to the extent thata BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS after this year's second salary rise. the exponents to give: smalldaughterboardcarrying All current FPC devices reside Fortunately most micro -proces- .00148 (fraction) both an 8086 and an 8087 can be on the system buses but require sorsrunsoftwarewrittenby x 100 (exponent) pluggedintothe vacant 8086 themicroprocessortodecode mathematical wizardslikeBilly = 0.00148 socketonacomputer's main instructions and to carry out data Raymond. An importantcon- Inthisexample,the numbersboard. This arrangement provides transfers. Inside the FPCs there is stituent of these programsisa input from the keyboard had toan immediate increase in arith- an array of data registers up to 80 maths package which, by rep- beconvertedtofloating-pointmetic processing speed, provided bits long and a hardware pro- etitive use of the simple abilities offormat, a single -precision multi-that the software you are running cessing unit to carry out the maths themicroprocessorarithmeticplication and addition was carriedis sufficiently smart to recognise functions which include format unit, manages to perform mathe-out, and the result was convertedthe presence of the FPC and make conversion,arithmetic,square matical miracles to order. back to fixed-point notation. It is use of it. root, log, exponential and trigo- hardly worth the effort for such a nometricoperations,andcon- MULTI -PRECISION simple sum, but in many practical INTEL FPC stants such as as pi, e, and zero. A simple way for the systemcomputations - especially those Intelhas addedtoitsFPC Before you rush to add one of programmer to increase dynamic required to process engineering or range with the improved 80287,these beauties to your own PC, a range and precision is to split the scientificdata - tremendous designed for use with the virtual -few words of warning might be data into several separate words.savings can be made in compu- memory 80286 microprocessor, asappropriate. First, remember that Each word can then be processed in tation time. As a bonus the poss- well as with its other 16 -bit cousins you can only take advantage of an succession, and the results linked ibility of overflow and underflow such as the 8086 and the 80186. FPC ifyour softwaresupports together to give the answer. This iserrors is practically eliminated by The 80387 will be available soon to itspresence.Secondly,if your calledmulti -precision,andit use of the floating-point method. mate with Intel's 32 -bit processor,programs are written in an inter- works well if the dynamic range of There are many possible formats the 80386. preted language such as Basic then inputdataislimitedsothat for the representation of floating- Motorolahasthe MC -68881the time taken to interpret the overflow is not likely. point numbers. IBM and DEC FPC available for its 68020 virtual - source text might actually be more But what about fractions? If thehave their own special formats, but memory 16 -bit processor. This co- of a limiting factor than the basic dynamic range available has to be an increasingly popular standard is processor has the advantage that maths software you currently use. split into a fixed -length integerthe IEEE P-754 representation. A programs can be written which will Finally, if your programs are not part and a fixed -length fractional 32 -bit floating-point number in automaticallyusethesoftwaremaths intensive, the FPC will not part - theso-called"fixed- IEEE format - that is one in which maths package if the 68881 is notmake much difference. But if you point" approach - then even both the fraction and the exponentresident but will switch to makewant to run compiled or assembly - mote operations are necessary tofit within the 32 bits - has ause of the FPC as soon asitis language number -crunching soft- achieve a result. dynamicrangeequivalentto plugged in. ware which simulates the world In many application programs itthat of a 276 -bit twos -complement Other FPC devicesavailable andprocesseslargenumerical is necessary to handle both veryinteger; of course the precision is include the National 32081 for use arrays, then the FPC is certainly for small numbers andverylarge very much less for most numbers. with the 32000 series of processors you. azt

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 31 AUTHORISED DEALER Ll AUTOCAD Ton BOS =- TANDON & AUTOCAD HARD DISK & MEMORY UPGRADES FOR VALUE PRODUCTS The Ideal Combination. Fully supported IBM & AT compatible hardware IBM & Compatibles 20MB (NEC Drives) £425 with 6 months on site warranty. 8Mhz 80287 processing speed IPCAI, IBM & Compatibles 20MB Pluscard f1491Apricot 20MB (Internal Drives DISKS- POST FREE Hires 14" monitor, quality professional software. from Plus 5) f 695 Olivetti Memory upgrade to 640K £99 PRICES DOWN!! BASIC SYSTEM: Tandon PCX10 (10MB, 680KRAM), 720x348 Sanyo Memory upgrade to 256K RAM disk.25% extra disk capacity Packed intens. No Quibble Guarantee. resolution on 14" screen, 1 parallel & 2 serial ports, Basic Autocard, £65 Summer mouse, Hitachi A3 plotter £2,149 Apricot 512K Memory upgrade £115 DYSAN 51/4" pFaircs1C ExtraEpack AMSTRAD PCW8512 inc free disks of paper £499 ADVANCED SYSTEM: Tandon PCA20 (20MB, 1MB RAM) 720 ir 348 SSDD £14.45 £13.45 resolution on 14", 1 parallel & 2 serial ports, Autocad. ADE 2 & 3, Cherry DSDD £18.45 £17.45 A3 digitizer, Roland DPX2000 A2 plotter & stand £7,799 PLOTTERS & DIGITISERS etc. Sall] £18.45 £17.45 We can tailor Autocad systems to your requirements due to our extremely Hitachi 672A3 E425 DSDD wide range of support peripherals (see below). Installation of training - Roland 980A A3 E925" £24.75 £23.45 independent constituency service available. Please call for details. Houston DMP42 Al £2995 HD 1.6 MB £35.95 £33.95 Roland 880A A3 f 649' BOS: TOTALLY PORTABLE SOFTWARE: Lowest cost entry into IBM Roland DPX2000 A2 SONY/PANASONIC 51" compatible IBM compatible multi-user systems. Requires only one PC plus Graphtec AO £5,995 serial ports of terminals. No additional cards are necessary. `Inc FREE 11k buffer"inc stand SSDD £11.95£10.95 Cherry A3 digitiser £495 DSDD £14.95£13.45 ALLOY High speedmultiuser hardware & plus5 shared resource £89 Summamouse with IBM support software DSDD £17.95£15.95 systems. Please call for details. Summasketch £439 HD 1.6 MB £28.95£26.96 4..ATARI 1040 ST monolcolour £6491E819 Summamouse with GEM+Write & Paint (IBM) f179 XIDEX PRECISION 51" PRINTERS & SHEETFEEDERS FANFOLD PAPERAll sizes available RIBBONSfor all printers SSDD £ 9.95£ 8.95 Printer ranges that stand. 11" x 91/2" 60gm £9.75 2000 sheets EPSON FX.MX,RX 80/100 £2.49/£3.75 DSDD £11.95£10.95 MANNESMANN TALLY Best value quality 12"x9'/4" 60gm £11.69 2000 sheets EPSON LX 80 £2.95 Clean 1 70g m £15.95 2000 sheets JUKI 6100 single strike £1.15 DSQD £14.95£13.95 9 pin 1180cps, 45cps, NLQI from £229 Edge A4 J 85gm £9.30 1000 sheets SHINWA,M.TALLY MT80 £3.79 NEC Best value quality 24 pin (216cps, 76cps 11"x 141/2" 60gm£13.50 2000 sheets,' KAGA,CANON £3.99 NLQI from£425 QUME MS4 £2.65 SONY 3.5" Spinwriters (letter quality) from £299 Delivery £2.45 (fixed) + £1 per box. Extra from £3.99 ss Plain £19.95£17.95 QUENOATA 1120 from £149 £1 per order for items marked * Y4e,,34rNEliantityribbons/ SS Boxed £21.95£19.95 JUKI 6100 £269 LABELSfrom £1.70 per 1000 printwheels £3.99 SHEETFEEDERS for most printers £179 DS Plain £27.95£25.95 Official GovernmentlEducationallLocal Authority orders welcomed. PRINTER BUFFERS Seriallparallel iniout 8K-2MB Please add 15% VAT to all prices )inc. carriage) Limited space precludes listing of our full range of products. osBoxed £29.95£27.95 from £75 Please telephone if you do not see the item you require. AMSOFT CF2 3"£33.50 31/2" & 51/4" seal 0 Lib. case £1.75

ADVANCED MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS 1st/2nd FLOORS =1.7- 40, HIGH ROAD, BEESTON NOTTINGHAM NG9 2JP Tel: 0602 252627

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SPECIAL OFFER LEW LL L LAS VEGAS NEVADA Practical Computing Special Travel Offer "PRACTICAL The annual Comdex/Fall Exhibition in Las Vegas is the computer worlds largest and most important show. With more than 1,400 of the COMPUTING industries major companies taking part, this event is essential for anyone involved in the micro -computer business. Theexhibition fills the vast Las Vegas Convention Centre and also occupiesallof the exhibition space in four of the major hotels in the city. 1007tv'x'ci This event is now so large and popular that all of the hotel space in Las Vegas and for many miles around will be filled for the duration of the show. A limited number of places have been reserved for a special "Practical Computing" trip to this years show. We advise booking up early for this offer, it will certainly cost a lot more nearer to the date,if you can find any hotel space at all! Price includes return air fare from London and five nights hotelaccommodation. Departure from London is on November 9th. Independent travel on alternativedates and including visits to other parts of the USA can be arranged in conjunctionwith this project. Please phone Explorers Travel for details. Full details of the travel offer and information on the ComdexShow are available direct from: - Explorers Travel Club Ltd 2 York Rd, Maidenhead SL6 1SF Phone: 0628 23564. Telex: 849462. Prestel Mailbox 062823564. *Bonded tour operator member of ABTA

- circle 153 on enquiry card - HYPER -MICRO THREE COMPUTER ARCHITECTURES COMBINED TO GIVE THE BEST ADVANTAGES OF EACH MULTI PROCESSING TIME SHARING NETWORKING

1 to 32 User Concurrent DOS 4.1 System

The Bromcom system is truly a Hyper -micro with a new and Each work -station is provided with up to four virtual screens innovative concept. It is the first of its kind to have three enabling each user to conduct four simultaneous tasks, computer architectures combined into one system offering switching between them by a single key -stroke. the best advantages of each - namely the performance of multi -processing, cost effectiveness of time-sharing and High -capacity and fast Winchesters, tape streamers and expansibility of net -working. floppy disks are all part of the complete and integral system. Furthermore the system can be networked via ArcNet to In each Bromcom system up to 16 Slave processors and other Bromcom systems or IBM-PC/AT and compatibles. 16Mbyte of RAM can be accommodated and each Slave can be allocated from one to four users. Fast 8MHz 80186 SPECIFICATION processors with up to 1Mbyte of RAM on each Slave ensure speed no less than you would expect from a high- 16 -bit Master processor with 1Mbyte of RAM and:

Four Serial and one Parallel ports performance system. Up to 512Mbyte Fast Winchesters 60Mbyte Tape Cartridge Up to 16 Slaves with:

16 -bit processor 80186 at 8MHz Up to 1Mbyte of RAM & up to four Serial ports Slave/Master data transfer at DMA speed Up to 32 users in one system each running: Concurrent DOS 4.1 Four virtual screens/multi-tasking CP/M-86 and MS-DOS 2.11 compatibility Full Networking Capability: Connection to IBM-PC/AT and compatibles ArcNet/DR-Net used 255 Nodes in one LAN

Concurrent DOS 4-1 and CP/M-86 are trade marks of Digital Research. MS-DOS is a trade mark of MICROSOFT

33 rannivialm -circle 139 on enquiry card - 417-421 Bromley Road, Downham, Bromley, Kent BR1 4PJ Telephone: 01-461 3993 Telex: 926012 BCOM G Back-up your PC/XT/AT- and most compatibles, with the CRISTIE TS1000.

TheTS1000 can back up all DOS files Directory of files backed up through a file image, or can select available on screen or printer. named, dated or modified files Selective restore. or directories. Needs no internal slots. Image back-up feature allows you to back up any operating system. Friendly menu driven operation or command line. Password protection of data volumes. all-round Designed, "Best manufactured 2Sivis,vt TapeStreamer. and supported WORLD P.C.BUSINESS in the U.K. caDact7

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3 t" %.` r I " t

NS - ATARI / / Power MOW The Price! FREE SOFTWARE THE ATARI EXPLOSION! When you buy one of the new Atari ST computers from Silica If you read the specialist computer press, you will have noticed that there is one company which is getting a large slice of editorial space at the Shop, you will receive a large and varied software package free NEW 512K 5205T -M KEYBOARD: Thenew 520ST-M keyboard moment, that company is Atari Corporation. Atari have been making the of charge. This package covers several applications and com- costs only £346,96 ei VAT -£399) and is yet another price break- through for Atari Corporation. The keyboard now includes both news since the launch of their new 16/32 bit range of ST computers. Led prises a total of nine titles. All ST's now have TOS/GEM on an RF modulator and cable, allowing you to connect it to an by the powerful figure of Jack Tramiel and under the banner 'Power ROM, and the total list of free software is as follows: ordinary domestic television set.In addition, the keyboard is Without The Price', Atari are manufacturing new computers at unheard of 1) GEM - DR Desktop environment with WIMP (in ROM) supplied with 512K RAM, a mouse and a tree set of 31/2" disks prices, with the power to. challenge firmly established market leaders. With containing applications software. The TOS operating system the introduction of IBM compatibility, a CP/M emulator, a powerful net- 2) TOS - Tramiel Operating System (in ROM) and the GEM graphics package are now supplied on 192K ROM working system and a communications package for their new low cost 3) 1st WORD - Word Processor by GST using the GEM chips which are already installed in the keyboard. This means that the operating system will automatically boot in when you powerhouses,itdoesn't look asifitwill be long before there is an environment and multiple windows switch the power on. In addition to the keyboard, you will also explosion of the magnitude which will see Atari placed firmly besides such 4) BASIC - Personal Basic by DR (with manual) need to purchase either a 'hMbyte disk drive (RRP £130+VAT) or names as IBM and Olivetti in the personal computer marketplace. Read on 5) LOGO - Logo language by DR (with manual) a 1Mbyte disk drive (RRP £174+VAT). Either disk drive will pro- for more details of what Atari are doing, and how they are putting their vide you with fast information retrieval and a vast amount of 'Power Without The Price' computers beyond the reach of the competition. 6) DOODLE - Simple paint/doodle drawing package (works on storage space. If you prefer not to use your own TV set, you mono or colour systems) may connect your ST to a monitor. You may purchase the Atari FREE CP/M EMULATOR 7) MEGAROIDS - Asteroids type game by Megamax SM124 monochrome monitor (RRP £130+VAT), or one of Atari's This newly annouced CP/M Emulation Package, will enable software two Thomson colour monitors. Alternatively, you may choose 8) NEOCHROME - A powerful colour paint and graphics one of the many third party colour monitors which are available. written under Digital Research's Z60 CP/M operating system to be run on the ST family of computers. There are several thousand applications package (only useable with colour systems) NEW 1024K 5213ST-M. KEYBOARD: In' addition to the standard 9) CP/M EMULATOR - Allows the use of DR's Z80 C/PM soft- 520ST-M, we have a new keyboard which we are calling the written for CP/M in the UK alone, and several of the major CP/M software ware to run on any ST system Atari 520ST-M+. The K.4+ is a 520ST-M keyboard which has been development houses may convert their programs to 31/2" disk format for the ST range. The CP/M emulation package is supplied FREE OF CHARGE enhanced by a third party RAM upgrade to 1 megabyte of memory. The 520ST-M+ is available from Silica at a retail price by Silica Shop with all ST computers. of only £433_91 (+VAT.£499). This product will provide you with 3rd PARTY SUPPORT an alternative to the 1040ST-F, but at a lower price. Additionally, IBM COMPATIBILITY The power and potential of the ST range of computers is it features the advantage of the 5205T -M's built in modulator. To make the ST available to those businesses who currently run IBM causing a flood of new software titles, peripherals and access- systems and are looking for a low cost expansion method, Atari have ories from third party manufacturers. Titles range from word announced a co -processing unit for ST computers. This processor will processing to spreadsheet programs, from graphics and games open the ST range to all IBM or IBM compatible software applications. The to database management - all with those easy drop -down menus unit, which attaches to the ST computers via the DMA (Direct Memory and windows. With the list of companies producing ST software Access) port, contains an Intel 8088 processor with 512K of RAM and will accept a 53/4" disk drive. In it's ST mode, the unit will also act as a second including dozens of top names, you can expect some first class disk drive, offering the user an additional 500K of memory. The IBM co - titles for the new ST range. The following includes a selection of processing unit should be available in late Summer 1986. If you would like the third party manufacturers who have developed, or are work- to be informed when it is released, please complete and return the coupon ing on, products for the ST range: £347 below. We will send you further details as soon as we have them. ABACUS EXTENDED S/W MICRO -ED INC ROBINSON SYS 20Mbyte HARD DISK ACADEMY FIDELITY MICROPRO SCARBOROUGH 10,13/1440,51POI £739 ACCOLADE FIRST BYTE MICROPROSE SIERRA ON LINE For the businessman and the more serious home user, Atari The new Atari hard disk for the ST range has just been released. All ST ACTIONSOFT FIRST PUEING MICROPRO ENG SM SOFTWARE have introduced the 1040ST-F, a low cost powerhouse which computers already have a hard disk interface built into them so there is no ACTIVISION can be introduced to a business environment as a stand-alone external interface required. The memory size of the disk is a massive 20 FLIP 'N FILE MIGRAPH INC SOFTER system, or can support a mainframe computer as a terminal. The ADVENTURE INT GLENTOP MG MILES COMP SOFTLABS new one megabyte 1040ST-F enhances Atari's 'value for money' megabytes (unformatted) with a data transfer rate of 1.33 Mbytes per ANTIC GST SYSTEMS MIRACLE SOFTLOGIK reputation in the marketplace as it is the first personal computer second. At a price of £739 (r-VAT=049), the 51/2" hard disk offers massive AMERICAN COVERS HAIM MIRAGE SOFTWARE COMS available with one megabyte of memory for less than £800. You storage with fast access at a very reasonable price. ARTWORX HAYDEN MIRRORSOFT SECS can purchase the 1040ST-F as a monochrome or colour system. ASHTON TATE HIPPO MONARCH DEV SOFTWARE PUNCH The price of the monochrome system is £799 (+VAT = £918.85). NEW ST SOFTWARE PACKAGES ATI HISOFT MOSAIC SOFTWORKS with the colour system at only £999 (+VAT = £1148.851. The new AUDIO LIGHT INFOCOM MULTIFORM SORCIM/RUS There are now hundreds of software packages which have been announ- AZTEC INSIGHT MULTIMATE SPINNAKER 1040ST-F not only features twice as much memory as the ced for the Atari ST range. Titles available now include DB Man, a DBase 3 520ST-M, but also includes a one megabyte double sided disk clone as well as H 8 D Base, a DBase 2 clone. In addition, PC Intercomm is BATTERIES INC INSOFT OCEAN SST SYSTEMS drive and mains transformer, both built into the console to give BATVIEW ISLAND LOGIC ODIN STONEWARE a compact and stylish unit with only one mains lead. The a VT100 emulator which enables you to use any ST keyboard as a terminal BECKEMEYER KNOWLEOGWARE OMNITREND SUBLOGIC 1040ST-F is also supplied with a free software package. Unlike connected to a mainframe or mini. Other programs include a Lotus 1-2-3 BETTER WORKING KURA OSS SUNDATA SERVICES the 520ST-M, the 1040ST-F was manufactured solely with bus- clone (see paragraph below). BLUE CHIP LASERSOFT OTHER VALLEY SUNSHINE BOOKS iness use in mind and as such is supplied with a monitor. It does BOS LEARNER OXXI SUPPLEMENTAL not include the RF modulator or lead. We now have stock of the VIP PROFESSIONAL - LOTUS 1-2-3". CLONE CASHLINK LEVEL 9 PAPERLOGIC SYSTEMATICS 10405T -F atall four branches of Silica Shop. Call into your This is probably the most impressive program to have been released so far CHANG LABS LIONHEART PARADOX TALENT nearest branch for a demonstration, CHELTEK SYST LLAMASOET PENGUIN TDI for the ST range. VIP Professional is an extremely easy to use, integrated CHIPSOFT LONGMINSTER PHILON TELARIUM 1-4 The Mews, Hatherley Road, Sidcup. Kent, DA14 4DX spreadsheet, database and graphics program which is identical both in COMPUTE! MAINTHINK CORP PLANNER PC COMPUTER PRO 117 Orpington High Street, Orpington, Kent, BR6 OLG features and commands to Lotus 1-2-3". The same spreadsheet analysis. CROSSBOW MUSIC MAP COMPUTERS PLANTIR TOP EXPRESS Lion House (1st floor), 227 Tottenham Court Rd, London, W1 information management and extraordinary business graphics are all com- DATABENCH MARK of UNICORN PROGRESSIVE TOWNGATE Selfridges (1st floor), Oxford Street, London, W1A1A13 bined in one easy to learn, affordable package. What's more, VIP Profes- DATACODE SYS MARK WILLIAMS PROSPERO TYNESOFT sional not only has all the features of 1-2-3", you can also type the same DATA SYSTEMS MARTIN CONSU PRYORITY UNISON commands to do the same things. Probably the most surprising feature of DELTRON McGRAW HILL PSION VIP DILITHIUM PRESS MEGAMAX PSYGNOSIS WASON MICROCHIP VIP Professional is not its total compatibility with Lotus 1-2-3", nor its DRAGON GROUP MEMOREX OUICKVIEW SYS WHITENDALE ease of use, but its price. Lotus 1-2-3" for the IBM PC/AT costs £395 DUFOSE PUEING METACOMCO RAINBIRD WINDHAM CLASSICS (+VAT.£454.25), whereas VIP Professional for the ST is a mere £169 ELECTRONIC ARTSMICHTRON REGENT WORD of GOD COM (*VAT=C194.35). That's less than half the price! If you would like further LEXECON MICRODEAL RISING STAR %LENT details, of VIP Professional, please return the coupon below. ,E799SILICA SHOP LTD, 1-4 The Mews, Hatherley Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4DX lb I,

11 SEND FOR FREE ATARI ST LITERATURE III

..1111411 ill 1141... .:01111.111. AL AL MI Ile MN MO ATARIWE ARE THE UK'S N01 ATARI SPECIALISTSATARI To: Silica Shop Ltd, 1-4 The Mews, Hatherley At Silica we have been successfully dedicated to Atari ever since their products first appeared on the UK market. We can attribute our success largely to the Atari specialisation which we practice and to the user back-up we provide. Rest assured that when you buy a piece of Atari hardware at Silica you will be fully IPLEASESEND LITERATURE supported. Our mailings giving news of software releases and developments will keep you up to date with the Atari market and our technical support team and sales staff are at the end of the telephone line to ..11!,,fliff deal with your problems and supply your every need. With our specialist bias, we aim to keep stocks of all the available Atari hardware, software, peripherals and accessories. We also stock a wide range of IMr/Mrs/Ms: Initials* Surname: Atari dedicated books and through us, the owners on our list can subscribe to severeAmerican Atari dedicated magazines. We can provide a full service to all Atari owners and are now firmly established as Address: the UK's NUMBER ONE Atari specialists. Here are just some of the things we can offer to our customers. *FREE POST & PACKING ON MAIL ORDERS If you would like to be registered on our mailing * FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY list as an Atari computer owner, or as a person *INFORMATION MAILING SERVICE interested in buying an Atari machine, let us *TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM know. We will be pleased to keep you up to dale * HIGHLY COMPETITIVE PRICES with new Atari developments free of charge. So, *AFTER SALES SUPPORT SERVICE return the coupon today and begin experiencing * REPAIR SERVICE ON ATARI PRODUCTS a specialist Atari service that is second to none. Postcode: 3 SILICA Do you already own a computer HOTLINE II so, which one do you own? 01-3091111 4i tip EN Nui circle 133 on enoniry rani - Thenew11\ Witha memory-Ake wehavent for

Internal power supply.

Monitor: 12" high resolution monochrome Resolution: 640X400 pixel or 14" colour. monochrome or 320X200 with 16 colours, 640X200 with 4 colours.

TOS in ROM creates a workspace of over 900K bytes. Integral I Mb (unformatted) double -sided 314" disk drive.

94 -key QWERTY keyboard

with numeric keypad and cursor controls. ATAR,

li t i I I I l .1,_I I

if Jr //ill' I f Two -button mouse.

The price! Under El a Kb (excluding VAT) including colour monitor. An enormous 1024K RAM plus a powerful Motorola 68000 processor running at 8MHz.

TL /lb 1040STF thatyou canbesure gottenathing

The Atari 1040STF employs state of the art 16/32 bit technology. Yet its price is unbeatable. The ST range of computers already has a large number of software programmes available, including word processors, spreadsheets and databases, as well as a variety of programming languages and specialist business packages. The 1040STF will also run software written on several other popular operating systems, including CP/M. It has a 1024K RAM, integral 1Mb (unformatted) double -sided 31/2" disk drive, two -button mouse and built-in power supply. The operating system is in ROM, leaving RAM free for applications. BASIC and LOGO programming languages complete the package. With 12" monochrome monitor, we recommend it sells for £799 excluding VAT saving you at least £1600 against its nearest rival. The price of our 14" colour system is a remarkably low £999 excluding VAT. As the American magazine 'Byte' commented, "for some time to come the 1040STF will be the clear leader in price/performance." For the name of your nearest dealer, ring Teledata on 01-200 0200. And that indudesan40°Cc-cS* unbeatableprice edicci

)ILATARI® Power Without the PriceTM 3-7 limitedoffer 256 K Turbo XT099 70% FASTER After all these years IBM's PC/XT still chugs along at a steady 4.77 MHz. Our slick new turbo - charged PC's will poke along at the same speed, or at the flick of a switch roar along at 8 MHz - almost twice as fast!

70% CHEAPER How much more do you have to pay for this leap in performance? - About 700/0 less! That's right, 70%. Go to your local dealer, check out the prices and work it out on your calculator.

SORRY ABOUT THE OPTIONS

Don't forget the AST Six Pack. You will need to add the printer ports, extra RAM sockets and the battery -backed clock/calendar to match the free one included in our Switcheable clock speed 4.77/8 Hercules -compatible monochrome system! MHz graphics card And remember to ask how much High quality 4 layer motherboard High resolution monochrome more you will need to pay for the 256 RAM expandable to 640K on monitor Hercules Monochrome Graphics the motherboard Clock/calendar with battery back- Card so that you can run high 135 watt switching power supply up resolution graphics - standard on 8 expansion slots parallel printer ports our system! Enhanced 5150 -style keyboard serial port IBM standard 360K floppy disk game port AND THEN drive Free software upgrades for six THERE'S THE WARRANTY Optional 20 MB hard disk drive months Ours is for a full year. F - PLEASE SEND ME Send your order to Bristol Micro Traders, Systems Group, Maggs AND MAINTENANCE Standard 256K monochrome system with 2 floppy drives £599 House, 78 Queens Road, Bristol BS8 10X. Tel: (0272) 298228 CONTRACTS PLUS Terms are strictly cash with order, They are based on the total 384K, total of 640K on system board - add £60 please allow time for cheques to RGB colour version instead - add £200 clear before delivery. system costs so if you need on -site EGA high resolution colour system instead - add £400 XT, AT, IBM are registered trade maintenance you will pay about 700/0 20MB hard disc drive instead of second floppy - add £300 marks of IBM Corporation. Heavy duty 150 watt power supply - add £20 Hercules Graphic Card is a less! registered trade mark of Hercules Total Total enclosed £ Computer Corporation. UK - add 15% VAT Six Pack is a registered trade THE DOCUMENTATION Please send me more information on mark of AST research. This product AT -compatible system IBM's is still better but we're Add-on boards Borland software - circle 124 on enquiry card - working on it! NAME ADDRESS BRISTOL TOWN POST CODE For further details ring us on TELEPHONE Micro Traders (0272) 298228 ASK PC

My IBM PC has gone I have prepared my wrong and is out of thesis with WordStar Qwarranty. I bought it Qversion 3.30 on a Hitachi from a discount house, so I UPGRADING MBE 16002 computer and a Star cannot get any help there. I have SG -10 dot-matrix printer. While heard various scare stories that printing the thesis I found that IBM will not support machines MEMORY where there was a quoted bought from grey dealers who statement preceded by three dots offer a discount, or that repairs I use an IBM PC /XT which has 256K RAM on the the printer usually missed the motherboard. I would like to expand the memory up to 640K, are so expensive that it might be line. I substituted a Panasonic Qbut cannot easily do this in the usual way by adding an extra better to buy a cheap look -alike. dot-matrix printer to see if the memory board because all the expansion slots are already in use. I have I would welcome any advice on Star printer was at fault but it heard that it is possible to modify the motherboard to take 640K of what to do. made no difference. Do you memory. Do you know anything about how to do this, and does it think it is WordStar or the S WEATHERHEAD really work? computer that is fault? Or is it D HODGKIN I can well understand the some kind of DIP switch in the trauma you feel, since You need some technical ability to expand memory on the printer that is the culprit? Aour own 15 -month -old motherboard as the modification involves replacing two banks A NIXON IBM recently suffered an Aof nine memory chips. You must remove the existing 64K x 1 untimely collapse. This subject chips in banks 0 and 1 and replace them by 256K x 1 chips. In Your problem is really jarrs a nerve, and it may be worth addition you must fit a decoder/multiplexer chip number 74LS158 quite straightforward, relating our experience for the into an empty socket, and you must solder a jumper link. The IBM Aand it is unlikely that benefit of others. PC/XT technical manual shows the positions of the empty 74LS158 there is anything wrong with your Our IBM had a 130W power socket and the jumper. Since we have not got an XT we have not tried computer or the printer. supply, 256K RAM, a colour the modification ourselves, but it seems an incredibly cheap and useful WordStar uses dot commands adaptor and two floppy discs one. Remember that it will invalidate any warranty you have with such as .LH16 to give double fitted from new. Several third - IBM. spacing, or .OP to omit page party parts have been added, If you are uncertain where to get the parts, or are not quite sure numbers, or .UJ 0 to turn micro - including a multi -function board what to do, there are several kits you could use. One is available from justification off when typing a to take the RAM up to 640K, a Henhouse Electronics of 12061 SW 117 Court, Suite 121, Miami, table. The full stop or dot at the 10Mbyte hard disc and controller Florida 33186. It involves no soldering and costs $49.95, plus $64.95 very beginning of the line tells to replace one of the floppies, for the 18 new 256K chips. The price of the kit is reduced to $39.95 if WordStar that it is a command to and an accelerator card. you return the old 64K chips you remove. Both this modification and be acted on, rather than some One day we tried to switch on, the previous one are for the IBM PC/XT and will not work on a plain text to be printed. Similarly, you and though the fan worked there IBM PC. may put either .IG or two dots to was no noise from the hard disc, There are kits available in the U.K. for the 256K IBM PC and leave a comment in a file which no lights indicating disc activity PC/XT, and for the Compaq Portable. These kits cost £49, £39 and will not be printed but will show and no noise from the power £29 respectively from Dave Watson at Carrera Computing, 12 Lyons on the screen. We do this supply. Though the monitor Avenue, Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear DH5 OHS. Telephone: frequently to record information screen was illuminated, there (0783) 267816. For the XT and Compaq conversions you simply plug about a particular file. were no raster lines. I concluded components into sockets. This is very easy, and can be done by Plainly if you use dots in your that the power supply had failed, beginners. The PC conversion involves soldering 11 wires to IC pins, text there is the possibility that and that both the 5V and 12V and so is not a job for the uninitiated. The new memory chips must bethey fall at the beginning of a lines had gone. bought separately, and are fitted to banks 2 and 3 on the line. If that happens, the line Our first thought was to get motherboard. will show correctly on the screen help from the dealer who sold us Members of the IBM-PC Users Group can get a 20 percent discount but the program will treat it as a the machine, but he has ceased on these kits, so it could be worth joining.For membership details write comment and so it will not be trading. We then phoned the to PO Box 830, London SE1 2BQ. printed. The same situation IBM regional office, who gave us would occur if you used a

! a phone number in Greenford. ? ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! complete line of dots to separate On phoning Greenford we were one section of work from another. given a list of about 10 dealers in guarantee that it would be the viry reasonable fixed prices. We We cure this problem by our locality who could do repairs. end of the problem, we con- took our machine to Roy Misters inserting ^PB twice before any We contacted one of them. sidered buying either another at Romtech, Unit 2, Kingstons line on the screen that begins Without checking the system, IBM PC or a cheap look -alike, Industrial Estate, Eastern Road, with a dot. The ^PB command the dealer fitted a new power salvaging any of the parts we Aldershot, Hampshire GU12 actually turns bold on and then supply - price £160. When the could. 4TD. Telephone: (0252) 334881. off again before printing the full computer still did not work, we We also wrote to IBM in the He checked all the boards stop, and because the line then were told that a new mother- hope of getting some help, or at carefully, and in next to no time no longer begins with a full stop board costing £430 was needed. least some sympathy. A forlorn the machine was restored to it prints correctly. There was no guarantee that this hope! IBM not only disclaimed working condition. Only the Another way of avoiding the would put matters right. The responsibility, but implied that it power supply needed changing problem is to reset the left dealer said that a high transient was our own fault for fitting and the machine was thoroughly margin with the command ^OL 2 voltage when the power supply third -party extras. We had checked. so that there is one blank at the failed had probably damaged expected better treatment from a We can recommend Romtech beginning of every line. This chips on the motherboard. Since blue-chip company that charges without reservation. It was a joy method has the marginal this could equally well have premium prices. to find someone, apparently from disadvantage of storing damaged every other board in the Eventually we settled for the a bygone era where people unnecessary spaces - thus machine we declined their offer cheapest possible repair, and were actually built computers and making the data file slightly to fit a new motherboard. delighted to find a small firm could mend them. I do not larger - and reducing the At this stage, rather than called Romtech advertising approve of the throw -away society maximum length of a line that spend £700 on a repair with no repairs to IBM PCs and XTs at at £500 for a motherboard. can be displayed. am

In "Ask PC" John and Timothy Lee answer questions on any areaof microcomputing. Ifyou have a nagging problem, write to us, marking ASK PC clearly on the top left-hand corner of the envelope. Letters should contain one question only. We cannot guarantee a personal reply, but to be consideredyour letter must include your name and address, together with a stamped addressed envelope. The most representative questions of general interest will be answered and published.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 39 16 digit accuracy It's easy to order! PRO PASCAL & Single and ble precision IEEE format Credit card holders phone 01-741-8531. arithmetic gives 7 or 16 digit precision. Mastercard, Visa, Diners & Amex accepted. PRO FORTRAN -77: Prospero's compilers are also available from FOR IBM PCs, XTs, ATs & COMPATIBLES, 50,000 Lines Big good software dealers and distributors APRICOT, NIMBUS & ALL OTHER MS-DOS Compiles big programs >50,000 lines... worldwide. MACHINES. ALSO FOR ATARI ST, >5,000 identifiers...Separate compilation to SINCLAIR QL build libraries and massive program suites. Reviews & Info Call 01-741 8531 or write in for afree info USE THE LANGUAGES THE Jumbo pack with datasheets and magazine reviews. PROFESSIONALS USE: PASCAL AND New Jumbo memory model with Pro Fortran - FORTRAN. 77 gives unrestricted access to all 640K New: Pro Fortran -77 for MS-DOS will be C is high on performance but low on safety, under MS-DOS. available in August/September 86. structure, portability and maintainability. Pascal is excellent for education and for long- Compilers include Software distributors overseas: term projects.Fortran gives you access to compiler Contact us for our Worldwide Distribution hundreds of existing programs - and uses linker Guide. established programming skills! run-time libraries librarian ISO -PASCAL X -ref program Pro Pascal is validated to ISO 7185 / ANSI sample programs UK trade distributors: 770X3.97 Class A (no errors) on the Z80 200+ page manual PC: Xitan 0703-871211 processor under CP/M and the 8088 Software Ltd 01.278 2377 processor under PC -DOS. This provides a GEM First Software 0256 463344 Silica Distribution 01-309 0300 guarantee that the compiler is complete and Full GEM AES and VDI bindings supplied Atari: works perfectly. European Software 01.253 3303 with Atari products and (on request) with Pro Amstrad: Software Too!shop 0582.699657 Pascal for MS-DOS. FORTRAN -77 QL: Strong Computer 0267.231246 Call for worldwide distributor list. Pro Fortran -77 is a full implementation of Amstrad & Z80 ANSI Fortran -77 with no omissions and Pro Pascal and Pro Fortran -66 are available many useful extensions. Validation is for Z80 machines. imminent. Symbolic debugger Prospero Compilers Work! 16 bit versions include Probe - a superb Prospero Software No known bugs when we ship - so you don't LANGUAGES PO R MICROCOMPUTER PROFESSIONALS symbolic debugger. You can view fully 190 CASTEINAU, LONDON SW13 9DH, ENGLAND TEL 01-741 8331 TELEX 8814396 have to program around the holes. compiled code as source, backtrack, display and change variables using source names, "Lazy I/O"for interactive use. check the calling stack, and break anywhere. Pro Fortran -77 version can also Debug and Good Housekeeping Mail order service produce execution profiles. Send this coupon with cheque to Prospero All files closed on exit from procedure Software Ltd, 190 Castelnau, London SW13 Pascal <<-» Fortran 9DI-1, England. Add 15% VAT in UK or £5 Hand -coded library Interlinkable code means you can use the shipping outside UK. Allow 28 days for Produces compact and efficient programs. best of both languages. Ask for details. delivery. Please supply (enter number required): Ideal for Pro Fortran -77 for Atari ST at £129. We Specialise Pro Pascal for Atari ST at £129. software developers At Prospero we specialise in writing universities, and colleges Pro Fortran -77 for Sinclair QL at £86.91 language compilers. We produce the best Pro Pascal for Sinclair QL at £86.91. government and industry possible compilers, conforming to the Pm Fortran -77 for MS-DOS at £420. students of computing appropriate standard, and giving program- Pro Pascal for MS-DOS at £320. development of personal skills mers a secure base on which to build. Pro Pascal for CP/M-86 at £320. solving technical problems Special offer till 1/10/86: both Atari compilers training institutions Quote: "Pro Pascal is not only ISO - for .C229. I enclose payment of £ validated, it is also a superb -quality and very Name full software development tool." Personal Address Computer World Nov 1985 Country Prospero compilers are used at more than Telephone No 6000 sites around the world. In case of query call 01-741 8531 or telex 8814396. Tick product name if you just require information! PC 9/86 Prospero compilers: portable source code circle 116 on enquiry card - L BRAVE NEW WORLD Carol Hammond looks at recent books that address themselves to the social implications of information technology.

ONE OFthe main effects of"The teenage computer wizard book,andhismusketeering computers has been to make it apprehendedbytheFBI . . . attitude seems sincere enough. easiertoholdinformation, 19 -year -oldhackingmaverick One of the interesting points whether it be about the state, acapable of 'cracking'the most Landreth makes is that people are company or an individual. But secure computers . . . memberof the weakest link in the security judging by a recent crop of books, the'InnerCircle'nationwide chain.CompulsiveTechnology: BOOK there is an increasing concern that clique of top-notch hackers . . Computers as Culture by Tony REVIEWS this new-found abilityisbeing indictedbyaFederalGrand Solomonides and Les Levidow sees abused. Jury . . . now . . . author of the people as increasingly subject to Providing you don't object too On the Record: Surveillance, eye-openinginsidestoryof centralised control as organisations much to its trendy lefty views this Computers and Privacy - TheAmerica'ssecretivehacking link up to computers. It takes thebook will keep you thinking. Inside Story by Duncan Campbellculture." form of a collection of essays that Afterreadingsomeofthe and Steve Connor is a frightening Unfortunately the book does explorehow computerdesign gloomy forecasts of Compulsive dossier of how the individual's not live up to the expectations ofconfronts the user as both tool and Technology you may feelyou privacy is threatened as the police, governmentintrigueandex- master. A recurring theme is thatdeserveapick-me-up.John government and private agencies citement prompted by its cover. computers can inhibit knowledge Graves'LiberatingTechnology: are putting ever more information Bill Landreth describes how he as users are compelled to submitStepsTowardsaBenevolent on tocomputers. The authors came to hack for the first time and to the limitations and constraintsSocietyadoptsamore cheery exercise their skills as investigative then went on to try his hand at imposed by the system's design. attitudetowardscomputerised journalists to reveal the origins enteringincreasinglydifficult One essayassertsthat AI willtechnology.Gravesextolsthe andusesof variouscomputer systems. He was eventually invited standardiseknowledge andvirtues of expert systems and their systems run by the British state, to join the Inner Circle, a group of inference to the point that theability to draw on databases in, includingthePoliceNational hackers withitsown code ofunsayablewillbecomethe say,the medical fieldto help Computer. They assert that the conduct. unthinkable, so that technologydiagnose medical conditions. He Data Protection Act will not curb Landreth gives the impressionwill eventually supplant human welcomes computers and robots as the threat to civil rights that these that people hack for the reasons judgement. the means of freeing humanity databases pose. thatothersclimbmountains: Compulsive Technology looksfromtoilandaroutineand The introduction of machine- "because they are there". It is the at computers in society from anhumdrum existence. readablepassports,itemised challengetopenetratesystems unashamedly left-wing angle. But Graves paints a picture of a telephonebillsandelectronic that drives hackers on, rather than it is certainly fun to read, and hassociety which has finally divorced fundstransferwillallowclose a desire to get hold of the infor- a lively and irreverent style. Oneitself from the Protestant work monitoring of people's activities. mation they contain. This may not essay pronounces that the "arch -ethic and revolves around small,

Even quite innocent actions can be true for all hackers of course, capitalist of new technology . . . friendlycommunities.And have disastrous consequencesif butLandreth'sadolescenten- Sinclair may go the way of thealthough his attitude can easily be informationaboutthemis thusiasm comes across well in the hula -hoop and the skateboard" dismissed as Utopian, it is at least innacurate, obtained unfairly, or heartening to see some optimism handled dishonestly or incorrectly. BRAVE NEW WORLD about the future. This can happen all too often, as If it's excitement that you want, the authors of this book show by On the Record: Compulsive Technology: Jay Tuck's High -Tech Espionage cataloguing case after case of false Surveillance, Computers Computers as Culture fitsthebill.Itcatalolgues an accusations that have been the and Privacy - The Inside edited by Tony Solomonides and American journalist's discoveries Story by Duncan Campbell and Les Levidow. Published by Free result incorrect of how the KGB smuggles Nato's of information Steve Connor. Published by Association Books, £4.95. gleaned from a computer. Michael Joseph, £7.95. ISBN 0 946960 20 0 strategic secrets to Moscow. Filled The authors also point out the ISBN 0 7181 2576 2 Liberating Technology: withstoriesof murder,inter- possibility that a future combi- Out of the Inner Circle -A Steps Towards a nationalsmugglingandspies, nation of automatic surveillance Hacker's Guide to Benevolent Society by John High -TechEspionage is well and expert systems may be used to Computer Security by Bill Graves. Published by Peter qualified to rival a John le Carte track down target social groups. Landreth. Published by Microsoft Owen, £12.50. novel. Tuck explains how Western The possibilityof being mon- Press/Penguin, £8.95. ISBN 0 7206 0656 X export controls have forced the ISBN 0 14 087 139 X High -Tech Espionage by Jay itored from thecradletothe Soviet Union and its allies to resort Tuck. Published by Sidgwick and grave, with the aid of your birth Jackson, £10.95. to covert methods of acquiring registrationformandyour ISBN 0 283 99292 1 technology.Hegoesonto National Insurance card, certainly describe eight cases of embargo brings onestep nearer a society busting. where Big Brotheriswatching Tuck's concluding chapter once you. This 348 -page book is inter- again returns to security concerns. esting,entertainingandwell HetellshowthePentagon worththe money,ifonlyto employed a body of hackers to encourage you not to get caught crack their security codes. Time for speeding. After all, you will and time again they found holes end up on somebody's files. in what oneofficialsaidwas Another book concerned with already a Swiss cheese. material held on computers is Out High -Tech Espionage is another of the Inner Circle: A Hacker's entertainingread.Likeallthe KGB StIluggle_s, Nowthe GuidetoComputerSecurity, seves toTa-0. books included here, it makes you though in this case the author is SiA10's stiatetic wonder at the far-reaching con- mainly concerned with how to get Vern° sequences of the humble micro- the information out. It is written chip and its effects on politics as by Bill Landreth, who is billed as well as on technology.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 41 The data protector A WARLOCK ON YOUR MICRO) Is 'personal' data on your micro secured in accordance with theData Protection Act? Is sensitive data secure on your micro? If the answer to either of these questions is NO then you need CLAM from MICROFT TECHNOLOGY. CLAM, as the name implies, provides a software 'shell'aroundyourcomputerto prevent unauthorised access to programs and data. Once the simple task of setting up CLAM has been AlimmommimmA completed on any disk,the data can only be accessed through the userdefined menus. (The menu system offers all the facilities of MICROFT's popular menu system MENUGEN.) On starting the computer users are asked fora password. Theythen see on their menus only those options forwhich they have authority. If no valid password is entered atthe third attempt no more tries are allowed until the computerhas been switched off and then on again. CLAM works by locking subdirectories. Users can only access those subdirectories forwhich they have authority. Onlythe copy of CLAM thatlocked a subdirectory can unlock it. Access is not possible by loading an operating system from an otherdisk. MAIN FEATURES 1. All data held on a hard orfloppy disk can be keptsecure from unauthorised access. 2. Security is by default. Once CLAM has been set up the userdoes nothave to take anypositive action to secure data. 3. Access to all activities is via userde fined menus within CLAM. 4. Each user is given a user name and password. These determine which menu options the user will see. Each user needs to rememberonly one password. 5. Even those with access to the DOS prompt can be limited to some (orno) subdirectories. 6. A complete audit trail of all use of the system is kept. CLAM is available for most micros with PC/MS DOS version 2.0 or later: These include the IBM PC and all compatibles. CLAM costs £148 + VAT fora single user licence. Site and corporate licences are available. Existing MENUGEN users may upgrade to CLAM for £110 + VAT. CLAM may be purchased from MICROFT TECHNOLOGY LTD. The Old Powerhouse, Kew Gardens Station, Kew, Surrey TW9 3PS or from most dealers. To order or obtain further information telephone 01-948 8255.

COMBINES THE FRIENDLIEST POSSIBLE 'FRONT END' WITH COMPLETE SYSTEM SECURITY. - circle 126 on enquiry card - CLAM is a Trade Mark of Micro ft Technology Ltd and is a British product. You can't buyOiTIVOtti cheaper!

M24, 256K RAM, 2 x 360K Floppy Drives £1,399 IF YOU CAN SHOW US M24, 640K RAM, 20MB NEC Hard A LOWER, GENUINE QUOTE, Disk Unit, 360K Floppy Drive WE PROMISE TO MATCH IT! £1,849

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COMPARE OUR PRICES, THEN BUY WITH CONFIDENCE' (For a little extra, we also offer full training & support and nationwide on -site maintenance)=-_=_ PAP Distribution, The Sion, Crown Glass Place, Nailsea, Bristol, Avon BS19 2EP. circle 118 on enquiry card - (0272) 856502 Whatever themake of your computer, aFujitsu printer will power itup. -0- dii!b

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Japan's No. 1 computer maker FUJITSU r 1

DL2400 DX2100 DX2200 SP320 DPL24 I'd like to know more about Fujitsu printers. Please send information on the following: SP830 (Daisy wheel) Name SP320 (Daisy wheel) Title DPL24 (24 pin dot-matrix) DPL24C (24 pin dot-matrix, colour) Company DL2400 (24 pin dot-matrix) Address: DL2400C (24 pin dot-matrix, colour) DX2100 (9 pin dot-matrix, 80 col.) City Country DX2200 (9 pin dot-matrix, 136 col.) Phone: Fax Fujitsu Europe Ltd. Royal Trust House, 54 Jermyn St., London SW1Y 6NQ, England. Phone: (44-1) 408-0043 L circle 119 on enquiry card MICRONIX BREAKS THE PRICE/PERFORMANCE BARRIER

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-> circle 114 on enquiry card 47 IIREVIEW APRICOT XEN-i RALLYING TO THE STANDARD By Steve Malone

At last Apricot has produced the screen, but it would be a pity if this machinewasprovidedwithanIBM- an IBM-compatible machine: feature were allowed to wither through lack compatible Quad EGA + card which fits of support. The only Microscreen function into one of the three expansion slots inside a compact and powerful AT - implemented on the review machine was the the machine. To use colour you have to emulator. calculator, which you access by pressing the move two jumper cables on the main board. Control and + keys. You can program the A look inside the Xen-i gives some idea of Thelaunchof anIBM-compatible Microscreen yourself via the Utilities sub - how Apricot has managed to squeeze the machine from Apricot marks a change directory of Windows, which is bundled PC/ AT architecture into such a small unit. indirectionforBritain'sleading with the machine. In place of the profligate sprawl of chips that business micro manufacturer. Although the The Xen-i keyboard socket has eight pins, is usual in the IBM family, Apricot has Xen-ibearsalmostallthetraditional rather than thefive used by the AT. produced a tightly engineered system that hallmarks of an Apricot machine, it is able However, an ordinary AT keyboard will includes nine gate -array chips. The layout to join the mainstream of hardware and workwiththeXen,andthird -party looks well considered, and the only sign of software add-ons availablefor the IBM keyboards can also be used. last-minute patching is a couple of resistors family.It conforms to the IBM -standard It is strange to see a 5.25in. floppy -disc soldered across a chip on the far right-hand architecture, and features a 20Mbyte hard drive on an Apricot machine in place of the side of the board. The gate arrays carry out disc,a 1.2Mbyte 5.25in. floppy, and is usual 3.5in. unit. Although it obviously many of the functions that on the AT based around the 80286 processor. takes up more room than the 3.5in. drive require an entire expansion board. Disc The first thing that strikes you about the controllers, video /graphics display and the Xen-i is that it could hardly look less like an serial and parallel ports are all implemented AT. To begin with, the dimensions of the APRICOT XEN-i in this way. new machine are the same as those of the earlier Xen, and the casing of our review pcVERDICT ... THREE SPEEDS ok' 4.,,.. machine was actually of the old Xen type. A S- ckli- 0 0 k, Naturally the Xen-i is based around the few minor alterations to the casing will be 0 --\ 0°6 C T 0 Intel 80286 processor and has an expansion made on machines being sent to paying slot available for the 80287 co -processor.

Performance customers. The footprint of the Xen-i is less Like most AT clones the Xen-i has variable than that of the average PC clone let alone Ease of use clock speeds. Here Apricot has managed to an AT. The height of the CPU box is around IN III Documentation go one better than most of the opposition, half that of the PC, stepped to about two- Value for money II and provides a10MHzspeed as well as the thirds the PC's height at the rear. more common 6MHz and 8MHz. Like the Partof thereason why Apricot has EA classy machine which provides extra dimensions to the AT standard. colour display, the speed is set by adjusting a managed to get away with such a small size is jumper on the motherboard. that the power supply remains separate from The main board extends over almost the the main computer. The company has done entire base of the CPU box, with the floppy the decent thing and provided enough cable and hard discs mounted in a metal casing to allow the rather large power -supply box to there is still space for the power and disc fitted above it. The 5.25in. floppy drive be tucked away out of sight. An advantage LEDs on the right-hand side as well as the takes up around a quarter of the available for Apricot is that versions for export are curiously labelled Voice LED, which has no space inside the computer. There is simply easier to produce. function at present. no room for a second floppy drive, hence the On the left-hand side of the CPU box external disc interface. DOUBLING UP there is a Reset button, while two expansion The 20Mbyte hard disc is a much smaller At first sight the Xen-i keyboard looks interfaces for the XP-i expansion box are and more discreet Miniscribe 3.5in. unit. identical to that used on the earlier model. hidden beneath plastic cowlings on the Although it provided no problems during Butcloserexaminationrevealsthata right-hand side. Mounted on the rear of the the course of the review, it did seem very number of keys have been swapped around Xen-i there are the usual IBM parallel and noisy by today's standards. A 50Mbyte hard to conform more closely to the PC/ AT serialports,alongwithtwonine -pin disc for the Xen-i is on the way, and Apricot layout.Thus the numeric keypad also monochrome video sockets. One of them is says that this model is almost silent. doubles as a cursor -control pad, even though reservedexclusivelyforuse by Apricot The most worrying thing about the inside the previous Xen cursor controls have been monochrome monitors, while the other of the Xen-i is the provision for expansion. retained. A Num Lock key is fitted at the provides a monochrome output similar to Two of the three slots will take AT cards; the top of the numeric pad alongside the that produced by a Hercules card. other is only for PC cards. All the cards are repositioned Scroll Lock. Also fitted to the rear of the unit are the mounted horizontally on a removable back - An interesting retention from previous keyboard, the power -supply input and a d.c. plane behind the hard disc. You unscrew Apricot models is the Microscreen. It was power outlet for an optional external disc the backplane and takeitout of the one of the company's better ideas, although drive. The data interface to the external computer before sliding an expansion board the touch pads on the early machines made drive is also at the back of the machine. intoafreesocketandreplacingthe the thing almost unusable. The Microscreen As supplied, the Xen-i is configured to a backplane. The trouble is that there is only now has six proper buttons to control it. Of monochrome signal., though you can reset it room within the computer for half-size course, AT software does not make use of to use colour if you wish. The review cards. (continued on page 51)

48 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 IIIIREVIEW

BASIC BENCHMARKS Running the bundled GWBasic the Xen-i is faster than its predecessor, and thus stays well ahead of the rest of the AT -compatible opposition. The Basic Benchmark routines were published on page 102 of the January 1984 issue of Practical Computing. All timings are in seconds. BM1 BM2 BM3 BM4 BM5 BM6 BM7 BM8 Av.

Apricot Xen-i 0.2 1.1 2.4 2.4 2.7 5.0 7.9 7.6 3.4 Apricot Xen 0.3 1.1 2.4 2.5 2.7 4.9 7.7 8.0 3.7 Compaq Deskpro 286 0.3 1.2 2.8 2.9 3.2 5.7 9.1 9.2 4.3 IBM PCIAT 0.5 1.9 4.6 4.7 5.2 9.1 14.6 13.5 6.8

SPECIFICATION CPU: 80286 running at 6MHz, 8MHz or 10MHz RAM: 1Mbyte with battery -backed system configuration; expandable to 11Mbyte with XP-i expansion box ROM: 32K BIOS Dimensions: 380mm. (15in.) x 370mm. (14.5in.) x 105mm. (4.2in.) Display: 80 columns by 25 lines text and 720- by 348 -pixel graphics on main Above: The floppy drive and board; EGA and CGA short cards Winchester, housed beneath a metal available for colour options casing, take up half the inside of the Keyboard: QWERTY plus 10 function Xen-i. A half-length EGA-- colour card keys, numeric keypad, separate cursor - is mounted horizontally above the control pad; Microscreen with six keys motherboard. Mass storage: 1.2Mbyte 5.25in. Left: As well as the standard serial, floppy -disc drive, 20Mbyte hard disc; parallel and monitor ports there is a interface for optional external floppy connector for an external floppy disc. drive Below: The keyboard attempts to Interfaces: IBM -standard parallel and reconcile Apricot and IBM standards. A serial ports, Hercules -compatible monitor colour monitor and colour circuitry are socket, Apricot monochrome monitor available as options. socket, nine -pin AT -compatible keyboard port, 32 -way external drive and tape streamer interface, d.c. outlet Software in price: MS-DOS 3.2, Windows, Gem, GWBasic Expansion options: XP-i expansion box for IBM cards, PX card converterfor Apricot cards, 80287 co -processor, mouse Price: £3,499; XP-i expansion box£199; PXcard converter £49 Manufacturer: Apricot Computers plc, Apricot House, 17 Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3TR. Telephone: 021-454 9091 Available: now CEETIPIETIME LIMITED BRINGS YOU

AT UNBEATABLE PRICES

51" XIDEX 'PRECISION' (original packs). BULK DISKS SS SD 48TPI £7.95 per box of 10 SS DD 48TPI £8.95 per box of 10 5+" XIDEX DS DD 48TPI £9.50 per box of 10 SS SD 48 TPI £5.90 per 10 disks DS DD 96TPI £10.50 per box of 10 SS DD 48 TPI £6.90 per 10 disks DS DD 48 TPI £8.20 per 10 disks 8" XIDEX DS DD 96 TPI £9.25 per 10 disks SS DD 48TPI £16.50 per box of 10 DS DD 48TPI £21.50 per box of 10 312" SS 135 TPI VERBATIM £16.50 per 10 3" AMSOFT DS DD 135 TPI VERBATIM £19.50 per 10 CF2 £3.15 per disk. DS DD 135 TPI SONY £2750 per 10 LIBRARY CASES 31" DISKS SS DD 135 TPI-XIDEX £19.50 per box of 10 DS DD 135 TPI-SONY £32.50 per box of 10 51" HIGH QUALITY - £8.00 per case of 10 MINIMUM ORDER £15.00 EXCLUDING VAT & POSTAGE & PACKING ORDER NOW AND RECEIVE A FURTHER 5% DISCOUNT FOR PAYMENT WITH ORDER PLEASE ADD £2.00 POSTAGE AND PACKING PLUS 15% VAT TO ALL ORDERS

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(continued from page 49) 1-2-3.ItevenrantheIBM PC/ AT end of Apricot's independent stance in a Admittedly most of the mainstream cards diagnostics without any difficulty: The only world that has come to be dominated by the not available in a short -card format are erroroccurredwhenthediagnostics IBM standard. Viewed beside other AT - multi -function cards which provide facilities attempted to test for the keyboard lock - compatibles, the Xen-iis something of fitted as standard on the Xen-i. But if you do which is not surprising as the Xen-i hasn't ahybrid.Whileprovidingsoftware find that you need to house full-length gotone. The onlyother problem we compatibility and the ability to accept IBM cards, or if you have already filled all three encountered was with the Microsoft Flight expansion cards, Apricot has not followed slots, you can turn to Apricot's £199 XP-i Simulator, which we could not get to run the full value-added route taken by Compaq expansion box. This device allows up to even though Apricot says it should work or Olivetti. The company should have little threefull-size PC or AT cardstobe normally. trouble selling the machine in the U.K. and interfaced to the Xen-i. Version 3.2 of MS-DOS is provided with othercountries whereitsreputationis One of the major card technologies which the Xen-i.Itisparticularlyironicthat assured,butitmay experiencegreater has yet to make its way on to the short Apricot has launched its first IBMulator with difficulties in areas where it is thought of format is memory expansion, as found on this release of MS-DOS, as it is the version primarilyasanon -compatiblemanu- cards like the Above Board or Rampage. IBM has chosen for the launch of the Con- facturer. The deeply conservative corporate However, Apricot seems to have thought of vertible - which uses the 3.5in. discs that purchasers in America and elsewhere expect this too, as the Xen-i has 1Mbyte of RAM Apricot has been forced to abandon to a machine that not only offersallthe internally, 512K being fitted to the mother- become IBM compatible. To provide a facilities of a PC/ AT but looks like one as board and another 512K on a daughterfriendly front end to DOS Windows is well. board. This provides the 640K maximum bundled with the Xen-i. Digital Research's allowed for under MS-DOS, plus a further Gem environment is also provided as an CONCLUSIONS alternative, although no applications are 384K of extended memory. Apricot has E The Xen-i is a fully compatible PC/AT clone fittedtheLotus/Intel/Microsoft(LIM) supplied with the machine. which marks theentryofBritain's major Expanded Memory Manager on to one of the The hard disc on the review machine was business micro manufacturer into a market it gate -array chips, so the extended memory more than half full with bundled software has previously spurned. canbe configuredasa RAM discby and various other files.It was therefore E The machineis much smaller than the including the same device driver in the impossible to make a fair assessment of the average AT clone. This is achieved by some Config.Sys file used by the Above Board. machine's disc performance since the Bag- tight engineering, but also means that the Although the Xen-i cannot accommodate shaw Disc Benchmarks run fastest when the power supply is separate and the expansion the 8Mbyte of expansion which the LIM discs are relatively empty. For the record, the facilities are restricted. standard allows, Apricot could add extra Bagshaw Benchmarks were timed at a total E The Xen-i takes over pole position as the fastest AT emulator around. By fitting the LIM memory should it become necessary. of 89 seconds on the hard disc - pretty good Expanded Memory Specification as standard The all-important BIOS for the Xen-i is considering it was so full - and 255 seconds Apricot shows that it has an eye to the future. provided by the American firm Phoenix for the floppy disc, which is just behind the III1Thisis the machine Apricot should have Software Associates. The Xen-i ran all the Compaq 286's performance. launched a year ago. Let's hope it is not too usual awkward programs like Sidekick and The emergence of the Xen-i signals the late for the Xen-i to become asuccess. Tif e-jicinia Computer Consultants Ltd. -%

FREE TANDON, JUKI, PEGASUS, SAGE, CASHLINK, AUTHORISED DEALERS *640 KB UPGRADE & PRINT SPOOLING SOFTWARE ON ALL SYSTEMS SOLD THIS MONTH** -*VERY SPECIAL PRICES ON PEGASUS CP.O.A* 0 Olivetti 77.MIINKL

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PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 - circle 170 on enquiry card 51 ESOFTWARE REVIEW AMSTRAD COMMS BAD CONNECTIONS By Glyn Moody

Using the Amstrad Even before you start using comms soft- the modem. When the modem is not in use, PCW-8256 for comms could ware, getting the Amstrad into a fit state is the telephone can be used in the normal not easy. One reason why the PCW-8256 way. The modem needsits own mains hold some nasty surprises for costs so little is that its functionality has been supply, so you lose the simplicity of the those who are used to the pared to the bone. You get everything you PCW-8256's one -plug arrangement. machine's WP functions. need in a word processor but no more. As a Chit -Chat is an adaptation of the program result, the serial port, which is indispensable reviewedinlastDecember'sPractical Oneof the big attractions of the for comms, must be bought as an extra. Computing. Although efforts have been Amstrad PCW-8256 is that it is a The Amstrad CPS -8256 providesthe made to make use of the Amstrad's idiosyn- complete system: you just plug it in serial and parallel interfaces that are missing cratic keyboard with its host of ancillary and start typing. People who have become on the basic machine. It will set you back keys, the conversion is not consistent. For acquainted with word processing through £59.95 including VAT. It plugs into theexample, there are references to a non- using it may well be tempted to move on to back of the PCW-8256 via the edge connec- existent Control key, which is in fact the Alt using it for communications, and in parti- tor - the only means of expanding the key. Chit -Chat comes on one disc with a cular electronic mail. machine - and is secured by two screws. manual which has been written for use with For anyone who is contemplating such a The parallel port allows you to use printers the Amstrad. move, my advice is simple: Don't do it. withparallelconnectors,thoughthe The manual advises you to make a Unlike the word-processing functions of the Locoscript word processor bundled with the bootable backup of the disc and tells you PCW-8256, which are easy to set up and PCW-8256 will not work directly with any how to do so. This is sound advice, but if you straightforwardtouseonceyouhave printer other than the one supplied. deciphered the manuals, progressing on to As well as the serial interface add-on, you CHIT-CHAT theworldof communications onthe will also need a modem. The one used for machine is a nightmare. this review was the Sage modem which PC VERDICT .... In part these difficulties are a reflection of comes with Chit -Chat. It is a fairly basic unit ,,,, 0 4.,.. the immaturity of the comms area. While with no autodial.

Performance the hacker and enthusiast. And you really do Although the Sage modem is a compact 0 have to be something of an enthusiast to black box, even setting that up takes some Ease of use 0 1.1 Documentation cope with the U.K.'s leading electronic mail effort. The lead from the serial port ends in a system, Telecom Gold. As well as an obscure standard DIN plug. Unfortunately, the pins Value for money set of prompts, Telecom Gold has an appal- are arranged symmetrically so itis all too E Probably the best Amstrad package ling editor which makes concoting messages easy to plug it in upside down. at the moment. on-line a real torture. Although there is a There is also a lead terminating in a tele- large amount of information on Telecom phone jack which plugs into the wall socket. Gold, getting at it is such an effort. You plug your telephone into a socket on

Edit directory entry 00:36:04C ra tii-lib i'3

nave ' PS' 300 your 300 baud PSS number 'ut! M1M un'ber ; '', PH 120075 your 1200/76 baud PSS number 12'76 MCIEM . ... rate 110 150 IIIL 600 1200 12/75 0394 276306 0268 778966 2 Mottorinal oimpro 0258 64494 Wiefid utmo : _Pa;It47 7' 262 3551 bits : 1.5 2 1,1('iiy

Mail type * LIKE Entry proript

t ,E EOI ctl-C Terminate all' CR/CRctrli -.IA 5 EEL Host nesiline LE Li

Prompt Prompt :1 Prompt

ORM IIII F4o Nos Lig --II III "MI III

DriveisA;

Chit -Chat's Phone Directory screen provides a list of phone Pressing f7 from the Phone Directory brings up a complete set of numbers and preset baud rates for popular on-line services. parameter values, which you can edit if necessary.

52 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 MISOFTWARE REVIEW have a single -drive machine itis no fun. use it you are asked to enter your name and press f4 to connect to the host computer. If Using CP / M's Pip command to transfer address so that it can be entered irrevocably you have autodial facilities and the entry has system files to a formatted discisvery on the program disc. I found that it was been set up correctly, the whole process is confusing: it keeps referring to drive A: and allergic to my name: it beeped at me until I automatic. For those without such luxuries, drive B: even though they are the same enteredsomethinglonger.Thesame the instruction physical drive. Transferring across the 15 happened with the address: it seemed to DIAL 01-583 3000 files from the Chit -Chat disc requires 30 disc need full details rather than a short form. appears for Telecom Gold. After you have swaps on a single -drive machine. If you try Since I was unwilling to change my name dialledthisnumber andreceivedthe to use the Copy command to copy whole just to use a comms program, I got round the characteristiccarrier tone, you press the discs at a time, the Chit -Chat disc brings up problem by filling it up with gobbledegook. Modem Connect button on the modem, and a cryptic message saying that the data is This kept it happy, but it illustrates howreplace the handset of your phone. The stored in an "old format" ;in other words crass this kind of faint-hearted copy protec- Chit -Chat software then takes over. you cannot do it. tion can be. With Telecom Gold the whole process can Assuming you survive all these perils, you be automated if you have fed in your ID and are ready to log on. But even here there are password. The on -screen appearance of the pitfalls. The Sage modem has three push COMM+ Telecom Gold service is standard, but there buttons at the front and one at the back. isalso a record of time elapsed, which PCVERDICT ,. Whether they are in or out, and when you k, appears in the top -right hand corner, and :,, push them in, is critical. I found that the ,3-0 06.- 4,,, the menu of functionkeysalong the , ,, , button at the back labelled Self -test must Opp -,, bottom. It is slightly confusing in that the always be out. The two buttons labelled A function keys still refer to the telephone

Performance and B at the front must either both be in or directory screen and you have to press fl to both out. Why they could not therefore Ease of use exit to the subsequent screen.

Documentation have been replaced with a single button From there you can capture text or send escapes me. mail, which is useful given the appalling Value for money rate of transfer and weak editing facilities on BAUD -RATE OPTIONS 0 A do-it-yourself comms package for hackers only, but available in tamed Telecom Gold. The captureprocessis Whether they are in or out depends on versions. simple. Before you start reading some mail, what service you wish to access. For example, you press f4, give a name to the file, then if you want to use Telecom Gold they must press Enter. This does not initiate the Tele- both be out. This sets the baud rate of the com Gold function, which only responds to modem at 300 for both transmit and receive. Using the programisfairlystraight- Return and is an instance of where it is easy Most comms services use this speed for data, foward . The function keys appear as a menu to get confused by the different meanings of the main exception being Prestel and some of options along the bottom of the screen. keys in different programs. To terminate bulletin boards. They use 1,200 baud for The main screen allows you exit to CP/ M, capture you press f4 again. receive, and 75 baud for transmit. print out a file, create or edit a text, go on- The other button at the front is called line or set up a task. Help is normally avail- SENDING MAIL Modem Connect. Contrary to what you able on f8. Sending mail involves a similar process. might expect this is left out - and therefore Pressing f3 takes you to the list of phone Once you are in the Send mode you press f7 disconnected - while you dial a number; it numbers and baud rates. Entries can be to call up a pre-existing file. If the file con- is only pushed in to connect later. The added, deleted or edited. The Edit option tains the .Send command at the end, it will manual does explain this fairly clearly, but takes you to the detailed directory entry. be sent automatically; if not, you simply all in all there are so many buttons which This screen contains all the gory minutiae enter the .Send command manually. The have to be correctly set, not to mention DIN which make comms such a nightmare for the file can be produced either within Chit -Chat plugs which have to be the right way up, uninitiated: things like Xon /Xoff, parity, or using an external word processor. This that you can soon become disenchanted with word length, stop bits and so on. The list of allows you to produce pure ASCII files. The the idea of using a modem. services is pretty comprehensive, so with luck text editor provided by Chit -Chat is fairly The program loads automatically from you will never need to descend to this level. crude;itdoes not have wordwrap for your bootable backup. The first time you Using the phone directory is simple. You example.

FRESIEL Viewdata 00:01:4SE

P RES TEL 1.0526a Op isle P P R E mniotiang PREST S= Save File IR. lime File I D: Directory P RES TEL Ir=Send File Renee Filet U. Select Drive Weedto File Delete Filet R. Reset Disks T E E - J. Change area being used on Disk L,, .... . Hey 1 for more N Send Pleinorg II= ffirra/ orl C. Clear "morn Get old *wry Ifornat Itesorul I. Input File P

P RE Define Userkeus IMrix I H= Help level REST L' Ilea Transfer It: Handshake I P RE S TEL ---- P Pregame Save Baud turd I ES TEL 17. 2: LI TrevriterItodelCr GetJCF T E L L Hey 2 for more TM 41,1071Irlairia PRESS 9 FOR TELESHOPPING, 0 FRONT PAGE

eta FifillNlFrules Textve Drive is A:

Chit -Chat is capable of displaying full -screen Prestel graphics, In Comm+ the main options are reached from the Off-line menu. along with the function -key options. Option G lets you compile and run a comms file. (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 53 III SOFTWARE REVIEW

(continued from previous page) As well as electronic -mail and bulletin - board services, you can access viewdata systems like Prestel. The procedure for log- 4116211"128111111111121181MIMMUMMilliaggalialliMinTFM1111. ging on is much the same, except that the push buttons on the modem must be in, not out. Chit -Chat does a good job of coping with the graphics characters used in Prestel. It also manages to use the whole of the screen, something its predecessor did not. The menu bars from Datamail's four were just 12 pages of notes printed on green - The other main feature of Chit -Chat is screens. No other on -screen help is lined computer paper. Newstar later sent me the ability to set up a range of operations to provided. a more recent version of the manual which be carried out at set times, triggered by the DATAMAIL was a little fuller, though not much. The internal clock. For example, you could set basic command menus are accessed by press- the Amstrad to access Telecom Gold when ing Alt and Stop simultaneously. There are IBVERDICT 1/4. phone charges are cheapest. To do this, you 1/4, four menus, all displayed along the bottom 0 1/4 set up a task file using a range of task com- ,k- .,,,3- line of the screen. They are quite difficult to ,0 , 0c) (5,- mands. You also have to leave your micro on 0 --,, -s, ,:t x- 00 (4, read and not very informative. all the time, and an autodial modem is vital. The first menu lets you set up transmit

Performance The manual is quite well written, though NI IN and receive baud rates, parity, stop bits and in places it shows evidence of an incomplete Ease of use M 0II so on. You toggle through the possibilities revision from its earlier incarnation. The Documentation using the space bar. The next menu lets you program is generally better in this respect, in Value for money U U return to CP / M, gives you a disc directory, that you are not really aware that itis a E Has few virtues excepts its very low or takes you to the Prestel menu bar. A final conversion. Although it has its infelicities, price. menu bar lets you load and save parameter Chit -Chat makes a valiant stab at taming a setups, and load and send data. hostile area. But nowhere could I find anything to tell Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of you explicitly how to send and receive elec- Comm + from Margolis & Co. On booting tronic mail. All you are told is how to receive up thereis only the cryptic message or transmit files separately, which is not SPECIFICATION to go on-line or much use for an interactive service. I also for off-line operation had problems withPrestel.Itproved This is particularly unhelpful, since there is possible to receive data, but not to transmit. CHIT-CHAT no Esc key on thePCW-8256.Going on-line However, one nice feature of the Prestel Description: communications package proved fruitless, while off-line operation emulationistheability offering access to electronic mail, view- to display two data and bulletin -board services; optional provided an interesting menu but little else. screens side -by -side. On the whole, the modem extra After much scrabbling through a full but main virtue of this package seems to be that Copy protection: none poorly organised manual, I discovered that itis very cheap. Perhaps later implemen- Price: £99.99 including VAT; £239.99 to realise the full potential of Comm + you tations will solve these problems. with 300/300, 1,200/75 baud modem have to write your own comms package in It seems incredible that for a machine Publisher: Sagesoft plc, Regent Centre, the Comm + language. This you do off- with such a vast user base, and in one of the Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE3 line, saving it with the file extension .SRC. fastest -growing areas of business comput- 3DS. Telephone: 091-284 7077 Selecting option G on the off-line menu ing, there should be no first-class comms Available: now converts this into a file with the extension package which addresses all the obvious pro- COMM + .JCF. Pressing G again causes this mini blems and comes up with neat solutions. Description: communications program comms package to be run, and places you in But although you may have to struggle to generator on-line mode. By then, with luck, you will make comms work on the PCW-8256 at the Copy protection: none be connected to your chosen host.For moment there can be little doubt that this Price: £75 example, the program will change in due course. The Amstrad Publisher: Margolis & Co, 105 SET DELAY= 5 must eventually move beyond its word - Foundling Court, Brunswick Centre, DO 13 processor origins to emerge as one of the Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1 AN. GET "PAD >" cheapest and most convenient routes into Telephone: 01-278 3032 IF DELAY= 0 PART 0 the world of email and beyond. Available: now SET DELAY= 0 DO "CALL 81", 13 DATAMAI L GET "PLEASE SIGN ON" CONCLUSIONS DO "ID ABC123 PASS", 13 NWiththesetups now available,com- Description: simple communications willlog you on to Telecom Gold. And it munications on the Amstrad is a nightmare. program Unless you are really keen or desperate, it is Copy protection: none does work, but getting there proved an enor- mous effort. After every use of the off-line besttowaituntilbetterproducts come Price: £39.95 including VAT through. menu, the program insists on refreshing the Publisher: Newstar, 200 North Service 1110fthepackagesreviewed,Chit -Chat Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4SG. screen. The single -letter commands on the emerges as the clear favourite. It is relatively Telephone: (0277) 220573 menu are also very unhelpful. easy to use, and has the advantage that Sage Available:now Clearly Comm + is aimed at the real en- will supply a modem with the package. Its thusiast, for whom it looks to be a powerful main failing is that the manual shows signs of AMSTRAD CPS -8256 product. It is not suitable for the ordinary Chit -Chat's earlier heritage as an MS-DOS Description:serialand parallel business user, nor is it really meant to be. For package, which could prove confusing. interface for the PCW-8256 and the business market someone else will have liComm +isnot a comms package in the PCW-8512 same sense as Chit -Chat. In effect you have to Price: £59.95 including VAT to do the programming and then sell a com- plete, working and documented system. write your own using the built-in language. Supplier: Amstrad Consumer This gives you great control, but again itis Electronics plc, Brentwood House, 169 The final package, Datamail, comes from inappropriate for the ordinary user. King's Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 Newstar. The version I received looked like INDatamail is very limited and may even be 4EF. Telephone: (0277) 228888 some kind of samizdat literature smuggled unfinished, judging by the problems which Available:now out of Moscow. Apart from the disc, there arose. It is also very cheap. NE

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- circle 169 on enquiry card - PREVIEW VIDEOL INTERACT By Simon Beesley

This add-on card includes software which allows you to add live video to computer - generated text and graphics on an IBM-compatible. Both video discs and CD-ROMs are optical discs which use laser light to retrieve data, and both work in more or less the same way. But whereas one side of a I2in. video disc holds 54,000 frames, or 36 minutes of video with sound, the capacity of a CD-ROM disc is numbered in hundreds of frames. The difference is that the video disc repro- duces an analogue signal, while CD-ROMs store data in digital form. Converting a single PAL video picture into digital data requires around 2Mbyte, enough to store at least three medium -length novels. From this point of view, a picture is worth considerably more than a thousand words. Given these figures, it is surprising that videodiscshavenotfoundgreater application as mass -storage devices. There areinteractive video systems that allow computers to control video -disc players and superimpose computer graphics and text on video. But, by and large, interactive video has come to refer to the use of video discs for training, educational or point -of -sale applications. For this reason, most inter- active -video systems are sold as a package comprising a video -disc player, computer, monitor and an authoring language. and graphics look crisper than they normally DUAL -INPUT MONITOR SPECIFICATION do on an IBM display. But Videologic's interactive -videosystem, Another advantage is that the MIC card Description: interactive -video control can read both PAL and NTSC video -disc MIC-2000,isratherdifferent,asitis system embodied in a single controller card which Hardware required: IBM PC, PC/AT players. The PAL TV standard used in plugs into one of the expansion slots on an or compatible, any video -disc player with Europe gives a picture with 625 lines at IBM PC,PC/ AT orcompatible.The an RS -232 port, and a high -resolution 25Hz, whereas the NTSC format used in MIC-2000 works with existing Enhanced RGB and video monitor America and Japan is 525 lines at 30Hz . The Graphics Adaptor (EGA) cards, but you will Price:£950 IBM PC outputs text and graphics in the need to replace colour -graphics adaptors Manufacturer: Videologic Ltd, 12 NTSC format. If the MIC board detects a with Videologic's equivalent card. You also Golden Square, London W1 R 3AF. PAL signal coming from the playerit Telephone: 01-439 3343 ahigh -resolutioncolour monitor converts the computer's output to match. need Available:now capable of handling composite video and But itis MIC's software that really dis- analogue RGB signals. With these in place, tinguishes it from itsrivals. Unlike most MIC and its accompanying software will computertothemonitor,switching interactive systems, the controlling program allow you to use a PC to mix computerbetween them at a rate of 25MHz. The works through the computer's operating graphics and text with video from any video- system cuts a hole or template in the video system rather than bypassing it. Under MS- disc player equipped with an RS -232 port. picture to accommodate the computer -gen- DOS, MIC treats the video disc as another The way in which MIC combines graphics erated text or graphics. This technique, peripheral device. The software to control and textissomewhat unusual.Strictly which is known as hard keying, has the the player provides a number of commands speaking, the system does not superimpose advantage that the template can be made which can be sent in the same way as computer graphics on video. Instead it sends slightly larger than necessary in order to give commands to a printer or a disc drive. This both a composite -video signal from thecomputer output a very fine black outline. makes it easy to control the video disc from a video disc and an RGB signal from the On the Videologic system this makes text programming language such as Basic. You

56 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 PREVIEW

Windows itself is running other programs. Togive anideaofpossibleMIC applicationsVideologic haslinkedthe system up with Microsoft's Rbase database. The database shows a list of British birds. After you select a species you are shown a stillor moving pictureof thebirdin question, accompanied by bird song or a commentary from David Attenborough. But impressive thoughitis,the Rbase demonstration is no more than a gesture towards future possibilities. TAILOR-MADE DISCS The memory - The bulk of Videologic's sales are to large resident toolbox companiesusinginteractivevideofor utilities (above and Ceareues training purposes. As far as small companies right) permit control Who 1 W or individual users are concerned, the major . Rothe 2 OW over MIC's Press obstacle preventing video discs being used commands, fade control, the colour for database applications is the high cost of palette and the recording video on disc. There are very few background colour. discs available off the shelf, ready-made for They are displayed interactive video, and most of them are for here against a training purposes. So if you want a video videobackground. disc for use as a database of still pictures you will probably have to produce your own. Philips charges £3,000 to press a master disc fromlin.broadcast -standardtape,and recording the tape could raise the total cost by the same amount again. Perhaps the most promising development on how far the disc head has to move across for analogue video databases is the sort of the disc, video -disc players can take up to hybrid optical -disc unit designed by Philips fiveseconds toaccessa new frame or forthe BBC's Domesday Project.The sequence. By fading out the current image Philips VP -415 takes 12in. video discs and while the player is accessing a new frame, the combines them with CD-ROM technology. do not need to run an authoring language Fade command creates an effect of seamless By using one of the audio tracks for digital tailored to a specific video -disc interface. continuity. With it you can program a fast or storage it provides 324Mbyte per side. The Some of the MIC commands duplicate the slow fade to one of 255 levels of intensity; combination offers the best potential yet for facilities available using the manual controls you have control over the brightness of the mass storage:a disc which will give you on the video -disc player. Thus you can play video, the computer text and graphics, and 324Mbyte together with 54,000 stills or 36 through any sequence of frames on the disc, the level of the sound tracks. minutes of video and sound. wind forward or reverse, branch to a new Videologic also supplies two memory - sequence or bring up any single frame. residentprograms,calledToolbox and CONCLUSIONS Other commands set the way video will Interceptor.Toolbox is aSidekick -like II1TheMIC-2000 controllercard andits combine with computer output and provide utility that pops up to offer such features as a accompanying software offer a cheap and a limited editing facility. command -lineinterfacefortheMIC unusually flexible basis for interactive video. operating commands, a fade control panel, MMIC's major asset isits software, which is KEY COLOURS and a colour palette which can be used to highly compatible with IBM PC systems and The system displays the video image by make different colours transparent. Inter- includes a useful editing facility. making one of the computer -generated ceptor lets you execute MIC commands from III1The MIC system offers scope for using video colours transparent. By default black is the within an application program, so if you in novel ways, in particular to support an transparent colour, so images from the video really wanted to you could have live video image database.Itisalso wellsuited to mainstreaminteractive -videoapplications appears as the background to computer gen- and sound in the background while you run such as education, training and point -of -sale. erated text or graphics. With the Trans- WordStar or Lotus 1-2-3. In principle MIC brings video within the parency command you can reassign the key EvenwithoutInterceptor,theMIC reach of small companies and even individual colour so that video material peeps through operating software offers a high degree of users, but for the time being the high cost of a given patch or patches on the screen. compatibility with much of the existing base producing a video disc tailored to a specific A limited but useful editing facility is of MS-DOS software. For example, it will application makes it unlikely that many people provided by the Fade command. Depending runconcurrentlywith Windows while will take advantage of it.

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Owner's Name . J. Stainton

Phone Number I ne of the most difficult things Commission Rate . standard about using a databaseisthe Type of Property : cottage Sleeps . 6 Condition . excellent

peculiar language which is so often Amenities in Property : colour tv: private fishing; large garden needed0 to carry out a search or a query. Amenities in Area : sailing; fell walking Imagine, for example, that you run an Distance from Shop : 2 Minimum Period . 1 Pets OK? tY agency for holiday homes and you want to Distance from Pub : 2 Weekly Rental sE90 Children OK? sY Distance from Station : 15 find a property that meets a particular customer's requirements. You turn to your database, and after much thought and SAMPLE. dtf Form 1 Page 1 of I several failed attempts you type something along the lines of: Esc -Exit Fl -How to add F8 -Cale F10 -Continue LIST ALL FOR TYPE="COTTAGE" .AND. NO:SLEEPS>=6 .AND. GARDEN="Y" The Q&A database is centred on a form which the user designs. Each form may .AND. ("LAKE"$AMENITY .OR. have up to 2,400 fields extending over 10 screen pages. "MOU NTAINS"$AMEN1TY) With a package like dBase IIthis syntax would work, but it is hardly intuitive. attaching so-called programming statements operatorto type EA for East Anglia, for How much nicer it would be if you could to some of the fields. example. type instead: Theseprogrammingstatementswill There is a remarkable amount of freedom I want a holiday cottage which sleeps 6 or appeal to the power user who wants to make in what goes into a form, with virtually no more, has a large garden, and is either form filling less of a chore. They have lots of restrictions on field names or numbers of by a lakeor in the mountains. uses:performingcalculations,setting fields. In theory, a single record can contain Q&Ayou could type this With Symantec's defaultvalues,rerouteingthecursor half a megabyte of data. You can also draw sentence and get the correct answer - according to the data entered and quite a lot boxes in forms, select alternative colours, assuming, of course,thattherelevant more. I used one to establish a look -up table and even set up your own help screens. information is already in the database. You for my region field. This would allow an But thereally impressive part ofQ&Ais could then follow it up by typing the Intelligent Assistant. As delivered, it Who owns it? understands around 400 common words and Or phrases, though they do not allow you to do What is his phone number? very much by themselves. Before you can use Or the Assistant for the first time you have to What is its weekly rental? teach it the terminology of your particular Q&A is the most successful attempt I have application. seen to bolt a natural -language interface on As a first step, the Assistant goes through to a database. You can use ordinary English the database, extracting field values and not just for queries and searches, but also for presumably making them into some sort of creating new records, doing global updates index. It needs to know the actual contents and requesting reports. Symantec calls this of fields, not just field names, so that if you part of the package the Intelligent Assistant. SPECIFICATION later ask: Even without the Intelligent Assistant, Show me the housesand flats on the South Q&A would still be a very serviceable filing Description:databasepackage with Coast system. It is not a true relational database integrated word processor, report it will know that houses and flats are types of along the lines of dBase II, as you can only generator and natural -language property and that South Coast is a region. have one file in use at a time. Itis really interface Once you have gone through the teaching intended for applications involving a large Hardware required: IBM PC, PC/AT process, any new forms will have to update volume of data without too rigid a structure or compatible with 512K RAM; hard disc these indexes along with the main file. This and with lots of ad hoc enquiries. is advisable Copy protection: none can be quite time consuming, so Symantec Like many similar products,Q&Ais Price:£250 advises you to enter the bulk of your data orientated towards forms. To design the Publisher: Symantec Corporation of before using the Assistant for the first time. database you design a form using a con- Cupertino, California Next you may teach the Assistant some of ventional screen editor. It took me less than U.K. distributor: Softsel, Softsel the vocabulary that you will use when asking half an hour to create a form for the fictitious House, Syon Gate Way, Great West it questions. This process is organised into database of holiday homes which I invented Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9DD. eight lessonsandis very easy to follow. You for this review. This included defining the Telephone: 01-568 8866 can also do the teaching as you go along if field types and some range checks, and also Available: now you prefer, though putting some initial

(continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 59 SOFTWARE REVIEW

that "miles" was a unit of measurement for distances. It also knows about plurals: shops Have we any cottages in the Lake District with private fishing? and shop are treated identically,as are properties and property. When I went back to the query, the cottages selected turned out to be less than two miles from shops, which was what I The answer to your question is YES wanted. But they were all more than five miles from pubs or stations, which was the Esc -Cancel 4,-,to see bhe forms opposite of what I had intended. It seemed that the software only applied the "not" to the firstpart of the condition. Putting "back of beyond" in brackets made no difference. In several hours of experimenting with the SAMPLE. dtf Intelligent Assistant, this was the only time that it came up with a wrong answer. On the Esc -Cancel F1 -How to ask .111-, Continue rare occasions when it does let you down you can always go back to using old-fashioned You communicate with the database by typingin ordinaryEnglish. The software program -like syntax.Q&A'smain filing replies in the same way. module includes a very respectable report generator and a powerful retrieval option (continued from previous page) Q&A that uses traditional things like < and > effort into the teaching process makes it symbols, and wild -card characters. Both are easier to ask questions in a natural way. PCVERDICT , available whether or not you decide to use 1/4, The sort of thing that the Assistant wants 0 1/4, the Intelligent Assistant. 0 to know includes alternative ways of des- % %..i" ei Q&Aincludes a word-processing module, cribing the main subject of the database and st sr C, k, which is adequate if unexciting. Its strongest point is a mail -merge feature linked with the various types of data in it. For example, I Performance U 0 told it that my sample file was basically fields in the database. TheQ&Autilities Ease of use II about properties, but that I might also refer . module mainly covers import and export. to properties as places or accommodation. Documentation II You can import from PFS, Filing Assistant, Up to 11 synonyms can be nominated. Value for money M M 1-2-3, DIF and ASCII, and also from Similarly, I told it that rent per week, cost EItis hard not to be impressed by the dBasell and III files that have first been con- and weekly terms all mean the same as Intelligent Assistant. It's fun too. verted to ASCII. You can export to DIF and weekly rental, and that a TV is a television. ASCII formats. This module also covers Other fields can be tagged as locations or various file -handling options and printer people, and you can link adjectives and installation. Lastly, there is a quick macro facility, be verbs to specific items of data. my Owner field,sothisquestionalso which can called up from After an initial training session lasting produced the correct reply. anywhere in the package. about 20 minutes I entered my first query. There are dozens of other ways of asking On thenegativeside,thebiggest The mechanics of doing this are simple. You questions. The overriding aim of Q&A isto difficulty with Q&A isprocessing time. type your question or command in a box at let you enter queries and commands without Althoughitrarelytook more than10 the top of the screen. Q&A then spends a any thought to the wording, just by using seconds to handle my queries, this was with little time thinking about it, during which it natural English. Most of the time itis a sample of just 16 records. The time needed highlights the word thatitiscurrently successful. You can ask Yes/No questions to scan the database is probably comparable working on. Most of my queries were like: with other packages, but there is also a delay analysed in five to 10 seconds with the Is there a property in Keswick called Fell View? while your input isanalysed. Since this program running on an Olivetti M-24. The and ones involving counting or arithmetic, involves looking at actual field values it must software then displays its interpretation of such as: increase with the amount of data, so speed what you want, for you to either confirm or What isthe averagerental for places in could be a problem with a large file. reject. Wales? Furthermore, my 16 records, amounting I started by typing: In the vast majorityof cases the Intelligent to less than 4K of data, required a staggering Which is the most isolated cottage in Scotland? Assistant will grasp exactly what you want 56K of filespace.Thisispresumably After somefivesecondstheAssistant and will produce a faultless response. accounted for by the various indexes, the replied: When the program does have difficulties, Intelligent Assistant's vocabulary, and my ShallI do the following? Create a report itwill ask you toclarify your request, look -up table and custom help screens. showing Name and Distance from Shop learning as it does so. For example, when I Clearly, a hard disc would be vital for any from the forms on which the Type of typed: serious applications. Property is Cottage and the Region is I want a cottage that has a garden and is Scotland and the Distance from Shop is not in the back of beyond. greatest? CONCLUSIONS theAssistant replied: This is exactly what I wanted, so I pressed Y itsnatural -language feature, word highlighted above. IlApart from to confirm. After another short delay, up I don't know the Q&A is a useful though unexceptional flat - What wouldyou like me to do? file system with added modules for word came the correct answer. I had, of course, The word in question was "back", and the already taught the Assistant that the word processing and reports. options suggested were to alter the query, to If your application involves lots of ad hoc "isolated" means a high valueinthe teach the Assistant or to ignore the word. I Distance from Shop field. enquiries to a single file the Q&A approach is decided to type: very attractive. With the name of the cottage on the Define back of beyond as distance from E The software is remarkably skilful at working screen, I was then able to follow up with: shops more than 2 miles, distance from out what you mean. Who owns it? pub more than 5 miles, and distance from Not everyone will want to talk to their The Assistant takes pronouns like "it" to station more than 5 miles. database in plain English; for many jobs a refer to the last record that it found, and it This was accepted without further com- moreconcise,unambiguous language is knew that the verb "to own" was linked to plaint,as I had already told the Assistant needed.

60 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS TOOL £69

TAS-Plus just made it faster, easier and statement etc. Excellent array handling and cheaper to build database applications. AT 169 TAS-PLUS string manipulation. TAS-Plus combines the power of a IS COMPLETE Time and date fields are supported (incl. relational database with the ease of a It consists of the Relational Database, European and long or short dates). Full date screen printer and a program generator. 4th Generation Language, Source Code arithmetic (add and subtract dates). Get/set Then TAS-Plus adds a runtime compiler to Editor, Runtime Compiler, Screen Painter, system time and date. TRAP all functions produce lightning fast code that will Program Generator, Database Browser, keys, numeric keypad and file IO. Run other outperform any database we know of. Just Report Writer and 350 Page Thtorial and TAS programs. Run non TAS programs. Run look at what TAS-Plus gives you:- Reference Manual. TAS-Plus has over 86 DOS commands. Read and write dBase files. commands and over 200 options available Read and write non TAS (ASCII) files. Multi - + Relational Database in its source code editor. TAS-Plus supports company filing system and commands. + 4th Generation Language 16 simultaneous open files, each with up to Initialize, rename, reindex and delete files 16 indices and a total of 65,000 records per from within programs and calculate file + Source Code Editor file with up to 10,000 characters per record. sizes. You can even compile programs as a + Runtime Compiler command. + Screen Painter Excellent 350 page tutorial and reference manual. Totally automated menu - + Program Generator So Stop Evaluating driven, syntax -checking Source Code + Database Browser Editor which even tells on which page in dBase £595 the manual to get help. Create pull down + Report Writer Rbase £595 menus and 10 overlapping windows. Up to TAS-PLUS FOR NOVICE AND PROFESSIONAL 128 colour combinations. All IBM business Dataflex £995 graphics supported. Set video With TAS-Plus you can build highlight/normal/reverse. Powerful scroll professional database applications on day Paradox £550 and wrap commands. User definable one. Even if you have never programmed before. Just "paint" the screen the way you Delta £495 printer control characters. Full Function want and the TAS-Plus program generator TAS-Plus 1 69 Key access and control. Not Copy writes the program for you, and custom Protected. So . . . at £69.00 it's a must. reports are just as easy. When you have created your first database applications, the ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY database browser and report generator TAS-PLUS DEVELOPER'S VERSION 1199 INIIM allow you to retrieve the information For those who need even more power. quickly and print it to screen, disk or Open 32 files, each with up to 32 keys per printer. file. Save up to 17 million records. Includes The excellent 350 -page tutorial and programmers toolkit (includes the source 111111 111 reference manual will teach you step-by- code of the editor which is written in TAS). Please send me the following items step how to use the source code editor and expand your programs to support multiple TAS-Plus @£ 69 files and screens including the "fancy stuff" TAS-PLUS MULTI-USER VERSION 1299 TAS-Plus Developer @ £199 such as pull -down menus and TAS-windows Includes TAS-Plus developer and (we're the ONLY database that can do this). supports DOS 3.1 NETBIOS file and record Handling & Shipping @ £6 TAS-Plus has 128 colour combinations locking. Add 15% VAT. available and can display all IBM graphic characters. You can even get at or set the I enclose a total of: £ system time and date. TAS-Plus allows you SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Payment to produce programs that are more TAS-Plus runs on IBM PC, XT, AT and all professionally looking and with more ChequeD Access 0 Visa 0 "polish" than even the very expensive so- true compatibles. It requires at least two floppy discs and a minimum of 384KB Card Number called "professional" software packages. RAM. The current TAS Level -1 product is Finally, when it comes down to the Card Expiry Date speed of writing and more importantly available for CP/M and non -IBM compatible MS-DOS systems (including Apricot) for Card Name running your programs (because that's what £199. you do every day) you will find that the Card Address. compiled code makes it load, read and write data quicker than any other database TAS-PLUS FOR THE TECHNICALLY MINDED we know of. And don't feel sorry for Because TAS compiles down to yourself if you already have dBase, TAS-Plus intermediate machine code your programs Postcode: can read and write those files as well. Now, will execute fast, TAS itself is written in you must agree that's respectable at any Assembler. TAS uses B -Tree multi -key file Daytime Tel. No.. price, at £69.00 its awesome. And if you access and is the fastest database we know still need convincing that this is the bargain of. It provides an incredible, but easy to Signature: of a lifetime we offer a 60 -day money back learn, 85 + commands including IF, DO, A VAT Invoice will be included in the Parcel. Enclose guarantee*. WHILE, FOR/NEXT, GOTO, GOSUB, ON a company letterhead if invoice name and address needs to be different from card name and address.

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All trademarks are recognized. in 60seconds," s canproduce could print £505printer theirEX800minute," -I a much ournew theytold us "Half a how ad:'Then factory you toshow "a short-copy ducks in aduvet I'm amonk "We want thought, two all that, good; we happy as we'rewriting tears.Anyway, h Epson."Oh as "if youthink moved to second -and we were We were intothe barg characters a on acalculator, sympathy. on ourown SOS messages Hmph.Such you are.You're tapping out they said. andcompletely course "Have abanana',' PeacePart One you? Of chance of sc uncle'? War and reading,aren't half a faced withwriting you'restill whenthere's lasers, grids we are, alone -after all, bit ofeyestrain shotswith completely off by a 'hi -tech' clearedoff alre Well, not who's put of thosedreadful mighthave ofnamby-pamby need any Theriff-raff other under the sort tell. Youdon't attention. product or writing, I can tograb your stroke some not. Norare decent all overthe shop suggestively you? 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(Thepoint knowthat what's the I'm sorry. available. probably know.I mean, Oh look, '2K also again, you I don't ofnotice?? took up I'mforgetting an Epsoncomputer ablind bit had a namethat ;nurse aren't using don't take if they The why you areif people rival outfit TrulySickening. though good F,psons tomention a That Is Not that how at having abbreviation? printers. onabout get soangry an of all Epson but onethat uses reliability proverbsactually PerhapsI wouldn't of space, proverbial many \ amount boaststhe noticed how There's'Many areasonable that theEX800 Have you is lost'. tomake is awful lot,of course. 'He whohesitatestime someof these final point meansan leap' and really is need is 'proverbial' before you 'Weird. It friend in the word There's'Look spoil thebroth'. 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emember us telling you about the Epson EX8W. the printer that makes others in itsprice range look like snails on valium? Well, now ey've brought out the EX KW, a printer that does everything the EX800can, but which has a wider carriage to take paper for spreadsheets. ou can get one for only i:665 (RRP exc. VAT) - and you can get more informationon both EX printers by cutting the coupon above. Within £149.95 * for a Hayes compatible, autodial, autoanswer with speed seeking smart modem from one of the UK's best-known modem manufacturers - that really brings the world of data communications within your reach! If that wasn't enough, the new WS4000 is also fully intelligent and speed buffered. And you can add your Your choice of optional extras now or later, taking it right up to full V22 or even the 2400 bps V22 bis standard. ReachFor only £149.95* you can reach out to Prestel, Telecom Gold, Micronet, Microlink and the world's databases, bulletin boards and telex links through your own telephone line. User -user file transfer too. WS4000 is made to the same high quality as all our products. The price breakthrough is a direct result of our massive component buying power through high volume sales to business, home, educational and Government users throughout the world. APPROVED for connection to If £149.95* is within your reach telecommunication systems specified - then so is the world. in the instructions tor use subject to Price excludes VAT. Total delivered price, UK the conditions Set mainland, is £178.19. Prestel, Telecom Gold, out in them. Micronet and Microlink are registered trade marks of those companies. Access & Visa cards accepted. 4-MIRACLE TECHNOLOGY 111 MIRACLE TECHNOLOGY (UK) LTD ST PETERS STREET IPSWICH IP1 1X6 ENGLAND i (0473) 2161416 LINES TELECOM GOLD 79: KEY 001 (Dealerlink 72: DTB 10135) 1. 946240 CWEASY G 19002985PRESTEL MAILBOX 919992265 - circle 125 on enquiry card - - circle 117 on enquiry card - IIISOFTWARE REVIEW PRODUCTIVITY PLUS GD FR OK TYPG By Glyn Moody

If you find yourself PRODUCTIVITY PLUS (C) repeatedly typing the same Display Productivity Keystroke Savings words and phrases this memory -resident program CURRENT PRD+ CONFIGURATION could save you a lot of time. Machine Type: An IBM XT Software Program: pfs:Write Everybody uses abbreviations, whether SHORT FORM TABLE STATISTICS FOR WORD LIST - . generally accepted ones like "asap" Short Forms Used:6 / Available:1994 / % Available -99 Characters used:127 / Available:39873 / % Available -99 or purely personal versions. Building Average Characters Used Per Form - 21 onthishabit,ProductivityPlusfrom Productivity Software International allows NUMBER OF KEYSTROKES SAVED- 152 you to use any abbreviation - standard or % S A V E D - 25 made up - as you type text into your word processor, database or spreadsheet. Provided PRESS

The program takes up 64K of RAM and runs Documentation M put Productivity Plus into Add mode. You

on the IBM PC family. Value for money IN IN then type the abbreviation you wish to use, Although the idea behind Productivity EA neat idea,marred by some followed by a colon and the expanded form. Plusisbeautifully simple,loading and awkward aspects and a high price. Ifyouwishyoucanaddanynew running the program is a bit of a palaver. abbreviations to your permanent word list First it must be set up for the particular by saving them at the end of a session. application you intend using it with. Every- Abbreviationscanbeuptoeight thing is controlled from the main menu, characters long and you can have 2,000 in a which is called up by typing includes about 15 word processors along word list. The expanded version can have up PPLUS with everything else obvious like Lotus 1-2-3 to 240 characters, and can include words, if you are loading the program for the first and dBase. If your application is not present phrases and even macros for programs like time in a session, or there isa Customise option, though the 1-2-3. PMENU manufacturer does not guarantee that it will I must confess that I found the whole if not. always work. business of creating, loading and saving The menu which comes up offers you the After loading Productivity Plus you have word lists slightly confusing. The manual is facility to change the configuration of the to load a word list containing the abbrevia- nicely produced in a fold -over pad format, system. The current list of 25 or so options tions and their expansions. If you are already but it could be better organised. in an application program you must exit to Theotherbigproblem isprice. DOS and then call up the main Productivity Productivity Plus is currently only available SPECIFICATION Plus menu before changing your word list or in the U.S. where it weighs in at a steep $195 loading a new one. Having chosen your - say £150. This, and the rough edges still Description: a memory -resident word list, you exit to DOS, load the applica- apparent in its implementation, rather spoil program which expands abbreviations as tion and then run it. they are entered; also has macro what is in principle a splendid idea. capabilities To set Productivity Plus running you Hardware required: IBM PC, PC/AT press Alt and Esc simultaneously. There- CONCLUSIONS or compatible; occupies 64K of RAM after whenever you typeapre -defined Copy protection: none abbreviation, Productivity Plus will simply III Productivity Plus is amemory -resident Price:$195 overwrite it with the expansion assigned to it program that lets you use abbreviations which it then automatically expands. Publisher:Productivity Software inthewordlist.Theprogramcan It is trivially easy to use, though less easy to International, 1220 Broadway, New distinguish an abbreviation from the same York, NY 10001. Telephone: (U.S. area set up. sequence of characters when they form part It is rather expensive for what it does, but code 212) 967-8666 of a longer word. It does so by recognising Available:now,from U.S.A. only with improvements and a hefty price cut it delimiters that define the beginning and could become an indispensable aid.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 65 ESOFTWARE REVIEW

t FileDefineWindowsDisplaySpecs fun STELLA -0 Spring -Moss A MODEL OF ITS KIND By John Lewis

Modelling and simulation problem under investigation. To do so you You build up yourmodel from Stella's assemble a set of basic elements or tools basic elements. The model above beyond the wildest dreams of represents a mass suspended on a whicharedisplayedonthepackage's spreadsheet users becomes spring. The dialogue box belowsets up opening screen. Among these tools is the the controls for a converter. possible with this graphics- Stockelement,lookingratherlikea bathtub,in which thenet inflow and orientated package for the IThoumble Inputs outflow is registered. The Flow and Flow O Momentum Macintosh. Position Regulator tools take the form of a pipe with o Force an intelligent regulator to control flows. The oHookes_Constont o Mass (01 Modelling is a familiar concept to Converterconvertsmathematicalinputs o velocity most microcomputerusers. into output control signals. A link or pipe INITIPosition). I Spreadsheets owe much of their joins the other elements together so that success to the ability to simulate the way a information can pass between them. business works, allowing predictions to be In the bottom left-hand corner of the tleton Cancel OK made about the consequences of a particularscreen there are two Zoom boxes on which course of action.Stellaisintended foryou can click to get a better view of your modelling of a more general kind, and is diagram. As each of the main tools is used, designedfortracingoutthe dynamics additional dialogue boxes can be called up Variables to Plot List of Variables implied by any series of interrelationships. I: Momentum Momentum Stella is based on the assumptions that all STELLA 2: Force P Position 3: o Force living things - and some non -living ones- 4: oHookes_Constant are goal seeking, and that in order to be goal PC VERDICT (Clear Variable) o Mass <,., O velocity seeking a feedback 0 k, required. 0 ---, This leads to an emphasis on the dynamics of Graph Type: ®TimeSeries 0 Scatter Time Range:C) Full 0 From: a system, rather than on its equilibrium or s sr 0 44, Cancel OK To: steady-state position. Performance Stella allows you to build a feedback loop Ease of use into a model and will continue to cycle Above: Dialogue boxes are used to Documentation II through it until you tell the program to stop. . select the plotting mode. Below: A plot

Value for money 1.1 of momentum against position for the For this reviewI set up a model of an oscillating spring. Elapsed time is oscillating spring. I could have added to it n Fun to play with, and a powerful tool displayed at the top. by introducing the damping effects of air for those with a thorough knowledge of resistance and friction. modelling and simulation. F 2.875 Graph Pad With some difficulty a similar model F1orntntum vsPestban could be built up on a spreadsheet. But a 5 100 spreadsheet model can only give a snapshot to enter constants or the mathematical of the system as it exists at one particular relationships between the various inputs. 2 550 moment. To find out what the system is like These relationships can be expressed in 0 0 at a different time you would have to rerun standard mathematical fashionorasa the spreadsheet with adifferentset of graphicalfunctionbetweenanytwo -2 550 starting values. By contrast, Stella allows you variables over the whole of the operating to get a picture of how the system changes range. "" -I00 600 0 0 0.600 200 over time. Using the package's graphing The expected Edit menu allowing you to facilities you see an animated display of cut, copy and paste is not present. So you changes in the system's parameters. You can cannot transfer any Stella information via also print out a permanent record of the theclipboardtoanotherMacintosh SPECIFICATION dynamics of the model in either graphical or application, though you can File, Print, etc. tabular form. A Specs menu lets you select the duration of Description: modelling and simulation the simulation you will be running, together program, using structural diagrams to COPY PROTECTED with the step time and whether you want construct the model The Stella system disc is copy protected, any of the major tools to be animated. For Hardware required: Macintosh with and you can only boot from the master disc at least 512K RAM example, if you choose to animate Stocks the Copy protection: master system disc supplied. To run Stella from a hard disc you bathtub element in your diagram will fill or must be present to boot the program need a separate installation program whichempty inresponsetotheinflows and Price: £249 is available free of charge from Logotron, the outflows. For your computation method you Publisher:High Performance Systems program's U.K. distributor. Logotron says can choose Euler, Runge-Kutta 2 or Runge- Inc.of Lyme, New Hampshire that Stella should run satisfactorily in con- Kutta 4. You can also set the upper and U.K. supplier: Logotron, Dales junction with the Switcher utility program. lower limits for any variables so that the calc- Brewery, Gwydir Street, Cambridge CB1 The first stage of using Stella is to buildulations are kept within defined bounds. 2LJ. Telephone: (0223) 323656 up a structural diagram which defines the Once everything is set up you start to Available:now

66 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 SOFTWARE REVIEW

particular variable of any change you might make. FileDprinpWindowsDisplaySppcs Run 5.625 I The documentation for Stella expects you

Spring -Mass to learn by doing, and in this respect it is more a tutorial than a reference manual. The population -dynamics example it uses exhibits overshoot and collapse: at first the population thrives, but thenitcollapses O quickly. The model is built up using the concepts of birth fraction, death fraction, death rate, natural lifetime, etc. Changes are made to the model to try and show the overshoot and collapse pattern, though by the end of the introductory chapter this has not actually been achieved. You are left with the author urging you to take some time to modify the model to generate the antici- pated pattern. The next chapter gives an insight into the philosophy behind Stella,together with some tips on how to produce good models. Hookes_Constant The point is emphasised that data is more tO than a collection of numbers; it can also include structural relationships, which Stella is designed to cope with. You are urged to The model can be animated to show state what your hypothesis is before trying to how the values of the elements change test it; to change only one thing at a time; with time. and to find out what the limitations of your model are by destructive testing. MODELLING WORKSHOPS A brief description of the various menus is =0 Graph Pad followed by six modelling workshops. The firstisan extension of the population - 1 Position 2 Velocity dynamicsmodel,withextravariables. Another simulation investigates the inter- 1 1.200 2 1.500 action between a predator and its prey to showtheoscillatorychangesintheir individual populations. Inadvertent Evo- 1 0.750.600 2 0 lution in a High Tech Firm and a look at Adam Smith's Law of the market comprise workshops 3 and 4, while the final two look 1 0.0 at diet and exercise, and macroeconomic 2 0.0 money flow. As it stands, the manul provides a good

1 -0.600 introduction to a difficult subject. But to get 2 -0.750 the most out of Stella you will need to know more about modelling than the manual tells you. The program was written by Barry 1 -1.200 2 -1.500 0.0 6.250 12.500 18.750 25.000 Richmond,aprofessoratDartmouth Time College, and I got the impression that the documentation started life as an adjunct to a -1- full course on modelling and simulation. Certainly this would explainitstutorial A double plot, showing how both style, the sketchy index, and the lack of any position and velocity vary with time. suggestionsforbackgroundreading.It could also be the reason why you are not even told what the maximum size of a model simulate your model by selecting Start from automatically scales the axes and labels and can be. This could prove disastrous if you the Run menu. A clock in the top right individual curves. If the Graph Pad window had spent many hours constructing a sim- corner of the menu bar shows the passage of is selected while a simulation is being run ulation, only to find that it is too big. time within the model. You can pause at you can watch the graphs being drawn as the anypointtoinvestigate aparticular simulation develops. CONCLUSIONS property, or even break off the simulation The Table window allows you to follow altogether if it is obvious that something has the progress of up tofivevariablesin Stella is a modelling and simulation package gone drastically wrong. numeric mode and to obtain a printout, if powerful enough to meet the needs of most The animated diagram displayed at this required, as the simulation proceeds. Any of serious users. stage is amusing to watch, but for hard the equations used in the model can be II1The Macintosh's graphics interface is used to generate an animated display of the sim- information you need to flip to the Graphs reviewed if you open the Equation window. ulation that is fun to watch and provides a window. Here you can plot up to three A Search facility allows any individual name useful practical introduction to the subject. different graphs. Any pair of variables can or variable and its associated tool to be E The documentation deals well with a difficult be plotted against each other, or you can located. If you have a large simulation you subject, but does not give a full explanation of plot any variable against time. The program can use Search to identify the effect on a modelling techniques. PC

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 67 N SOFTWARE REVIEW FARSIGHT 1 2 3 PLUS WP By Glyn Moody

This Lotus 1-2-3 clone offers window environment as far as file handling within the spreadsheet is very easy to use. is concerned is the ease with which files can The word processor contained within spreadsheet facilities plus becopiedfrom onesub directoryto Farsight is interesting, if only because it is word processing in a another. All you have to do is employ a not an outright clone of anything. Once windowing enviornment. standardcut -and -pastetechnique:you again, some new options appear along the mark the file to be moved, cut it, move to top of the screen when you pass from the programs which aim to clone the top - the new location and paste it. You can do windows environment. One of them is the selling Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet never all this using the function keys. Chapter heading, from which you control do so exactly; unlike IBM clones they Farsight is also clever when it comes to the basic layout. Under this heading there always add features.For example, VP - creating files. When you begin to type a are a number of options, once of which is, Planneraddsaverypowerfulmulti- new file name, the program inspects the confusingly, alsocalledChapterand dimensional database to 1-2-3 and Twin keystrokes as they are captured. As soon as a handles page length, and top and bottom extends the graphics. Similarly, the latest file name is recognised as unique, Farsight margin; the Ruler option deals with just- addition to the clone collection, Farsight, beeps. Pressing Enter then calls up a small ification, indents, hyphenation and so on. not only offers a useful word processor as subsidiary menu which asks whether you Details such as which Chapter and Ruler standard, it also combines its elements in a want a spreadsheet or word-processing file, settings are operational, what the tabs are highly effective windowing environment. and appends the appropriate file extension. and where you are on the page are shown on The program is written in the Modula-2 As befits a self-styled clone, the spread- the screen just above where the text begins. language; it runs on the IBM family and An area to the left of the text is used to indicate hard and soft page breaks, headers costs £99. FARSIGHT Installing the system is relatively straight- and footers, and suchlike. The headers and forward. As well as making backup copies or footers are confusing to set up, and let ODIVERDICT , down the program's general ease of use. copying across to a new directory, you also 0 k, have to run a short installation program to initialisetheportsforprintersand TYPE STYLES ,1o,-- 00 't, communications. You access it from a menu The various type styles are also indicated Performance II M MI bar which appears after the program has here.Optionsavailableincludebold, been loaded and run. Ease of use subscript and superscript, italic and strike - Pull -down menusareafeatureof Documentation through. Each of them is shown with a Farsight. To use them you press f3 to move Value for money . symbol in the left-hand margin which illus- trates a characteristic of the typeface, for to the menu bar, and then cursor across and O A usable Lotus look -alike with the down to select the one you want. Alter- added bonus of word processing. example Pifor bold. You select the type natively you can select a menu or an option style using the pull -down menu headed within it by keying its initial letter. The Typestyle, or by pressing the assigned keys Installation option is found on the Desk on the keyboard. Bold isinvoked with menu; you can choose from a generous Alt -2, for example. range of alternatives to configure the ports. sheet is very closely modelled on 1-2-3. The When you print a document, you are Inadditiontostandardpull -down on -screen appearance is the same, except giventhechoiceasto what kind of menus, Farsight makes considerable use of that whatever is at the cursor position will pagination you want, and whether you want windows.Thewindowsareakinto flash, and the menu bar remains along the a page eject at the end. There is a useful Framework's frames in so far as they appear top. Unlike 1-2-3, which uses horizontal Print Spool option which allows you to with a double -line border and can be over- menus, Farsight has menus which drop continue working as the fileisprinted. lapped, resized and moved around using down. However, it seemed to take a long time to the cursor keys. You can also zoom into any When youpassfromthewindows save the file to the spooler, thus losing one window so that it fills the entire screen. environment into the spreadsheet a number much of the benefit which thisfacility of additional options appear along the should confer. CURRENT MODULES menu bar. The maximum size of spread- In fact, speedis perhaps the biggest The Initial screen displays what modules sheet which can be set up is 256 columns by failing throughout Farsight's word pro- are available - presumably against the day 2,048 rows. Farsight offers the same 50 or so cessor. Entering textis no problem, but when others such as a database, graphics functions preceded by (a . Backspace Delete is slow and there is a very and comms are added. The main screen Spreadsheets set up under 1-2-3 load severe time lag before it takes effect. In con- showsthedrivewindows,along with without difficulty, and generally Farsight sequence I found myself holding down the information about disc drives and the files and 1-2-3 seem to be closely compatible. Backspace Delete key too long, only to held on them. The pull -down menus allow One area where Farsightfalls downis watch it gobble up more than I bargained you to create directories and sub -directories, graphics. Unlike 1-2-3 or the other Lotus for. and to edit their contents. They also allow look-alikes,it has no graphing facilities. There isarudimentarymail -merge you to perform sorts on files, so enabling This may be a drawback if you regularly use option which alows you to create form you to pull out sets of files according to such features butlaterreleasesinthe letters and pull in names and addresses held certain criteria. Farsight series will doubtless cover them. As in a simple sequential file. On the form Perhaps the most useful feature of this with the file duplication, the cut and paste letter field names are identified by being

68 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 IISOFTWARE REVIEW

Or Desk F lo D ir., t Desk File Directory r -C \far \TEMP OD C:\far\TEMP WRD ???,=

pplication Type, ( \far\

alc t MO Evidently, this willinclude ascript. Thisis another test ord SW 0 1-01-80 8:84:15 of how the word -processor works. It remains true that the Lm HELPS Pit 31568 1-01 86 10 1919 main problem is the delayed effect of Evidently, this will

INJALL °ST 33150 4-11-86 18:48:25 include a script .I

MoNTH:,AL WY: 4570 4 17-86 14:49.12 the erasure - it is far too easy to keep on hitting the

1.1(IRTI.(41.E WY' 13078 4 17 86 14 49'13 =Aliewillphoard NE.7 WilD 185 1-01-80 7 11.80 the erasure - it is far too easy to keep on hitting the - ,EDME WRD 6507 4-17-86 14:49:14 backspace delete, without much response. and then overshoo

^1FT 1-01-86 10 19 21 ,mpletely. The problemis wor IT 112 1-01-88 635 24 b. OD 4-17-86 14 49 14

WrWIT91117 T RI, 884 1-01-80 7.18:28 It T 1586 6-24-86 2 24:07 THIRD OD .:186 4 17-86 14 49 15

UNTITLED WI(l. 802 4 17-86 14 4916 UNTITLED WRD 417 4-17-86 14 4916 Why 853 113892 4- 17- 86 14:25 85 WORD cMP 5584 4-14-86 10 46.12

Creating anew file, called Ex, while another file is open andthe The clipboard is used for cut -and -paste operations within an disc directory is displayed in the top-level window. application, or for transfers between applications.

Desk File Worksheet Range Copyihowagen= Data READY Desk File Layout Chapter MIME! :\far\TEST. WKS-- C \farbTEMP WRD D7: 3789 REMOTEMB Pg 1 Ln 1 Col18 Sp 1 cha. Line Bo Idp Page 2vidently, this will include is another test Options of how the word -processor woUnderline' true that the Reset Options main problem is the delayed Shadow. tly, this will 234 343 Borders include a script.1 Strikethroughe 4344 34 Control Printers the erasure - it is far too Compress/ hitting the 4566 2657 Align backspace delete, without muExpang then overshoot 4567 4765 to completely The problem is Superscriptf typists.1 3477 - Subscript.) 17188 4S7

the erasure - it is far too easyl 10 11 his isitalic. This is coophesSed too. 12 13 14 IS 16 17 18 19

1 20

Farsight's spreadsheet looks a lot like 1-2-3, except for the pull - Not all type styles are represented on -screen, but appropriate down menus andflashing data under the cursor. symbols appear in the style bar on the left.

clipboard via anotherwindow at any time. manual. It is strictly utilitarian, rather like SPECIFICATION To set up new windows you move to the the original Lotus 1-2-3 manual, butit Description:a Lotus 1-2-3 clone with main drive window, and create another file covers the basics of the windowing system extensive word-processing facilities just as before. You move between windows and installation quite well. Unlike other unified in a windowing environment by pressing f6if they are ordinary file 1-2-3 clones it does not assume that you Hardware requirements: IBM PC, windows, and Shift -f6if they are drive already know how to use Lotus 1-2-3. The PC/AT or compatible with at least 256K windows. This cuts down on the confused word -processor section is thin, though like RAM sequence of blinking outlines that occur as Copy protection: none the others it does have a very full reference Price: £99 you switch around from one to the other. chapter. There are a number of appendices Publisher: Interface Technologies USEFUL EXTRAS and a good index in the back. Corporation of Houston, Texas Each of the Lotus 1-2-3 clones now on the U.K. supplier:SK Micro Systems, St. Allinall,the windows environment market has a particular appeal. For spread- Michaels House, Norton Way South, which lies at the heart of Farsight is most sheet users who need powerful database Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG61 PB. impressive, especially for a package costing facilities, VP -Planner is well out in front, Telephone: (0462) 679331 less than f100. Even if you could manage while Twin is best for those with particular Available: now without sophisticated options like cutting graphing needs. Others who need a useful and pasting between documents, the option word processor with their spreadsheet can preceded by &. Other features include the of being able to use them greatly simplifies now turn to Farsight. ability to write a script - the name given to operationslikemovingfilesaround asequence of operationsthatcan be directories. CONCLUSIONS assigned to a single keystroke. This feature Thespreadsheetmaylackthenew Farsight is a very cheap Lotus 1-2-3 clone is really a sophisticated version of the macro features of the latest release of Lotus 1-2-3 whichoffersauseful word processorin facility found on 1-2-3, which is also avail- - and it is certainly more limited in terms addition to the spreadsheet. able on Farsight and is claimed to be fully of graphing - but for the average user it E The windowing environment in which the compatible. could well prove sufficient. Farsight's word spreadsheet and word processor function Normally you would work with the word- processorishardlyarivaltoMicrosoft means that you can have several files open at processing window filling the whole screen. Word, but it too is a competent effort. And once. MFarsight's biggest drawbacks are its slow But itis very easy to set up multiple and its multi -window feature means you can use word-processing speedand its lackof simultaneous word-processing windows, or it as a notepad while you are working on the graphics in the spreadsheet. even to mix spreadsheets and documents. spreadsheetoranotherword-processing MFarsight could become even more attractive You can then cut and paste between them document. ifother modulesinthe same seriesare to your heart's content. You can review the Farsight comes with one fat ring -bound launched as promised.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 69 to endyour Pape

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71 MULTIPLY COMPUTER PRODUCTIVITY P C SOFTWARE: OVER with the MEGABUFFER 501DISCOUNT!

MEGABL/fFER WHY PAY MORE?

WORDSTAR 2000 215 RRP 465 -53%! Intelligent plotter/printer data buffer and protocol MULTIMATE ADV 235 RRP 495 -52%! converter. Releases staff and computer for more SMART 375 RRP 695 -46%! productive tasks than waiting. Reported time WORDSTAR PRO 215 RRP 399 -46%! savings range from 2x to 50x. WORDSTAR 2000 Compatible with most computers,printers and PLUS 299 RRP 549 -45%! plotters: IBM, AMSTRAD, HP, ACT, SHARP, TANDY, EPSON, OKI, QUME, APPLE, NEC and most others. DBASE III PLUS 330 RRP 595 -44%! Supportsallcombinations ofserial and parallel XCHANGE 275 RRP 495 -44%! interfaces (inc. X-ON/X-OFF) and even works where FRAMEWORK II 320 RRP 550 -41%! most other buffers don't. Has many facilities incl. pause, multiple copy, hex output and powerful self - SUPERCALC 4 235 RRP 396 -40%! test. EMPTY, 1/4,'/2, 1/4 and FULL indication. Field-tested DBASE II 237 RRP 395 -40%! since 1983 and built to last. LOTUS 1-2-3 242 RRP 395 -38%! 64k f160128k f216256k f278512k f388 1MB f556 SYMPHONY 340 RRP 550 -38%! UK delivery £3. Cables from £15. VAT extra. WORD PERFECT 269 RRP 425 -36%! Dealer and export enquiries welcome. JAVELIN 386 RRP 595 -35%! Designed and manufactured in Britain by CLIPPER 422 RRP 650 -35%! RINGDALE PERIPHERALS 11 Decoy Road, Worthing, Sussex BN14 8ND Tel (0903) 213131 VOLKSWRITER 3 211 RRP 325 -35%! DB COMPILER 310 RRP 463 -33%! -. circle 141 on enquiry card 4- WORD 265 RRP 400 -33%! OPEN ACCESS 275 RRP 395 -30%! WORDCRAFT 332 RRP 475 -30%! (7 apricot OA SAMNYC) TOTAL PROJ MANAGER 276 RRP 395 -30%! CBASIC COMPILER 276 RRP 395 -30%! SANYOMBC 885 QUADBOARD MONITOR,2 x 360k DISKS, 384K 290 RRP 398 -27%! 256kRAM &WS2000 DATAEASE POA NOW AVAILABLE! + VAT DATABASE £1137.00 MANAGER 2 180 RRP 245 -26%! (PC COMPATIBLE 4.77/8MHz) MILESTONE 168 RRP 225 -25%! SANYO MBC555FROM £559.00 HERCULES 256kRAM & MICROPRO SOFTWARE COLOUR 98 RRP 128 -23%! HERCULES MONO 159 RRP 199 -20%! APRICOTF2 SYSTEM CLIP 102 RRP 120 -15%! WITH MONITOR & PRINTER £1199 Most popular business micros supported! Fast delivery! APRICOT F10 £1599 Quantity discounts! Credit accounts available! ASK ABOUT OUR TAILORED BUSINESS SYSTEMS WITH TRAINING. Government & overseas orders welcomed! SANYO HARD DISKS AND OTHER UPGRADES. Customised software & consultancy service! Brother HR -15 daisywheel printer £280.00 L(IBM-PC prices shown exclude VAT and are Apricot Emco 12" Monitor £119.00 correct at time of going to press) Smith Corona D100 printer £134.00 Sage Chit Chat, MiniModem & Cable £219.00 Sage Chit Chat, A/D Dual Speed Modem & Cable £299.00 Sage Accountant Plus £485.00 Call us NOW on 0480 53044 for further details! Delta 4 Database £345.00 Call us NOW on 0480 413122 and save money! All prices exclude VAT & delivery. PAM COMPUTERS Tel: (0784) 56431 Debmarc House, 193 London Road, Staines, Middx. TW18 4HR Elite Computer Systems UNIT 2 HALCYON COURT ST MARGARET'S WAY HUNTINGDON CAMBS PE18 6DG

- circle 140 on enquiry card - circle 142 on enquiry card - 73 SOFTWARE REVIEW S&S UTILITIES 57 VARIETIES By Steve Malone

These short programs, made, as any new file will overwrite sectors programs. The pop-up utilities in the S&S occupied by deleted data. collection range from the slightly silly to the available individually at a The real magic is performed by Unformat. quite useful. An example from the silly end standard price, set out to In theory, when a discis formatted the of the spectrumisthe program which rectify shortcomings of your read/write head goes over the entire disc, displays a clock/alarm in the top right-hand existing software. setting logical zeros and ones and over- corner of the screen when you press Alt -C. writing anything that is already there. The ThetroubleisthatMS-DOS already There is a growing demand for utilities operation of Unformat depends on the provides similar facilities, and many modern which perform those useful functions process not being as thorough as it might be. applications programs have an on -screen that the large software houses over- The program goes over the disc, retrieving time display already installed. The alarm look when they release their packages. One any recoverable information and dumping it feature may be slightly more useful. Any of thebest-known producersof theseon to another floppy. This process might competent programmer couldprobably utilities is S&S Enterprises and in the past 18 well take many hours and a number of write the clock utility in an afternoon, and it months this small British operation has floppies, and even then may well result in is just the kind of example given in many developed a set of invaluable programs. only partial success. As S&S says, prevention Teach Yourself8088Assembler tutorials. We have been looking at utilities for the isbetter than cure, and itis preferable IBM PC;the S&S programs are also available simply to keep backups. DIY HELP for the Apricot range. The applications No set of utilities is complete nowadays Slightly more advanced and more useful is range from DOS utilities to specialised add- unless it includes several memory -resident the Fasthelp facility. This pop-up program ons for popular software packages, and from allows you to write your own help pages, the essential to the whimsical. They are which can then be loaded and popped up on S&S UTILITIES designed to improve the performance of the a screen when required. The sample help file PC or make life easier for the user. A total of provides DOS assistance, though itis too Pc VERDICT ,. 57 modules are available, though there was 0«, limited to be really useful. But Fasthelp only time to examine a few of them for this (' could come into its own to provide help for review. (-) some command

Pocket we achieved a speed increase of I li The scores above are for the best could provide this kind of customised help around four times - still pretty impressive. packages: careful selection will provide for specific programs. It would certainly give Of course, to be able use a program like you with a bargain. the package a wider appeal. Pocket you have to have enough memory to The most valuable utilities available from set aside for a substantial cache to make the program worthwhile. Two programscalledUndeleteand Fix Lotus allows Unformataredesignedasfire -brigade you to boot early utilities for use when you have accidentally versions of Lotus deleted afileor formatted a disc that 1-2-3and C:\ PC)makefix contains valuable information. Although Symphony from a Do you want to run Lotus 123, Symphony or both ? success is not guaranteed, these programs hard disc without Please enter 1 for 123,S for Symphony or B for both. can usually recover some of the information using the system b disc. Please enter the number that can be found on the wiped froma file. Symphony introduction screen 1234567 SLOPPY MS-DOS Thank you. Your FIXLOTUS is now ready to use. Undelete worksbecause MS-DOSis It will work for both 123 and Symphony sloppy in the way it deletes files. Instead of Follow the instructions in the file FIXLOTUS.DOC You may only use FIXLOTUS with that copy of Symphony erasing a file entirely from a disc it simply If you need to re-install FIXLOTUS on your hard disk, removes the first letter of the file name from you must re-run this program from the S 8 S disk. the directory. The Undelete utility bypasses You may only do this up to THREE (3) times. the operating system and shows the file names on the directory track which have C:\ PC)_ been deleted. You choose the one you want to restore, and the utility then attempts to retrace the required data. Undelete's success rate depends on whether anything has been written to the disc since the deletionwas

74 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 SOFTWARE REVIEW

COLOUR CODES

To yet the colour code required, add togetherthe Background and the Foreground.

Background HELP WINDOW I Press Alt -F1to remove or Alt -F2 for next*

0 BLACK COPY A: FROM. ASD B: TO. SDF Copy a file 16 BLUE DEL A: RUBBISH. DAT Delete afile 32 GREEN DI R /W/P Look atlist of files. 48 CYAN /W means four across

64 RED REM OLDNAME. QWE NEWNAME. ASD Rename afile 80 MACE TYPE F I LENAME. ZXC Display a file 96 BROWN 112 WHITE SPECIFICATION 128 BLACK CHARACTERS BLINK 8 GREY Description: short utilities for the IBM 144 BLUE CHARACTERS BLINK 9 LIGHT BLUE PC to add new facilities to the operating 160 GREEN CHARACTERS BLINK 10 LIGHT GREEN system, certain applications or particular 176 CYAN CHARACTERS BLINK 11 LIGHT CYAN hardware configurations; Apricot version 192 RED CHARACTERS BLINK 12 LIGHT RED also available 208 MAGENTA CHARACTERS BLINK 13 LIGHT MAGENTA 224 BROWN CHARACTERS BLINK Hardware required: variable 14 YELLOW Price: £10 each, any five for £40 or any 240 GREY CHARACTERS BLINK BRIGHT WHITE 15 eight for £65 A:\ PC)_ Publisher: S&S Enterprises (Amersham) Ltd, Utilities Division, 31 Holloway Lane, Amersham, Buckinghamshire H P6 6DJ. Telephone: (02403) 4201 Fasthelp provides a pop-up utility which elsewhere. The result is that as long as there Available:now allows you to put your own help facilities is a formatted floppy disc in the drive, the inside windows. program will not care whether it is a Lotus S&S areundoubtedly those designed to system disc or not. Lotus cannot be best grams there are utilities to convert WordStar augment specific packages, and there are a pleased with a company that circumvents its files to ASCII format, along with word - number of modules written with Lotus 1-2-3 copy protection in this way, but it has not count and label -printing utilities, and a and Symphony in mind. One of them allows taken any action over the programs in the program to allow- Epson printers to print Symphony.WKS files to be translated into year or so that they have been available. WordStar documents in condensed, italic or 1-2-3.WRK format -a utility scandalously To be fair to S&S, it has gone to some superscript type. To users of the Word- omitted by the Lotus programmers. lengths to ensure that the Fix programs are Star / Epsoti combination - of which there Other S&S utilities allow the £ sign to not misused. In order to run them you first must be many thousands - the extension of appear in a worksheet, and transpose rows have to enter the serial number of your copy these utilities can be invaluable. On the and columns. There is also a utility which of Symphony or 1-2-3, or of your computer. other hand, it is plain daft to have a program allows you to print text down the side of a From then on you can only make copies with which simply puts an 1 or a u in the corner of spreadsheet. S&S says that Lotus is pleased that machine or package, and then only the screen to tell you whether or not Caps thatthe companyissupporting Lotus three times. This is probably sufficient to Lock is on. packages in this way. prevent the Fix utilities from being abused, One problem with these utilities is that Lotus is somewhat less enthusiastic about and although there is bound to be some S&S's pricing policy makes no distinction the Fix programs, which allow you to boot leakage it is unlikely to be on a large enough between the sublime and the ridiculous. 1-2-3 and Symphony from a hard disc scale to worry Lotus. Each of the programs costs £10, with without having the system disc in the floppy Some other business packages demon- discounts if you buy several at once. This drive. They do this by intercepting the strate the hit-and-miss nature of the S&S means that many programs are available at relevant interrupts and redirecting them utilities. Amongthe word-processing pro - bargain prices - for example, another company is offering a similar package to the Lotus sideways -print program at five times Dosmenu is a the price - while some others are more the menu -driven kind of thing you would expect to pick up as friendly front end freeware. This is not to say that S&S is to DOS which offering a pig in a poke. Its advertisements Thisis the title enables you to giveabrief descriptionof what each load applications program does, and the company offers full programs from the EXIT TO DOS support and a money -back guarantee. DIRECTORY OF DRIVE A main menu. 2 Directory of drive B 3 Directory of drive C CONCLUSIONS 4 Start up TURBO Pascal The best programs in the series are great 5 Basic interpreter 6 Run MYPROG value for money and show up certain com- 7 Run YOURPROG petingproducts asthe overpriced under- 8 EXECUTE A BATCH FILE THAT STARTS UP 123 powered programs they are. 9 WordStar Some of the utilities in the series are all but Not available Mot available worthless, so be careful not to buy a lemon. The series as a whole is reminiscent of the bygone years of microcomputing, when you Choose the one you want took pot luck from programs advertised in the classified columns of the computing press. Acompany like S&S which produces bug - free software at a reasonable price, with full support and a guarantee, is worthy of your patronage.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 75 PC PRICING

The annual inflation rate of the Retail result, it was able to maintain a high price PriceIndex hasrecentlydropped with a healthy profit margin. almost to zero. For a generation which Two months lateritintroducedthe has been brought up to expect prices to rise PC/ XT with a further £2,000 mark-up, inexorably every year - sometimes by as and still people bought it like there was much as 25 percent - this seems like a no tomorrow. As IBM's manufacturing divinedispensationfromanotherwise capability struggled to keep up with the unswerving law. Yet steady inflation on this almost insatiable demand, micros looked scale is largely a phenomenon of the last 25 like a new licence to print money. years. Then in February 1984 IBM shocked the Similarly, manufacturers' lemming -like computer world, and possibly even itself. rush to cut PC prices may appear to be an For no obvious reason other than a desire to integral feature of the business micro world discomfort the opposition, it cut the prices but, like inflation, it is merely something we of its micro products by up to 25 percent. have all become used to.Itis also com- As often happens, once the genie of price paratively new. cutting had escaped from the bottle it was In fact, the consistent reduction of prices reluctant to go back, and the growing band in the micro marketisalmost without of IBMulators soon joined in a general precedent in any industry. In the past, lowering of the basic system price. Olivetti savings brought about by mass production introduced its M-24 compatible at prices oradvancesintechnologyhavebeen which at the time Practical Computing absorbed by the provision of extra features called "very aggressive". Many lesser names for the same price. Car manufacturers, for followed suit, and it was clear that pricing example, use the addition of non -optional had become more fluid than in the past. extras as a ploy to justify price increases, even Perhaps in retaliation for this weakening when manufacturingadvancescould While most manufactured of its position in the PC market, IBM then otherwise force reductions. launched the PC/ AT in the autumn of Initiallyit seemed that the computer products climb steadily in 1984. Its price was about the same as that of industry would follow inthis hallowed cost, price cutting has the XT when it was first introduced. To tradition. But micros changed allthat. become the norm in the PC make room for the AT, the price of the XT When IBM introduced its PC into the U.K. itself was reduced by nearly £1,000. in January 1983, it was offering a premium market. Glyn Moody Another factor came into play at the product in what was a seller's market. As a investigates how this happy beginning of 1984 in the form of the state of affairs has arisen, weakening of the pound against the dollar. and how long it will last. As sterling continued to plummet towards paritywiththeU.S.currency,IBM announced that it would be increasing U.K. prices on the XT and AT to compensate. These were purely local changes brought about by the weakness of sterling, and were not matched by similar rises in the U.S. THE ROT SETS IN These higher prices remained while the pound hovered near the$1level,but ultimately stronger forces prevailed. Just as prices were beginning to come down, a sig- nificant shift in the PC universe occurred. Cheap clones had hitherto been made mainly by smaller, often unknown manu- facturers, which seemed to pose less of a threat to the established order or things. But in November 1985 two big names, Tandon and Epson, announced PC and XT com- patibles at substantially lower prices than had previously seemed possible. Tandon, along with Tandy, also offered an AT -alike The Olivetti M-24 was one of for around two-thirds of IBM's price. What the first clones to have a had been a small crack in the monolith of significant price advantage PC pricing began to threaten its found- over IBM's own machines. ations. Since then we have seen a continual drop in prices across the board. At the beginning of 1986 companies such as Computopro offered PC clones for around £1,000 and XTs for £1,400. As we reported in our June

t feature on clone makers, there are now over a dozen manufacturers with machines in this price range. Below even these figures is the I A Osborne PC, which we reviewed last month: a complete system with two floppies costs less than £600. Practically every major manufacturer of

76 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 PC PRICING

PRICES OF IBM PC FAMILY AND CLONES

Compaq (left) took the value-added route while the Tandon (right) concentrates on price. £5,500 PC/AT

25,000 / PC/XT I I 24,500

:

24,000 t

£3,500

PC 256KRAMTWO 360KFLOPPIES III E74 £3,000 £1.00 ,If -TANDON TANDY

22,500 0.90 TIC PC64K RAMONEFLOPPY £2,000 -OLIVETTIM24- 80 0- EPSON

0-TANDON £1,500 fpI I O-CdMPAO £0.70 OLIVETTI M24 -TANDON -EPSON OSBORNE £1,000_ -COPRM8 £0.60 1 8CPO Illi,, , 0# £500 50 OSBORt

0 JAN 83 APRIL Y OCT JAN 86 APRIL JULY

IBMulators has followed this downward John Akers, has even gone so far as toleast in outline. The unknown factor is spiral of pricing, but IBM has responded by indicate that IBM has no wish to participateprice. Profit shaving has become so extreme announcing more up-market machines. in a pell-mell rush towards miniscule profit that it is hard to see how even a consummate Clearly its strategy is to preserve its position margins, and thatitwill abandon the operator like Sugar will be able to concoct a and margins by offering performance rather commodity sector of PCs in favour of the product which undercuts the competition. It than price cuts. It has also thrown a spanner more profitable upper end of the market. may well tie that the determining factor will in the works by launching the Convertible, Apricot's recent experiences also show that not be price but specification, particularly in with its 3.5in. disc drives, and announcing this general price plunge is not something terms of bundled software. that similar drives will also be available as you can fight against. You either have to get Whether or not the Amstrad PC proves to options for the XT and AT. The implication in there and slash prices with the rest of be the great non-event of 1986, it remains a is that even if IBM cannot stop the fall in them or, like Apricot, you get out. fact of life that after the past six months PC prices of conventional PCs with 5.25in. For the user, the question is how long can pricing will never be the same again. After drives, it can at least try to hold on to its this go on? Pundits are predicting basic IBM all, the 1983 machine is now available for positionbymakingthattechnology PCs for around £300 by the end of the year. one -fifth of its original price. Since that obsolete. That will mean a complete, workable system drop ignores the effect of inflation, there is This change in format may cause the will cost less than an Amstrad PCW-8256. every hope in these apparently inflation -free price -cutting trend to break step but not to Alan Sugar's plan for an Amstrad PC is now times that price cuts will be even more stop, and IBM knows this.Its chairman, one of the industry's worst -kept secrets, atdramatic in the future.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 77 SITE LICENSING

Most micro software is still sold on a one-offbasis,the assumption being that it will be used by a single user working in isolation on a stand- alone micro. But life is not quite like that LICENSED any more. In many large organisations the same program will be used by tens or hundreds of individuals, and may be run- ning on multi-user or networked systems. As a result, many large users are starting TO COPY to demand the ability to copy programs without getting on the wrong side of the Steve Malone examines one way large organisations can software publishers ana the law. A new type obtain multiple copies of a program without incurring the of agreement known as site licensing has wrath of the company that produced it. been devised to meet this need. Customers who are party to an agreement of this kind The initial response of the publishers has Because magnetic discs are a notoriously are permitted to make copies of their pro- been to see the desire for site licensing unstable method of storage,users of a gram discs in return for a flat fee paid to the simplyinterms of customers wanting protected program are justifiably nervous in software supplier. cheaper products. This has led companies case the master disc becomes damaged in The move towards site licensing has been like Micropro to arrange for discounts of over some way. It is peace of mind that they are led by large corporations and government 50 percent for large orders. The discounts primarily interested in rather than software purchasing agencies which have aimed to offered are on a sliding scale: for example, distribution. use their enormous spending power to try to orders of around 15 copies of WordStar 2000 So if unprotected softwareis popular force down the cost of bulk purchases. get a reduction of 45 percent, which rises to among users, why are a larger number of Although initially the idea was dismissed by 57 percent for purchases of over 500 copies. software houses not adopting it? When we a number of large software houses, it seems Cumulativepurchasesaretakeninto asked a number of software publishers we to have caught on with end -users, so now account, so the customer does not have to got a variety of answers ranging from the even the biggest companies are giving it splash out on 500 copies at once to gain the cautious to the paranoid. Some of those with serious consideration. maximum benefit from the scheme. acommandingpositioninparticular The dilemma for the big software houses markets see no reason why they should offer is that the epidemic of illegal copying has THE REAL NEED further incentives to buy their programs only recently been brought under control by Although this arrangement goes some when customers have already decided to the introduction of copy protection and way towards satisfying the demands of end - standardise around it. copyright laws prohibiting unlicensed copy- users, it fails to address the real problem. But many objections by software houses ing. Now the software houses feel they are The reason most users want unprotected are the result of there being no clear defini- being asked to take the lid off the same pro- programs is for security, not to enable them tion of what site licensing involves. For blem once more. to make copies and hand them around. instance, Lotus told us that it considers the

78 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 SITE LICENSING

ability to install 1-2-3 and Symphony on Atpresentlicensingagreementsare hard disc to be a form of site licensing. mostly gearedtowardsthestand-alone Apart from the problem of defining what L/Most users want micro, but the recent rise in demand for site licensing is, there is also the difficulty of unprotected programs for multi-user and network systems has intro- deciding what constitutes a single site. Is it security, not for them to duced a further complication. A single copy an office, building, region, country, corpo- make copies to hand of the program on a file server can be used ration or subsidiary? Furthermore, how does simultaneously by a number of people. a software house judge what a site licence is around. It is mainly peace Most companies have separate licensing worth and how long it should remain in of mind they are interested deals for networked software. For example, force. It is also difficult for manufacturers to Ashton-Tate sells the stand-alone versions of ensure thatallthe copies are going to dBase III and Multimate for £599. For an authorised users and not just being "copied additional £799 you can buy a LAN pack and sold by some of our dealers", as one companies can obtain a corporate licence which allows a further three accesses to the major software house with bitter experience that allows unlimited copying. The actual packages. Although this might be suitable complained. price of the agreement is set by Computer for small LANs, in the future there will be It is this kind of imponderable which led a Associates after examining the site, with the networks which allow 200 to 300 users to be Microprospokesmantocondemnsite final price depending on how many personal served from a single package. When that licensing as "unworkable, inequitable and computers and people are likely to use the happens the current piecemeal arrange- unfair". Yet Micropro has introduced a product, the projected growth and the com- ments will no longer suffice. Corporate Licence Agreement that stops just pany's turnover. The problem is compounded by large short of full site licensing. Once the terms are agreed, Computer corporations which want to keep a single Associates hands over a master copy which package on a mainframe for security and INSPECTORS has the licensee's logo on the title. This easier maintenance, with the program being The Micropro plan is to provide programs allows Computer Associates to trace any distributed to terminals networked to it. that are not copy protected. The user will be copies which might go astray from the Lotus has tackled this problem already. It is able to purchase a number of serial labels licensee's site. The software house is also currently running a pilot scheme with the oil which are placed on each new copy as it is able to offer user support and training for an company Exxon andislooking to con- made, effectively licensing the copy. A additional sum. tinue the experiment with other interested corrupted disc can have its serial label trans- Computer Associates says that it has had companies. ferred to a new copy. To ensure fair play, an enormous amount of interest in the The development of site licensing is likely Micropro reserves the right to send indepen- scheme becauseitallows standardisation to draw manufacturers and end -users closer dent inspectors to the licensee's premises. throughout a company, as well as providing together. A corporation that holds a site One company thatisofferingfull- security. With an estimated 20,000 micros licence is likely to make greater demands in bloodedsitelicensinginthe U.K.is GECisone companythathastaken terms of support and training on the soft- ComputerAssociates'MicroProducts advantage of the scheme, and Computer ware house and its dealers, which in turn will Group, which manufactures the Supercalc Associates is talking to a number of other want to keep tabs on the way its product is series. For a single fee starting at £60,000, firms. being used.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 79 PRACTICAL COMPUTING 23,783 total monthly sales

REMEMBER WHEN REACHING BUSINESS MICROUSERS WAS A BIT OF A GREY AREA?

WHICH COMPUTER? 11,759 total monthly sales

MICRO DECISION 6,772 total monthly sales

67,

(Jan -Dec 1985 ABC) (Jan -Dec 1985 ABC) (July - Dec 1985 ABC) Source: BRAD

Well, put on your sun glasses because the facts are bright and crystal clear. We're not only number one with monthly sales, but we're number one overall, with the highest ABC of 40,266, compared to Which Computer's 31,664 "PRACTICAL and Micro Decision's 31,130. We're also the ONLY one with a requested circulation. And our requested figure of 15,595 business micro users makes Practical Computing the clear choice. Ring Nitin Joshi now for more details on 01-661 3021. mCOMPUTealduadLINS 80 COMMUNICATIONS SI:0141 The Integrated Services Digital Network transforms existing phone lines into fully fledged data links. Jack Schofield looks at what the system will mean for communicating micros.

The idea behind the Integrated Services the sky. The standard is not complete, the CCITT. But the general view is that it is Digital Network (ISDN) is to extend equipment is not being manufactured, and important to get started using what is the benefits of the digital telephone no one really knows what consumers will available and worry about the details later. network rightinto the home or office, want to do with the extra capacity anyway. Indeed, it seems likely that BT will never adding data communications to voice.It And even if these problems were solved, try to install a complete ISDN system: it has depends on having two things: a digital there are not enough digital telephone too muchinvestedincurrentdigital telephone exchange, and a black box at the exchanges installed in the U.K. yet. exchanges to replace them. Instead, BT will user's end of the line to multiplex the Nevertheless there are some pilot projects deliver IDA to the customer, to whom it will channels. The key point is that you do not under way. BT is running trials in Milton look like ISDN. The actual network design have to replace the existing twisted -pair Keynes and elsewhere. Both the U.K. and will be solely BT's problem, because it will wiring that already provides the voice tele- France should be going national in 1991 to not be visible to the user. phone service. ISDN does not await large- 1992. Switzerland and Italy are expected to For now both IDA and Project Victoria scale recabling or a satellite dish in every follow in 1992 to 1993, and then Germany offer integrated digital access at a maximum front garden, both of which would require a in1995.Inthe U. S ., AT&T'sBell data rate of 80kbit /s. In IDA, the main massive investment and take decades to Laboratories is backing ISDN heavily, and band of 64kbit /s can be used for voice or complete. ISDN isrelatively cheap, and seven of the 22 Bell operating companies data. A second band of 8kbit /s is used for should be in widespread use by the end of have ISDN projects. data, being changed to 64kbit/s at the local this decade. Mostof theseprojectsarebusiness exchange for transmission through the main An ISDN line should be able to provide orientated, since the facility to replace a network. The D signalling channel is also speech, data, high-speed facsimile, telex, messy mixture of telex, data and voice lines 8kbit / s. photo videotex and slow -scan television. with ISDN's integrated access is particularly Getting a single line on IDA costs £890, The data channel could be used for anything attractivetocorporations.Equally,the which includesthe NTE1 or Network from accessing distant databases to remote chance to charge corporations huge sums of Terminating Equipment. The NTE1is meter reading and burglar alarms. ISDN money isattractive to telecoms vendors. designed for desk use and includes a tele- will provide users with access to their local There is one trial of domestic use, called phone handset, a keypad and an LCD packet service, which in the U.K. is British Project Victoria, which isbeing run by display. The annual rental is £710. Unless Telecom's Packet Switch Stream (PSS). Pacific Bell in the U.S. youliveinLondon,Birminghamor British Telecom callsits ISDN project Manchester you might have to pay several INEFFICIENT IDA, which stands for Integrated Digital hundred pounds more for the connection. All this is possible because the analogue Access. So far there is only a pilot service Running cost are extra too. telephone is an extremely inefficient way of available via four large digital telephone carrying information, and in practice it only exchanges: London Baynard, London Maida MULTI -LINE CONNECTION works one way at once. By working digitally Vale, Birmingham Midland and Manchester For heavy users, BT offers the multi -line much more data canbe put through Blackfriars. Extension lines have been run as NTE3 with up to 30 channels. This provides the same line.In fact the International a short-term expedient to carry IDA to about what is known as a primary access. The total Telegraphand TelephoneConsultative 60 business centres, though so far British data rate can be up to 2Mbit/s in Europe, or Committee (CCITT) has decided that one Telecom's charges for this are not really 1.5Mbit/s in the U.S. International links to line can carry 144kbit of information per economic. other ISDN networksareplannedfor second. A good -quality voice call requires IDA does not actually follow the full autumn 1987. only64kbit / s,whichleavesanother projected ISDN specification,whichis Project Victoria is interesting because it 64kbit/s channel free for data or voice, with compatiblewiththeseven -layer Open aimstoallowpeopletouseexisting a 16kbit /sD channelforsignalling Systems Interconnect (OSI) model being equipment as far as possible. Pacific Bell information. This arrangement is known as defined by the International Standards Or- claims it will work with virtually any tele- 2B + D. ganisation (ISO). British Telecom is buying communications equipment, information One 64kbit/s data line is enough, at least multiplexers from STC to convert IDA to service, transmission carrier or computer theoretically,for over 50 simultaneous, terminal. Pacific Bell is definitely aiming at 1,200 -baud modem links to databases like residential and small-business users, which Prestel, or 1,280 telex lines at the standard LIAn ISDN line should inCalifornia includes the large overlap 50 baud. Using facsimile, an A4 page could of self-employedconsultants and other be sent in about eight seconds - though the provide speech, data, professionals working from home. It sees creaking old telex network will decline, and high-speed facsimile, telex, this market as having enormous potential. fax itself is unlikely to survive when high - photo videotex and slow - The company has 200 people using its resolution graphics can be sent at high speed scan TV - anything from equipment on trial in the small town of from one micro to another. The possibilities accessing databases to Danville, California. They were chosen by for new services such as picture -phones are mailing1,400residents,of whom 900 exciting. burglar alarms. volunteeredfortheproject.The final But so far all of this is pretty much pie in (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 81 COMMUNICATIONS

(continued from previous page) Above: Numerous interfaces are needed to connect to the analogue phone network. selection was made to get a balance of one- Below: Any CCITT -standard device should plug straight in to ISDN. third computer illiterates, one-third people who had computers, and one-third who already had a computer and a modem. Half those selected were Pacific Bell employees. Each person was loaned a hand -built black -box multiplexer which Pacific Bell calls an adaptive differential pulse code modulator (ADPCM). It is about the size of a stereo amplifier, and has seven phone -type sockets which provide the phone line with two voice channels at 32kbit/ s - half the ISDN standard - plus five simultaneous data communications channels. One of these works at speeds from 300 baud to 9,600 baud, and the other four at speeds from 50 baud to1,200baud. A redundant minicomputer handles the routeing of input to different gateways on the exchange. packet switched network. People who are least provide most households with practical The ADPCM can be connected to any not taking part in Project Victoria can also justificationfor owning a proper home micro which has an RS -232C serial port, but log on to the board at normal speeds of 300 micro.For businessesusersthe system Pacific Bell provided each person with an or 1,200 baud using a modem and the promises the total transformation of the Apple Macintosh computer as well. This was ordinary phone system. telephone system. In theory ISDN should be to provide ease of use through mouse -driven The other services available to those with able to connect all terminals to all networks, software,plus a few fancyextras.For equipment on trial are MCI Mail, Dow Jones which would be quite a challenge. But the example, people using the Project Victoria News, Teleguide, Home Banking with the combination of voice, electronic mail and a bulletin -board system, with its 100 -channel Bank of America, and an energy -audit few videotext databases coming down the on-line chat facility, can send little faces system from Pacific Gas and Electric. Tele- same line to the same terminal would be a showing different expressions, and also have guide is a Prestel-type information service dreamcometrueformostofthose comments spoken in a digitised voice by the which uses the North American NAPLPS struggling with the morass of incompatible micro. protocols - much prettier than Prestel - systems currently available in the U.K. People familiar with CB Simulator on the andcontainslargeamountsoflocal Further information on ISDN is available Compuserve database in the U.S. would information. Many Teleguide terminals are in various publications from British Tele- findtheDanvilleboardverysimilar. installed in the smarter shopping centres com. PH3489 gives details on IDA, PH3490 Indeed, many people are using the same and hotel lobbies for free use by the public. on availability,PH3496 ontariffsand Virtual Space Software downloaded from Burglaralarmandenergy -management PH3702 on ISDN. You can also call British Compuserve because it allows you access at facilities are to form part of the next trial. TelecomonFreefoneLinkline(0800) 9,600 baud via the ADPCM and X-25 If it goes public an ISDN system would at 222444.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 82 13SBOFINE PCIXT TURBO £495 Now includes Lotus 1-2-3 Clone "The Twin" face with all 2 -DrivesSystems.

* 4.77/8MHZ Turbo. * 512K RAM, expandable to 640K on board. * Mono graphics display adapter. * Floppy disk drive. * AT -style keyboard. * 8 full-size adapter card slots. * Serial and parallel ports. * MS DOS 2.1. * Monochrome monitor. * Case with flip -up lid. * 12 -months warranty. only £495+ VAT OPTIONAL ITEMS * 512K -640K RAM upgrade £35 * Second floppy £95 * Hard disk 10MB £325 * Hard disk - 20MB £445 * 8087 Maths co -processor £225 * DOS 3.1 £55 * TWIN (Lotus123 -compatiblespread- sheet/graphics) £145 * INTEGRATED 7(7function productivity program) £405 * Colour Display Monitor £325 IBM is a registered trade name of International Business Machines THE OSBORNE GENIUS Lotus is a registered trade name of Lotus Development Corporated Limited. The most cost-effective way to enter the world of Integrated 7 is registered trade name of Mosaic Software. IBM-compatible computing Order Form

SYSTEM PRODUCT QTY PRICE TOTAL Ordering Information Please read this Information carefully before completing the Order Form. Orders may be placed by post or by telephone. Payment can be made by Visa, Access, Cheques, Bankers Draft or Bank Transfer. Please note that we require to clear cheques before goods are despatched. Goods are, as far as possible, shipped 15% VAT within a few days of receiving your order, but we do ask you to allow up to - 'ME MANAGEMENT TOTAL 28 days for delivery. 'UI 38 Tanners Drive, Blakelands North, Milton Keynes MK14 5LL. Please examine goods as soon as Telephone: 0908 615274. Telex: 825220 FMC UKG. possible after delivery. Any damage *Model illustrated with colour display option & 2 floppy disk drives. must be reported within 7 days of receipt. This document does not in itself Name constitute an offer for sale. We reserve Company the right to vary the specification of any item or withdraw, modify or amend any Address item without prior notice. Prices quoted are current retail prices and may be changed without notice. Telephone No NOTE: When placing orders please Company Order No make cheques payable to: I wish to pay by: FUTURE MANAGEMENT LTD VisaE Access Cheque Ei My Visa Card Number is: Expiry Date 17SA My Access Card Number is: 83 Expiry Date Signature

L- circle 173 on enquiry card - PAGE -DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES THE INVISIBLE LINK page -descriptionlanguages(PDLs) Ian Stobie investigates the isparticularlydesirabletoreducethe form the vital link between the most amount of time print jobs take crossing the powerfulmodernprintersand printer -control languages that network. applications programs such as word pro- have spurred on the The PDL is obviously a key part of this cessors or page make-up packages. The best development of personal process. The page description takes the form known isPostscript, which runs on the publishing and laser -printing of a program written in the syntax of the Apple Laserwriter and some Linotype type- particular PDL, which takes up far less space setting machines. But other PDLs such as applications. than the equivalent bit map. The PDL Ripress, Interpress and DDL are emerging to program is transferred across to the printer, Pt compete with it on other manufacturers' mg where in the case of Postscript it is executed put nt equipment. omputi by a built-in interpreter running on the PDLs are rarely seen by users. Most of the Compi. tical Corm printer's own processor. The output from time the code is generated automatically by *Tactical Cm the program is a printed page, which is ig Practical C the application program or operating system uting Practical produced from a full -page image assembled mputing Practica whichtheyareusing.But PDLsare ',cal Computing Practical Computing Practical Computing Practical by the interpreter in the printer's memory Computing Practical Computing Practical Computing Pra,- important because they form a device -inde- al Computing Practical Computing Practical Computir buffer. pendent layer between the user's software Computing Practical Computing Practical Cor The Apple Laserwriter is the cheapest laser ' Computing Practical Computing Practic-' and hardware. Which PDL a printer uses "omputing Practical Computing P* printer with a full PDL. It contains a 68000 7omputing Practical Compui ultimately determines which software will al Computing Practical Comp processor, 1.5Mbyte of RAM and 500K of :tical Computing Practical Corr, run on it. ?Tactical Computing Practical Co ROM. The ROM contains some fount Any printer needs to be told exactly where ng Practical Comguting Practical C definitions written in Postscript and a full ruling Practica' ming Practical to mark the paper. So languages of some imputing Pr *ring Practic. interpreter for the language. Compur ,ng Pract, kind have always existed to control printers. ical Cr- .,14Pram Postscript is similar in power and com- The Diablo 630 protocol originally dev- act Pt plexitytoanordinaryprogramming , eloped for Diablo daisywheel printers and language like Basic.Its syntax resembles the Esc / P command language designed for The Postscript page -description language Forth more than Basic: it is stack orientated Epson's dot-matrix printers both do the job allows you to specify arbitrary clipping andusesapostfixnotationinwhich of PDLs and are now widely used standards. boundaries for text and graphics. You operators are preceded by their operands - can use this feature of Postscript to crop hence the name Postscript. But as printers have increased in power so any text, graphic or scanned image to a control languages have had to increase in specified clipping region. You can also A Postscript program usually consists of a complexity to match them. With a simple run text to fill irregularly shaped areas. header calledaprologue and adata - printer like a daisywheel much can be left dependent part called a script. The prologue implicit. You send a sequence of character quality of printersimproves. Laser printers will probably be written by a member of a data to the printer in ASCII. You change work at very high resolution, typically 300 team developing some application package; thingsliketheverticaland horizontal dots per inch. So to send a page or a sub- an appropriate script is then generated auto- spacing or page length by sending simple stantial part of a page to a laser printer as a matically by an application program each one- or two -byte codes. ASCII itself has foss- bit map would mean sending over half a time the user wants to print a new page. ilised within it a few control codes for line - megabyte of data, which would take a long Postscript itself does not make any formal orientated printers, such as Tab, Backspace, time and tie up a large amount of memory distinction between program elements and Linefeed and Formfeed. on the user's system. data, which can make a machine -written The problem is made worse because a Postscript program very hard to read. A MATRIX PRINTERS laser printer needs an image of a complete script will normally contain a great deal of Dot-matrix printers have more flexibility page to work from. Most other sorts ofdata in the form of Postscript'sliteral and so they require more extensive com- printer can print part of a page and then wait constants,whichareenclosedbetween mand languages, but the principle is still the while the application software figures out parentheses,interspersed with the occa- same. The Epson Esc / P command language what it wants to do next. Butonce a laser sional procedure call. employs a host of two-, three-, four- or even printer starts on a page it has to finish it. five -byte codes to define, say, condensed, This is because in one sense its xero- HUMAN -WRITTEN emphasised or double -strike characters. You graphic technique is more like photography The human -written prologue will prob- can also use codes to select different char- than printing. The photo -sensitive coating ably be easier to read, not least because it acter sets as the dot patterns are pre -defined of the drum and the power of the laser have should contain a few comments, identifiable in the printer's ROM or downloaded into a to be carefully matched to the rotational by the % sign that precedes them. The local memory buffer. speed of the drum to get the right exposure. prologue normally contains little data but a Many matrix printers can handle bit - The drum cannot stop to wait for data to large number of procedure definitions for mapped graphics, which can be regarded as arrive, so when it starts to move, all the data the application to use when generating the an extension to the command language. necessary to complete the page has to be script. This structural convention of script Here you first send a control code to select ready. and prologue is useful for large programs, graphics mode, Esc -K for example. The For these reasons it makes sense to give the but Postscript itself is indifferent to whether printer then interprets subsequent char- printer a processor and large memory buffer programs conform to it. Small programs can acters as patterns to control the positioning of its own. The user's computer can then be written more simply. of individual dots on the printer. Nine -pin define the page in a compact and easily With Postscript printing is likened to matrix printers typically use eight pins for transmittedway andtheprinterwill painting. You build up an image by placing printing graphics; a vertical row of eight dots reassemble the description into a bit image .paint in selected areas. The paint can be in at a specific at point on the paper can then in its own large memory buffer. the form of letter shapes,lines,filled be represented by one byte of data. Not all laser printers use this approach but geometric shapes or even half -tone rep- This combination of control codes and as soon as the amount of graphics or the resentions of photographs. The paint can be bit -mapped graphics provides a flexible and complexity of a page reaches a certain level it in black, white or any shade of grey, but the complete way of describing a page to a is probably the most effective. Where several last colour applied is the one that shows. printer. The problem comes as the output users share the same printer on a network it Only when the painting process is complete

84 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 PAGE -DESCRIPTION LANGUAGES

% Example PostScript program

/Times -Italic findfont 40 scalefontsetfont % selectfont /printName{ 0 0 moveto (Practical)show) def % define print procedure 320 400 translate % locate in mid page

This smeared print of the word .95 -.05 0 % set loop conditions "Practical" is achieved with a loop. The {setgray printName -1.5 translate 1 for % start incr end word is represented in the laser printer's % do procedure n times memory buffer 19 times, each time in a 1 setgray printName % do one more time in white slightly different shade of grey at a slightly offset position. It is then entered one last showpage % print current page time in white, and the page is actually output to paper. The Postscript program to do this (right) was run on an Apple Laserwriter and is based on a listing given in Postscript Language Tutorial and Cookbook, one of several books on the subject recently published by Addison- Wesley. The image below was produced from Postscript code generated with the Just Text package.

is the page actually printed by the Postscript screen once communication is established, make-up package which allows you to use output device. and you type in the program line by line. Postscript directly. Our example programs were run on an Since the Laserwriter does not contain a The control that PDLs allow over the Apple Laserwriter.Since the Laserwriter proper editoritis more convenient to finished page has helped bring ambitious contains a full interpreter you can program it preparethe program separately witha new applications to the personal computer. simply by connecting a suitable terminal to suitable piece of software and then down- Some IBM programs support Postscript and its RS -232 port. A Macintosh running Mac - load it. We used an editor and downloader workwiththeAppleLaserwriter.For terminal or Vicom is the obvious choice, but provided todealers by Adobe Systems, example, Microsoft Word is probably at its any other computer with an RS -232 and whichwillworkwiththeLaserwriter best attached to this printer, as it can make terminal -emulation software should work. If attached to an Appletalk network. On the full use of the Laserwriter's range of built-in you do it this way a PS > prompt appears on- Mac you could also use Just Text, a page founts.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 85 RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR MICRO ENTHUSIASTS Do you want to be your own boss working from home? Do you want a high income? Do you understand MS-DOS & WP? Do you want to start immediately? Are you self motivating? Are you a good mixer? Are you ambitious. Do you have a reliable car? If all your answers are "yes" this might be the opportunity you have been waiting for. We require applicants to quickly train as Approved Local Dealers specialising exclusively in supplying our easy to sell vertical market micro systems direct to customers on IBM, Compaq, Olivetti, Tandon etc. Successful applicants will be allocated a large profitable territory to make an immediate start.

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- circle 131 on enquiry card - NOVMICRO -RENT MICRO -RENT DO MORE! APRICOT Micro -Rent do more than offer you the best rental deals on microcomputers. They rent printers, hard -disk systems, monitors -even some software! They offer impartial advice on the best machines for your purposes, and provide training for both beginners and specialists, to help you make the most of your micro. Micro -Rent - the complete rental service - saves you time and money, and solves your problems fast. Buying? Ex -rental machines often available at reduced prices.

SIRIUS IBM PC *Prices quoted are based on 3 -month rental, excluding VAT. £44 £42 PER WEEK* PER WEEK* 111011Itt MICRO -RENT O St. Marks Studios, Chillingworth Road, London. N7 CEP 11111111111111111MEM APPLE APRICOT IBM PC & XT OLIVETTI MACINTOSH OSBORNE SIRIUS COMPAQ 7 circle 132 on enquiry card 4-- NTERVIEW SIR CLIVE SINCLAIR INTERVIEWED BY CAROL HAMMOND

Are you still interested in What effect do you think the chip computers? will have on the semiconductor ABSOLUTELY. To be honest, when I started in industry? computers - which have always been a I TH INK it will change the world, I really do. passion of mine - I wasn't that interested in Wafer scale is absolutely the way to go, and it the games side. I'm interested in the more is the most amazingly pioneering thing we're serious users, which is one of the reasons why I doing at the moment. If you come back in a was very happy with the deal with Alan Sugar few years time then that's the way one will be because it got me out of the games business. I making memories and computers. Wafer like to see computers as tools. When I started scale will just take over totally. in the biz I thought my first job was to get people interested in using computers, and When you had the problems in April that's what we did with the a lot of people made criticisms that ZX-80/ZX-81/Spectrum. Now is the time to it was down to distribution start getting people affordable computers problems or a lack of marketing that function satisfactorily. skills. How far do you think these are fair comments? There has been talk that you are WHAT people fail to realise is that every launching a new business computer, company in the business got into trouble at the perhaps later in the year. same time in the same way. It was universal. WE haven't got absolutely permanent plans So you can't say it was this, that or the other, yet. The idea is to go into the portable because it was the same for everybody. The computer field, but that wouldn't be until next whole industry was completely screwed up year. I believe that really the future of because retailers worldwide over -ordered computing lies in portables, but at the moment and got it completely wrong. That screwed the few people use portables because they are an manufacturers: it screwed us, Atari, unsatisfactory compromise. Commodore, Acorn. It screwed the lot of us, and we can't all be that incompetent. We all After a period as a Will you be using flat -screen had faults and could have done things better, technical journalist, Clive technology? but the problem was an industry -wide one. Sinclair set up Sinclair THAT'S not decided yet. But of course another 1962.The Radionics in of the problems with the current portable With hindsight would you have company produced computers is the displays. Frankly, they are done anything different? consumer electronic not as good as they need to be. YES. We were too ambitious with the QL. We products, including radio should have stuck with the Spectrum base. The and amplifier kits, hi-fi sets Will it be IBM compatible? difficulty about that is that lama person that and, in1972,the world's I THINK that a degree of IBM compatibility is wants to innovate. That's my job as I see it, so first pocket calculator. In necessary. You need to be able to switch files the temptation is always to try and map out 1978Sinclair severed his with IBM machines, but that doesn't mean to new territory. Had the QL not had the connection with Sinclair say it has to be an IBM clone. In fact, if it was I teething troubles it had it would have done Radionics and went on to think it would suffer from deficiencies because very well. We certainly did sell a lot of them. form Sinclair Research, the that would imply some limitations that we company that produced wouldn't like to see. Will you play safe in the future? theZX-80, ZX-81, NO, I'm not going to play safe in the sense Spectrum and QL home Do you think the business micro that I won't cease to risk my money on micros. He was knighted in market is getting boring? ventures; and some of those are bound to fail. 1983.The computer side of UTTERLY - because we're not in it yet. It But I'll try and keep them in separate the business was sold to needs us. compartments. We've got separate Amstrad earlier this year. companies now, and we're looking to a The residue of the What about the prototype of the different structure in the future. I've learnt a company, now known as silicon wafer chip? lot about the nature of business, how to Sinclair Research Labs, THAT'S a firm called Anamartic and we've organise things. I don't think I'll be playing concentrates mainly on floated it off as a separate company now. safe, but I think I'll be more successful because research and We're in the process of raising the funds of experience. Certainly any products I get development. necessary for that: so far Sinclair Research has involved with in future will have quality as the put £2 million into the project, Barclays Bank priority, but I'm not really interested in has put in £850,000 and now we're looking products that aren't innovative. for another £6 million. Where do you think you'll be in two Will there be any funds from years time? Amstrad? A FRIEND of mine in Cambridge said that NO, it has nothing to do with Amstrad. I think long-term planning in the computer industry is it's very important for people to begin to "What's for lunch?". Looking two years realise that all we ever did was one deal with ahead is decidedly difficult at the moment. I Amstrad and that's that. couldn't make a prediction. Nrj

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 87 The'Classic' Menu Generator. Eliminate all user contact with operating system User Ltd. Select ion Menu

commands. Use MENUGEN 1 ASPECT from Microft Technology to 2 Wordstar 3 Lotus 123 create menus to access all 4 Disk formatting menu your regularly used programs. 5 Exit to operating system

MENUGEN is a utility I'lease type in selection number which will create menus for any activity. A menu selection will run a program, call another menu, return to a COMPUTER BOOKS previous menu, run a basic program, execute operating system commands, or exit to the operating system. New PUBLICATIONS SUMMER 1986 FACILITIES INCLUDE UP TO 20 MENU OPTIONS PER MENU SCREEN *rating UP TO 15 LEVELS OF NESTED MENU ANY NUMBER OF LINES OF HEADINGS AND FOOTNOTES deati PC USE OF COLOUR FULLY USER DEFINABLE 'ARE YOU SURE?' MESSAGE OPTION AFTER ANY SELECTION PROMPTING FOR UP TO 16 PARAMETERS AFTER ANY SELECTION OPTIONAL PASSWORD PROTECTION ON MENU SELECTIONS OPTIONAL LOGGING OF ALL SELECTIONS TAKEN MENUGEN is available formostCP/M,MS DOS including IBMPC/XT/ATand Understanding dBase Amiga Programmer's Operating the IBM PC orPCDOSmicros III Plus Handbook Networks compatibles, Sirius, Apricot, HP150, DEC Rainbow, Alan Simpson Eugene P Mortimore Paul Berry and manyZ80 machines. MENUGEN costs £48 +VAT 0 89588 349 X 0 89588 343 0 0 89588 307 4 (£55.20) forasingle userlicence, or£120 + VAT (£138) £19.95 £24.95 £19.95 fora network licence, and is available from Micro ft Technology Limited, The Old Powerhouse, Kew Gardens Station, Kew, Surrey-N.03PS. To order, or for further information, telephone 01-9488255. MENUGEN MENUGENIsoTrade Mark of Microft Technology Ltd and is a British product.

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88 - circle 134 on enquiry card - circle 136 on enquiry card WORD-PROCESSING PROGRAMS

ne look at our top 10 shows just affair, and despite software houses' claims to how stagnant the market for word- the contrary some packages insist on placing processing software has become. a z where many people would prefer to see 0Only Executive Writer is relatively new. The an s. remaining nine are little more than updated Convenienceis now a key aspect of versions of old faithfuls. In most cases the spelling checkers. They can check a word, a specificationshave been improved, but sentence, a paragraph or an entire document there has yet to be any worthwhile reduction Pat the press of a single key. On the most in prices. compact checkers it is not necessary to swap With packages costing up to£500,there is discs on dual -floppy systems. For example, ample scope for wasting money on features the entire program and dictionary used on you are unlikely ever to need. It is therefore PFS Write or IBM's Writing Assistant will fit not surprising that budget packages are on a single floppy disc when used with a becoming increasingly popular. Not only do WP packages for the IBM PC 512K IBM compatible. This compactness they offer dramatic savings in the purchase helps to speed up the program too: it can price; they are also quicker to learn and far range from the cheap and check through a document's spelling at a easier to use. easy to the costly and speed of more than 60 words per second. The publishers of word-processing heavy- Finding alternative words is the job of a weights still appear to be thriving, but their comprehensive. David thesaurus, something thatisstarting to future sales are likely to be more with the Barlow makes his selection. appear as pan of thelarger programs. networkingversionsoftheirproducts. Because of the file sizes involved, you really Microsoft Word, Multimate Advantage and need a hard disc for a thesaurus to be a Word Perfect all jumped on to the multi- itsconfigurationlist,and Volkswriter 3 practical proposition. With a floppy itis user bandwagon quite early, and will no boasts an impressive 71. much too slow. doubt reap the benefit of their foresight. Improved display hardware is also beg- There is no sign of an impending trans- Printer support is important at all levels, inning to make itself felt. If you have an IBM formation in the market for WP software. and is crucial as far as the latest laser units are Enhanced Graphics Adaptor display -driver But cheap packages will almost certainly concerned. Lasers are well matched to the card and a high -resolution monitor it is now continue to pack in more features for less multi -fount capabilities of some of the more possible to squeeze 43 lines on to one screen money, simply to satisfy the demand from expensive word-processing packages. But instead of the conventional 25. everyday users. In contrast, the established even prosaic dot-matrix printers with add- Spelling checkers are also improving all heavyweight programswillcontinueto itional letter -quality fount modules benefit the time. Gone are the days when using one command correspondinglyheftyprices, from the sophisticated printer drivers that took so long that nobody ever bothered. relyingfornew custom ontheever- are now appearing. Word Perfect,for Many will now pick up incorrect capital- increasingnumbersofcorporateusers instance, has no fewer than 140 printers on isationandmisplacedpunctuationin installing PC -based network systems. addition to those ever-present typing errors, and most now give a list of suggested alter- SUPPLIERS natives on request. It must be said that the Executive Writer: Computer Frontier appropriateness of the suggestions varies a (U.K.), Business & Technology Centre, great deal, and it is obvious in some cases Bessemer Drive, Stevenage, Hertfordshire that not enough attention has been given to SG1 2DX. Telephone: (0438) 310163 the completeness of the dictionaries or the IBM: PO Box 32, Alencon Link, algorithms used for the search procedures. Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 1 EJ. Anglicising still seems rather a hit and miss Telephone: 01-578 4399 Multimate Advantage: Ashton-Tate U.K., 1Bath Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1 UH. Telephone: (0628) 33123 PFS Write: Software Publishing Europe, 85-87 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6JD. Telephone: 01-839 3864 Smart: Innovative Software, Southampton House, 192-206 York Road, London SW11 3SA. Telephone: 01-223 3876 Volkswriter 3: Lifetree Software Europe, Lowndes House, The Bury, Church Street, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1 HH. Telephone: (0494) 772422 Vuwriter: Vuman Computer Systems, Enterprise House, Manchester Science Park, Lloyd Street North, Manchester M14 4EN. Telephone: 061-226 8311 Word: Microsoft, Excel House, 49 De Montfort Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8LP. Telephone: (0734) 500741 Word Perfect: Sentinel Software, Wellington House, New Zealand Avenue, Walton -on -Thames, Surrey KT12 1 PY. Telephone: (0932) 231164 WordStar: Micropro International, Haygarth House, 28-31 High Street, London SW19 5BY. Telephone: 01-879 1122

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 89 MU LTIMATE SMART THE word-processingmoduleofthe ADVANTAGE widelyacclaimedSmartintegrated - THE fact that Multimate is now under software package has some unusual and Ashton-Tate'swingshouldensurea advanced features. There are no less than healthy future for this professional word 12founts, including Greek, Gothic and processor. Multimate is probably the most two custom founts. Smart lets you produce robust package currently available, and it especially large documents, and you can is therefore ideal for the word-processing store several filesin memory at once, office where operators have little or no switchingbetween thematwill.The knowledgeofmicros.Boilerplating package is well integrated with the other facilities are excellent, and the program Smart modules. It is easy to learn, thanks can be extensively customised by the use to the provision of confidence levels which of key macros. A powerful mail -merge bar inexperienced operators from the EXECUTIVE facility is included as standard and it can more difficult commands. Smart WP is acceptdatafromothermainstream suppliedwithabuilt-in80,000 -word WRITER packages. The spelling checker has a SIMILAR in concept to PFS Write, though spelling checker and it includes a mail - large dictionary but is rather cumbersome merge facility. not as powerful, Executive Writer is a to use. The Advantage version includes a competent package at a bargain price. It simple card -index system, and will run on Price:£295 forms part of Adam Osborne's Paperback local area networks. Software series, and if you want to do FOR mailshots you will also have to budget for Price:£495 Integration with other Smart modules. Executive Filer.It does, however, boast FOR Multiple founts. Easy to learn, thanks to an indexing facility and it supports macros confidence levels. up to 100 keystrokes long, both features Robust. Established. LAN version AGAINST notnormallyfoundoninexpensive available. packages. A spellingchecker add-on AGAI NST Needs other Smart modules to make the module is available. Cumbersome. Expensive. most of it.

1111111111111111111111111111111111=111 Price: £60 IIIM111111111011111111011111111111111 FOR VOLKSWRITER 3/ Good value. Simple to use. Macro support. PFS WRITE AGAINST PART of the PFS series of cheap and SCIENTIFIC Rudimentary. Extra modules required for easy -to -usesoftware,Write has now A COMPETENT package that has been mail -merge and spelling checker. established itself at the lower end of the developing and improving considerably market. It is menu -driven and includes an over the past few years. Volkswriter3 MIIIIIIIIIIIIIMII11111111111111111111M anglicised spelling checker.Itsfacilities tends to overdo the use of the PC's are quite basic, but they are sufficient functions keys: there are no fewer than IBM DISPLAY forsimpleapplicationsandareall four modes for most of them, making exceptionallyeasytouse. Headers, commands difficult to memorise. But it WRITE 3 footers and automatic page numbering isa powerful package, and includes A PROFESSIONAL package aimed at areallsupported.Mail -merging is someusefulfeatures. Themassive corporateusers who might want to possibleinconjunction withPFS File. 170,000 -word spelling checker can be run transfer WP files between their PCs and Charts produced by PFS Graph or the new from RAM disc to make it even faster, and mainframes running Display Write 36 or Harvard Presentation Graphics can be there is an auto -hyphenation facility. The Display Write 370.Itincludesallthe incorporatedintoWritedocuments. Textmerge feature automatically inserts usual WP functions plus a 100,000 -word IBM's Writing Assistant is based on PFS names andaddressesintostandard American spelling checker. Its mail -merge Write but has a more intelligent spelling documents. Volkswriter3includes a multi- facility can accept dBase VisiCalc, Lotus, checker. lingualfacilitythatallows common Multiplan or ASCII files. Display Write can charactersandaccentsfrommajor manipulate numerical data; its capabilities Price:£125 European languages to be used from the include totalling and averaging. Macros FOR standard Englishkeyboard. A new 500keystrokes can be created. of up to Exceptionally easy to use. Fast, compact scientific/technical version is expected this One unusual feature is the way it allows year. you to produce simple line diagrams to spelling checker. Good value. be incorporatedinto documents.Like AGAINST Price:£325 Multimate,DisplayWritesupports Needs PFS File for mail -merge. Basic FOR backgroundprintingand foreground facilities. Massive U.K. dictionary. Multi-lingual print queues. 111111101111111111111111111111111111111111111111 capabilities. Fast. Price:£451 AGAINST FOR Too many key commands to remember.

IBM name. Mainframe file -interchange 111111111111111111111.1111111111111011111 facility. AGAINST Expensive. Spelling checker not anglicised. WORD-PROCESSING PROGRAMS TOP 10

VUWRITER WORD 3 WORD PERFECT THERE are two variants of Vuwriter. The MICROSOFT'S powerful WP package Scientific versionisfor technical work adopts a radical approach that makes 4.1 with mathematical symbols and Greek extensive use of graphics.Itdisplays ONE OF the most comprehensive WP packagescurrentlyavailable,though characters.VuwriterArtsincludes multiplefountsand usesthesame German, Greek, Gothic, French, Danish, command structureasMicrosoft's probably geared more to those who do Spanish and Old English character sets. Multiplan spreadsheet. Word makes most their own writing than to secretarial use. Complex mathematical formulae can be sense when used with a mouse, although it Version 4.1features a thesaurus, split screen, an Undo feature that restores the builtup over threeor fourlinesif isnot essential. Word 3 includes an necessary, and though thisis a rather outlining facility which allows headings last three deletions, line drawing, sorting slow, painstaking process you can save and sub -headings to be expanded into a andimprovedproportionalspacing. basic formula elements into a glossary for full document. You can designate up to The spelling checker has a 110,000 -word dictionary which will check anything from reuse.Vuwritercandisplayseveral four Windows on the Word screen and character sets and type styles on -screen at transferdatafreelybetweenthem. just one wordto the whole document. the same time.Keyboardtranslation Sections of text can be assigned to a The recently announced Word Perfect Library,which tablesare displayed on -screen when glossary and filed away on disc for later alsoworkswiththe working in Foreign mode to signal which use. Word 3 includes a spelling checker Mathplan spreadsheet, includes six extra key will produce the required character. and mail -merge facility.It can also be desk -accessory programs, all contained within a menu -driven shell. Vuwritersupportsawiderangeof used on LANs, and a version to run under printers, including lasers. Xenix is thought to be under development. Price: £425 Price: from £295 Price: £425 FOR FOR FOR Full -featured. Thesaurus. Spelling checker. Established. Flexible scientific and Multiple -fount display. Spelling checker. AGAINST language facilities. Multiple -fount display. Makes good use of mouse. Expensive. AGAINST AGAINST Printer selection needs care. Disc -based Expensive. Unusual user interface takes tutorial required. time to learn. WORDSTAR 3.4 DESPITE its age,WordStarremains incredibly popular, and is still being taken up even by newcomers to computing. The complex and obtuseness of its command syntax are legendary, and make the package hard to learn. WordStar makes most senseinenvironments whereits comprehensive range of functions and powerful mail -merge option can be put to good use.The basic program is supplemented by indexing and spelling - checker modules; they are marketed as a complete set under the name WordStar Professional.Users should not findit difficulttogetsupport whenusing WordStar.The package is sowell established that any training centre worth itssaltshouldoffer introductory and advanced WordStar courses, and there are probably more books written about WordStarthananyotherpieceof software.

Price: £295. FOR Powerful. Established. Well -supported by training courses and literature. AGAINST Complex command structure. Antiquated user interface. Add-on programs are cumbersome. C 1' MICRO COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY LTD

31 Forge Lane,l-lanworth, Middlesex. TW13 6UN. 01-898 0560

DISKS AND DISK STORAGE LASERJET PRINTERS AND ACCESSORIES 5.25 inch in boxes of 10 H.P. Laserjet printer 3M 744 SS/S-DD 48 tpi £14.99 3M 745 DS/DD 48 tpi £17.99 Using the latest advances in laser technology the laserjet 3M 746 SS/DD 96 tpi £20.99 offers a vast choice of printing possibilities, however complex 3M 747 DS/DD 96 tpi £26.99 or demanding, moreover it's compact, cost efficient and 3M Hi Density DS/HD 96tpi £37.99 compatible with a wide range of systems. Maxell MD1-D SS/DD 48 tpi £16.99 A printing speed of 8 pages a minute makes the Lazerjet much Maxell MD2-D DS/DD 48 tpi £24.00 quicker than most other printers and it prints so quietly you Maxell MD2-HD Hi -density £37.99 hardly know it is working. 4 3.5inch in boxes of 10 The Lazerjet turns out crisp, clear images time and time again, 3M 35SSDD SS/DD £23.99 providing maximum legibility and upgrading the quality of your 3M 35DSDD DS/DD £37.99 presentation. And it's easier to operate than most convention- al printers. Paper Cassettes are available in A4, B4 and letter Storage boses 5.25 inch sizes. With manual sheet feed, you can print onto coloured 40 disk capacity ABA M35 £14.50 paper, tracing paper and even OHP film, which makes a 80 disk capacity ABA M85 £1 7.50 Lazerjet a truly flexible printer. 50 disk capacity FDD6 £8.99 10 disk capacity SEE -10 £2.25 List Price Our Price H.P. Laserjet Printer £2,650.00£2,299.00 Storage boxes 3.5 inch Toner Cartridges for Laserjet£87.42 £81.50 60 disk capacity MD6OT £16.99 Extra Font Cartridges from £197.00 £180.00 10 disk capacity SEE -10 £2.25 Prices for data Cartridges are available on request. COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER EQUIPMENT PRINTERS Philips P3100 (IBM PC Compatable)

Dot Matrix 512k Ram, 1 x 360k floppy disk drive, 10 Mbyte Hard Epson RX-100 + Parallel £249.00 disk,Monitor,IBMLayoutkeyboard, 1 x Parallel, Epson LQ-1000 P.O.A. 1 x Serial Port for Comms or Printer. Epson LQ-800 P.O.A. Epson FX-85 Parallel £385.00 List Price £3,100.00Our Price £2,759.00 Riteman II Parallel £270.00 Riteman 15 Parallel £460.00 Please Call for more details Riteman F+ Parallel £249.00 Apple Ii and lie Daisy wheel QuickFile Database //e £33.50 Diablo 635 Parallel £1000.00 Format -80 Word pro II & //e £99.00 Olivetti DY450 Ser/Paralal. £950.00 Wildcard Plus II & //e £65.00 Olivetti DY250 Ser/Paral. £650.00 Real Time Clock £89.00 Brother HR -1 5 Ser/Paral. £380.00 Cirtech Flipper £289.00 Brother HR -25 Ser/Paral. £700.00 Brother HR -35 Ser/Paral. £795.00 Apple Macintosh PFS: File & Report Combo £60.00 Helix £120.00 File Vision £25.00 MAC Multiplan £150.00 We also have in stock Single bin or Double bin cut sheet Quartet £150.00 feeders and tractor units. Please call for more details.

Other prices for Apple /1, Apple Mac and IBM PC Available on Request. Please remember that we are here to help you, no problem is too small For further details please phone: and we will endeavour to find a solution for you, so please don't hesitate to contact us on 01-898 0560. Please add £5.00 and 15% VAT to total We will accept payment by Visa, cheque and of course good old fashioned cash. /11 C Callers welcome by appointment. 01-898 0560

92 - circle 167 on enquiry card - ASS STOR AGE Memories of the future To match the processing power of modern micros you need somewhere to hold your data where it can be reached quickly and easily. Glyn Moody compares how the up- and-coming technologies tackle the task.

Mass storage is about hierarchy of storage devices holdinginfor- evolves,the place of each mationforper- typeof devicebeingde- iods longer than the dur- termined byitsrespective ationofaworksession; advantagesanddisadvan- during a session it is usually tages in terms of speed, cost, held ina volatile form in ruggedness and so on. RAM.Historically, mass - Forexample,magnetic storage technology has always tape was once the dominant lagged behind advances in computer -storagemedium. chip design. There are two Now itis relegated to two main reasons for this. specialisedareas:among One isthat each order - home -computer users, where of -magnitudeincreasein its chief virtue is cheapness; processortechnologytyp- and asa backup medium icallybringsinitswake forharddiscs.Itsmain the ability to cope with a limitation is the slow rate of two -order -of -magnitude data transfer, but in these increaseinmassstorage. areas speed is less important Forexample,thefirst than economy. rudimentary microprocessors The Winchesterdiscis like the Intel 4004 worked currentlyundergoingan with around 1K of RAM. interesting transition from its This meant that mass -storage previouslyexaltedposition devices were unlikely to have BM= as aspecial,extra -large to store no more than a few archival storage device. It is tens of kilobytes; the chip beginning to take over the could not cope with more. role previously played by the The eight -bit chips, such floppy disc, and is becoming as the Z-80 which lies at the the norm on most personal heart of the CP /M systems, computers.Manypeople could address a maximum now find the floppy's data - of 64K RAM initially. transfer rate too slow and its Associatedstoragedevices capacity too limited. But if rarely exceeded a few hundred kilobytes. far greater than that of one unit on its own. the floppy has been pushed down the Today the 16 -bit chips like the 80286 and This means that practically any mass -storage hierarchy somewhat, it still has its uses. In the 68000 can usefully work with around requirement can be met if you are prepared particular, it is a convenient form for trans- 100Mbyteofstorage.Ineffect,each to pay forit.Advances in mass -storage ferringinformationphysicallybetween development in the silicon world leapfrogsdevices havebeenlargelyamatter of systems. It is also cheap enough to act as a forward and requires a number of years ofreducing the cost of a given technology. backup - though admittedly an incon- steady progress in storage technology to This contrasts with the pattern of change in venient one - for hard discs. match and exploit it. silicon technology, where there have been At the same time we are seeing a rise in The other main reason for this disparity realadvances which would bealmost the importance of new technologies to fill isthatwhereas advancesinchipsare impossible to reproduce by linking together the gap left by Winchesters further up- effectively quantised - there is no halfway less powerful units. It is only recently, with market. The role remains the same: they are house between theeight -bit Z-80 and the widespread use of optical techniques, relativelyexpensive high -capacityunits, 16 -bit 8086 - mass storage proceeds by a that mass -storage methods have made a used mainly for archival storing. The write - process of continuous improvement and significant divergence from thelast20 once read -many -times (Worm) laser disc is refinement. This has been most apparent in years' progress in magnetic media. the technology which currently seems to recent months with the appearance of ever Itisnoticeablethatoldstorage offer the best solution. Already there are smaller Winchester disc drives that can store technologies are rarely superseded entirely units costing only a few thousand pounds increasingly large quantities of data. Not - again, in stark contrast with successive- roughly the same as the first sizable long ago a 5.25in. hard disc held a few models of processors, which seldom suffer Winchester drives - with storage capacities megabytes; today the same drive may well previous generations to co -exist with them. ofafewhundredmegabytes.Future top the the 100Mbyte mark. Instead, older storage methods begin to developmentswillbedirectedtowards In addition, storage units can nearlymigrate to particular tasks or to specialist increasing capacitystillfurther, and to always be daisy -chained to give a capacity nichemarkets.Astimeprogresses, a (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 MASS STORAGE

(continued from previous page) producing erasablediscs. The CD-ROM represents another avenue presently being explored. In the October 1985 issue of Practical Computing we surveyed the entire range of mass -storage technology. In this feature we concentrate on some of the products which fitinto the current hierarchy of storage devices at key points. PRICE -PERFORMANCE The hard discs on expansion cards, con- sidered on page 101, represent the last stage ofthewidespreadimplementationof Winchester technology.They offerthe chance for everyone with an IBM or clone to update to what is now almost standard on all machines. Their lifetime is likely to be limited as the number of PCs not fitted analogue signals, which are sent to a stereo with a hard disc will soon start to shrink. amplifier. In a CD-ROM player the digital But until then these devices provide a neat Compact signals are sent straight to a computer. instance of how successive products - they It is the storage space on offer that is likely have advanced from 10Mbyte to 20Mbyte to attract most people to use the small, and now 30Mbyte - represent an advance data silver -coloured CD-ROM discs. Each disc in value for money rather than a radical measures only4.7in.indiameter and change in technology. The CD-ROM, like the related weighs around 20 grams, but it is capable of One disadvantage of hard discs is that storing 550Mbyte of ASCII characters. This they are not generally removable. This can audio compact disc, is both is the equivalent of 270,000 pages of A4 beaninconvenientconstraint,anda durable and cheap to make. text. It would take well over 1,000 standard number of companies have come up with Carol Hammond explains 5.25in. single -sided floppy discs to hold the solutions. Among them are Bernoulli discs, same amount. low -capacityWormdrivesandfully the principles and prospects All it takes to access this information is a removable hard discs,allof which are of this important new storage CD-ROM player, an add-on board and a examined on page 97. medium. special adaptor to link the player toa We also look at some of the new memory computer. Players normally come in stand- expansion cardslike Above Board and It seems that the CD-ROM is about to alone form and are about the size of a Rampage. While they are not strictly mass - come of age as a mass -storage medium printer.Hitachi alsooffersa combined storage devices, their large capacities mean for computers. This is partly because of computer and CD-ROM player, called the that their function will inevitably blur into therecentagreement ona CD-ROM CDR -2500. the hitherto distinct realm of hard andstandard by the hardware and software Data stored on CD-ROM can be in the floppy discs. The use of spare memory as a manufacturers. It is also because there is the form of program files like spreadsheets or high-speed RAM disc is one example of how promise that more players may soon be word processors, or data files such as word- this will happen. available. A group of 11 Japanese hardware processing documents or database records. A One of the most exciting developments manufacturers have announced that they disc can carry graphics and diagrams too, but in mass -storage technology has been the intend to join the ranks of Sony, Philips and this makes more demands on memory. CD-ROM, which we discuss opposite.It Hitachi and produce CD-ROM players; isessentially no more than a read-only Atari may be offering a CD-ROM for the EXPENSIVE version of the Worm drives, but inter- 520ST. At the same time a slow trickle of CD-ROMs are still an expensive alter- estingly a common standard seems to be software is beginning to appear, and more native compared to, say, floppy discs. A CD- emerging - something that is rare enough applications are being found for CD-ROM. ROM player can cost anything from £800. In in the bickering world of micros. The CD- The name CD-ROM stands for compact addition there is the cost of assembling data ROM isnoteworthy forthe staggering disc read-only memory. The discs and their and getting it on to disc. If the information quantities of data it can cope with. The players are direct descendants of the audio required is not already in machine-readable move fromfloppytoharddiscwas compact disc. CD audio and CD-ROM form it will have to be specially prepared. essentially one of degree, but the massive usethesamediscandlaser -scanning The process of data preparation, mastering capacity of the CD-ROM could bring with it technology, and the same mastering and the pressing discs can cost up to f4,000. For developmentswhichcannotevenbe replication methods. A CD-ROM player a one-off order of 1,000 discs, each disc guessed at. resemblesa CD audio playerinboth complete with data costs around £5 to In fact the CD-ROM could represent a appearance and operation. produce. counter -example to the until now smooth The concept of CD-ROM grew up about Although CD-ROM discs offer durability evolution of mass -storage devices.Itisa five years ago when it was realised that andavastamount of storagespace, truism that as micros develop, the biggest because CDs store information in digital manufacturers and users are faced with the threat to their usefulness is the data deluge: form they could perhaps be used with task of deciding what to put on them to it may be that there will be just too much computers for distributing data. The first utilise the space, and of making sure that data available, and too little information. If prototype CD-ROM drives were unveiled in onlytherightpeoplehaveaccessto the CD-ROM takes off asits promoters 1984, and the first commercial drives and certain information. Software is still thin on hope,itcould provetobethe most sub -systems appeared in 1985. the ground compared to that available for significantstoragetechnologysince CD audio discs and CD-ROMs both store other storage media, and it is still impossible magnetic tape - or possibly even paper informationindigital form. CD audio for users to write, erase or edit data on these itself. playersconvertthisinformationinto read-only discs.

94 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 MASS STORAGE

i',111 .1 it. WORD SEARCH Fl F2 Search Option Relation Option Fl F2 .2111.111111111.111111111111.111111 ABOUT SEARCH ABOUT OUT- KEYS WORDS Article Titles Negate Words KEYS LINE In addition, a digital laser disc system using compact Bibliographies In an Article discs, or CDs, which combines optical video disc and digital F3 P4 fact loxes In P F3 computer technologies, has recently been developed. It has PREY LOOKUPSHOW Tables Words Apart 2IB recording and reproduce transducersthat have no physical con- WORDS TITLES Article Text Exact Order PAGE tact with the modulated midium. POI is inscribed on the disc All Categories by the laser cutting beam in a spiral path similar to thaton FS F6 FS F6 the traditional phonograph record. The inscription produces a SEARCHRELfAll PRE! NEXT pattern of pits end flat surfaces corresponding to the 1s and OPTIONOPTION PARAG PANG Bs of binary code. Reproduction is achieved by means of a reproduce laser, which tracks the pits and flat surfaces: the F7 FR There are 3 occurrences in 1 Articles F7 FR reflected hear of the reproduce laser is refracted by the modu- NEW SAME MAKE NExT lated groove. The modulated beam is converted by special QUERY QUERY COPY ART photoelectric cell to a facsimile of the original PCM signal, which is decoded to analog form and reproduced in a convention- FIS The word(s)OPTICAL F9 FIB al fashion. MENNEN C.ROBERTSON SELECT alongwith DISC WORD SEARCH alongwith SEARCH Bibliography: Aldred, John, Manual of Sound Recording, alongwith 3d ed. (-1.978): Bernstein, Julian L., Audio Systems (1966; alongwith Push FI-FIN_ repr. 1978): Berwick, John, ed., Sound Recording Practice: A

pi

Knowledge Set has produced the Grolier Despite the similarities between CD- claimed to give an error rate of only one in electronic encyclopaedia on CD-ROM ROMs and audio CD discs, the players have 1012 bytes. disc. You can search for a subject by word some important differences. In particular, CD-ROM players also need some way of and the program will show the number of CD-ROM players require a more powerful locating the information held on disc and articles it appears in. error -correctionfacility than their audio displaying it on -screen. This is done by the In the compact -disc interactive version cousins. On a CD audio disc one 2,340 -byte access software, which usually comes on (CD -I) proposed by Philips, discs will be sector represents less than 1/ 75th of a second floppy disc with the CD-ROM package. In abletocarrytext,sound,videoand of music. So when an error occurs an audio the future it may become possible to boot graphics. CD -I's applications will mainly be player can substitute information from the from the CD-ROM with the help of access in domestic markets, where it will be used previous sector without any detectable effect software held on the CD-ROM disc itself. for home entertainment, educational and for the listener. But on a CD-ROM player Access times for CD-ROM discs are not as training purposes. Philips is also developing a singleerrorcould have disastrous short as for hard discs. To find and move to a a CD-ROM based in -car navigation system consequences, so a new process of error - given point on a disc takes one to two called Carin. correction coding has been devised that is seconds. Moving from one track to an ad- joining track takes less than a millisecond, HOW IT WORKS which is quick considering that there are up to 20,000 tracks on a disc, forming a spiral A CD-ROM disc holds information in pits that are burned into its surface. There is about three miles long. The average data - room for about two billion pits on a single disc. During the mastering process the pits transfer rate is 1.4Mbit per second. But des- are burnt into the surface of the master disc by a laser beam. The lens controlling the pite the fact that CD-ROM takes longer to laser beam moves radially while the disc spins, so the information is laid down in a get to a track, once there it has access to more spiral track. data and so it surpasses the performance of The surface profile of the master is then copied either by electroplating or by magnetic media overall. photogolymer replication on to physical negatives. The CD-ROM discs themselves are made out of a transparent polycarbonate plastic, and are usually formed from the LASERDOS negative by an injection -moulding process. The surface is then coated with a reflective With such large amounts of data stored layer of metal, usually aluminium, followed by a protective layer of lacquer. on a single disc itis possible to run into Most CD-ROM players use a small gallium arsenide semiconductor laser to generate trouble with the operating system.For the light beam which reads the information from the disc. Light striking the pits is example,PC -DOS canhandleonly diffracted, while light that strikes the area in between is reflected. A photo -detector 32Mbyte. One remedy for this is to divide collects the reflected light and generates a modulated signal corresponding to the data into 32Mbyte chunks. Some operating pattern of data recorded on the disc. This signal is then decoded and converted to systems allow access to larger volumes of digital data suitable for use by a computer. data:for example, Laserdos from TMS Research Inc. sits alongside PC -DOS or MS- DOS and will allow users to read from CD- Reflective ROM as they would from a conventional aluminium Pit system, using the same commands and coating procedures. ,,""m...... When the audio industry came up with the compact disc it was keen to produce Flat section something that would last longer than an Pit height ordinary record while maintaining a high quailityofsound.Theresult is a polycarbonate disc that can be handled Flat area quite casually. It is difficult to scratch or Asrd/ /IMFjor warp a disc, and even a disc that has been scratched is still playable. CD-ROMs are also About lmm Back side of diameter immune to damage from magnetic fields. disc Compact discs and CD-ROMs do not wear Laser beam out with continued useas thereisno physical contact between the disc and a read

(continued on page 97)

CT1CA1' IMPU ING September 1986 95 1,000 floppies hold a lot

Exactly the same as 1 thin CD-ROM disk! The new memory storage medium CD-ROM can store 270,000 pages! That's as much as one thousand single -sided mini -floppies. Since it's the same size as an ordinary music digital disk, the savings in space are enormous. And if you consider distribution and mailing costs for 1,000 pages, let alone over two -hundred times that amount, it's clear that the CD-ROM's 552 Mbytes can dramatically cut costs. Ideal for massive storage, CD-ROM data s can't be destroyed by magnetic fields. Text, graphics, voice and music can be stored for new software applications. The ideal drive for this new medium is definitely Hitachi's CDR -1502S. Hitachi's new custom LSl assures hard read error under 10-12 without layered ECC. And since the drive adopts the same proven electro-mechanical technology as our mass produced audio CD players, you can be sure the CDR -1502S is bug -free from the beginning. You can offer our drive for your product line either as a stand-alone unit or built-in. We will supply the 8 -bit parallel interface card for DMA for most personal computers to make life easier - and more profitable! For further information on CD-ROM please contact Nick Rogers, 01-848 8787 ®NEW MEDIA Hitachi Sales (U.K.) Ltd. I Hitachi House, Station Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 4DR, H I TAC PRODUCTS Telephone: 01-8488787, Telex: 933611, Fax: 01-561 456 5

- circle 165 on enquiry card

BIG NAMES512K RAM BOARDS APRICOT f.T19110 Full range of expanded memory LOW PRICES boards from AST and Persyst for IBM PC, XT, AT and compatibles.

3 megabyte Persyst Megamemory for the AT Cost £745.00 AST RAMpage For explanatory booklet on expanded memory and further details contact: with 2 megabytes Free for PC/XT Microcache TASKFLOW LIMITED Cost £595.00 Freepost, Walton -on -Thames Surrey KT12 3BR, Telephone: 0932-248312/243600 (24 hours) Telex: 919873-TASKF-G

circle 166 on enquiry card - MASS STORAGE Youcan take it withyou The chief disadvantage of the conventional hard disc is that the media cannot be removed. Ian Stobie looks at alternatives which CD-ROM players are similar in appearance and operation to CD audio systems. overcome this problem. (continued from page 95) onlystatusprohibitsthatatpresent. conventional hard discs suffer from head. For the same reasonitis almostHowever, there have been reports that one major drawback: the storage impossible for a crash to occur even when aPhilips' American subsidiary has produced a medium is permanently attached to disc is warped. sample PROM based on a compact disc. the disc drive. This means you cannot hold However, CD-ROM discs do notlast Philips denies that any machines have been large amounts of data spread across several indefinitely. According to recent researchput together but concedes that something discs in the way you can with floppies. The carried out for the British Library, which is similar may be developed in future. on-line storage capacity of the hard disc, planning to use CD-ROM for archiving, the But for the time being CD-ROM's main although typically quite high,isalso its life of a disc is likely to be about 10 years. applicationswill be to hold databases, maximum capacity. It also means hard discs Stresses in the lacquered surface can causedirectories, manuals, catalogues, programs arenot verysecure. You cannotlock pinprick cracks, which allow air to reach the and documentation, encyclopaedias and valuable data away in a drawer or safe when aluminimum layer beneath and oxidise it. suchlike. This in itself is a highly lucrative you are not using it. In the past CD-ROMs have been plaguedarea.TheAmerican market -research For some time manufacturers have striven by theincompatibility of thedifferentorganisation International Resource Dev- to overcome these problems. The goal is a standardsadoptedbyvariousmanu-elopment that business users storage system with the speed and on-line facturers. But earlier this year a proposed and consumers will be paying more than $8 capacity of a hard disc, but the security and standard was announced by a group of 13 billion per year by 1991 to receive data on archival advantages provided by removable companies that includes Apple, AT&T, CD-ROM discs. media like the floppy. So far three different DEC,Hitachi,KnowledgeSet,3M, approaches have yielded workable results: Microsoft, Sony and Philips. The hope is COMMS REPLACEMENT the hard -disc cartridge, the Bernoulli disc that the existence of an agreed standard Somesuppliersofon-linedatabase and the optical Worm disc. will stimulate growth of the market for CD- services have as much as 80 percent of their Although the idea of the removable hard - ROMs,whilepreventinganysingle grossrevenueeatenupbytelecom- disc cartridge seems obvious, there are some manufacturer from dominating it. municationscosts,sothereareclearly fundamental difficulties to overcome before The proposed standardconsistsof asavings to be made by distributing this it can become a reality. The high storage definition of a volume table of contents and information by other means. IRD forecasts densities of the hard disc depend on the a directory structure. It has been submittedthat within five years about $2 billion worth read/write head getting very close to the to both the U.S. National Informationof expected communications service rev- surface of the magnetic medium on the Standards Organisation and the European enues will have evaporated as a result of surface of the disc.Unfortunately,this Computer Manufacturer's Association. database publishers transferringto CD- makes the system very vulnerable to dirt. The introduction of an SCSI interface for ROM from on-line services. Even small particles of ash in cigarette smoke CD-ROM drives has given a wide range of There are only a few U.K. databases can be enough to cause damage if they get personal computers access to CD-ROMs. But available as yet. Microinfo has implemented between the head and the rapidly rotating the real test of the standard could well bethe Medline and Aquatic Sciences and disc. when itreceives IBM's seal of approval. Fisheries abstracts. Silverplatter is offering The usual way around this problem is to Although IBM isnot a member of the psychological databases, Psylit and Psyinfo, seal the heads in the same airtight enclosure group,ithas been reportedas havingand the Current Indexto Journalsin as the disc platters, only allowing filtered air attended the recent important meeting. Education.Harwell is offeringStatus toenter.This approach was originally Itis estimated that some 600,000 CD software on CD-ROM. pioneered by IBM in the early 1970s on large audio players were sold in the U.S. last year, Around 400 software titles are available systems. It is still commonly referred to by so there is a solid production base on which for CD-ROM at present, most of them the original IBM code name for the project, CD-ROM manufacturers can capitalise. This American.ThesoftwarehouseOffice Winchester, although the details of the will help to reduce prices of CD-ROMWorkstations offers a system called CD - technology have changed over the years. players too: they are soon expected to fall Now. This do-it-yourself CD-ROM kitis Early attempts at making removable hard below £500 and may even drop as low as designed to give people a taste of CD-ROM discs stuck to the Winchester principle; the £250. It is also more than likely that the byofferingthechancetoput some removable cartridge contained the heads as industry will adopt the CD -I as standard, information of their own on disc. Other well as the discs, and you removed both. which means that users will be able to play organisations which are considering using However, this made the removable disc CD audio discs on the same players as CD- CD-ROM include the Ford motor company packs rather expensive, so defeating one of ROM discs. for its motor catalogue, Whittaker's for its the main purposes of making the discs This does not mean that CD-ROMs areBritish Books in Print and the BBC for the removable in the first place. about to replace magnetic media; their read- Domesday Project. (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 97 MASS STORAGE

continued from previous page) Above left: ISI's 525 Worm drive with a seen at exhibitions kicking their products. Thefirstreallypracticalremovable 100Mbyte cartridge. Bernoullidiscscome in10Mbyte and cartridge at the personal computer end of Above right: The latest Bernoulli Box 20Mbyte sizes and cost about ,f70. the market was produced by Syquest in contains two 20Mbyte removable Both Bernoulli and Syquest types of drive 1983. This mechanism and developments magnetic discs. are more expensive per on-line megabyte Below: A Flexidisk 10Mbyte cartridge. from it still lie at the heart of most of the than conventional fixed hard -disc storage. cartridge hard -disc systems now available. To reduce costs further may mean moving Other manufacturers just add their own beyond the magnetic storage methods on controllers and casing. offer to optical storage, though there are still Thedevelopmentwhichmadethe some problems to be overcome in this area. Syquest hard -disc cartridge possible was an The basic principle of optical storage is to improvement in disc -coating technology. represent bits of data as either small pits or The discis usually made of aluminium, small blisters on the surface of a metallised which is covered first with a layer of nickel plasticdisc.Data can then be read by and then withaverythin film of a reflecting laser light off the disc surface. magnetisable metal suchas chrome. A Since the laser head does not need to be further layer of a dry lubricant such as anywhere near as close as a magnetic head, graphite goes on top. cartridgesfor backing up the fixed disc, dirt does not cause the same problems, and This so-called thin-film recording mat- which takes much less time than using a tape so a filtered air supply is not necessary. erial is much less susceptible to damage by streamer. Cartridges now cost about £100 toIndeed, optical discs seem to be able to cope dirt than traditional ferric oxide media. As a £150, so it is feasible to build up libraries ofwith quite grubby media. The other great result, a completely sealed environment is data on cartridge. advantage of the technique is that very high no longer strictly necessary. The heads can A second technology which came on thedata recording densities are possible. therefore stay behind in the drives, while market at about the same time as the The most widespread optical technology you remove just the disc itself, which is well Syquest hard disc is the Bernoulli drive.is that used on the compact 4.7in. audio disc protected inside a rigid casing. Again, this type of disc does not require and 12in. video discs. Both of these are read- When you loadina new cartridge a self-contained air supply like the con-only formats; information has to be put on everything locks firmly in place and a door ventional Winchester, so the head can beto them by a factory pressing process.It opens in the casing to let the read /write left in the drive when you remove the disc would be very useful if there were a smaller - heads get at the recording media. As the platter. scale optical technology which allows users drive rotates, air is drawn in through a filter. Like floppy discs, Bernoulli discs are made to read, write and erase with relatively cheap It blows across the hard disc, dislodging any of a flexible plastic. But in operation theyequipment. But at the moment manu- dirt from the surface. behave like a hard disc, rotating very fast in facturers are only half way to that goal. Strictly speaking the Syquest system is not close proximity to the read /write head. The best that is available now is the write - a Winchester drive because the sealed air In the Bernoulli drive the disc lies well once read -many -times (Worm) drive. With environment is really the defining feature of away from the head when itisat rest.a Worm disc you can alter the recording that technology. Nevertheless, the drives Rotation creates an air flow which pulls thesurface, but you cannot reverse the process. perform in a similar fashion and the claimed disc up towards the head and then holds it at reliability for this system is good. the correct distance. The drive is named 200MBYTE PER DISC Several suppliers offer the system boxed after an 18th -century Swiss mathmeticianOn the face of it this seems pretty useless, up in different ways. Generally you get a who first described the laminar flow effects until you considerthesortof storage hybriddiscunitwhichconsistsofa upon which its operation depends. capacity it is possible to achieve with optical conventional fixed hard disc of perhaps Compared with a conventional hard disc, techniques. The typical 5 . 25in . Worm disc 20Mbyte or30Mbyte,together witha Bernoulli drives are less vulnerable to dirt. can be used on one side and holds at least 5Mbyte or 10Mbyte removable cartridge. ItBecause the disc is flexible, a dust particle 100Mbyte; some types of disc can be used on is done this way because removable discs are would just push it away, perhaps causing both sides to give you 200Mbyte. The larger still more expensive per megabyte than fixed aread/writeerrorbutnothing more 12in.format holds about one gigabyte discs. You would typically use the fixed disc permanent. Similarly, a complete power (1,024Mbyte) per side. for the bulk of your storage - particularlyfailure would have no chance of damaging With enough megabytes to play with you for programs and system utilities that you do data already present on the disc. can simply ignore old data and go on to a not change very often - keeping the Bernoulli drives offer similar performance new area of the disc. To update a record, for removable cartridge for more volatile orto a conventional fixed hard disc. They are instance, you just copy it to a new location security -sensitive data. also extremely robust - so much so that and abandon the original site. Of course you can use the removable Bernoulli sales persons can sometimes be (continued on page 100)

98 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 The trouble with most mass storage units is that they can't match the Apstor 10+10 in terms of performance and reliability. You start out buying a system that you think will answer all your storage needs, and then what happens? Heads crash. The system goes down, and you end up having to destroy your Winchester hard disks to prevent your security from being breached! That's why you should be look- ing at the Apstor 10+10. It's just one of a whole range of high capacity, high performance cartridge storage units by Apstor, designed to fit the most popular range of today's PCs, including IBM, Apricot, Sirius, Digital and Apple. And it's the first mass storage system in this country to feature Bernoulli Technology disk drives. Which means heads that won't crash. Completely remov- able media for absolute security and, by adding more cartridges, an infinite capacity. Not forgetting an ability to back- up 10 megabytes in less than 3 minutes, plus the facility to write on one PC and read on another, i.e. Write on IBM. Read on Apricot. Add to this the Apstor's Winchester -like performance and floppy -like simplicity and you've got an effective, secure and flexible storage system that'll stop you getting egg all over your face! THE APSTOR 10+10 MASS STORAGE UNIT. IT'LL SAVE YOU THE EMBARRASSMENT Find out how you can boost OF FOULED HEADS. your efficiency by getting the facts and figures about the whole Apstor range of storage devices by contacting us today at: Apstor International Limited, Unit 5, Victoria Road Trading Estate, Portslade, Brighton, Sussex BN14 1XQ. Tel: (0273) 422512.

INTEPtiATIONAL - circle 177 on enquiry card 99 MASS STOR AGE HIGH -CAPACITYREMOVABLE DISCS MAGNETICTECHNOLOGIES

REMOVABLE FIXED PRICE CAPACITY CAPACITY MEDIA (MBYTE) (MBYTE) COST Amcodyne PhD £4,950 20 60 £130 Amcodyne is Syquest's main rival as a builder of removable hard discs Apstor 60 + 20 about £4,995 20 60 £75 hard disc; Apstor also does Bernoulli and optical drives Borsu 10 +10 £1,950 2 x 10 - £85 Bernoulli; allows you to boot MS-DOS from cartridge Flexidisk 10 £1,295 10 - £95 a hard disc, despite the name; also available with IBM- compatible computer thrown in for £1,495 HAL 8-300 £3,090 5 10 £130 hard disc; other configurations available up to £5,990 70Mbyte system Idea R -10X £950 10 about £100 hard disc; Idea also has Bernoulli system 'omega Bernoulli Box £2,800 2 x 10 - £75 'omega makes drive mechanisms for all other Bernoulli suppliers; 2 x 20Mbyte unit costs £3,480 Honeycomb 10+ 10 £3,195 2x 10 - £65 Bernoulli Plus 5 FR -20110 £2,645 10 20 £110 hard disc; other configurations include 40 + 10Mbyte for £3,395, and 150+ 10Mbyte for £8,265 WORMDRIVES Alcatel Thomson Discus 1000 £18,000 1,000 - £300 also available with document reader, software and PC for about £50,000 Apstor Storlight £2,995 100 - about £130 200Mbyte and 400Mbyte units available Information Storage 151-525 £2,999 100 £60 double -sided media planned Optotech 5984 £4,750 200 £180 available with either IBM or SCSI interface, and Unix and MS-DOS software

SUPPLIERS

Alcatel Thomson Video Airport, Hounslow, MiddlesexHAL Communications 20-21 Suffolk Street, Pall Mall, Road, Brentford, Middlesex Media, Kingsgate House, 115 TW6 2EQ. Tel: 01-759 9941 Invincible Road, London SW1Y 4HG. TW8 9DD. Telephone: 01-568 High Holborn, London WC1V Borsu Computer Processing Farnborough, Hampshire Telephone: 01-930 9345 8866 6JJ. Telephone: 01-405 3257 Ltd, 195-197 Wardour Street,GU14 7QU. Telephone: Information Storage: Optotech Magstore Ltd, PO Apstor Unit C3, Knoll London W1V 3FA. Telephone:(0252) 517175 CPU Computers plc, Copse Box 121, Erith, Kent DA8 1SR. Business Centre, Old 01-439 1819 Honeycomb Micro Road, St. John's, Woking, Telephone: (0322) 339922 Shoreham Road, Hove, SussexFlexidisk Future Technology Ltd, 51 The Surrey GU21 1SX. Telephone: Plus 5 Engineering BN3 7GS. Telephone: (0273) Management Ltd, 38 Tanners Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, (04862) 73883 Crowborough Hill, 422512 Drive, Blakelands North, Kent TN2 5TE. Telephone: 'omega Softsel Computer Crowborough, East Sussex Amcodyne Legend Group, Milton Keynes MK14 5LL. (0892) 45433 Products Ltd, Softsel House, TN6 2EG. Telephone: (08926) Building 224, Heathrow Telephone: (0908) 615274 Idea IDE Associates U.K., Syon Gate Way, Great West 63211

(continued from page 98) But although 100Mbyte sounds like a lot of storage space you could still get through it fast using a Worm drive with ordinary personal computer software. Worms make most sense for applications where it is easy to distinguish between data that is purely static and data which can be expected to change. You can then use them sensibly in close conjunction with a magnetic drive, putting the volatile data and temporary files on the magnetic media and keeping the Worm for data with a longer life. In some cases the fact that Worm data cannotbeoverwritten is apositive advantage. Where you have large amounts of legally or financially important data to archive,the Worm iscertainlyworth Optotech's optical drive with one of its With the early Worm discs there were considering. 200Mbyte Worm discs. Standards have not yet emerged in the some problems with the recording media, optical disc field. ISI and Optotech both sources, but the smaller size looks like being which tended to degenerate over time, offer 5.25in. Worm units, but they have the most significant for business use at the threateningeventualdataloss.These differentformats.Toshibaisaboutto micro end of the market. difficulties appear now to have been largely launch another format later this year. As in But while optical storage has plenty of overcome, and the Worm drives we mention other areas of the mass -storage market,potential for the futureit would be a in the table should be good for keeping data various manufacturers box up the basic drive mistake to regard it as a strong contender for for 10 years or so. Indeed two companies, mechanisms with their own controllers and the heart of the removable -disc market at Magstor and Video Media, offer Worm software, so itis not always obvious what present. Until optical discs are fully erasable drivesaspartofturnkeydocument - format a drive uses. There are also higher - thisposition muststillbelongtothe archivingsystemswhicharesupplied capacity 12in. Worm drives from several magnetic discs. complete with input scanners.

100 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 MASS STORAGE Playing the Winchester card The idea of putting a hard disc on to an expansion card sounds like a good one. But when Glyn Moody tried it he discovered it was not all plain sailing.

when hard discs on cards were workings of DOS and formatting, partitions ventilation slots at the front of the IBM to announced a year ago they and directories. reroute cooling air. seemed to be one of those Our problems may have been in part the Although we experienced no problems obvious strokes of genius that come along result of using a PC clone, in the shape ofcaused by heat, some of the units did get once in a while. Someone put together two the Osborne PC. But it is precisely for such very warm. Even if this poses no threat to the apparently unrelated facts - that hard discs machinesandtheirownersthateasy hard -disc units themselves, when they are are small and that people use expansion upgrades are designed. Another possible placed alongside memory -expansion cards boards a lot - to come up with a brilliant reason was that we used the 2.11 version of the poor old IBM's innards can soon become product. The validity of that intuition has MS-DOS, which is only designed to handle a miniature oven. Such a marked increase in since been confirmed by a host of imitators. up to 16Mbyte of storage. It is generally the machine's ambient temperature could On the next page we look at four such recommended that DOS 3.0 or 3.1 be used. lead to premature failures in components. products. Whatever the reason, installation was not Thefirst companyinthefieldwas easy, and we also found that several cards WHY COMPROMISE? PlusDevelopmentwithits10Mbyte seemed allergic to any DOS which was not The final and perhaps most telling point Hardcard. But 20Mbyte has now become the official IBM flavour. against hard discs on cards is that they are standard size and 30Mbyte is beginning to Hard discs on a card also fail to meet up to overpriced and unnecessary. As we reported come throughaswell.Giventhat their initial promise in the way they are last month in our review of the Osborne PC, conventional hard discs are soaring into the implemented. For example, in some models you can pick up a 20Mbyte drive for around 100Mbyte range no doubt we can lookpower for the unit is drawn through the £450, and higher -capacity discs will soon be forward to similar sizes on cards once the general bus. But the bus was never designed available for not much more. So rather than engineering problems have been sorted out. for this purpose, and using it in this way fiddlearoundwithaproductwhose could risk serious long-term damage. Since engineering is very neat but essentially a A SLOT AND A HALF the power is going through the common compromise, why not get the real thing? The principle underlying all these cards is bus, any power surges which arise from You may have to discard your second floppy the same: a standard expansion board carries malfunction in the hard disc could flood in order to accommodate the new drive, but a3.5inWinchester,alongwiththe everything else on the bus, including the in practical terms you will lose little by doing miniaturised control circuitry. Even though motherboard itself. so. the latter is often exposed to the winds you One solution to this problem is to draw In many ways, hard discs on cards only are supposed not to touch it, which can the power directly from the power supply, really have a point if you are upgrading your make installation a bit tricky. The card's not and some units do this. But there still existing Winchester machine, though the inconsiderable weight is supported at both remains the danger that the main power usefulness of two separate hard discs is a ends and by the expansion connector. supply will be overstrained by the extra good deal less than one larger one. This will Although the boards are designed to occupy drain on its resources. This is more likely to become increasingly true as time goes on, only one slot some models, especially the be a problem with cheap clones, though we and fewer floppy -disc machines are sold for new 20Mbyte ones, require one and half. had no problems with the Osborne. The business purposes. After all, as the price for That is, they require a full slot, but allow rating of your power unit is crucial: it needs an XT clone drops down to well under you to use a half-length card alongside it. to be at least 130W to support the hard disc £1,000, and that for a 20Mbyte AT -alike to These cards will not work on every PC or and a couple of floppies. under £2,000, there is no reason to make do clone and the earliest models of the IBM PC with floppy systems. used a ROM BIOS which cannot cope with HIDDEN INCOMPATIBILITY On the other hand, it is likely that hard harddiscsatall.Unfortunately BIOS A more subtle danger arises out of hidden discs on cards will continue to come with upgrades are hard to come by, though this incompatibilities in the drives. For example, larger capacites on smaller cards needing less problem will only affect a few very early in order to limit the thickness of the unit to power. It may well be that for your needs machines. Similarly, the power supplies on only one slot,a non-standardinternal theywillofferthebestsolution.The these early machines are unable to take thedesign with fewer disc platters than usual important thing is not to be dazzled by their strain of a hard disc. may be used. IBM software writes data to apparent simplicity, nor disappointed by On the face of it, hard discs on cards seem disc assuming a certain layout of platters, their current lack of it. to be the obvious solution for the many and super -slim hard discs often use software For this feature we contacted nine U.K. owners of floppy -disc models who wish to to patch up the differences. The danger is suppliers of card -mounted hard discs. Four upgrade without too much fuss. But while that a very fastidious piece of software may of them sent us units to look at, and they are the idea of simply plugging in and switching detect the difference. described in the detailed reviews on the next on isattractive,itisalsohopelessly Hard discs on cards became possible when page. The products not available for review optimistic. The problems we experienced the power required for hard discs dropped were Business Card from Tandon on (0527) variedconsiderably,butweremostly sufficiently.But however efficienttheir 468000,Dinasti fromMicrosolveCon- concerned with the software installation design, they still generate a fair quantity ofsultants on 01-669 2858, Hardcard from procedure.If these experiences are rep- heat.Inanattempttoensurethat CMA on (04867) 4555, Maynard On Board resentative then hard discs on cards are not ventilationis adequate,severalmanu- from Softsel on 01-568 8866, and Olivetti for beginners. We found that to get them facturers of hard discs on cards supply you from PCU on (0932) 231100. working you have to be familiar with the with a piece of tape to place over some (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 101 MASS STOR AGE With its smart white plastic cover, the thought of installing the Drivecard on an IBM PC / XT. But 7-ff: Mountain Drivecard was the most neatly prominent messages to the effect that the installation process may packaged of the four hard discs on cards we reviewed. It did, destroy all data on existing hard discs warned us off, and we however, look slightly flimsy. As with all the cards, the chips and moved on to another machine. circuitry seemed very exposed, bearing in mind that you have to After running Install, we found that we had to use Fdisk to manhandle itintoitsslots.In addition to being the best create an active partition on the disc, then Format to format it. It packaged, it also has the fullest manuals plus a disc of utilities. was then possible to use itas disc drive C. This does not The unit requires a slot and a half unless slot number one is correspond to the outline in the installation manual, but proved used. In the latter case, you have to move the internal speaker to to be the only way to get the system working. make room. In addition to the metal bracket on the end that slots In use, the Drivecard seemed slightly noiser than the other into the gap at the rear of the machine, there is a small plastic edge models; it also became quite warm. Running the Bagshaw Disc guide supplied for the front. Power is drawn through the Benchmarks gave atotalfigure of 184 seconds, whichis expansion bus. considerably faster than the standard IBM PC/ XT's figure of 254 After the unit has been inserted, it must be installed. You do seconds. A big advantage of this model is that you can hook up an this by running Install from the utility disc provided. Initially, we internal hard disc directly to it.

Price: 20Mbyte card £895, projected 30Mbyte version around £1,295. Supplier: P&P, Todd Hall Road, Carrs Industrial Estate, Haslingden, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 5HU. Telephone: (0706) 217744.

In contrast with the tastefully packaged you have plugged in the unit and powered -up you simply type rill.77171Drivecard, the Filecard looks severely C:INSTALL functional with its black metal frame. The circuitry is better for automatic installation. Unfortunately, this did not work with protected, though the PCB is still exposed, as is much of the disc the unit we tested. Instead, we had to go through the same drive's mechanics. Overall,itlooked more robust than the procedure as with the Drivecard, using Fdisk follwed by Format. Drivecard. The manuals are less impressive and consist of a few Running the Disc Benchmarks produced a figure of 221 seconds loose-leaf pages, presumably destined for the IBM PC manual - rather slower than the Drivecard, but still acceptablyfaster binder. than the IBM. The unit was not especially noisy. The fact that it is We found installing the card harder, if only because the fit was such a tight fit may cause overheating problems when it is used in 'tighter. As with the Drivecard, one and half slots are needed. The conjunction with other hot -running chips positioned nearby. Filecard draws all its power through the bus, so you do not need The manual also contains information on Xtree,afile - any extra power cables. The insertion process is much the same as management program included free with the Filecard. It lets you with the Drivecard; again a card guide is provided. view directories and subdirectories, and delete, copy and rename Theoretically, the software installation should be easy. Once files or groups of files.

Price:£795 Supplier: ADT, Standard House, James Street, York YO1 3BU. Telephone: (0904) 647881.

102 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 MASS STOR AGE

it It The U.K,-built Insiderissimilarin The Insider is supposed to be ready to receive DOS directly, but appearance to Filecard. Once again it once again we founditnecessary to go through the same has a black metal case, though this time the chips are exposed. procedures as before, and even this proved difficult. It transpired However, the drive itself is completely enclosed. A simple manual that the Insider was very particular about which DOS was is provided, but no utilities. installed. Once again there is a warning that if you use the Insider The Insider requires one and half slots. Installation is as before, with 'a PC/ XT the installation process may destroy all your data. expect that you have to connect up some extra leads to the power The 30Mbyte version gave a Bagshaw Benchmark total of 199 supply. This card does not draw its power from the main bus. seconds. There are two parts to the lead. One connects to the power -supply The metal casing got very hot, but Xtech insists that this is good cable which normally goes to the floppy disc, the other daisy - because it ensures that the heat is conducted away, unlike with chains the power back to the floppy. On the Osborne PC it was plastic units. Xtech also emphasises the virtues of its automatically easy to fit since extra power cables were supplied, but on the IBM parking heads and the fully shock -mounted assembly. Also PC /XT it was a nightmare, The power cables are awkwardly worth uper- placed, and hard to remove and reconnect. slim

111111111111111111111111111111

Price:20Mbyte version £799; 30Mbyte version £949. Supplier:Xtech, CourtFarm Estate, Greens Norton Road, Towcester, Northarpptonshire N

Qubie's hard disc on a there is a Y -piece which allows you to insert it between the power card is something of an supply and the disc drive. Hardpack presents the same problems oddity. For a start, it eschews the full-length card format in favour as the Insider in getting at the connectors on the PC/ XT. of a double-decker version with the circuitry folded back on the Otherwise installation is easier because it is not such a tight fit as disc drive to give a fat half-length card. This allows you to fit the the full-length cards. card behind the floppy -disc drive on an IBM PC/XT or twin- The same software installation process of using Fdisk and oppy model, thereby only using one slot. Format was used to prepare the disc for use. Of all the hard discs There are two small circuit boards piggybacked on top of the we tested, the Hardpack proved easiest to get up and running. drive. Both the boards and the drive are unprotected by casing of Running the Bagshaw Disc Benchmarks gave a total figure of any kind. The metal bracket which secures the unit to the back 229 seconds, marginally the slowest of the group. In use, the unit wall is extra large, and has two screw holes for security. The did not appear to get as hot as some of the others. manual is thin and not very clear. As with Filecard, a file -management system is supplied. The Like the Insider, the Hardpack takes its power from the main documentation for this looks very cheaply produced, but the power supply. In addition to the lead from the hard -disc unit, provision of such facilities is thoughtful, if nothing else.

Price: £695 Supplier: Qubie, 7 Farrier Street, London SW18 1SN. Telephone: 01-8712855. MASS STOR AGE

titzgoao ASF Rampage' laaW, 444 40EZ Nam 1111111111111111111111111111111 AST's Rampage board lets you store programs as well as data in expanded memory. Through thememorybarrier Steve Malone explains how memory expansion cards extend on-line memory beyond the 640K limit normally accessible to the IBM PC.

Massivesoftwarepackagesre- Lotus Development had good reason to try it runs up to 10 times faster than a con- quiring enormous quantities of and remedy the problem. Together with ventional floppy disc. memory, unthinkable a year or IntelandMicrosoftitdevelopedthe The drawback to this technique is that the two ago, are now commonplace. The hitch is Lotus / Intel / Microsoft(LIM)Expanded information held on the RAM discisas that many of these powerful programs Memory Specification. volatile as any other data held in RAM. You would benefit from access to more memory The LIM EMS standard uses a technique have to remember to copy data you wish to than the 640K maximum that the archi- known as bank switching. The idea is that in keep on to a conventional magnetic disc tecture of the IBM PC allows. addition to the standard RAM there is an before switching off. However, this is not a The restriction is a purely artificial one as area of expanded memory which shares the problem if you buy the PS version of the the 8088 CPU can actually address 1Mbyte same addresses but can hold different infor- Above Board, asitis fitted with battery of RAM. This memory is divided into 16 mation. The processor can only see one area backup. 64K segments,numbered0toFin of memory at a time, so although the PC Installing the Above Board should simply hexadecimal. But only the first 10 segments might contain 2Mbyte of memory the be a matter of plugging it into a long slot are accessible to the user under MS-DOS, addressable limit of 1Mbyte remains. within the PC and transferring a few files hence the 640K limit. The best-known implementation of the across to your system disc. If the computer The remaining segments, A to F, are set LIM EMS is the Intel Above Board. This does not have the full 640K of addressable aside for machine use. Segments A and B are board sets aside a 64K area known as a page RAM already fitted, some of the Above assigned to the machine's video memory, frame to be used as the work area for Board's memory can be reconfigured to while C is used by the expansion ROMs for switching. Page frames can be any available make up the difference simply by adjusting the XT hard disc, extended graphics card segment from C4000 upwards. The 64K the DIP switches on the PC's motherboard. and the 3270 PC. D and E were originally page is further subdivided into four 16K We found installation of the drivers a reserved for the PCjr, to allow it to make use windows. tricky business at first. Supplied with the of ROM cartridges. The final block, F, is set Above Board isa program called Setup, aside for the IBM BIOS ROM. MEMORY MANAGER which is supposed to install the drivers on A fair amount of the potential memory When informationstoredinthe your systems disc. We used MS-DOS 2.11, has thus been lost. However, it is easy to be expanded memoryisrequiredbythe but Setup informed us that this was an early wise with hindsight. When the IBM PC was processor, asystemutilitycalledthe version of DOS which it did not recognise, designed, memory chips were expensive and expanded memory manager (EMM) swaps a even though it said it would be happy with 640K was beyond anyone's wildest dreams. current16K window withanotherin versions 2.0, 2.10 and 3. And if ROM cartridges had taken off in a big expanded memory, allowing the 8088 access The Above Board manual was not much way we would all be complaining loudly had to the data. The LIM standard can allow up use in this situation, as its answer to every IBM not provided space for them. to 8Mbyte to be stored in four slots on theproblem seems to be to rerun Setup. We Butas RAM hasbecomecheaper, PC and up to 16Mbyte piggybacked in slotsfinally got the board installed with the help programshavebeenwrittentotake on the AT. The 16K windows can be drawn of First Software's technical support, who advantage of large quantities of memory, from anywhere within the 8Mbyte expanded were equally baffled by Setup's behaviour as even though the PC itself has been unable to memory. they had no trouble using version 2.11 on adapt to the change. The first signs of An alternative method of configuring the the Compaq. Maybeitwasjustour trouble appeared with the giant integrated expanded memory on the Above Board is as machine. packages like Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony. a RAM disc. Under this arrangement the Installing the Above Board software by The programs themselves take up around operating system is fooled into believing hand means configuring the relevant EMM, 256K, and when businesses began large- that the extra RAM is a disc drive, with its RAM disc and RAM buffer drivers in the scale financial modelling the unthinkable own drive letter. The user can run all the disc Config.Sys file. When we phoned First happened as people began to run out of commands like Copy and Chkdsk on the Software we were told which ones to use, but addressable memory. RAM disc, but because it is in fact made up it would have been better if that infor- With its software shackled in this way, of memory chips rather than a physical disc (continued on page 106)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 TAKE YOUR AMSTRAD BEYOND WORDPROCESSING

Assumes No Knowledge of Business THE AMSTRAD Computing.

An Initial 'Jargon PCW 8256/8512 Breakdown' in Laymans Terms. MORE THAN JUST A 'keystroke -by - A WORDPROCESSOR keystroke' Guide to Software Implementation on The AMSTRAD PCW8256/8512.

Utilises the Interraction between Different Software Packages as a Means of Optimising Business Activities.

Includes the Implementation of: - Accounts/Payroll Software - Names and Address Database IAN B. JAMES MSc Grad Cert Ed - 'Personalised Mailing' Published by Cambridge Microcomputer Centre - Spreadsheets for Budgets Etc.

TO: Cambridge Microcomputer Centre, 64 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge, UK. Telephone 0223 215195. Please send me copies of The Amstrad PCW8256/8512,more than just a wordprocessor! @ £9.95+£1.00 P&P . I enclose a cheque for £ , or please debit my Access/Barclaycard No Name Address

Signature Please allow 21 days for delivery. Price applies to UK mainland only. Please check prices if ordering from outside UK. (05 - circle 172 on enquiry card - MASS STORAGE

`= 1111111111I11111111111111111111

The Allcard allows direct addressing right up to 952K.

(continued from page 104) ification as its foundation, AST is able to to the expanded memory of the LIM EMS mation had been included in the manual. claim full compatibility with the Above standard. Where the EMS switches addresses The LIM EMS providesaworkable Board.It can indeed perform the same between the expanded memory and main solution for creators of gigantic spread- functions and run the same programs, but memory, the MMU redirects call addresses to sheets. The Above Board can hold large this does not mean that Rampage and a location within the extended memory. quantitiesof additional memory while Above Board can be used together in the The Allcard MMU works in a similar remaining totallytransparent forappli- same computer. When we tried, the resultfashion to the AT device. It acts as a pre- cations able to use it. There are, however, was a string of parity errors. AST told us that processor to the CPU by adding four bits to problems with the LIM specification. Mostly this was due to hardware differences on the thebeginningoftheusualmemory these are to do with the 64K page frame. boards. As to their supposed compatibility, addresses. The resulting 24 -bit address can The LIM EMS requires the page frame to be we were informed this meant only that they then be used to access up to 10Mbyte of contiguous and not split into four windows do the same thing. Nevertheless, the EEMS memory. The Allcard goes further than the scattered around memory, and there can format,withitsmoreflexibleuseof AT MMU in that it reconfigures the entire only be a single page frame within main windows, shows more long-term promise memory map of the PC. The calls to the memory, no matter how many expanded than the standard EMS. video RAM, hard disc and ROM BIOS are memory boards you have fitted. The potential of Rampage is indicated by redirected by the MMU to the F segment of This has two effects which are detrimental the response of Digital Research to the memory. to the operation of the system. To begin format.For some time DR hasbeen When you power -up with the Allcard with, it means that the processor can only attempting to wean PC users away from MS- installed the operating system finds no view 64K of expanded memory at a time. DOS by extolling the multi-user/multi- barriers placed in its way at 640K and will Since most serious application programs are tasking virtues of Concurrent DOS. The initialise user memory all the way up to much bigger than this they cannot be held trouble has been that 640K of RAM does not 952K. The MMU can also set extended in expanded memory. The extra 8Mbyte go very far when shared between four or five memory up to 10Mbyte without the need for that the Above Board can provide is really users and the operating system.Digitial bank switching. The Allcard MMU needs to only usable for data. Programs like 1-2-3 fit Research has therefore rewritten Concurrent work closely with the 8088 CPU, so the chip happily within the 640K limit so this limit- DOS in order to take advantage of the together with any optional 8087 has to be ation will not worry Lotus very much. But memory storagespaceofferedbythe removedfromthemotherboardand people who would like to use the expanded Rampage board. installed on the Allcard.Special cables memory for program storage might think which run from the Allcard direct processor differently. CONCURRENT DOS XM signals back to their original sockets. The other problem thatusers might The new version, known as Concurrent The future for memory -expansions tech- encounter with the LIM EMS standard occurs DOS XM, works by reserving the bottom niques looks bright, and their prospects can when the program is attempting to access 256K of user memory for itself and con- only improve with the advanced versions of data held in a number of different windows. figuringtheremaining384K of userDOS that have been promised. As memory Theprocessorspendssomuchtime memory as a series of windows. It operates in capacity continues to rise and prices fall switching data between main memory and conjunction with the Rampage memory 16Mbyte might soon come to be considered expanded memory that it has little time left manager (REMM) to share out the memory. the minimum for a machine that conforms to run the application. Each task or user can be assigned up to 384K to the IBM standard. [13 of expanded memory for programs and data, EEMS which can be banked in and out of main SUPPLIERS To counter the problems inherent in the memory. Thus for the first time a multi-user LIM EMS, the American peripheral manu- system based around the PC becomes a Above Board:256K basic facturer AST has taken the basic spec- realistic proposition. configuration with upgrade chips to 1Mbyte costs £520 from First Software, it. is Although the AST EEMS is a considerable ification and added to The result Intec 1, Wade Road, Basingstoke, known as the Enhanced Expanded Memory improvement overthe LIM EMS spec- Hampshire RG24 ONE. Telephone: Specification (EEMS) and is implemented ification, it has only alleviated the problems. (0256) 463344 on AST's Rampage board. The EEMS can It has not made them go away. However, a Rampage:1Mbyteconfiguration costs use any available 16K area of physical Canadian company, All Computers, has £510 from AST Europe, AST House, Goat memoryas awindow.Furthermorecome up with a possible solution borrowed Wharf, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 OBA. Rampage can use as many windows as are fromminiandmainframeaddressing Telephone: 01-568 4350 available; it is not limited to just four. Thismethods. The secret lies in the technique Allcard:1Mbyte configurationwith allows sufficient expanded memory to be that is already used on the PC / AT, where a memory -management unit costs £695 from All Computers, Second Floor, Prince bankedinphysicalmemorytostore device known as a memory -management Rupert House, 64 Queen Street, London programs. unit (MMU) extends the memory up to EC4R 1 AD. Telephone:01-248 8895 Because Rampage uses the LIM spec- 3Mbyte. This extended memory is different

106 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 RFTTING THIE STANDARD TRISFIFT LTD 0629-3021 PROFESSIONAL ADVICE LOW PRICES HOT LINE SUPPORT FAST SERVICE

Whether you are seeking specialist ACCOUNTING SOLUTIONS FROM Example systems: -

advice or simply wish to buy at a com- TRISOFT APRICOT XI HD, 10 MB HARD DISK, 1 petitive price, we believe that TrisoftAs authorised dealers for the best known 720K FLOPPY 512K RAM, KEYBOARD, 9" Ltd. offers a service second to none. andrespected accounting software MONITOR, MS-DOS, 4 PEGASUS Apart from offering around 300 soft- houses, we feel that we are uniquely quali- MODULES £1895.00 ware packages and a large range offied tooffer computerised accounting add-on boards, we are also authorised systems to a wide range of companies OLIVETTI M28, 2 MB RAM, 4 -WAY SERIAL dealers for APRICOT OLIVETTI and whose requirements may differ markedly. CARD, LEVEL V XENIX, KEYBOARD, MONO - NORTH STAR. Our in-house accounting expertise and MONITOR, 3 WY -50 WYSE TERMINALS, competitive pricing policy provide a com- 4 MULTISOFT XENIX MODULES 1. SOFTWARE bination of support and financial realism £8995.00 which is difficult to beat. DBASE III PLUS £335 ENTRY LEVEL CAD SYSTEM LOTUS 1-2-3 £247 Trisoft Ltd. are authorised dealers for OLIVETTI M24, 20MB HARD DISK, 1 FRAMEWORK 2 £325 360K FLOPPY, 640K RAM, 7 EXPANSION SUPERCALC 3 £175SAGE, PEGASUS, MULTISOFT and MULTIPAC accounting software. SLOTS, MONO MONITOR, KEYBOARD, WORDSTAR 2000 £245 MS-DOS, ROLAND DXY 880A A3 DATAEASE P.O.A. PEGASUS, MULTI-USER and XENIX PLOTTER, CALCOMP 2200 DIGITIZER, REFLEX £69systems. AUTOCAD, AUTOCAD ADEX 1 + 2, 8087 8 MULTIMATE £210 MULTISOFT, XENIX systems. MHZ CO -PROCESSOR £5495.00 MS WORD 3 £279 APRICOT (including XEN), OLIVETTI PROFESSIONAL CAD SYSTEM WORD CRAFT £335 and NORTH STAR hardware. WORD PERFECT £265 OLIVETTI M24 SP (640K RAM, 20 MB HDU, WORDSTAR PROF £219 Unrivalled Prices. MONO MONITOR, KEYBOARD AND MS- MULTIPLAN 2 £145 DOS), AUTOCAD WITH ADE-112, 10 MHZ Unrivalled accounting expertise in 8087 CO -PROCESSOR, CALCOMP 2200 VP PLANNER £78London and the Midlands. DIGITIZER, CALCOMP AO 1043 PLOTTER, OPEN ACCESS £295 We supply software only orfull FREE ON -SITE INSTALLATION AND THREE SMART 3 P.O.A. systems. MONTHS ON -SITE WARRANTY SYMPHONY £345 £12995.00 £375 Full range of training and mainten- ance support services from our quali- COMMUNICATIONS LATTICE C £275fied accountants. MSC COMPILER £265 We supply the complete range of HAYES and PEGASUS PO.A SAGE SUPERDEALS STEEBEK (HAYES-compatible) MODEMS MULTISOFT PO.A. and SUPPORTING SOFTWARE for most List Our communications requirements. Please call N. BOARDS Price Price for details. INTEL ABOVE BOARD FROM BOOKKEEPER £395 £295£195 EDUCATION RAMPAGE P.O.A. ACCOUNTANT £495£325 Users in Education please call for details of

AST SIX PAK PLUS 384K . £245 . ACCOUNTANT PLUS £695£435 special prices available on certain products. AST 5251 MOD. 11 £599 FINANCIAL HERCULES MONO £175 CONTROLLER £995£625 UNLOCK HERCULES COLOUR £115 PAYROLL £195£145 For LOTUS and other protected products TECMAR I EEE 488 £299 Copies the system disk to the hard disk and AST EGA £245 Upgrades and maintenanceavailable, then removes the protection. INTER OUADRAM EGA + (SHORT). £275 please call. Allows any number of non -protected arch- ival back-ups to be made. PLOTTERS/LASER PRINTERS ETC Allows you to run programs without the ROLAND DXY-880A A3 PLOTTER . £675 ROLAND DXY-980A A3 PLOTTER £945 system disk in the floppy drive. ROLAND DPX 2000 A2 PLOTTER. .£3245 Average UNLOCK time 3 minutes. £95.00 CALCOMP 1043 AO PLOTTER . £7643 HP LASER JET £2185 HARDWARE HP LASER JET + £2885 APRICOT XI, XN AND XEN-I RANGE. CANON LBP Al LASER £1985 OLIVETTI M24 20 MB, M24 SP M28 CANON LBP A2 LASER £2985 NORTH STAR DIMENSION TONER CARTRIDGE FOR AllA2 £85 8087/80287 PO.A. All prices are subject to carriage and VA.T MS MOUSE £145 TRHSOFT All software prices are for IBM and com- PC MOUSE £145 patibles. For other formats, please enquire. TRISOFT LTD CROWN SQUARE, MATLOCK, DERBYSHIRE DE4 3AT TELEPHONE (0629) 3021, TELEX 8950511 ONEONE G (please quote ref-TRISOFT.)

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po box 19, whitstable, ken[ c t5 ltj tel 0227 266289 tel.gold 72 dtb10183 109 -. circle 160 on enquiry card - - circle 162 on enquiry card .- ASTIOMEGA / TECMAR / NOVELL / PERSYST / QUADRAM / HERCULESPC/XT / PERIPHERALS 3MB°S10-405ATSERIAL/PARALLEL MULTIFUNCTION MULTIFUNCTION CARD CARD FOR FOR CARD THE THE AT AT PC/AT PERIPHERALS £449£149 £89 ANADEXPENMANNJUKI / /ASTARMANNESMANN / SILVER / CANON -REED /TALLY DIABLO/ OLIVETTI / /OKIMATE EPSON / / COLOUR/LASER/PLOTTERS APPLE COMPATIBLE PERIPHERALS CALLSUPER576K640I< FOR TURBO RAMASTERMULTIFUNCTION UNBELIEVABLE XT MAINBOARD EXPANSION CARD PRICES!!! CARD £149 £89£97 360K1.2MB'MULTI-ASYNC. TANDON FLOPPY AT CARDDRIVE GREY FOR (White/Black FLOPPY THE AT facia) £149£195 £89 parallel,OLIVETTI(also available F/T DM colour 295/1285/1 with dual13280 col, col, interface, 160cps, 160cps, parallel35NLO, 35NLO, & serial) £449£345 peripheralsitemsDigitask in stockis in the the at major U.K.-This'Sale' supplier prices!!! month of all Call for free price list ASYNC.PARALLEL 2SERIAL PORT PRINTER COMMS. ADAPTER ADAPTER . £39.50 £119£27£18 DATAPRODUCTSANADEX / BROTHER / EPSON / CANON / HONEYWELL / TOSHIBA /JUKI / PRINTERS-DOT MATRIX JUKIparallel,(also 5520, availableF/T 180cps colour with F/T dual7 colour interface, ink set parallel & serial) £1890 £339 SOFTWARE ADD-ON514-4B514-4MULTI-ASYNC. FLOPPYSERIAL FLOPPY PORTDRIVE CARDDRIVE KIT CONTROLLER (PC/XT)CONTROLLER CARDCARD (SHORT) £12.50 £32£54£95 TAXANPANASONICNECMANNESMANN / NEWBURY / CITIZEN / TEC TALLY / OLIVETTI /DATA RITEMAN / MICRO / OKI / COPAL -MICROLINE / STAR / / APTECBDSCANONNECQUME 630 LASERFLOW LC800LASER CANON LASER LBP8 TENCOMPATIBLE LASER £2630£2230£2225 LOTUSDMULTIMATE BASE 123 III TOP 10 £375£265£120£215 COLOURMONOCHROME/GRAPHICSPSIO-405XTMULTI I/O GRAPHICS CARD MULTIFUNCTION WITH CARD CABLES CARD CARD F129£129 £79£87 OLIVETTIparallel F/T DM (LX 100/1280/1 -80 equiv.)80 col, 120cps,160cps, 25NLO,35NLO, £169 HEWLETT PACKARD MONITORS P.O.A. CROSSTALK X VI1990 BORLAND REFLEX SUPERCALCMULTIPLAN IV £260£288£175 £59 PCP8255GAMESCOLOUR/GRAPHICS130/150W 128 I/O ADAPTER EPROMCARD POWER PROGRAMMER ANDSUPPLY PRINTER UNIT ADAPTER £149 £89£24 parallelOLIVETTI(also F/1"F/T available DM (FX-85(FX-105 290/1 with equiv.) 132equiv.) dual col, interface,160cps, 35NLO, parallel & serial) £365£295 IBMPHILIPScomposite " Compatible 75137502 20MHz 12" Green, 20MHz EB5£69 VICOM We stock a very large selectionSMARTWORD of software PERFECT £386£145 PROGRAMMER/ANALYSER3601

0 " 0 T R

VIRTUALLYany computer with an previous program, but makes use RS -232 serial interface can be used of the extended features of 16 -bit for accessing a remote database or DOWN LOADER versions of Microsoft Basic. This bulletin board. All you need is a program automaticallysetsthe suitable modem and a suitable Geoffrey Bernstein presents three simple RS -232 port configuration. piece of communications software. Basic programs which allow you to set up The version of the program Modems can now be bought for communications through the RS -232 port. showninlisting 3 includesa well under £100, and a wide and download facility so that you can growing range of public -domain LISTING 1 store data that has been received communications software is avail- down the phone line. Line 1 clears able free of charge. 10 MAIN=0158: STATUS=6H59: MASKIN=012: MASKOUT=6115: WIDTH 79 space for storing data in the area Theproblem is thatthis 20 AS=INKEYS: IF AS."' THEN 80 above the Basic interpreter and 30 ' CHECK OK TO OUTPUT BYTE program. The variable Storein software is itself found on bulletin 40 B=INP(STATUS):B= B AND MASKOUT : IF B<> MASKOUT THEN 40 boards, so you need some way of 50 ' OK - SO OUTPUT IT TO MAIN PORT line 4isa simple switch which 60 OUT MAIN,ASC(AS) tells the program when to start getting at it in the first place. The 70 ' CHECK TO SEE IF INPUT BYTE WAITING programs presented in this article 130 B=INP (STATUS): B = B AND MASKIN: IF B <> MASKIN THEN 20 recording the data it is receiving.

90 ' IF NO INPUT BYTE AT MAIN PORT THEN LOOP BACK FOR are intended for just this purpose. KEYBOARD CHARACTER The parameter Low is the point in

The simplest versionis only 10 100 C=INP(MAIN) : PRINT CHR$(C); GOTO 20 memory from which the program lines long, and it should work on startsstoringdata;Placeisa any machine that runs Microsoft markertoshow how farthe LISTING 2 recording has progressed through Basic and has an RS -232 interface. 10 OPEN "COM1:300,N,8,2,RS,CS 0,DS 0,CD 0,BIN" AS 1 MicrosoftBasichastwo 20 WIDTH 79 memory.Line110placesthe functions designed for commun- 30 AS=INKEYS: IF A$<>"" THEN PRINT El, AS; received data in memory, and line 40 IF LOC(1)>0 THEN PRINT INPUTS(LOC(1),1)( icating with the RS -232 interface. 50 GOTO 30 120 increments the place marker. Inp isfor inputting a character The f sign in this listing should be entered as # To start saving part of the trans- from the port, and Out isfor missionyoutypeControl -A. outputting a character to it. Basic When you have finished receiving has to be told which port number LISTING 3 thedatayourequire,type 1 CLEAR ,32000 to use to reach the RS -232 inter- 4 STORE=0: LOW=32001: PLACE=LOW Control -Banditwillauto- face if the program is to work. 10 MAIN=6H58: STATUS=6H59: MASKIN=012: MASKOUT=6115: WIDTH 79 matically be saved on disc in a file 20 AS=INKEYS: IF A$="" THEN 80 1 called Comms.Dat. If you want to The program in listing has 21 IF AS=CHR$(1) THEN STORE =1 : GOTO 80 two parameters, Main and Status, 22 IF AS.CHRS(2) THEN GOTO 2000 use another name you can alter

30 ' CHECK OK TO OUTPUT BYTE whichyouwillneedtoset line 2010. Line 21 looks for the 40 B=INP(STATUS):B= B AND MASKOUT : IF B<> MASKOUT THEN 40 correctly for your machine. The 50 ' OK - SO OUTPUT IT TO MAIN PORT Control -Acharacter,CHR$(1). 60 OUT MAIN,ASC(AS) Main parameteristhe internal Similarly, Control -B is trapped in 70 ' CHECK TO SEE IF INPUT BYTE WAITING address of the RS -232 interface's 80 B=INP (STATUS): B = B AND MASKIN: IF B <> MASKIN THEN 20 line 22 and forces a jump to the

90 ' IF NO INPUT BYTE AT MAIN PORT THEN LOOP BACK FOR data port. This is the address to KEYBOARD CHARACTER file -output routine. which any data being transmitted 100 C=INP(MAIN):PRINT CHRS(C):: IF STORE =0 THEN 20 The program stores data directly 110 POKE PLACE,C out of the interface has to be sent; 120 PLACE=PLACE+1 into memory, starting at location it can also be read to get data 130 GOTO 20 32000.It will continue to store 2000 ' FILE OUTPUT received by the interface. 2010 OPEN "0", El, "COMMS.DAT" data until you tell it to stop. On The RS -232 interface also has a 2020 FOR I= LOW TO PLACE -1 manymachinesthere isan 2030 J = PEEK (I) statusport whichgivesinfor- 2040 PRINTE1, CHRS(J)( effectivelimit of about 20,000 mation about the present state of 2050 NEXT characters at which you start over- 2060 CLOSE El the interface; the Status parameter 2070 GOTO 1 writing the part of memory which isthe address of this port. By contains the operating system - readingthestatusportitis The numbers used for Maskin with Maskout. The And functionwith disastrousresults for your possibletotellwhetherthe and Maskout are designed to work is used to mask off the irrelevantdata. So do not try using this interface is busy trying to send a with the 8251A Uart chip. Most bits.If the RS -232 interfaceis program with very large files. character, or whether a character machines are fitted with this chip trying to transmit a character, the To use your RS -232 to com- has just been received but has not or a compatible one. The final program loops round line 40 untilmunicate with another machine yet been read. parameter in line 10 sets the line theinterfaceisfree.Line60 you will have to configure it so The simplest way of finding the width. simply uses the Out function to that the two machines match up. right numbers for your machine is In line 20 the Inkey$ function is actually transmit the data. If you havea program called to look them up in the manual. If usedtoseeifakey on the The program will comfortably Configor Configuronyour you have a CP/ M machine therekeyboard has been pressed. If itkeep up with 300 baud trans- systems disc you can use it to set may well be a similar entry in the has, the appropriate value is putmissions - equivalent to aboutthe following parameters: baud listing of the BIOS supplied on into A$; lines 30 to 60 are to do30 characters per second. To stop rate is set to 300; word length is the system utilities disc. Look for with outputtingit through the theprogram you simplytype set to 8; parity is set to No Parity; afilecalledsomethinglike RS -232interface.If no keyis Control -C. and stop bitis set to 2.If you Bios.ASM. In my setup you can pressed the routine jumps straight If you have an IBM-compatible havetheoptionofchoosing find the required data inthe to line 80. or MS-DOS machine you should between asynchronous or synch- section headed "Table of Equates Line 40 reads the status of the use the program shown in listing ronouscommunicationsyou - I/O Devices". RS -232 interface and compares it 2. It works in a similar way to the should select the former.

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 111 AMSTRAD PCW-8256 SIERPINSKI'S CURVE D L Gates presents some refinements to the DR Logo routines published in last February's Practical Computing to allow you to produce more complex designs.

READERS who enjoyed Obhijit SIERPINSKI Chatterjee's article on Sierpinski's curve inthe February issue of ?po "sierpinski to ierpinski :g :first ;second ;hd Practical Computing may wish to make "I 510 elaborate both the procedures for make 1 make "r I generating such curves and the * (:k - 1) / (ir * ((2 * ;k)- 1))) make 'I:1 * ! designs used for the two required lists of drawing instructions. The ;:t:") 1 - repeat 1g imaK. set of procedures presented in this A article includes several such refine- make"3 ((;(:1 4 * sin (46))) * (:k - 1)) / 2) ('',6 * sin (45) * :I)) make "x ((0 -:N) - ((sin (157) * * ')) ments. make "g :N + 20 The co-ordinates for where the 51;setsplit 2 ht pu setpcs (se thing "x thing "g) seth :hd clean pd curvebeginsareautomatically make "a (se thinl "first) adjusted so that any curve up to make "z (se thing "second) the fifth generation will be con- make "b (se thing "first thing "second thing "first) tained within the screen limits if 1g 1 Ere pea,, 4 trun thing "al; and will have the same overall if :g = 1 irepeat 4 trim thing "hi; :g Y. trepeat (:g - 2) Ipattern; repeat 1 trun thing "a run thing "b if 1 4 trecgc: dimension. Halving the primary le) run tning 'a recgclefl side length each time will not do, setcursor t0 32] since the basic overall dimensions *r (se "Sierpinski "Curve "generation thing "g "Seg(ents thing "First "and thing 'second of the squares are not in a simple tinitial "heading thing wild) 2:1 ratio. The overall body of the end ?pc "pattern first -generation curve is to pattern 1 + 2* sin(45) make "b (se thing "a thing "z thing "z thing -"z thing a) includingtheprojectionsor make "a (se thing "a thing "z thing "a) "ears" at the corners. Without the make "z thing "b ears the dimension is enO. 1+ sin(45) If you examine the sequence of higher generations of the same ?po "zl curve you will see, for example, to LI that the second generation is three rt 90 fd :h rt 90 fd :h bodies wide, the thirdis seven it 45 fd :1 it 45 fd :h bodies wide, and so on. In general end ?po "z2 the width of generation G is to 72 DG -1 71 including the extension of the ears repeat 2 iIt 45 fd :h it 45 fd :11 only at the extreme left and right end ofthetotalcurve,butnot ?po "cl including the others. To produce to cl rt 50 fd:h rt 90 fd :h it 45 fd:th it 60 fd / 2 rt 60 fd :th / 4 rt 50 fd :1 square! two generations of the same curve bk :1 bk :h Id :h it 50 fd :th / 4 tt SO fd :th/d it SO fd :th it 45 fd :h that maintain the same overall end dimensions then requires that the ?po "di startingco-ordinatesandthe to cd primary side length :1 be adjusted` rt 20 fd :h rt 90 fd :h repeat 3 Eit 46 fd :th It 60 fd :th 2 rt 60 fd ith / 4 rt 90 fd! in accordance with the properties :1 square bk :I bk :h fd :h It 20 fd :th / 4 rt SO fd :th / 2 It 60 fd :th it45 fd :hi end of an exponential progression that ?po "el also addresses the trigonometric to el relationships. rt 150 fd :th It 120 fd :th rt 150 fd :h It 45 fd :th rt $0 fd :th it 120 fd :th rtSO fd! The other messy part of altering :th It 45 fd :h Sierpinksi for various generations end is assembling the basic instructions ?Do "e2 list for the actual drawing - that is to e2 rt 150 fd :th It 120 fd :th rt 150 fd :h repeat 3 tit 45 fd ;th rt SO fd ;th it 120 fdit! the sequence of a's and b's, in h rt SO fd :th It 45 fd :hi Chatterjee's notation. The pro- end cedure Pattern accomplishes this automatically.Afterrunninga using only the basic square and square that shoots off at length :1you will be right on target on the fourth- or fifth -generation curve some basic drawing tools. An ad- and returns to the main side one-primary side once again. you could enter vantage of DR Logo for this type ofthird of the way farther along, the The illustrations on the opposite pr (se thing "a thing "b thing "a) design developmentisthat therequired angle to turn right or leftpageshow howfairlysimple It would be laborious to have to Sin,Cos and Arctan functions is doodlingson alargefirst - determine and then type into the accept degrees rather than radians arc cos(1/6) generation square can resultin procedure such an instruction list as arguments. or 80.405932 degrees. DR Logointeresting and beautiful designs every time you wanted a different DR Logo's multi -digit accuracytakes this in its stride produces awhen taken to just a few gen- generation of the curve. also means that you can direct the very accurate version of 80.405932 erations.You may findideas The fun of Sierpinski's curve lies turtle very precisely. For example, degrees;ifyouturnbackamong Moorish or Sufi decorative in the possibility of coming up if you want a squiggle midway 160.81186 degrees and designs - which involve the same with exotic variations on the theme along the primary side of the fd :1 type of repetitive geometrics.

112 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 AMSTRAD PCW-8256

Segments cl and c2, initial heading 315, generations 2 and 4.

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Segments kl and k2, initial heading315,generations 2 and 4.

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> ) ? c: -4. Segments H and f2, initial heading 315, generations 2 and 4.

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/ / .:::::-.:-'s, ----.:-.--- /./. \-,/ : `, -/ \ \ // ./ /( . : , -.'''):,' , ; IC . ' ,---.4' .f'-'75 ..',.`--,'....,:r.77:,,,.'--:.* ./..'. ,. ft

, / N../.\\, : /\/

! 5/ Segments n1 and n2, initial heading 315, generations 2 and 4. PC

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 1 1 3 COMPUTER TOO SLOW? DON'T GET MAD -GET MICROCACHE For aslittleas £125 our MICROCACHE software package breathes new lifeinto your system. MICROCACHE instantly puts your disk drives and screen into overdrive (your printer too for another £70). It is available for most machines.

Microcosm Research first invented Silicon Disk (the original 'RAM -disk'). A simple enough concept, but tedious to use effectively. MICROCACHE is very different, doing all the work for you no more copying files to and fro.It turbocharges your disk drives automatically. Using anything from 32K to 4M bytes of RAM, it ties together processor, disks and screeninto afast,powerful and intelligent system, cutting down mechanical activity and, most important, cutting the time the job takes. Go for the Printer Buffer option as well, and you can whistle through print runs at many times normal speed. Characters are rushed into MICROCACHE's buffers, allowing you to get on with your next task while printing continues. Itis faster, more flexible and less expensive than most hardware buffers. (Printer buffer on its own - £95). MICROCACHE also features a Screen Accelerator. This improves many programs with sluggish displays. Screen Accelerator and Silicon Disk are included absolutely FREE with MICROCACHE. Experts, trade journals and thousands of users agree: MICROCACHE puts "RAM disks" and hardware printer buffers in the shade. According to a recent magazine review, "MICROCACHE makes the system run like the wind". Need we say more? Can you afford to wait? Send for your copy now!

oot, Vlr inaoatoo5gvizo5YMVY Microcosm Research Ltd

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ATARI 1040 STF MATARI £700 ATARI 1040 STF Colour £899 ATARI 520 STM £347 ATARI 520 STM + 500K D. D. + Mono £537 ATARI 520 STM + 500K D.D. + Colour £705 LOTS MORE IN STOCK PLEASE RING FOR DETAILS AMSTRAD 01-938 3663 AMSTRAD PCW 8256 £389 AMSTRAD PCW 8512 £489

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-* circle 164 on enquiry card ,-IIMPORTANTANNOUNCEMENTI-% A MAJOR SUPPLIER FREE HAS FOR DISPOSAL A LIMITED STOCK OVERNIGHT OF BRAND NEW DELIVERY!* DAISY WHEEL 01-455 9823 COMPUTERS/CALCULATORS/PLOTTERS PRINTERS

LASER PRINTERS HP 718 (portable computer) £425.00 CANON 8A1 £2034.00 PLOTTERS EIDS £2197.00 HP 7470 (A4 2 Pen Plotter) £860.00 QUME £2426.00 HP 7475A (A3 6 Pen Plotter) £1525.00 NEC LCO8 £2399.00 HP 7550 (8 Pen A4/A31 £3220.00 HP LASER £2150.00 HP 7440 18 Col 2 Pen) £986.00 OLIVETTI M24 SHARP PC 1500A £147.50 M24 128K 1 x 360K £1285.00 CE 158 RS232 and Cent IF £120.00 M24 256K 2 x 360K 1495.00 CE 150 printer cassette IF £125.00 M24 128K 10MB £2050.00 HP 75808 (Al) £7500.00 M24 640K £2295.00 PC -600116K) £220.00 30MB SEAGATE E1995 CE -600 14colPlotterPrinter/Cas.I/F. TAN DON £230.00 PC 256K 2 x 360K £995 EPSON OX -10 (desk top computerl.E1599.00 PCA 20 512K + 20MB £1795.00 EPSON HX20Briefcasecomputer,16K HEWLETT PACKARD expandable, S/RS232 interface £345.00 HP 41 CV ISCI Computer) £139.00 EPSON PX-8 (portable 64K Computer Word HP 41CX (Computer) £199.00 Processor) £650.00 Epson range available POA

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THIS TESTmakes use of a statistical column B ranges more widely from parameterknownas variance, 422 to 479. Widgets from firm B which is in turn related to another VARIANCE seem to be more variable in quality parameter,standarddeviation, that those from firm A. mentioned in the May 1986 issue. Looking at range - that is, the Standard deviation and variance lowestandhighestvalues - are a convenient way of expressing RATIO TEST provides a rough appreciation of the spread of values found in a It is often important to be able to distinguish the situation. But this approach is given set of data. between two sets of data on the basis of theirunreliable because itdeals only To calculate the variance and the withtheextremevalues.The standard deviation of a set of data variability rather than their mean. Owen majority of values are clustered you first find the mean of the set Bishop and Daniel Bishop explain how it more closely around the mean, and and then calculate the deviation it is essential that these should be for each value - thatis,the can be done. taken fully into account in the test. difference between each value and the following two months - are all indicating that thereis no sig- The variance ratio test calculates the mean. The deviations of valuesbased on it. nificantdifference between the the variance of each set of data and greater than the mean are positive The table shows two sets of data means. Other things being equal, thenworksouttheratio,F, while those for values less than the which a buyer of widgets mightit does not seem to matter who betweenthelargervariance mean are negative. Squaring eachwish to compare. The two columns supplies the widgets. and the smaller one. If the two deviation gets rid of the negative representtheperformanceof However, closer examination of setshaveapproximatelyequal signs;adding the squares, and widgets supplied by two firms. The the data shows that thereisa variances, F is close to 1. The more dividing this sum by the number buyer takes 20 widgets from each difference which has so far beenthe variances differ, the higher the of values gives the variance. Thefirm and keeps a record of howoverlooked but which is detected value of F. standard deviation is simply thelong, in hours, each is in use before by last month's 2 -sample runs test: Standardstatisticaltablesare square root of the variance. it fails and has to be replaced. Thus the two sets of data have different available which show the prob- At first encounter, variance maythe first widget bought from firmspread or standard deviation. This abilityof obtaining by chance seem an odd sort of quantity to be A fails after 435 hours of use, thecan be confirmed by using the various values of F when two sets of working with. If the data refers tonext widget from A lasts465 Essential Statistics program pub- data are actually drawn from the numbers of meals served in a works hours, and so on. lished in the May issue to examine same population - for instance, canteen, for example, the variance After testing 20 widgets fromthe data. The standard deviationwhen two sets of widgets come isexpressed in units of square each firm it appears that there isfor set A is 10, while that for set B from the same manufacturer, or if meals.But variance has math- virtually no differenceintheir is 15. there are two manufacturers who ematical properties which make it mean life. Indeed, applying the t - What this implies can be seen by are producing identical widgets. an extremely useful parameter.test - seearticleinPracticallooking again at the data in theIf, from a given set of data, you The tests described in this articleComputing, June 1986 - to thistable. Data in column A rangesobtain a value of F which is less - and those which will appear indata, the value of tis only 0.5,from 434 to 472, while data in than the tabulated value, you will

VARIANCE RATIO TEST 10 REM- VARIANCE RATIO 330 CL$(NC-3)="MEAN":CL$(1C-2)="SDS":C 20 REM- A Statistical Utility Program L$(NC-1)="ESDP":CLS(NC)="ESDM":RL$(NR-3) 30 REM ="MEAN":RL$(NR-2)="SDS":RLS(NR-1)="ESDP" 40 REM- by Owen and Daniel Bishop :RL$(NR)="ESDM" 50 REM 340 DIM NVY(NC-4),SVZ(NR-4) 60 REM- Version 1.0 - 30/12/85 350 SW=36-7*LR:CC=INT(SW/CW):IF NC=100 THEN HB=5 100 *TV 255,1 380 RB=NR+4:IF NR>16 THEN RB=24 110 L$=STRING$(10,CHR$32) 390 FR=0:FOR J=1 TO NC:IF DP(J)>0 THEN 120 MODE7:PROCcol:PRINT"VAR. RATIO" FR=1 130 PROCbtm:PROCcol:PRINT "Enter name 400 NEXT of file to be loaded":PROCalpha("(max 7 410 VDU31,0,2:PROCcls letters): ",7) 420 PROCbtm :PROCcol:PRINTSPC(5)"Pleas 140 ON ERROR PROCfserror:VDU31,15,0:PR e wait while calculating":PROCmean:PROCb OCcls:GOTO 130 tm 150 FILES=ORS:A=OPENIN FILES 430 RD=16:IF NR-RS0 THEN RS=RS- "AT LEAST 2 COLUMNS OF DATA REQUIRED":F0 16:GOTO 430 R J=1 TO 4000:NEXT:RUN 500 IF K$=CHR$136 AND CS>0 THEN CS=CS- 200 DIM SC(NC+4,NR+4),CL$(NC+4),RL$(NR CC:GOTO 430 +4),DP(16),U(103,4),F(4),V(2) 510 IF K$=CHR$137 AND CS+CDHI THE 590PROCbtm:PROCcol:PROCnum("Which othe N HI=DP(J) r column? (1-"+STR$(NC-4)+")",1,1,1,NC-4 300 NEXT:FOR J=1 TO NC+4:DP(J)=HI:NEXT 310 CLOSE#0:0N ERROR OFF 600IF QN=C1 THEN VDU7;GOT0590 320 NC=NC+4: NR=NR+4 610C2=QN

116 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 0 P N L E BUSINESS STATISTICS WORKING LIFE F as high as this at random is only program you need a data tablegreater than 9 or if the number of 0.094,or9.4percent.Con- containing two or more columns. degrees of freedom is less than 4 - Firm A FirmB sequently,if you saythat A's Any pairof columns canbe thatis,with five items in each 435 452 widgets areof more consistent selected for comparison. A disc filecolumn - the algorithm does not 465 471 quality than B's you do so with'containingthedata is firstproduce an accurate result and the 445 459 only a 9.4 percent chance of being prepared using the Data Maker message

434 466 wrong. If you require a reliable program published in the February - Probability not available 445 452 product,itmight be better to issue. Load and run the program isdisplayed.The samething 442 455 purchase only from A in future. Vat -Rat. Put the data disc in thehappens when the number of 459 451 The t -test was mentioned earlier drive and load the required datadegrees of freedom is large, since 452 438 in this article as a way of assessing file. The table is displayed and canthe values concerned are too big 452 479 thesignificanceofdifferences be examined using cursor keys iffor the program to handle. 464 467 between means. One assumption necessary. The values of means, If no probabilityisavailable 442 438 on which the t -test depends is that standard deviation of the samplebecause F is large, the differences 442 428 the variances of the two samples 450 443 (SDS),estimatedstandard between variances is usually highly are not significantly different. So 449 451 deviationofthepopulationsignificant.If no probabilityis 451 424 before subjecting data to the t -test, (ESDP), and estimated standardavailable because the amount of 453 430 it should be tested by the variance deviation of the means (ESDM) aredata is too small you can collect 440 438 ratiotest.Ifthisshowsthat also displayed as in the essentialmore data and repeat the test. Key 460 422 variances differ significantly, the statistics program. N for the next test, or R to rerun 461 456 resultsof thet -test should be Key T totest,selecting the the program. 472 454 treated with caution. columns for testing if the table has The statistics programs and tests In the example, the variance more thantwo columns.The Mean life 451 449 covered in this series include histo- ratio test indicates a reasonably sig- variance ratio F is calculated andgrams,scattergrams,essential nificantdifferenceofvariance displayed,togetherwiththestatistics, chi-square test, runs test, haveno reason to believe that theratio, but since the t -test showed number of degrees of freedom. variantratiotest,analysisof two sets differ in their variances. Ano significant difference of means You can then use statistical tables variants and binomial test. All the value of F greater than the one inyou can leave it at that. If the t -test of the distribution of F to establishprograms, along with five others, the table suggests that the twohad indicated that there might be the level of significance. The calc-are available in BBC Basic on a sets differ significantly. a difference of means, you couldulated value ofF mustequal orsingle -sided 40 -track 5.25in. disc. The Variance Ratio Test pro- have gone on to use a test such as exceedthetabulatedvalueto The price is .f20 including postage gram shown below calculates that F Cochran's test or the 2 -sample runs indicate significance at the givenand 15 percent VAT. Please send equals 2.21. The variance of set B totestfor differences of their level. your order to Owen Bishop, c/o is more than twice that of set A. means, since these tests do not rely Alternatively, key P to have thePracticalComputing;cheques The program then calculates that on equal variances. probabilitycalculateddirectly. should be made payable to Owen the chance of obtaining a value of To use the Variance Ratio Test Under certain conditions, if F isBishop.

620VDU31,0,2:PROCc1s 1E-29 THEN CX=C%+1 630VR1=SC(C1,NR-1)'''2:VR2=SC(C2,NR-1)^2 950 NEXT:SV%(J%)=C%:NEXT 640IFVR1>VR2 THEN FP=VR1/VR2 ELSE FP=V 960 NT%=0:FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:NT%=NT%+NV% R2/VR1 (J%):NEXT 650 VDU31,0,2:PROCc1s:VDU31,0,5:PRINT" 970 FOR J%=NC-3 TO NC:FOR K)1=NR-3 TO N F = ";INT((FP+.005)*100)/100 R:SC(J%,K%)=1E-29:NEXT:NEXT 660V1=NV%(C1)-1:IFV1>NV%(C2)-1 THEN V2 980 FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:SUM=0:FOR K%=1 TO =NVY.(C2)-1 ELSE V2=V1:V1=NV7.(C2)-1 NR-4:IF SC(J%,K%):71E-29 THEN SUM=SUM+S 670PRINT'"with ";V1;" and ";V2;" degre C(J%,K%) es of freedom" 990 NEXT:SC(J%,NR-3)=SUM:NEXT 680PROCbtm 1000 FOR J%=1 TO NR-3:SUM=0:FOR KX=1 TO 690*FX21,0 NC -4:1F SCOOL,J7.).:1E-29 THEN SUM=SUM+S 700VDU31,39,22:K$=GET$ C(,A,J7.) 710 IF K$="P" THEN 750 1010 NEXT:SC(NC-3,J%)=SUM:NEXT 720 IF K$="R" THEN RUN 1020 FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:SUM=0:FOR K7.=1 TO 730 IF K$="N" AND NC>6 THEN 450 NR-4:IF SC(J%,K%):>1E-29 THEN SUM=SUM+S 740 VDU7:GOT0690 C(J%,K%)*SC(JX,K%) 750 IF (V1<4 OR V2<4)OR FP>9 THEN 880 1030 NEXT:SC(J%,NR-2)=SUM:NEXT 760 ON ERROR GOTO 880 1040 FOR J%=1 TO NR-4:SUM=0:FOR K%=1 TO 770 PROCbtm:PROCcol:PRINT"Calculating NC-4:IF SC(K%,J%),,)1E-29 THEN SUM=SUM+S probability of F" C(K-4,J%)*SC(K%,J%) 780P=FNF*2:ON ERROR OFF:IF P<0 OR P>1 1050 NEXT:SC(NC-2,7%)=SUM:NEXT:SUM=0:F0 THEN 890 R J%=1 TO NC-4:SUM=SUM+SC(J%,NR-2):NEXT: 7900%=&20306 SC(NC-2,NR-2)=SUM 800 VDU31,0,12:PRINT"Probability is 1060 FOR J%=1 TO NR-4:IF SV%(J%)',,0 THE P N SC(NC-20%)=SC(NC-2,J%)-(SC(NC-3,1%)*S 8108%=&90A C(NC-3,J%))/SV%(J%) 820PROCbtm 1070 NEXT 830*FX21,0 1080 FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:IF NV%(J%),,0 THE 840VDU31,39,22:K$=GET$ N SC(J%,NR-2)=SC(.1%,NR-2)-(SC(J%,NR-3)*S 850 IF K$="R" THEN RUN C(J%,NR-3))/NV%(J%) 860IF K$="N" AND NC>6 THEN 450 1090 NEXT 870 VDU7:GOT0830 1100 SC(NC-2,NR-2)=SC(NC-2,NR-2)-(SC(NC 880 ON ERROR OFF -3,NR-3)*SC(NC-3,NR-3))/NT7. 890VDU31,0,12:PRINT"Probability not av 1110 FOR J%=1 TO NR-4:IF SV%(J%)>1 THEN ailable" SC(NC-1,J%)=SQR(SC(NC-2,J%)/(SV7.(J%)-1) 900 GOT0820 ) ELSE SC(NC-1,J%)=1E-29 910 DEF PROCmean 1120 NEXT: FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:IF NV%(J%)) 920 LOCAL J%,K7.,C%,SUM,NT% 1 THEN SC(J%,NR-1)=SQR(SC(J%,NR-2)/(NV%( 930 FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:C%=0:FOR K%=1 TO J7.)-1)) ELSE SC(J%,NR-1)=1E-29 NR-4:IF SC(J%,K%)<>1E-29 THEN C7.=C%+1 1130 NEXT:IF NT%>1 THEN SC(NC-1,NR-1)=S 940 NEXT:NV7.(J%)=C%:NEXT:FOR J%=1 TO N QR(SC(NC-2,NR-2)/(NT%-1)) ELSE SC(NC-1,N R-4:C%=0:FOR K%=1 TO NC-4:IF SC(K%,J%)<> R -1)=1E-29 (continued on next page)

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 117 I:1 II IE N F I L E BUSINESS STATISTICS VARIANCE RATIO TEST (continued from previous page)

1140 FOR J%=1 TO NR-4:IF SVX(JX),.>0 THE 11 N SC(NC-2,JX)=SQR(SC(NC-2,JX)/SVX(JX)) E 1730 VDU31,0,2:FOR J=1 TO CD LSE SC(NC-2,JX)=1E-29 1740 VDU31,(HB-1+(J-1)*CW),2:PRINT;J+CS

1150 NEXT:FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:IF NVX(J%)<.: ; 0 THEN SC(JX,NR-2)=SOR(SC(JX,NR-2)/NVX(J 1750 NEXT 7.)) ELSE SC(JX,NR-2)=1E-29 1760 IF LC=0 THEN VDU23,1,1;0;0;0;:ENDP 1160 NEXT:SC(NC-2,NR-2)=SQR(SC(NC-2,NR- ROC 2)/NT7.) 1770 VDU31,0,3:FOR J=1 TO CD 1170 FOR J7.=1 TO NR-4:IF SVX(JX)<>0 THE 1780 VDU31,(HB-1+(J-1)*CW),3:PRINTCL$W N SC(NC-3,JX)=SC(NC-3,J%)/SVX(JX) ELSE S +CS); C(NC-30%)=1E-29 1790 NEXT:VDU23,1,1;0;0;0;:ENDPROC 1180 NEXT:FOR J%=1 TO NC-4:IF NVX(JX)<> 1800 DEF PROCrows:LOCAL K:VDU23,1,0;0;0 0 THEN SC(JX,NR-3)=SC(JX,NR-3)/NVX(J%) E ;0;:FOR K=5 TO 20:VDU31,0,K-1:PROCc11:NE LSE SC(J%,NR-3)=1E-29 XI 1190 NEXT:SC(NC-3,NR-3)=SC(NC-3,NR-3)/N 1810 FOR K=1 TO RD:VDU31,0,K+3:PRINT;K+ TX RS:NEXT 1200 FOR J%=1 TO NR-4:IF SVMJX)<>0 THE 1820 IF LR=0 THEN VDU23,1,1;0;0;0;:ENDP N SC(NC,JX)=SC(NC-10%)/SQR(SVMJX)) ELS ROC E SC(NC,JX)=1E-29 1830 FOR K=1 TO RD:VDU31,3,3+K:PRINT RL 1210 NEXT:FOR J7.=1 TO NC-4:IF NVX(JX)-<> $(K+RS) 0 THEN SC(JX,NR)=SC(JX,NR-1)/SQR(NVX(JX) 1840 NEXT:VDU23,1,1;0;0;0;:ENDPROC

) ELSE SC(JX,NR)=1E-29 1850 DEF PROCnum(Q$,Q1,02,03,04) 1220 NEXT:SC(NC,NR)=SC(NC-1,NR-1)/SQR(N 1860 *FX21,0 TX) 1870 PROCcol:PRINT 0$::INPUT""ON$ 1230 ENDPROC 1880 QN=VAL(QN$) 1240 DEF FNF 1890 IF QN=0 AND ON$:>"0" THEN 1920 1250DF=.1:IFFP'>5 THEN DF=INT(FP)*.04 1900 IF EINc>INT(QN) THEN 1920 1260 FOR J=0 TO 2:V(J)=1:NEXT 1910 IF (Q3=0 OR ON,=04) AND (Q1=0 OR Q 1270 FOR J=0 TO 4:F(J)=0:NEXT N>=02) THEN ENDPROC 1280FOR J=0 TO 103:FOR K=0T04:U(J,K)=0: 1920 PROCline NEXT:NEXT 1930 GOTO 1860 1290D=2/DF:VF=V1/2-1:FQ=INT((FP+.5*DF)/ 1940 ENDPROC DF)*2:VG=V1/2:VH=V2/2 1950 DEF PROCalpha(Q$,Q1) 1300VV=V1+V2:VN=0 1960 *FX21,0 1310PROCcalc 1970 PROCco1:PRINT 0$;:INPUT""OR$ 1320VV=V1:VN=1 1980 IF LEN(OR$)<=01 OR Q1=0 THEN ENDPR 1330PROCcalc OC 1340VV=V2:VN=2 1990 PROCline:GOTO 1960 1350PROCcalc 2000 DEF PROCline:VDU1l:PROCc11:VDU7:EN 1360AA=V(0)/V(1)/V(2)*V1""VG*V2WH DPROC 1370VI=VG-1:VJ=(V1+V2)/2 2010 DEF PROCbtm:VDU31,0,20:PROCc1s:VDU 1380FORJ=3 TO FQ+3 31,0,20:ENDPROC 1390JF=J/D-DF 2020 DEF PROCcol 1400U(J,0)=JF-A/I/(V2+V1*JF)-"WJ 2030 PRINT CHR$130; 1410NEXT 2040 ENDPROC 1420FORK=1 TO 4 2050 DEF PROCcls 1430FU=3-K 2060 LOCAL CRSX,V,H 1440FORJ=1TOFQ+FU:U(J,K)=U(J+1,K-1)-U(J 2070 V=VPOS:H=POS ,K-1):NEXT 2080 CRSX=999-H-(40*V) 1450NEXT 2090 VDU23,1,0;0;0;0; 1460FORK=0 TO 4 STEP 2 2100 REPEAT:IF CRS7.<255 THEN 2120 1470FORJ=3-K/2 TO FQ+1-K/2 STEP 2 :F(K) 2110 CRSX=CRSX-255:PRINTSTRING$(255,CHR =F(K)+U(J,K):NEXT $32): 1480NEXT 2120 UNTIL CRSX<255 1490A=DF*(F(0)+F(2)/6+F(4)/180) 2130 PRINTSTRING$(CRSX,CHR$32); 1500=1-A*AA 2140 VDU31,H,V 1510 DEF PROCcalc 2150 VDU23,1,1;0;0;0; 1520IF VV/2=INT(VV/2)THEN1590 2160 ENDPROC 1530VW=VV/2 2170 DEF PROCc11 1540FORJ=1TOVW-.5 2180 LOCAL V,H 1550V(VN)=V(VN)*(VW-J) 2190 V=VPOS:H=POS 1560NEXT 2200 PRINT STRING$(40-H,CHR$32): 1570V(VN)=V(VN)*1.77245 2210 VDU31,H,V 1580GOT01630 2220 ENDPROC 1590VW=VV/2-1 2230 DEF PROCfserror 1600FORJ=1 TO VW 2240 ON ERROR OFF 1610V(VN)=V(VN)*J 2250 CLOSE#0 1620NEXT 2260 VDU7 1630ENDPROC 2270 IF ERR>44 OR ERR=6 THEN 2310 1640 DEF PROCdata:LOCAL J,K:VDU23,1,0;0 2280 CLS:VOUll:REPORT:PRINT "at line " ;0;0;:FOR J=5 TO 20:VDU31,HB-1,J-1:PROCc ;ERL 11:NEXT 2290 *FX4,0 1650 FOR J=l+CS TO CD+CS:HH=HB-1+(J-CS- 2300 END 1)*CW 2310 PROCbtm:IF ERR=222 THEN PRINT"No s 1660 FOR K=1+RS TO RD+RS uch file";:PROCcol ELSE VDUll:REPORT:PRO 1670 IF SC(J,K)=1E-29 THEN 1690 ELSE @X Ccol =&0102000A+(DP(J)*&100):A$=STR$(SC(J,K)) 2320 PRINT" error. ":PROCcol:PRINT"Pres :IF RIGHTS(A$0)="."THEN A$=LEFTS(A$,LEN s SPACEBAR, when you are ready " (A$)-1) 2330 *FX21,0 1680 VDU31,HH-1,3+K-RS:PRINT RIGHT$(L$+ 2340 REPEAT:A=GET:UNTIL A=32 A$,CW):@%=&90A 2350 VDU11,11:PROCcls 1690 NEXT:NEXT 2360 ENDPROC 1700 VDU23,1,1;0:0;0; 1710 ENDPROC 1720 DEF PROCcolumns:LOCAL J:VDU23,1,0; 0:0;0;:VDU31,0,2:PROCc11:VDU31,0,3:PROCc PC

118 PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 WORLDWIDE PRICE LIST

Author ALSO Dealer AVAILABLE- EPSON Personal COMPAQ Computers LONDON BRIGHTON SCOTLAND Spa House, 11-17 Worple Road, Regent House, 2,3,4 North Road, 14 Maritime Street, Leith, Wimbledon SW19 4JS Brighton, Edinburgh EH6 6SB Telex: 8955888 WOWICO 20 LINES Sussex BN1 1YA 5 LINES 5 LINES 01 543 2211 0273 609331 031 554 4361 IBM Morrow IBM Compatible Add-Ons

IBM PC 256kb lx360kb DD 850.00 Morrow Portable 640kb 2x360k/ DD Backlit 1649.00 Hercules Mono/Graphics Adaptor 245.00 IBM PC-XTS 640kb 2x360kb DD 1175.00 (Compatible IBM Battery Portable Weight 1516s) Hercules Colour/Graphics Adaptor 120.00 IBM PC-XTS 640kb lx360kb DD + 20mb HD 1600.00 EGA Compat Adaptor 256kb + EGM VDU 699.00 IBM PC-ATB 256kb lxl.2mb DD 2180.00 Daisywheel Printers Intel/EMS Compat Ram Adaptor inc 1.5mb 399.00 IBM PC -ATE 512kb 1x1.2mb DD + 20mb HD 6mhz 2400.00 AST SixPac Premium 2mb 499.00 IBM PC-ATX 512kb lxl.2mb DD + 30mb HD 8mhz 2900.00 Brother HR15XL 19cps 335.00 AST Advantage 1.5mb 399.00 IBM PC PC -XT Keyboard/Enhanced 140/155.00 Brother HR25 25cps 609.00 AST Rampage 1.5mb 499.00 IBM PC PC -AT Keyboard/Enhanced 155/170.00 Brother HR35 35cps 695.00 Qubie Sixshooter 384kb Multifunction 199.00 IBM Mono Display 140.00 Daisy Step 2000 16cps 219.00 Clock Card with Batt Back up 45.00 IBM Base Colour Display 210.00 Diablo 630 API 40csp 1425.00 XT Turbo 286 8mhz 475.00 IBM Colour Display 375.00 IBM Wheelprinter 25cps 895.00 Maths Co -Pro 8087XT/80287AT 120/175.00 IBM Enhanced Display 475.00 IBM Quietwriter Mod 2 Graphics 45cps 1010.00 Breakout Internal Modem 465.00 IBM Colour Display/Graphics Adaptor 130.00 Juki 6100 18cps 299.00 Quattro 300-300:2400-2400 Int/Ext Modem 699.00 IBM Mono Display/Printer Adaptor 140.00 Olivetti DY450 45cps 899.00 SummaGraphics Mouse 95.00 IBM Enhanced Display Adaptor 256kb 515.00 Qume Sprint Letter Pro 12/20 22cps 550.00 Microsoft Mouse 143.00 IBM Async Comms Adaptor (RS232) 71.00 Qume 11/40 40cps 1175.00 Qume 11/55 55cps 1275.00 Hard Disks Olivetti Qume 11/90 90cps 1475.00 10mb to 20mb Hard Disk Exchange 300.00 Olivetti M19 256kb 2x360kb + K/B Mono 999.00 Ink Jet Printers 360kb to 10mb Hard Disk Exchange 400.00 Olivetti M19 256kb 2x360kb + K/B Colour 1199.00 360kb to 20mb Hard Disk Exchange 450.00 Olivetti M24 128kb 1x360kb 980.00 Epson SQ2000 272mc1 105/176cps 1450.00 Bernoulli Box 20+20mb 3030.00 Olivetti M24 128kb 2x360kb 1050.00 Canon PJ1080A 80mc1 37cps 425.00 Olivetti M24 128kb lx360kb + 10mb HD 1100.00 Hewlett Packard Thinkjet 399.00 Printers Dot Matrix Olivetti M24 128kb lx360kb + 20mb HD 1650.00 Olivetti M24SP 640kb lx360kb + 20mb HD 1950.00 Laser Printers Brother M1109 25/100cps 175.00 Olivetti M28 512kb lx1.2mb + 20mb HD 2699.00 Brother M1409 45/180cps 295.00 Olivetti Mono Display Green/White/Amber 169.00 Canon Laser LBP-8 128kb 81,9m 2149.00 Brother M1509 272mc1 45/180cps 380.00 Olivetti Colour Display 395.00 Hewlett Packard Laser 128kb 8ppm 2300.00 Brother TwinWriter 5 40/160cps 975.00 Olivetti Enhanced Colour Adaptor 455.00 Hewlett Packard Laser + 512kb 8PPm 2900.00 Brother 2024L 272mc1 96/160cps 895.00 Olivetti Keyboard IBM/Extended 120/135.00 Qume Ten Laser 128kb lOppm 2300.00 Canon PW 1080A 80mcl 27/160cps 249.00 Qume Ten Laser + 512kb lOppm 2900.00 Canon A55 (PW 1156) 156mc1 27/160cps 349.00 Compaq Epson LX86 160mcl 16/120cps 275.00 Plotters Epson JX80 Colour 160mc1 160cps 430.00 Compaq Plus 256kb 1x360 kb + 10mb RD 1897.00 Epson FX85 160mcl 160cps 325.00 Portable M3 640kb lx 360 kb + 10mb HD 2897.00 Epson HI 80 A4 4pen 349.00 Epson FX105 272mc1 160cps 420.00 Portable 286 640kb lxl.2mb + 20mb HD +Tape 3677.00 Hitachi 672 A3 4pen 475.00 Epson EX800 opt Colour 160mcl 50/300cps 399.00 Deskpro 286 M2 256kb lxl.2mb 30mb HD 3333.00 Hewlett Packard 7470 A3 2pen 899.00 Epson LQ800 60/180cps 470.00 Hewlett Packard 7475 A3 6pen 1499.00 Epson LQ1000 60/180cps 595.00 Epson Hewlett Packard 7550 A3 8pen 3415.00 IBM Proprinter 40/200cps 363.00 Roland DXY 980 A3 1079.00 IBM Proprinter XL 40/200cps 425.00 Epson PX8 Portable /+ 128kb Ram 649/759.00 Roland DXY 880 A3 725.00 NEC P5 88/264cps 750.00 Epson PX8 full range of Accessories Call Oki Microline 84p 231mcl 200cps 629.00 Epson PC 256kb 2x360 kb + K/B 729.00 IBM Typewriters Oki Microline 182p 137mc1 120cps 230.00 Epson PC + 640kb 2x360 kb + K/B 1450.00 Olivetti DM5305 300cps 959.00 Epson PC + 640kb lx360 kb + 20mb HD + K/B 1850.00 IBM Actionwriter 6715 235.00 OTC OT700 350/700cps 1750.00 IBM Super Selectric I 6746 399.00 Panasonic KP 1091 24/120cps 245.00 Apricot IBM Super Selectric II 6747 499.00 Panasonic KP 1092 ... .-"cps 195.00 IBM Thermotronic 6750 599.00 Call to Negotiate Prices tEE.Lf - circle 129 on enquiry card - Software Special Offers

Word. Processing Information ManagementAccounts Domino 365 Drawing Assistant 93 20MB Olivetti Displaywrite 308 Cardbox Plus 244 Energraphics 205 M24 Base Unit Easywriter 2 218 Datamaster 440 Execuvision 205 Compat 20MB Hard Disk Multimate Advantage V3.6 295 dBase II 270 Gem Draw / Graph 99/155 360k Floppy Disk Multimate V3.31 214 dBase III + 373 Gem Wordchart 89 640K RAM Samna III V.3 355 dBase III Compiler 550 Graph Assistant 93 7 Slot Bus Convertor Samna + 435 Clipper (dBase III)Compiler 440 Graphwriter Basic 195 Olivetti Monitor Superwriter 144 dUtil III + 79 Olivetti/IBM Keyboard Word Perfect 4.1 270 Delta 4 340 Utilities & Games DOS 2It Word 3.0 299 Filing Assistant 93 Wordcraft 336 Multysoft 390 Crosstalk XV11 110 Wordstar Professional 235 Paradox 430 Flight Simulator 55 £1750.00 Wordstar V3.4 169 Pegasus 175 Gem Collection 94 Wordstar 2000 R2 288 Rbase 5000 370 Gem Desktop 47 Writing Assistant 79 Reflex 66 Norton Utilities V3.1 55 20MB IBM Sage Accountant 297 Sidekick INCP) 55 IBM XTS-FD Base Unit Financial Planning Integrated Smart Data Manager 290 Topview V1.10 115 20MB Hard Disk Teamwork V2 305 Windows 75 Framework II 345 1Dir 79 360K Floppy Disk Open Access 290 Project Planning 640K RAM Smart Full Suite 388 Languages & Operating Systems Hires Mono Graphics Adaptor Symphony 357 Harvard Total Project Manager 250 Mono Display Javelin 420 Pertmaster 1000 /2500 450/599 Basic Compiler 179 IBM XTS Enhanced Keyboard Lotus 123 V2 247 Project 260 Cobol Compiler 383 Parallel and Serial Port Multiplan V2.0 169 Super Project + Plus 344 Fortran Compiler V2.0 220 Calendar Clock Supercalc 2 /3 V2.1 123/248 Macro Assembler V2.0 112 DOS 3.2 Supercalc 4 299 Graphics Pascal Compiler V2.0 203 The Twin (1-2-3 Clone) 110 PC DOS V3.2 70 Autocad2 + Ext. 1+2+3 1750 Personal Cobol Micro Focus 199 £2100.00 InternalH/H20MB Streamer E600 Extra Autocad2 Base 300 Professional Cobol Micro Focus 1399 Colour Monrtor 1210 Extra All prices excluding VAT and DELIVERY AUG 1131 Chart 184 Professional Fortran 425 119 'PRACTICAL COMPUTING P wt Telephone Susan Platts 01-661 8163 ADVERTISEMENT RATES Rates quoted below are subject to the addition of 15% VAT. Display Rates £20.00 per single Column Centimetre Minimum 5cm x 1 col Micro Ads. Linage 50p per word minimum of 20 words. Prepayable. COPY DATE Shopwindow advertisements for the October edition will be accepted up to 26th August subject to space being available. Post to Practical Computing, Classified Department, Room H211, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton Surrey SM2 5AS.

.Inclusive Word Processing Package SCREEN WISE * Choice of 256 or 512K Ram DISK APEX HOUSE * Single or Twin Disc Drives 18 HOCKERill ST. COPYINGIFORMATTINGI BISHOPS STORTFORD * High Resolution screen HERTFORDSHIRE 0.123 21)14 FILE TRANSFER TEL. (0279) 55842 * Integrated letter and draft quality TELEX 817M7 printer with both sheet and tractor 4.fr WE CAN TRANSFER YOUR DATA feed BETWEEN OVER 1,000 DIFFERENT al MICROS, MINIS AND MAINFRAMES VIA FLOPPY DISC OR MAGNETIC TAPE. AMSTRAD 1::* FORMATS INCLUDE: CPM, CPM 86, ,_., MSDOS, PCDOS, UNIX, XENIX, IDRIS, PCW TAR, RT11, MDOS, IBM BEF, ISIS, FLEX, 0S9, VICTOR-SIRIUS, APPLE, TORCH, A WORD PROCESSOR ACORN, AMSTRAD, MISC. AND COMPUTER TYPESETTING/WORD PROCESSING. TERMINAL WITH FULL TECHNICAL SUPPORT& ADVICE 'OVERNIGHT SERVICE - most formats returned by VT1000 SERVICE & MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS ALSO VT52 ADDS TEVEVIDEO Competitiveprices for % next day's Post from ADM, etc, etc *E10.00 + VAT per copy Amstrad disc'sand Southern sales: (0279) 55842 PRESTEL and COMMUNICATIONS e (Blank disks not Include) CUSTOMISED KEYBOARDS AND ribbons ._ *DISCOUNT for BULK TERMINAL EMULATIONS Northern sales: (0606) 553433 A.L.DOWNLOADING '132 and VI.00 are ..de mad. a D, 9 Mi Eq.,,wn,Coff'...^ SERVICES

166 PORTOBELLO ROAD -. circle 301 on enquiry card .- \ -. circle 302 on enquiry card - LONDON W11 2EB 109 TELEPHONE 01-7278722 RM NIMBUSIN ACTION - circle 305 on enquiry card -- Workshops on MAP (Multiple User Accounts) /F you NEED -7- Spreadsheets (Word-processing) oRWIRE ,,,, OpEED,.,(DivE ° CAD (Microsoft WORD) .: a i: a co/14 -1vDREci 7-, EimmA,PUT ER Research Machines Ltd withlatest info + demos .:. AlEATLy &_,ALS ri CALLLISi,LILECKLY Aio, '1111 at Wirral CAE ServicesLtd, Gorsey Lane, t0004i Wallasey, Wirral. L44 4HE(051-639 8237) 85-8880 fil (contact Steve Burrowsfor details) Solderless al

computer I . Sponsored by Research MachinesNational User Group and Wiring systems HI Telotech ServicesLtd. 1-5-1-1-10-1-1 Phone for' TM

BUYING I COMPUTERS LTD OR IT , TEWKESBURY WARE144 COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS fEoPrRbGr:PltaiLu:AmHOLLAND 8 SONS LTD., Bugbrooke Road, GAYTON, NORTHAMPTON NN7 3EU. SELLING SERVICE. Most machines including DEC and Tel: (0604) 858011/ Telex' 312242 MIDTLX G. all makes of computers and IBM-PC SALES -NEW Computers peripherals, Media, --. circle 306 on enquiry card 4-- peripherals bought & sold Upgrades. HARD DISK Upgrade kits for most PC's 10Mb-£440, 20Mb-£530 + VAT Complete systems, e.g. Tandon PCX/20Mb, NLQ Sault Computing [Id printer, Wordstar, supercalc, £2350 + vat When replying to SALES-USED-PC'S AND MINI's e.g. FUTURE Come to the professionals FX30/10mb, software, lyr old. £1650 + vat Classified advertisements, readers recommen d CALL FOR INFORMATION, ask for DAVID VALLER PRICES OR t23o takestearepstoprotected 0992 552871 06842983ADVICE their interests before sending money. -. circle 303 on enquiry card .- -, circle 304 on enquiry card -

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 120 COMPUTER CLEANERS COF1PUTER OPTICS DISK COPYING SERVICE DATA COMMUNICATIONS * * * *STOP LOCK UPS' * * Moving data and program files from AIR CONDITIONING Do you suffer lost data or lock -ups? Do you think one machine to another is oftenmade mains is the cause? If so then our sockets may be the MAINS SUPPLIES difficult because different solution. manufacturers have adopted different INSTALLATIONS, MAINTENANCE, BREAKDOWN As well as cutting high voltage spikes they smooth disk format standards. the cut spikes and filter RF from 1.30 MHz (better than 30db) and up to 130 MHz. We offer a complete service at very com- petitive prices. Specialists in all types of We can copy your files to and from These cleaners work - User group test. computer cabling installations. Adaptor (1 socket) (5a fuse) - £14 incl. over 250 disk formats including Adaptor (2 sockets) (5a fuse) - £18 incl. for a free quotation; Tel: (0442) 216235 CP/M, CP/M-86, MS-DOS, PC -COS, ISIS, Trailing 4 -way socket (13a fuse) - £24 incl. COMPUTER OPTICS APPLE, SIRIUS, TORCH, APRICOT, HPI50, Simply plug in - no wiring. 16 Chardins Close, DEC RP -11, and IBM BEF. Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP1 2QN. Tony Firshman Services Disks are normally despatched on the 43 Rhvl Street. London NW5 3HB. 01-267 3887 day they are received.

- circle 307 on enquiry card - circle 308 on enquiry card - Our charge is £10.00 + disk + VAT. Special prices for quantities. DUET 16, 8086, 640K, 8 Mhz, 640 x 400, 16 APRICOT TWIN 320K + 10MB Harddisk + For more information call us. Int. Modem. W.Star S.Calc etc. IBM/Sirius colours, twin 720K floppy, expansion unit, Transfer Progr. Virtually unused. Now own 10 meg harddisk.INTRIPLEE - 488 IBM AT. Also NEC P3 Pinwriter will split. BOARD. SOFTWARE: Macro assemblerGREY MATTER Offers 01049 6221 161795 (Evening) 20029. CPM/86. MS-DOS 1.25 & 2.11. Basic - 86 & 4 Prigg Meadow, Ashburton, Devon T013 7DF Hauptst'r Meadows 16, 6900 Heidelberg, W. Basica. TSS support program (mainframe TEL. (0364) 53499 10 Germany. downloading). Doodle (graphics drawing package). Wordstar Spellstar & Mailmerge. ADLER Alphatronic P2, Built-in Twin Disk Multiplan& rom-bios(IBMapplication - circle 310 on enquiry card 4- Drive,Monitor,Printer SoftwareDisks. programs). Phone: 0225 65644, Mike Taylor. Hardly used but not needed. Best offer secures. Ring 01-741 2050 David Graham. FERRANTI PC860-XT, IBM compatible with Perfect Calc, Writer, Filer, 10MB disk. Ex Tandon Computers FUTURE FX15, 256K, CMP 86 in excellent demonstration models. Full warranty. £1000 condition. 15 months old £550 ono. Tel: excluding VAT and monitor. Tel: Coventry Wilmslow (0625) 532063 (0203) 711652. PC 360K £950 ICUBT MERLIN TONTO One Per Desk 288K PCX10 360K + 10Mb £1,170 -i- Twin Micro Drives,Builtin Modem, COMMODORE 90 86 with 8250 double PCX20 360K + 20Mb £1,390 Colour Monitor, Business Software £1200 diskette drive. Offers? 01-640 6711 Phone 0980-620064 PCA10 1.2Mb + 10Mb£1,950 RAIR BLACK BOX and ICL PCs (8bit). PCA20 1.2Mb + 20mb£2,190 LOTUS 1-2-3 for Apricot. Genuine. Unused. Bought sold exchangerepairedadvice PCA30 1.2Mb + 30Mb£2,430 (Unwanted acquisition as part of computer given. Ring 0734 668951 (Reading). 267M purchase package deal.) £200. Phone 01-771 1611. FUTURE FX20 128KRAM 2x800K floppy Most deliveries £20 COMMODORE AMIGA. UK version, two drives CPM86 Spellbinder Supercalc All prices plus VAT months old, with second disk drive and Datastar etc.Excellent condition hardly 512K RAM. Software included plus lessons used £750. Tel. (0865) 512168 day or (0865) on using it! Cost over £1900, accept £1400 882604 Evenings Weekends Telephone Paul Demertzidis Oasis Computers Ltd 01-729 4511 ono. Phone 01-584 5816. TELEVIDEO 800A workstations £625 SANYO 555. 256K Twin Drives usual bundle, Televideo 20 Megabyte computer 806/20 monitor,extras£409ono.Also IBM £1400 ICL K9 VDU' £150 061-832 2816 Day programs (new). 0491 39497 for details and 061445 5650 Evening. prices. circle 311 on enquiry card - AES7220 wordprocessing system comprising 8" Floppy Drive, VDU/keyboard, SCIENTIFIC SUBROUTINE LIBRARY SOFTWARE WANTED QUME Twin Track Printer, Sheet Feeder, We wish to purchase the sophisticated software including scientific, VOLUME 1 - STATISTICS AND CURVE FITTING accountancyandspellingcheckwith Mean, 50, Normal Distribution, Partial Expectation, Chauvenets, source code of a DEC VT100 comprehensive manuals. Ideal Criterion, Least Squares Fit to a Polynomial and Arbitrary Function, terminal emulator written in Repetitive Least Squares Fits, Covariance Matrix, Chi -Squared MoD/University or Publisher environment. Statistics, Matrix Inversion, Solution of Linear Simultaneous Equations. C language for an IBM PC. £9,000ono.Ring day 04895 2788for Ansafone or evenings - Southampton. VOLUME 2 - LINEAR PROGRAMMING All offers considered. Reduction of a Simplex Tableau, Integer Programming, Partial Integer 5-100 Kit Intersystems Z80 64K Static Ram Programming, Conmversational Linear Programming System, Least Cost Reply to: Floppy Controller Three Parallel One Serial Mix Problem. MINICOMPUTER COMMERCIAL Interface £600 ono. 01-226 0214. VOLUME 3 - FURTHER STATISTICS Ranking, Guanines, Frequency, Correlation Coefficient, T. Chi -Squared SOFTWARE LIMITED SIRIUS PUBLIC Domain Software -Utilities and F Distributions and their Inverses, T. Test, Chi -Squared Test, Computer House, Thames Industrial Estate Games Programmes - Send Large SAE M. Wilcosson Test, Linear and Multiple Regression, ANOVA 1 way and Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1TB Palaci 122 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 2 way 4HY. Tel: 01-328 0460. VOLUME 4 - TRANSFORMATIONS AND SORTING ALGORITHMS NEW DATAVUE 25, Fully IBM Compatible, Fourier and Fast Fourier Transforms, Numerical Integration and - circle 313 on enquiry card - Differentation, Harmonic Analysis, Interpolation, Coordinate Executive Computer, Portable (5kg), 640K Transformations, Exchange Sort, Guicksort, Shellsort, Tree Sort. All RAM, 360K Disks, ALCD Screen, routines are written in BASIC for easy implementation on any machine. Mains/Battery operation, carrying case, will Machine readable source code - f75 plus VAT per volume. run Acc Software. Bargain £1,000. Chris (Most disk formats plus DL microdrive now availablel Murphy (01) 437 3662. Manuals including full source listings with implementation notes and documentation - f 25 per volume. PLEASE NOTE NORTH* Horizon 12 -slot S100 dual drive 6400K) computer, Volker -Craig Terminal CPIM TO DEC FILE TRANSFER Software to read and write RT-11 format RX01 diskettes under With effect from the September Wordstar customised, software, technical CPIM80. Supplied on 8" SSSD diskette - f25 plus VAT. manuals cost £3000 + . Offers around £1100 issue classified advertisements 021-358 7572 7-10.30pm SERVICES Micro Logic Consultants specialise in scientific data processing and the rates will be TITAN -IIAccelerator, speeds Apple 31 x interfacing and control of laboratory instrumentation. £150 ono, CIS-COBL for Apple with X80, We can advise you on the best approach to your problem, or provide a complete solution. Contact Derek Clifford en 0860 319482. includes Forms -II£150 ono, Diablo 1650 Displayed £20 per scc Daisy Printer, Seven Print Wheels, Ribbons, MICRO LOGIC CONSULTANTS LTD. recent service, Tractor Feed, Technical 57 Station Rd., Southwater, Horsham, (min 5 x1) Manual cost £3500+ offers around £1400 W. Sussex RH13 7H0 021-358 7-10.30pm. Telephone 0403 731818 Lineage 50p per word 66 SUPERB Bargain CP/M System Twin Drives Box No £11 Monitor etccost £2500 includes £600 software; £345 ono 01-950 4286. -. circle 309 on enquiry card -

PRACTICAL COMPUTING September 1986 121 vA BO VEv'PRACTICAL BOARD COMPUTING INTEL BREAKING THE DOS BARRIER TRISOFT BREAKING THE PRICE BARRIER Advertisement Index PRICES FROM £395.00 A Microcosm Research 114 When INTEL and LOTUS originally developed the Expanded Memory AMA 32Micro Peripherals Ltd IBC Specification (EMS), the intention was to break through the 640K limit Amstrad Consumer Elect Microrent 86 imposed by PCDOS. Since its inception, EMS has become recognised 18/19 Mountaindene 115 as a viable solution for users of large Spreadsheets and other Data Apricot UK Ltd 10/11 Models. Miracle Technology Uk Ltd AP Star Ltd 99 Both the ABOVE BOARD and the ABOVE BOARD PS conform exactly 64 to the EMS and are supported by a growing number of software Atari UK Ltd 36/37

packages including LOTUS I -2-3 V2.0, SYMPHONY V 1 . I, SU PERCALC 3 V.2.1, FRAMEWORK 2, SMART 3 and MS WINDOWS. With the N ABOVE BOARD, spreadsheets can grow up to 15 times their present B Newton Laboratories 61 size without the concern of causing 'memory full' errors. Borland 17 The ABOVE BOARD and ABOVE BOARD PS offer the following features: - Bristol Micro Traders 20, 38 0. EXPANDED MEMORY 4 British Olivetti 25, 26/270 P. The ABOVE BOARD offers up to 2MB of extra RAMfor IBM PC/XT, Brokers Magic 86 IBM AT and compatibles. Opus Supplies Ltd 13 11. The ABOVE BOARD PS offers up toI .5MB of extraRAM for IBM Brom Com 33 PC/XT and compatibles. (available soon for the AT). These boards can be configured with up to 384K of conventional memory, with the remainder available as expanded memory. C Pam Computers lirPiggy -back boards are available to offerRAM in excess of the above Cambridge Micro Electronics 109 configurations. PAP Distribution 30 43 Photographic & Optical Cambridge Micro Computer IP. PRINT BUFFER OUR PRICE Services 73 Centre 105 Allows continuous use of the system ABOVE BOARD IBM Practical Computing 80 while the printer is running. PC/XT 2MB ..1.1...13e7t50- £675.00 Centre Time Ltd 50/58 Prospero Software 40 The ABOVE BOARD buffer has pop- ABOVE BOARD IBM Clark Hopper 73

AT 2MB . . . L1444390" £795.00 up menus for control from within the Comdex 86 Exhibition 32 application, allowing the user to THE MULTIFUNCTION PS BOARD Compumart 4 pause or stop the printer without The board which may spell the end Q exiting the application program. of ASTS SIX PAK PLUS. In addition to Computer Precisions 30Quest International 10. RAM DISK SOFTWARE all the above features the multifunc- Cristie Electronics Ltd 34Computer Systems Ltd Two RAM disks- in conventional or tion ABOVE BOARD PS also includes 70/71 expanded memory. RAM disks are an RS232 C serial port (for modem, approximately 5 times faster than a mouse etc.), parallel printer port, D floppy and twice as fast as a hard clock/calendar with battery backup disk. and up to 1.5 MB of expanded mem- Data Distribution 72 R ory. With existing systems, where no Dataplus PSI Ltd 115 10. INSTALLATION SOFTWARE RAD Systems 12 The ABOVE BOARD'S menu -driven free slots exist, it can replace multi- Digitask 6, 110 Ringdale Peripherals 109 installation software analyses the function boards and still offer all the user's particular system configura- benefits of expanded memory. tion and then makes RAM disk and OUR PRICE E printer bufferrecommendations ABOVE BOARD Elite Computer Systems 109 S based on the configuration and PS 5I 2K . . .5.4045-tx £395.00 Security Watching Service applications software in use. Epson (UK) Ltd 62/63 ABOVE BOARD 114 EXPANDED MEMORY MANAGER PS 1.5 MB. ill-cirs:015f595.00 Sentinel Software IFC ([MM) All INTEL boards are supplied with Sierra Computer Consultants This software includes a unique Manual, Installation Software and F 'FAIL SOFT memory feature - come withINTEL's 5year First Software 55 51 each timethesystemis warranty. Silica Shop 35 booted up itchecks for Fraser Associates 55 to defective memory chips, Same daydespatch Fujitsu 44/45 Software Publishing Europe approvedaccounts if notifiestheuserof Future Management 83 OBC their existence and orderedbefore Systemware 1.00 p.m. 88 then bypasses Software Supplies Co (The) themwhen H memory isin Allprices are 73 use. subject to V.A.T. Hitachi 109 T TRH SOFT L Tatung UK Ltd 23 Linkwood 122 Task Flow 96 Logotron 73Televideo Systems Inter Ltd Trisoft Ltd., Longmans Group 88 9 Crown Square, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AT Triangle Corporation Ltd22 Tel - (0629) 3021, Telex 8950511 ONEONE G TriSoft Ltd 107, 122 (please quote ref - TRISOFT) M Mekom 28 Electronic Mail - Telecom Gold 83:NTG344 Micro Computer One to One 12977001, TechnologyLtd 92 A Prestel 533544601... A Micronix 46/47 Microft Technology Ltd42,Worldwide Computers Ltd 88 119

Oa_ circle 144 on enquiry card Affordable and reliable nririt6rs from Mic

QtAckk . 14:7_roumore CP$:... ". money

micro P

CPA 80 - 100 cps + EPSON COMPATIBLE CPB 80 - 130 cps + IBM COMPATIBLE PI FROME199* 5

APmicro P

MP 165- 165 cps + EPSON COMPATIBLE is NLQ PRINTER FOR 269*

I MPmicro

CPP 40- 4 COLOUR PORTABLE 4 PRINTER/PLOTTER

FOR ABOUT E79*,

1 I t:ven in today's high tech world, for most of us, the written word is still - MP165 he least expensive means of sending and receiving information. Ifyou Mice° P wn a microcomputer the chances are that sooner or later youare Looking for a matrix printer as well as a daisywheel? Well, the irobably going to need a printer in order to get into print. MP165 combines all the attributes of these two technologies to give a matrix printer capable of printing at up to 165 cps, as well as providing crisp Near Letter Quality, (NLQ) print at 75 cps. P- CPP40 Features include a 2k buffer as well as both friction and tractor feed, as standard. Ideally suited to most popular micro's, the I low cost 4 colour 40/80column printer/plotter capable of print- lig text or graphics on plain paper. The CCP40 is an ideal compan- MP165 is now available in a new RS232 QL compatible version. for small and portable micro's, as it is fitted withre -chargeable latteries - perfect for beginners. micro 123 P CPA80 11th 100cps quality printing, the CPA80 probably gives more cps/ Peripherals lid than any other printer available today. The CPA80 is packed with "PRINTERS FOR ALL APPLICATIONS" I atures you would normally find on a more expensive printer. I NTEC UNIT 3, HASSOCKS WOOD, WADE ROAD, iith an optional RS232 version available (even for the QL) this BASINGSTOKE, HANTS. ENGLAND, RG24 ONE. oson compatible printer will hook up to almost any micro. Telephone: BASINGSTOKE (02561 473232 (32 lines). Telex: 859669 MICROP G Facsimile: 0256 461570 IAyfrom your local dealer today! circle 102 on enquiry card - * Full 12 months warranty- R RP ex. VAT. QL is a registered Trade Mark I of Sinclair Research. Component Price Changes 5 Year Turnover Recap Total Product Cost Feature Comparison (Example of 3 Column Table) 1981 1)10

Features Product X HPG 1982 I]20 French office opened 1983 Feb. 84 17 Type Styles NO YES I]21

1984 3-D Cut Pies NO YES V 2e

PC Slideshows NO YES 1985 1:1 29

40 0.3 Hard to Use YES NO 10 20 30 1980 1081 1982 1983 1984 1985 7_1 Pounds s Loot 1-1 Overhead Bathe Pik ,41c 050,000 .20422926,4(1

IFYOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR PRESENTATION GO TOHARVARD.

Actual versus Projected HPG Text Chart Options 1984/85 Expense Breakdown 1986 Units x TOO Title Charts 625

450 Simple Lists Omer III* 375 P050000,5029 BuNet Points 300 250. Two- and Three- Column Charts 226 9099r944178 160 Free Form Text Charts

75 Mg, secio7, Total Expenses Marketing Detail AprMayJun Jul Aug S. Oct Nm DecJan Feb Mer

MIProjected - Actual

When it comes to analysing data, the PC on your desk is Harvard gives you the highest resolution you've invaluable. But what happens when you have to present witnessed to date from your own printer or plotter. Text is your findings to your board, the sales force, or a client dearer, more legible. Graphics are altogether cleaner, brighter, more noticeable. Is it back to the drawing board? With Harvard you look good over the widest range of Or can you produce a presentation like this, without presentation options, overheads, 35 mm slides and PC hours of painstaking effort or vast expense. shows. And, a hard copy for your document. These charts were produced on an IBM® PC, using You save time, because Harvard Presentation Graphics Harvard Presentation Graphics. And you can see at a can read Lotus® 1-2-3® graphs and spreadsheets directly, so glance how the arrival of Harvard will affect your you can produce a presentation from data already prepared. presentation. Next time you make a presentation make sure people Setting new standards in graphics software, Harvard say it's obvious you've been to Harvard. Presentation Graphics has been specifically designed for business presentations. One package is all you need to Call 01-200 0200 for more information and details of produce outstanding graphics and text charts. your local Harvard dealer.

HARVARD' PRESENTATION GRAPHICS

Software Publishing Europe, 85-87 lermyn Street, London, SWIY 61D. Tel: (01) 839 3864. Telex: 917 835.

Harvard Presentation Graphics is available for IBM and selected IBM-compatible machines. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation: Lotus and 1-2-3 areregistered trademarks of Lotus Development Corpo aeon.

-° circle 103 on enquiry card 4--