BEEBUG Vol.7 No.2
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REVIEWS • S S S iff-6 12 SiDBeebDOSttomw— O StomM'c'°,10SS u 19 regular items 22 2 6 Editor’s Jottings 2 8 News '■ Supp'emert 3 0 Hints and Tips I M46 5Magazine* DiscfTapuiscm “ ^ ay* 1 50 HINTS & TIPS 53 54 (B W iS rt 60 Teletext Characters PROGRAM INFORMATION All programs listed in BEEBUG magazine are Programs are checked against all standard Acorn produced direct from working programs. They systems (model B, B+, Master, Compact and are listed in LIST01 format with a line length of 40. Electron; Basic I and Basic II; ADFS, DFS and However, you do not need to enter the space Cassette filing systems; and the Tube). We hope after the line number when typing in programs, as that the classification symbols for programs, and this is only included to aid readability. The line also reviews, will clarify matters with regard to length of 40 will help in checking programs listed compatibility. The complete set of icons is given on a 40 column screen. 1. Curve DrawingI 2. Knight's Tour 2- 3. Chords 4 Keyboards 4. Double View Review CHORD u"wf‘ K E V H O T E < n stvf' H Ritros»«lM 5 (con Designer X{}aJ 6. ADFS View Menu I Processor |ir*c*orV iursor Computer System Filing System below. These show clearly the valid combinations Master (Basic IV) ADFS 17* of machine (version of Basic) and filing system for Compact (Basic VI) DFS each item, and Tube compatibility. A single line through a symbol indicates partial working Model B (Basic II) Cassette U=] (normally just a few changes will be needed); a cross shows total incompatibility. Reviews do not Model B (Basic I) Tube Compatibility distinguish between Basic I and II. Electron Tube News News News Nev OFFICE PRINTING The latest piece of software to emerge from Dabs Press is MiniDriver, a very comprehensive printer driver for NEWS OF ARCHIMEDES Database's Mini Office II system. The printer driver is The Archimedes continues to sell quite well, and we based on the already successful HyperDriver from Dabs understand that Acorn has achieved a much more Press, and will work with all the various versions of profitable first quarter to this year following their Mini Office II. MiniDriver allows all the effects of any reported loss for the previous year. Epson-compatible printer to be controlled by easy-to- Unfortunately, Acorn has also confirmed the forecast remember star commands, and these can be issued at price increases for most of the Archimedes range with any point in any of the Mini Office II programs. effect from 1st July, though the price of the 305 remains the same as before. The price increases are generally of MiniDriver also contains a near letter quality font that the order of 9%, but increasing the price differential allows high quality printing on printers that don't have between the 305 and 310 has resulted in a price an NLQ option as standard. Another nice feature is the increase of some 67% in the cost of the 0.5 Mbyte ability to preview highlights on screen, so that page memory upgrade to convert a 305 into a 310. layout can be finalised before printing. We certainly hope that this does not significantly affect sales, stemming as it does from a worldwide increase in MiniDriver is supplied chip prices. BEEBUG will also continue to supply the ^ M in i on a 16K EPROM with Archimedes at the old prices while stocks last, and we i i Driver would remind BEEBUG members of the credit facilities Printer Control for Mini Office II a 40 page manual, and that we are now able to provide for Archimedes a disc containing purchasers. sample files, additional RISC User, BEEBUG's magazine and support group for hints and tips, and a Archimedes users is still growing steadily, and we are sideways RAM image more than pleased with the response so far. Many of the program, at a BEEBUG members have already taken advantage of the cost of £24.95. For opportunity to subscribe to RISC User at the special members' rate, and this offers a substantial saving on people wanting to run the normal price. Likewise, RISC User members are MiniDriver from entitled to subscribe to BEEBUG at the same sideways RAM only, a version is available without the advantageous rates. Further details are contained in EPROM at £19.95. Dabs Press are at 76 Gardner Road, the supplement pages. Prestwich, Manchester M25 7HU, phone 061-773 2413. Despite all the activity surrounding the Archimedes, Acorn recently announced firm plans for the PEARTREE GOES INTO RECEIVERSHIP production of a further 40,000 Master series computers which are still selling strongly. There is clearly plenty Peartree Computers, the Huntingdon based supplier of of life yet in the BBC micro, and BEEBUG will continue Acorn products, has just gone into receivership. Acorn to offer the maximum level of support for all users. recently struck Peartree off its list of approved dealers, and it is a combination of this and a disastrous attempt FUTURE ISSUES OF BEEBUG We have received a good many letters in recent months to break into the PC market that has lead to the regarding our coverage of C, and other topics as well. If company's problems. Peartree has recently been you have any views on the content of future issues then criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority for we would be delighted to hear from you. We also continuing to advertise its Music 87 system, even welcome contributions for potential publication. Beebug June 1988 4 though there was no sign of it becoming available in Meanwhile, the saga of the Acorn User show the near future. The company is still trading but it is continues. When pressed on the subject at a recent thought that a number of staff, including the manager dealer's meeting, Acorn's managing director Harvey Varten Mundigian, have been laid off. It is hoped that a Coleman would not comment. However, it is widely buyer will be found for the company, but in the speculated that the up-market show wanted by Acorn meantime an official receiver has been appointed to will take place some time this autumn, and will still be handle business. Everybody who is owed money by organised by Redwood Publishing. We will of course Peartree should have received a letter sent by the bring you details as soon as they are available. receiver. Anybody wishing to contact the receiver should write to Mr. M.J.Scott, Grant Thornton Ltd., 49 ARCHIMEDES LOGO Mill Street, Bedford, or ring (0234) 211521. Logotron, the company that produced the version of Logo supplied with the Master Compact, has just ON SCREEN PUBLISHING launched an Archimedes Logo. The new version is PMS has launched a Desktop Publishing package for written to take full advantage of the Archimedes the model B and Master series. Unlike other such advanced graphics and high speed. Despite this, systems, Publisher, as it is called, uses a page Archimedes Logo is fully compatible with the BBC description language (PDL). All the effects can be used version from Logotron, and any extension modules from within View, Wordwise or Inter-Word, and will written on the BBC can be transferred across. Logo is work with any Epson-compatible printer. The package supplied on a 3.5" disc with keystrip, reference manual costs £44.85 from PMS, 38 Mt. Cameron Drive, East and a tutorial guide, although because of production Kilbride G74 2ES, or phone (03552) 32796. problems the first few are being sent out without the tutorial guide, which will be sent later. Archimedes ARCHIMEDES PRICE RISES Logo costs £71.87 inclusive, and a network version with As speculated in BEEBUG last month, Acorn has site licence is available at £345. Logotron are at Dales announced a price increase for the Archimedes range. Brewery, Gwydir Street, Cambridge CB1 2L], or phone The rises, which were announced to dealers at Acorn's (0223)323656. first national dealer meeting, mean that the price of an A310 with colour monitor is now £1213.25. The price of ACTING ON IMPULSE the A305 remains unchanged, and the increased Computer concepts have announced that they are differential between the two machines is reflected in working on a new operating system for the the new price of the 305 to 310 upgrade which is now Archimedes. The company claim that neither the £171.35, an increase of almost £90. The price of the current version of Arthur supplied with the machine, Master series machines also remains unchanged. The nor the new Arthur 2 that Acorn are developing, will new prices are effective from July 1st. satisfy the needs of the advanced software that they SHOW NEWS plan to release. The new operating system is called Once again the Micro User show held in London last Impulse and it is expected that it will be available both month attracted many visitors. However, many as a ROM set to totally replace Arthur, and as a series exhibitors said that they were disappointed with the of disc-based modules to co-exist with Arthur. It is show compared to previous ones, and many said that thought that prototypes of Impulse will be displayed at their takings were well below what they had expected. the PCW show in September. [§J Beebug June 1988 5 T h e together with up to 8 numbered squares which are available for the knight's next move. When K n i g h tone s of these is chosen, by entering the appropriate number, the move may be T o u r : confirmed with Return, or retracted with Delete.