The magazine for members of
The ARM games scene present and promised
Finding the key facts with qualitative data analysis
DrawWorks Millennium on CD-ROM
Creative Digital Imaging
Issue 33 — Spring 2000 Cheer For 2000
verybody is fed up with the M welcome both (with some brief Eword now so I will use it very details, just received, on page 8). sparingly, particularly as the pedants among us point out that the true One of the magazines is the long- century and Millennium are still a awaited quarterly promised by the year away!Whether or not you accept RISC OS Foundation and it is a sign this, it is the start of a hundred years of how organisations, who in other beginning with 20 and, with the new fields could be seen as rivals, work year traditionally the time to look together in the RISC OS community forward, there is now even more that the first issue includes an article reason to look optimistically ahead. on The ARM Club. Eureka, in turn, is inviting the Editors of both new Last year was a time of great upheaval magazines to contribute articles on for Acorn users but, after a succession their plans. of losses, beginning with the company itself, there was the start of Happily, there is now less reason to what could be the great revival when leave the RISC OS scene for the RISC OS 4 appeared on the scene. aggravations of the Windows world and some who have done so are Now, the year 2000 is bringing new thankfully coming back. ARM-powered computers, an advanced motherboard to give new So, on behalf of The ARM Club life to existing machines and some Committee, we wish all our fellow blockbuster software. There are even members a happy new Millennium two new magazines being born as one (whenever you consider it starts), old favourite dies. Both of these will even if you are not planning to stay be on CD-ROM and are due out at for all of it. about the time you receive this issue of Eureka and we are happy to Peter Jennings
All opinions expressed in Eureka are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Club or its Committee members and officers. CONTENTS 24 Site seeing 4 Around the Shows Take a look at Deja.com. You may Two successful events for the not have seen it all before. Club at RISC OS ’99 at Epsom and the Midlands Show in 27 Psions and similar Birmingham. Some of the new Palmtops coming onto the market and the 8 Two new magazines Web site for finding the programs Some late news on the two new to use with them. CD-ROM based magazines. 30 Feedback: Science Fair revisited 9 Number Works Does the view from the classroom A fun factory of machines which match how the reviewer saw it? turn sums into play. 32 Getting on the Internet: Part 2 16 Qualitative Data Analysis The conclusion of our two-part Doing research and want to sort series reveals how to register and out the key facts in a mass of what to expect from various free data? Here’s a program that could Service Providers. find them for you. 40 English Keywords 20 The Archive CD-ROM Words and pictures to explore the Articles, information and language associated with English programs from the popular grammar, punctuation and subscription magazine and its phonics. discs make interesting reading and a valuable reference. 44 Beginner’s guide to TeX: Part 3 Using LaTeX commands and the 22 Your questions answered predefined document styles. Our Technical Help team advise on scanners and sources for 51 Acorn SouthWest Show printer ink cartridges. Full details of the North Somerset event on 19th February.
2 Eureka 33 — Spring 2000 52 The ARM Club Crossword 3 The latest of our popular brain teasers.
53 DrawWorks Millennium A collection of graphics and print design packages on CD-ROM at a special price for Club members. Unit, from the Number Works
58 ARM Arena A look at the latest games and The Club address some new ones on the way in the first of a new regular column. Due to the continued problems with our “Freepost The ARM 70 Creative Digital Imaging Club” address, we are now A second tutorial CD-ROM from advising that mail should David Cowell leads on from his instead be sent to the Club Introduction to Digital Art. Secretary’s full address:
74 Gill’s Journal: Recognition at last The ARM Club But are spods really dull and how Merton Court will they cope with the new 38 Knoll Road century? Sidcup Kent 79 Crossword Solution DA14 4QU Fill in the last few blanks. Member’s ad — for sale The Freepost address will still A5000 computer with a large exist for a time but, for the cost selection of software. of a stamp, you can be sure your letter will be correctly delivered. 80 Club contacts Telephone and email contacts Where to get the services you remain as listed on page 80. need.
Eureka 33 — Spring 2000 3 Around The Shows
s you might be aware, it’s been a machine, priced to compete with Abusy year for the Club’s show Castle’s Acorn A7000+. Like the organisation activities. Not only did A7000+ it uses an ARM7500FE we organise the major two-day RISC processor with built in graphics, OS ’99 Show at Epsom at the end of sound and memory control functions October but also what has become our rather than a StrongARM chip. regular single day event at the RiscStation were also showing off the
Organiser Mark Smith reports on the Club’s successful RISC OS ’99 Show at Epsom Downs and looks forward to the events and new products coming this year.
Motorcycle Museum just outside Networx — basically an R7500 Lite Birmingham. without a hard disc for a hundred pounds (plus VAT) less. At the time of So, for the benefit of members who writing the first batch of R7500 Lites were unable to make it to either of has shipped to customers. these exhibitions, a brief run-down of what was on show... Castle Technology were selling their latest addition to the Acorn range: the New Hardware new A7000+ Odyssey which, like the RISC OS ’99 was perhaps most R7500 Lite, has a faster clock speed particularly notable for the range of of 56MHz. Managing Director Jack new hardware that was on display, if Lillingstone was also very pleased not quite available. RiscStation had with sales of the StrongARM 233T their new R7500 Lite on show. This Risc PCs, having had his best show boasts a range of features including ever. built in networking, midi, sound sampler, PC style game port and a Perhaps the most interesting new faster hard disc interface on a low end hardware on display was a prototype
4 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Digital camera photo by David Ruck Some of the dubious characters who could be seen on the Club Stand at RISC OS ’99. From left: Journal writer Gill Smith, the Club’s founders Maria and Rene Barreto, Treasurer Simon Burrows, Internet and Products Co-ordinator Tom Hughes and Discount Scheme Organiser Rob Brown
Millipede Imago motherboard. alterations to the OS to enable it to Although it was barely doing more work on Imago, though Millipede than displaying random dots on a high boss Richard Jowzefowski was keen resolution monitor, it was doing so at to point out that the two 2048x1536 in 16 million colours — a programmable ‘FPGA’ chips that serious improvement over the replace the VIDC20 video controller graphics capabilities of the fated and Acorn’s proprietary IOMD chip Phoebe specification, let alone a Risc are programmed to be accessed in a PC! The design also enables the similar way to the OS, minimising the maximum performance to be amount of work required. Millipede is obtained from StrongARM for the currently deciding whether to sell first time as well as a much faster hard only complete computers based on disc interface. By the time of the Imago to the RISC OS ‘enthusiast’ Midlands Show, just three weeks market or to offer replacement later, it was displaying a mock RISC motherboards to existing Risc PC OS 4 desktop in various resolutions owners. Though prices of the full up to 2048x1536 in 16 million specification machine, aimed colours complete with a backdrop primarily at Millipede’s main showing off the full potential of the broadcast TV market, will not be display. RISC OS Ltd were reported cheap (possibly in the order of £1,500 to be working on the necessary without a monitor), Millipede are also
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 5 considering a cut-down version. This Although Cerilica did not make it to is likely to have slightly inferior the Epsom show, they were out in graphics capabilities that may `only' force at the Motorcycle Museum. As be able to display the highest well as showing off their latest pre- resolutions in 32 thousand colours. release version of Vantage which is now set to ship in final release form New Software during January 2000, they also had The R-Comp stand was very busy at their brand new MultiMedia RISC OS '99. They were doing a Keyboard (MMK) on sale. This has roaring trade in their Internet products additional keys as well as a rotary and sold out of all of them by the end control which Vantage will make use of the weekend. On the games scene, of. Cerilica are also keen to work with they had three new attractions: other third party developers to help Heroes of Might, Magic expansion applications take advantage of MMK. pack and the long awaited RISC OS Quake player. The Resurrection Pack Spacetech had the stand immediately with original Quake, Malice and opposite The ARM Club at RISC OS Q!Zone as well as the player on a '99. They were showing off the separate disc is now available from capabilities of PhotoDesk 3, along R-Comp at £23 instead of the £35 with other applications such as the 3D originally planned. This is because it modelling package, TopModel 2. The is now based on an enhanced version author, of TopModel, Giancarlo of the freeware RISC OS player, Castagno, made the trip from Italy to rather than the originally intended re- demonstrate it both on the stand and write. in the show theatre.
Elsewhere, iSV products were Other Attractions demonstrating their new Millennium The Association of Acorn User edition of DrawWorks. This is an Groups (AAUG) had a large stand at extension to the standard Draw RISC OS '99. As well as package supplied with RISC OS, representatives from a number of making it much more versatile. (See clubs, they were showing off a the review on page 53.) satelLite weather data collection
6 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 system, complete with a satellite dish So Where Next? sitting out on the balcony overlooking This promises to be another eventful the racecourse. year on the RISC OS scene. Already the following shows are planned: Magazine publishers Archive and Acorn User were also reporting Acorn SW Show: Webbington Hotel, successful shows with subscriptions Loxton, North Somerset Sat 19th Feb. to Archive up 11% in total over the Wakefield 2000:Thornes Park last three months of 1999. Archive Athletics Stadium, Wakefield were also selling their new CD of past 20th-21st May. magazines and utilities, a few of Big Ben Club Show: TBA (probably which it turned out mysteriously close to Breda, Holland). ended up with bagpipes music on Acorn SE Show: St Albans Arena, instead! St Albans, Herts, Sat 1st July.
On The ARM Club stands we were The ARM Club's plans for shows in kept busy talking to members who 2000 are still to be decided. We are, had come along to say hello, as well however, looking for people to look as the usual stream of membership after specific areas such as publicity, applications, renewals and product exhibitors or venue for a rerun of the sales. show at Epsom. Such volunteers will be needed in order to run the event, The show theatre was very popular at but they must be willing to commit RISC OS '99, particularly on the sufficient time, depending on the role Saturday where it was consistently taken on. For some roles, living close packed for presentations from the to Epsom would be a distinct hardware developers, application advantage but for others this is not software developers and RISC OS necessary. If you are interested in Ltd. Our thanks go to Atomwide for putting yourself forward to help with the loan of a video projector to go in the organisation, please contact me by the racecourse's purpose designed email ([email protected]) or by cinema, making one very large RISC phone (07050 679262) as soon as OS desktop! possible.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 7 Two New Magazines
f everything has gone to plan, RISC As the official publication of RISCOS IOS users should now have two new Ltd, it will represent the company and CD-ROM based magazines to add to have access to some of its people and the four surviving ones that you don’t resources, making it the most have to switch on your computer to authoritative source of information on read. This should help to compensate RISC OS. for the loss of Beebug’s RISC User,
Just before this issue went to the printers we got the first details of the RISC OS Foundation's new magazine, one of two new publications appearing on CD-ROM. now completing its 12th and final It has been established to add value to volume. a Foundation membership as a successor to the planned Clan The name at least will not die magazine, which Richard Hallas was completely but will live on as to have edited. As with Eureka, it is Foundation RISC User, one of the two not in competition with other new magazines. RISC User has been magazines and does not want to poach bought by its former Editor, Richard subscribers from them. Hallas — winner of the RISC OS ’99 Award for Editorial Excellence with There will be more in future issues of RISC User — who is now editing the Eureka on the Foundation and its Foundation’s new quarterly. magazine and a look at the other new CD-ROM publication, RISC World, Although it will have access to the from APDL, which is to appear bi- wealth of material that the old monthly edited by David Matthewman. magazine published, FRU will be completely different in content, style We wish both magazines every and format. success.
8 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 The Number Works
e want our numbers back!” glued to the screen well into the Wcry the townsfolk, and it is milk-break. The main problem for the the task of the unsuspecting teacher will be shifting them off. schoolchild to retrieve them for the citizens of Singleton. This is the Sherston is synonymous with ingenious challenge posed by entertainment, and the exercise Sherston Software in this recently- begins with an intriguing story about
An original plot, about the theft of a town's numbers, sets the action for a series of challenges to mend a factory full of machines. Rilla Paterson boldy tackled it. released triple CD entitled The a town in disarray, having made the Number Works. Here is a package to mistake of ignoring the importance of keep even the most reluctant seven to numbers for too long, so the sinister nine-year-old learner of arithmetic Number Collector has decided to punish them.
Cloaked figure This mysterious cloaked figure appears on the town hall steps and admits to having confiscated all the house numbers, telephone numbers and digital displays relating to clocks, microwaves, telephones, every conceivable gadget, before vanishing with a ghostly laugh. The millennium bug has nothing on this! Now nobody knows who lives in what house, how many pints of milk to expect or which
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 9 “You didn’t care about your numbers, so I, the Number Collector, have taken them all away! Ha! Ha!” bus goes where. An elderly gent, gravelly voice. Unit tells us that all however, remembers the existence of the machines in the factory keep the old Number Factory, long since making silly mistakes, and if the child defunct, and the people elect the can fix the machines they will deliver unsuspecting child gawping at the a plethora of correct numbers. The screen to scale the ivy-covered walls task is therefore to visit each machine of this crumbling building and go in in turn, and correct its arithmetic, search of their precious numbers. thereby developing competence in numeracy. Inside The Number Works the child finds a character called Unit, shaped There are no fewer than 21 machines, rather like a dalek and with a similar operating at three levels of ability.
10 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 They have wonderful names, like the Snack Attacker and the Divider Mice in the machines Decider. Using them the child tackles One very endearing feature of not only the basics of addition, Sherston is that they are very good at subtraction, multiplication and including discreet humorous asides. division but also explores fractions, During the introductory story, just as decimals, negative numbers, the unhappy denizens have roared sequences and rounding up and down. off-screen on their irate journey to the Town Hall, there is a brief pause, and The graphics are first-rate. All the then a single straggler is seen running machines are brightly coloured with after them. Blink and you miss it. just the right amount of detail to make These injections of humour appear them interesting without being when you are least expecting them Ð cluttered. All seven to nine-year-olds mice keep cropping up in the are compulsive knob-twiddlers, and machines. I bet Sherston's these machines have an abundance of programmers have a lot of fun Ð if I buttons and levers guaranteed to have were one of their quality controllers universal appeal. I'd spend most of the time rolling on the floor. The child receives written instructions on the screen, and these The machines are on three storeys. On are all repeated verbally for the slow the ground floor they relate to the reader. This facility can be switched number system and place value, those off for the more able child who is then on the first floor explore relationships relying on the written word alone. between numbers and computation, Personally, I like to leave the sound and the machines in the Attic on because of the sheer enjoyment concentrate on solving numerical offered by the amazing banging and problems. Between the floors is a scrunching noises. I suppose these navigation area with a remote control could be distracting in the classroom game leading the child to the chosen and I can imagine the teacher activity, all very good for preferring the silent mode to that of confidence-building and mouse perpetual (com)motion. control. Each machine features a
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 11 particular area of arithmetic. The navigation area and on to another child works them by clicking on machine. various buttons and icons with the mouse. The narrative tells the user A detailed description of each of the what is wrong with the machine in 21 machines is beyond the scope of question. There is a help button which this review, but they include a provides the child with a more Fraction Contraption, which produces detailed explanation if necessary. painted shapes divided into halves, quarters, thirds, fifths and so on. The A typical example is as follows: the child has to match the fraction stated Delightful Divider would work with the painted shape, which may or correctly if it got the chance, but is may not be correct, and choose True “confused” because it is in a box with or False. Multiplication Sums, each one done three times with a different answer, Adder Upper one of which is correct. The child Another machine presents numbers clicks on the right answer, thereby which must be sorted into columns by arriving at the correct division sum. deciding whether the number in The whole exercise reinforces the question should be rounded up or relationship between multiplication rounded down. The Adder Upper and division. machine is opened up to reveal its entrails, so that the child can add the Many of the calculators are designed units, tens and hundreds in turn, and such that the child is forced into then add the final columns, mental arithmetic, or at least to reinforcing correct thinking manipulate the buttons in the required procedures. My favourite was The order. This makes the child practise Reverser. It is difficult to describe in the particular arithmetical process words what this does, but suffice it to being illustrated. Moreover the task say that it teaches the child to work has to be repeated with up to ten out whether a given number should to different sums before that particular added to, or taken away from, another machine is deemed to be ‘mended’, number to complete the sum, and it and the child then moves to the reinforces the opposite nature of
12 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 addition and subtraction by using an very well explained, and the fact that ingenious game of roulette. the narrative is spoken as well as written would come to the rescue of If the child succeeds in `fixing' every the slow learner. machine, Unit jumps up with congratulatory noises, and once again The teacher sets the level of difficulty, the merry chuntering of busy cogs, and the child logs his or her name. wheels and conveyer belts is heard in The computer keeps a record of the the Number Works. exercises each child has completed. Up to 40 names can be logged at any Occasionally I found the narrative one time. It is possible to move onto less than adequate and had to resort to another machine early, but the the help button, but these were all computer does not treat the activity as
Carefully designed calculators ensure properly constructed answers
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 13 The fizz-buzz machine. The child clicks on FIZZ for multiples of 4, BUZZ for multiples of 6, and FIZZBUZZ for multiples of both 4 and 6 finished by that child until all sums software, completing visits to all 21 relating to that machine have been machines. At the highest level the done. Nor is it possible for a child sums are appropriately difficult. With having completed `fixing' a machine the Broken Calculator, for example, at to return to it. level three the child is expected to solve 16 + 15 by multiplying 16 by 2 This is probably a good thing, and subtracting 1. With the Divider because it stops children from Decider, the child would be expected hogging it. The only way to revisit a to be able to divide 95 by 20. particular machine would be to delete the child's name from the log, or log The activities proceed slowly enough a different name. The class is thus for the less able child, and for the encouraged to move through the brighter ones time-consuming
14 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 exercises like the initial story and the would find his plans to steal all the navigation to the various machines numbers gradually thwarted as the can be skipped by accessing them via child progresses through the factory. a menu. The pace of the lesson is thus easily adjusted to the needs and It would have been rather neat if the abilities of the individual. ghostly figure could have been made to fly into a tantrum every time the There is a useful and well-designed child succeeds at one task after pack of photocopiable masters another, and the town could have had supplied with the package. These a gigantic celebration at the end with include worksheets, exercises and the conquering hero presenting the games, with clear instructions in the mayor with a shopping trolley well presented teacher guide. brimming with newly-minted super- efficient numbers. Never mind, Installation is straightforward and the there's always a chance with a release program can be run directly from the of a Number Works II. CD, though full installation on the hard drive is recommended. The Number Works is excellent for Minimum requirements for Acorn are Years three and four and special needs A3020, Double speed CD-ROM and is good value for money. drive, RGB monitor and 4MB RAM.
Sinister The Number Works Here, then, is a package which is Prices (all +VAT): single £49.95 certainly up to Sherston's usual pack of three £74.93, five £99.90 standard. My only slight Supplier: Sherston Software Ltd disappointment is that the sinister Angel House, Sherston Number Collector never reappears. Malmesbury, Wilts SN16 0LH Tel: 01666 843200 A suggestion for improvement would Fax: 01666 843216 be for the programmers to have Email: [email protected] included the occasional discreet visit Web: www.sherston.com from this mysterious character, who
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 15 Qualitative Data Analysis
omputerized Textual Analysis. analysis of numerical data which uses CThat’s interesting. I thought well established algorithms.” that you could only analyse numbers with a Data Analysis Package?” This Unfortunately, this fictitious response is the common response of a person is the view of many people who think who hears that it is possible to use a that quantitative data is in some way computer to analyse textual data preferable to qualitative data. This
Paul Webb looks at a textual data analysis package you can use on a RISC OS computer and explains how and why you might want to use it. where such data may include view is often seen in the real world interview transcripts, diaries or letters. where qualitative data is ‘mysteriously’ transformed into But Computer-Assisted Qualitative quantitative data in order to give the Data Analysis or CAQDA has an former increased scientific established pedigree which began in legitimacy. But our fictional the early eighties and has culminated respondent also betrays a lack of in sophisticated CAQDA programs awareness of the goals and techniques like NUD.IST, The Ethnograph and of CAQDA which will now be AQUAD for the PC. Luckily, the described so that the reader is in a RISC OS user can also use !Analysis position to appreciate the evaluation for Qualitative Data Analysis. of !Analysis which follows.
“OK I can do Qualitative Data Imagine a researcher who has Analysis on my RISC OS machine conducted hundreds of interviews but why would I want to? After all with respondents on the topic of qualitative data analysis possesses “Unemployment Amongst Unskilled none of the precision of the statistical Men in Town A.” The researcher
16 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Main Analysis Window with One Option Selected might be interested in the factors patterns in the data. which predispose an unskilled man Lack of Education beyond sixteen towards unemployment and would, in might be cited as a cause of the normal non-computerized course unemployment and could be coded as of events, read through every `EDU_MINUS' on each transcript interview looking for evidence of where the code occurs. As a result of those factors. Our fictitious coding the data the analyst is able to researcher might also notice that there develop theories and investigate is a degree of consensus amongst the relationships between variables. respondents as to those factors and note this in the margin of each But there is a problem with such a transcript. Such a note is called a code procedure. It is very time consuming! and is the means by which the This is where qualitative software can qualitative data analyst discovers help. Using a qualitative data analysis
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 17 package has another positive spin off. more detailed explanations of these Even the most attentive person can techniques. If the frequency word list concentrate for only limited periods. option is selected, !Analysis simply This means that important trends in creates a file called OutputFile which the data can be missed. Computers, in contains a list of words together with contrast, are very effective at the number of times that they occur in `consistently' identifying trends. your chosen text.
So how does !Analysis the package The second illustration (opposite measure up? I first installed the page) shows the result of this form of package onto my hard disc. After analysis on a specimen file. double-clicking on the !Analysis icon, the app is installed on the icon There are a number of points to bear bar and the budding researcher is in mind when using this package. ready to begin. To activate the Only documents in text format may program simply drag and drop your be loaded into the program. Stressed text file onto the icon. The !Analysis letters are permissible if you have a window appears and the researcher foreign language document to study selects the analyses which are to be but this can increase the processing performed on the text. The first time. It is also possible to compare illustration (on previous page) shows your document with a dictionary if the main window with one of the you wish to do a concordance or Kwic options selected. test. If your document contains apostrophes, it is also necessary to To proceed, the user simply clicks on place a space between the apostrophe OK or sets a number of parameters and the following word. from an additional window. A range of analytical techniques may be So, what do I think of !Analysis? It selected including concordance, contains many of the basics of a keywords in context (Kwic), co- Qualitative Data Analysis program occurrence and frequency word lists. but does not provide many of the Interested readers should consult the sophisticated features of its PC and reference at the end of this article for MAC cousins. The frequency of word
18 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 provision for the testing of hypotheses, although readers who are interested in this approach to qualitative data analysis would perhaps be better advised to learn some variant of LISP.
Yet, despite these reservations I have to say that I like this program. It's intuitive to use and comes with a comprehensive manual in Impression format. Admittedly, it will only serve the needs of the qualitative researcher in the early stages of an analysis but its existence at least means that the A ‘Frequency of Word’ Analysis user will not be compelled to use CAQDA software on the `dark side!' option is useful as a prelude to identifying the key themes of a very So if you are a researcher in general or large document but could have been a social researcher in particular take a extended by providing a facility for look at !Analysis. attaching codes to the text. Reference I would also have appreciated the Kelle, U. (1995) Computer-Aided inclusion of some mechanism for Qualitative Data Analysis. Theory, generating networks of codes. The Methods and Practice. Thousand type of thing I am thinking of here is Oaks and London: Sage. a diagrammatic representation of a number of codes which shows their Sources relationship with each other. This is Web: micros.hensa.ac.uk/cgi-bin/bro the type of technique that an wser/local/riscos/textprocess/ anthropologist would use to study an CD-ROM: The ARM Club PDCD3 unfamiliar culture. There is also no
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 19 The Archive CD-ROM
s readers of Archive will know, The magazine text comes in the Athe monthly subscription original Impression page format (with magazine has a regular disc, which many of the illustrations seen for the can be bought or downloaded free first time in colour), as text and, for from the Archive Web site, and an the first time, as HTML documents. annual CD-ROM. Like most There are also text files of the regular
Even if you don't read Archive you could still find the latest issue of the magazine's annual CD-ROM well worth buying, as Peter Jennings explains. magazine CDs it is a bargain buy and Hints and Tips and Products not just for regular readers. Available features dating back from the first issue. Each year's issue is an update, rather than containing all new material, and Very usefully, Volume and Article is usually available at a discount to indexes in HTML format and those who have bought the previous ArcScan files for the last few years of one. magazines and discs are also included. The latest edition, for Volume 12, has the complete contents of the The CD's reference value is further magazine from Volume 4, issue 5 increased with a Fact File of names (earlier ones were produced on an and addresses (including email and Apple Mac), all the magazine discs Web sites) of just about every and most of the discs of Careware company who has produced Acorn (originally sold in aid of charity), and RISC OS hardware and software Shareware (in Archive terms this is and also a couple of glossaries of PD with no registration fees to pay) technical terms (a main one and and Utilities. another for audio visual).
20 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 An Impression page from Archive's Risc PC Special supplement
Users of the programs originated by us). You don't have to buy the Colton Software: PipeDream, magazine to get it but Ð a word of Fireworkz, Wordz and Resultz, will warning Ð if you don't already read find the CD worth buying just for the Archive this could well turn you into contents of the Gerald directory in the a subscriber. discs section. These contain the programs which accompanied the articles from Archive's most prolific Archive CD-ROM contributor, Gerald Fitton of Abacus Price: £12 Training, who have now taken over Upgrade from 1998 version: £8 the Colton products. Demo versions (Don’t return old CD. You are of the programs are provided but the trusted to be honest.) subjects are, however, not limited to Supplier: Archive Publications just this range. 18 Mile End Road Norwich NR4 7QY The Archive CD-ROM is a massive Tel: 01603 441777 library of information and advice on Fax: 01603 460736 Acorn computers from the Email: [email protected] Archimedes onward (and a great Web: www.archivemag.co.uk/ nostalgia trip for the old timers among
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 21 Your Questions Answered
Norman J. Burgess asks: models for £70, or less if purchased with a printer. Question: I have recently acquired a scanner, Question: Epson GT-5000, using ImageMaster/ I have never been happy with the Twain/ChangeFSI for manipulation. colour output (reds come out brown) Although I get brilliant copies of of my HP550C printer and informed
Some of the questions — with the answers — recently dealt with by our free Technical Help Service, co- ordinated by David Ruck. photos on screen, my printouts from HP of the fact. Needless to say I had an HP DJ550C, using a DJ550C no response from them. Turbodriver, are never the same quality, usually being too dark or Answer: having banding on them. I would like The HP550C requires a very careful to upgrade my printer to one capable choice of paper to prevent colour of printing photos and was wondering problems especially with ink. I found if you could recommend one. I do use only one plain paper that was photo quality paper. Various acceptable, due to ink spreading. You companies produce them, such as may have more success with special Epson, Cannon, HP and Lexmark, but coated paper. However the results are do Acorn have drivers for the latest always going to be poor compared photo capable models? with more recent printers.
Answer: Question: SpachTech are the only company Also, is there a better photo supporting photo printers. They have manipulation package than drivers for current Cannon and Epson ImageMaster?
22 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Technical Help questions are kept under guard on David Ruck's scanner
Answer: quality can vary, they can be useful if If you require better image you want to print out a large amount manipulation software then of stuff. As the HP cartridges contain ImageMaster I'd recommend the head you can't damage the printer Photodesk from SpaceTech. It is an using them, so there is nothing to lose. extremely good package capable of professional results. Full and half The Club Secretary, Chris Price, adds: price lite versions are available and a tricolour replacement cartridges can range of plug-in enhancements work be obtained from: Inkost, Unit 8, with both. Signal Buildings, Brunel Road, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 4FD. A cheaper but still capable alternative They send you clone cartridges which is ProArtisan 24 from Clares. work out about half the cost of the original branded ones. Question: Is there any company that recycles old Another company, which I have not printer cartridges, I have 12 or more. tried, is: The Toner Factory (UK) Ltd, 614 London Road, Westcliffe on Sea, Answer: Essex SS0 9HU. Tel: 0800 0184733 You could experiment reusing them Fax: 0800 0186433. yourself with ink refills. You can Email: [email protected] get them for HP550C and, while the Web: www.toner-factory.net
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 23 Site Seeing: Deja.com
ention the Internet and most from motor racing to walking, health, Mpeople immediately think of computing and everything one can emails and surfing; after that it is imagine. Within these groups you will potluck what else is mentioned. find answers to almost everything. Probably the third most used facility You may be answered by a of the Internet are the Newsgroups. professional or someone with experience of the subject so, for
In this issue, Geoff Lane suggests directing your browser towards www.deja.com and highlights some of the interesting services it offers.
Newsgroups are an absolute example, a medical question may be goldmine of knowledge and answered by a doctor, nurse or just information but you must know someone who has experienced the where to look. Most Internet same problem. providers will have a News Server which will almost certainly have the This is where www.deja.com can address of news.freeuk.net or come in handy. something similar. Download a list of Newsgroups Ð they do vary slightly To make use of Deja.com you must with each Internet provider Ð and register. This only takes a few you will be presented with between minutes and it then opens up a host of 20 and 30 thousand different useful facilities for you to use free of Newsgroups with unimaginable charge. subjects and titles. You will have to choose a username There will be a group on practically and password. Think carefully about everything from skydiving to the username as it will be an online potholing, from dieting to cooking, email address that can be very handy
24 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Start here — part of the Deja.com Home Page if you need to send emails from messages with Geoff Lane in the someone else's computer. body, the newsgroups will be linked so clicking on them takes you to the Once logged in to the site there are newsgroup and then to the individual excellent search facilities to enable messages. This can be excellent in you to look for messages containing busy newsgroups as some can have text, names, subjects or phrases of 200 plus messages daily. So if you interest. To narrow down searches were unable to download for a couple you can enable dates or certain parts of days the message may be difficult of messages and Ð here is the good to trace. Obviously, as with all part Ð you can save these searches searches, it is what you enter that which carry on automatically and gives you the result. So if you enter send an email to your own personal `John Smith' be prepared for quite a email address advising of the results. few possibilities!
For example, if I search for `Geoff All messages have Subject lines to Lane' I will be presented with a list indicate what the message is about giving all newsgroups containing and these are called threads. If there is
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 25 are online a click on the link takes you straight to the messages. Good eh!
Deja.com gives you many other facilities; you can view and send email messages online while logged on to any computer in the world, you can attach files in the normal manner and delete messages so as not to download them after reading or you can leave them there to be downloaded in the normal manner using your POP mail server.
Deja.com also gives you your own web page and various chat channels but it is one of those sites where you just have to go on and have a play. Many sites now are quite large and some are very complicated and unless you keep going back for a look a lot of useful functions may be missed.
Deja.com was one of those sites that initially I visited occasionally but since I have got used to its layout and Choose here facilities I am a regular visitor. It is generally a site I now visit every time a particular thread of interest to you I log on. you can ask Deja.com to track it and you will be notified by email of any Give it a try Ð you will not be replies to this thread. The email will disappointed. contain a link to the message so if you
26 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Psions And Similar
ave you got one of the New often but mainly after entering a lot of HSeries 5MX yet? If so why not information or document writing. I share your experiences and comments tend to backup at least once a with us? Do you have any tips that we fortnight at the moment but in busy can publish here in Eureka? Due to a periods as often as once every two or change of jobs through one thing and three days, it takes only a few
The range of Psion Palmtops continues to grow and there are some similar machines with other names also coming onto the market, as Ralph Sillett explains. another my upgrade to the 5MX will minutes. The backup can either be have to wait for a while. onto spare CF or LSDs which are easy to carry around. With our Psion Palmtops we users tend to forget one of the most I backup to three separate locations: important jobs to do is backup. How RISC PC, PC and a compact flash many of you have lost those large data disc. In fact that reminds me to files or that long document in Word? backup to my spare compact Flash It can be embarrassing to have to now! Backup now or be sorry. Get explain to the bank manager that you into the habit; it pays in the long run. went overdrawn because your All the usual sayings come to mind palmtop, with the accounts program, but think of the other sayings if you was stolen or broken and you didn't forget and things go pear-shaped. have the latest backup and so got completely out of touch with what A new web search site is now available you spent. We have all done it at one for all things Psion at time or another Ð I lost a data files of www.psion.websearches.net. Try it out some 400 items and had to start all next time you log on especially if you over again. Remember to back up are trying to find that elusive program.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 27 Where to search for that elusive Psion subject
Along with the launch of the New standard clam shell set up with a Series 5MX a couple of other smaller screen and keyboard but also machine details were released. These with the smaller price. machines use EPOC and should be available by the time you read this. I have just received details of the all The first one is from Oregan New Psion 7, with a colour screen and Scientific called the Osaris and the a StrongArm SA1100 processor second is the MC218 from Ericsson. running at 100mhz. The machine is The Ericsson MC218 is basically a bigger than the current machines and re-badged Psion 5MX but includes a weighs in at 1150g (just over a carry case and of course connectivity to the Ericsson mobile phones. The SH888 can be connected via infra red but the other Ericsson models require the D127 infrared modem which comes with the MC218. Price £479.95 inc VAT (to be confirmed).
The Oregan Osaris is a quite different albeit around the same size and will be available for £220 for a 4MB version and £280 Psion 7 for the 8MB. The machine is a
28 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 pound). It's a bit more than a palmtop bought mine a year ago and still have and not quite a laptop. The power is quite a few left. Good for the screen supplied by a re-chargeable Lithium- on the Five. Ion battery pack giving in excess of 8.5 hours. The case is a clam shell Don't forget that if you damage your design with leather clad outer. The Psion then a well recommended Seven will be available by the time company for the repair is Pinnock you read this article for a price of Organiser Services especially when £699.95 for the 16MB model the machine is out of warranty. They (upgradable to 32MB). This model is are much quicker than the Psion based on the recently launched service centre, typically three days. I netBook from Psion Enterprise sent my Five to them just before Solutions. Christmas 98 on a Friday and it was back in my hands the following The netBook processor runs at 190 Tuesday, now that's what I call mhz with either 32 or 64 service. DRAM.Maybe a bit pricey at launch but wait for a year and the price will Contact them on 020 8677 9246. come down. They can also supply custom coloured cases (to replace rubbery Battery life on the Five is not as good finish) on the Five but they cost £65. as on the Series 3 but can be helped by They supply and fit. using the mains power supply when ever you are at your desk or at home Does anyone have any other (or hotel) and near to a 13amp socket. experiences of service like this? If so, I try to use the mains as much as then let us know. We are all too quick possible and when convenient. to criticise a bad service but rarely shout about a good one. If you have To keep my Five clean I use surface any good experiences of service cleaner wipes that come in a plastic within the computer industry, tub with 100 wipes made by Boeder especially related to either Acorn or and sold in places such as Staples and Psion products then why not let us PC World for about £2 to £2.50. I know?
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 29 Science Fair Revisited
he Summer 1999 Edition of be unfounded; in the event the more TEureka featured a review of able children enjoyed teaching the Sherston© sS cience Fair by Rilla slower ones, resulting in a true mixed Paterson, where colourful characters ability experience for all Ð just the Bert and Vicky introduce the intrepid kind of learning environment which early learner to a wealth of science can prove invaluable in a busy ideas enclosed in a fairground, the classroom. It held the interest of five
After the review, a look at how the real users reacted to one of the education with entertainment programs for children which regularly appear from Sherston.
Space Dome, the Hoopla Stall, the and six-year-olds (Key Stage 1) for Fun House, the Bear Cave and the Big long stretches. This particular Wheel. Rilla recently received some program is geared to Attainment feedback from a Target 4 (Physics), and school which tried it it is not easy to keep the out, and readers attention of very young might like to know children in this field, the reaction. but Sherston have managed to do so with ªOne of my flying colours. reservations was that it might be just a bit The pace was slow, but too easy, but I need just right for beginners, not have worried Ð and there was plenty of Science Fair is a big What caused the big bang? opportunity for hit across the board. practising good mouse My fear that the brighter children control. The prize here goes to the Big would tire of it quickly turned out to Wheel at Level 2, where the child
30 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Light the bulb — the classroom favourite builds a circuit by connecting a the children developed a game battery, a lamp and two wires, causing whereby they were separated by a the bulb to light up. The whole class screen from a variety of sounds and positively squirmed with delight. The had to guess the instrument electronic games possessed by many responsible for each one. This is just children at home don© t always have the kind of progress that can be mice (mouses? mousen?) but Science initiated by a good program. So well Fair© s drag-and-drop exercises filled done, Sherston. According to April© s the gap. Child Ed, a new version is coming out featuring Attainment Target 2 (Living Many of the activities led naturally to Things). other forms of learning: for example, using the one on musical instruments, Can© t wait!º
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 31 Part 2 Getting On The Internet
started off with Freeserve as it was However with FreeUK I found it kept Ithe easiest to get going and I liked dropping the connection after I'd the idea of a domain name as you get been online for around two minutes, on Demon (that is, your email name is so signed up with UKOnline. Then I
In the first instalment of this two-part series, David Ruck told how he decided to try out three free Internet Service Providers: Freeserve, FreeUK and UKOnline. domain name). However, after a and has a wide range of newsgroups week's use I found them to be rather supported. So now I use FreeUK as slow and engaged a lot and, after an my main ISP, receiving email and entire weekend when the email doing browsing from it. service was broken, I decided to move to my second choice which was I still use the Freeserve account when FreeUK. people want to send me very large email, so I don't pick it up on my Your email name in this case is main account when I dial up during < s o m e t h i n g > @ f r e e u k . c o m peak time. (extra users can be
32 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 With paying ISPs it is likely whatever package you are using already comes setup for the provider and all you have to do is enter a few details such as your domain/user name and Some such as FreeUK also use password to get them going. Javascript which you may or may not be able to handle, even if your It is a bit more complicated with Free browser supports Javascript, due to ISPs however, as new ones spring up incompatibilities in its definition all the time and you may have to hunt thanks to the PC world. around for a script someone has written or make your own by copying Due mainly to the script and excellent on of the others. ANT suite provider instructions by Paul Vigay scripts are available for the popular (www.vigay.com) I was able to get ones such as the three I tried. Freeserver running first, although I did need to use the AcornSSL module with The main difficulty with free ISPs is Browse to get at the registration page. registering with them in the first place. A web page is used to enter After filling out lots of information on your details but in most cases it will the web forms, Freeserve registers be transmitted using an encrypted you and sends you a file which you connection. This requires you to have can use if you have a PC but you don't the AcornSSL module for Browse need for an Acorn. All you have to do (available on request from is enter a few pieces of information in [email protected]) or the HTTPS the ANT suite configuration page and for ANT Fresco which is has only just you are ready to go. become officially available (mailto:[email protected]) however in both cases you need to have an email address ending in `.co.uk` because of encryption export regulations. Registering UKOnline was a very similar process, but due to its use of
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 33 Javascript and SSL I had to register Some ISPs now offer a similar service FreeUK from a PC at work. I got the from their own websites, which is ANT scripts for both of them from better than trusting your account Paul Vigay's site. details to a third party.
To save having to reconfigure the Before getting my own connection, I ANT Suite each time, I use the was using my work's ISDN line, with excellent !Multi-ISP utility by Richie MS Internet Explorer 4 and the Whincup (www.richie.ukgateway.net) freeware Pegasus Mail program which allows me to switch between connected to the company Exchange all my ISPs at the click of a button. Server (no way was I using MS Outlook Ð an atrocious Internet standard ignoring system). I was interested to see how my system would compare using a slower 56K modem, the less well-developed Remember if you are using Freeserve Acorn browsers and our home grown you must log in every two weeks so email programs. your account isn't automatically closed. The first thing you notice is that it takes about 20 seconds to start a You don't have to log in all the time to connection, compared with about check for email though. If you use a three seconds using the ISDN line. mail reading via a web facility such as When it is up, the first thing that www.mail2web.com or usually happens is a download of www.mailstart.com you can enter news and email. If this is all you want some of the info you used to to do, you may find the process is configure the account (pop3 server completed in just over a minute name from the script and your email (unless someone sends you address and password) on to a web something large or you subscribe to page and read any email that might be lots of newsgroups). This means it waiting on that account. costs you around 5p even at peak times.
34 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Although the modem is 56K the status using outline fonts and colouring screen shows it usually connects at showing you who has written what around 40K to 44K, which means within a message. This complements around 4K per second downloading the facilities available in the ZAP speed for files such as archives and editor's email mode, which is used to JPEGs. When news and email are write email. Attachments are handled downloading, the modem is often flawlessly with RISC OS types being able to compress it and I have preserved when sending between two observed download speeds of over Acorn programs. Importantly, they 10.5K/s, close to the maximum speed use the recognised Internet of the serial link. conventions for quoting other people's email and adding signatures, When downloading archives and unlike the awful MS Outlook. Marcel JPEGs I barely notice any speed has a useful feature to strip the useless difference with the ISDN line even HTML attachments from that when downloading many things at program's mail, so you don't fill up once. The Acorn doesn't seem to just your mail folders with junk. stall for ages like the PC did. The only thing the ISDN wins hand down on is Compared to the big two browsers on the uploading of large files which is the PC from Netscape and Microsoft, about twice as fast, because a 56K which are constantly pushing the modem works only at 33K in the standards forward, the Acorn uploading direction. browsers are always going to be playing catch-up and there will be For reading news and email, the some sites which you aren't going to Acorn programs such as ANT Suite's be able to access. Marcel and Jonathan Duddington's Pluto compare with the best available It all depends on what sort of sites you on the PC, offering multiple mail visit if this is going to prove a folders, advanced sorting capabilities, problem. Secure services such as address books and multi-user support. online banking and shopping will The latest beta version of Marcel is require SSL, which you need to get much improved, displaying mail hold of as it doesn't come with the
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 35 browsers. Some sites require plug- off several at once. On a PC browser ins, such as Macromedia Flash, which this results in a pile of windows and aren't available for any Acorn the machine generally freezing for browsers and a lot need Javascript several minutes. On Browse and which only Fresco and Webster XL Fresco you can download the target of support and then not fully (but not all the link without opening a new sites work with Netscape and Internet window, just giving a save and small Explorer either). progress box. It also seems no matter how many I fire off at once they all Personally, I've found very few sites I proceed in the background and I can couldn't access with either Fresco or even continue to view other web Browse, including all the popular pages without the machine grinding search engines, news services and to a halt. This has allowed me to entertainment sites. download large quantities of stuff even quicker than on the ISDN line. Out of the two browsers Browse is the more stable but hampered by the lack As well as email and web browsing I of Javascript. Fresco handles more now have access to other Internet sites but does tend to crash a lot which services which were blocked at work, can be annoying. However Acorn such as chat rooms based on telnet browsers do have some advantages and IRC protocols and messaging over PC ones. The anti-aliased fonts services such as ICQ. There are many make a much more readable display freeware programs to allow you use and the ability to save out the entire these and you don't have to worry page complete with text and images about the boss catching you! as a Drawfile, for reading offline, is invaluable. Cost OK, so you have paid out the initial Also when downloading a lot of files costs of the modem and software and or pictures from a slow site it is not are enjoying the benefits of staying in efficient to have a single download touch by email, keeping up to date going only using a fraction of the with developments on newsgroups download bandwidth, so I like to fire and browsing the endless depths of
36 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 the web. But what nasty surprise is in the logfile in the ANT Suite can prove store when the quarterly phone bill invaluable at solving disputes over comes? large shared bills.
The bill will all depend on how you Best friend use it. If you are only interested in You can do things to reduce the bill, if mail and news you may do a few short you are on BT you can put your ISP calls every day just to collect and on the friends and family scheme to send. If you are lucky these will get a 10% discount, or 20% if you complete within the minimum call make it your best friend. You can even charge which is 5p on BT even at do this online at www.customer- peak time. service.bt.com/friends_family/owa /bestfriend.who. If you become a web-a-holic you may spend hours at a time surfing and Watch out mind, while you can frequenting chat rooms, in which case change the 10 friends and family as long as you keep to off peak times numbers about 90 times per billing and weekends the cost per hour is period, you can only change your best reasonable. friend number once. I initially put the first FreeUK number in but couldn't Surfing change it to the more reliable But watch out it does mount up after alternative number for three months, three months. I've just got my first so I only got 10% discount the whole phone bill after going on line and the time. Internet share of it was £71. If you are thinking of going with an It can be difficult so see from the bill alternative to BT check that their how much is the computer's use. discounted local rates cover the 0845 Long calls with the 0845 prefix of the numbers of your ISP, otherwise it may ISP are easy to spot, but short calls not be cheaper. under 40p aren't mentioned on BT's itemised bill, so a utility such as Some companies now offer a service !Ringo which calculates the cost from where you dial a prefix so the call
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 37 doesn’t get put on your phone bill and How easy instead you get charged, with up to a In conclusion I am very pleased at 30% discount, direct to your credit how easy it was to set up the system card, which would stop any disputes and how well it works, compared with over the phone bill. I have yet to what I was using at work. Mine is not investigate this. If you find yourself much slower in actual use and I’ve making heavy use of the Internet and actually found it more reliable that you are with a free provider it may be work with no nasty servers to crash worth examining again whether and take days to repair. I am now able you’d save enough on your phone bill to use the Internet at any time of the to justify the extra monthly charge. day or night at a reasonable cost.
If you find you get lots of dropped Here are a few recommendations:- connections, causing you to redial and run up extra minimum call • Don’t go for the cheapest modem, charges, or your download speed is unreliability or inability to upgrade always far less that your modem is will cost you more in the long term. capable of, it might be worth it. • Get recommendations from friends After all you have to be slightly about which is the best software and suspicious that a Free ISP isn’t offering ISP to use. as fast a service as possible as they make their money from you making as • If you go for a free ISP you may long a phone call as possible, whereas need to register from work or get a subscription services don’t care how friend to download scripts and long you are on. instructions for you before you begin.
But if it is something like web • Put your ISP number as your best browsing you are doing, the speed of friend on BT’s Friends and Family the connection isn’t as critical, as scheme. most of the online time is going to be you reading it rather than the • Keep a log of your Internet calls to computer downloading it. prevent family disputes.
38 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Follow this tip if you’ve got work in the morning
· If possible use more than one web Our email addresses include: browser; some work better with some [email protected] and sites than others [email protected] while our website is: www.armclub.org.uk. · Use Alarm to remind you to go to bed instead of web browsing into the These can always be found in the early hours! Club Contacts on the last inside page of every issue of Eureka. If you aren't already on the Internet, you should definitely consider it. New BT Service Once you have seen how useful email Since this was written British is and have the ability to download Telecom have announced the the latest PD program at the click of a introduction of four new services button you'll wonder how on earth allowing unlimited access to the you managed before. Internet at all times for £34·99 a month, weekdays only for £26·99, The ARM Club can offer a much and weekends only or weekday quicker service for enquires and evenings and nights only for £6·99 technical help to people with email. a month.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 39 English Keywords
nglish Keywords Ð Words and directly between the explanations for ESentences is the second in each entry in the word databank. This Sherston's Keywords series and as feature is easily utilised by clicking such uses the same user interface on the links icon and the cross- structure as the predecessor in the referenced words in the text series, Science Keywords Ð The explanation are highlighted in the Living World (reviewed in Eureka form of hyperlink. That is, clicking on
Andrew Weston brushes up his English with a database of key words and a library of pictures to illustrate their meanings and use.
32). This current arrival in the series the word will move to the descriptive is aimed to allow children to text accompanying the highlighted investigate the words associated with link. There is consequently the `grammar, punctuation and phonics' opportunity to follow a `trail' through of the English language specified by this resource. the National Literacy Strategy. All this information and illustration The concept of the series appears like can be exported to other documents in an electronic encyclopedia for a the form of sprites or textfiles or particular theme. Therefore the printed out. application is based around a large set of words related to the chosen theme The keywords are accessible initially for which there are explanations and through three main options as is accompanying illustrations. evidently the case in this series of titles Ð Index, Word Search and The interesting feature of the Picture Index. Index takes the user to interface adopted by Sherston a menu with the letters of the alphabet however is the ability to move and by selecting a letter, the words
40 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 The main menu structure with interactive help selected. This is available for every page in the software. with that particular beginning are automatically. For the younger user displayed below. The appropriate this, perhaps, could have been word can then be selected for particularly helpful. explanation. The Word Search option takes the user The explanation is displayed in a to two writable icons (empty boxes) scrollable box and can be spoken by allowing a choice or a combination of the software if desired. two words to be found, if present, in the databank. The results may be the One minor hindrance here is the actual word or an entry in the necessity to scroll manually through databank whose explanatory text the written explanation while it is contains the search enquiry. One being read as this does not proceed could envisage that this would be
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 41 useful in showing the context of a particularly keyword. For example, the appearance of `dialect' and `slang' in the explanation for `standard English'. The explanation for ‘standard English’ which has cross-references to other entries in the Another menu gives application’s databank access to the pictures on selecting the Picture Index option. are fundamental to an understanding These pictures, intended to delineate of English and as such are valuable or elaborate upon the keyword inclusions. Others are equally explanation of interest, are displayed informative and would undoubtedly initially as thumbnails. If the user's be educational to adult users, like curiosity is taken by a picture, it can myself for example, who have not be enlarged to display the full image studied English for several years and with an appropriate caption perhaps do not encounter such explaining its significance. This is definitions very often. It is often often useful as the relevance would satisfying to know, say, when you use not presumably be obvious to or encounter a metaphor, a simile or a younger children. Indeed, many of the mnemonic. pictures have been thoughtfully and cleverly chosen to illustrate the The program includes a keyword and its context. Again, all comprehensive interactive help captions and explanations can be system. Help is available for every spoken aloud by a click on the sound page of the software and in all aspects icon. of using it. This information is also available in the comprehensive, but The software centres around quite a straightforward, manual. The manual broad range of English language- also makes clear the skills it aims to associated keywords. Many of these teach, perhaps assisting the teacher or
42 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 parent in which parts of using the informative, I believe, to most adults software should be emphasised Ð for as well. English Keywords represents example, the value of indexes in a simple but effective concept that information searches. will hopefully be a well-received addition to the range of educational Sherston have also included a range software available for RISC OS users. of supporting paper-based material Ð specifically, a colour poster of the different icons for easy reference, an English Keywords — Words and index of all the words within the Sentences software's databank and a Quick- Prices (all +VAT): single £29.95 Start card. These would very likely be (multi packs are available) notably useful in the classroom to get Supplier: Sherston Software Ltd the pupil or even teacher up-and- Angel House, Sherston running as soon as possible. Malmesbury, Wilts SN16 0LH Tel: 01666 843200 So, overall, we have a well thought- Fax: 01666 843216 out and implemented resource. This Email: [email protected] series promises to be a valuable aid in Web: www.sherston.com the classroom, yet will be
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 43 Part 3 A Beginner’s Guide To TeX
o you've installed TeX and have marked up a document with plain TeX Scommands. I will now show you how to mark up some text with LaTeX commands.
It will no doubt be very clear that TeX and LaTeX commands are quite different. The different commands occur because of the fact that things like page layout have been predefined by LaTeX so that the user can concentrate on writing rather than on specifying formatting commands. LaTeX therefore
In the third part of his series, Paul Webb moves on to LaTeX and explains the basic structure of a document and the five predefined styles you can use. offers the user a choice of five predefined document styles: book, article, letter, slide and report. Of course, it is also possible to define your own class although this is not recommended by the experts unless you know what you are doing.
Observe the example of code below which shows the basic structure of a LaTeX document:
\documentclass{...}
\begin{document}
Enter text here or include a picture, table or equation.
\end{document}
Most LaTeX documents follow much the same pattern. The code for an article begins with the \documentclass command with ªarticleº or some other document style as the argument of the command. The section between the \documentclass command and the \begin{document} command is known as the ªpreambleº and can contain commands which instruct LaTeX to include
44 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 packages which provide additional features which are not incorporated in the base system.
Obviously, this basic structure would be filled in with many other commands before a usable document could be generated. The code below shows a document with the blanks filled in. Many commands have been added but I have placed comments in the code to give the reader some idea of what each command does. TeX code can be quite hard to read if you are unfamiliar with the system so why not enter the code into your favourite editor and run the document through LaTeX? I have also included references to useful books in the code so you will have to run BibTeXÐa program which generates a bibliography. The procedure is as follows: Run LaTeX, BibTeX, LaTeX and LaTeX again in that order. Four runs are necessary before the references will be listed correctly. Of course the filer will need to see the plain ªbstº file and the ªbibº file. Confused? Well the plain bst file is a style file which determines the way that a list of references is laid out. Look at the section on BibTeX in this article for information on what to do with this file. The bib fileЪEurekaºÐis in contrast a database of references that BibTeX has to see before the references can be included in the LaTeX document. Essentially, the bib file is a plain text file in which the references are laid out as follows:
@BOOK{lamp:guid, AUTHOR = "Leslie Lamport", TITLE = "\LaTeX\ --- A Document Preparation System", PUBLISHER = {Addison-Wesley}, ADDRESS = {Reading, Massachusetts}, YEAR = 1994 }
@BOOK{goos:comp, AUTHOR = "Michel Goossens and Frank Mittelbach and Alexander Samarin", TITLE = "The \LaTeX\ Companion", PUBLISHER = {Addison-Wesley}, ADDRESS = {Reading, Massachusetts}, YEAR = 1994 }
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 45 @BOOK{gand:grap, AUTHOR = "Michel Goossens and Sebastian Rahtz and Frank Mittelbach", TITLE = "The \LaTeX\ Graphics Companion", PUBLISHER = {Addison-Wesley}, ADDRESS = {Reading, Massachusetts}, YEAR = 1997 }
@BOOK{chic:web, AUTHOR = "Michel Goossens and Sebastian Rahtz", TITLE = "The \LaTeX\ Web Companion", PUBLISHER = {Addison-Wesley}, ADDRESS = {Reading, Massachusetts}, YEAR = 1999 }
So here's the code for a simple LaTeX document.
% a `%' character is used for commenting text. % Text after a `%' is ignored.
\documentclass{article} % Document class chosen % Beginning of preamble \newcommand{\ttbsl}{\tt \char`\\\/} % Defines backslash for text body \newcommand{\BibTeX}{{\rm B\kern-.05em{\sc i\kern-.025em b}\kern-.08em % Defines a BibTeX logo T\kern-.1667em\lower.7ex\hbox{E} \kern-.125emX}}
\title{\LaTeX for Beginners} % Declare document title \author{Paul Webb} % Declare document author
\begin{document} % End of preamble % Beginning of text
\maketitle % Produces title
\section{What is \LaTeX?} % Section command Lamport~\cite{lamp:guid}---the creator of \LaTeX\ defines his system as a special
46 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 The first page of the document version of \TeX\ that understands \LaTeX\ commands. As Lamport(1994) says
\begin{quote} % Begin quote environment
\LaTeX\ is your typographic designer, and \TeX\ is its typesetter. The \LaTeX\ commands that you type are translated into lower-level \TeX\ typesetting commands.
\end{quote} % End quote environment
\section{\LaTeX\ Commands}
There are many \LaTeX\ commands. Here are some of the most common.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 47 \subsection{\TeX nical Logos} % Sub-section command
\begin{center} % Note American spelling % of centre
{\ttbsl LaTeX\ttbsl} produces the \LaTeX\ logo \\ % \\ separates lines {\ttbsl TeX\ttbsl} produces the \TeX\ logo \\ {\ttbsl BibTeX\ttbsl} produces the \BibTeX\ logo
\end{center}
\subsection{Type Styles}
Here are some of the commands which may be used to alter the type style.
\begin{enumerate} % begins a numbered % list environment \item{\ttbsl emph} is used to \emph{emphasize} text} \item{\ttbsl textup} produces text in an \textup{upright} shape} \item{\ttbsl textit} produces text in an \textit{italic} shape} \item{\ttbsl textmd} \textmd{produces text in the medium series}} \item{\ttbsl textbf} produces text in the \textbf{boldface} series} \item{\ttbsl textrm} \textrm{produces text from the Roman family} \item{\ttbsl textsf} \textsf{produces text from the Sans Serif family} \item{\ttbsl texttt} \texttt{produces text from the Typewriter family}
\end{enumerate} % end numbered % list environment \section{Document Structure}
In \LaTeX\ words are separated by one or more spaces and the end of a paragraph and the start of another is denoted by a blank line.
And so the second paragraph begins \ldots. % the ellipsis command
\subsection{Sub-sections}
The ``power’’ user can also take advantage of a number of % `or' not ‘or’ special environments. The most commonly used environments are
48 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 \begin{itemize} % begin bulletted % list environment
\item{the picture environment for drawing} \item{the tabular environment for tables} \item{the itemize environment for lists} \item{the math environment for in-text formulae}
\end{itemize} % end bulletted % list environment
\section{Packages}
The user can also access many packages through (CTAN)\footnote{ Comprehensive \TeX\ Archive Network ftp.tex.ac.uk} or obtain packages and complete \TeX\ distributions from DANTE\footnote{ Deutschsprachige Anwendervereinigung \TeX\ e.V. http://dante.de/}--- the German \TeX\ Users' Group who produce a mirror of the CTAN site as a set of three CDs. This set is freely available to any member of a \TeX\ Users' Group.
Additional packages are available to produce diagrams, tables, game boards and non-Latin scripts. The interested reader should consult Goossens and Mittelbach et al~\cite{goos:comp} for a description of over 150 packages and Goossens and Rahtz et al~\cite{gand:grap} for information on embedding graphics within a \LaTeX\ document. Readers who want to place their \TeX\ documents on the net should also refer to Goossens and Rahtz~\cite{chic:web}. Articles in \textbf{ Baskerville}---the journal of UKTUG and in \textbf{TUGboat}---the international journal for \TeX\ users can also be very informative.
\vfil\eject % start a new page
\section{\BibTeX}
\BibTeX\ is used to generate a bibliography but it will only work if a ÁÁbib©© file has been constructed. Essentially, this bib file is a plain text file which contains lists of references cited in the text.
I'll look at \BibTeX\ in detail in the final article of the series
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 49 but please also ensure that one of the \BibTeX\ style files (bst files) has been seen by the filer. There are a number of style files included with ArmTeX and each one has a slightly different effect on the layout of your references. The ÁÁstandard©© \BibTeX\ file---\texttt{plain}---sorts entries alphabetically and includes numeric labels. The style files may be inspected by holding down shift and double-clicking on the !TeX icon. Clicking in the Bibinputs Directory reveals the style files which are at your disposal. Other style files include \texttt{unsrt, alpha and abbrev}. \texttt{Unsort} uses numeric labels and prints entries in the order in which they are cited whilst \texttt{alpha} generates entries which are composed of snippets from the authors' names as well as months and journal names. Style files are also available for a range of journals.
\section{Mathematics}
\TeX\ and \LaTeX\ have a justly deserved reputation for being able to typeset mathematics. This topic is too specialized to cover in a general series but mathematical readers will appreciate the ability of \LaTeX\ to handle sub and superscripts, fractions, roots, mathematical Greek, calligraphic letters, log-like functions etc etc.
\bibliographystyle{plain} %Select plain style \bibliography{Eureka} % Read ÁÁEureka©© bib file
\end{document} % End of document
So that's it. You should hopefully have some idea of the power of TeX and LaTeX. In the final article of the series, I will take a closer look at including tables and pictures with LaTeX. I will also look at BibTeX and MakeIndeX as well as outlining some exciting developments which are underway in the TeX community.
Until then, happy TeXing!
UKTUG enquiries: [email protected] TUG: www.tug.org/ Previous issues of Baskerville: www.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/ Previous issues of TUGboat: www.tug.org/
50 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 in association with Bristol Acorn Risc User Group
ACORN SOUTHWEST SHOW
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Compiled by Roger King
1 2 3 4 5 6 The ARM Club Crossword No. 3 7 8 9 27. Proprietary name for a
1 2 3 4 tranqu5iliser drug (6)6 29. Crumbly cheese from Greece 10 11 7 8 9 (4) 30. Hero of many old Western 12 13 14 films (4,6) 15 10 11
16 17 18 19 Down: 1. Sacred mountain of Japan (4)
20 21 22 23 2. The young man beloved by 12 13 14
24 Aphrodite (6)
3. One of a West Afr15ican race (4) 25 26 27 28 4. Device for generating 16 17 18 19 electricity (6) 29 30 5. Relating to the name of two ancient Scandinavian books (6) 20 21 22 23 Across: 6. Hatred (5) 7. A stringed instrument whose strings are sounded 8. Monitor lizards found in Australia (7) 24 by the turning of a wheel (5-5) 13. Fish belonging to the carp family (4) 259. A cubic block forming the base of a pedestal (4)26 14. Comp27uter language (5) 28 10. A plant with bright, showy flowers (6) 15. The Hawaiian goose (4) 11. A counting-frame (6) 18. White fur (7) 2912. His selection of horse was neare30st to the stable 21. Australian marsupial (6) door! (7,6) 22. Central columns of spiral staircases (6) 16. Former King of Mercia (4) 23. Variety of black tea (6) 17. Fatty secretion that lubricates the hair and skin (5) 24. Part of the setting of a precious stone (5) ©19 . RexPlant o f Puzzlesthe maple genus (4) 26. A vessel for heating liquids in a dish of burning 20. Welsh nationalist leader who defeated Henry IV alcohol (4) and his armies in three campaigns (4,9) 28. Any plant of the 25. Any bird of the gull family (6) gorse genus (4) Solution on page 79
52 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 DrawWorks Millennium
D-ROMs containing lots of the hard disc. To speed up the Cprograms are quite common now operations, iSV recommend installing but, good value as most of them are, at least the main DrawWorks the majority are usually filled with PD. application and, if space allows, Mr Clippy, Dr Fonty and the DrawWorks Millenium Ð described RunFromCD application as well. This as `a complete graphics and print will take a total of about 30MB of design studio' Ð from iSV, contains space. The fonts and clip art resources
Peter Jennings looks at a package which promises you ‘a complete graphics and print design studio’ on a CD- ROM, and offers a special price for Club members. the full, latest, versions of six best- can be left on the CD and will be selling packages: DrawWorks, Mr requested by any of the applications Clippy, Dr Fonty, Professional which need them. Typography Expert 2100, VIVID graphics enhancers and iSV Clip art DrawWorks will already be familiar collection. All the applications come to users of RISC OS 4 from the with an on-line but printable manual. entry-level version supplied on the RO4 CD-ROM. It is designed as a Earlier versions of three of these bolt-on addition to Draw, which is programs have been previously apparent from the additional toolbar reviewed in Eureka; DrawWorks with two rows of icons which is Designer in issue 26, Professional attached to an opened Draw window. Typography Expert 2100 in issue 29 The purpose of each of the additional and Mr Clippy in issue 22. icons is easily discovered by moving the mouse arrow along the line when All the programs can either be run each is identified in an information directly from the CD or installed on panel.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 53 Part of the DrawWorks toolbar which is added to a Draw window
Those on the top line are basically to Of more general interest is the huge load different selections onto the variety of effects which can be added second line to provide tool bars for to graphics and text and these too View, Text, Object Style, Grid, Select have been extended. The first to catch and Edit, Pure Tint and Spot Colour and my eye was the spiral tool which coils Special Tools. These provide a quicker lines of text into a shape which winds way to access almost all the functions round as you watch. The diameter and provided by menus in Draw and add the gap between each ring of text can numerous new ones. The on-line both be set. manual can also be opened from here. Text can be manipulated into various If you prefer to position the other shapes, such as circles and arcs, DrawWorks toolbar somewhere else filled with a graphic design and it can be dragged away from the Draw merged with other elements. The new window. Lining tool, which can be used for vector graphics or text, provides some Although DrawWorks Designer was unusual outlines with a choice of issued only about a year earlier, the styles and fill and line colours. Millennium version has significantly extended its features, including some A neat Mapping tool converts a series advanced colour options, such as of single lines and intersected circles CMYK and spot colour separations into a map of roads and roundabouts, and contrast/brightness and colour although the roundabouts do lack a balance and tinting tools, which will central reservation unless you add the greatly add to its value for extra circles yourself. professional users.
54 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Eure ka of humour it can be switched off from : t ureka h a preferences window. . E : th e b e m lu Th m f a C e o A g s a Mr Clippy
r a
M R g
z e M
a
R The humour is more blatant when Mr
C
i
b
z n
A
i
n
e
m Clippy, the clip art manager, comes
e
e
e
f f
o m
r
o h
r on the scene. When this program is
T
m
f
o
e m s r b loaded Mr Clippy makes his entrance
e as a skull-like head singing his theme song: ªMr Clippy stores clips for you; Spiral text he handles vectors and bitmaps tooº in a voice which will remind older It's always refreshing to find an users who remember the Goon Show unexpected touch of humour in a of Eccles. The voice and a strident `serious' piece of software and it `funky' yellow colour scheme can comes in DrawWorks with a panel both be turned off for those who which pops up on loading offering a prefer silence and a restful John useful tip supposedly from some Major grey for their backgrounds. impressively titled company member with an appropriate portrait. If this Behind the fun image there is a facility doesn't match your own sense seriously good application which will
The Mapping tool converts lines and circles (left) to roads and roundabouts
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 55 choice of 20, 30 or 42 clips on an A4 sheet Ð but the actual clips will stay on the CD, which Mr Clippy will ask for if any of them are needed.
Files can be added singly or in directories by dragging them into the main window and can be stored and automatically compressed or have the originals left on their source. They are stored in their original format but can be exported as other types if you wish.
Dr Fonty Dr Fonty is a font designer intended to replace Acorn's FontEd and it has been made to work in a similar way. An existing font can be loaded in and editing or you can start from scratch and design your own by drawing the Mr Clippy's singing skull shapes of the letters as outlines and importing these. You can then give store your clip art in named groups your letters appropriate widths and and sub groups and quickly find and add a matching space and, optionally, display any file. It comes ready provide scaffolding and kerning. loaded with more than a thousand images from the supplied iSV Typography Expert 2100 collection, which contains samples If you don't want the bother of from a number of collections issued designing a font of your own you can by other companies. If you put Mr turn to another of the applications Clippy on your hard disc you can still included on the CD, Professional see all the contents as thumbnails — Typography Expert 2100, and you which can be printed out with a will be very hard to please if you
56 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 don't find something to suit your extended screen modes with a variety needs here. The 2100 refers to the of monitors. number of typefaces you get (a few more, actually, if you take the trouble Special offer to count), classified into 13 groups: If you have any doubts about the Decorative, Designer, Digital, value offered by this CD-ROM you Eastern, Gothic, NonLatin, have only to look at the iSV price list. OpenFace, SansSerif, Script, Serif An order form, included on the CD, Symbolic, Uncial and Western. shows the cost of each package bought separately. Without the bonus They can all be used directly from the clip art they total more than £200 CD or installed in a !Fonts folder, (although you wouldn't need all the EasyFont Pro or FontDir. different versions of Vivid). Even at full price, the CD-ROM is a bargain. The application is accompanied by There is a special offer for Club two directories of Font Tools and members. At nearly half price, this is Utilities to use with it, including outstanding value for a collection of FontEd and FontTrixPro, another font graphic design programs that can be editor, which can make new weights thoroughly recommended. from existing typefaces.
A Font Catalogue will show, and optionally print out, a complete font DrawWorks Millennium family (including any other fonts you Price: £61·50 (RRP) inclusive may have) and a separate sample (overseas +£2 postage) viewer will display a good slab of text Special Offer to Members: £31·50 in any typeface you wish to see in Supplier: iSV Products more detail. 86 Turnberry, Home Farm Bracknell, Berks RG12 8ZH Vivid Tel: 01344 455769 For Acorn users with pre Risc PC Email: [email protected] machines there is a directory of Web: www.isvproducts.co.uk ViVID graphics enhancers to provide
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 57 ARM Arena
suspect there will be a respectable There is promise for die-hard Acorn Inumber of Eureka readers who gamers however and RComp's have an interest in the RISC `consolidation' has been invaluable; OS/Acorn game scene. With this in generating a number of very high mind and my own interest in quality games. developments in the scene, I have been granted the opportunity to do a Having set the picture, I will run games column in this issue. through some of the more recent
In the first of our new games columns, Andrew Weston surveys the scene and looks ahead to some of the exciting programs to come for RISC OS computers.
I hope this will be of interest to releases and then make some mention existing gamers and perhaps of future ones. I will also provide stimulate theirs' and others' interest in some food for thought on the debate the scene. concerning the value of future hardware developments to the Acorn The Acorn games market has a games scene. The pastime of chequered history dating as far back emulation may also be of interest to as the BBC Micro and no doubt some so I'll try to cover the latest farther and has produced a fair developments in this area. I don't number of classics along the way. The claim to be an expert but hopefully efforts of such programmers however the sources of information I provide have rarely been rewarded as they will be enough to prompt anybody perhaps deserve, especially in more interested in the right direction. recent times, and the number of games appearing for our computers Here goes then, starting with recent has been reduced to a trickle. releases. I hope this proves enjoyable to you!
58 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Quake Heroes of Might and Magic II This 3D `walkabout' game from ID HoMMII is another RComp software has been promised by Interactive release and has quite a RComp Interactive since the different theme from many of their Wakefield Show in 1998. It has only previous PC conversions. It is recently been released however due to reviewed extensively on Acorn problems in obtaining the main Arcade but a short description will be program (the game engine). The game given here. was eventually finished by the author of the freeware ArcQuake The theme for the game is based programme. This has been enhanced around a struggle for control of a beyond the freely available version medieval land between two brothers and released with the original Quake following the death of their father, the Resurrection pack. king. The battle for territory and resources in the fictional world can be The Resurrection pack contains the played among different people or original Quake level data plus two against the computer. There are sets of level data created by third- multiple lands which are represented parties (Q!Zone and Malice). as large maps with all features depicted in high resolution. Armies The commercial Quake player must be built up for the inevitable supplied by RComp has support for battles. Each player has his or her the two add-ons, an improved front- `turn' (in other words, their own share end and is easier to install and of the control of the game) allowing configure. With this in mind, for the time to make strategic moves. best Quake experience it is perhaps advisable to buy the complete Quake The standard of sprite-based graphics bundle from RComp rather than using overall is exceptional for the Acorn the freeware player with Quake CDs platform and reflects a notable bought elsewhere. Also, RComp have amount of talent on the part of the said they would like to upgrade their original artists. The game however is Quake player at some point as they complex at first and the variety of did for Doom. options during your struggle for
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 59 power is quite large. You are referred can be drawn to the RCI conversion to the web-based reviews for more of the PC game Abuse but Botkiller 2 details if the game sounds appealing. has been criticised for having a short Interactive help is available though `shelf-life' because of certain tedious and I am confident that once the or overly-difficult sections. However, player has become familiar with the perhaps the experienced (and rather interface the game will offer many starved) Acorn platform-game fan hours of enjoyment in often very long will be less affected and better enjoy playing sessions! this visually impressive game. Indeed, the standard of presentation There is also the bonus of an extra set of this game is a hallmark of Artex of levels and an editor provided with Software. the basic HoMMII package which underlines the value of the game. If Eurofighter Typhoon after all this, a further challenge is Flight simulators have not been wanted, RCI have recently released common in the Acorn games scene for an expansion pack The Price of several years and Birds of War by 4th Loyalty which I understand adds Dimension is showing its age, being a further campaigns amongst other long way behind the standard of expansions to the original game. current releases on other platforms. Recently released, and seemingly Botkiller 2 missed by gaming websites was Artex Sotware's Jan Klose released Eurofighter Typhoon, a simulation of the platformer Botkiller in 1998 the Eurofighter warplane. The game which proved to be a lot of fun to is reportedly high on detail and many. As a result, a commercial contains training facilities and battle sequel has been created by a different missions. It has however, been author (Richard Wilson of WAG criticised for not showing much Software) and released by Artex. which we haven't seen before. This is Botkiller 2 has much improved especially true of the graphics Ð graphics, more features (weapons for although the cockpit detail appears example) and harder puzzles and is impressive, the scenery and game packaged nicely. Some comparisons objects are not really comparable to
60 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 the standards of certain modern PC capabilities can be exploited for flight simulators. leisure.
Perhaps the author has focused With the recent shipping of the first mainly on making Eurofighter generation of machines from Typhoon true-to-life in terms of RiscStation, the UK and Australia- flight-mechanics rather than an based RISC OS computer arcade-style game so those with a manufacturers, the future looks more special interest in this genre may well promising. In the case of RiscStation, be satisfied with the product. subsequent machines should be capable of accommodating expansion RISC OS-invaders! cards which use the PCI interface A recently discovered hidden `extra' architecture. This is of great interest to RISC OS 4 is a space invaders- to games enthusiasts as graphics- style game that is available by accelerator cards have long been entering a particular call to the available for PC machines to provide operating system. The reason for its assistance in certain aspects of inclusion is not known but I'm sure graphics rendering, for example many RISC OS 4 users will find it certain 3D calculations. This allows entertaining in their spare moments, additional cosmetic or gameplay- particularly as the `invaders' are based features to be added to the actually RISC OS sprites! game being developed without imposing an excessive load on the Future hardware central processor. This allows both There is currently much excitement in the all-important desired `framerate' the RISC OS community concerning to be achieved in 3D (vector graphic) hardware projects and the games or achieved far more easily at significance for the future of the least. platform. Enhanced performance is a major component of the progress in With such cards (assuming Acorn any computer platform but it will developers release suitable software always attract attention from games drivers), conversions of a variety of enthusiasts interested in how the new more advanced current games are
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 61 theoretically possible. Even games Castle Technology, the manufacturers native to the RISC OS platform may of Acorn Risc PCs, expect to bring be enhanced or developed to take `new ARM technology to the RISC advantage of these capabilities if the OS market'. There is considerable market can justify this development. loyalty behind the `green-nut' logo and I would expect such Even without PCI-interfaced cards, developments would prove popular. It improvements can be still made. For is tempting to speculate this will mean example, the RISC OS hardware- new, faster Risc PCs on our desks but partner Millipede Electronic Graphics we must be patient for now. is generating equal excitement in the RISC OS market with its Emulation development of a much faster The subject of computer emulation Ð motherboard which can be running software that allows your accommodated in the space of the computer to operate as far as possible existing Risc PC case. as another platform Ð is surprisingly extensive for RISC OS users. A wide This will, it is planned, greatly range of emulation software exists improve the performance of the and is under development. computer removing the restraints imposed on the StrongARM The Acorn Gaming web site has links processor by existing Risc PC to news on most of these. For example circuitry. software exists for emulating consoles such as the GameBoy, It should be noted though that the Colour GameBoy, Nintendo's NES existing StrongARM Risc PC will be and SNES, Sega's Master System capable of running all the games GameGear and MegaDrive in mentioned here. In view of the addition to old computers such as the standard of the Iron Dignity 3D BBC Micro, Commodore 64, engine, even a small improvement in Spectrum and Atari. In fact, most of performance could, in principle, open this software is freeware or shareware up many possibilities if exploited well but some is commercial. Occasionally there is the choice of a commercial or
62 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 freeware version of an emulator such Future software as Beebit (freeware) or 6502em Probably the most exciting prospects (commercial) Ð which emulate the for the Acorn games scene are set to old BBC Micro. Again, please follow come from Artex Software, the the links on the Web for information Germany-based RISC OS games on availability. software producers. Already released and reviewed with praise are Exodus There are legal issues to take into and Ankh, but their current products account when using software in the are Iron Dignity and TEK. With these environment of an emulator as games lie a lot of expectation from companies or authors (many of which Acorn gamers and I am happy to no longer exist!) may still hold report that the current news is (and copyright and therefore distributing always has been) that both games will the data without the original authors' see the light of day destined for a permissions is illegal. This data is RISC OS machine. It is worth noting available on the Internet regardless. that both games are native to the RISC OS platform as opposed to There is the notion amongst many being conversions and emulation fans that providing they understandably have therefore hold an original copy copyrighted experienced long development times. game then using the same data for Their release will hopefully emulation is not exploiting the underline, though, the advantage of original publisher. Obviously I cannot being a user of a distinct platform endorse this though! Acorn users for such as RISC OS. That is, the example may be particularly opportunity to use alternative and interested in original BBC games for hopefully quality products rather than example. Strictly though, I being restricted to a single leisure understand it is still illegal to marketplace. distribute copyright material without permission even if you cannot obtain Iron Dignity is previewed extensively such permission or consider legal on both the Acorn Gaming and Acorn action unlikely or absolutely Gaming '99 Web sites with unnecessary! accompanying screenshots. I will
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 63 One of the latest Iron Dignity screenshots make a brief mention of both The game, for those not aware, is a separately here though together with strategy game set in a fictional world two other separate previews. where the player has to manage his/her military units in battle with Iron Dignity other units. This is represented with At the time of writing (mid-December three dimensional graphics where 1999) the news is that work is units can be observed to battle or the continuing apace but the original player can control any unit and target of a Christmas 1999 release is experience the battle from a first- unavoidably not achievable. This is person perspective. primarily due to Artex's search for a PC publisher which is expectedly It is the graphics which make the demanding on their time. initial impact of Iron Dignity though. These have been substantially
64 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 improved over the past year and a The player controls battle units from look at the latest screenshots on Acorn overhead in a style drawing Arcade, Acorn Gaming and on Acorn comparisons to Dune II on the Acorn Gaming '99 are fine examples of the and Command and Conquer on the graphical quality of this game. A PC platform. The strategy required is demonstration of the game is also notable for being implemented in so- available from Artex's website. With called real-time. That is, the player the combined graphical features of does not have to wait for a turn to texture-mapping, lighting, shadows, carry out an action. reflections, lens-flare effects and so on it is clear that Iron Dignity's TEK has several other features which graphics will be unprecedented on I understand make the game a RISC OS computers. noticeable enhancement on both the aforementioned games. High quality The latest screenshots also show more music, sound and even video-clips are of the gameplay element that Artex promised which will enhance the have been working on showing a atmosphere and game playing 'head-up' display and weapons- experience a great deal. There is even display for example. As Artex main- a movie-style preview trailer man Jan Klose states ªthe engine is available from Artex's web site in running very fine both on RISC OS addition to a demonstration of the and Windowsº. It looks likely game. All of this certainly gives the therefore that we will be enjoying this feel of a real story behind the game's ground-breaking game on at least theme. It seems to me that all that are some of the current hardware at some needed now are film-style posters stage this year. advertising the game and people will start turning their heads! TEK 1608 TEK is another strategy game with a Artex intend to implement multi- military theme but is played from a player facilities so that players can different perspective from Iron manage battles across a local network Dignity. or even the Internet. This is a significant feature of the planned
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 65 Fantasia's Toy Chronicles release and originates from the and MAC OS platforms. However, intention at the game's conception to only a RISC OS release is certain utilise Acorn's Network Computer for apparently! gameplay. The withdrawal and break up of Acorn Computers Ltd has Toy Chronicles reduced the resources available for This is a two-dimensional platform TEK's development but a release for game from Greek coding group the Risc PC (presumably playable Fantasia and is evidently being also on the NC) is nevertheless the actively developed judging by recent objective still. screenshots posted to Acorn Arcade for example. Both the background Interestingly though, Jan Klose has and sprites appear highly impressive recently announced that Artex hopes with high resolution and colour to release TEK onto the RISC OS, PC usage. The more-than-competent
66 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 The flight simulator F16 Fighting Falcon
TopModel application is being used are, I'm sure, wisely being reticent in in the game's graphical development discussing this game but previews on which is potentially highly valuable the Internet (see Acorn Arcade for in this area. example) imply this has more of an arcade-style feel than the above- Details on gameplay are spartan but it mentioned Eurofighter Typhoon. This is to be hoped equally high standards is not to say the game is not realistic are at least aimed for. Above all, let's of course and readers are referred to hope it is as fun as it looks! the Internet-based previews which also have links to the web site of the F16 PC game producers. RCI have recently announced their plans to convert the PC flight- Judging by the screenshots, the game simulator F16 Fighting Falcon. RCI is several steps ahead of the
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 67 simulations currently available on the U.K. for Artex Software. Acorn platform. The most striking of 22 Robert Moffat these is the use of texture mapping on High Legh game objects which no doubt would Knutsford have been the next stage of flight-sim Cheshire development on the Acorn platform WA16 6PS had the release of such games not Tel: 01925 755043 dried up several years ago. Email: [email protected] Web: www.rcomp.co.uk In short, I suspect there is definitely a gap in the market for this game! Artex Software Vitally important Acorn game Sources of information software producers. Showing much vision in their various projects. Acorn Arcade Eurofighter Typhoon (£24.95 inc Arguably the best games web site for VAT) a donation is made to the RAF RISC OS users. Many dedicated sub- benevolent fund for every copy sold. sections and services for the use and Dave Watts enjoyment of enthusiasts. 5 Charlton Road www.acornarcade.com Midsomer Norton Bath Acorn Gaming '99 BA3 4AB Stylish Acorn games website, more Tel: 01761 418773 recent than Acorn Arcade and Acorn Web: www.artex.oaktree.co.uk Gaming but has its own interesting features and approach. Fantasia FAN www.argonet.co.uk/ag99 Greek group developing the promising Toy Chronicles. RComp Interactive Email: [email protected] Current saviours of the RISC OS games market with an actively Acorn Gaming growing repertoire of PC The longest-running web site conversions. Also distributors in the dedicated mainly to Acorn games.
68 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Contains much information on Millipede Electronic Graphics almost all aspects of the games scene Developers of the new replacement but perhaps not as feature-laden as motherboard for the Risc PC. Acorn Arcade. Contains a detailed Cambridge House section on emulation with a variety of Hargrave links on current emulation software Nr Bury St Edmunds and emulation projects in Suffolk development. IP29 5HP www.acorn-gaming.org.uk Tel: 01284 850594 Email: [email protected] Acorn User Web: www.millipede.co.uk The news-stand magazine has admirably run a games column every Newsgroup month for many years. In addition, if you have the Tau Press opportunity, it is always worth Unit 2A checking the comp.sys.acorn.games Heapriding Business Park newsgroup for news, rumours and Ford Street sources of further information Stockport regarding the gaming scene. Cheshire SK3 OBT Who knows, your comments may Tel: 0161 429 8902 even provide Acorn authors with Email: [email protected] ideas or inspiration! Web: www.acornuser.com Are you a games writer? WAG software Suppliers of Botkiller 2. If you have written a PD game and 5 Queens Close would like it reviewed in this East Markham column please email details of it to Nr. Newark The Editor: [email protected] Nottinghamshire or write to the Club's address on NG22 0QY page 80.
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 69 Creative Digital Imaging
avid Cowell's second Digital Art These facilities are quite standard DTutorial for Spacetech is even now in any multimedia product and, better than the first! As before, the in my view, absolutely essential. With program has been written using a book you can just flip the pages and Multimedia Textease, which is see what it contains. With a CD you probably the best way of presenting cannot, so you must be provided with anything in RISC OS at the moment. the nearest equivalent. I was tempted
Christopher Jarman gets his wish with a second digital art tutorial CD-ROM by David Cowell, issued by Spacetech as a successor to ‘Introduction to Digital Art’.
There are 10 chapters, all well to add the facilities myself with illustrated and mouth watering Textease but, with 333MB on the CD, enough to make anyone keen to have I did not have the room to put it on my a go straight away! hard disc.
But before I describe some of the With that small rant over, I cannot goodies, I must warn you that speak highly enough of the content. navigating around the pages is not Obviously, the CD is designed to help easy, as David has not provided a way the users of Spacetech's Photodesk back to the contents from each but it is much broader than that and separate page. This means that casual would be of great value to anyone browsing is quite difficult. You have who uses a computer for artistic work. to proceed logically through the The chapters on the CD are as sections, which is a bit frustrating. follows. What he calls an Index is really a Contents page. I wish that a true index 1. Digital painting techniques of all the pages/subjects was The first section deals with creating available, plus an escape button. palettes and your own brush shapes as
70 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 ‘Cottage’ shows how a colour photo can be turned into a black and white drawing well as basic drawing and scanning how to create your own using the procedures. I found these very useful facilities of Photodesk. as most bitmap programs assume that you either already know these things 3. Digital photography or that they are self evident. This With the fast growing use of digital subdivision is educational and cameras, this set of examples is very revealing. timely. Beginning with four pages on the history of photography, David 2. Creating and painting with textures then goes on to explain simply the Textures can truly transform many main uses of the Digital Camera. rather dull and cliche images. This There are hints on composition, back part not only shows many different lighting, perspective and the ways to use texture but demonstrates photographers' mainstay cropping!
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 71 All illustrated with first-class shots of instructions are very detailed and his own. This leads naturally onto the helpful. Do not be put off by the next section... complexity though, as it is possible to make portraits using much simpler 4. Photo illustration techniques techniques than shown here. The author shows how a simple However, as an exercise in the wider photograph can be turned into a uses of masking and the smudge tool graphic and/or a black and white it is a really good lesson. drawing. I was particularly pleased with this last technique and so will 7. Ways with Words you be! I love drawing, but This is a fascinating tutorial on the sometimes it can be too time making of all kinds of embossed consuming for a deadline. Here you letters and alphabets. There are can learn how to turn a photo into a instructions on metallic, chrome black and white drawing quite easily. plated, wood carved and other You can then colour it too if you wish! designs using the masks and channels to best advantage. I confess that I 5. Creating a montage found this section quite hard to follow The instructions on photo-montage, but it certainly repays study. There are and especially the use of layers, is one also some extra few pages here on which I particularly appreciated. I creating a transparent/translucent have never been able to understand panel which I found helpful. layers and masking and this, with the brilliant use of examples, has helped 8. Creative Masking me a lot. I would say that anyone Following on quite naturally from the using the CD professionally, would last set of work is this beautifully earn the cost of it back very quickly illustrated chapter on the many ways by this one section alone. of masking. Clearly David Cowell's interest is in making art works from 6. Painting Portraits digital photographs and his The way in which portraits are created techniques are not only inspiring but from photos may appeal to some practical too. He is particularly people. The illustrations and interested in buildings and how they
72 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 can be presented in black and white as well as colour.
9. Painting Effects Giving a painted effect to the look of your photo image is the nearest many people will ever get to painting like a pro! The `paintings' which David has produced in this CD A ‘painted’ swan will upset many purists who hate the idea that computers can and time again over the years, I am take over the work of `proper' artists. sure.
I believe that you already have to be When I reviewed David Cowell's first an artist before you can use computers Digital Arts CD I ended by saying I in this way! At least use these helpful wanted more. Now we have it and we chapters to have a go and see whether should be grateful! you can achieve similar results! Creative Digital Imaging 10. Hints and tips CD-ROM Everyone will find the final tips a Price: £24´95 including VAT boon and a reminder of basic Supplier: Spacetech Ltd commonsense practice even for those 1 The Courtyard who have been using digital art with Southwell Business Park computers for a long time. Portland DT5 2NQ Tel: 01305 822753 I believe everyone, whether novice or Fax: 01305 860483 professional, would benefit from this Email: [email protected] excellent CD-ROM. I am very glad to Web: www.spacetech.co.uk have it and will be referring to it time
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 73 Gill’s Journal: Recognition At Last
his new year everyone who calls Anyone favour `garden tool'? Or Tthemself a spod deserves to stand perhaps `unappetising meal' or up and give themselves a pat on the `office'? I thought not. I don't really back. OK, that involves a bit too agree with the definition they give as much contortionism Ð stick to correct Ð `a dull person' Ð with a feeling proud of yourselves. I suppose fuller description, which implies a you'll want me to explain why. All bookworm. Personally, I think spods
So spods get recognised at last but has the Reader's Digest got it right? Gill Smith looks at their definition and the perils spods face in the new century. right then. No, it's not because of the are much more technologically enormous success of RISC OS '99, advanced than a bookworm. although I should say that those who sorted that out deserve a lot more than Books are only in the spod's a pat on the back. No, it's because as vocabulary because they were one of of last November, you spods have the first products sold by e-commerce officially been recognised publicly! on the internet. Of course, all spods (Cue wild cheering!) November's use `Bookmarks' with abandon, but issue of Reader's Digest, in the that's due to stealing the term from regular feature It pays to Enrich your the dark ages, where it goes back Word Power posed the question of further than the days of the Acorn what a `spod' is. Electron.
They aren't the first people to ask me In spite of this minor dispute I have such a question but they are the first to with RD, this is interesting proof that answer it also. The traditional four `spod' has entered the English possibilities that RD offer mostly language. Recognising this, I felt it miss the mark but one comes close. my duty to go shopping instead of
74 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 attending the Birmingham show, as I options and largely we will all have to wouldn't want to be mistaken for a wait and see. spod and, having helped out at Epsom, that could have been RISC OS '99 gave you the chance to dangerous. I can only apologise to see how the Acorn market has anyone who'd hoped to say `hello' changed, adapted and Ð dare I say it there Ð I have a reputation to Ð in places even thrived, in just one maintain you know! My husband year since Acorn gave up the ghost, managed somehow to allow himself leaving everyone confused. Most to get to a show approximately 30 people I spoke to at the Show seemed minutes late. The others looked impressed by the new atmosphere. confused when he arrived Ð Personally, I never had the chance to normally you expect to see Toby a see Acorn at their best, so I get good hour before anything starts! occasional history lessons from spods who watched the rise of Acorn So, fully recognised by the great through slightly rose-tinted British public, what does the future spectacles. They had to watch and hold for spods? Well, there are many wonder just over a year ago, when the
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 75 changes at Acorn left their friends same technology, although rumour worrying about jobs, no certain future has it the Italians aren't impressed by for ARM technology in personal winning a million lire and still computers and only misty views of needing more cash for the bus ticket what might happen to The ARM home! This is bringing money into the Club. arena, allowing further development to be funded, and giving the future of Instead of gracefully letting things go, ARM technology that will-he? they organised a show, somehow won’t-he? quality of the £125,000 miraculously timed, that the only question. complaints we've heard from the industry is from those who refused to Outside of the RISC market, come! Beyond that, the future is still technology is changing at its usual unclear. New technology, in new fast pace, with digital TV, DVD and a places Ð such as the graphics on Who constant stream of simpler and wants to be a Millionaire? which is cheaper ways to get on the Internet. now sold around the world, using the It's definitely time for an Acorn Web
76 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 browser to compare in functionality the Millennium flu bug instead, now with the big names in PC technology, that it's officially an epidemic. As for as competition seems to be moving in the real `Millennium bug' that passed that direction. TVs are getting bigger so quietly, we only have ourselves to and stranger shaped, just as blame for it at all. We got two digit computers are becoming smaller and dates, because this `passing phase' of stranger coloured. having computers at home and in every business wasn't going to last. It This millennium could start with one still hasn't quite passed. Now we even of the most exciting centuries you've have to check the technology in our ever lived in! More and more of us videos and microwaves for use a computer of some sort at work. Millennium compliance. That's Suddenly, it simply is a way of life. assuming you're in the small Every Christmas TV advert screamed percentage of the population who can out to get your credit card out at program the vid in the first place. Of Spend.Lots.com! Friends e-mail you course, although I started writing this jokes many times over, forgetting that on a PC (at lunchtime!) I had it safely you sent it to them a few days before. backed up on the RISC PC at home, to Life starts to depend on the machine ensure that it does actually get to you on the desk. For most of us, at work at in this first Eureka issue of the New least, that's a PC running some Millennium. system designed by a guy called Bill from the States. You may have heard Well, I'm still alive and haven't been of him. He's had a bit of bother with hit by a plane falling out of the sky Ð the law recently. As we left work on I trust you're fine too? Seemed a bit Christmas Eve, we were still awaiting daft, checking that the fridge will still a version that definitely wouldn't work, but for those of you with ARM have any problems in January. We technology, knowing that if anything probably still are, when you read this, goes wrong, you could still e-mail for in about February. Nothing seems to pizza, if the phone lines were fine and have gone too badly wrong, sadly. So the pizza company running a much for a week off while they fixed compliant system. I'm just amused by everything Ð I'm going to have to get all the hype. By the time you read this,
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 77 planes were supposed to have was going to be if the electronic plummeted, hospitals were supposed pumps stopped working at midnight! to have stopped working Ð bring a torch with your Millennium baby Ð Little do most of the unsuspecting cars were thought to do all sorts of public know but, actually, it still isn't strange things and your company all over. There are a whole series of should have been wishing that they'd other dates that may cause offered you much more money to complications. The next, approaching work, as the phone lines were going to fast, is February 29th, as some go mad with trivial questions from the systems may not be able to cope with exciting sort of people who are the complications of a leap year, in a checking their systems at midnight Ð century year (meaning there shouldn't find a party! Your television, video, be one) but it's a special century year hi-fi and even telephone lines were (meaning there should). I'm not sure I possibly going to stop working and follow it all, so I just hope that the the whole modern world was original programmers had at least expected to come to a standstill. worked that out. It's the sort of technical trivia I know most of my As it was, our phone line went down techie friends would have liked! Just before Christmas instead, due, we in case I've confused you, there is a believe, to the `wrong kind of snow' leap day this year. The one day in four in our line box and I spent New Year's years that a girl can propose to you, Eve afternoon watching TV and instead of vice versa, and you'll be wondering if Peter Snow's stuck behind your office computer, Millennium bug Swingometer was trying to check that it's all still bug-free. It seemed to be, working efficiently. Real pity, now disappointingly. Power companies that I've even caught the lovely were thought likely to fail and we'd Philippa Forester referring to spods. all be back to the dark ages (about 1975) but worse still, you'd have to Ho hum. Such is the life of a bookish, make sure you could find a good old dull person. Sorry. fashioned pub that pulls its pints properly Ð the biggest bug catastrophe Cartoons by Jan Pearce
78 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Solution to the ARM Club Crossword No. 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 F A K D E O 7 8 9 H U R D Y G U R D Y D A D O J O O O N D I 10 11 Z I N N I A O A B A C U S I N M I M 12 13 14 H O B S O N S C H O I C E 15 R A O N 16 17 18 19 O F F A S E B U M A C E R E O I N 20 21 22 23 O W E N G L E N D O W E R 24 B O E I O 25 26 27 28 S E A M E W E V A L I U M Z B E T E O L 29 30 F E T A L O N E R A N G E R L T S A G X © Rex Puzzles Member’s Ad — For Sale
A5000 computer with 4MB RAM, 515MB hard disc, AKF18 monitor, manuals and an optional external 24x CD-ROM drive on an A-Ide interface from APDL, plus software including: ArcFS r/w, Ancestry, Artworks, AudioWorks, Anagram Genius, Chameleon, DrawWorks Millennium, Dr Fonty, Eureka, FontFX6, FontTools, ImageFs, Impression Style, Mr Clippy, PhotoDesk, ProCad, MacFS, Morpheus, Sibelius7, sMART, SparkFS, Speech, Talking PenDown, TypeStudio, Talking Textease, TechWriter/EasiWriter, VIVID5000. Price £275 including optional CD-ROM drive or £200 cash without it. Telephone: John Wade (Bolton, Lancs) 01204 571836
Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 79 Club Contacts
Email: General queries [email protected] Membership queries [email protected] Members’ technical help [email protected] Product sales [email protected] Magazine [email protected]
The ARM Club, Merton Court, 38 Knoll Road Sidcup, Kent DA14 4QU
Telephone (higher rates): General queries 07010 709849 Technical help line 07010 708098 Fax: 07020 954018 Web site: http://www.armclub.org.uk/
Published by The ARM Club
• Chairman: Toby Smith • Secretary: Chris Price • Treasurer: Simon Burrows • Membership Secretary: Rilla Paterson • Technical Help Co-ordinator: David Ruck • Internet & Products Co-ordinator: Tom Hughes • Open Days Advisor & Quartermaster: Ralph Sillett • Open Days Organisation/Support: John Stonier • Graphics Designer: Phil Jones Discount Scheme Organiser: Rob Brown • Without portfolio: Steve Arnold John Bancroft Matthew Cook Martin Ebourne Gary Parr Mark Smith
Editor: Peter Jennings © 2000 The ARM Club. All rights reserved
80 Eureka 33 Ð Spring 2000 Benefits of membership The national club for all users of 32 bit Acorn computers and Pocket Books
• The Club’s magazine, ‘Eureka’, written by members, is published and sent free of charge four times a year.
• Free software to accompany articles in Eureka is available on the Club’s FTP site or can be sent to members on disc.
• Free Technical Help Service. We will do our best to solve any problems which you may have, by email, letter, telephone or fax.
• Special discounts for Club members from well-known companies.
• Regional open days and shows are regularly organised by the Club. Other events can be arranged on request.
• Special offers at shows and open days.
• Regional contact lists of other members, available on request.
• Opportunities to get involved in the running of the Club itself.
• School and Affiliate Membership available on request.
• Joining pack includes an extra copy of a recent issue of the magazine and software.
Annual membership £12 (+£3 joining pack for first year) Europe £16 and rest of the world £19 The ARM Club, Merton Court, 38 Knoll Road, Sidcup, Kent DA14 4QU Email: [email protected] Tel: 07010 709849 (Flextel)