Issue 11, Summer 2002 £4.00 8.00Euro

Also in this issue: News OS 4 Update AmigaOne News Reviews Charon News Coaster Cordless Mouse Tutorials Scala MM400 PerfectPaint DOpus 5 Three x86 Reviewed Plus...

PageStream 4.1MIDI on the Amiga Amiga Writer Contents Contents

Issue 11 Editorial Amiga One and their plans for Summer 2002 elcome to another issue future versions. We also know Wof Total Amiga. This issue the developers are hard at work is really packed, not only are we readying MorphOS and the Alt.WoA Show Report back to 48 pages thanks to a bit for release but they’re since WoA ‘99 we had systems up and running with Down on the main show floor more advertising but we also keeping pretty quiet about it so fter last year’s successful running on the SEAL stand as TV cards and other interesting many of the UK’s key Amiga Contents have more pages of tutorials maybe we’ll see something on 2002 Alt. WoA show (which was opposed to our machines being add-ons. Once again Matt dealers were represented. than ever before. In fact things that front soon too. A the first in the North of England used in the games arena. Mick Morris and the Blackpool Eyetech had the biggest stand got so tight that we had to drop News Another interesting development for a long time) SEAL were ran Freespace on his A1200 Amiga Group came up trumps and seemed to be doing good our regular Top Tips and PD Alt.WoA Show Report .... 3 since issue 10 is the release of feature we’ve tried to give a looking forward to this years PPC/BVision and through the with loads of Amigas running business, they had a working Paradise features, they will AmigaOne Update ...... 8 the developer version of the first good overview of each show. Unfortunately this year day had many people tried different games, we noticed Amiga One motherboard on return in issue 12. so you can decide for yourself. Fleecy Moss Column ..... 9 USB stack for the Amiga, we could only muster three their hand at this fantastic Napalm and Payback amongst the stand but as it had only When the feature was largely AmigaOS 4 Update...... 14 Regular readers will know that Poseidon. This seems to have members for the trip to the game from Hyperion, the demo several others. Barry Riddiford arrived that morning they only we are aiming to move from really caught the imagination of complete Bernie Meyer, the Amiga, who’s the moron? developer of Amithlon, made a show, never the less we tied in with Mick’s review in ran the ever popular Sensible managed to get it to the “BIOS” quarterly to bimonthly publication developers and drivers for started out bright and early Total Amiga issue 10. Robert Soccer tournament projected screen (more on this later). Opinion piece...... 12 during 2002. This issue has several types of USB peripherals statement about some potential legal problems with the (05:30!) for the show not used his A3000 to demonstrate on to a big screen. Also in the They also had an AmigaXL taken about three months to are already in development, knowing about the severe Pagestream and ImageFX usergroups area were the system for punters to try and Features produce so we’re on time but not other developers are working to AmigaOS XL distribution so weather forecast (due to Mick’s which we use to produce the team who their usual selection of useful Cable Rounding ...... 13 early as we had hoped. We are make Poseidon work on a variety please bear in mind the news nonfunctional car radio!). magazine. When either Mick or demonstrated their Workbench hardware and software to buy. x86 Amiga Emulators..... 14 gradually getting more writers for of USB hardware. Take a look at item on page 7 when reading the the magazine (I think you’ll find the news item on page 6 for x86 emulation feature. Fortunately apart from a minor Robert were busy or away from replacement system running on Mick bought a cool wireless snow blizzard or two we the stand the machines ran a a rather cool black TFT LCD optical mouse and EZMouse Reviews this issue is already a bit more more information. Well I think it’s about time for me varied than ones) so we arrived unscathed, in plenty of slideshow about SEAL and monitor. adaptor which you will find Spacewaker Mini PC ..... 18 One of the biggest happenings in to sign off, so I’ll close with my will try to get the issue out time and even had time to stop Total Amiga. We sold many the Amiga market last year was customary request for feed back PageStream 4.1...... 20 in 10 weeks. Our aim is to be for a mega breakfast! subscriptions, single issues the release of the AmigaOS XL and contributions. Please let us Charon ...... 26 publishing bimonthly by the end and back issues of the package of two fast Amiga know what you think of the mag, The venue had been laid out AmigaWriter 2.2 ...... 28 of the year when hopefully there magazine and a large number emulators for the x86 PC. in particular we’tag">d like to hear differently from last year’s will also be some new Amiga of these were due to the hard Cordless Optical Mouse. 31 Because no one in the core Total what tutorials you would like to show, as before the hardware and software to write see in the future and what you work of Elliott Bird who often NewsCoaster ...... 32 Amiga Team owns a PC up to commercial exhibitors were on about too. think of the current ones. If you manned the stand while Robert running the emulators at a the lower level but the fancy writing an article for Total and Mick were away on club Support On the topic of new software and decent speed we weren’t able to usergroups were moved to the Amiga (which can be large or and magazine business... Scala MM400 Tutorial .... 36 hardware it has been a pleasant look at the package in detail. first floor above the bar on the change to have a regular flow of However Eyetech very kindly small and on any Amiga related honest! Introduction to MIDI ...... 38 topic) please get in touch. intermediate level. A new PerfectPaint Tutorial...... 41 information about OS 4’s loaned us a PC system at the feature was a series of Other usergroups represented development coming from Alt.WoA show so we have now Enjoy the mag, presentations which were held were ANT (Amiga North DOpus 5 Tutorial Part 2.. 44 Hyperion and Amiga. The new been able to look at AmigaOS in the attic above the Thames) who were publicising OS is sounding very exciting, XL and Cloanto’s latest Amiga Robert usergroups. the forthcoming WoASE 2002 Mailing List Details...... 47 you can read all about it in our Forever 5 in detail. We found that show which SEAL will be Next Issue ...... 47 update on page 10. On the each emulator has its pros and On arrival the SEAL team helping to organise. The hardware front we have an cons which one suits you is (Mick, Robert and Elliott) set Subscription Form...... 47 Mediator support team and exclusive column from Alan really down to your personal up our two tables, one for Gallery...... 48 GAG (Gloucestershire Amiga Redhouse which will bring you needs, skill and the equipment SEAL and one for Total Amiga. Group) had several Mediator up to date with news of the you have available. So in the For the first time at a show Mick’s A1200 and Robert’s A3000 on the SEAL stand. Write On! About Total Amiga Legalese We’d like to make Total Amiga Total Amiga is published quarterly Contact Us Only Amiga Made it Final Writer 5 by Softwood Fonts The views expressed in this If you wish to contact a contributor more “interactive” so we need by South Essex Amiga Link. For Ghostscript 6.50 from Aladdin magazine are those of the author please send your message to one If you have any queries Possible The body text of Total Amiga is set your input! subscription details please contact Enterprises of each piece, they do not of the addresses in this section suggestions or want to contact us in Triumvirate Normal as supplied us at the address below or visit our Total Amiga is designed and laid necessarily reflect the views of and we will pass it on. Got a question you’d like for any reason please use one of There are also some essential with PageStream, the heading website. out using: the editor, other contributors or answered or an opinion you’d like the following: utilities we couldn’t live without: typeface is Forgotten Futurist by Amiga is a registered trademark Hardware: SEAL. to share? Write to us and we’ll Editor: Robert Williams 5, SGrab, MCP, Ray Larabie. Take a look at Ray’s and the Amiga logo, AmigaDOS, EMail: [email protected] include it in a letters page. Design: Robert Williams Turbo Print 7, MakeCD. huge range of freeware fonts at Please Note: Total Amiga is Amiga , Amiga WWW: http://www.totalamiga.org/ CyberStorm PPC/060 Contributors: Michael Carillo Our thanks to the creators of this http://www.larabiefonts.com and produced by SEAL members in Workbench, Autoconfig, Got a tip for other readers or CyberVision PPC Elliott Bird Post: Total Amiga, and all the other great Amiga his commercial foundry at their spare time, while we will Bridgeboard, and Powered by even an article up your sleeve? 128Mb RAM, about 13Gb HDD Geoff Milnes 26 Wincoat Drive, software out there. http://www.typodermic.com. always strive to produce the Amiga are trademarks of AMIGA Send it in and you could very Fleecy Moss space. magazine on time and include all Inc. BENFLEET, Total Amiga is entirely created on well see your name in print. Paul Quershi Software: the advertised contents this is not Essex, SS7 5AH, the Amiga, no other machines are All other trademarks mentioned Alan Redhouse Amiga OS 3.9 by Amiga always possible due to other Got a suggestion or comment ENGLAND. used at any stage of the design or are the property of their Mick Sutton PageStream 4.1 by Softlogik commitments. The price you pay on the magazine? Let us know Telephone: +44 (0) 1268 569937 layout process. respective owners. TypeSmith 2.5 by Softlogik for Clubbed covers our costs and and we’ll try and make Clubbed Proof Reading: Sharon Sutton (19:00 - 22:00 ImageFX 4.5 by Nova Design nothing more, we don’t make a better for you. Cover Art: Robert Williams UK time only please) Photogenics 5 by Paul Nolan profit from it. 2 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 3 News News reviewed later in this issue. had all been waiting for (for Forematt Home Computing many months or even years!), had their wide range of Amiga Alan Redhouse on the software and games and were AmigaOne! As we’ve A Solid Amiga Office? demonstrating their CD-ROM mentioned there was a working based monthly magazine, system at the show, but Let’s Boing An effort is under way to port • Natural language formulae 100% Amiga. Ray from Eyetech had only just received Open Office, a popular open • StarBasic macro language Kicksoft was up to his usual it from the developers. Mirage source office application suite, • Multiple worksheets antics of “persuading” people According to Alan they have to the Amiga. Volker Grabbe • Draw - Vector drawing to part with their cash for his run the system using but recently posted a request for • Shape text ever growing range of software with the limited time available developers interested in • Quick creation of 3D shapes products. We saw him at the show they were unable Again! helping him with the port. Open • Bitmap tools and effects demonstrating PageStream 4.1 to get it running. So the system Office is an open source • Impress - Presentations Haage and Partner and Amiga project based on Star Office • All the effects and graphics and a number of other is ready and waiting for OS 4 Inc. have released another products. Also exhibiting were and Alan said that they could which is a cross platform office tools from draw update for OS3.9 in the form suite that was bought by Sun • Slide transitions Weird Science, Classic Amiga, get it into production in about of BoingBag 2. This time there Stellar Dreams, Cartridge Club six weeks. Understandably Eyetech’s Microsystems in 1999. Sun are quite a number of tweaks then decided to open the Star and Datatech DTP. AmigaOne pre-production If you have a running Alan Redhouse gave a to fix bugs and improve the Office source allowing a wider system was the highlight Linux, Windows or Solaris you Amiga Inc. Had a separate presentation that outlined that functionality of the OS. community to contribute to the can download a copy of Open area of the show floor called changes to the AmigaOne of the show. Amplifier has been given a product, this lead to Open expansion. The A1200 which can slow down image Office and try it for yourself the Amiga arena where several specification over the last few Reaction GUI and a number of Office. Future official Sun connection logic has been rendering and is not really from: companies had a stand. months. He called the current minor improvements such as versions of Star Office will be moved onto a separate PCI Elbox have added a new needed for photographic http://www.openoffice.org Unfortunately Fleecy Moss was design the Amiga One point supporting ZIPed skin files. based on the Open Office card that will now be an member to their range of images. unable to attend due to the bad Five. The major change is the Other bundled utilities that source. We don’t currently know the optional extra (about £50), the popular tower cases sold in the weather (he was turned back move from a custom chipset to have been improved include There have been many status of the port although A1200 will be connected via a UK as the Power Tower by Here are some of the key by the Police) as were using off-the-shelf north and Find which gets an updated changes and improvements to given the short time elapsed it ribbon cable allowing a much Power Computing. The new features of the Open Office Computer City from the south bridges (the north bridge interface, new features for the shell including: is sure to be in its very early Netherlands who were due to is the chip that interfaces the wider choice of case. The first Mirage 4000 Pro is a tower Suite: RAWBInfo, more archive • Running programs in the stages. However Hyperion attend. However the Amiga processor with memory, PCI AmigaOne boards will ship with conversion kit for the A4000 formats are supported by background using “&” • Compatibility with many file have mentioned that they hope arena still had three interesting and AGP buses etc. And the a 600Mhz G3 CPU soldered on Desktop that includes a UnArc and BenchTrash has • *Job control formats including Microsoft to see it available for OS 4 in exhibitors, Zeo Neo displaying south bridge is the chip that to the board, a slightly more Mediator 4000 busboard, PCI been given a Reaction GUI • *Easy display of multimedia Office (including the latest XP the future and Hans-Joerg their AmigaDE games, Cloanto gives many basic services expensive version with a CPU logic card and the Multimedia too. Finally CDPlayer can now files version) for both import and Freiden, one of Hyperion’s key with the latest version of Amiga such as IDE, I/O ports, USB socket will be available later CD with drivers for graphics, download the track names of • *Extended script support via export. , is acting as a Forever. Last but not least a etc.). This means that the allowing faster CPUs (including sound, TV and Ethernet PCI your CDs from the CDDB #! and ;! • All the applications have an technical consultant for the representative of Hyperion AmigaOne will have many G4s) to be fitted. And finally... cards. The Mirage tower itself database if the cddb.library • *New and improved shell “Auto Pilot” features to help project. Given the importance demoed Quake II on a more integrated peripherals The price for the initial board is a new design that is a bit (included in contributions) is commands: Ask, Path, you with complex commands. of good office application to CyberStorm PPC/Voodoo III including AC97 sound, including the CPU will be more interesting than the installed. PopCD and PushCD • Writer - Word Processor any computer platform this machine (unfortunately we Ethernet and legacy serial and around £350 plus local taxes, normal beige box. It has three • *Many other bug fixes. • Mail merge support sounds like good news. didn’t catch the guy’s name), parallel ports. Other which is certainly much less 5.25” drive bays and seven A really useful addition is that • Sophisticated layouts For more information on the Mick had a go and says it kicks improvements are a 133Mhz than we were expecting! 3.5” bays one of which is the sound datatype now possible externally accessible. The supports AHI, this means the Amiga port of Open Office visit: arse! system bus and ATA100 IDE. For further information “from The upgrade of the OS’s disk • Indexing and Bibliography Because of all the integrated busboard has 6 Zorro II/III system beep and many other related tools has been http://openoffice.vgrabbe.de/ There were several the horses mouth” take a look functions peripherals there will now be slots, 1 video slot and 5 PCI programs that play sounds completed with full support for presentations during the show at Alan Redhouse’s column on • Calc - Spreadsheet only four PCI slots, but with the slots although the PCI slots are using datatypes can now work disks greater than 4Gb across including sound with Don Cox, page 8 of this very issue. AGP (now 2x speed) slot for a in-line with Zorro slots so a full on an AHI device such as a the system. HDToolBox’s networking with Neil Bothwick graphics card we think that will The turn out for the show was length Zorro card will block the 16bit sound card. To enable reading of geometry data and Amithlon with Bill Hoggett. leave ample room for considerably lower this year coresponding PCI slot. The this function you have to set an should now work properly on Next was the presentation we but it seems this was mostly tower is fitted with a 300W Environment variable so be more large disks and the (or maybe entirely) due to the power supply to keep things sure to read the docs. Another diskcopy command has been adverse weather conditions, running smoothly even with all small but useful change is the updated to support large disks many roads were shut and the those slots and bays filled! addition of a command history too. weather forecast advised to the Execute Command The Mirage 4000 system has a people not to drive unless the window so you can recall In addition the main archive list price of 379.95Euro not trip was essential! However previous commands using the you can also download some including VAT so in the UK we just like last year the show had up and down cursor keys. new and updated contributions anticipate it will be just under a great friendly atmosphere and locale archives for 19 £300. A preferences program for the and we all had a really good different languages: picture datatype has been time. Thanks to HAUG for all The full specifications are added, with this you can set You will need OS3.9 BoingBag their efforts! available on Elbox’s website which programs support the 1 installed to perform the along with lists of compatible new v43 features (chiefly update which can be PCI cards: greater than 256 colour downloaded from: http://www.elbox.com support) and also disable http://www.haage-partner.de dithering for 16bit screens /aos39/index-e. Calc, OpenOffice’s spreadsheet, running on Linux. Latest on OS 4: Page 10 these were just Thetwo ofMediator the many Support Amigas stand, running at the show. Don’t Miss: Exclusive AmigaOne News: Page 8 4 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 5 News News New AmigaOS XL Getting Flash Legalities USB Stacks Up With many digital cameras slot. To make the connection A recent statement from the E3B have revealed that the USB device. These include announced that they are IBrowse abandoning the slow you need a compact flash to main developer of the stack for their imminent basic support for Keyboards developing USB drivers for connection for faster USB ports PCMCIA adaptor and an Amithlon, Bernie Meyer, has Highway and Subway USB and Mice, printers and mass their VHI Studio package. it is becoming increasingly Amiga with a PCMCIA slot While compact flash is only cast doubt on the legality of cards will be a new storage devices. We guess the These will support USB web At Last difficult to find current cameras (that’s an A600 or A1200 one of the memory card Haage and Partner’s Amiga development called Poseidon printer support will be in the cameras for video grabbing that are Amiga compatible. The folks)! As a compact flash card standards available it is emulator package AmigaOS which has been written by form of a parallel device and USB digital cameras with sensible route has always is already very similar to a popular among manufacturers XL. The emulators AmigaXL Chris Hodges. But even better replacement so this may mean several Kodak models being seemed to be getting a PCMCIA card the adaptors are of cameras and other mobile and Amithon are included in news is that the stack won’t be that you can hook up an the first supported. Isreesoft memory card reader attached simple and inexpensive at devices and the cards are less the package along with limited to the E3B cards, it has existing printer that has an have announced that they will to your Amiga and then any about £10. The package expensive than the other types. AmigaOS 3.9, 3.1 ROMs and been designed so that drivers Amiga driver by its USB port. support Poseidon in future camera using the supported consists of If anyone out there has an other software. In his for all sorts of hardware can USB mass storage support is versions of TutboPrint so there type of memory card would be compactflash.device and a adaptor for a different memory statement Bernie says he has written. Poseidon is not a port one of the most interesting is a chance we will start to get compatible. The problem with CF0 dosdriver, you will also format to PCMCIA it would be received an EMail from Amiga interesting to try it with from another platform and has developments because this drivers for USB only printers. Development was on hold for a this idea is that only expensive need the freeware Fat95 file Inc. and that they consider the compactflash.device as I think been designed specifically for standard is supported by many Vision Factory development (of long time but work is now and difficult to source SCSI system (reviewed in the last distribution of AmigaOS XL to there is a change other formats AmigaOS, a MorphOS version storage devices. For example CyberGraphX fame) have continuing apace on a new readers have been available Total Amiga) installed as be in violation of their would work. However don’t go will also be available. The some digital cameras support developed a hardware driver version of IBrowse. 2.3 is for the Amiga. compact flash cards use an intellectual property rights and out and spend money as this is author has stated that there is this standard as do most USB that enables Poseidon to work expected to be a free upgrade MSDos style file system. Once thus illegal. It seems that That was until Torsten Jager only a chance. no reason why Poseidon memory card readers. So we with a PCI USB card in a G- for 2.x owners and Amiga have these components are in place Amiga are in dispute with shouldn’t run on OS4 but hope that without additional Rex PCI bus board and a released cfd to , this announced that a special you can read the image files You can download cfd from any Haage and Partner over their Hyperion have confirmed that a drivers USB mass storage MorphOS driver for the built-in package contains a device version will also ship with OS4. from you flash card using Aminet mirror, right to distribute some or all of different stack for the new OS support should enable us to USB ports on the bPlan driver that allows your Amiga The exact features of the Workbench or a directory utility disk/misc/cfd., you’ll also the Amiga owned components is already well into access all kinds of different Pegasos motherboard. They to read a compact flash upgrade have not been just as if it was a hard disk. need fat95.lha from the same shipped with AmigaOS XL. development so they won’t be memory cards and other USB have tested a USB webcam memory card via the PCMCIA revealed but posts from the directory. Bernie has asked Haage and using Poseidon. storage devices without and USB Zip drive using the developers and beta testers on Partner to stop distributing needing specific drivers. drivers supplied with Poseidon. As we’ve mentioned before a the mailing list suggest it will Subway... Highway... Amithon as he is allowed to in USB stack and supported Poseidon has already Developer documentation for be quite substantial. In his contract because he is hardware is no use if you don’t generated a great deal of the stack is available, for more particular the Javascript engine personally responsible for have drivers for USB interest from Amiga details visit the E3B website: is known to have been heavily settling any intellectual peripherals . Fortunately developers. Innovative (who http://www.e3b.de/usb/ improved greatly enhancing Norway Overload! property disputes over the Poseiden already includes have recently changed their developer.html website compatibility. There E3B have been taking notice of networks. SANA2 drivers will software he provided for Mason Icons is a drivers for several classes of name to IOSpirit) have have been many posts to the the survey they ran for be supplied so the card can be AmigaOS XL. Bernie stresses project to create IBrowse mailing list saying potential users of their USB used with existing Amiga that he has no way of knowing a common set “this site doesn’t work in interfaces the Highway (Zorro TCP/IP stacks and other if Amiga’s claims are justified of application version 2.2” and the vast II) and Subway (Clock port). network applications. The but he had to act to minimise images for Amiga Papyrus is the Future? majority of the time the answer The most popular add-on board has been tested with his personal legal risk. Titan computer are porting application. programs based in comes back that it now works requested for the Highway was 030, 040, 060 and PPC As far as we are aware Haage Papyrus Office to the Amiga. the glow icons style. The auto Here are some of the key in 2.3. an Ethernet card and E3B accelerators. and partner is continuing to sell Papyrus is a suite of office Martin Merz has made a set of features of Papyrus Office: already have a 10Mb/s module AmigaOS XL. Although there application programs In a recent post Stefan For further details including common images and then uses in the works called the Norway. has been no official statement developed by the German • Extensive DTP functions Burström, the author of extensive compatibility testing them to make new button bars from them one of H&P’s company ROM Logicware. We • Graphics import IBrowse and the key The card will attach to the of the Highway card take a for Amiga programs giving employees, Martin understand MacOS, 68k Amiga • Tables , said that they expansion connector of the look at the E3B website: them a common look, rather Steigerwald, has made several and MorphOS versions are • Full spreadsheet functionality hope to have the new version Highway card. It features an http://www.e3b.de than the icon sets which have postings to the Amithon planned, there hasn’t been an in tables ready for release by the end of NE2000 compatible Ethernet been available for years these You can pre-order a Norway mailing list that they are trying announcement about an OS4 • Powerful May. Currently the feature set controller with 16Kbytes of are images used for buttons card from KDH, a German to clear up the situation and version yet. Papyrus is a well import and export for is frozen and they are working buffer memory. The card is and icons within a program. Amiga dealer at 59.90Euro that Haage and Partner established product and is now compatibility with other to fix the major outstanding fitted with an RJ45 connector This is possible because many (about £38), other dealers guarantees that all users will on version 9 which is available applications including table issues. To give an idea of the for the unshielded twisted pair programs have customiseable have not yet been announced: get an officially licensed for Windows, OS/2 and Atari and image support. size of the upgrade Stefan cable used in most modern toolbars or load the images http://www.kdh-datentechnik.com product. TOS operating systems. The • Auto correct mentioned that there have they use from disks. Sets of suite consists of an integrated • Footnotes been over 220 changes, bug icons are available for over 50 As Bernie has requested that Word Processor, DTP and • Full relational database with fixes and features added! applications and utilities from H&P stops distributing Amithon Spreadsheet program and a multimedia functions Well I for one can’t wait, as AWeb to ! Martin this puts potential buyers in a separate database application. The full version of Papyrus there isn’t currently an IBrowse releases new and updated difficult position which so far On the ROM Logicware Office for other platforms costs website the best way to keep image sets all the time and his has not been clarified, website the developers are 129Euro, about £80, it remains in touch with developments is work really does make your hopefully there will news soon. proud to point out that the to be seen what Titan will Amiga look more co-ordinated. to join the IBrowse mailing list You can read the full statement complete Papyrus suite fits on charge for the Amiga version. Titan have a page on their site at: To see if your favourite from Bernie on his Amithlon three high density floppy disks with some initial information on The ROM Logicware website http://groups.yahoo.com/ applications are supported website at: without sacrificing functionality their ports: has details of the suite’s group/ visit: http://www.amithlon.net so it sounds like this should be http://www.titan-computer.com/ features: http://mason.home.bei.t-online.de a light weight Amiga style ami/papyrus/index.html http://www.rom-logicware.com/ The Norway pre-production prototype. 6 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 7 News News

Amiga One UpdateBy Alan Redhouse FleecySpeaks Here is the very latest news on AmigaOne straight from Alan Redhouse, managing director of Eyetech Amiga’s Chief Technology Officer gives us a taste of what to expect in AmigaOS 4. .

full range of legacy peripherals, terms also stipulate that all market (read more flexible but of elegance and simplicity for he first issue of Total and will run PPC Linux (and boards capable of running OS4 more expensive) addition to they are available to us at a ot much seems to have those who need the power of Amiga was published just a PPC UAE) in addition to must ship with an OEM version the AmigaOne range. One of reasonable price for use in the happened in the many a desktop and beyond to T AmigaOne-EX cpu modules. At N few days before the Alt-WoA running the new PPC-only OS4 of OS4 and must have built-in the prime requirements is to years since the demise of render their 3D movies, layout show at the end of February natively. hardware protection to keep provide a socketed cpu module the moment the target price for Commodore. We’ve all done their publications, create their where the AmigaOneG3-SE OS4 piracy to a minimum, and so that user-upgradable the AmigaOne-XE board with it. Scouring the websites for next music hit or destroy that made its first public In this new design we have this has been built into the performance enhancements the single G4 700MHz cpu news, reading the ever alien spaceship and all its appearance. We had been opted to solder the cpu direct AmigaOneG3-SE from the can be made as and when module is around diminishing number of Amiga 60,000 polygons. working on this new board for a to the motherboard. This not outset. faster and more complex chips UKP200/USD300/Euro350 mags from cover to cover and Whilst we are all excited as considerable length of time only keeps costs down, but - and more than the AmigaOneG3- becoming more and more hell, we must also be realistic under strict confidentiality significantly increases reliability A list of dealers who have enhancements that use them - SE - and possibly less if depressed as promises have and realise that this just the wraps and the new by minimising trace lengths already ordered become available. I mentioned Apple’s demand for these been made, deadlines have first step in a long journey. AmigaOneG3-SE was clearly a between cpu and SDRAM demonstration/familiarisation above that the Intel Slot-1 cpu’s drops significantly. slipped, companies have The Amiga Power Platform is surprise to show attendees - it memory, particularly in boards is posted on our web socket is not really suitable in vanished. So does this mean you should starting out in a very deep must have been one of the comparison to the original site (www.eyetech.co.uk/ this , and in fact both cancel your existing Which is why it gives me great hole. Developers will only best kept secrets in the Amiga ‘Slot-1 cpu module’ we /dealer). Don’t worry the Intel Slot-1 socket and the AmigaOne-G3 order and wait a pleasure to share with you the write new and compelling has pushed many of you to community. And there’s been proposed for the original if your favourite dealer is not Apple ZIF cpu socket are now few more months? Not at all. wonderful news that has applications for our platform if the edge but we said that plenty more happening since AmigaOne-1200. listed - several have either obsolete and no longer We anticipate a high private occurred in the time since the they can see it makes somehow, sometime, we then. But first, for those of you missed the ordering window or manufactured. We took orders for developer resale value of used last issue of Total Amiga. commercial sense, which would get a new Amiga to you who missed the presentation I decided to wait until the end boards (for testing OS4, AmigaOneG3-SE boards, but means seeing a sustainable and it looks like, working gave at Alt-WoA, here is a brief user boards and OS4 is So for the next version of the Not only has the AmigaOne developing software and for to take the uncertainty out of market. Correspondingly, together, we are so close as summary. shipping. These dealers will be AmigaOne, the AmigaOne-XE, been seen (running PPC dealers to demonstrate - the the process, we, and the users will only come to the to almost be able to taste it. added to the list on our website we have borrowed the latest Linux) but by the time you boards are actually the same majority of other AmigaOne platform if they see the Congratulations to us all. at the time they order end user cpu socket technology from read this 200 very lucky The AmigaOneG3-SE as the end user versions) dealers, will underwrite a applications. It is a vicious boards from us. Apple in the form of the developers should have On a sadder note, my heart towards the end of March. trade-in value of your circle and one in which The first model in our purpose-designed ‘Megarray’ actual AmigaOne developer goes out to the people of Most of them should have been Although we are advertising AmigaOneG3-SE during a community spirit is going to AmigaOne range is the socket. This means that we boards in their possession, HAUG, who worked so hard delivered by the time this issue the A1G3-SE as an entry-level period of 6 and 12 months have to count like it has never AmigaOneG3-SE. This is in can make low cost, tightly with AmigaOne consumer and tirelessly to put on their hits the mailboxes. machine, have no doubt with after its purchase against the counted before. effect a 600Mhz G3 Amiga coupled cpu modules using systems only a few months show, which was then OS4 installed it will really fly. either G3, G4, dual G4, (and purchase of a new AmigaOne- decimated by the one thing accelerator with built in 10/100 The board has also attracted a away at most. We know we have the The 600Mhz 750CXe cpu that possibly G5) technology - for XE with single G4 cpu module. not in their control, a monster ethernet, USB, PCI/AGP lot of attention from the Linux- dedicated Amigans who will interface and memory slots for is shipped with it is effectively use the same motherboard. Our partners at Hyperion have of a snow storm that froze up PPC community, and we have So if you’ve been sitting on the buy the new platform. Our up to 2GB of SDRAM. As well that fastest G3 cpu generally Upgrading cpu power therefore also been able to release the entire north of England. I, had some of the best fence wondering whether to next target after that must be as being many times more available and some PPC only needs a simple module actual screenshots of the new along with many others, were developers from that OS - and buy an A1G3-SE or to wait all our Amiga friends, those powerful and at experts reckon it is likely to exchange. The prototype AmigaOS4.0. (I hope that they really looking forwards to the of course from the Amiga until an upgradable G4 who tried to stay with us but (UKP350/USD500/Euro600*) deliver several hundred times socketed AmigaOne-XE board are in the magazine event. Don’t give up. We all developer community - order AmigaOne is available, you finally gave up the ghost a around half the price of the the performance of an ‘030/50 and the associated plug-in G3 somewhere, but to see them want to see you next year in the developer boards and can now have the best of both year or so ago. We all know previously most powerful with many applications. and G4 modules hve already in all their glory, surf over to Huddersfield and they’ll be subscribe to the closed worlds. Get a new, low cost many of these people and we Amiga PPC accelerator (the been built. Look forward to the hyperion website plenty of new additions. developer mailing list. This list AmigaOneG3-SE now and need to get them interested phase 5 Cyberstorm PPC 604 some more details in the next (http://www.OS4.hyperion- is moderated by Amiga and Whats next? upgrade within 12 months. and back into the community. 240MHz), in my mind the most Total Amiga. software.com). Although most Linux-PPC developer Ole-Egil Those of you will who have What are you waiting for? This will start to bring remarkable thing about the of the work for OS4 is under Hvitmyren, a name which will been paying attention will have numbers up, which will AmigaOneG3-SE is that it But before you rush off and the hood, and we haven’t be familiar - if totally noticed that I said that the Full details of this upgrade interest developers, which will comes with a free, built in cancel your pending planned that much of a unpronounceable - to those A1G3-SE was ‘the first’ in our offer will be posted on our web allow Total Amiga to go to a computer! This means that you AmigaOneG3-SE orders to buy revamping in the interface subscribed to the AmigaOne AmigaOne range. So what, I site shortly. monthly format, which will no longer need an attached the AmigaOne-XE instead, arena, I’m sure you’ll agree mailing list at Yahoo Groups hear you asking, will be start to bring new users to A1200 or special tower case if bear in mind that this extra Thats all for this issue. that it looks very nice and will (www.yahoogroups.com/ following, and when, what user group meetings, and so you only intend to run flexibility will come at a price, allow Amigans to put their group/amigaone). spec, how much and, on and so on. retargetable Amiga and until OS4 supports the Alan new 40 inch plasma monitors inevitably, is it worth waiting G4’s Altivec coprocessor, up against OS X and XP It won’t happen overnight. It applications. (For hardware- Finally it is important to note for? without much performance users and feel pretty smug. will take time, but if Amigans hitting applications an interface that the AmigaOneG3-SE is benefit either. And at the are anything, we are patient. card to connect an fully quality-validated and More importantly, what all of Well I can’t answer all those moment, unless you are Apple, Sometimes we have been motherboard to the A1G3-SE a licensed by Amiga Inc to run this good news means is that questions definitively now, but I G4 cpu’s are on very tight sorely tested, and I won’t PCI card interface will be OS4, with all licence the Amiga Power Platform is will give you a taster of what allocation, which means that it pretend that we as a company available from Escena). The fees/royalties paid. AI’s licence we have planned for an up- about to be reborn, a system A1G3-SE also comes with a will be several months before haven’t made mistakes that 8 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 9 News News on the coding side of things is provided by the supplier are of that Thomas Richter is working top quality. The support will on a rewrite of AREXX which include the delivery, he calls PREXX, this is replacement, repair and excellent news as AREXX was turnaround that the supplier not developed by Commodore can provide. Amiga Inc. will and there were rumours that review the capabilities of the AmigaOS Update = did not own the source product and the supplier before The signs are good, OS 4 really seems to be on its way and the developers are even telling us about it! Robert Williams code to make an updated or granting them a license to ship PPC version possible. With a OS4 with their product. tries to sum up all the news since the last issue! complete rewrite this should no To ensure that OS4 is not longer be an issue. long filename and hard disks The overall of the Users of OS 3.9 will be shipped with unapproved ince the last issue quite a greater than 4Gb. Repair and OS is being worked on by a pleased to hear that a PPC The 68k emulation that will be products and to reduce piracy 4 used to run existing Amiga Amiga will insist that OS4 lot of information has been data salvage tools will be team including the designer of version of AmiDock, the S applications and parts of the specific ROM extensions are made public about the shipped with the OS which will GlowIcons, Matt Chaput. program launcher that rapidly development of OS 4, both by work on FFS2 and the popular Amiga say they intend the OS gained favour with Amigans OS which have not been included in the hardware’s boot Amiga themselves and by freeware Smart to look “modern and unique” after 3.9’s release, is in the ported to PPC has been ROM. All devices that ship with Hyperion who are in charge of (SFS). In addition to the new and we believe this make-over works for OS 4. Other areas announced, it is called Project these ROM extensions will An example of the enhanced menu system showing translucent the OS development. In FFS2 there will also be PPC will include new system icons that will be enhanced and Petunia and is being developed have to be sold with a copy of particular Ben Hermans of native CD-ROM filesystem this (in window borders) and made PPC native include the by Álmos Rajnai. Some initial AmigaOS 4. That said it will be pop-up menus with rounded corners. benchmarks for the emulation possible for manufacturers to Hyperion has been active on will support Rockridge and probably much more. shell (we probably got a taster This will all be part of the OS, no hacks required! Amiga news websites and Joiliet extensions so CDs from of the changes with OS43.9 running on existing PPC omit the Amiga extensions and Massimo Tantignone, the their own way for font support. included with OS 4 but it will discussion boards explaining Windows and other platforms Boing Bag 2) and the hardware under WarpOS have sell the same hardware into author of the popular Visual In OS 4 TrueType (very popular still be a useable browser. aspects of the new OS and should be fully readable. THE Datatypes system. Oliver been published and are other markets without OS 4. Prefs package, is working on as they are used by both IBrowse 2.3 will still use the quashing the wilder rumours CDFS will also handle Roberts is working on PPC already impressive with up to Eyetech have said that they enhancements to the MacOS and Windows) and and along and speculation. In this article I multisession, Video CD and native datatypes which will be twice the speed of an hope to sell the AmigaOne G3- noticeable results of these OpenType fonts will be with the 2.3 announcement will try to distil the numerous CDDA (audio) discs. We don’t included with the OS. In the 060/50Mhz being achieved on SE (under a different name) to changes will be configurable supported. The core libraries came the news that a PPC announcements and comments know yet whether the CDDA initial release the datatypes a 233Mhz 604e. Bearing in Linux users in this way, they window boarders and a new that make up the font system native version of MUI will ship to give you an idea of what to support means that the audio system will be an upgraded mind that this is running on a say an OS4 and ROM pack menu system amongst others. “diskfont.library” and with OS 4. The OS 4 release expect from the new OS. tracks will be presented as files PPC native version of the CyberStorm PPC which has may be available in the future The new system is said to “bullet.library” will also be re- will be compiled from the latest on the disk for ripping. The existing system, but in 4.1 or relatively slow RAM and is still to allow these users to The new OS 4 TCP/IP stack, incorporate the functionality of implemented and reworked MUI sources and should have developers also hope to 4.2 a major overhaul is suffering context switches to purchase to OS4. being developed by Olaf the popular utilities birdie hopefully improving their some new features over the support mixed mode and HFS planned, Hyperion will to work the 68k this is impressive and Barthel, has been tested and (patterned window borders), speed. 12 TrueType fonts will current 3.8 release version, the The news about OS 4 is now () format CDs too. with Amiga to take advantage bodes well for performance benchmarks suggest it will be Magic Menu (pop-up and be included with the OS4.0 shareware status of the getting really exciting and I of datatypes work done for when no 68k processor is the fastest stack yet seen on Reaction will remain the official customiseable menus) and under a contract with Agfa, we included version has not been know a number of Amiga users AmigaDE. We anticipate that available, it should really fly on the Amiga. The stack will also GUI engine of OS 4 and work Visual Prefs but built into the understand some of these announced. It should be noted (including myself) who are the 4.1/2 datatypes will include a system like the AmigaOne include SSL version 2 so is being done to make it more system rather than as hacks mirror the standard Windows that this does not make MUI feeling more confident than support for streaming media which has a much faster secure connection support can flexible and powerful. Many which can cause instability. fonts which should help in the GUI standard for OS4, they have in a long time that such as movie and music files. processor and memory bus. be built into network programs new classes (these are the The first screenshots of OS 4 document Interchange. OS 4 that’s still Reaction as something good is about to easily without relying on a basic elements from which a were published on the Internet Amiga Input is a new feature should also see the mentioned earlier but this move In addition to the software happen to our favourite third-party solution like Miami GUI is built such as gadgets, recently and they show some for OS 4 which will provide introduction of some Unicode should mean that the many announcements Amiga have platform. While things do seem SSL. windows etc.) are being of the changes to Intuition. The software developers with a support with full support MUI applications available are been clarifying how OS4 will be to be taking a little longer than developed, drag and drop examples include pop-up common way to access input planned for 4.1. Unicode all improved and accelerated distributed. While the OS will originally expected (which is As I mentioned in the last issue support is being added menus some with transparency devices such as , mice enables a greater number of under OS 4. Another surprise be available to buy for those hardly surprising given the there will be a new PPC native throughout the system (the lack and several different window and keyboards however they characters to be represented was that Hyperion have with existing CyberStorm and scope of the work to be done) version of the Amiga’s Fast of d ‘n’ d has always been one gadget design. When you look are attached to the computer. and should improve support for acquired the rights to further Blizzard PPC accelerators in the regular updates mean that File System which will support of Reaction’s major failings). at these pictures remember This should prove a boon languages which don’t use the develop Directory Opus 5, a the main it will only be we can all see that things are that this is not the final default particularly to game developers standard Latin characters used PPC port is expected but available with new hardware. happening and it will be worth look that will ship with OS4 who will be able to give users in western Europe. exactly how this will be Amiga have decided they must the wait. included with the OS (or not) take measures to ensure that (which will include the Matt access to the myriad of Some of the most interesting has not been announced. AmigaOS 4, the hardware it Chaput designed graphics I available controllers without and surprising announcements Finally OS 4 will also ship with ships with and the support mentioned earlier) and that the supporting each individually. It of recent weeks have been a “lite” version of the sound whole point of these changes is is also important for supporting about the software that will be editing application Audio that you will be able to change new hardware which won’t bundled with OS 4.0 rather Evolution. Wanna Know More? to look of the OS to your taste. have the standard Amiga than parts of the OS itself. A You can see some of the and mouse ports. On new version of IBrowse, 2.3, The development environment For more information keep your eye on the Amiga news In this shot you can see some custom screenshotswindow gadgets on this in use page and the new machines Amiga Input will be included with the OS. for OS 4 will be the open websites and take a look at these pages: in colour on the back cover. will be able to access USB The new version has been in source GCC C and C++ Information about the Petunia 68k emulator and the along with another menuOne style. interesting fact to note is devices via the stack development for some time compiler with full debugger that the shots show windows previously announced. and Ben Hermans has stated support. It has also been benchmarks I mentioned: overlapping the edge of the http://www.amiga.hu/amigos/rachy/petunia.html One of the weaker areas of the that it will be more stable and announced that Olaf Barthel is screen which is not possible on AmigaOS has always been have much better JavaScript working on a new edition of the Bill McEwen’s executive updates on OS 4 progress: the current AmigaOS without a font support, with the native support than previous ROM Kernal Manuals (RKMs) http://www.amiga.com/corporate/041202-mcewen.shtml hack... whether this will be a system only supporting releases. According to the which were Commodore’s bible feature of the new OS remains Download the MP3 recording of a news conference with Ben Comugraphic outline fonts developers on the IBrowse for Amiga developers but were to be seen. Hermans of Hyperion at Amiga Expo in the USA: many applications have gone mailing list a cut-down version last updated for AmigaOS 2! of the full 2.3 release will be Another exciting development http://vgr.tc3net.com/hyperion/Amiga-Expo-2002-hyperion.mp3 10 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 11 Features Features develop OS4.x into the Amiga Anywhere (tm) will be For now the path to a new “Games Machine” or combined AOS5.0 and Amiga merged so deep within the future has been laid down with environment, thus dooming Anywhere (tm) technology. AmigaOS5 core that the the eagerly anticipated PPC Amiga to repeat the mistakes difference will be unnoticeable, based releases of the of it’s predecessors. Deep down most of us, apart pretty much like clicking on an AmigaOne and AmigaOS4.0. from a few idiots, realise that So finally, we come full circle, Amiga, who’s the moron? Icon in OS3.9 right now to and In the future Amiga will be the classic Amiga architecture, who are the morons? The running Wordworth, looking to sell their products in Does Amiga’s recent agreement with Microsoft spell the end of our favourite name in computing, Michael Carillo, Total with a few exceptions, is dead. Zealots like myself who wish to DrawStudio, Photogenics etc. pretty much the way Sun looks It’s too old, too limited, and too see only an AmigaOS and a Amiga’s new promo man, doesn’t think so! (and by the way, it’s not Gordon!) at Java and Solaris. The tied down to what was once The plus point for Amiga and new Amiga machine, whilst AmigaOS5 will be a standalone developments. marketing was inept to say the Marconi right now. awe inspiring hardware. The it’s users is that there should anything else is blasphemy? any of you will have least) was yesterdays’s news. product that runs on many However, the current Amiga Another indicator of how Amiga zealots (myself be plenty of ported applications Or is it Amiga for wanting to heard or read by now the Despite some successes with different types of M owners just don`t seem to give successful a computing included) who want a brand for Amiga Anywhere (tm) and deliver us from all the mistakes shocking news that Amiga the A1200 (won’t mention the desktop/workstation and a damn about us, we are only platform currently is, are by the new dilithium matrix, later, Amiga OS5, from the top the computing world has made have jumped into bed with A600 disaster) and the CD32, servers - it won’t run on top of getting the AmigaOne and number of magazines available holographic computer are names in computing, thanks to in the last 15 years? Microsoft. A company so users were won over by the other OSs - just like Solaris. AmigaOS4.0 via third party to buy at the moment in a leaving in dreamland. This is the Amiga/Microsoft tie up reviled by the Amiga games consoles and by the Amiga Anywhere (tm) will contractors. shop. For the PC and not to say that Amiga probably deal. Many of us may not like community at large that should MS/PC alliance. continue to be a total content Acknowledgements Consoles -dozens, you can’t don`t have very radical plans the tie up, but when you think a Microsoft Employee attend It’s with a big thanks to the solution - it isn’t designed to be Wisely perhaps, the new move for them, even the Mac for both Hardware and about it, it’s a good idea, it’s a The author of this article would an Amiga show, nothing would Eyetech Group and Hyperion a workstation or server capable owners of Amiga looked at the and the Linux communities software, rather they need the means to an end because as I like to publicly thank the be left of that person except Entertainment, who have taken product and Amiga don’t intend current market and decided also have magazines on sale money to develop them, and to have stated before, with Amiga person(s) who contributed to perhaps a few blood stains. a huge financial risk by to mess with it. that, with the current amount of and on the shelves. The Amiga move forwards with OS5, getting the MS approval, other this article. As requested financing the projects If like me, when you heard the existing users, re-launching the has none in the UK and at where both products, companies will talk to them The trick here is to ensure that names have been withheld. themselves with no backing news officially, your blood Amiga into a virtual monopoly most, one in other non English OS+Amiga Anywhere (tm) will directly without fear of the “masses” i.e. Joe Public, from Amiga at all. All Amiga pressure must have jumped marketplace that is Sony- speaking countries. The last be merged into one seamless reprisals. will not think of Amiga are contributing temporarily is several points. Speaking for Playstation/Microsoft PC/X-Box world wide mass circulation environment. In other words, Anywhere (tm) as another the licensing rights to the brand myself, I was so incensed I is tantamount to suicide. Just Amiga magazine, Amiga Active name, allowing these third emailed Fleecy Moss and Gary to get the number of Amiga had to change name and party companies to produce Peake directly and uttered users to the same levels as, direction just so that the the goods and for Amiga to get words of pure venom. (Well not say, the Apple Mac or Linux publisher could stay afloat. At a cut from sales. Nice. quite, but you get the picture). Markets, would require more the close, Amiga Active was Cables, Cables all Around? As a result of the Once upon a long ago, the capital in advertising hype than losing monies on a mere announcement a few not so name Amiga, was the byword the national debt of Mexico and circulation of around 4000 or Is your case congested with ribbon cables? Paul Qureshi well known Amiga related for a fast and elegant, possibly the whole sum worth less. websites and user groups have compact, multi-tasking of Imelda Marcus’s infamous has the answer. Time to wake up and smell the decided that they no longer machine. Sadly those days are shoe collection. - Which is way coffee. obviously you need a cable, want to be associated with long, long, gone. “What’s an more than the tuppence and n the world of overclocking, and almost any will do, be it Amiga and have removed all Amiga?” Is the most common ha’ penny that Amiga currently Let’s be brutally honest, Amiga Ipeople will do anything to get IDE, SCSI, floppy or almost links from their sites. reaction I get when I am out have. are not going to get rich or the last bit of speed out of their anything else. You will also shopping for a generic indeed turn a profit from the It’s easy to see why, many Let’s talk candidly here, how systems. The biggest problem need a craft knife, and some computing peripheral. Most AmigaOne or AmigaOS4.0 Amiga users see that Amiga many active Amiga users are they face is overheating, and cable ties. annoyingly still, is the little royalties, it’s not a sustainable have decided to concentrate there left in the world? You and so cooling becomes very smirk on some smart-ass shop market and anyone who thinks Start by straightening the cable their “core” time and me? 5,000? 10,000? 100,000? important to them. In particular, The end result looks good assistant’s face when the word it is, is purely under a out and laying it down flat. To and you should then be able to without splitting one wire. Once investment on their Amiga 1m+? (If you said 1m+ please air flow in a cramped and and should improve air flow. “Amiga” is brought up. misapprehension. Having make the cable round, you Anywhere (tm) products. go and have a full frontal packed tower case can be a remove the knife and pull the you are sure everything is spoken to those in the know, if have to cut the ribbon into Take the and 500+ lobotomy right now.) No sadly, I problem, not least because of two parts of the cable apart okay, pull the strands apart as For many in the Amiga Amiga get between 20k-50k strands. It’s usually best to a wonderful ground breaking don’t know the answer to that all the large flat ribbon cables with your fingers. Don’t split it described above, all the way to community this is tantamount back from the current Amiga have two or three wires to a machine for the masses. In one myself, but I do know that needed to run hard drives, all the way along just yet, but the ends of the cable where to a betrayal of the beliefs and market for AOS4.0 and strand, but you can have more. reality Joe Public only viewed it most Amiga retailers and floppy drives, CDROMs and finish cutting all the other the plastic connectors are the loss of the moral war AmigaOne, they will be lucky. Cutting out individual wires is as a technological jump from developers put the figure at an more. strands apart first. clipped on. At this point your against the mighty Beast from not recommended, because the , Spectrums optimistic 10,000 active users, Amiga haven’t necessarily cable will look like a complete Redmond. It is a sacrifice too To get around this problem, a the cable will then be prone to Once you have finished cutting, etc machines of the time. They by that, they mean people who abandoned the Amiga we all mess, so use some cable ties far for the Amiga community, few brave people started to breaking and it’s also a lot carefully look at the cable from didn’t know about it’s wonderful are willing to occasionally buy know and love, they are using to hold the strands together. i.e. us, who for years have round their ribbon cables off. more work! Carefully position both sides. Make sure you multitasking capabilities. All something. a two pronged attack to suffered dwindling numbers, This proved to be a reliable the knife blade over the gap have not split the wires, if you What you do next is up to you. these machines were used for achieve their means to an end. products, retailers, and more The gulling thing is that most way of improving fair flow, so it between two wires, and gently can see any bare parts just You could simply use cable ties was to play floppy based By promoting their Amiga importantly the computing companies, especially games soon became very popular. push down. The cable should cover them with electrical tape. to hold everything together, or games on. Face facts, to the Anywhere product (which if you limelight. companies, struggle to sell at While the average Amiga user split easily. Make a cut about With a little practice you should you could try for a more vast majority of Amiga owners, have seen the Bill McEwen’s, least 1000 copies of any single has far less to worry about in one or two centimetres long, be able to do an entire cable pleasing look by using some Thanks to the incompetent the Amiga was only a games TechTV infommercial is very product on the Amiga platform. terms of heat, cable rounding tubing. There are two kinds board of Commodore we are machine. The nearest they impressive) to the masses, it For example it is widely is still useful for those of us commonly available, a wrap now perceived as the ever got to using the wonderful, gains Amiga the advantage of believed that companies like running Voodoo cards and type and a split tube type. The computing world’s equivalent multitasking Workbench was to brand recognition. This in turn Hyperion struggle to reach PPCs. Having rounded cables wrap type is okay, but the tube of the Flat Earth Society. After format a floppy! will lead to more developers sales of 1000 copies on most also looks quite neat and type provides better protection having our hopes dashed by wanting to work with Amiga When Sega and Nintendo of their products. How sad is makes routing all those and is my personal preference. Escom and Gateway. Now all because they have been given brought out their instant that? Clearly from Amiga’s connections a bit easier. It comes in various sizes and our hopes are pinned on the the “royal” Microsoft ascension. loading mega licensing games point of view, investing in the costs around 50p per meter current Amiga owners, Providing Amiga a very much So, what do you need to create to the public, the Amiga, thanks current Amiga market would be from car audio shops. previously known as Amino needed revenue stream to a rounded cable? Well, to Commodore (whose like buying shares in Enron or Splitting the cable is easy as long as you take care. 12 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 13 Features Features on a real Amiga and transferring the file to the PC. The emulator 5 then allows an ADF file to be To describe Amiga Forever 5 as associated with each floppy drive a bundle of the Windows port of and the emulated Amiga will the open source UAE emulator Amiga think the disk has be inserted. and a licensed copy of AmigaOS Because it doesn’t have so much would be an injustice although of an underlying OS Amithlon those are the main parts of the does not support floppies in this package. The first thing that manner but as it also doesn’t strikes you about AF5 is that it is support the chipset which is very professional, from the slick needed for most programs that packaging to the extensive on- Some options to be changed within the emulation. Emulators need to be booted from disk it line documentation. When you Glow Icons, a backdrop picture Once in the emulation a utility Amiga emulators are no longer a laughing matter, efficient JIT 68k CPU emulation running on fast isn’t so important. insert the CD into a PC running and a Tool Manager toolbar for called UAE-Control is included Windows an attractive launcher easy access to the pre-installed which enables you to change a x86inexpensive hardware is a compelling combination. Robert Williams finds it’s time to get serious! window opens allowing you to software and utilities. If you’re subset of the settings without Hard Disks install the emulator or run it happy with this ready to roll dropping into Windows. These intensive emulation features, for although it does run on a Linux Forever Amiga screens are UAE itself gives the emulated directly from the CD. configuration, fine, otherwise include the ADF file that is t wasn’t long ago that Amiga example paula sound emulation operating system it only uses a displayed via the host OS’s Amiga one or more hard disk there are tips on moving an “inserted” into each of the can be disabled to speed up the modified kernal (the core of an graphics card drivers meaning a emulators running on x86 partitions each of which maps to The launcher reveals the first existing Amiga system to Amiga Amiga’s 4 floppy disk drives, I processor emulation. The other operating system which whole range of cards are based PC systems were seen file on the PC’s drive. This unique feature of Amiga Forever, Forever in the documentation. whether sound is enabled and approach is to only emulate interfaces the basic hardware supported, some far more by the Amiga community as a approach is taken by Amiga it includes several versions of The 1.3 configurations boot up what keymap is in use. There those aspects of the Amiga and controls services like powerful than those found on the toy for retro gamers, and a bit Forever and Amiga XL. Amithlon Kickstart and Workbench so you from a Workbench 1.3 virtual are also buttons to perform a hardware that are necessary for memory management), the only Amiga. The only limitation is that of a joke for serious requires you to setup a partition can easily boot the Emulator into floppy disk file (ADF), providing hard reset within the emulation the OS to run, this is how program running is Amithlon and there is no 3D support as the applications. At that time, on the PC disk for the Amiga to a compatible version for the you with the standard 1.3 or quit it altogether. Amithlon works. As graphics and you can’t run other Linux card isn’t being accessed emulations were so slow that use. Both Amiga XL and software you want to run. Four environment. sound can be supported by applications. directly. Again on Amithlon the fastest PC system had Amithlon also offer the option of default configurations are Directories on the PC’s hard disk retargetable systems such as things are handled a little plugging in an existing Amiga available, 1.3, 1.3 without sound, The WinUAE emulator used by can be made available as a trouble competing with an ‘030 The extent to which the host OS Picasso 96 and AHI respectively differently, for best performance formatted hard disk and using it 3.1, and 3.1 without sound. The Amiga Forever includes a wide device on the Amiga, for based Amiga. However with is used is one of the factors that both these areas of the chipset you must have a graphics card directly. One interesting point is without sound configurations are range of options in an attractive example Art: could map to the release of a Just In Time controls how close the emulation emulation can be removed. This that is supported by the that all the emulations benefit available because sound uses configuration GUI. This allows C:\Graphics\Art\ on the PC, it is (JIT) 680x0 emulation engine comes to feeling like a real approach leaves more processor emulation. Other cards will work from the fast IDE interface built lots of processor power to you to tailor many aspects of the also possible to access PC for the most popular emulator, hardware Amiga. For example time to the emulation, speeding it but you are limited to one into modern PC’s so you can use emulate. In addition to 1.3 and emulation to your requirements, removable devices in this way, both Amiga XL and Amiga UAE, all that changed. Put up, but has the disadvantage screenmode per session. inexpensive large hard drives at 3.1 the package also includes for example the CPU type that is for example CD-ROM: could Forever don’t allow much direct simply JIT emulation caches that programs requiring the speeds unheard of on Amigas OS versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 2.0, emulated, the amount of memory map to D:\. However when access to the PC’s hardware. code which has been chipset, for example older games without a fast DMA SCSI 2.04, 2.1 and 3.0 which you can available and the trade off devices are mapped you have to This means you can’t run Amiga Kickstart ROMs translated for the host and video applications will not controller and expensive SCSI configure manually so whichever between accuracy of emulation take into account the different scanner or CD burning software processor so it only needs to run. All Amiga emulators require a drives. version you’d like to revisit or (required for software that “hits limitations of the Windows and because they have to access the be translated once. As most copy of the Amiga’s Kickstart your software requires it will be the hardware”) and speed. An Amiga file systems. For example hardware they control (a scanner programs consist of similar ROM (which holds the basic For other types of drive such as here. Amiga Forever doesn’t excellent feature of the GUI is different characters are invalid Emulation Approaches or CD writer) directly. Similarly routines needed to boot the CD-ROMs Amiga Forever include the latest 3.5 or 3.9 that you can set up a number of for within filenames, some Amiga blocks of code run over and Amiga XL and Amiga Forever let Getting the AmigaOS to run on machine, access floppy and hard provides support through versions of the AmigaOS but saved configurations and then protection bits are not supported over again this technique the emulated Amiga access a generic PC hardware through disks etc.) in the form of a file. Windows, its host OS where as there’s no reason why these easily choose which one you and the maximum filename greatly increases the speed of network or the Internet via the emulation directly would be a All the emulators we review in Amiga XL and Amithlon use a couldn’t be installed on the wish to boot into when you start lengths are different. If you want the emulation. Even on PC’s connection so you can’t run major and continuing challenge this feature include the ROMs device driver and file system. emulated Amiga. the emulation. This is how the something more like a “real” relatively lowly and thus an Amiga TCP/IP stack like due to the very large number of you need as part of the package. Amiga Forever launcher provides Amiga hard disk you can make a inexpensive PC hardware the Miami or Genesis on them. PC component manufacturers in If you download the free UAE When you start AF in one of the its different OS version and hard file, this is a file on the PC’s JIT based emulators can Amithlon on the other hand Reviews the market. There are more then you can dump your ROMs 3.1 configurations you are performance options. hard drive that looks to the achieve speeds several times allows all this to producers of major components from a working Amiga with a So now we come to the review of presented with an attractive Amiga like a separate hard disk that of an ‘060 based Amiga be used so it feels much more like motherboard chipsets, supplied utility. Also needed is a the two commercial emulation Workbench pre-configured with partition and thus does not have like a real Amiga. However this and in some cases can exceed graphics cards and sound cards copy of the AmigaOS, just like a packages, Amiga Forever 5 from any foreign filesystem limitations. also means it has some of the the speed of PPC compiled not to mention more minor hardware Amiga you will need Cloanto and AmigaOS XL from The disadvantage to this is that it Amiga’s disadvantages, only software on the current peripherals than you can shake a the correct ROMs for the version Haage and Partner. Eyetech has is not so easy to access from hardware supported by Amiga PowerUP cards. stick at and to make matters of the OS you wish to run. very kindly lent us one of their Windows. All these issues are drivers or drivers especially worse new models are being ultra compact SpaceWalker PC explained in detail in the written for Amithlon will work well released all the time. So all the systems to review these x86 documentation and most people Amiga Chipset Emulation with it (there are some Floppies x86 Amiga emulators run on top emulators, it should be noted will probably end up with a exceptions which I’ll discuss in There are two approaches to of an existing operating system Amiga floppy disks use a format that while this system is fine for combination of the two types. Amiga chipset emulation. The and that deals with compatibility more detail in the review). that cannot be read by standard running Amiga Forever and one that is used by UAE and with the underlying hardware. PC floppy disk controllers so Amiga XL it is not ideal for Network access uses the uses most of the earlier emulations is UAE is an open source project Graphics none of these emulators directly Amithlon as several of its the Windows TCP/IP stack so to emulate the Amiga hardware that has been ported to many support reading Amiga floppies. components are not supported you can run Amiga network as closely as possible. This types of hardware and operating One of the key features that was They can read PC formatted by the emulation. Fortunately by applications without launching a enables most programs including systems. Amiga XL and Amiga added to UAE and helped it to floppies if a suitable file system adding a compatible network stack like Miami or Genesis on those which access the Forever which use UAE to become a useful product for is installed on the emulated card we were able to get it to the Amiga. This means you can hardware directly, avoiding the provide their emulation run on serious Amiga users was support Amiga. UAE and therefore work well enough to review, I use network applications on OS, to run under the emulation. top of QNX and Windows for Picasso 96. Before this Amiga Forever does allow floppy have tried to take into account Windows and within the Amiga However emulating the Amiga’s respectively. In this way they not support the emulator could only disk based programs can to be these problems in the Amithlon emulation simultaneously, for complex custom hardware is a only take advantage of the display Amiga chipset loaded, including those such as review. Take a look at our mini example surfing the web in time consuming business which hardware support of the host OS screenmodes, with Picasso 96 games distributed on bootable review of this system on page Internet Explorer while steals CPU time away from the but also allow users to access its the emulation can make full use disks. This is achieved by XX to get an idea of how it downloading EMail in YAM. The processor emulation. In UAE native software. Again Amithlon of the host platform’s graphics converting the disk to a file compares to your PC system (if WinUAE as used by Amiga Forever has a huge range of options. emulated Amiga can be some of the more processor uses a rather different approach, card. With Amiga XL and Amiga called an ADF () you have one). configured to print directly to the Luckily a number of preset configurations are supplied. 14 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 15 Reviews Features PC’s but it won’t is running full screen. When documentation warns that even Arguments can be passed to RAM disk. If you want to boot inside Amithlon, nVidia gForce 2 take advantage of Windows installing some applications PC floppy support is currently QNX programs called from the Amithlon from hard disk rather (gForce 3 isn’t currently printer drivers so you’ll still need directly from CD-ROM I did find buggy with disk changes not emulation enabling, for example, than CD-ROM it rapidly goes supported) and Matrox cards. the proper driver for your printer some problems due to the being recognised properly. a movie file on the Amiga to be from being the easiest to the AGP, PCI and integrated installed on the emulated Amiga. filesystem issues mentioned played using the QNX media most complex to get installed! versions all work. Most other earlier, mainly with files having When you start Amiga XL for the player. The only limitation to this Basically you need to end up graphics cards will work Amiga Forever includes a the the incorrect protection bits set. first time it’s nice to see that it is is that files must be on the with a bootable partition on the (technically the card must have a very useful utility, Amiga fully setup with an OS 3.9 emulated Amiga’s virtual hard hard disk which will load the VESA 2 fall back mode for it to Explorer. This is designed to let In addition to UAE, AmigaOS installation on the System disk (not a CD-ROM or directly Linux kernal for Amithlon and work with Amithlon at all) but you you access an Amiga connected and Amiga Explorer the AF5 partition and the bundled connected hard disk) for the then either a separate Amiga are limited to one screen mode to your PC from within Windows. package includes a number of programs installed on Work. A QNX program to access them. formatted hard disk or a partition per session, which can be As the name suggests the other goodies on the CD. There preferences program is provided on the main disk that is limiting especially if you have program uses an interface that is are full versions of Cloanto’s art which lets you alter several Compatibility with modern partitioned in such a way that software that requires a very similar to the Windows’ program, Personal Paint 7.1, aspects of the emulation. The software seems to be very good, Amithlon can use it as an Amiga particular screenmode. Explorer file manager with a list Directory Opus 5.5 and a memory maximum available to it ran all my commonly used disk. Unsupported cards do not tree of the available disks (both number of useful utilities. A video the emulated Amiga can be programs. It is also possible to benefit from hardware local and on the remote Amiga) interview with Jay Miner and changed, it is recommended you run programs like Scala and This setup process is made acceleration so they don’t down the left hand side. Amiga Dave Haynie’s Death Bed Vigil don’t set this to more than half games that need the Amiga much harder because the perform as well as supported Explorer can connect to the video about the last days of the RAM in your PC unless you chipset. Unlike Amiga Forever AmigaOS XL CD is severely cards either. remote Amiga either via TCP/IP Commodore are both supplied in opt to use virtual memory. This you don’t have the choice of lacking in any documentation on (over Ethernet for example) or MPEG format, both are great for AmigaXL in action looks just like any other Amiga. lets the Emulator take advantage different ROM and OS versions Amithlon, there is a short In other areas what hardware Notice all the screenmodes available in screenmode prefs. via a null cable anyone interested in the Amiga’s of QNX’s virtual memory system and there is no way to boot from introductory readme which is works is more cut and dried, connected between the serial history. Although not supported licensed copies of AmigaOS 3.9, which partition you would like to and swap unused areas of a virtual floppy so Amiga XL isn’t repeated in the PDF sound is only supported via AHI, ports of the . One by the launcher, versions of UAE Picasso 96, Amiga Writer 2.2, Art use, there is also the option to memory out to disk, however compatible with software that documentation but not much two drivers are supplied one for major problem for anyone with are also provided for the Mac, Effect 3 and Storm C 3. Also install a boot loader that will let using virtual memory does slow won’t run from a hard drive or else. To get it installed on hard Sound Blaster 128 PCI cards an Amiga with less than PPCAmiga and 68k Amiga, basic included in the package is a CD you choose which operating the emulator down. Because won’t run on Kickstart 3.1. disk and to find out about the and the other for the AC97 audio AmigaOS 2.1 is that they have setup instructions for these to install the QNX real time system you want to boot if you virtual memory is handled setconfig commands in the start- that is built into many no way to read PC disks, in that emulators are included. outside the emulation it is In use we found Amiga XL to be up sequence which control many motherboards using a VIA platform OS which is used with have an existing OS installed. slightly faster than Amiga case how are they to get the the Amiga XL emulator. completely transparent to Amiga aspects of the emulation you chipset. Realtek 8029 chipset Amiga parts of Amiga Explorer Overall Amiga Forever 5 is an Once QNX is up and running you applications. The accuracy of Forever but significantly slower need to visit the Author’s website based Ethernet cards are the on to their Amiga? Very cleverly excellent and very polished can install the Amiga XL emulation of the Amiga’s Paula than Amithlon. It also felt at http://www.amithlon.net. Even only ones supported, fortunately Cloanto have worked out a way product, in particular the Amiga XL emulator itself, the installation is sound chip can be controlled to smoother and more Amiga like with the information there you’ll this is the chipset used on many readable and detailed HTML than AF which may well be down to transfer the Amiga parts of AE For most people the first step in carried out by QNX’s Package balance quality and speed, or need to be fairly confident with inexpensive 10Mb/s network to the remote Amiga without documentation deserves a Installer utility which is the way even disabled if required. Amiga to the light weight, real time the Amiga and PC hardware to cards which are widely available. special mention. There are only installing Amiga XL will be to nature of QNX. One area that additional software, all that is install the QNX operating system all programs are installed on this XL comes with an AHI driver get it all working, the Amithlon Drivers for the built-in parallel needed is a null-modem a very few minor problems OS. Once installed the emulation which interfaces with the QNX was disappointing was the speed mailing list on Yahoo Groups can and serial ports are included so which, to be honest, are inherent on their PC. QNX’s support for of the graphics card display, connection and a Workbench PC hardware is somewhere can be started from the shell, audio drivers this uses minimal also provide a lot of valuable printers and external disk for the Amiga. In addition to in Windows and not something added to the Shelf (the QNX CPU and is preferable if you which felt slower than AF5 and assistance. can be used with the emulation. Cloanto could do anything about. between the pretty universal the CyberVision PPC on my transferring files from the remote support of Windows and the very equivalent of AmiDock) and be have software that supports AHI. A utility called NallePUH is Amiga’s disks (floppies, hard The package adds a great deal set to run at start-up if required. 3000. Moving large windows and Because Amithlon only uses the supplied that routes paula sound to the basic open source UAE limited set that works with Network access is via the QNX scrolling graphics intensive web kernal of the Linux operating disks, CDs etc.) Amiga Explorer Amithlon, it should work with through AHI. This works with emulator, not to mention the all The installation creates two TCP/IP stack, this supports LAN pages was a bit sluggish. I can system it needs Amiga drivers can also create ADF files from most systems and you can check most programs and is handy if important licensed ROMs and Amiga partitions for the connections via Ethernet cards only put this down to the QNX for many pieces of hardware that the disk in the Amiga’s floppy the compatibility lists on the QNX you have sound software you OS. Although it seems much emulation, Workbench and Work, and dial-up connections with a drivers for the graphics chip in are supported automatically by drive, making the attached website. If you have Windows can’t live without that doesn’t use cheaper than Amiga XL it is which are mapped to directories modem. Setup uses a GUI utility the test PC not being as highly the OS underneath the other two Amiga into a, somewhat installed on your PC QNX has AHI. However while NallePUH is important to remember that in the QNX file system. This on the QNX side and simple optimised as the Windows emulators. On the graphics front complex, Amiga compatible disk the option to install its boot drive running no programs can access Amiga Forever does not include means Amiga files can be instructions are provided for equivalents. two families of boards are drive for the PC. Another useful as a file within windows or on a AHI to give sound output so it AmigaOS 3.9. Running on top of accessed from QNX but you configuring a dial-up connection. directly supported with drivers feature of Amiga Explorer is that separate partition. The really is only a work around and the most common OS in the can’t access the QNX drive from Anyone who has setup it can connect to the emulated installation instructions on the Amithlon world does have many the Amiga. According to Amiga networking before shouldn’t have Amiga, allowing you to access AmigaOS XL CD (supplied in advantages but it certainly won’t XL’s developers the QNX file any problems. Once the network Of all the emulators Amithlon is the hard files that cannot PDF and AmigaGuide format) be for everyone. system is reliable a resistant to is online, network and Internet the easiest to get started, you normally be read from Windows. suggest that a separate partition errors so using it in this way programs work on the Amiga just just set your PC to boot from CD, should be used, this can be Running on top of Windows does means that the emulated Amiga as if you were running a native pop in the AmigaOS XL disc and AmigaOS XL either on its own drive or seem to produce a few problems benefits from these advantages TCP/IP stack. switch on, after a few seconds a alongside another OS. If you when working with Amiga The AmigaOS XL package from too. Amiga XL also supports bouncing boing ball appears and have a free partition you can go Forever, as you might expect if Haage and partner contains two normal RDB formatted Amiga A utility is provided on the in a few seconds more ahead with the installation, you’re multitasking other emulators, Amiga XL (note no hard disks connected to the PC emulated Amiga that can run (assuming your hardware works otherwise the hard disk must be applications and disk swapping “OS”) and Amithlon. The via IDE (SCSI may also be programs under QNX, for with the emulation) a fully repartitioned. As no partitioning occurs this can slow things emulators are supplied on a supported but it isn’t mentioned example an icon is supplied that installed Workbench 3.9 tools are supplied the manual down. One annoyance I found single CD which also includes in the docs) although you cannot you double click to run the QNX appears. However at this stage suggests buying a tool like was that because Windows boot from them as they are web browser (which confusingly the boot drive is located in Partition Magic which can resize doesn’t support true “screens” mounted by a special command is called Voyager). QNX memory so any changes you existing partitions without when Amiga Forever is running (MountAmigaHDDs) in the start- programs run in this way don’t make will be lost with a reset. If deleting all their data. Once a full screen and you Alt-Tab back up-sequence. CD-ROM drives appear on the Amiga screen you have an Amiga hard drive partition is prepared the to Windows to run another and the PC floppy drive are within the Emulation, they open you can just plug it into the PC operating system can be application, closing that accessed via the standard on the QNX desktop. However (both IDE and SCSI drives are installed from the QNX CD application will flip back to AF Amiga DOSDriver and filesystem when Amiga XL is running an supported) and it will be supplied in the package. This is unexpectedly. This is just combination, this means that for Amiga like title bar and screen accessed by the virtual Amiga. If performed by booting from the because Windows sees AF as example all the Amiga protection depth gadget is added to the top the hard drive has a bootable CD and following a on-screen the previous application and This Amiga prefs program bits are supported on CDs. As I of the QNX desktop so you can partition with a priority of 0 or To run Amithlon all you need is to set your PC to boot from the prompts. Most of the installation makes it active when the current controls several aspects of the mentioned earlier Amiga floppy swap easily between the two, greater the emulation will boot is automatic, you have to choose app closes, it doesn’t care that it disks are not supported and the this is a neat compromise. from that rather than the included emulation. Installing it onto AmigaOSa hard disk XL is CD. rather more difficult. 16 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 17 Features Your international AMIGA dealer! Located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands not something you would leave you won’t see on a real running all the time. On the hardware 68k system. If you Active on the Amiga market since 1990. Worldwide shipping. Amithlon mailing list Bernie have a system with Windows during tuesday-thursday 09:30-12 & 13-18 opening friday 09:30-12 & 13-21 Meyer, the main author of and want an easy to install an SpaceWalker PC Please call: +31-10-4517722 hours saturday 09:30-17:00 GMT+1 Amithlon, has mentioned that a emulator then Amiga Forever 5 major update is being worked on would be a good choice. It is a Mini Review Or visit our website/shop at WWW.COMPCITY.NL - Email: [email protected] that should include more drivers very polished product with an and better functionality on excellent install procedure and e wouldn’t normally Computer City EVERYTHING FOR YOUR AMIGA! unsupported graphics cards. very thorough documentation. review PC hardware in W Looking for a way to use all the power of If you want to create, combine and synchronize Total Amiga but as Eyetech The Amiga Explorer utility is also your PPC processor with OS4? Audio graphics, text and animations with audio and At this point in time you have to excellent and the way it can were kind enough to lend us be careful when buying a PC to Evolution 4 gives you unsurpassed power video, you’ll need MediaPoint. Interactive connect to an Amiga without one of their SpaceWalker PC for home-studio recording and editing. The information systems, Video titling, Information use with Amithlon, all the copying software on Amiga disks systems for our x86 emulators latest issue focusses on time-saving non- channels and prsentations at your fingertips! supported components are is almost magical! The fact that round up we thought it was linear and non-destructive editing, as seen Coming soon: MediaPoint RTG with RTG and widely available but you have to AF5 runs on Windows will be an only fair to take a quick look at on other platforms. Besides editing, Audio RTA support, Matrox dual-head support and be careful to buy the right things. advantage to some people and a the system and its suitability for running these emulators. Evolution offers a wide range of realtime many more features! problem for others, but if you effects, including compression, noise gate, MediaPoint RTG will also be available as an Once Amithlon is up and running The first thing you notice about the SpaceWalker is its diminutive need Windows compatibility this delays, reverb, chorus and 3-band EQ. upgrade to MediaPoint owners. it feels very much like an Amiga size, it is only 2cm wider than a CD-ROM drive and about three is a great way of keeping your Whether you put them as inserts on a with a graphics card, there is no times as tall. The case is also much shallower than a normal tried and trusted Amiga channel or use them as auxillaries, the sign of the underlying Linux tower. The case is made entirely from aluminium which looks applications to hand. Although effect parameters are realtime adjustable kernal. Device access is attractive and is also relatively light, Even the front panel is solid according to our benchmarks and can be fully automated. Together with available via the amithlon.device, metal, a pleasant change from most plasticky cases. AF5 is slightly slower than XL it all other mixing parameters, they can be Create your own graphical Amiga software can “talk” is not a significant amount. Despite its size the system has a CD-ROM, floppy drive and a, controlled remotely, using more ergonomic adventures. Call or email directly to devices on the PC IDE MIDI hardware. 3.5” hard disk all built in. It is also well supplied with connectivity, for more details! ports or SCSI controllers. This Amiga XL is a fine emulator and USB, Firewire, 10/100Mb/s Ethernet, parallel and serial ports are Gremlin ClassiX 19,95 means Amiga programs like AmiAtlas 6 54,95 Amiga Mouse 400 dpi 9,05 works well and integrates better all built-in to the motherboard as are the AC97 sound and S3 Aminet (latest issue) 12,99 Payback 49,95 Buddha IDE Controller 49,90 MakeCD or ScanQuix will with QNX the AF5 does with Savage 4 graphics chips. The down side of the small size is that Aminet Set 31,31 Photogenics 5 89,95 Delfina Flipper Soundcard 189,00 continue to work with Amithlon. Windows. The main problem is expansion is extremely limited. There is only one PCI slot which FeebleFiles 49,99 PuzzleBobs 25,00 Link-Kit Amiga/Amiga or Amiga/PC 17,99 You access your Internet SOFTWARE that QNX is rather like the on our review system was filled with a modem. With no AGP slot Freespace 44,99 Shogo 49,95 PCMCIA Network Card A1200 72,15 provider or network via an Amiga AmigaOS in that it is limited in fxPaint 69,00 Simon the Sorceror II 34,95 X-Surf Network Card 99,00 it will be difficult to upgrade the graphics card. Turboprint 7.3 49,95 TCP/IP stack with the software available, it seems GlowIconSOFTWARE Collection 2 19,95 HARDWAREAll prices are in Euros and including VAT powercom.device for the PC’s to me that if you’re going to run serial port and powerne2k.device on top of another OS it might as Emulator Compatibility for the Ethernet card. Software We accept: well be one that offers many Starting with Amiga Forever, as you would expect all the system’s WWW.COMPCITY.NL that requires chipset additional applications you can’t features are supported by Windows and therefore there are no screenmodes will not run but you get on the Amiga. problems running AF5 on the SpaceWalker. For AmigaXL again Pay by credit card and Send 3x first class can run a mode promotion get a free CD-ROM. stamps for catalogue things work very well, the underlying QNX operating system program to force programs to run Amithlon has several negative (call for details) FORE-MATT Home Computing packed with details on supports all the Motherboard features including graphics, sound State Amiga model our vast range of titles in the available screenmodes. points against it, it doesn’t when ordering. (08700) 112234 • Dept. C, PO Box 835, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 8RX and PD from only 70p. and USB and the emulator benefits from this, for example you Just like a real Amiga this emulate the chipset, supports far can use a USB mouse. As far as I know the only feature not process will work for some less PC hardware than the supported by QNX is Firewire. As I mentioned in my review the programs but not for those that others which run on top of QNX drivers for the on-board graphics do seem slower than their “hit the hardware”. another OS and it is also pretty Windows equivalents. complex to install from scratch, On our test system Amithlon was especially alongside another OS. Amithlon is a very different kettle of fish, for a start the graphics Heretic 2 £40Quake £10 Napalm £15 Freespace £35 Draw Studio 2 £45 Amiga Writer 2 £35 clearly the fastest emulator by a One big problem is the lack of chip is not supported meaning you can only have one very noticeable margin and for documentation supplied with screenmode per session. The sound is compatible but the all the processor intensive AmigaOS XL but even following Ethernet is not. With such limited expansion options it’s not even operations we tried it stomped all the amithlon.net site it’s pretty really possible to cure these problems by adding compatible PCI over an ‘060 based “hardware” tough. However once you get it cards. Finally the review system was equipped with a Celeron Amiga using ordinary 68K installed on supported hardware processor when a full Pentium or Athlon is recommended for best Simon Sorcerer 2 £30 T-Zero £20 Feeble Files £35Earth 2140 £30 STFax 4.5 £40 Art Effect 4 £40 applications with no changes. On the speed blows the other two Amithlon performance. CDROM GAMES CDROM GAMES CDROM GAMES UTILITIES UTILITIES UTILITIES the unsupported graphics card of Adventurers Lair...... £20 Hell Squad...... £30 Superfrog ...... £10 17 Bit Level 6 ...... £10 CybergraphX ...... £25 Lightrom 8 or 9 ea...... £30 away, it really brings a smile to Amiga Classix...... £10 Imperator CD ...... £15 Super Methane Bros...... £10 100% Amiga Magazine...... £5 Cross Dos 7 Gold...... £40 LSD 1 or 2 ea...... £15 our test system the display was Amiga Classix 2...... £10 Islona Collection ...... £20 Theme Park CD...... £10 100% Amiga Annual UK...... £48 Darkage Developer...... £10 Make CD DAO...... £50 your face when your existing 68k If you need a PC that will take up minimum space and will run Amiga Classix 3...... £20 Labyrinth Of Time ...... £10 The Games Room...... £15 A-Z of Amiga Games...... £20 Diavolo 2000 ...... £50 MediaPoint...... £30 the slowest of the three applications burst into life! Amiga Forever and AmigaXL in addition to other x86 operating Aminet Games...... £15 Mad About Mahjong...... £10 The Prophet...... £10 Amiga Desktop Video2...... £10 Digibooster Pro ...... £20 Midi Files ...... £10 Aqua ...... £15 Megaball Deluxe ...... £15 Trivial Pursuit ...... £10 Amiga Developer 2.1...... £20 Digital Almanac 2...... £25 Moovid Pro 2 ...... £20 emulators but still useable. In Amithlon is the most like a real systems then the SpaceWalker works well. However it is not Arcade Classix Mk 2 ...... £10 Moonbases...... £10 Ultimate Gloom ...... £10 Amiga Forever 5 ...... £40 Digital Makeup ...... £15 Multimedia Backdrop ...... £15 fact some operations like Blade...... £10 Myst...... £25 Ult. Super Skidmarks ...... £10 Amiga Forever upg >5...... £25 EASys! Enhancer...... £20 NcodeR ...... £25 Amiga running on x86 hardware suitable for Amithlon. It looks very attractive and feels solid and Bubba n Stix CD32...... £10 Nightlong ...... £45 Uropa 2...... £10 Amiga Repair Kit...... £35 Emulators Unlimited...... £10 Network CD ...... £10 opening and moving windows Bubble Heroes...... £10 Pacman Attack...... £10 Virtual Karting 2 ...... £10 Aminet Set 4,5,7 - 11 ...... £25 Extreme CD...... £6 Network CD 2 ...... £15 so if you like your current Amiga well built. While it doesn’t have a very high specification it is more C64 Classix ...... £10 Payback...... £35 Vital Light ...... £10 Aminet Set Subscribe...... £20 Extreme Visual FX2 ...... £10 OS 3.9...... £30 were very quick but others like than enough to run the emulators well and to handle productivity CDS Collection ...... £15 Phoenix Fighters...... £10 Wasted Dreams...... £20 Aminet Singles...... £12 Faces of Mars 2001 ...... £15 PFS3...... £35 software (and it runs on a Cedric ...... £15 Pure Doom ...... £10 Whales Voyage 2 ...... £15 Aminet Subscription...... £10 fxPaint v1.5 ...... £60 Photo CD Manager ...... £15 scrolling large pages and depth graphics card) and just wish it applications and Internet browsing. Chess 2k ...... £15 PuzzleBobs ...... £15 Wipeout 2097 PPC...... £30 Amos PDCD2...... £20 fxScan v3.0 ...... £25 Photofolio v2...... £25 Civilization AGA/ECS...... £10 Red Mars ...... £10 Word Games ...... £10 Animatic ...... £5 Gateway v1 (netBSD) ...... £10 Photogenics 5...... £70 arranging windows were quite were faster then this is the one D-1000 doom data...... £10 Retro Gold ...... £10 Zombie Massacre{18} ...... £10 Art Studio Pro ...... £35 Giga Graphics ...... £10 Red Hat Linux...... £20 sluggish. I’m sure these E2140 Mission Pack...... £15 Seaside ...... £20 EPSON COMPATIBLE INK Asim CDFS v3.x ...... £30 Giga PD v3 (3Cdset)...... £5 Screen Savers 2...... £10 for you. Just be prepared to spec Eat The Whistle ...... £10 Shadow of 3rd Moon...... £20 Black 440/460/640/660 ...... £7 Aweb II v3.3 ...... £40 GlowIcons ...... £10 Sounds Terrific 2...... £10 problems would be resolved on a Specifications European Superleague ...... £10 Simon the Sorcerer...... £10 Col 440/460/640/660 ...... £10 Aweb II v3.3 OS3.5/3.9upg ...... £30 GlowIcons 2 ...... £15 System Booster...... £10 a PC for Amithlon choosing Fields of Glory ...... £15 Sixth Sense Invest’ns ...... £15 Black 670/720/750/1200 ...... £7 Beauty of Chaos ...... £5 Graphic Sensations ...... £10 Texture Heaven 1&2...... £10 supported card where hardware compatible components and take Processor: Intel Celeron 800Mhz Final Odyssey ...... £10 Skeleton Krew CD32 ...... £10 Col 740/760/860/1160 ...... £10 Best of Airsoft ...... £10 Guinness Records v2 ...... £10 Turbo Calc 5 ...... £60 Memory: 256Mb SDRAM Foundation Gold...... £25 Speccy Classix ...... £10 Black 400/500/600/700 ...... £7 Best of Mecomp v1...... £5 HD Patchez ...... £10 Turbo Print 7.x ...... £40 acceleration would be used. your time getting it setup. Foundation Und.Land...... £15 Spherical Worlds...... £10 Col 400/600/800/850/1520 ...... £10 Blitz Basic 2.1 (ult.)...... £10 Hidden Truth...... £10 VHI Studio 5.2 ...... £30 Graphics Card: S3 Savage 4 Integrated Genetic Species ...... £10 Star Fighter ...... £15 Black C20/C40/480/580...... £7 Candy Factory Pro...... £35 Ibrowse 2.x...... £35 Workbench 3.0 Set...... £10 Gremlin Classix ...... £10 Street Racer CD...... £10 Col. C20/C40/480/580 ...... £10 CD32 Network Kit ...... £25 Learning Curve ...... £20 Workbench Addon CD...... £10 Sound Card: VIA AC97 Integrated Conclusion Ethernet: Realtek 10/100Mb/s Integrated All the emulators we’ve reviewed Hard Disk: 20Gb, 5400RPM here have their advantages and SpaceWalker systems are available from Eyetech with various all of them run current Amiga specifications, see their advertisment on page 25 for details. “The Amiga Online Superstore” - Visit our new 128 bit secure online shop at www.forematt.co.uk applications very well, at speeds Amiga Retro Classics Site: www.forematt.free-online.co.uk EMail: [email protected] 18 TOTAL AMIGA Reviews Reviews To sum up, the table editor is a internal margin so the text in very powerful feature and is the column is spaced away streets ahead of any other from the edge, the margins can Amiga program, if you’ve been be set independently for each disappointed with the limited side of the column. This tables in Final Writer or feature allows a border and PageStream Wordworth then you’ll almost background to be added to a .info certainly find PageStream’s column of text much more Developer implementation will do what easily, before this feature a Grasshopper LLC you want. I do feel more could separate box had to be used www.grasshopperllc.com It’s been a long wait but Robert Williams can’t wait to get stuck into be done to make it quicker to with the desired line and fill work with, currently formatting settings unless you were Distributor the latest version of the Amiga’s top publishing application. a large table is a rather happy for the text to be right up Kicksoft long winded process especially set. Using the reshape tool you laborious process, more mouse against the border. Multi- www.kicksoft.co.uk otal Amiga readers if you ever wanted to make any can select individual cells editing options would be a column text frames can now +44 (0) 1737 219280 Tshouldn’t need an alterations such as adding4.1 a within the table, when a cell is welcome start. That said it is have a variable size columns introduction to PageStream, new column. To add a table selected the edit bar changes still a big improvement over and gutter (the space between Price the Amiga publishing program with the new table tool you just to a new table mode which constructing the same layout the columns), previously all the Full Version...... £199.00 used to produce the magazine drag out a box on the page, displays the options for the by hand. The calculation columns were the same width Upgrade from 4.0 ...£39.00 and also for many years now, initially the table is a simple 4 selected cell. You can edit features are a nice idea but for and had the same gutter, this Upgrade from 3.x....£79.00 the only one of its type in the column by 4 row grid giving 16 multiple cells by shift-clicking Multi-column text frames are more flexible than ever. most uses I feel they need allows more complex layouts Amiga market. It’s good to see cells in all. Text is entered into on them, but there’s no way to some further development, without using separate text Version Reviewed that even though PageStream cells using the text tool, each drag select a group which can position of the whole table can changing the values they use being able to edit values using frames which have to be 4.1.3.4 is now multi-platform the cell works very much like a make formatting large tables be manipulated with the object will cause the result to be the text tool would make it manually linked. All these new Amiga version is still heavily standard PageStream text rather slow going. With one or tool, in this case you can use recalculated. For this to work much quicker to work with and features are accessed from an Compatibility the mouse or the edit palette. you must edit the values using Requires: developed and right up to date frame so all the program’s more cells selected there are should remove a potential “FX” button in the edit palette with its PC and Macintosh character and paragraph options to adjust the line style Changing the size of the whole the edit palette and not with the source of errors. when a text frame is selected. Amiga OS 2 or later table causes all the cells to be text tool, if you forget this it is 8Mb RAM counterparts. So here we are formatting options can be used of each cell border individually with the very latest version lets within a table. and the cell fill. The line style of scaled equally, keeping their possible for the values proportions. A powerful feature displayed not to match the Text Column Borders PDF Recommended take a look at what it has to each side of the cells in the If you select the table using the is the ability to merge any calculations. The calculation Text frames are used in Version 4.0 of PageStream 040 or 060 processor offer over 4.0 which we selection has to be edited object tool (the standard rectangular selection of cells engine seems to be the least PageStream to hold the main was the first to offer Portable 32Mb RAM or more reviewed in issue 6. individually, this is another pointer) changing the line and so it becomes a single cell, a developed aspect of tables body text and therefore form Document File export. PDF is a Graphics card factor that slows down table Turning the Tables fill options changes the table as editing. A good tip I found here merged cell is treated just like support the main problem with the central part of any format intended to let Test System a whole. The line weight and is only to set the left and top any other and can be split back it is that there is no way to set document, in fact the text documents be exchanged A3000 The biggest new feature in colour is applied to the border styles because the right and into its component cells. number formats, so you can’t you’re reading now is laid out electronically while keeping version 4.1 is the tables tool. In of the whole table and not the choose a set number of in a text frame. PageStream’s their design and layout intact CyberStorm PPC/060 bottom borders are usually Finally tables can be used to earlier versions of PageStream gridlines between cells, the fill decimal places or whether text frames were already quite when viewed on a variety of CyberVision PPC obscured by the adjoining cell perform calculations much like you had to create a table of is applied to the whole table. values should have a symbol. powerful, with multiple column computer platforms. The PDF 128Mb RAM borders anyway. Cell border a simple spreadsheet. For data by hand, either using However, the fill only shows This makes calculations support within a single frame exporter has been improved in OS 3.9 Boing Bag 2 and fill use PageStream’s calculations to work the values tabbed text or many separate through behind cells which involving currency, probably but it’s nice to see them getting version 4.1 to offer control over CyberGraphX 4.2pre11 standard line and fill requester must be entered into each cell text frames, this could be a don’t have their own fill colour one of the major areas where some more attention in this image compression so with all its options available so, using a text field in the edit for example, you can have this feature would be used, update. Text columns within a exported PDF files can be palette, the text tool can’t be impossible to layout properly. text frame can now have an smaller with only a slight loss dashed cell borders and used. You can then enter a gradient fills if you so desire. formula in the text field for In table mode the edit palette another cell. Formula begins also offers options to change with an “=” sign and the format the layout of the table. To start will be familiar to anyone who with you can add rows and has used a spreadsheet, for columns to your table adding to example the formula the initial size, of course rows “=F1+F2+F3” would add and columns can also be together the values in the 6th deleted. The width or height of column of the table on rows 1, the column or row respectively 2 and 3. Some functions are containing the selected cell can also available for more be changed, but this is only complex formulae, and you can possible by entering a width in specify ranges of cells using a the edit palette, you can’t drag colon so for example the column borders with the =sum(F1:F3) would be another mouse. Changing size of a way to write the formula column or row is mentioned earlier. Sadly the accommodated by changing available functions are not yet the overall size of the table, it documented, in addition to sum() I found that average(), Below: theAbove: edit palette an example in table showing cell editing some mode, of the note powerful the formula table features.in the string gadget. doesn’t effect the rest of the table layout. The size and min() and max() all work and there may well be others too. Again like a spreadsheet once PDF Export: Compare the original PageStream file on the right to the the calculations are in place generated PDF document on the left. Notice the missing gradient fills and special fonts. 20 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 21 Reviews If you don’t see what you want, just ask! have been made to With the new “Fade To...” PageStream in this upgrade. Our range is always growing! option the transform Text can now be selected with Kicksoft command can be used for the keyboard using the arrow special effects as well as keys with shift held down. making regular copies. Undo has been improved so it now works on many more actions including deletion of complex objects, resizing grouped objects and moving pages in the document. Special offer!!! Support has been added for character sets other than the standard Roman/Latin Still avaliable , fully boxed with manual characters used in the UK, US and most of western Europe. Font encodings and keyboard mappings are supported and a number of mapping tables are now included and a new option in preferences allows you to select your character set. in the quality of images used in colours in the intermediate printed and a copy will be Conclusion the document. The default path copies. In combination with the generated for each record in for the PDF output file can now new duplicate behind or in front the database. It is possible to Some of the new features in be set in prefs saving some file option the fade allows you to limit the merge to a range of PageStream 4.1 are slightly requester work. Unfortunately make special effects using records in the database but rough around the edges but £150.00 some of the deficiencies of transform such as shadows you need to know the record even so they are still useable PageStream’s PDF export still and pesudo 3D. It’s worth numbers in the database file. and very useful. Both the table haven’t been addressed. The experimenting with the various One important advantage of editor and the new text frame biggest problem (for me at transform options and different having mail merge built in is options add functionality that least) is that PageStream does shapes as you can come up that it can now use will probably be used by most not embed the fonts used in with some interesting results. PageStream’s imposition PageStream users. Deron the document into PDF file. features to print sheets of Kazamier at Grasshopper is This means your document Mail Merge customised mailing labels, actively working on won’t look as expected if the badges or business cards.. To PageStream and new versions person viewing it doesn’t have Mail merge, which up to now do this you just set the page with bug fixes and minor all the fonts you’ve used has been implemented as an size to that of a single label (or improvements are released PageStream 4.1 PageStream Extras installed on their system. AREXX script, is built into card, whatever), setup the mail regularly. Deron is also The Premier DTP program on the Amiga. PageStream 4.1. Mail merge available on the PageStream Another problem is that some merge and then, on the Mac & PC version also avaliable. objects are not included in the takes a database of information Imposition tab of the print mailing list and usually PDF file, these include gradient and allows you to print window, tell PageStream to answers questions within a few fills and EPS graphics. You can documents based on that data, print multiple copies across days, there are also a lot of £199.00 get over these problems by the most common use is to and down to fit the label sheet experienced users on the list to printing the document to a take a database of names and you’re using. One gottcha I did help out too. Altogether Warp and bend any text into any shape you want !! Postscript file and converting to addresses and to create find in mail merge is that your PageStream is one of the best PageStream Upgrade personalised letters based on a PDF using an external utility database file must have a supported Amiga applications. like GhostScript of Acrobat single template. This feature blank line at the end of the final So to sum up this in my opinion Text effect 2 £50.00 Distiller (on a PC or Mac), but has been implemented using record won’t be printed this upgrade is already very From 2.xx to 4.1 £95 it’s a pity the export doesn’t PageStream’s variables (someone almost didn’t get worthwhile and there is a good From pagestream 3.xx to 4.1 £79 support these features as it is system. First you create you their magazine last issue!). chance that the minor much more straightforward. template document and insert grumbles I’ve had will be From Pagestream 4 to 4.1 £39 a variable wherever you want Minor Marvels cleared up in the coming Transformer database information to months. appear, the variables can be A number of more minor Cross upgrade The transform tool is used to named whatever you like. changes and improvements make multiple copies of Once the template is ready you Upgrade from Amiga version 4.0. to PC or Mac Complete collection of 120 scalable borders selected objects, you can open the print window and Pros version. choose how the copies made select the new Mail Merge tab. + Powerful Table Editor. are arranged. For version 4.1 Here you can choose the + Handy improvements £89.00 Basic & Geo Borders £55.00 copies can be made onto database file (I tried comma to text frames. different pages so transform and tab separated files and Pretty can be used to copy an object both worked) and link the fields Cons onto several document pages. you want to include with the - Table editing long winded. Kicksoft Ltd., You can now set the fill and appropriate variable you 30 Whitegate Way, - PDF export still needs line style of the last copy and created earlier. With that Good! www.kicksoft.co.uk Tadworth, PageStream will “fade” the complete the document can be improving. Add £1.00 UK postage per item. Make cheques payable to Kicksoft Ltd. Surrey, KT20 5NS

Results Tel/Fax (01737) 219280 We accept Solo, Switch, Mastercard & Visa [email protected] 22 TOTAL AMIGA

Reviews Reviews The HTML links option will scan an HTML file on disk (so you would have to download a Charon continues where HTTPResume left off... webpage first) and present you with a list of all the links on the it’s a full download manager for the Amiga. page. Like the search you can Robert Williams warms up his modem! then select the files you want to download and add them straight to the download list. An Charonwant to switch off the Amiga browsers you can assign the downloading it. Many programs AREXX script is provided for ou don’t have to use the and continue downloading script to a pop-up menu store the URL of the files they use with AWeb that will perform YInternet for very long another day? To do this you function so downloading with download in the file comment, this function on the currently before you experience that have to find the original URL, Charon is as simple as popping if this is the case you can displayed page. The main Charon window with several downloads in progress. sinking feeling when your get it into your software, start up the menu for a link and select the file in the Edit URL common reason for a when a download starts and/or connection drops ninety the download again and make selecting “Download using window or drop the file’s icon Schedule download failing would be your ends and when the program AREXX percent of the way through a sure it resumes. Wouldn’t it be Charon” (or whatever you over the Charon window and it Downloads can be scheduled ISP dropping the line but with itself loads and/or quits. As an large download! Most servers easier if there were a utility to decide to call the option). In the will read the URL from the Charon has a particularly to take place at a later date Charon you can make the example these options could web (HTTP) and FTP servers take care of this for you, a preferences window you can comment and resume powerful AREXX interface that and time, the schedule window download fail and be retried for be used to put your TCP/IP on the Internet support central downloader that select the default directory downloading. If the URL is not is ideal for linking to it from has a nice calendar display other reasons. For example if stack on-line at the start of a resuming a download, this remembers all your downloads where downloaded files will be in the comment then you will other programs, setting up new where you can choose a date the download stops for over a download, when all downloads means a partially completed and resumes them for you until saved, if you setup a download need to enter it by hand or downloads and performing (including year!) For the set length of time or if it drops are complete Charon can be download can be continued they are done... Well there is using the Edit URL window this paste it in from the clipboard. batch changes on existing download to start, you can also below a definable download set to quit automatically so the from where it left off. Resume and it’s called Charon! default can be overridden for ones. Some sample scripts are specify the time (to the rate. Different settings for time program quit command could has to be supported by the particular downloads. Although When you add a download to provided and I was able to second!). I can see this being out and minimum download then be used to take the stack downloading program as well it isn’t immediately obvious the list it can be either active or quickly knock up a script to Interface very handy for those with rate can be set for resumable off-line. In combination with the as the server, on the Amiga it Charon can be used to paused, active downloads start change the username and internet connections which are and non-resumable servers, as functions you could is supported by most FTP Charon uses MUI for its download files from FTP downloading straight away until password on several charged at different rates at you might not want to re-start a get Charon to do your programs, on web browsers interface so you will need to servers and websites that the maximum number of downloads overcoming my different times of day or who non-resumable download just downloading while you are out, IBrowse 2.2 definitely resumes, have it installed along with require authentication (log-on simultaneous transfers you set minor quibble mentioned would like to do their because it had got a bit slow. A or during cheap rate times. I couldn’t get it to work in AWeb NList and NListTree custom with a username and are taking place then they are above. A useful addition would downloads when they are proxy server (a server usually (and resume is not mentioned classes. The main window password). The username and queued until one of the current be an AREXX menu where away from the computer. run by your ISP that caches as a feature in the docs) and I contains a list of the current password must be included in downloads finishes. You can Extra Features user scripts could be added for downloads, and information use drag and drop in the list to downloads by all their users to easy access. can’t get the current beta of the URL as shown in this Built into Charon is an Internet about their progress and set the order in which the files Groups speed up downloads on Voyager to download at all! example: search facility which can use status. Below the list is a will be downloaded. commonly requested files) can Even if you have download http://username:password A useful option is to organise three different search engines Conclusion toolbar of seven buttons for Downloads added to the list in be used and it is even possible software that supports resume @www.domain.com/file.lha. downloads into groups, most of to find files which can then be quick access to the common the paused state have to be to configure different proxies I’ve had Charon for a few there are still annoyances with While this works well enough I the settings can be set downloaded like any other file. operations, like adding a started by clicking a button in depending on the ISP you use months now and It’s been big downloads, what if you think it would be clearer to independently for each group. Aminet search provides the download, starting, pausing or the tool bar before they start to connect. On some Amiga file totally reliable and has have username and password So you could make a group for ADT search found in several editing existing ones. Other downloading. You can also systems very long file names integrated very well with my fields in the Edit URL window downloads from a particular FTP clients although features are available in the pause a an active file, if it is (greater than 30 characters) other Internet software. and maybe a user/pass server that requires specific unfortunately it doesn’t include pull down menus. downloading at the time the can cause a problem, so the Anyone who downloads files of requester that pops up when a settings. When you start a new next active download in the option to limit filename lengths the description field so it can any size from the Internet file cannot be downloaded due download and select a group in queue will take over. This is welcome, you can also set it be tricky to tell what the listed would benefit from Charon, I Starting a Download to authentication failure. the URL Edit window the means you can pause a long to automatically replace files are. MP3Box searches for used to think that IBrowse’s download picks up the group’s There are several ways to start If you have a partially download, quickly download a characters in a filename, so MP3 music files at the site of download options were all I .info settings, if you move a spaces become underscore (_) the same name. There is also would ever need but now I’ve a new download with Charon. downloaded file that you file you’re immediately Author download into a group you Firstly you can enter the URL started with another program interested in and then resume for example. a Lycos FTP Search option but got Charon I find downloading Andrija Antonijevic have the option of applying the in the Edit URL window. If you Charon can continue the big download. I couldn’t get this to work so I with IBrowse frustrating. For Charon seems to be very Website have the URL of the download group’s settings. Another think this service may have me the best feature is that I compatible with different HTTP on the clipboard (for example advantage of groups is that been stopped. Once you have can select several files to http://www.bigfoot.com/ servers, I found a couple that from an EMail or webpage a they are shown in a list tree in a list of search results you can download, then later turn off, ~TheAntony/Charon/ IBrowse wouldn’t resume button allows you to paste it in, the main Charon display, by select those you want to go to bed, and continue worked fine with Charon. If there is even a menu option to selecting the group you can download either using the downloading them the next EMail necessary the options are start a new download from the apply actions such as pause, mouse or by entering a wild time I’m on the ‘net with no there for it to “spoof” as a web [email protected] contents for the clipboard start or edit to all the card string based in the file bother. A tenner very well browser by changing the User- without opening any additional downloads in the group. name. spent! Agent header and you can also Price windows. Probably the most set the Referer header so it 15 Euro (about £10) common source for a download Download Options looks to the server as if the Pros will be a link in a webpage, to + Saves download list Registration As it is a tool purely for downloads are being requested make this as easy as possible across sessions. On-line via “Share It!” downloading files Charon can from a webpage. On the FTP an AREXX script is provided + Useful extra features. really go to town on download side Charon can use a passive Requirements that can be configured in your + Excellent AREXX Top options, enabling you to tailor connection (PASV) so it will web browser to add a selected interface. MUI 3.8 the process exactly to your work behind a firewall. URL to Charon’s download list. Cons TCP/IP Stack needs. You can configure the The script will start Charon if it - No visual progress number of attempts that will be If the built-in options aren’t Version Reviewed isn’t already running. In the display. Notch! made to download a file if it enough you can get Charon to 1.98 three most popular Amiga - Authentication handling fails for any reason. The most run a program of your choice slightly awkward. Charon can list the URLs in an HTML file for easy downloading. Results 26 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 27 Reviews Reviews very well and closely matched choose from a pop-up list of the original when the fonts they suggestions. If the word is used were installed. actually correct you can choose to skip it or add it to the Documents can be saved in user dictionary. A nice feature AmigaWriter’s own format or is that you can edit the AmigaWriter 2.2 exported as Rich Text Format document whilst the spell or ASCII. RTF is supported by check window is open. We did Mick Sutton and Robert Williams find out whether the new commer has the form to take on the established favourites. most word processors, it find some oddities with the retains font and formatting modes and opening formatting spell check. It doesn’t Installation information. t has been a long time since windows. When you create a recognise words with an Ia new word processor The program comes on a CD- new document or open an apostrophe (isn’t, doesn’t etc.) package has been released on ROM and is installed via the existing one the main editing Text Formatting and you cannot add them to standard OS 3.5+ installer and the user dictionary, the only the Amiga, when AmigaWriter window opens. Multiple Multiple page formats can be takes about 11 Mb of hard disk work around is to add the part was announced back in (1999) document windows can be defined within a document, the space. The spell checker of of the word before the I thought to myself “at last!” I opened, each one has the page format controls the page .info have been using Final Writer your chosen language is document display, rulers and apostrophe, for example margins, number of columns, A wide range of character formatting options are available. Developer & Distributor installed separately, the “doesn” for “doesn’t” but this version 5 since 1996 and it is a two toolbars with common and the size of headers and Haage and Partner languages included are: could mean as genuine typo is very good all round package functions (cut n paste, save, footers, a single page size is The Paragraph Format window example the font size or the www.haage-partner.com English, German, French, missed. A more serious (heaps better than Wordworth print, zoom and insert element) used for the whole document. contains settings that are line spacing changed, and the Price in my opinion) which I get on Italian, Danish, Netherlands, and formatting controls (font, applied to the paragraph that changes will be applied to all problem is that on our test Page formats can be applied systems AmigaWriter 45Euro (about £30) very well with, but it is always Swedish and Czech. size, alignment, bold italics and contains the cursor or the the areas in that style. on a page by page basis. You sometimes hangs when the nice to try out something new. underline etc). can also set the default page paragraphs in the current Test System Also the benefits of Word selection. Like the Character While you cannot save formats spell check reaches the end of Interface The document display itself formats which will be used for and styles and then load them a document. A grammar A1200 document support was too each chapter, different formats Format window it has font and Blizzard PPC/060 much to pass up, whether we By default Amiga Writer opens deserves a special mention, colour tabs, in addition there into a different document, you checker is not included on the Workbench screen, if because Amiga Writer is the can be selected for the left and can save a template document although for many people this BVisionPPC like it or not 95+% of the right hand pages of a double are tabs (the window kind) for AmigaOS 3.9 Boing Bag 2 computer community use you want it to open on it’s own only Amiga word processor tab (the spacing kind) and and base new documents on it. won’t be a great loss. screen you will need to have a that anti-aliases it’s text sided document. The defined When you start a new CyberGraphX 4 programs like Excel and Word formats are listed in a palette paragraph specific settings. On and it is better to have some separate utility, Storm Screen display. Anti-aliasing uses the paragraph tab you can set document a list of the available DTP Version Tested Manager, running before you shaded between the fort so they can be quickly applied templates is displayed, they compatibility than none at all. to the current page or pages. the alignment, inter paragraph In AmigaWriter each page 2.2 start Amiga Writer. You can and the background to smooth spacing and whether the can be organised into One thing I have noticed item, including text and either install this in your the text display removing paragraph should start a new categories if you wish. A recently is that I find it hard to Basic formatting can be graphics, is contained in a box, WBStartup drawer or run it jaggies. The end result is that page or chapter. The tab template holds all the details of keep a focus on screen text applied to the selected text so by default a text box is before Amiga Writer (manually text is much easier to read and settings include the option to a document including the (must be getting an old git), from the document window created covering the whole or with a script). When the the display looks even closer to generate tab stops at a user styles, page size and layout, and have found this program’s toolbar, but for more advanced page and if you only want to program starts it opens a the final (no pun intended) defined interval and you can the only area not saved is the anti-aliased font display to be a settings you need to open the create a simple document you toolbar window that has printed output. Anti-aliasing is have tab leaders, where the printer settings. This almost real bonus. True type fonts are Character Format window. never even need to know it’s buttons for opening or creating only supported on Truetype tab space is filled with dots or makes up for the fact that you smoothed on screen and Here you can select double there. For more complex a document, various editing fonts but as these are very underline, strike through and dashes for example: can’t change the default therefore easier to read! common this isn’t a problem. document settings, styles etc. documents you can add small caps styles and alter the Cheese Burger...... £1.99 multiple text boxes and choose height, width and slant of the Looking at the configuration Again the Paragraph format files it seems you should be how the text flows between File Formats font. A colours tab has options them. There is one main text to change the colour of the text window can be left open while able to change the defaults by AmigaWriter can import flow through the document and and underline. Colours are you work. editing them manually. documents in FinalWriter, this can go through any selected from a list but you can Wordworth, RTF, ASCII and Character and paragraph As mentioned earlier, number of boxes on the page define your own. The window Microsoft Word formats. With formats can be stored as a AmigaWriter supports Truetype allowing you to make any kind can be left open while you these formats AmigaWriter can named style in the document fonts which are very widely of layout. You can also have work, an Apply button is used usually load the text of the so they can be quickly applied available both free and stand alone boxes for captions to apply the settings to the document and retain most of to different areas of text. The commercially because it is the and boxouts, these can be currently selected text. the formatting such as text style can then be altered, for standard format used by linked in a separate text flow styles, fonts and tabs. If the Windows and Mac OS. It also but the links cannot across document contains fonts not supports both Compugraphic onto another page. available on your system and Amiga bitmap fonts, the The text flow editor is AmigaWriter prompts you to only major format you can’t use particularly well designed, you choose and alternative. Some is Postscript. AmigaWriter can link text boxes by dragging mappings for common fonts load fonts from multiple from one box to another in the such as Arial in Word directories anywhere on your direction of text flow, the link is documents are already set but system, you can choose then shown by an arrow. The you can still install the correct whether bitmap fonts are main text flow in the document font. No graphics or other displayed in the list. starts from an icon at the top objects are imported, and no The spell checker can check left of the page, which is linked text could be imported from via any number of boxes on one complex Word document the current selection, chapter or the whole document. When the page to another icon at the we tried. On the other hand bottom right corner which simpler documents, consisting an unrecognised word is found a small window opens where passes the flow onto the next Note that thisThe document AmigaWriter is showing screen numbered showing thefootnotes formatting at the palettes. bottom of the page. mostly of text, came across page. This is much more Text flow editing mode is easy and powerful. you can correct the error or 28 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 29 Reviews Reviews up your own tables manually. sided you can choose to print The lack of structured drawing the odd and even pages import compounds these separately for manual double problems as you can’t easily sided printing. On a negative Cordless Optical Mouse use an external program to note in the Print window your produce the graphics. specify the page size in the Mick Sutton was fed up being tied to his desk, so he got errr... tailless! printer, this defaults to A4 (great for us Europeans) but Advanced Word t wasn’t that my old mouse The Techie Bit Does It Work? you can’t save a different (Logic3 pilot PS2) was broken On arrival home from the show I Before initial use of the Processing default if you usually use I or anything, it was just getting couldn’t wait to try my new mouse you have to AmigaWriter has some another paper size. annoying to keep pulling on the mouse, but after opening the select which of the two lead every time when it got packaging and reading the blurb channels (the mouse powerful features for more There are a few other features snagged on anything. Picture the I discovered that the mouse transmits and the complex and technical missing from AmigaWriter that documents. Multiple chapters situation, there you are working batteries required at least 8 base unit receives) to we should mention in case on an image in Photogenics, hours charge before use... use and press the allow sections of the document they are vital to you. There is to have different master pages zoomed up to the hilt just putting bo**ocks! This is where I ran into initiate button on both no word count or document the final delicate stroke of and page numbering styles. a little problem, as on inspection the base and the statistics which can be vital for whatever brush or effect, when of the contents of the packaging I mouse, this makes Footnotes or endnotes can be some writers. The lack of an you go to move the mouse and realised that the mains charger the green LED on the added to show a note on a insert special character window it’s stuck! The damn chord has unit was missing... bo**ocks base unit flicker once it piece of text on the page. could also be annoying if wedged itself under the edge of again, I don’t believe my luck! A receives a successful signal. Footnotes are shown at the you’re writing technical the printer again.....grrrrrrr! Due quick phone call to Eyetech who The mouse from here on actually mouse, it goes into sleep end of the page, endnotes can While AmigaWriter isn’t a DTP program you can make quite documents. We also had a few to the sheer lack of space on my were very helpful and works straight out of the box as (hibernation) mode, and only the be either at the end of the hangs and lockups during desktop (the wooden variety) this sympathetic and it arrived in the an ordinary two button mouse, scroll wheel or mouse buttons chapter or document. As you seems to happen more often re-activates it. When in this sleep complex to explaincomplex than itpage is to layouts(for examplelike this one. as a watermark). testing which is unfortunate on post the very next day, well done but if you require use of any add footnotes they are than I would like, so I decided to Eyetech. The mouse system other buttons or the scroll wheel, mode the bright red light emitting do, it’s a really well By default text runs around any a product that has had several automatically numbered do something about it. which is made by a company (and lets be fair, you will) then from the under side of the mouse implemented feature. boxes placed above it, you can releases to iron out the bugs. relative to the other notes on called Maxxtro consists of the supplied “WheelDriver” has is extinguished to save power, override this so the text goes The colour and thickness of the the page and if the text linked several parts, the mouse, 2 Ni- to be installed (I put it in the this is handy as sometimes you underneath all overlapping What... No Tail? text box border can be set as to the note is moved to a Conclusion MH rechargeable batteries, a WBStartup drawer). Also may forget to put the mouse boxes. One limitation is that back into it’s charging base and can the background colour. different page the footnote AmigaWriter has some really I was at the Alt WoA 2002 show USB to PS2 adapter (the mouse supplied is another utility called text always flows around both when the RF (Radio Frequency) therefore this prevents the The width of the margins inside goes with it. In the document excellent powerful features and receiver is a USB device), the “FreeWheel” which lets you set sides of a box, you cannot set optical mice on the Eyetech mains charger unit (or not in my up various options with your batteries from totally discharging. the box can be independently settings you can choose the feels as if it’s basic “engine” it to flow only around one side stand caught my eye, these were case) and the receiver/base unit. buttons and wheel usage but I But having said that the mouse set so the text is offset from the type of notes you want (only has been well thought out. The or for the flow to break for the being sold on the day of the found it to be a bit quirky with works for several days without a border. The combination of one type is allowed per The mouse itself is 12.5 cm long image. Boxes cannot be antialiased screen display is show for £55 including the EZ strange behaviour in some charge, I know because I have these features allows you to document) and one of four fantastic and makes by about 6.5 cm wide, has a total moved from one page to Mouse adapter which is required of 5 buttons, a scroll wheel (that programs, in particular MUI been guilty of leaving it out make easy boxouts. numbering styles. documents much easier to another (we tried drag and to take advantage of the mouse. forms the middle button also) based programs. There is a file totally disregarded (like I do with read on-screen. One other A picture box lets you add an drop and cut and paste) which My last mouse was being used and a light source and optical on Aminet that you can my clothes my wife tells me)! image to your document, the can be annoying if you have to Printing factor to bear in mind is that in conjunction with a Punchinello sensor underneath to detect download to fix scroll-wheel image is held in an make major changes to an AmigaWriter is the only Amiga MK 1 which wouldn’t work with movement. The base unit (that usage in MUI applications called Conclusion The OS 3.5/3.9 printer system word processor currently in this rodent (is it a rodent if it MuiWheel that can be installed independent box that can be existing document. A really and TurboPrint are directly receives your mouse signals via development, it is also very hasn’t got a tail?) unfortunately. radio frequency) plugs into your and it works a treat. Other than the lack of a cable moved and resized (holding annoying bug is that any text or supported by AmigaWriter for reasonably priced. There are Now I know that £55 seems a lot Amiga mouse port via the the mouse behaves just like any shift retains the aspect ratio picture boxes you add are full 24bit printing. In our some fairly major limitations, to pay for a mouse but when you EZMouse adapter which in turn other and I must say that a scroll while resizing). Images are removed without warning if you experience the print quality of consider it’s the most interactive Move That Mouse wheel is a very useful tool, loaded at 72dpi which sets choose a new page format and which we have mentioned in has the USB to PS2 adapter text and graphics is excellent this review, but whether they part (apart from a keyboard plugged into it. The base unit is Okay we have the hardware and especially when browsing the their size on the page, as soon this action can’t be undone! Internet and loading long pages and the output is also very fast effect you will depend on your possibly) of a computer and moulded into a shape that holds software installed how does it as the image has loaded a on websites. Having used it for In addition to picture boxes compared to Wordworth or intended use of the program. tends to be a very personal your mouse when not in use, it perform? The mouse is shaped picture editor window appears choice of what suits you (sir!), several weeks now I can’t images can be inserted into the FinalWriter using TurboPrint We found it quite frustrating also has the power unit plugged well to fit the hand (both left or where you can edit the image then it’s worth paying out for right) and feels comfortable to imagine computing without it! text flow where they act as like either directly or via that AmigaWriter is only a few, into it, so that when you are not size by choosing a new dpi, something that you are really use, it glides freely across the The only down side I can think of a large character, for example Ghostscript. AmigaWriter does fairly small, features short of using the mouse it keeps the size in cm or a percentage not support PostScript printing going to get on with well. batteries (fitted inside the mouse mat or whatever surface is the price, I have no doubt that the justification options can be greatness, but some of these with time the price of these new scale. Image loading uses but as the direct output is so mouse) charged, with a neat little you use it on and seems very used to set their alignment on features will be vital for certain generation of rodents will drop datatypes so all formats for good this will only effect those LED to let you know charging is responsive. When moving the the page. The picture editor users. So having read the as I stated earlier it is a personal which you have a datatype people with true PostScript taking place. mouse itself, the scroll wheel or can be accessed by double review, we hope you’ll be able pressing any of it’s buttons a thing and down to whether the installed are supported. There printers (mostly lasers). If the clicking on an inserted image to decide whether it’s for you. .info The base unit can be pretty little green LED on the base individual thinks it is worth it. is no support for structured so you can edit its size. document is set to be double graphics such as EPS or CGM. Developer much wherever you want it to be flickers to indicate that a signal is As with a text box images can All these features give you the Maxxtro as it does not need line of sight active to confirm that something is happening. I must say from the have a border, however it ability to make quite complex maxxtro.com.hk/info.phtml to the mouse to work. This is Pros very useful to someone like me very off I fell in love with this little encroaches on the image so a page layouts but it’s no DTP + Powerful document Distributor who has lots of clutter and no device, it is absolutely brilliant in Result thick border can cover a program, in particular there are layout and formatting. Eyetech space on his desktop as I use. No more snagging cords or significant portion of the image. no drawing tools (lines, circles, + Reasonable price. www.eyetech.co.uk mentioned earlier, because you fluff to clean out of the under polygons etc) whatsoever Both types of box can be + Good printing. +44 (0) 1642 713185 can for example place the base belly (button), it is quite smooth which is a basic requirement of Top stacked so one box overlaps or Cons unit under the desk on top of the in operation (420 dpi) and can a “proper” DTP program. Also is hidden behind another, as - Poor spell check. Okay Price computer casing or wherever work up to about four or five there is no tables facility and the main body of the document - Frustrating bugs. Cordless Mouse ...... £44.95 you want it. metres away from the base unit Notch! because you can’t draw lines it believe it or not. After 90 is a text box you can easily put - Important features EZMouse w/mouse...£15.00 is almost impossible to make seconds or more of not using the images or even text behind it EZMouse alone ...... £18.95

Results missing. 30 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 31 Reviews Reviews address, Subject etc.), a menu item allows the full headers to be displayed if required. The main part of the window is the body of the message, any quoted material is can be shown in two colours which helps to show .info which parts are from which Developer quote. Formatting symbols such Mark Harman as *bold* and /itallics/ are News rendered as text styles in the WWW window. Usefully these features http://newscoaster.tripod.com can be turned off for messages such as those containing code Aminet snippets where the symbols comm/news/ have other meanings. Although CoasterRobert Williams is pleased to find a news reader that is still in active development. they are not marked in the text of License the message you can double the oldest Internet services, it settings that need to be made, click on a URL in the message to Freeware, source now n these days of mailing lists emerged in the early eighties. NewsCoaster needs to know open it in your browser, the link available under the GPL Iand web-based discussion Usenet is a system which allows your name and EMail address The main window showing the threaded message view. uses an AREXX script called gotoURL.rx in the NewsCoaster Requirements forums good old Usenet doesn’t users across the world to discuss and you need to setup at least With a group selected you can discussed. Finally I have a few (although there are markers that directory which you must first MUI seem to get much of a look-in. a wide variety of topics. The one server for sending and set some options, this is where groups that I only look at very show which messages have However it does have many system is split into a large receiving news. You can setup edit to set the path and type of Custom Classes NewsCoaster starts to show occasionally, by keeping these been downloaded and which your preferred browser, AWeb, advantages over other non- number of newsgroups each of more servers if you wish, for some powerful features. You can unsubscribed I can leave them have been read) so it can be (supplied in full archive.) IBrowse and Voyager are realtime discussion system, for which discusses a particular example some organisations set the maximum number of setup but I don’t waste time hard to find new messages at a TCP/IP Stack supported. one Usenet newsgroups tend to topic. Groups are organised into have an NNTP server for just messages to download, skip downloading messages I won’t glance. One final oddity is that Version Reviewed get a wider audience than a hierarchy with general subject their local newsgroups. One messages which a longer than a read. subjects in the main list are mailing lists and unlike web headings at the top, for example server is set as the default and Reading many messages with 1.50beta certain number of lines and set it limited to about 60 character, NewsCoaster is quite a based forums it allows you to “comp” for computer related this is used by all the groups you NewsCoaster supports multiple (1.51beta was released as to automatically delete most of the time this is comfortable experience, once use the software of your choice groups and “rec” for recreation define unless you select users, each with their own we went to press) messages after a number of unimportant but occasionally you’re in the read news window rather than on often slow and related groups. There is also an otherwise. For each server you groups, folders and preferences. days to prevent disk space being some useful information is the cursor keys can be used to awkward web interface. The “alt” hierarchy which is less can download a list of the groups If multiple users are defined a used by an ever growing trimmed, you have to open the navigate through messages, with Amiga has been blessed with a tightly organised for free available and once this is done username and optional password collection of messages. The message (and therefore up and down scrolling the wide range of newsreader discussion on many topics. An (it can take a while, my server must be enter when the program most useful feature here are the download its contents) to see the current message and left and software but many of these example of a typical newsgroup has over 40000 groups) you can starts. Each user’s data is held in download settings, firstly a group full subject. right moving to the previous or programs have been dropped by would be update the list, downloading just a separate directory that you set can be set for online or offline next message respectively. their authors or at least show comp.sys.amiga.hardware, the the new groups. NNTP in the User settings window. reading. Online mode is for Reading News When in threaded view stepping very little development. An name tells you that this group is authentication with a username groups you want to read while exception to this trend is related to computer systems and and password is supported for through messages follows the connected to the Internet in this Interface When you double click on on a thread nicely, but the thread NewsCoaster which has been is particularly about Amiga those servers that require it mode NewCoaster downloads message or select Read the constantly developed by Mark hardware. In most groups although this is unusual. In the main NewCoaster window display doesn’t open up to reveal just the header of each article message is downloaded from the the message you’re currently Harman over several years and anyone can post a message there are two list views, one server, if it’s not already With the basic setup complete when you download news and reading. although the program has (which is sometimes called an which show the groups that you available on disk, and then you can search for some only downloads the body when recently changed from article or a posting), or follow up have configured and the other displayed in a separate window. newsgroups to read. If you know you go to read the article. In Shareware to Freeware status (reply to) an existing posting. offline mode complete messages showing the messages in the There is an option to read with Follow Ups development continues. I’m When people reply to a post this the name of the group you wish selected group. At the top of the are downloaded so you can read one or multiple windows, with the In the read window you have the reviewing version 1.50beta that forms a thread on a particular to add the New Newsgroup window is a tool bar with some of them at your leisure without an former double clicking a new option to follow up the current was released in the middle of subject. option lets you type it in and set the more common functions such Internet connection. These two message opens it in the existing message on the news server or March 2002. some options. If you want to look as fetch and send news, post or You access Usenet via an NNTP reading modes are combined read window and with the you can reply directly to the The read message window’s for a group on a particular follow up to a message, and Before I get into the nitty gritty of (Network News Transfer with a subscribe check box, multiple option a new window is poster via EMail. Either option attachments tab lists all the subject you can use the Groups some message control functions. NewsCoaster some people may Protocol) server which is usually when subscribed to a group its opened allowing you to compare takes you to NewsCoaster’s message parts, you can view Manager, this displays a list of all Both the lists can be viewed be wondering what this Usenet run by your Internet service articles will be downloaded when messages (I suppose, I prefer write message window. Here you the groups on your server. either as a flat list or a tree view. them in a user defined viewer lark is all about. Usenet is one of provider, in all probability your you get news messages. If you the one window mode myself). can type your reply, the Getting this window open can In tree view the messages list is based on their MIME type. server is called don’t check subscribe then you The read window has a section signature of the poster is take some time (even on a fast properly threaded so you can “news.yourisp.com” or something must manually download at the top for the message automatically removed so you machine) as the whole list has to see which post was a reply to very similar. One interesting fact messages for that group when headers which shows a user don’t accidentally include it. You be read in and displayed in a others making it easier to follow to note is that unlike mailing lists you want to read it. definable selection of headers have the option to include any listview. Once it appears you can conversations. On the other Usenet has no central server, (for example Author, EMail one of eight signatures of your search for a word in the list by hand the flat view has the new messages are passed from I have found that this flexibility typing it in and pressing Return advantage that you can sort it by server to server across the makes NewsCoaster ideal for a which scrolls to the first group clicking the headers so it is Internet (or other networks) and variety of groups, for example I containing that word. Although easier to see the most recent gradually propagate across the have several groups that I read there is no button to “find next” I messages or messages from a world. regularly so I subscribe to them found that clicking in the text box and set them to offline so I can particular poster. One option that I thought this was supposed to and pressing return again does read them when I’m not on the I miss is to be able to expand all be a review... Get On With It! just that, finding the next group ‘net. I have other groups that I the branches in the tree view, on containing the selected word. like to keep an eye on but only a thread with many replies a lot Setup This can be quite a long winded read them when I spot an of clicking can be needed to see process so I think the group interesting subject so I set these the whole tree. Another limitation Before you can start reading manager could be improved if a to offline but still subscribe so I is that you cannot hide The MIME section of the preferences window where news there are a few simple list were added to display all the see all the subjects that are messages that you have read groups found by the search. viewers for different file types are defined. 32 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 33 If you don’t see what you want, just ask! Reviews Our range is always growing! own which are defined in the I should also mention that preferences window, each group NewsCoaster comes with Players Kicksoft Moovid PPC can have a default signature comprehensive AmigaGuide PPC version with both WARPUP and POWERUP versions. Comes on CD related to its subject. One or documentation and makes £18.00 more binary attachments can be extensive use of MUI bubble Moovid added, they are encoded in the help, it also has an AREXX Graphics Play AVI, Mov and files on your Amiga©. Comes on CD. message in base64 format. You interface for customisation and Drawstudio £12.00 can set a unique reply to external control. This excellent Graphics package avaliable one again!! Comes on CD and address for the message and includes Texture Studio & Image Studio. Frogger PPC PPC MPEG player. Comes on CDwith example MPEGs. choose for replys to go to a £35.00 The Kill File can be used to highlight interesting messages too! Issues £18.00 different newsgroup or to you by Photogenics 5 Frogger EMail using the follow up to There are a few areas in which This excellent Graphics package by Paul Nolan. Comes on CD. posting which are limited to plain its subject in the SUBJECT: 68k MPEG player. Comes on CD with example MPEGs. option that pops up a list of NewsCoaster could use text, NewsCoaster can cope with header. When a message £70.00 £12.00 groups to choose from. improvement, one is the menus uuencoding, base64 and has matches an entry in the kill file it Image Engineer Riva basic support for the more recent will not be downloaded so you which don’t have the standard Great Image manipulation program. Add effects to images such as Jigsaw. When the message has been The fastest 68k MPEG player on the Amiga! Comes on CD with MPEGs. yenc format. In my experience never see it or waste connection elipsis (...) to indicate items £25.00 £9.00 composed it can be sent at once which open a window and are this range covers the vast time on it. Kill file entries can be Candy Factory Pro SoftCinema if you’re online or placed in the majority of Usenet postings, in manually created or generated lacking in keyboard short cuts, Create 3D Text from any standard font and use them on web pages etc. PPC AVI, QT and Mov player. On CD with example Movies. outgoing folder to be sent the fact I didn’t manage to find a from the current message, in that this is especially noticeable £35.00 £9.00 next time you connect to the complete attachment it couldn’t case NewsCoaster gives you a when working with the groups Art Effect 4 AMP 2 NEW news server. While it’s waiting in decode. For longer files (for list of common headers you and messages list in the main Billed as “Photoshop® on the Amiga”. Excellent graphic package. Comes on PPC Mpeg, CD-i and DVD player. The only way to play DVDs on the AMIGA. the outgoing folder you can still example movie clips or MP3 might want to select in that window as only a few menu CD. £18.00 edit the message. Outgoing files) it is common for the files to message. You can also use the items are replicated on the £39.99 messages can be put on hold so be broken up across several kill file mark a message as button bar. In threaded view FxPaint NEW they are not sent, maybe while postings. To deal with these important instead of ignoring it, options to expand and collapse With over 70 effects this is a superb addition to any software collection. you find out some further NewsCoaster has an automatic this is handy if you want to the tree would be nice as would £60.00 Internet Inet Dial information or decide if you really join feature, you simply select all highlight posts from, for example, the different sort options that are Image FX4 NEW Home server on your Amiga©., includes Apache and Geek Gadgets. want to send that flame! the messages that make up a a particular poster. Kill file entries already available in flat view. I THE image manipulation package !! 100s of effects. £40.00 have EMailed Mark regarding Once sent messages are moved multipart post then a window can be set as permanent or so £99.00 AWeb Upgrade these ideas and he has replied into the sent folder (surprise, allows you to move them into the they are deleted in a certain time Excellent web Browser. Upgrade from OS 3.5 or OS 3.9. Comes on Floppy. saying he will consider them for surprise!) but even here you still correct order (although it does a period, which can be fixed or £30.00 a future version so hopefully I have options. You can choose to good job of sorting this out for after the last post that matches won’t have to grumble for long! Games NEW supersede a sent message, i.e. you). Then a new message is the criteria. This option is good send an updated replacement, created which is the sum of the for kill file entries based on parts and you can view the particular subjects which you you can also cancel a message Conclusion PayBack £35.00 Utilities PFS 3 attachment in the normal way. want to disappear once a which you have sent. It should The fastest and safest file system avaliable, up to 300 times faster than FFS. NewsCoaster is an excellent be noted that due to the For some reason the join particular discussion is over. £35.00 process is rather slow, often news reader for anyone who distributed nature of Usenet Metaview taking several minutes to join wants a simple program with all these features are not fool proof, Extra, Extra The best Clipart viewer on the Amiga©. Comes on CD with clip art images. messages totalling a few the important features but Freespace £35.00 for example a cancelled £18.00 megabytes, another niggle is that Apart from the basic news doesn’t want to get bogged down message may not disappear Diavolo it is also effected by the subject reading features I’ve talked in too much complexity. Some from every server, but it is nice to The best backup program on the Amiga©. Comes on . length limit which means about above NewsCoaster also people will find it missing the see them easily implemented. £50.00 occasionally the part number has a couple of neat tricks up its flexibility and power of programs The Feeble Files £35.00 ([2/10] etc.) is trimmed off. Even sleeve. The first is an excellent like NewsRog but I think they will PhotoFolio V2 NEW The professional way to view, catolouge and manipulate your images. Binaries at its current speed this feature search facility which can look in be in the minority, it certainly has everything I need in the £30.00 Binary data is not allowed in makes dealing with multipart one or more news groups for newsreader. It is excellent if you GoldEd posts to most newsgroups but messages much less tedious messages with your search term want to mix online and offline The best Editor, Program Editor, HTML Generator on the Amiga. their are some groups (mostly in than the previous option of in a particular header, the body joining and decoding using or complete message. The reading in one program. The Misc £30.00 the alt.binaries. hierarchy) which TaskiSMS external programs. messages found are displayed in interface, in particular the are intended for posting binary Send Text Messages to mobile phones from your Amiga! Comes on CD. the bottom of the search window threaded view and the menus Turboprint 7.21 NEW files such as images. £12.00 could do with a bit of spit and Use modern printers with 24 bit output!! The quality is astounding. NewsCoaster displays a list of and can be opened by double Kill Kill Kill! polish, that would make the FxScan NEW the binary attachments to a clicking, very slick. The second Full £40.00 Upgrade £25.00 whole program feel slicker. The only Scanner software that offers OCR on the Amiga today!! posting on the Attachments tab There are many very interesting is the statistics window, here you Overall whether you’re new to £30.00 of the read window. Attachments and intelligent people can see the number of posting in Make CD (DAO version) NEW Usenet or an old hand I OS 3.9 NEW can be exported to disk or contributing to Usenet but as in a group or groups from each CD writing software.Compatibale with most CD writers/rewriters. recommend you give Latest operating system for the Amiga. Comes on CD. viewed in an external program any community there are also a person, subject or newsreader, £50.00 minority who seem hell bent on not really useful but quite NewsCoaster a try! £30.00 by double clicking on them in the Aminet NEW Spitfire 2 having pointless arguments or interesting. If you have a 3com Palm© or compatible then you need this program! Comes list. External viewers are Latest Aminet disk or the latest series. Gigabytes of Amiga Software. being unnecessarily obnoxious. on CD. configured from the MIME Single £14.99 Series £29.99 To help avoid these messages £25.00 section in preferences, here you Pros VHI STUDIO NewsCoaster has a kill file, this Mediapoint NEW can select a different viewer for + Simple and logical. Connect digital Cameras to your Amiga and so much more each file type. Also listed on the stops it downloading messages multimedia presentation tool on your Amiga. + Multiple Users !£30.00 attachments tab are the entire from selected people in all or £40.00 + Mixed on and offline Amiga Forever 5 NEW message and its header and certain newsgroups. A kill file entry can be based on any reading. Pretty Emulate a AGA based amiga on your PC. body sections, this allows you to Full Version £40.00 Upgrade £25.00 examine them in a message header, so you could Cons (configured in the MIME prefs). avoid a particular poster by - GUI could be improved. searching for their EMail address Kicksoft Ltd., - Missing some advanced Various methods are used to in the FROM: header or a Good! 30 Whitegate Way, features. encode binary files into a news particular thread by searching for Tadworth,

Results www.kicksoft.co.uk Add £1.00 UK postage per item. Make cheques payable to Kicksoft Ltd. Surrey, KT20 5NS Tel/Fax (01737) 219280 34 TOTAL AMIGA We accept Solo, Switch, Mastercard & Visa [email protected] Support Support SEAL info channel I run at appropriate location. (You can the “in” button. A panel will you to set the time you want certain SEAL meetings as it’s do this for any image you may come up with a large number your slide to be displayed for. An Introduction to: basic to follow and work from. want to insert). So now we of buttons, which are the Then the next button labelled need to place the image, effects of how the text come in “Sound” allows you to add So we click on “New”. We don’t preferably in the middle! Click on your slide. If you can’t make sound effects or music to your need a background picture, so on the area you want to place up your mind, you can make it presentation! we’ll just click OK. Select a the image, if it isn’t quite in the select a random one each time. reasonable screen mode, place you want it, then don’t (The button with the question Once you’ve finished your along with colours (preferably worry because Scala has mark in it) Once you’ve presentation, and you’re happy in the region of about 64-256 alignment buttons (next to the selected an effect, as usual with it, save it! I would also colours, depending on how text style buttons). Click on the click on OK. You might want to recommend you to save your much memory you have). And center align button, and voila! add an effect to all of your text presentation while your Our “Introduction to...” feature returns as Elliott Bird takes a look at the Amiga’s premier multimedia package. set the overscan to “Standard”, You will notice that you can to make it all blend in. Not only working on it, in case things go Scala MM400 then click OK. And so you are belly up! (Scala can sometimes also resize the image too. can you add effects to your presented with a colour palette, text, but you can do the same consume a lot of chip Then at the bottom we have and various other buttons to Now we need to put in some to your images as well! And memory). Now you’re ready to ne of the Amiga’s main “New” (pretty self explanatory), edit your current slide. By text. Click on the area where you can also change the speed show your multimedia strong points for some this is where you click to start, O default, Scala sets the you want to place it, and select of the effects too. Now preview presentation off by clicking time, has been its Multimedia more on this a little later. The background to blue if you a font by simply clicking on the your slide again by clicking on “Run!”. Now sit back and capabilities, and one of the next button looks like a bunch haven’t set one already. You font button. (Where it actually “show”. Getting better isn’t it? admire! :) most well known applications of cards, this changes the slide can change it by going to tells you what font is currently on the Amiga that view that you are currently “Palette”, and change the in use, and what size) A lister OK let’s make another slide, demonstrated this was Scala. looking at. If you click it then background colour, by moving will appear, full of fonts in one the news page. Any font that’s FAQs Scala is the premier software Scala will change to a view the RGB colour sliders, and it column, and the sizes available readable will do, perhaps the package for creating your own where you can actually see will change your background in the other column. Once you Cascadia font will do for the Q: Can I use Scala to multimedia presentations and what your slides actually look colour in real time. So if you are happy with your choice, “News” title. And then a show off family, special slide shows, as well as the like (preview). When you have wanted a blue background, you click OK and you will see the reasonably plain font for the occasion, or holiday ability to add music and text to your slides you can actually would put the red and green changes take effect. Let’s put rest. OK let’s add a photos too? your own videos! drag them about to change the sliders at 0, and the blue slider in some more text, this time background to make it look order in which they show when A: You certainly can, make This tutorial will introduce you to 255. If you wanted a red with a stylish font, (Cascadia) more interesting and eye you come to running the script. sure you’ve scaled your to what Scala has to offer, and background, you would put the and we’ll add a shadow to it to catching. That’s better! You can do the same in the pictures down to about will help you to get started on red slider to 255, and the other make it stand out more, by other default view. “Load You get the general idea on 640x512, or thereabouts, so creating your own simple, but two sliders to 0. The same clicking on the “Shadow script”, well that’s pretty self how to create your slides, and that they fit on the screen. perhaps effective multimedia thing applies if you wanted a button”. You can change the explanatory too, it loads an a multimedia presentation out Don’t forget you can also presentations. The main Scala interface in thumbnail mode green background, the green colour of the main part of the add text, so you could give a existing scala script. And the slider would be set to 255, and text by clicking on the colour of it, bearing in mind there’s no System button is the actual gives you an overview of your presentation. limit to the amount of slides short description for each the other two would be set at 0. you want on the Palette, then picture. What’s this I see? prefs, which I must add there is three additional utilities: keeps your backgrounds. And if you wanted a white clicking on the “Front” button. you can have in your When you first launch Scala, rather a lot that can be AnimLab, FixScript, and (convenient or what?) and you background (as in this You can also do the same with presentation! Q: I want to add a you will be faced with pretty configured, all though ScalaPrint. Below that we see can select your background instance), you would set all the outline of the text, again by countdown to my OK let’s make the finishing much an empty screen with a everything works fine on the (which is very handy) how there. You will also notice the three sliders to 255. However if selecting the colour you want presentation, can I do touches to our presentation. few buttons, this is where defaults. There’s three parts to much memory you have and buttons for your scripts, music, you wanted a black on the Palette, then clicking on this? Let’s add some transition Scala will present you with a the prefs, the user interface of how much is available, as well sounds, etc. so that you can background, you would set all the “Outline” button. You even effects (wipes) to each slide. A: Yes you can, in the Scala list of pages in your script, Scala, here you can change as how big your hard drive get to these directories at the three sliders to 0. You get the have the option to add 3D to You can do this by going to the backgrounds directory there where you can shuffle your the colours of the Scala GUI partitions are, and how much click of a button, without general idea! your text, even in different third button from the right, are backgrounds with a slides into any order you like! (nice!), how many colours you space is available. As well as rummaging through directories colours! labelled “Slides”, and it will different number on each At the top, on the left is where want to run Scala in and your the system information, you to find another directory or file. OK, so we now want to put in bring up a panel (similar to the one (9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1), use you click if you want to quit presentations, the screen can also view the versions of that lovely 3D SEAL logo. You Now let’s preview what we Right, so Scala may ask you text effects one) full of various a different one for each Scala or clear the script you mode you want to run it in, each of the components Scala can do this by clicking on the have so far, by clicking on what screenmode you would transition effects. Don’t forget slide. You don’t have to add were working on, or had depending on what you have in uses, and you can view who “Load” button, which will bring “Show”. Bit boring isn’t it? Let’s like, how many colours to run it to set the speed, the default wipes for each one, but loaded up. The button on the your “Devs:Monitors” drawer made Scala. :) up a small lister. Click on add some effects to the text. in, and whether you would like speed should do. The next make sure you set them to right is where you flick screens (AGA only unfortunately, and “Brush”, then we select the Click on the text you want to overscan or not. Once you’ve button, labelled “pause” allows equal pause time for each to , or any other by default Scala uses a PAL SEAL logo from the add the effect to, then click on Right let’s go! done this, you can start on slide. If you’ve got any applications you may have screen mode, so have those your first slide. You can start slides in the wrong order, running on their own screen. 15khz monitors or OK, as we said earlier, to start scandoublers on standby!), and creating your script, you click typing in your text by just you can easily drag them there’s more you can configure on “New” and you will be asked clicking wherever you want it, into the right order in the too! The other two sections are to select a background page, bearing in mind you can move slide preview or slide lister. “Scala EX” which adds more although this is optional, you it around, change the font and Then save what you’ve got. functionality to Scala, and your may want to have a plain it’s size, style, as well as the Q: Can I get any more scripts (recommended for the colour background instead, you colour at any time, just like a backgrounds for Scala? professionals :) ) and “Scala can do this by clicking on OK word processor. Not only that, Buttons” which adds the ability without selecting a but you can add special A: Yes, you can either use to use buttons within your background. But if you want to transition effects to your text, your own you may have, or Scala multimedia script, to link select a background, then you so you can have them fly or you could get the CD with either other slides, other can click on the “backgrounds” dissolve in (cool!). And so I (available from most Amiga scripts, or possibly even to button on the right hand side, think it’s time we had an dealers), which contains a large number of The list view shows more launch an application. And over which will take you straight to example that we can put Scala on the right you have Scala’s the directory where Scala to good use! Let’s use the backgrounds for Scala. information at once. Here are the two pages we’ll build in this tutorial. 36 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 37 AN INTRODUCTION TO MIDI ON THE AMIGA.

Support Part The First Support down the sound at the same make sounds at the press of a Now for the other end. Hardware: time as the video track thus key. By selecting a sound, all • A interface (around completing a set of titles all in the keys will use that particular Your Amiga runs software 25UKP) plus suitable cables. An Introduction to: one go. sound i.e. piano - strings etc. called a sequencer which will However, midi keyboards have send data through the serial • A sound producer preferably Before going on to explain the what are called channels and port and the attached midi unit a midi sound module or a workings of a sequencer, a each channel is capable of to the keyboard. This also keyboard. (general midi little bit of background about producing a DIFFERENT works the other way round to compatible if possible but not midi itself without going into too sound. The general midi enable the keyboard to pass essential) much detail and boring the standard states, amongst other data to your Amiga. The midi pants off you. things, that they have a unit itself is not directly A sound module is a minimum of 24 ‘voices’ attached to EITHER end even Note: keyboard WITHOUT a General Midi Standard. (instruments) simultaneously though cables connect them keyboard! It is purely a sound available which includes 8 for together. This is because the (M)usical (I)nstrument (D)igital producer and cannot be drums. This is called a multi- unit uses a LED to physically (I)nterface is a way of passing physically played. digital information both ways timbral instrument. (There is a separate the computer and between a computer and a possibility that some items I keyboard and literally flash ...and that’s it! On the Amiga sound producer . The sound quote have changed as it is a signals over a gap to the producer itself can be a sound year or two since I delved gubbins inside the midi unit - The Process card actually IN your computer deeply into the realms of translate it and then flash the Geoff Milnes introduces us times I switch off the over 200 UKP and that was configuration, however the signal to the outgoing cable. Before actually starting an MIDIhave been interested in equipment and go to bed to FIVE years ago - is general or a separate electronic article on MIDI and sequencers keyboard complete with notes basics will still be the same.) This is known as opto-isolating to the wonderful world of music since I was about sulk! midi standard (I’ll explain that themselves, I thought I give I and buttons. and it is possible to disconnect seven years old. This was in a moment) incorporating 127 Your keyboard will also be making music with the As my interests in computing the midi cables from the unit you a run down of the way in about the time when I asked different musical instruments capable of playing a number of range from Graphics through At one time, all manufacturers and the keyboard without which I produce an audio CD Amiga and MIDI instruments my parents if I could take piano and sounds PLUS a full drum notes at the same time and this business applications - the ‘Net of keyboards used their own causing damage. which, with a little adaptation, lessons as I was confident that kit - is touch sensitive ( the is where the word polyphonic in the first part of this - Video - DTP - to Music, I have settings for passing information someone without keyboard after a week or two, I would be harder you hit a note, the comes in. Say, for instance, WARNING! This does not an application for every mood. via midi so a piece of music knowledge could use to record series. fully conversant with the louder it sounds) - has a that your keyboard is 32 note apply to the serial port - They all give me great pleasure produced on, say a Roland, their own audio CD. keyboard and be able to rhythm section of it’s own - would sound totally differently polyphonic with 16 channels, it connection and dis-connection and satisfaction but none more My MIDI setup consists of an amaze everyone with my built in speakers with provision on a Yamaha and vice versa. means that over all the 16 MUST be carried out with the so than drawing notes on A1200 with Blizzard 030 and undoubted talents. Over fifty for piping through a hi-fi and it So, eventually, the channels you are able to play computer switched OFF! screen and listening to them FPU / 32 meg RAM and a hard years later I am still learning even works from batteries too if manufacturers all got together 32 notes all at the same time. play back through my Yamaha Putting it together is very, very drive. This is not my main although this time, I am necessary! and laid down a set of So you could have channel 1 keyboard. simple. The MIDI unit connects Amiga and even the combining my knowledge of standards which meant that playing a piano sound using Attach this to the Amiga and to your serial port. The OUT specification of this is way over music and the Amiga to make Several years ago, touch midi files could be used on four notes, channel 2 playing you have your own orchestra socket on the MIDI unit the top for MIDI! You could use music, using a full orchestra sensitive keyboards were so different instruments but strings using another four ready to perform for you connects to the IN socket on an un-expanded A500 without and turning out sounds which expensive you required a produce the same sound as notes leaving you 24 notes to whenever you wish. your keyboard and the IN any RAM or hard-drive and it make me wish I listened more second mortgage to purchase the original. i.e. a piano on one spread around the other 14 socket on the MIDI unit to the would still work with Tiger Cub closely to my piano teacher all one. These days, however, You don’t even need musical instrument is also reproduced channels. OUT socket on the keyboard! on a boot disk.... I know ‘cos I those years ago. Sometimes things are oh! so different! knowledge to obtain fantastic as a piano sound on ANY GM Strictly speaking though, this is There are other extra sockets used to do this years ago! the sounds are fantastic - other Technology has surpassed sounds from it as the ‘Net is standard instrument. itself time and time again to littered with midi sites not entirely true as one on some units but these are Anyroadup - the MIDI unit is produce cheap containing literally thousands Now, let’s assume we are channel, usually channel 10, is usually extra OUT or just Pass- hooked into the serial port of and efficient of ready made files to talking about an electronic dedicated to drum sounds thru - the latter are not within the Amiga with cables technology so download. These you can load keyboard rather a sound card. effectively leaving you with 15 the scope of this article. connecting this to the Yamaha that most of us into a sequencer and as well The keyboard is actually a channels for other instruments. keyboard. MIDI out to MIDI in can afford a little as play them, you can take dedicated computer built just to What You Require luxury now and them apart to find out what and MIDI in to MIDI out. The then. The makes them tick (or screech or An Amiga (even the humble keyboard headphone socket is keyboard next to clang!). A500 is capable) then connected via an audio me cost just lead to the Line In on the Nor do you really need a Some software.Quite a lot has soundcard on my PC - and keyboard or sound module as been given away on that’s it! software such as GMPlay from Coverdisks over the years: the Aminet is capable of The software I use on the playing midi files using the • Tiger Cub Amiga is Dr T’s KCS and on the PC I use Soundprobe for Amiga’s built in sound chips. • Music-X Most sequencers allow you to recording audio. I used to use allocate samples to the • Sequencer One Soundprobe on the Amiga in channels too. both version 1 & 2 before it • Dr T’s KCS went PC so it is a little like Once obtained (or written by welcoming an old friend. I yourself), you can play these • Bars & Pipes (available from would use my towered 060 files along with graphics and the Internet for free download Amiga for this process but for 2 animations in many of the - I’ve forgotten where but if reasons - one, it’s expensive to multimedia programs available you mail me, I’ll try and find These days a full size touch sensitive obtain a soundcard for the for the Amiga. This is out) Amiga (and when I already General MIDI keyboard is very affordable. especially useful for video Mega hardware isn’t necessary for MIDI work all you need is have one plugged into my applications as you can lay • Octamed Sound Studio an Amiga, some software and a MIDI interface. 38 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 39 Support Support droid it seems a little have modified the above extravagant) and point two is system to be able to record that I already have so much Christopher singing in addition hanging off the back of my to MIDI backing. The result is tower, it would probably fall quite good, even though I do over more often than it would say so myself. With Composing Images work. I also believe in the Christopher in another room principle of using whatever with a and wearing does the job best (whilst taking headphones, the audio from account of SOME personal the mic is mixed with the MIDI in Perfect Paint preferences obviously...). and fed BACK through the Robert Williams creates a composition of images and discovers some cool features along the way! However, some halfway decent headphones so he can hear software and an Amiga ONE himself as well as the backing all these techniques on one Fade Away should change this setup A MIDI interface like this one connects to the Amiga’s serial port. track. Once balanced, this is ecause Perfect Paint is image in “real life” you’ll get a radically but we will have to fed into the PC and recorded. Bnot a layers based more professional look by We’ll use the first composed wait and see! MIDI instruments connect to the 5 pin DIN ports. package, you need to employ sticking to one or two effects image to get a feel for the sound and later change to Back to my recording session Although this can be done all different techniques when per image. general process of composing So, here I am in my den, strings, then an Oboe and now... I simply click Record on on the PC, I still find it easier creating a composition. In and just apply a simple fade As a theme for this tutorial I’m Amiga on, keyboard on and PC finally, back to Piano Soundprobe on the PC, Play and more comfortable to use particular, it is more important effect, the next two will be a bit going to use some of the The color correction window on. To do things the easy way, I again.One way of doing this is, on my Amiga and start playing the Amiga for the MIDI side of to start with a clear idea of the more complex. To compose a photos I took (with my trusty could just load a MIDI file, click at a certain point, push the music accompanied by a full things. Having tried to use end result you want to achieve secondary image we need to with its handy preview. Olympus Camedia 920Z digital Record on Soundprobe, Play button on the keyboard which orchestra! Cubase at evening classes because it is very difficult to go load it at the same time as the more vibrant. When you’re camera) while on holiday in on the MIDI file and away we says ‘Strings’ etc but several years ago, I found it back and make changes to first, Perfect Paint can load up done click OK to close the Never having had the Bruges last year. The end go. However, as I play sometimes it is better and very cumbersome and completed elements, to 10 images, each one is held window and apply the effect. opportunity to play with a result will be the sort of photo keyboards myself, I make easier to automate things a overfacing compared to the particularly if they overlap other in a buffer. The available group, band or orchestra in the montage often seen in tourist things a little more difficult by little so that when that Amiga software - a little like elements or the background. buffers are shown in the image To compose the image onto the past, playing with full orchestral brochures and the like. wanting to play along with the particular point is reached, the driving into town using a bar at the bottom of the screen, background we’re going to cut accompaniment is brilliant and In this tutorial I will compose MIDI file and the way I do this sequencer changes the double decker bus instead of Let’s get started, load up click in one of the empty it as a brush, click on the brush it is very possible to disappear three different images onto a is as follows: instrument and I can just carry my car! So, I stick to KCS... Perfect Paint and select a nice spaces to select that buffer, the cutter tool and ensure filled box into my own little world background, this will show you on playing. This is called a 16 or preferably 24 bit screen green bar indicates the is selected (it should be by occupied by only myself and 70 the basic process of In my sequencer on the Program Change in MIDI and, (note that all recent versions of selected buffer. The current default). If you want to cut a other musicians contained composing images in Perfect Amiga, I locate the track which although all the actual notes PerfectPaint require a graphics image window disappears but different shaped brush you can inside my Amiga! Paint and some of the special contains the melody and delete have been deleted, it is card). The first step is to find a that image is still held in do so by selecting one of the effects you can apply. As usual all the notes! I could just delete possible to send other suitable background, for this memory. Now load the image other filled drawing tools (make Just as an addendum to round I’ll try to point out some of the track itself but there is a instructions to the keyboard i.e. sort of image I wanted you wish to compose using the sure you select the filled off this article, my son Perfect Paint’s other features reason for not doing this - I tell it to play using a different something not too obtrusive so L hotkey or Load command version or you’ll just cut an Christopher is a singer and I and throw in some tips along want to start playing a piano instrumental sound. the images composed over it from the toolbox menu. A outline). Click on the image at the way. Although I’ll be using would stand out. I chose a window with the new image the top left hand corner of the sunny picture of quiet wooded appears and it is shown as a area you want to cut, drag to Toolbar path. Most of Perfect Paint’s thumbnail in the image bar. the bottom right and release The End Result global functions such as load the button. The brush should Quit, Menu, and save are found in the When I loaded my image now be cut and follow your On the Total Amiga website meg in size so there is some the Syd Lawrence Orchestra parts I actually played on the Depth toolbox menu, this is accessed (which happened to be of a mouse pointer if you move it are 2 audio (mp3) files and a advantage to compression! in Huddersfield Town Hall and keyboard - the electric piano, windmill), I thought it looked a over the image. Brushes by clicking on the down arrow MIDI file for you to download - being told that Syd Lawrence the oboe and the base guitar. bit washed out so before I The MIDI file, Fantasy, and it’s button in the title bar of the a sort of “cover website” for had at the beginning of his Once these were done, I had Circle, Box, composed it I decided to apply equivalent Mp3 file shows the toolbox. Open this menu then the Mag ;-) and here is an career, re-written the original to listen very carefully to the Line some colour correction. To do Tip: If you want to cut the difference between file sizes Curve, Fill, choose Load and select your explanation of them. Glenn Miller scores by audio recording and piece Freehand this click on the pen and whole image as a brush or get particularly well with the MIDI background image in the file listening to original recordings together the rest of the Ellipse, Text, background colour display in right up to one edge it is a The one entitled ‘Friends’ is weighing in at just short of 13k Polygon requester. and painfully transcribing all arrangement but I have to say the middle of the toolbar with good idea to re-size the image an audio recording I made whilst the Mp3 is over 3 meg! Cut Brush, Anim, the band parts individually to I am happy with the result. the right mouse button. From window a little larger than the with my son, as I described Depending on the soundcard, Zoom gain the Glenn Miller sound! Tip: While you were in the the pop-up menu select whole image. You should then earlier in this article, which the results can be either good If you have the inclination to Spare, Effects, That, I thought, is dedication - Stencil menu you may have noticed Effects/Colour Correction. A see a chequer board uses a MIDI backing and a on both or good on audio but download the files, I hope you or plain madness! 20 some Process, that the keyboard short-cut for new window opens with sliders background, Start dragging out live recording of the audio. I rubbish as a MIDI file - the enjoy them - if not, tough! You Special, Antialias years later I had searched the Load is “L”. Users of Deluxe to alter the colour balance of your selection on the picked the MIDI file up from better the soundcard (and could always write your own... ‘Net and all the other sources I Swap, Pen/Back paint will recognise that this the whole image. Notice the background to ensure you get somewhere on the ‘Net some MIDI mapping) the more Colour, Rainbow knew for a Gerard Kenny song short-cut and many others are preview on the left hand side, right to the edge of the image. years ago and it was quite an superior the results. Some Palette called Fantasy and couldn’t the same as the Grandad of you can drag this with your left interesting experiment to soundcards are just not kind to find it anywhere. Guess what? Amiga paint programs. mouse button to check the produce this track - I am quite MIDI files so I nearly always If you don’t see a It was my turn to play the effect on different areas of the Note: pleased with the result, play them through my Yamaha The image is loaded and brush when moving your nutter and transcribe the parts image. I found I just needed to although the original .wav file keyboard which gives displayed in a window, notice pointer over the image check into a MIDI sequencer - it took increase the combined colour quality is superior to this, my excellent results everytime. that a thumbnail also appears you do not have ages but once I heard the slider (the fourth from the top) first attempt at Mpegging. The in the image bar at the bottom Prefs/Cursors/Precise enabled Just out of interest, I sound starting to come right, I slightly to make my image a bit original .wav file is around 34 Symetry, Grid of the screen. in the toolbar pop-up menu. remember once going to see HAD to carry on. There were 3 Clear, Undo, AREXX. Progress So surf along to http://www.totalamiga.org Now! Script Progress 40 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 41 Support Support Now we have the brush switch black vertically, to do this click left mouse button to paint it want by clicking on it in the the Stencil pop-up menu. We to the background image (the on the right hand point in the down, you should see the palette with the left button. actually need to cover the first one we loaded) by clicking top section and drag it up so transparency now take effect. If Select Add Shadow from the background with the on its icon in the image bar. the line is flat along the top, the it doesn’t quite come out how Stencil pop-up menu, in the chequerboard pattern but I The background is displayed, if larger preview section should you want just click the Undo window set the X and Y offset found it easier to cover the you move your mouse over it turn solid white. Now click the button and try again. If you to get the size of shadow you subject and then invert the you should see the brush. You bottom point in the left section want to change density want, the opacity and the flow stencil. The key to this job is to may need to scale the brush to and drag it to the right so the mapping you need to choose (the higher the flow the softer choose the right stencil tool for fit in the composition, if so right line goes from the top left to Misc/Reset Transparency from the shadow will be). Then click your combination of subject click on the Cut Brush icon and bottom right corners. Now the the brush pop-up menu first, OK to see the result. and background. For example in the pop-up menu select preview should show a smooth otherwise the new mapping will Remember you can always if you have a fairly plain Custom from the Size sub vertical gradient. This gradient be added to your existing one. Undo and try again. If you want contrasting background you menu. In the Picture Size is even all the way down so to carry on editing the image can use the magic wand to window you can enter a new almost all of our image will be remember to turn the stencil off select it automatically. Just Resetting size either as a value or translucent to some degree, Note: by left clicking the icon again. click on the background and transparency also wipes out as a percentage scale. what we really want is for it to then use the four tolerance any stencil that is applied to fade in just the bottom third. sliders so the correct area is If you wanted to apply the the brush (see the Crop section We can achieve this by adding If you want to apply selected. You can add further image straight over the below for more information on Adding a soft shadow is easy Note: another control point to the a shadow to a rectangular areas with the magic wand by background with no special stencils.) line in the left section. Click on as long as you have a composed image you don’t clicking again, the tolerance effects, you could just position the Insert Poi. button then click need to bother with the spare just applies to the area the brush and click the left stencil setup. on the left hand line about two Shadow will be much easier as the page, just make the stencil selected with the last click. In mouse button now. But that’s Zoom in and make use of the tools available to crop the image as thirds of the way down, a new spare page has a plain using the editor’s rectangle tool my case the background is boring, let’s apply a fade so the A nice simple effect for a cleanly as possible. I found inversing the stencil was helpful too. point should appear. Click on background. To do this choose right on the main image. very varied so I am using the bottom third of the image composed image is a shadow the Move Point button then Edit Stencil from the Stencil “lasso” tool to select areas Brush tool and then the Filled position the brush over the gradually blends into the so it appears to be floating over drag the point across to the left pop-up menu, make sure the manually. To help you do this Box tool and finally pick up the background and paste it down, background. To do this we’ll the background. Perfect Paint While you have the edge. Now the preview shows magic wand is selected, drag Tip: accurately you can zoom in subject as a brush. You should I have overlapped my cropped use PerfectPaint’s excellent doesn’t have layers or a stencil switched on you can that the top of the image will be the RGB tolerance slider down using the + button at the top of notice that it has been cut image with the other composed density mapping feature. This shadow effect while painting apply all kinds of effects just to solid and the fade will only to 000 and click anywhere the image window, switch on away from the background images, notice that the is accessed by selecting but it can apply nice soft the composed image, just effect the bottom third. When outside the composed image. the cross-hairs by pressing using the stencil. Select the smoothing only takes effect Misc/Density Mapping from the shadows to the stencilled area, switch on effect mode by you’re happy with the preview After a few moments the Space and use the Amiga’s background image and scale when you paint the image Cut Brush pop-up menu. With with a bit of ingenuity we can clicking on the icon, right click click OK to apply it to the background should be keyboard mouse control (hold the brush as required. If you down. density mapping you can use this feature to get the to choose an effect from the brush’s stencil (you won’t see replaced by the chequer board down the left Amiga key, use need to you can flip the brush create all kinds of cool effect we want. menu and then draw over your any effect until you paint the pattern, now we need click the cursors to move the horizontally or vertically or transparency effects, to get an composed image with the filled Final Word brush down). Inverse so the background is pointer, hold Left-Alt as well for rotate by ninety degrees using idea of what is possible cycle First load the image to be rectangle tool. You can set protected. When you’re a left button press). If you the commands in the Fast Hopefully this tutorial has through the Preset options. composed into a new buffer preferences for your chose finished the image should be overspill and select more than Rotation submenu of the Cut demonstrated three useful Note that the effect shown will It’s easy to accidentally and cut it as a brush as we did effect by selection Preferences Tip: covered with a chequerboard you mean to set the Mode Brush pop-up. The keyboard variations on a composing be applied to the whole brush, add more points than you before, this time I’m going to from the pop-up menu. pattern, click OK to exit from cycle gadget to SUB to remove short-cuts for these are X, Y technique with Perfect Paint, light areas will be rendered need, to remove them just click cut a round brush by selecting the stencil editor. areas from the selection using and Z respectively again many things can be achieved solid and dark areas the Delete Poi. button then the filled circle tool after clicking the Cut Brush icon. Crop the tool of your choice. matching DPaint. To remove with this program even if it transparent. We’re going to click on the point you want to Swap back to the background any pixelisation from the edge doesn’t have layers although When the brush is cut swap to Once again load the image you base our effect on preset 8 so remove. image by pressing J again. If you’ve stencilled over the of the image we will now apply they do require a bit more the background image and want to compose into a new select that now. Now we need to reveal the subject rather than the the Misc/Smooth Border option forward planning. I also hope it Now position the brush over scale the brush as required. buffer, to make life easier crop image on the spare page, to do background as I did now’s the from the Cut Brush pop-up has shown you a few of First we need to alter the effect the background where you the image down so that there is Now position the brush where this right click on the Effects time to click Inverse, then use menu, I found that an Amount PerfectPaint’s less obvious so the it fades from white to want to place it and click the only a small border around the you want it to appear on the icon and select Spare Page Smooth which removes any of 1 was enough to get rid of features so you can carry on subject you want to cut out, background but don’t click the from the Wrap submenu, this stray pixels. Especially if you any jaggies without making it and experiment with it in other Crop is in the Effects submenu mouse button just yet, instead effect reveals (rubs through) have inverted now is a good look too soft. To finish off ways. of the toolbox menu. press the J key on the the spare page where you time to give the edges the once keyboard. This swaps us to the paint. Select the filled box tool Now we’re going to create a over and touch up any spare page, this is another and ensure the stencil is stencil for this image so the imperfections, the odd stray image exactly the same size as switched on (the icon looks subject is protected from pixel will be Okay as we will the background which can be depressed). Draw a box over editing, select Edit Stencil from blend the edges slightly later used as a scratch pad or for the whole area where the on anyway. certain effects such as composed image will show rubthrough. Now without through, don’t worry if it’s not moving the mouse click the left that accurate just make sure Tip: A lot of work can go into button, this pastes the brush you cover the whole of the a stencil like this so it’s a good down on the spare page in composed image. When you idea to save it using Save exactly the right position release the left mouse button a Stencil in the Stencil pop-up relative to the background Compose Requester may menu, if you’ve cropped the image. Now this is the clever appear, if it does leave the original image remember to part, the spare page shares its opacity at 100% and click OK. save that too or the stencil stencil with the background so If you want to take a look at the won’t line up if you need to we can set the stencil on the modes on offer by clicking the reload it. cycle gadget. Now we just The background to my spare page, on an odd shaped Make sure the stencil is The density mapping window is the key to lots of great brush like my round one this need to add our shadow, first sclupture is too varied for transparency effects, make sure you have a look at the presets! switched on, choose the Cut select the shadow colour you the magic wand. The end result, see it in colour on the back cover. 42 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 43 Support Support specifically for this function. Just select “Environment” from the “Settings” menu and go to the “Sound Events” page, here you can assign a sound to an Directory Opus 5 event more quickly than setting up a function in scripts. There Robert Williams kicks off part two of his Opus tutorial with a are also facilities to test the sound and adjust its volume. look at script events and then progresses to the file type The “Exclusive recognition options. Startup/Shutdown Sounds” check box is used to prevent the first part of this tutorial) Tutorial other sounds you have ast issue I demonstrated appears and you can see that configured being played while several ways you could the default command is the L the startup and shutdown Opus offers lots of options to associate commands with a particular filetype. customise Opus to easily internal Opus command sounds are playing. access internal and external “DeviceList New”, this one you add causes Opus to simple way to identify the type this will look for those commands, programs and command displays a device list take slightly longer identifying of a file is by its file extension characters at the start of the scripts. Before we hit the main (a list of the volumes and File Types the type of a file. (.zip, .mpg etc.), to do this add file. If the common characters topic of this issue’s tutorial, file assigns mounted on your One of Directory Opus’ most a check, click on the file gadget are a few positions into the file types, I thought it would be system) and the “New” option powerful features is the ability However, here is a quick guide and choose “Match Name” you can use “?” to mean any useful to mention another way causes it to be displayed in a to recognise the format of a file to setting up a new file type. from the list. Then you can character, so if you found a file of activating functions, scripts. new lister. If you never seen and allow the user to Open the filetypes editor and enter the filename to match type which always had “ABC” This feature is somewhat this feature in action before try customise how some actions click “Add”, two windows open, using wildcards in the string as the third, fourth and fifth confusingly named, what the double clicking on the will effect the file. The Filetypes one allowing you to configure gadget, for example “#?.zip” characters you could have the scripts editor actually does is to background of the main Opus editor is accessed from the the actions available for this would match all files ending in check Match ??ABC. define what functions should window, you should see a new This function restarts Workbench without “Settings” menu, in the window type (more on that later) and .zip. For file originating from the other where you edit the be executed when a certain lister appears and shows the running the WBStartup items. you can see a list of all the Windows PCs and downloaded class. The class is the When looking for event occurs. If you open the device list for your system. If Opus using the “Quit” “C:” directory in the file types currently active on your from the Internet where file Tip: definition Opus uses to identify common elements in files so scripts editor using the Scripts you wanted you could modify command in the “Opus” menu. requester, then choose system. While you can define extensions are almost always this type of file. First you need you can define a file class option in the Settings menu this function so something “loadwb_old”. If you have new file types yourself there used this is fine, however on to enter a “Name” and “ID” for make sure you check several you will see a list of all the different happens when you OS3.5 or later you can add the are several sources you can the Amiga and other systems the file type at the top, the files you know to be in that events to which you can attach double click. But rather than Sam Byford EMailed “SKIPWBSTARTUP” switch to check to see if there is already extensions are not compulsory. Note: name is the short description format, preferably from multiple an action. If you’re not quite change this default let’s have a to tell me that when he has the command; this will stop the a predefined type available. For more reliable identification that will be shown in the type sources, or you may create a sure to which event each look at setting up a new Script. installed Opus recently he’s programs in your WBStartup The first is just to double click of filetypes it is better that column of listers and the ID is class that only works on a option actually refers, press found that the installer has not which have already been on a file of the type you want Opus actually looks at the a unique code up to 8 subset of that filetype. “Help” on the keyboard while Goodbye Opus... Hello backed up the original “loadwb” loaded by Opus being run Opus to recognise. If Opus structure of the file itself to find the window is active for a more command to “loadwb_old”, so doesn’t recognise the file, it will characters that Opus uses to the type. In the class editor again by Workbench. So the As you can see in the detailed description. Workbench there is no way to load open a requester where you internally identify this type. The Opus provides a “View File” final command line should be: command list Opus offers lots Workbench. To check this take can choose to “Sniff!” the file, “Pri” (Priority) option is used to button so you can take a look By default you will see that the Sometimes it can be useful to “C:loadwb_old more ways to identify a a look in your “C:” directory this function tries to find a resolve cases where a file at the contents of a file and try Double-click event is load Workbench instead of SKIPWBSTARTUP”. When filetypes and allows them to be and see if the command exists. suitable filetype in storage. If matches more than one type, to identify some common highlighted in white, this means Opus, for example you may you’re happy press Return in combined with “And” and “Or” If it doesn’t you can find the one is found you can choose to for example an AmigaGuide characteristics which identify it. it has an action attached. have a problem and want to the text box to accept the logical operators, however I original loadwb on your install it, however check first document is also an ASCII text Looking in the help we can see check that Opus is not the command then click “Use” in Many filetypes start with a think any more depth is really Workbench floppy (OS3.1 and that the type is suitable as it is file, as long as the AmigaGuide that Double-click means cause, or you might just want the Function Editor and “Save” common identifier so the beyond the scope of this earlier) or CD in the OS- possible for there to be is set to a higher priority than double clicking on the to try some of the new in the Scripts editor. Now make program loading them can tutorial, so take a look at your Version3.x/c directory (OS3.5 erroneous matches. If a ASCII (which defaults to -1) background of the main Opus Workbench features that have sure that anything you’re doing recognise if it is valid, for Opus manual for more and 3.9). Copy “loadwb” into suitable type doesn’t come with then it will “win” in the window (which is the been added in OS3.5 and 3.9. in Opus is complete then example when I looked at information. your “C:” directory but don’t Opus then there are some comparison. Workbench background in Wb While you could always reboot choose “Quit” from the “Opus” several ZIP archives using overwrite the existing file collections of predefined Replacement mode). To view and hold Shift to disable Opus, menu, after you confirm the The main body of the class “View File” it was clear they all (which loads Opus) rename the filetype which can be Click! the function select Double-click as I mentioned last time, request you should find Opus editor is a list of the checks started with the characters version you’re copying to downloaded from the Internet and click the Edit button. The another option is to set a script closes and Workbench loads. Opus will perform to identify “PK”. To match in this delete Once you have found a “loadwb_old”, you can do this (or found on magazine cover Function Editor (which should that automatically loads the file, as with the function the Match Name check and suitable filetype or set one up in one step using Opus’ “Copy disks). Probably the most be familiar to anyone who read Workbench when you quit editor you can add as many add a new one, this time you can then decide what As” command, found in the Sounds Funky! comprehensive is checks as you like. The most choose Match and enter “PK”, actions you want to be Lister menu. On reading about scripts MagnumOpus, you can available for files of that type, above, you might be thinking download this collection from you can also set the default If you scroll down to the end of that it would be cool to add http://www.magnumopus.co.uk. icon that will be used in the the scripts list you should see sounds to some of those Magnum Opus contains 435 icon view modes if the file an event called “Shutdown”, events, for example when a filetypes and should cover doesn’t have a filename.info. this is called when Opus quits, disk is inserted or a lister pretty much everything you’re To edit the actions select the all we need to do is tie the opened. You could achieve this likely to come across. So here I filetype in the editor and click “loadwb_old” command to this using the scripts window to will concentrate on the options “Edit”, in this example I’m event. Select “Shutdown” and assign a sound playing you can give to a filetype rather going to add some actions to edit it, in the function editor command to each event. than how to create a new one. the Quicktime Movie file type window “Add” a new line and However with Opus Magellan a (which I got from choose the “AmigaDOS” type new feature was added to the MagnumOpus). In the window in the cycle gadget. Click on Install only the filetypes Environment window catering Tip: Recognising files by their internal structure is more reliable that opens there are three The Shutdown script is executed when you quit Opus. the file button and find your you think you will need as each 44 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 than using the filename extension. 45 Support Support sections, Events, Icon Menu and AMP2 so it would be and Default Icon. First let’s handy if I could pick between Total Amiga Mailing List Next Issue have a nice icon, just click the the two. As you can see from Website “Select Icon” button and find a the list of “Events” it is possible eep up to date with our progress with new issues of Total Coming up in Total Amiga suitable icon on your system. to run a different command by Amiga and get news of website updates and previews of the issue 12: You’ll find that some suitable holding the Alt or Control key K content of new issues by joining the Total Amiga announcements ones are installed by OS3.5/9 while double clicking on the mailing list. This list is only posted to the editor so your mail box News in the ENV:Sys/ directory, I file. However I know I would won’t be flooded. Expect a maximum of 4 or 5 messages a • The latest on OS4, chose def_anim.info. soon forget what functions I month, as a minimum we post a monthly update. AmigaOne, Pegasos and had assigned so a better option other developments. When you double click on a is to add the choices to the To join just send a blank EMail (no subject or body text is Quicktime movie it would be icon menu. This menu pops up required) to: Features nice for Opus to launch it in a when you right click on the file [email protected] suitable player. To do this • ADSL - What you need to in a lister. You can visit the group page on the YahooGroups website to get your Amiga hooked up select Double-click in the Double-click event to produce read the messages on the web or to change your group setting if to broadband Internet “Events” list on the left, then First I’m going to add my To get pop-up menus in a list of the files in the archive. Tip: you are a subscriber: click “Edit”, this opens the default option, View with name mode listers check the To do this add the following http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/totalamiga-announce Reviews “Function Editor” where we can AMP2, to the menu. To add an “Name Mode PopUp” box on AmigaDOS command to the choose the program to view item click “Add” in the “Icon the “Lister Options” page of Double-click event: “C:UnZip -v • EZKey IL the file. I’m going to use the Menu” section and define the “Environment” settings. {f}”, set the Do all files, Output www.totalamiga.org • Highway USB Interface wonderful AMP2 reviewed last function in the function editor, to window and Window close Back Issues • Feeble Files issue which has been enter the title of the menu item button flags. Total Amiga Issue 10 Drag ‘n’ Drop he following back issues of Support upgraded in its latest beta in the string gadget at the top. • Column from Fleecy Moss Total Amiga and Clubbed • Introduction to Wordworth versions to support Quicktime For this item I can copy from Using the drag and drop Open With T • Descent: Freespace Review (grab them from amidog.com). the double-click function by filetype action on a movie file are available from stock, you • PageStream Tutorial can purchase them directly • Mediator 4000 Review So click “Add” and choose opening its edit window and doesn’t really make sense so If all that is too much trouble • ImageFX 4.5 Review “AmigaDOS” as the type and dragging the command line for this example I’m going to for you there is another trick up from us for the princely sum of Regulars £2.50 each including UK • Directory Opus Tutorial. then pick your chosen viewer across. Add another menu item use the ZIP Archive filetype Opus’ sleeve that can make • Mode Promotion Tutorial • PD Paradise using the file gadget. Use the and this time set it up to run a that is supplied with Opus. ZIP opening files in different postage or £4.00 elsewhere. • Top Tips variables button ({ }) to insert different movie player, make files are file archives which are applications and utilities easier, Clubbed Issue 3 • Back to Basics Tutorial “{f}” which will be replaced by sure you add the file variable, very common on the PC. To the “Open With” menu. To • Interview with Petro of the name and path of the {f}, any command line options, extract files from a ZIP archive access this right click on the Please let us know what Amiga. double clicked file, then add and check the asynchronous you need an unzip utility, I’m file in a lister and highlight features and articles you • Getting on the Internet any command line options flag. Another good use for using unzip from the archive “Open With”, if the program would like to see in the next feature. needed by the viewer program. these pop-up menus is to call “Unzip512x.lha” which can be you want is already on the issue! • Blizzard Vision PPC review. My final command line is: the same viewer with different found on Aminet in the “util/arc” submenu just select it and your • Internet software reviews “Work:Utilities/Graphics/AMP2 options, for example AMP can directory. The unzip command file will be opened in that The new issue is due in: including IBrowse, AWeb, /AMP {f} window overlay ”. It play the movie either in a from this archive should be program. If the program you August 2002 Miami, Netconnect 2 and is also a good idea to check window or on a new screen. copied into a directory on your want isn’t there select “Other” All other issues are sold out EMailer round up. Note: Total Amiga is produced by the “Run asynchronously” Add another new menu item, path, usually “C:”. Open the and find it in the file requester, • Turbo Print 7 but you can download copies volunteers and this means option in the “Flags” list, then click on the View with filetype editor and edit the ZIP then the file will be opened. • Back to Basics - startup- from our website in PDF sometimes issues run late. If you’re otherwise the lister containing AMP2 item and edit it, drag the Archive filetype. Select Drag ‘n’ Next time you go into the concerned about the status of the sequence and user-startup, format. These retain the layout the file will be locked until you command line from the AMP2 drop in the Events list and click “Open With” submenu you will and images of the original next issue please take a look at the first in a series of tutorials http://www.totalamiga.org or contact close the viewer. function editor to the new Edit. Add an AmigaDOS notice that the program you for Amiga beginners. magazines and can be viewed us by EMail or phone (details inside function, close the AMP2 command and enter the just picked is now listed. Once the front cover). • Candy Factory Pro on the Amiga using APDF. function editor. Set the label on following command line the maximum number of items Pop-up Menu Review/Tutorial the new function editor to “View “C:UnZip {f}”. Now we need to allowed in the submenu is For some filetypes there may with AMP2 (screen)”. All we tell the UnZip command to reached the first chosen one be more than one action you need to do now is adjust the extract the files to directory will be discarded, you can set want to define, for example command line so the movie where archive was dropped. the maximum on the sometimes you want to view a opens on its own screen, in my UnZip doesn’t have a “Miscellaneous” page of the Subscribe to Total Amiga file and other times you want to case this just meant removing destination option, it extracts to “Environment” settings window. To subscribe to Total Amiga please complete this order form and send it with the appropriate payment to: edit it. For Quicktime Movies I the “window” and “overlay” the current directory, so to do (If you don’t want to cut your magazine a photocopy is acceptable or just include the details below on a piece of paper) have two viewers that I options. this we just need to set the “CD I received a few comments Total Amiga, 26 Wincoat Drive, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 5AH. Payment can be by cheque or postal order (in pounds sterling made commonly use, SoftCinema destination” flag. We also need about the Opus tutorial in the payable to South Essex Amiga Link) or in sterling cash (at your own risk). to set the “Do all files” flag so last issue, all were positive, Full Name: Tel.: all the selected files will be de- and a couple of old Opus archived if several are dragged hands even said they learnt Street User Group: at once, the “Rescan dest” flag something new. Thanks must Address: so the destination lister will be go to Sam Byford for letting me Please tick what you require, updated to show the new files know about the problem with A four issue subscription to: and the “Output to window” flag loadwb not being backed up United Kingdom (£14) so we can see if UnZip reports and for suggesting the Close any errors. Now drag ‘n’ drop Opus/Load Workbench tip. If Europe (£17) you have any comments on will work on ZIP archives as it Rest of the World (£20) does by default for LHAs. this tutorial or suggestions for Post Code: future instalments please let Start subscription from issue no. A final useful action to add to me know! Country: (Leave blank to receive the current issue) Set Name Mode PopUp to get popup menus in name mode listers. the ZIP filetype is to set the EMail: I11 46 TOTAL AMIGA Summer 2002 47 AmigaOS 4 First Screenshots These screenshots Menus highlight some of the changes being made to intuition, the core of the AmigaOS user interface. In particular you can see some of the window customisations options that will be available.. Note that this is not the final default OS look just an example of what can be done.

Intuition also controls the Amiga’s menu system. Here you can see that pop-up menus and a variety of display options have been incorporated into the system. These options will be part of the OS and won’t require third party utilities. PerfectPaint Tutorial

Here is the end result of the PerfectPaint which starts on page 41. http://www.totalamiga.org