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The best-selling Acorn magazine in the world CHECKED « VIRUS CHECKED • VIRUS CHECKED 4 VIRUS CHECKED t VIRUS CHj January 1996 Issue 164 £3.25 01> 770263V45062 : THE CLEAR LEADER he ScanLight 256 scanner The ScanLight software offers: IN SCANNING SOFTWARE offers a maximum resolution of FOR THE ARCHIMEDES Q1 400 dpi true 256 grey-levels at full 1 05mm width. In addition tfiere is support for Instant image rotation by any angle. monochrome. 16 grey level and 256 grey-level scanning at Support for the RISC OS 3 true 256 grey-level sprite format. 100, 200, 300 and 400 dpi. The latest scanner model offers a convenient one-touch scanning button and a unique overscan Only one copy of the image in memory at once, buzzer v^hich gives an audio warning when you are scanning too fast. A handy ruler is also supplied to ensure perfectly On the fly screen dithering lor maximum image qualrty. straight scans. The ScanLight software offers several unique A selection of sampling sizes from 2x2 to 8x8. facilities that make It the leader in its field - e.g. the ability to provide all picture processing and enhancement functions with Image enhancement facilities such as sharpening, edge detect etc. only the one original copy of the image in memory - vital since scanned pictures require a great deal of memory. Simple brightness and contrast controls. Spline curve control over grey-map for additional control, The perfect way to capture high quality pictures for ScanLight 256 scanner, guide ruler, interiice board, rrtanual ar\d software For the mmmOO & Rise PC: £129.00 1 VAT m.57 inci inclusion in or DTP practically any other RISC OS For the 30X0 anrf4000 interna/ card: £139.00 1 Wf ff163.32 incI Specify rr\achir\e type wher\ orijering. fiequires A/o carriage is charged. application. IMBytes. You C3r\ purchase a secoi\ii card for any Acorn model for just £39.00+ VAT l£4S.82incS- no need to move the e board when you mnt to use ScanLight on a second machine. Computer Concepts Ltd GADDESDEN PLACE HEMEL HEMPSTEAD HERTS HP2 6EX TELEPHONE 01442 351000 FAX 01442 351010 1 Education provides the knowledge ' to understand technology... Technology in Education BETTER NATIONAL HALL, OLYMPIA. LONDON JANUARY 10-13 1 996 - Wed 10 January 1 0.00am 6.00pm - Thurl I January lO.OOam 6.00pm - Fri 12 January 1 0.00am 6 00pm Sat 13 January lO.OOam - 4.30pm BET emonstrates BETTgH* iMihiARS asing influe .SORED BY AC The comprehensive pr€>gramme of BETT Seminars provide Learning to recognise their potential is vital support and training for teachers and lecturers at every Knowing how to realise that potential is critical. Ab.^ level of education. Covering all the main curriculum and part of your own education, ensure you are at the management areas, they deal vtrith the key issues and cutting edge of this fast moving technology. latest developments relating to IT for education. BETT'96 is your opportunity to meet the experts, GUARANTEE A SEAT BY PRE-BOOKING attend your choice of over 55 seminars and gain To ensure you can attend the session[s) of your choice and valuable FREE advice from over 320 leading avoid lengthy queues, pre-book your seats nowl suppliers of educational IT. Simply dial the Seminor Fax Line on 0336 423440" from your fax machine. Press the starf or send/receive button when instructed Vou will Surf the Internet in the "Net @ SETT", explore receive full detoils of the seminars, reservation fees and o booking form Software Publishing into the and Centre, look the Fully complete and return ihe booking form with the correct fee, and you future at Class Act '96 and evaluate all the latest will receive your personalised entry badge and reserved seminor tickets. products and services available in the market. NO CHILDREN OR UNDER 18'S ADMIHED Whatever your role within education, take time to I C K E T S E M I N A fece the facts - head on! O T L I N E FAX LIN Call the Ticket Hotline or dial the Seminar Fax 0181-984 7711 0336 423440' Line for further information and FREE tickets or return the coupon. Calls will be (barged al 39p per minule (heap rale and 49p per minute ol all olber ilnwf Please send FREE tickets and further information to: Mr/Mrs/Miss Initial Surname British Job Title sponsored by Educallonal EdUCatiOHal Suppliers Esloblishfflent Association - COMPl/TING&TECHNaOGY Addresi In association with THf IIMKS Klirt'\ I t4)N\l. SI CI-I.KMKNT EDUCATIONAL Postcode TetephoBo UXHIBITIONS LIMITED Please send my colleague FREE tickets and further information. Mr/Mrs/Mi» Initial Surname Organised by part of Job Title HiiRn EMAP Computing Ltd. EDUCATION Return to: BEn'96, EMAP Education, PO Box 24, Barking , Essex, IGI ) OPA AU- 28/12/95 CONTENTS Editor's letter ^ECULARS iHA^D^^^^ With the new CHRP standard being announced, hybrid multi-platform News Run the RISC order of the machines seem to be the Acorn's NetSurfer project 73 Fun and games with a joypad day and in this issue we consider a Graphics C Tutorial number of ways of achieving this, both Mm Fractal drawing with Montage 77 rvlore about the W!MP with PC cards and with readers for for- eign disc formats. PD Questions and Answers Hints anri t^'< '..^in.i. Mark Moxon - gone but not forgotten 19 Two pages of PD news 78 J 1 - gives us his report from Australia on iirl klnttmiK.AHHilA'ruiB^- ' 1 gnniiM., "'' using his Pocket Book and 3Fax to phone i ~ home. We also have a BETT preview; if you're coming to BETT do pop over to the stand and say hello. It's a long show u ' .en dull at times. HI and can get awfully B' see H^H 9^^H David Matthewman I FCC HNSromst .IMI_ .Einiri corral 9~tf f^H ^^^^^^^^^SKT'i- Managing Editor Pam Turnbull .j^l Editor David Matthewman 0 Cr» Bici ' ^a l™ n,/« ^^l Production Editor Alan McLachlan Art Editor Alan Capper Customer Hotline Editorial Assistant Karen Peach 81 The fast track to Acorn Contributing Editors Comms «INFO Ian Burley {News) Steve Mumford (Games) 23 Arcade becomes a WWW site Dave and Dave and Jan and Jan Jack Kreindler (Graphics) David Dade 83 (Comms) Paul Wheatley (Public Domain) Network stop scrapfile proliferation Geoff Preston (Education) 24 Advertisement Manager Emma Barr Cover disc and CD-ROM Assistant Ad Manager Lisa-Jo Oliver 26 Details of the TopModel demo Ad Production Helen Weaver Ad Typesetting Eddie Burke ''""' Marketing Manager Claire Mawdsley 60 What you, our readers, think Production Manager Sandra Childs Commercial Director Denise Wright Circulation Director David Wren Distribution COMAG (01895) 44405S Subscriptions & Back Issues : Database Direct 0151-357 1275 ,'i; Email: [email protected] Managing Director Ian Bloomfield At<w.'»r''.'-. ""'i Cover Walter Briggs Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation Acorn User is an independent publication and Acorn is not responsible for any of the articles in this issue or for any of the BETT again opinions expressed. 40 The stands to watch out for issues Back Editorial 92 Catch up on any you've missed £^ #IDG Wi3 RISC OS just resting? ^^ M E D I A ^1^^ Subscribers' page CP CD-ROM round-up Published by IDG Media Ltd, Media House, Special deals for subscribers 03 Three pages of the latest CD-ROMs Adiington Park, Macclesfield SK10 4NP J I.- J AVP F\3LjraBl(«9 I LIT ^ I e-mail davidm@idg,co.uk ^f\£^ The Regan Files jininft*'! * £*• nrc <- 1^ " HJH- tai-^-Mjaiv IKOI- http://www.idg.co.uk/acornuser/ l^#W Jim Daniels of Pineapple .«^.H>j|»-uJ.>*q-«o,^i* l>u^rh» '^ ^^^^^^^^^^^H ! 1 Tel: (01625) 878888 Fax: (01625) 850652 Printed by Duncan Web Offset, Maidstone FiiVM'Iriiii «4 *^ 4iii#t -v^ab« k "•d '•4«rr ^^M 13 issue subscription rate: £37.99 (UK). 1 £53.99 (EU), £68.99 (World) ©1995 IDG Media Ltd. wB ^^0P^ No material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission, While every care is taken, the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for any errors in Smudging the results articles, listings or advertisements 75 Science with a spaniel 4 Acorn User January 1996 w January 1996 26 PC-U-Like 35 Thp f^'-.tpr 486 rard from Aleph One Acorn Superb of demo the idum 4 Srrvkes CAUIogu Spring t «9« new 3D modelling package TopModel plus H(ii«itiidlii ^"1 [mi a free CD-ROM containing Acorn's Products eesox and Services catalogue and ^irx"^ over 60 commercial demos taking up over 350Mb of disc space. ^£ Reading PC CDs Microsoft and DK CD-ROMs on RISC OS In brief 37 ImageFS' and the PC Survival Guide 32 Sounding boards 49 Mixer boards for the Rise PC We look at the Games reviews solutions available 53 Cobalt Seed, Command Ship, for FistLore, Rick Dangerous and running PC Land, Sea and Air software on your Acorn. CD-ROM deal 29 25% off an Eesox CD-ROM drive Mark Moxon, ex-editor 9^ Hybrid machines of Acorn User, shows Mixing PCs and Acorns in one case how you can use a Plains, Trains and Pocket Books 42 Mark Moxon reports from Australia Pocket Book to communicate from Jift Vii^ual design Futuristic design on your Arc the Antipodes Next month in Acorn User Clan issue Acorn's Clan enthusiast scheme has been running for over a year now. We talk to Chris Cox about the scheme, and to some Clan members to find out what they've got from it.