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• • • ) ��--: -·· � ··�)::�- ,.., .. ... .... .. ......- .. .. - - --------- --.. ,. - ..... - .. _ ...._ ....___ ... • • • • 2 MSX User, free with Computing Today September 1984 Editor FREE Peter Green ITH COMPUTING Managing Editor .- Ron Harris TODAY Advertisement Manager Malcolm Wynd Divisional Advertisement Manager Beverley McNeil Chief Executive Jim Connell I - _, l - � Argus Specialist Publications Ltd, No. 1 Golden Square London W1 R 3AB 01·437 0626 Telex: 8811896 MSX User is published monthly w1th Computing Today. Subscriptions and back issues: I nfonet L td, 10- 13 Times House, 179 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1BB. 0442 48432. Trade distribution: Argus Press Sales and Distribution Ltd, 12-14 Paul Street, London EC2A 4JS 01-247 8233. Printed by Alabaster Passmore & Sons Ltd, of London and Maid stone, Kent The contents of this publicaton, including all articles, plans, drawmgs and programs and all copyright and other intellectual property rights therem belong to Argus Spec1alist Publica tions Ltd. All rights conferred by the Law of Copyright and other mtellectual property rights and by virtue of international copyright convent1ons are spec1f1cally reserved to Argus Specialist Publications Ltd and any reproduc tion requ1res the pnor written consent of the company. © Argus Spec1al1st Publ1cat1ons ltd 1984 MSX User, free with Computing Today September 1984 3 • And Mr Margolis said the . ...;.•... · .; ..· computer would be sold -:· . .... ·,·,· . :::. ·. ·:. through dealers who are ·:· .:·. · . ··.•. · . ·.. ·. i . currently selling Sony ·.·:·. · ·, ·, .·.� . :. : �:< ·I, products. ;:: ; ... •'• Answering criticisms that .·· . the MSX standard could delay computer development, he said: "The way we see home :· ;. computers is that they have traditionally been developed by '• boffins, reviewed by boffins and bought by boffins. "They are people who are interested in computers for their own sakes. We believe Yamaha's MSX micro, due there are a lot of people who here in November, will also be are interested in home enter a musical instrument, with its . tainment, not only to do their own remote piano-style key -; . own programming. · .it :: .;. board. :::;:<:>·.· . : ::::. ;:::: ;:; : -�:: .. "There is a large number of · The system will cost about : -:/·· \. \.. : : . :. (.} . : •;: . people who are afraid of , ,.;;. and will comprise . · . • . > . · £600 . · .·. ... · ·: buying home computers. They ; · ::::. .;:;'· Yamaha's CX5 computer with . • : . :·; . : . / -·: .• ..'•. are not sure what to buy and a built-in sound module and : -: .. .·.· .::: they have a whole list of fears:' added keyboard. The only reason for inno Jerry Uwins, marketing vation was to bring benefits to manager for the company's U K the consumer - which would arm, Kemble-Yamaha, said continue to be done with MSX 11With preset sounds it can 48 - but there was no point in sound like a piano, trumpet, putting the latest chip into a violin... any instrument you home computer to sort care to name. 10 megabytes of information "Composing is going to be more quickly. one particular feature. /lOne of the important Speed of games was import points to stress is that the ant, though. And the format various squeaks and squawks allowed considerable sophis that you get out of Commo tication, not only with discs dore and Sinclair are not in the and the CP I M business same league. operating system to come, but ''The sound is very similar to also the possibility of a second our DX9 synthesiser, which is processor - increasing speed by a proper, pedigree musical two to three times - within instrument using proper "We thought: 'Why call it a expect the same unique about three years. classical notation:# silly name like Walkman... it's approach. The uniqueness of He stressed, however, that The MSX computer from ridiculous: We thought long the name has been an the comptJters would always Sony will probably be called and hard about it. But it's now advantage to the Walkman and be upward-compatible. The the Hit Bit. part of the language. lt has a it would be the same for the companies making them were Sony's new business mana personality and it's part of a computer�' highly competitive and their ger, Mike Margolis, explained: lifestyle. Sony's present range of only common ground was ��until a week before we ''A lot of the thinking behind products in the U K include hi compatibility. launched the Walkman we the computer was done by the fi, audio, video, TV and broad Mr Margolis said Sony would be bringing out its own were in two minds about same people who are behind casting equipment for both TV whether to use the name. the Walkman, so we would and radio. MSX User, free with Computing Today September 1984 4 He felt that in the beginning be running training courses for peripherals, like disc drive and there may be some confusion dealers before the launch�' joystick, but probably not a in the minds of buyers about There would also be training standard joystick. which MSX computer to for service engineers at the He said: "We pride our choose. But this would be same centres, as well as in selves on being innovative�' cleared up as each manu Scotland and Ireland. Toshiba expects to have its facturer advertised and pro Mr Michaelis said: "I don't computer in the shops in moted its additional features. see many problems on that September I October. Product He said: 11At the end of the side - video recorders are far manager Chris Greet said: day the machines are more complex and our dealer "We're been ahead of the field completely different. Some network can service them in Japan, so we will possibly have cassettes built in, some already. Computers are a piece be one of the first in the U K�' have got built-in joysticks�' of cake�' U K buyers had the advan JVC' s computer, made in JVC, short for the Japan tage that they would be the town of Ewai, 50 miles Victor Company, is the getting the second generation north of Tokyo, will also have inventor of the VHS video of MSX computers, advanced 64K of RAM and cost will be recorder format - which now on what first went on sale in about £250. The company also had a claimed 80 per cent of Japan. plans to offer a monitor, 3% in the market - and makes video Talking of computer devel disc drive and a data recorder. recorders, TVs, hi-fi, including opment, he said that the JVC' s assistant marketing compact disc players, as well problem with boffins and manager, Step hen Michaelis, as other products. lt employs research staff was that they said his company was also 1,200 people worldwide. always wanted to wait for the thinking of introducing a 5 �in Mr Michaelis expected JVC next advance before bringing drive because that format was to export its computer to most out a computer. quite popular. of Europe, starting with France What MSX will mean MSX will cure the major headache for home com puter users and dealers: software for one micro won't generally work on another maker's range. Several Japanese com panies have got together to He said: "At some stage you He said: "We are aiming at and Germany next year. bring out computers which have to put something on the the audio and video dealer who But supplies for the U K all use the same BASIC and marketplace. we are already supplying. would at first be limited. He operating system. And ''The technology behind the ��some of the dealers, about said: lilt's very critical coming European and American MSX standard is not unique - per cent, are already selling into the market in October. 10 computer makers are think it uses standard components. computers and they know a This year I don't think we will ing of doing the same. But we know the reliability and fair bit about them. We have be able to meet demand lt means that all software we know how to develop soft two training centres, in because it's coming too late�' ware for the computers. London and in Leeds, and we'll and peripherals will run on 11lf you look at the problems any computer using the other computer manufacturers same standard, designed by are having you can see the the U.S. company Micro advantages of existing soft. MSX stands for Micro technology, That isn't to say soft Extended. that our computers are MSX computers are due absolutely fixed. There's a lot in the shops in September of things coming from Japan:' from, among other com The general manager of panies, Hitachi, Teleton, Canon's systems division, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, Sony, Richard Kennedy, expected his Toshiba, Canon and company's computer to start Yamaha. arriving in October. He was cautious, however, saying: ��we are taking a very advised view of the market. We are very enthusiastic about the product and the market and we are trying very hard to get it right from the point of view of availability of software. From the past, we know that software can be a little late:' He expected Canon's 64K computer, costing about £250, to get a major marketing push in the spring of next year. By, then, he said, it would be on sale in every major high street retailer. He expected tremendous competition between the makers of MSX computers. MSX User, free with Computing Today September 1984 4 5 1 Mugsy Melbourne House Spectrum <1) 1 Sabre Wulf Ultimate Spectrum w ) ( 3 Flight Path 737 Anlrog CBM 64 (2) Beach Head us Cold CBM 2 \ (2) 3 Lords of 3 LOCO Alllgata CBM 64 (3) Midnight Beyond Spectrum <4> 4 Psytron Beyond Spectrum <5> 4 Sphinx Adventure Acornsoft BBC 5 omega Race commodore CBM 64 <4> (3) The 1 nferno R. Shepherd Spectrum 6 Trashman Ouicksllva CBM 64