BBC micro. Electron and Atom magazine October 1983 £1 PRINTERS: Epson ^\wsmA/^^:^^z^77^^ BBG fractal graphics TELETEXT: adapter assessed DISC: more files SOFTWARE: games reviews J VAMPIRE BBC game for two players DESIGNED WITH PROGRESS IN MIND An example of superior technology, total reliability and outstanding performance, combined to produce the LVL Disk Drive Family. Truly professional units designed to work with the BBC t x r--~ . r-jMicrocomputer.' . = . , j-f--f I I j i Compatible wfth {hi BTCWvT"'*™"'^ Disks are interchangeable wit Wft -I orruption formatted on the BBC Drivr ^ i?WWW:':p?:|:s • Operates either from the B LVL Double Density DC^ 5BSB5* i-il«l Mwrnm optional 280 and CP/mL.CP/M/^ IP' « 59BSS> WMMvAmt • Supplied complete with all necessary connecting leads, utility disk and full operating manual. scientific House. Bridge Street, Sandiacre, Nottingham • Available from all LVL Dealers. NGIO 5BA Tel: 0602 394000 . DERBYSHIRE WUdings Photo Ltd., S.P. Electronics, THERE'S Wigan. 0942 Hucknall. 0602 640377 C.J.E. FAW Electronics Ltd., 44382/39682 Microcomputers, Aberdata, Aberystwyth. ANLVL Chesterfield. 0246 G.A. Computers, Worthing. 0903 213900 33632 Ruddington. 0602 0970 615522 213492/211225 DEALER Microcentre, Bognor Ltd., Swansea. First Byte Computers, Bucon Regis. 0243 827779 467980 Derby, 0332 365280 0792 NEAR G.W. GowlingLtd., WARWICKSHIRE Gordon Harwood, Leicester- 0533 SIR Computers, Cardiff. 553232/542730 0222 759015 YOU ... AUreton. 0773 832078 Rocon Ltd., Abingdon. Carve 11 of Rugby, 0235 24206 Rugby. 0788 65275 SCOTLAND Graves, Ilkeston. 0602 Percy Lord & Son 325478 .Ad., Wigston. 0533 785033 Absolute Sound & WEST MIDLANDS C. Bruce Miller, Video, Headinglon. 086S Aberdeen. 0244 632211 Murcott Ltd., 60844 Richard Morris CCE Europe Ltd., R.H. Loughborough. 0509 (Electrical) Ltd., Computer Services Yate. Classic Computers, 214444 Warley. 021 429 1161 (Scotland), Glenrothers, Bristol. 0454 321088 Bournemouth. 0202 234S6 Fife, 0592 773710 MedUcott Bros., {.B.C. Mlcroservices, Software Pliii, Bath, LINCOLNSHIRE Shrewsbury. 0743 3060 Coventry. 0203 73813 0225 61676 Graham Begg Ltd., Greens of Caithness. 0955 4777 Computer Village. Quality Radio & TV Absolute Sound & ACL Radio Services Gainsborough, Gainsborough. 0427 0952 582995 Company, Birmingham. Commscot, Glasgow. Video, Clifton. Bristol. Ltd., Grays, 0375 79834 5423 0272 2497S 5101/4 021 430 041 226 4878 Cantelec, Chelmsford. Gibbs Ltd., K & K Computers, 0245 56680 Oakleaf Computers D.F. W.M. Coupar, Emery & Co., Bungay. Coventry. 0203 87432 Weston Super Mare. Ltd., Grantham. 0476 Blairgowrie. 0250 2436 0986 2141 0934 612811 GLOUCESTER 76994 WILTSHIRE Service Centre, C.E. Matthews & Co., BEDFORDSHIRE Absolute Sounds & Peter Rhodes, Market Greenock. 0475 20228 Ipswich. 0473 215666 Wiltshire Video, Cheltenham, Rasen- 0673 842361 Microcentre, Swindon. Broadway Electronics 0242 583960 Ian Hutchinson A. & R. Computers, 0793 612299 Lev Bedford. 0234 213639 (Leven) Ltd., en. Ipswich. 0473 56789 0333 23870 Henry's Radio, Absolute Sounds & BUCKINGHAMSHIRE | SSTJhESTER London W2. 01 723 Video, Swindon. 0793 J.H.Donald Ltd., 38222 0563 Hl'Vu Electronics, LomaxLtd., 1008 Hurlford- 26477 Gordon Foster, Milton Keynes. 0908 Manchester. 061 832 Lichfield. 05432 22341 312808 6167 Paul Electrical, WORCESTERSHIRE HOLLAND London SW20, 01 542 6546 Klrklands, Stoke-on- Spurtree Data, Radio Rotor BY, A. L.Wheeler Ltd., HEREFORD Trent. 0782 412511 Boraston. 0584 810757 Great Missenden, 02406 Amsterdam- 010 31 20 2560 B.F. Kempsom, Cannonbury Radio, 125759 John Bagnall Ltd., Phoenix Data Systems Hereford, 0432 273480 London Nl. 01 226 9392 Stafford. 0785 3420 Ltd., Great Malvern. Tarace Ltd., Wendover, 0296 623915 HUMBERSIDE Centre of Sound, Compute rama, 06845 68478 London Wll. 01 727 Stafford, 0785 41899 The Big Byte Shop, CHESHIRE Computer Facilities, 0511 Dublin. Scunthorpe, 0724 de Cobaln, Goole. Oakleaf Computers, 863167 Off Records, London K.A. Everyman Computer 0405 2366 Chester. 0244 310099 SWll.Ol 223 7730 Haslemere Co mputers, Services, Ballymoney. Vlxon Computers, Haslemere. 0428 54428 Co. Antrim. 026 56 62658 Pennine C-Tech Software, Cleethorpes, 0472 MERSEYSIDE Computers Ltd., Halifax. 0422 41719 Hyde. 061 366 8223 58561 Mr. Cad, Croydon. 01 McLaughlin Tisdalls, Newton-Le- 684 8282 Electronics, Arthur Yates Ltd., Computer City, Mlcroserve, Willows, 092 52 5577 Londonderry. 0504 Ripon. 0765 2737 Widnes. 051 420 3333 Scunthorpe. 0724 Minichlp Ltd., Walton 65002 849696 Thornguard Ltd., on Thames. 09322 42777 Fairhurst Instrument HeswaU. 051 342 7516 West Riding Computers, Wakefield. Ltd., Wilmslow, 0625 Statacom Ltd., Sutton. 0924 381501 52S694 01 661 2266 MegaLtd.,St. Helier. Computer Plus, 0534 72263 Watford. 0923 33972 Adams & Dack (B.B. Vlsionstore Ltd., EUec Microcomputers. 0274 Adams) Ltd., Norwich. Kingston. 01 546 8974 Barrow Computer 0603 22129/24813 722512 Centre, Barrow in 3D Computers, Fumess. 0229 38353 Kent Micro Computer Bennetts Of Derehant, Tolworth. 01 337 4317 Ltd., Maidstone. 0622 Dereham. 0362 2488 Ace Computers, 52784 Modern Business Orkney ISLE OF WIGHT Television Kendal. 0539 25728 NORTHUMBERLAND Technology, Enterprise, Kirkw ell & Goldoming. 04868 23956 Stromness. 0856 2613. Excell of Bembridge, The Computer Shop, George Storey, 0856 850555 LANCASHIRE Morpeth. 0670 55239 Bembridge. 098 387 Carlisle. 076881 381 P. & H. Electronics, 2578 Yatesley. The Atamine Tom Newton & Sons, Company, Colne. 0282 Seahouses. 0665 720307 363520 I Tq Leasalin*i Vtpwrtala Ittl Scienlidc House, BndRe Street, Saridiacre. NnttinRtiam NGIO^BA Cambridge Computer Store, Cambridge, 0223 I Please wnrt mp Lambert (Radio) 65344 f. lOOK Single Disk Drive{s) at £265 each {including VAT). Ltd., Burnley. 0282 NOTTINGHAMSHIRE I (including VAT). 71459 2 X lOOK Twin Disk Drive(8) at £389 each Electrical Services, j Basic Business I 2 X 200K Twin Disk Drive(8) at £573.85 each (including VAT). Ely. 0353 2681 Home & Business Systems, West 0602 819738 I enc/osp a Cheque Fpr L- Pledse Uet>ii My AcccsvBa/clay'catd CORNWALL Computers Ltd., Bridgeford. 1608 Oldham. 061 633 I No H.N. & L. Fisher -I i I I Brewer & Bunney, I.M.O. Computer (Huthwalte) Ltd., Camborne. 0209 712681 Sutton-in-Ashfield. 0623 I Name Centre, Burnley. 0282 53435 54299 Held Computers P.V. Microcomputer Mans Devon Computers, Electronics, Centre, Accrington. & Po^t Codf Day limp Ifl l^ri Paigntoa 31202 0254 36521/32611 Mansfield. 0623 l_. ACORN USER OCTOBER BINDERS CONTENTS ACORN USER OCTOBER 1983 NUMBER New colour FIFEEN THE NEWS Acorn shake-up, second for second processors, telesoftware launch, live BBC show VAMPIRE 32k game listing for Beeb and .: Electron, by Michael Murray t binder year .••" :••• NEWS FEATURE Sexism in computing and the KEY TO TAB classroom George Hill's assembly code controls Tab key ••• TECHNIQUES • • • • • • • Random numbers for precision by Stan Froco OSFILE MERGING Program illustrates use of this command, by George Hill COMPETITION »j Simon Dally drags you back THESE quality binders have into the dungeon been specially commissioned ATOM FUTURE .*", .'•. for readers from a major A plan of action by Barry British manufacturer. They Pickles are available exclusively BEEBCALC • « through Acorn User at £4.25 .... •...: Joe Telford analyses the new « i « which includes postage and • •** release from Computer packing. Concepts ATOM REVEALED So, keep a year's worth of Verify routine and game review your favourite magazine in *• prime condition, send for one * a of these green, simulated FRACTAL GRAPHICS t .:. leather binders. Acorn User is ATOM Weird and wonderful curves by printed in gold on the front New book from Procyon takes Susan Stepney and spine of each. Atom apart Make your cheque payable to Addison-Wesley Publishers Ltd, and send it to BKT 57-TRACK DISCS (Subscriptions), Douglas Road, BBC SOFT REVIEW Nigel Pendleton puts two Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2TS. Alan Pipes gets his hands on catalogues on 40 and 80 track an early Vu-Type tape Include your name and discs address or use the form on the Reader Services page. Allow four weeks for delivery. ATOM FORUM With overseas orders, add £2 BEEB FORUM Games utilities, screen for Europe (total £6.25) and Basic as machine code, inversion, ROM routines, £5 for the rest of the world interrupt printer spooler, interrupt music, with Barry (total £9.25, airmail). Quicksort, with Ian Birnbaum Pickles How to submit articles: You are welcome to send articles 1o the Editor of Subscription Information: Send Acorn Userlor publication. Acorn L/ser cannot undertake to return them unless a your cheque or postal order made stamped addressed envelope is enclosed. Articles should be typed orcomputer payable to Addison- Wesley Publishers written with double line spacing. Black and white photographs or trans- Lid to: Acorn User, BkT (Subscription parencies are also appreciated. If submitting programs a cassette or disc is vital. Seivices] Lid, Douglas Road. Tonbridge, Payment is C50 per page or pro rata Please indicate if you have submitted your Kent TN9 2TS, England- TeH0732) article elsewhere. Send articles, reviews and information to: The Editor, Acorn 351216 Telex; 95573 User. 53 Bedford Square, London WC1 B 3DZ- ACORN USER OCTOBER OCTOBER 1 983 CONTENTS EDITORIAL WOULD you buy your daughter a microcomputer for Christmas? The answer, it seems, is no. The micro world is dominated by men, from SOFTWARE REVIEWS the ones who build the machines, Four offerings from Program to the ones who sell them, service Power, Opus and Acornsoft them - and finally buy them. A boy