THE BEST SELLIINIG IVI A<3 AZI INI E EOF=t THE AMSTRAD PCW Ten copies ofMin^g/jf^^ Office Professional to be ISSUE 17 • FEBRUARY 1988* £1.50 Could AMS's new desktop publishing package be the best yet? f PLUS: Complete buyer's guide to word processing, accounts, utilities and DTP software jgl- ) MASTERFILE 8000 FOR ALL AMSTRAD PCW COMPUTERS MASTERFILE 8000, the subject of so many Any file can make RELATIONAL references to up enquiries, is now available. to EIGHT read-only keyed files, the linkage being effected purely by the use of matching file and MASTERFILE 8000 is a totally new database data names. product. While drawing on the best features of the CPC versions, it has been designed specifically for You can import/merge ASCII files (e.g. from the PCW range. The resulting combination of MASTERFILE III), or export any data (e.g. to a control and power is a delight to use. word-processor), and merge files. For keyed files this is a true merge, not just an append operation. Other products offer a choice between fast but By virtue of export and re-import you can make a limited-capacity RAM files, and large-capacity but copy of a file in another key sequence. New data cumbersome fixed-length, direct-access disc files. fields can be added at any time. MASTERFILE 8000 and the PCW RAM disc combine to offer high capacity with fast access to File searches combine flexibility with speed. variable-length data. File capacity is limited only (MASTERFILE 8000 usually waits for you, not by the size of your RAM disc. the other way around.) You can even assign subsets of a file into one or more of seven A MASTERFILE hallmark is the provision of pigeon-holes for multiple, user-designed display formats. This subsequent reference or further manipulation. flexibility remains, but now it's even easier. With MASTERFILE 8000 you design your formats "live"; no more questionnaires, just move your format effects around the screen using the cursor keys! Record updating is even easier than before — just steer your cursor to any field on the screen and then insert/erase/alter as required. Special options are provided for handling dates and surnames, and column totals can be generated. All screen work is done graphically — and hence we offer unique panel, box, and ruled line options. Choose the line spacing at pixel resolution — you will be amazed how much clearer 9-pixel lines are than the usual 8-pixels. (Study the picture.) And all this faster than CP/M normally lets you paint the screen! PCW printer functions, under menu control, are provided. Customer De alii and Invoices FIELD-TO-FIELD CALCULATION is available, British United Freight Tel: M52 S using any mixture of terms and arithmetic operators 493 Mestern Avenue ConUct: Nike » Gloucester + -*/()• as UN lef: WT MASTERFILE 8000 is totally menu-driven, fully Invoice j Ux point (Mount Bate pi id Co SH machine-coded, and comes with example files and 12W4 ! 24 «U9 17 £235.44 42 Oct 87 a detailed manual. We claim (modestly) that you 12399 , 29 Slug 87 £98. ee 62 Oct 87 1245* ! ei Oct 87 E3es.ee re will not find another filing system with such 12453 1 21 Oct 87 £133. ee 12533 < *3 Nov 87 Ei,ee4.se power, flexibility, and friendliness. 12SS8 : It Nov 17 E3SS.6S iii;rri:r« E2ee.ee 11 Nov 17 £39.2* H MASTERFILE 8000 costs £49.95 including VAT *4 tec 87 £883. SS *4 (ec 87 1 Cj h with order and P&P to anywhere in Europe. Elsewhere please £3,253.9* 1 add 20% for air-mail service. ACCESS/VISA/ i Date of invoice MASTERCARD orders are welcome, written or telephoned, quoting card expiry date. Make ""^rmim^W' ^nKTTTO^M'" 'IkV^l^M-* ™ H^T^nTl cheques payable to "Campbell Systems". Our normal response is return post, class. Keyed files are maintained automatically in key of 1st sequence, with never any need to sort. You can CAMPBELL SYSTEMS (Dept 8PL have unkeyed files too, where records can be 7 Station Road, EPPING, Essex CM16 4HA, inserted at any point in the file. England. Tel: (0378) 77762/3 . OPENING MENU AmaZing News StunninG Features I kNockout Reviews Invaluable Tips SiZzling Offers 5 KEYWORDS 43 HISTORY LESSON Miscellaneous musings from the Editor. How did computers all begin? A collection of curios for the curious. 7 NEWS 1 988 gathers pace - read all about it. 47 GAMES 4 QUEEN STREET A journey through Level 9's Knight Ore BATH-BA1 1EJ TEL • 0225 446034 FAX 0225 446019 10 SPECIALIST SOFTWARE 49 WRITER'S VIEW Telecom Gold • 84:TXT152 Can word processors can damage your writing? Discover the world of bespoke software and turn your PCW into a Jack of all trades. 51 DESIGN AN ADVENTURE THE OLD BARN SOMERTON 16 QUICKIES SOMERSET. TA117PY TEL -0458 74011 New fonts for LocoScript 2 or CP/M, and a PCW to Z88 transfer kit. TEL -061-474 7333 18 DTP WITH STOP PRESS YOUR CONTACTS EDITOR The ultimate desktop publisher? Check out AMS's Stop Ben Taylor Press with our ££ { searching review. ASSISTANT EDITOR Alec Rae TECHNICAL EDITOR Rob Ainsley 54 BEGINNING BASIC ADVERTISING MANAGER A new series demystifying PCW programming. Margaret Clarke AD PRODUCTION 57 LANGFORDS PRINTOUT Jenny Evans SF author David Langford treads a few well-worn paths. Diane Taverner ART EDITOR Kim Bale 61 PUBLIC DOMAIN Character designing for CP/M programs. SUBSCRIPTIONS 25 LOCOSCRIPT CHARACTERS Carrie-Anne Porter LocoScript now allows you to design your own PUBLISHER characters. Chris Anderson 62 LISTINGS PLUS COVER PHOTOGRAPHY STUART BAYNES PHOTOGRAPHY 28 CASE IN POINT BATH A spreadsheet plus other goodies to type in. TEL • 0225 66343 PCWs penetrate the depths of Africa. COLOUR ORIGINATION WESSEX REPRODUCTIONS 352A WELLS ROAD BRISTOL BS4 0QL 31 WIN AN OFFICE! 69 TIP-OFFS PRINTING Three packed with life-saving hints and help. REDWOOD WEB OFFSET pages YEOMANS WAY TROWBRIDGE • WILTS Ten copies of Mini Office Professional to be won. DISTRIBUTION SEYMOUR PRESS 74 THE GOOD SOFTWARE GUIDE 334 BRIXTON ROAD LONDON • SW9 7AG 32 CP/M'S KEYBOARDS © FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 1988 The complete guide to word processing, desktop 3000 Plus is an independent publication The Configure your keyboard to do what you want with - - company who produce it Future Publishing Ltd SETKEYS. publishing, accounts, payroll and utility programs. have no link with Amstradpt. We welcome contributions Irom readers - please enclose a SAP. with submissions it return of the material is required. Payment lor accepted 36 JEEVES DESKTOP articles is made 4 weeks alter publication date. We lake great care to ensure that what we print is Banish that A> prompt for good with Kempston's mouse. 80 SPECIAL OFFERS accurate, but we cannot accept liability lor any Buy a little something on the cheap for your Valentine. mistakes or misprints. No part ol this publication may be reproduced in any lorm without our permission. 39 BOOK REVIEWS New looks at LocoScript 2 by Ian Sinclair and John 85 POSTSCRIPT Hughes. The best always comes last - your letters and opinions. ADf Uan- June 1987 [ ABC | 23,180 We needed even more space to show you all that's new in the Amstrad marketplace -so we've moved to ... The Great Hall Alexandra Palace Wood Green, London .' 1 i i HGnSDBHB COMPUTED 10am - 6pm Thursday February 4 10am - 6pm Friday, February 5 FREE 10am - 5pm Saturday, February 6 Presentations in i^lAmstrad Theatre Ifs °fc ^3 *2<t • here! .*&*£*&** This is YOUR chance to try out for yourself the tJ *>n „, °fe ,? He ,:'"s £,- ew, new Amstrad portable - the machine the press is raving about! This is YOUR chance to meet top people in Bring this coupon to the Show the world of Amstrad. Among them will be experts from: to get 50p per person off the normal admission price of Amstrad Grafsales Minerva Systems Advantage Gul Ironies MWD £3 (adults), £2 (children). Amstrad User Club Harlow Computer Centre Nabitchi Computing Amor Headline Communications Pace Micro Technology Bourne Educational Software HSV Computer Services Precision Software TM CDS Software lansyst Pdsig Compact Software 10 R & AJ Preston Computer Bookshops Kador Romantic R.iiiot Thursday, February 4, 10am-6pm Connect Systems Kavin Computer Supplies Rombo Productions cm KDS Electronics Sagesoft Friday, February 5, 10am-6pm Cumana Kemps ton Data Sandpiper Software Database Publications KKS Electronics Saxon Computing Saturday, February 6, 10am-5pm Dataphone Levianthan Micros School Software Digital Research MAP Computing Silicon Systems Direct Disk Supplies Margin Maker Siren Software Alexandra Palace, London N22 Electric Distribution/GST Metrotec The Electric Studio Electro Music Research Micro Anvika Tirith How to get there: By British Rail to Alexandra Palace station Equinox Computer Systems MicroLink Trybridge Evesham Micros Micro Media Computer Supplier Twill star Computers (9 mins. from King's Cross), then FREE shuttle bus to the show. Garwood Micronet Zonefour Glentop Publishing Midas Mail Order By road from junction 25 on the M25 (15 mins). Free parking. 1512 Independents A266 flPCW 1/88 (28) KEYWORDS People in glass houses The old jokes are always the best - printing commands? ever since computer invoicing began Just so they don't strike us off there have been stories in the their lists in a fit of pique, we ought to CRYSTAL BALLS papers about people receiving say that Script is undoubtedly a uncompromising demands for valuable source of help for Even though this is the February edition of 8000 Pius, the vagaries of the nought pounds nought pee or else. LocoScript 2 users on 8000s and magazine trade mean that it is our first issue of 1988, on sale in January.