Coming soon...
Aaron with some details of what's coming along in the next volume of RISCWorld.
Yes, once again it's time for me to write an end of volume, get your wallet out, preview piece for the next volume of RISCWorld. The next volume will mark the 6th year of RISCWorld, and all but three of the 31 issues so far (including this one) have been edited by my own fair (calloused - HJ) hands. So it's time for us to do our regular bid for your subscription funds.
Let us first of all see how we did with our election promises from last year. For those of you who remember we said we were going to do the following:
- More Iyonix coverage.
- Publish more full commercial software.
- Publish commercial software not owned by APDL.
- Feature more reviews.
Well we now run a regular Iyonix column every issue and we have also published a full commercial product with every single issue. On the surface we haven't done so well on publishing non APDL software, that's until you realise that APDL has been buying up software rights, just to give the products away with RISCWorld! This year we have given away WebFx3d, FontFX6, Rhapsody 3, Dr Fonty and TypeStudio. Three of these titles were not just part of the APDL back catalogue but purchased just for you, the RISCWorld readers.
Moving on to the reviews well it would be great to publish more reviews, but to review things we have to have a review copy. If we aren't sent a review copy, then we can't do a review and publish it. So, if you would like something reviewed in RISCWorld let us know and send us a (legitimate) copy, please no e-mails with "This is really cool, you should review it" with a commercial program attached.
We had a number of products we wanted to see 12 months ago, and a number of them have become realities, including RISC OS Adjust (the ROM based version of Select), the full release of GIMP Print and a new browser in the shape of NetSurf. Some things that we had hoped for, such as an X-Scale Omega, Impression X and an Iyonix II haven't appeared, but hopefully they will over the next year.
So anyway what have we planned for the next 12 months? Well lets see...
Introduction to RISC OS Adjust
From next issue we will be starting a series on RISC OS Adjust. The lack of a full user guide for the latest versions of RISC OS has been bought up frequently in other magazines and on-line, so we are going to try to do something about it and fill in the gaps.
Site Writer
We were hoping to publish this during this volume, but had so much software that in the end we decided to move it into the next volume, actually the next issue. Originally sold for nigh on £60 Site Writer is a super WYSIWYG HTML editor and webs site designer.
A mystery commercial game
Were in the negotiating stage with this one and hope to get the right to publish this on RISCWorld very soon, as for which game, I can't really say at the moment, but it will be worth the subscription price on it's own!
More real life case studies
Dave Bradforth has been out and about knocking on the doors of companies that rely on RISC OS. We will be publishing full case studies starting from the next issue.
A Secret History of VirtualAcorn
Want to know all the details about the story behind VirtualAcorn? Well in a short series next volume I will be spilling some of the beans on the history of VirtualAcorn, right back to 1998 when the idea for the project first formed.
Of course we will continue with our host of regular columns covering all aspects of RISC OS, we will carry on including the latest freeware and PD programs and games on each issue and we will carry on making RISCWorld even better.
We also have a potential new series, the draft of which I must admit made me laugh a great deal, but might upset a few people. The name of this potential new series is "The High Jampton Interview", a series of spoof interviews with the best known characters in the RISC OS market. With some toning down it might be possible to publish it, but I'm not sure, let us know what you think.
Get your subscription in now
We have done our budget forecasting for the next year and have decided to keep the subscription rate the same as it has been for this year. So you can get an action packed bulging collection of six RISCWorld CDs for the lowly sum of £21.90 in the UK and £24.50 overseas. To renew your subscription by cheque credit card or debit card contact APDL.
By Post
RISC World Subscriptions, c/o APDL, 39 Knighton Park Road, Sydenham, London SE26 5RN, United Kingdom
By phone
You can ring APDL on 0208 778 2659 (+44 208 778 2659 outside the UK).
By fax
0208 488 0487 (+44 208 488 0487 outside the UK).
By e-mail
By e-mail to subscriptions@riscworld.co.uk.
At a Show
APDL will be exhibiting at all the major UK shows this year, including Wakefield 2005 in May, although you will most likely have missed another issue of RISCWorld by then!
I hope to see you all again for Volume 6 Issue 1.
As a final threat, if you don't re-subscribe I will publish the photo of Dave Bradforth at the special Rocky Horror film screening, so you have been warned!
Aaron