The ZX Files 3/ZX Files 3 (Disk 3 of 3).adf/141/141

Text File | 1978-01-28 | 51KB | 1,091 lines

      @2

                          ZX FILES QUESTIONNAIRE
      @4


      Many people see the Amiga as  heading the same way the Spectrum
      did in  the  early  nineties,  and  if  Escoms  performance  is
      anything to go  by,   then   it    is    probably   true.  What
      people don't  say,  or  don't   know,   is   that   the  Speccy
      scene is still thriving, with  new demos, utilities, and games,
      been  made  all the  time for the  humble  micro,  as  well  as
      there  been a thriving fanzine  market.   In  the   time   that
      I  have  been  corresponding   with  certain  members   of  the
      Speccy   scene,   it  hasn't    taken     long    for   me   to
      realise what  a  friendly   and  helpful   bunch   they  are. I
      can't  begin to thank them enough for   answering  all my inane
      queries  and stupid questions, for  all  the  disks   of  games
      and PD stuff sent  to  me,  as  well as   their  general cheeky
      banter. So what did  I   do  to   thank   them  all  for  their
      invaluable   help,  well   I   sent   them   a   list    of  25
      questions to answer. What an ungrateful git I am.


      So  here  it  is,  the  ZX   Files  questionnaire,  25  probing
      questions which will  hopefully,   though   probably  not,  try
      and give an insight in  to  what   makes   a  Speccy  nut  tick
      in these super PC/console nineties,  as  well as trying to give
      a little bit of an insight into the  Speccy scene.  But  before
      we  get started,   I'd  better   introduce   them  all,   after
      all  it's only  fair  to  know  what   you're  dealing with, so
      here's  the low-down  on the culprits involved.


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN.@4 Proprietor of  Fountain  PD  and the purveyor of
      fine  quality  PD  warez.  He  also  uses  up  any  spare  time
      contributing to various demos. Dave   would  also be  a  member
      of the Violet Berlin  Appreciation  Society,   if  such a thing
      ever existed, and  he  also  wants   to   be   reincarnated  as
      Violet Berlins joystick.

      @2PAUL  HOWARD. @4 Demo writer and proprietor  of Impact PD as well
      as been a utility and  games  writer. He's currently working on
      Jet Set Willy 4: The '96  Remix as well as various mega-demo's.
      He also contributes to various  Speccy magazines like AlchNews,
      Subliminal Extacy and  Crashed.  Does  this  guy  have  time to
      sleep?

      @2ANDY DAVIS.@4 Head honcho  at  Alchemist  Research and creator of
      AlchNews, by far and away  the   best  Speccy disk mag I've had
      the pleasure to  read.   Always   helpful and enthusiastic with
      anything Spectrumish,  but unfortunately  he's  liable to burst
      into  flames  if   you   should  happen  to  mention   the word
      Sherwood, and I'm not on   about   the   place where Robin Hood
      and his merry men used to hang out.

      @2ROB PURCHASE.@4 Demo and utility  writer. He's just contributed a
      guest part to United Minds new  mega-demo Beyond Help, which is
      getting on for 30 parts. He is  probably the only person in the
      world to use his Spectrum on the Internet for E-mail.

      @2MAT BEAL.@4 Currently edits the  Speccy fanzine Z2 and previously
      ran the  fanzine  Fish.  Also  writes  for  other  fanzines and
      publish's various software, allegedly.

      @2JOHN GARNER.@4 Demo writer extraordinaire.

      @2MARK STURDY.@4  Ex  Editor  of  the  magazine  Crashed.  He keeps
      himself busy by writing various articles and messing about with
      his little thing called Sam.  He  also  happens  to live in the
      most beautiful place in the world,  just around the corner from
      me.



                      @2     ZX FILES QUESTIONNAIRE


      1)@3 WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FIRST BUY A SPECTRUM?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 I used to use  someone  elses 48K right from the
      off (1982) but bought a 48K+  in  1984.  It was the computer to
      own. C64's were very expensive  and  were  very slow at loading
      games.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 My first Spectrum was a grey Amstrad +2, bought in
      1986, but since then I've  picked  up two rubber-keyed 48Ks and
      another +2 at car boot sales. I  also have quite a few other 8-
      bit machines, but  the  old  Speccy  has  held  my interest the
      longest.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 June 1987, a Spectrum+.  Everyone  had one so I had
      to join the club! Although  it  should  be noted that Alchemist
      Research started in September 1986,  but our first Spectrum was
      acquired nine months later!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Well I didn't.  There's  always  been a Speccy in
      our house for as long  as  I  can  remember  (and that's a long
      time).

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 I've  never  bought  a  Spectrum  in  my entire life,
      actually; my Dad got a Plus  2  for  me  and me sister in early
      1988. I can remember us watching an ad for the +2 and +3 on the
      telly not long before that ... ah, happy days ....

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 When? 1989 - cos  I  wanted a computer, and it was
      cheaper than Amiga/Atari.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 I got my first  Speccy  (  a grey +2 with loads of
      games) for Christmas 1987, having played  on my cousins 48K and
      thought "Mmm, I'll have one of those if you don't mind".


      @22)@3 DID YOU BUY IT ORIGINALLY TO JUST PLAY GAMES?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Yes! And also  for  Cheetahs SPECDRUM. A digital
      drum machine for ú30, but it  had a stupidly loud hi-hat sound,
      and you couldn't turn it down!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 The Speccy was  my  first  computer so I wanted to
      use it for programming, and  all  kinds  of other things to see
      what it could do. I  looked  forward  to the games too, though!
      (But why didn't  the  +2  introductory  pack  have  no AY music
      whatsoever?).

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 Erm, yes and no.  I'd  used a Spectrum for a couple
      of years  before,  playing  ALCHEMIST  (wow,  surprise!), PSION
      FLIGHT SIMULATION and  JET  SET  WILLY,  but  was  also looking
      forward to messing around with  that  "enormous" 48K of memory.
      My previous machines were  a  Vic-20  (3.5K  RAM) and an ORIC-1
      interested me. Cheap, affordable 'disk' media.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4  No.  My  Dad  wanted  my  brother  to  get  into
      computers, so programming  a  Speccy  seemed  a  good  place to
      start. Even now, my  Speccy  doesn't  get  used  for games that
      much.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 As I've said, I didn't  actually buy it, but that was
      the major use I had in  mind  when  it  turned up at the house,
      yes.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Nope (that's what I told my Mum and Dad!).

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Can't really  remember.  I've  always  used it for
      games mainly but I have been  known  to tinker around in BASIC.
      I've never really had the stamina to learn it properly though.


      @23)@3 WHAT HAS THE SPECTRUM  GOT  THAT OTHER COMPUTERS HAVEN'T AND
      WHY DO YOU STILL USE ONE?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Charm,  quirkiness,  individuality. It's British
      designed (but not built sadly,  although the ZX81 was assembled
      by housewives in Dundee!). I still use them because I guess I'm
      in love with the things. They score 100 points on the nostalgia
      trip. They can do anything  a  PC  can  do,  only in a bit more
      humbler fashion ....

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 The Speccy has some sort of magnetic appeal, maybe
      because of its distinct  personality!  After  a  while when you
      come to know all the spectrum's  bugs  and history, it seems to
      develop a real sense of character.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 The Spectrum  has  history, friendship, teamwork, a
      'blythe spirit' (I hope that's how  you  spell it). OK then , a
      Dunkirk spirit! It's not just down to its specifications, which
      have been long improved on  other  machines,  but its users and
      software. Games are far more playable.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Not  sure  about  that  one.  I  suppose it's the
      amount of dedication people give  to  it, meaning that it's the
      people that  use  the  Speccy  that  play  a  big  part  in its
      personality. (?)

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 What's the Spectrum got  that others haven't: A power
      pack you can warm your  feet  on, attribute clash, an obsessive
      user base, rubber keys. Why do  I  still  use on? The games are
      fucking ace.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Tricky ..... Character,  ease  of use - to program
      at  close  to  hardware  level,   errr  ...  games  with  great
      playability, cheap software (or free, now).

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Maybe that  should  be  "What have other computers
      got that the  Spectrum  hasn't?".  All  I  want  to  do with my
      computer is play games, word  process  and mess about in BASIC.
      My Speccy (and SAM) provide  all  I  need. Plus, the people are
      nicer, the mags  ('YS',  'Fish')  are/were  better, and there's
      much more of a sense  of  fun  and  community than on any other
      computer I've come across.  Admittedly,  I  would  like to have
      internet access, but chances are  that  I'd  waste hours on it,
      accomplishing even less than I do now,  and go slowly out of my
      mind.


      @24)@3 DID YOU UPGRADE YOUR  SPECTRUM  TO  ANOTHER MACHINE AND THEN
      COME BACK TO THE SPECTRUM SCENE LATER AND WHY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 I left the  Spectrum  in  1987 and returned late
      1991. Lots of reasons I can't remember. I flirted with an Acorn
      Electron which I used as a  word  processor. The printer was an
      early inkjet  which  had  very  faded  print  even  with  a new
      cartridge! I remember now, I got  bored with the whole computer
      scene. I found that girls bums were more fun to play with.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 Since the Speccy I have "upgraded" to a BBC Micro,
      Amstrad  CPC6128  and  PC  286   but   never  left  the  Speccy
      completely. The fact that I can program on the Spectrum (albeit
      in BASIC), and understand it well, always draws me back to it.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I invested in a +2 and +3, but that's about all. Oh
      yes, I did get a SAM, tried it once, gave it back! Then there's
      the PC, but all it does mainly is emulate the Spectrum!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4  In  a  word  ,  no.  I  do  also  use  an  Acorn
      Archimedes, but I still mainly use  the  Spec, and I never left
      it in the first place.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 I bought an A1200 about  two years ago now, but I was
      doing FISH at that time so  I  never  really went away from the
      "scene". My machine just spent more time on the shelf not doing
      anything than previously, that's all.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 No. Stayed with the Speccy all the time.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 I've never  deserted  the  Spectrum, although I do
      keep going back  to  my  old  Atari  2600 (brilliant, brilliant
      games), and I bought a SAM in 1991.


      @25)@3 WHAT DOES YOUR SPECTRUM SET UP CONSIST OF?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 All the models  apart  from the +2A abortion. +D
      interface with 3.5" 80 track  drive, Epson LQ100 printer. Loads
      of bits and pieces and about 1500 original games.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 My Spectrum set up  is  a  grey +2 with a Fidelity
      CM14 monitor, Multiface 128,  Videoface digitiser, two Sinclair
      joysticks, Citizen 120D+ dot matrix  printer  and Datel +D disc
      interface with 3.5" drive. It takes  up  a lot of desk space, I
      can tell you!

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 There  are  three  Spectrums  set  up  at Alchemist
      Research. At one time there were many more when I ran Alchemist
      Software, but now it's just:

           SETUP 1: Spectrum 128K +2 (grey) with external tape deck.
                    +D disk interface
                    3.5" disk drive
                    5.25" disk drive
                    Multiface 128 (Disciple version)
                    Ferguson monitor
                    Occasional hook up of Star LC-100 colour printer

           SETUP 2: Spectrum 128K +3
                    External 3.5" drive
                    Multiface 3
                    Star LC-10 printer
                    Amstrad CM14 stereo colour monitor

           SETUP 3: Spectrum+
                    Interface 1
                    6 Microdrive units
                    Hook up to Ferguson monitor

           SETUP 4: The 486 PC running the Spectrum emulator.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 I have several Speccies around the house, but the
      one I use  most  is  a  grey  128K+2,  in  my  opinion the best
      Spectrum ever. I've got a Multiface  128 (with a broken button)
      and a +D disk  interface  rammed  in  the  back, along with one
      drive and a nice large  colour  telly.  Not  to mention the box
      full of discs and  endless  piles  of  mags  ... You could also
      mention the mouse and lightpen,  but  one  doesn't work and the
      other is just crap.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Er, an ageing and  well travelled Plus Two, an ageing
      television set with lots of  prebubescent  toys stuck on top of
      it, and a  joystick  that  no  longer  recognises the direction
      "down" 'cos one of the wire's come  loose and we can't work out
      how to plug it back again. Is that what you mean?

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 (Deep breath)  Spectrum  +2A  with  +D attached to
      Star  LC-20  printer  (9-pin),   and  Amstrad  colour  monitor,
      Spectrum +2,  Spectrum  +3,  Multiface  3,  Interface  1, Prism
      VTX5000 modem, Kempston joystick interface.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4  Currently  I  use  a  +2A,  a  Citizen  Swift 200
      printer, a  Multiface  3  and  (essential  this  one)  a  Capri
      Marketing joystick adaptor, which lets me use a normal joystick
      through those stupid  Amstrad  parts.  I'd  like  to  get  a +D
      sometime soon.


      @26)@3 HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE SPECTRUM SCENE?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 I was as lazy as most people, but in October 92,
      I wrote to Garry Rowland  from  an  ad  in  Sinclair User and I
      never looked back. I started my own tapezine, Sinclair Classic,
      started writing to Andy Davis and started my own PD library, in
      that order. The world is full of closet Speccy users/fans.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 In 1994 I  saw  an  advert  in  the Micro Mart for
      Spectrum UK magazine and bought two  copies. Before then, I had
      thought the Speccy to be dead,  but soon I became well involved
      in magazine writing and releasing PD  games. I don't buy Speccy
      UK any more but there's  no  ill-feeling  between us. I now run
      Impact PD, produce lots of games  and utilities and design demo
      graphics for Technium 220.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I started  on  Micronet  800,  part  of the PRESTEL
      service and a forerunner  to  the  Internet  rubbish. I used to
      contribute a lot  to  questions  posed  on  the  Spectrum area.
      AlchNews, my magazine, was actually  on  the Sinclair QL at the
      time. Since I was  using  the  Spectrum  more, I transferred it
      over. Then, as I  contributed  to  more  magazines, my name got
      around. I acquired a small range  of  PD from the software area
      of Micronet and  started  a  PD  library.  Now  AlchNews is the
      biggest Spectrum magazine of  all  time,  Alchemist Software is
      the biggest Spectrum software service of  all time and I'm very
      happy with the results!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 I've been  writing  "things"  for the Speccy ever
      since Your Sinclair closed down in  1993, but I only really got
      on the scene last year when  I  decided  to get off my butt and
      write some letters!

      @2MAT  BEAL:@4  By  accident....  1993   was   quite  a  bit  of  a
      transitional phase for me: the old part of my life had finished
      but  the  new  one  hadn't  quite  begun.  Obviously,  in  such
      circumstances you look for things to  fill the gap. Early on in
      the year I read an  article  on  SAM fanzines in Your Sinclair,
      and decided that, having been  involved  in a school magazine-y
      thing which collapsed soon after FISH started, I could do that.
      (As it turned out, I  was  completely  incapable, but there you
      are). Issue one initially  only  got  four  readers,  and so we
      couldn't see the point in doing a second issue. Then! When Your
      Sinclair went bust we were  mentioned  in  a fanzine round -up,
      reviews began to flood  in,  we  were  inspired  to do a second
      issue (and another seven issues after  that), and before I knew
      where I was, I became part  of  this "scene" which I never knew
      existed. It's all rather bizarre really.

      @2JOHN  GARNER:@4  Gradually...  Through   reading  Your  Sinclair,
      writing to Prism PD and "Zack" (or Dominic Morris) and swapping
      with others.

      @2MARK  STURDY:@4  I  started  reading  all  three  glossies  (Your
      Sinclair,  Crash  and  Sinclair   User)   in   '91.  When  they
      disappeared it  was  the  jingoistic  tone  of  the  last  Your
      Sinclair, the "Lets see  what's  out  there" 'zine section, and
      the fact that there was still 'Format' kept me going. Along the
      way I discovered  'ZAT'  and  'Fish~,  and  since  I started up
      'Crashed' in mid-94, that's  put  me  in  touch  with lots more
      people. There's a huge underground community, and as long as we
      can hold that together, the Speccy will continue to flourish.


      @27)@3 WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE GAME OF ALL TIME AND WHY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Probably Rainbow  Islands. It's fast, colourful,
      addictive and people of all ages enjoy it. A classic!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4  Among  my  favourite  games  are  Firelord,  Rick
      Dangerous (the best action/puzzle game on the Speccy), and that
      old  platformer  Odd  Job  Eddie,  which  brings  on  waves  of
      nostalgia! My overall  favourite  is  probably Rainbow Islands,
      due to cute graphics and sound. Original choice eh?

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I would have to  say  JET SET WILLY. Nothing before
      was done on such a grand scale  and it still amazes me today. I
      think there are still some rooms I haven't visited!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Do you want  the  quick  answer or the other one?
      OK, the quick one: I don't know.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 It's a bit hard  choosing an all-time favourite. It'd
      be toss-up between R-Type and  Chaos, probably Chaos'd win 'cos
      of  the  social  interaction  level.  It's  such  a  brilliant,
      engaging, deep, fun game.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Maybe R-Type? Don't play games much. Chaos?

      @2MARK STURDY:@4  Spellbound  and  Knight  Tyme.  They're  just  so
      addictive. Roll on the SAM version.


      @28)@3 FAVOURITE DEMO AND WHY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Every demo  is  special  because someone has sat
      down and created it out of thin air.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 My favourite demo is  shock  by ESI. It was one of
      the first I ever saw and the effects left a major impression on
      me! Ziutek's music is also excellent, it's a pity ESI went onto
      the Sam Coupe.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 SOUNDTRACK IV,  or  the  similar program by FUXOFT.
      Both play 128K music like I've never heard before. There are 26
      tunes, some famous, all unbelievable. One  is from a Monty game
      and it sounds exactly the same  as  the C64 version. The Fuxoft
      version shows a piano keyboard and what keys are played.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 I don't really  have  a  fave demo, because there
      are so many about that are  either really good or really funny.
      If you're going for style, Echologia  by Busy and Norohas to be
      a good bet.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 The Lyra 2 by ESI  (I think), just because I found it
      really impressive and thought  it  tried  some things that were
      new to the Speccy - you  don't  get  that with demos coming out
      nowadays, which are all pretty  crap,  and just written for the
      sake of it. Respect is also due  to  Branch Of Mind by Axco for
      being nearly as impressive in only one load. Oh, and Intro 2 by
      Vision (the artist formerly known as Zaphod Beeblebrox) is good
      'cos it's got an animation of Berk from The Trap Door.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 That's a better question!  Used to be "Shock", now
      I like "Schizophrenia" - the  thing,  although not brilliant in
      some parts, is timed very well.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Errrr.... don't know.  Haven't  seen all that many
      but Sonic by Icabod was good.


      @29)@3 FAVOURITE UTILITY AND WHY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 PFN by Garry Rowland. I'm a font pervert.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I don't think  I  have  a "favourite" utility, but
      the most useful  are  Tasword,  Art  Studio  128  and Disc Kit.
      Tasword has patiently justified all my AlchNews articles, while
      I use Art Studio for all  my artwork. William Fraser's Disc Kit
      may be PD, but its recovery rate  and  ease of use make it very
      professional.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 TASWORD 128+D. Tasword  128 was a great improvement
      on Tasword 2. But  some  bright  spark converted the Microdrive
      version to work on the  +D.  It  can  read  just about any word
      processor file, thanks to some utilities with it.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Either Tasword 128+D (I'm using it to type this),
      or Art Studio 128, because they are both simply excellent!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Favourite utility  and  why?  Pah!  Utilities are for
      pooftahs. They're just not what the Spectrum's FOR, are they?

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 DOSCOPY -> +D  probably,  or Wordmaster or Tornado
      (assembler). Got to be Tornado on second thoughts.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 The  DTP  pack  by  PCG.  Friendly, user friendly,
      powerful - a classic.


      @210)@3 FAVOURITE PIECE  OF  HARDWARE  AND  WHY  (NOT INCLUDING THE
      SPECTRUM)?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 The +D has no  rivals, although the Multiface is
      a good second. The +D is fast  and  is still a status symbol on
      the Speccy!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I love all my  Speccy hardware! Although the +D is
      my main asset, I have  a  soft  spot  for the little ZX printer
      with its rolls of  thermal  paper  and  COPY  function. Sadly I
      don't use it much these days, as  the +D refuses to inhabit the
      same serial point! Could it be jealous?

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 The +D disk interface. There have been half a dozen
      disk interfaces but only the +D  has  been the most popular. It
      doesn't clash with anything and  the  sheer volume of utilities
      shows our love for it! The new SNAPREADER program allows you to
      load in Amiga snapshots, from a PC formatted disk.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Has to be the  +D disk system, for pretty obvious
      reasons.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Our toasted sandwich maker.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4  +D  interface!  It  completely  revolutionised my
      collection and software built up  like  anything, and I used it
      more (faster).

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 In theory the +D , but as I haven't used one yet ,
      the Multiface, 'cos it's good.


      @211)@3 MOST FONDLY REMEMBERED PIECE OF SPECTRUM ADVERTISING?


      @2DAVE  FOUNTAIN:@4  A  small  ad   by  a  company  called  Digital
      Integration in 1983. Don't ask me why, I just find it charming.
      Full page colour ads usually meant a crap game.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I used to buy Crash  (in the days of Lloyd Mangram
      and the Jetman comic strip) and  those three page Datel adverts
      in colour always made my  mouth  water.  I still daydream about
      some of those amazing add-ons which I could never quite afford.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I used to like  the old Sinclair adverts, promising
      swift delivery dates! I remember the  big  two page ads for THE
      GREAT SPACE RACE, which proved to  be  a flop! The best picture
      was for Jet Set Willy, with his head down the loo!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 "Fish - the new  Speccy fanzine! Feb/Mar sample dummy
      run  ish  only  20p+SAE.  Phone  Mat  on  XXXX  XXXXXX".  (Your
      Sinclair, May 1993).

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Don't really remember  any...  The +2 advert on TV
      (lightgun pack) is all I suppose.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Oh, I don't know.  Everyone else has probably said
      Game Over 2, so I'll go with the majority.


      @212)@3 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST MISTAKES MADE CONCERNING THE
      SPECTRUM?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 The rubber keyboard on  the 48K, but that was to
      keep the price down. I  believe  it  gave  the Speccy the wrong
      image of simply being a toy. It never recovered.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 The +2A. It was  bloody  awful. Caused a great deal
      of confusion.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Letting Amstrad in on the act.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Sinclair selling the  machines to Amstrad rather than
      carrying it on themselves. Ten years  isn't bad for a computer,
      but I think Sinclair  would  have  made  more  of  an effort to
      develop the Spectrum.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Not releasing a Spectrum PC with add-on Pentium!!

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 All the magazines  dumping quality and quantity in
      favour of crap cover tapes,  circa  1990. Lost the techy stuff,
      50% of their pages and  -  similar proportion of their readers,
      destroyed the market within eighteen months. Doh!


      @213)@3 WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS MADE CONCERNING
      THE SPECTRUM?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Home computing been made popular to the masses.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 One of the greatest Spectrum's achievements is the
      fact that it is still  alive  today,  thanks  to the efforts of
      various users who have set  up  their own magazines, libraries,
      coding groups  etc.  Compared  to  todays  top  computers,  the
      Spectrum seems very much  obsolete,  but  its band of followers
      lives on! Other achievements are the excellent +D interface and
      the fact that somebody in Europe has built a hard drive.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 The Spectrum 128  was  a  great advance, made games
      far bigger.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Must be Your Sinclair appearing on telly!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 All those excellent games, and its sheer durability.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 I can afford not to answer one question, can't I?

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 The immense  popularity  and longevity. The Speccy
      was one of the first proper  home  computers, and it was one of
      the last before  the  consoles  and  ICs (Impersonal Computers)
      moved in.


      @214)@3 IF YOU WERE CLIVE SINCLAIR AND  COULD GO BACK 14 YEARS WHAT
      WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 I wouldn't change a thing  if I had a chance, it
      wouldn't be a classic computer if it were perfect!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I don't think I'd  change the Spectrums history at
      all. Just  think,  it  had  a  great  ten  years  of commercial
      software and has only just  begun  its  second  life as a hobby
      machine. The only way to  keep  the  Speccy "alive" would be to
      make it into a PC or games console.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I'd  have  started  with  the  Spectrum +2 keyboard
      (Amstrad design) at day  1,  I  think  the  Spectrum would have
      advanced far quicker. Perhaps by following  the ORIC a bit more
      (did you see the size of the bloody speakers inside?!), and got
      better sound and no  colour  clash,  maybe  the Sam Coupe would
      have come along five years earlier  and they'd still be selling
      spectrums today. When  the  Sinclair  Research  team  had drawn
      plans for the Sinclair QL, I  should have slapped them and told
      them not to be bloody silly!  I'd  have made sure that I didn't
      run up a ú7M debt so Amstrad wouldn't have taken over.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 For  a  start  I  would  have  given the Spectrum
      single pixel colour!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 I wouldn't have named my son Crispin. I wouldn't have
      paid ú1000 for a copy of So Long And Thanks For All The Fish by
      Douglas Adams.  I  wouldn't  have  realistically  thought  that
      anybody would have driven a  C5.  I  wouldn't have got involved
      with all those  dodgy  women,  and  asked  out  Carol Vorderman
      instead. I'd like to think.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Not sell out to Amstrad. Basically. Use 3.5" disks
      instead of 3" on the +3.

      @2MARK  STURDY:@4  Does   it   really   need   saying?  Forget  the
      Microdrives, forget the C5, and don't sell to Amstrad.


      @215)@3 HAVE YOU EVER USED/SEEN/OWNED A SAM COUPE?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 No but I  want  one  for  the sound and graphics
      side. I want an Amiga for the same reasons.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I've never seen a Sam Coupe except on the pages of
      Crash! I thought about buying one  around 1990 but the cost put
      me off. There seems to be  all  sorts  of SAM user groups but I
      don't I don't know a single person who owns one!

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 Seen: Yes, in action a couple of times.
      Used: VERY briefly.
      Owned: Yes, but don't tell anyone!  I  was given one on loan on
      New Years Day. It took  ages  to  load  stuff in from tape. The
      graphics were very nice, but it didn't impress me.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Are you  allowed  to  use  bad language like "Sam
      Coupe" in your mag? You'd better take the answer as a no before
      I get angry.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 No/No/No.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 I've touched a few  keys once (1 PRINT "Sam Coupes
      are crap" : GOTO 1) at a Gloucester Spec/SAM show.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Yeah. I got  mine  5  years  ago, and I've used it
      ever since. It's  an  excellent  machine,  with  some brilliant
      software, and it's  still  the  next  logical  step  up  from a
      Speccy.


      @216)@3 WHY DIDN'T IT SUCCEED?

      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Poor  management  by  MGT.  Not enough financial
      backing. Arrived maybe two years too late considering the Amiga
      was around and dropping in price.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 The Sam folded  because  it was competing with PCs
      and Megadrives,  and  didn't  have  the  power  or  graphics to
      compete with either. Had it been  created a few years before or
      been made as a 16-bit machine,  it  would have done much better
      in a commercial sense. The SAM  is  also  too young to have any
      decent nostalgia.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 It came too late. It  came at a time when the Amiga
      was the suitable and  popular  choice  for upgrading. The price
      was too high to justify buying a white elephant. If it had been
      ready at the time, or just  before, the Sinclair 128 or Amstrad
      +2, they would have cornered the  market. It reminded me of the
      Sinclair QL, not because  of  the  specifications or looks, but
      how it was strictly a  hobby  machine.  The SAM never took off,
      and never will, because nobody would  take it seriously. It was
      never sold in the shops  like  the  Spectrum  and never had the
      commercial support like  the  Spectrum.  A  great  shame,  as I
      suppose it's a nice machine.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Not enough people thought it would make much of a
      difference upgrading from a Speccy, so hardly any were sold and
      the company folded about three times.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Bad timing. The concept "it's a new eight-bit machine
      which is a bit  better  than  the  Spectrum  but loads Spectrum
      games.  Except  it  doesn't  load  that  many  Spectrum  games,
      actually" was a bit dodgy in  1990,  so  it was doomed from the
      start, really.  The  only  people  it  ever  appealed  to  were
      Spectrum users who wanted to buy  a new computer without making
      all their games and stuff  obsolete,  which  is a pretty narrow
      market. It  could  have  been  handled  better,  though; better
      advertising could have made it more  of  a success. Oh, and Bob
      Brenchley reckons it had something to do with the fact it had a
      MIDI port instead of a printer port, or something.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 It's obvious.. No marketing to the general public,
      too expensive for its value.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Appearing two months too  late for the Xmas market
      in 1989 .... Still been  rushed  out  and  getting loads of bad
      press due to the early  ROM  bugs  .....  MGT losing money from
      sending out thousands of free  upgrades  to  fix said bugs ....
      MGT going bust  in  July  '90  ....  SAMCo  only advertising in
      Speccy mags,  they  give  the  impression  the  SAM's  just  an
      upgraded Spectrum .... SAMCo  losing  money  due to giving away
      big demos on their News disk,  then  not selling any games ....
      SAMCO going bust in July  '92  .... West Coast computers having
      no money and a somewhat 'avant-garde' approach to publicity ...


      @217)@3 YOUR FUNNIEST SPECTRUM RELATED STORY.


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Nothing side-splitting comes to mind.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 Dave Fountain and I started up our PD libraries
      around the same time, Dave charges a small amount for the first
      few titles while I do it for  free (at the moment anyhow!). Yet
      I still managed to make more money than him in the first couple
      of  weeks,  as  a   number   of  considerate  customers  helped
      contribute towards my running costs. This story illustrates how
      thoughtful and friendly the good people of Speccyland can be.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I've met  up  with  a  great  bunch  of nutters and
      loonies connected with the Spectrum.  Of  the  ones I've met, I
      can think of something amusing with  all of them. Like the time
      Lloyd Garland (who runs  Alchemist  Software)  got drunk on two
      pints of beer and giggled until  he  almost passed out. Or Dave
      Fountain (who runs  Alchemist  PD)   who  ripped  off  my local
      supermarket  when  he  came  to  visit.   Or  the  time  I  was
      interviewed by Dave Ledbury (leading  SAM  figure) and Mat Beal
      (of Z2 magazine) in my mini, talking about all kinds of rubbish
      (a la Pulp Fiction:  "In  Europe  they  call  the 1/4 pounder a
      Royale"), being moved on by security guards who didn't like our
      choice of parking  spot  and  being  interviewed whilst driving
      through downtown Stockport!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 This bloke's  sat  at  home  reading  his paper, when
      there's a knock at  the  door.  He  gets  up  to  answer it and
      there's a six-foot beetle  there.  Before  he  has  time to say
      anything, the beetle  hits  him  over  the  head  with a brick,
      rendering him unconscious. When he  wakes up, he's in hospital.
      A doctor says to  him,  "How  did  this  happen?"  And he says,
      "Well, I was knocked unconscious by a giant beetle." The doctor
      replies. "OH, I heard there was a nasty bug going around!" Then
      he goes home and plays on his Spectrum. Boom! Boom!

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 I've only  got  a  few  sheets  of  paper to write
      on.....

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Is in the making. See Crashed issue 14 (out now).


      @218)@3 YOUR MOST UNPLEASANT SPECTRUM STORY.


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Amstrad buying the  Sinclair  then killing it in
      favour of the  PCW.  The  Speccy  +3  could  have  been a dream
      machine.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 Oooh, a tough  one  this!  What scared me was when
      the Speccy mags started to disappear of the shelves of my local
      newsagent. I'd read all about  the  'Save Our Speccy' campaigns
      and all that, but it was  only  now that the seriousness of the
      Spectrums plight began to sink in.  It was actually three years
      between the end of the  Speccy's  commercial life and the point
      at which I discovered the 8-bit underground.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 A guy called Martyn Sherwood. He made a mistake and
      foolishly tried to cover it up and lie about it. He's split the
      original Spectrum community  and  had   arguments  with lots of
      people, yet he still thinks  it's  not  his fault and there's a
      conspiracy out with everyone against him. Well he's right about
      the second bit!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 This bloke goes  to  use  his  Spectrum, but where it
      used to be he found his dog, which has been killed, skinned and
      got all maggots squirming about  in  it, and it's REALLY gross.
      And then the beetle came  in  and  knocked him unconscious with
      the brick, and when he woke up he'd been buried alive. And then
      he turned into a fly. Yuck.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Plugging  some  hardware  into  the expansion port
      while it was on and paying ú20 to fix it.... (Aaaaagghh).

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 The one about Miles Kinloch (don't ask).


      @219)@3 WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ULTIMATE SPECTRUM MACHINE?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 A 40MB hard drive and  a DOS as far removed from
      +3 DOS as possible!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I wouldn't alter the  Speccy  too much or it would
      become a PC! However, it  would  be  nice  to have a large hard
      drive plus two  3.5"  drives.  And  how  about  a better colour
      palette? The main problem  would  be incompatibility with older
      software - after all, we shouldn't need a Spectrum emulator for
      a Spectrum!

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I  knew  of  a  chap  in  Liverpool  who  built his
      Spectrum into a PC case.  That  would  be  very nice. A real PC
      keyboard with Spectrum  innards,  PSU,  +D  interface with twin
      drives (3.5" and 5.25" of course!),  plus a hard disk drive and
      Multiface all in the  PC  case.  CD-ROM  access  for the Speccy
      emulator CD would be nice,  as  would  a better display with no
      colour clash. Memory, 1 meg  would  be  more than enough. Quite
      surprisingly, it's feasible,  with  the  exception  of a better
      display! A hard drive  has  been  connected.  A CD-ROM could be
      done in the same principle. 1  meg  of memory could be achieved
      with paging. It's been done on the ZX-81.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Built in +D disk  drive, internal hard drive, hi-
      res monitor, 1 meg memory and a decent keyboard.

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Well, you could go on adding goodies until you've got
      a top of the range  multimedia  Pentium PC which plays Spectrum
      games. Which you can have already  if  you get a good emulator.
      But MINE would be a +2  with  a built in toasted sandwich maker
      which wakes you up first thing in the morning with a mug of hot
      chocolate. And feeds the cat when you're on holiday.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 16MB main memory,  2  x  Z80 processors, 6 channel
      16bit sample sound chip that  works  on interrupt (so Z80 isn't
      slowed), several different screen modes - 256x192 as usual + 80
      column x25 text mode + 320x240 gfx?
      In built comm's chip can  do  19200  on interrupts again, and a
      buffer.... 3.5"  HD  disk  drive,  built  in  +D/MS-DOS  format
      support... The list goes on.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 16K, twin  microdrives, thermal printer, interface
      2 ..... eee, luxury.


      @220)@3 IF CLIVE SINCLAIR IS GOD  WHO  WOULD BE JESUS AND WHO WOULD
      BE JUDAS ISCARIOT?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Crispin Sinclair is  obviously Jesus and I would
      be Moses. Alan Sugar  makes  a  fine  Judas. Business men don't
      have morals.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I can see this question offending some people, but
      I'm an atheist  so  it  doesn't  bother  me!  Alan  Sugar would
      definitely be Judas, as he  joined  in many 8-bit projects with
      vigour before  instantly  abandoning  them  for  the  PC. Worse
      still, Judas may have  killed  himself  but  old  Alan is still
      raking in  the  money.  As  for  Jesus,  maybe  Alan  Miles for
      inventing the +D, or one of the great programmers from Ultimate
      or Ocean.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 ALAN SUGAR as  Judas!  I  can't  think of anyone to
      cast as Jesus!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Jesus could be many people, but I'm gona say Andy
      Davis for been such a great  guy  and giving so much support to
      the Speccy scene in  recent  years.  The  Devil would certainly
      have to be Alan Sugar, for creating the +2A and +3!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 You're expecting  me  to  say  "Bruce Gordon and Alan
      Sugar", aren't you? Well, I'm not going to. I think Jesus would
      be Dave F and Judas would be  whoever did the music for Fantasy
      World Dizzy. Just to be a bit different.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Jesus = Sir Clive's son, obviously (!).
                   Judas = err.. Bill Gates.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Alan Miles and Alan Sugar, natch.


      @221)@3 IS THE SPECTRUM COMMUNITY ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 No! The people who have become the 'leaders' all
      have very strong personalities so friction is a human condition
      we all have to live with.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 The Spectrum community isn't a "big happy family",
      for two reasons. Firstly, it  is  split  into two factions: the
      loyal friendly programmers and  libraries,  and  the people who
      are still trying to make  a  profit.  Secondly, there have been
      recent feuds between two  well  known  Spectrum associations. I
      won't name either of them, but after looking at the letters and
      comments from both sides it's  obvious who's to blame. However,
      most Spectrum users tend to be friendly and considerate.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 Yes, with the exception  of one or two black sheep,
      who have been cast out,  you'll  find the Spectrum community is
      full of great people, who  will  go  out  of  their way to help
      another Spectrum user.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Definitely  not.  That's  all  I'm  saying on the
      subject, and anyone who knows what  I'm talking about will know
      why. Keep me out of it, OK!!!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Is it bollocks.  We  can't  stand one another, people
      are falling out  all  over  the  shop.  Andy  Davis  and Martyn
      Sherwood, Dave Ledbury and  Bob  Brenchley,  and  so on. And of
      course my own difference of opinion with ex-Crashed editor Mark
      Sturdy, which I don't really  want  to mention. Although I will
      say he's a STUPID NAIVE CHILDISH TALENTLESS TOSSER.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 No, and  I  think  everyone  knows  it's not (e.g.
      Prism/Alchemist). Yeeesss... I won't say any more.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Almost. I could count  on the fingers of two hands
      the individuals who prevent it  being  thus. Davis and Sherwood
      are mostly harmless, it's  the  tactless,  fat headed fools who
      insist on involving themselves with the dispute when they've no
      business doing so that they ought to be strung up.


      @222)@3 HOW DO YOU SEE THE SPECTRUM IN THE YEAR 2000?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 As long as Argos still sell them tape decks with
      EAR and MIC leads, I think we'll still all be there.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I think the Spectrum  will still be alive (insofar
      as it is today) in the year 2000, although more and more people
      will be leaving the scene over the next few years. The Spectrum
      is bound to become extinct  eventually,  but  at the moment its
      future seems pretty  healthy.  Maybe  someone  could  arrange a
      decent eight-bit  convention  in  the  year  2000?  (Not Format
      though, or it'll be all Sam Coupe!).

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I think the Spectrum will trundle happily on to the
      next millennium, thanks to people  still  writing stuff for it,
      and the appreciative audience  of  users  who continue to enjoy
      what we produce. I also think the next big thing could be a new
      generation of Spectrum Emulators,  going  further than what the
      Spectrum actually was, and incorporating  things like I said in
      question 20. In effect, it would be  like a new machine, yet no
      expensive hardware to build or buy!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Sitting on my desk as usual!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 It'll be the same as it is now, the currant users are
      just too damn obstinate to let it go. Or maybe not; events have
      gone full circle (the  Spectrum  started  off  as a full small-
      scale machine, the  games  and  magazines  of  which were down-
      market unpretentious affairs, and that's what it's like now) so
      maybe events  will  go  in  a  sort  of  loop-de-loop  and  big
      companies will start showing  an  interest  and loads of people
      will buy one. But  I  wouldn't  have  thought that very likely,
      would you? Mark  Sturdy  probably  does,  but  that's 'cos he's
      really thick.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Pretty  much  the  same  as  it  is  now  - a cult
      machine, although there'll be more emulator users.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Much the same as  it  is  now, maybe a bit bigger.
      The  various  'zines,  PDLs  and  software  houses  around  are
      becoming  evermore  professional  and   established:  it's  not
      exactly a growth industry but I  can't see many of the hardcore
      enthusiasts we've become  deserting  in  the  next  four years.
      There's also a lot of users out there who aren't yet aware that
      we've gone underground.


      @223)@3 WHAT IS  YOUR  OPINION  OF  TODAYS  SUPER-CONSOLES AND MEGA
      PC'S?

      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 If they are plugged in, I'll play with them!

      @2PAUL  HOWARD:@4  I  don't  dislike   the   consoles  or  PCs  for
      themselves. It's  the  arrogant  attitude  of  the  owners that
      annoys me. These  people  simply  cannot  accept  that an 8-bit
      machine has  more  character  than  a  64-bit  console  or 1024
      megabyte PC. I sometimes feel quite sad that they will never be
      able to feel the warmth of the Spectrum community.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 I take all these new consoles with a pinch of salt.
      I remember only a couple of  years  ago when the Super Nintendo
      was the best  console  you  could  get.  Now,  it's practically
      antique. Same with PCs. I bought  a  486SX 25Mhz last summer. A
      week later, it was out  of  date! Technology is progressing too
      fast. It's great really, just damn expensive to keep upgrading!

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 See question  14.  Just  replace "Sam Coupe" with
      "console" or "PC", and you'll know what I'm on about!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 I've never seen the  appeal  of consoles, and I don't
      know anything about these new ones, other than what I've read I
      Select and on Teletext's computer bit. If anyone wants to buy a
      computer of any description at the  minute, I reckon the "mega"
      PCs are their best bet.  They're  too expensive for me, though.
      Mark Sturdy wants one of  those  Game  And  Watch things. No he
      doesn't, he wants some tiddlywinks. And  a My Little Pony. Yes.
      That's right.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Utter crap! No really... very impressive. Software
      gets less and less worried about memory/speed, programming goes
      to pot, ....


      @224)@3 SUM UP YOUR  FEELINGS  FOR  THE  SPECTRUM  AND THE SPECTRUM
      SCENE IN ONE WORD?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Passion.

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 "Thriving". Despite the odd quarrels and problems,
      the Speccy World is wholly  alive.  In  the  UK alone there are
      five reputable PD libraries, and new demo's are constantly been
      released in Europe.  The  Spectrum  scene  is  much more active
      today than around 1993 when  shoddy,  half finished titles were
      being rereleased in a last-minute attempt to make money.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 Astonishing.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 One Word? I could  go  on  all night, but I won't
      (for the sake of your sanity  only). Anyway, in one word, it'll
      have to be: Wahey!

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 Extrinsic.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 And can I think  of  the word I want? Bugger no...
      Oh *!!$@... I'll come back to  it.  "Steady"  is the best I can
      do.

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Perverse.


      @225)@3 ANY MESSAGES OR WORDS  OF  WISDOM  YOU  WOULD LIKE TO SHARE
      WITH READERS OF THE ZX FILES AND SPECTRUM USERS IN GENERAL?


      @2DAVE FOUNTAIN:@4 Always choose  keys  over  consoles  in the long
      run!

      @2PAUL HOWARD:@4 I could plug my  PD  library here but I won't! I'd
      basically like to say hi to  all  Speccy lovers. Hang onto your
      old machines and keep using them. Don't just dump the Speccy in
      the attic when you next upgrade  -  keep it in action and we'll
      see In the year 2000 together.

      @2ANDY DAVIS:@4 Thanks to you  all.  Officially, Spectrum users are
      to spit on Amiga owners (arch  rival Commodore you see), but as
      long as we have the Spectrum  in  common, we will always remain
      friends. If I  can  help  any  Spectrum  user.  No  matter what
      machine they use, I will.

      @2ROB PURCHASE:@4 Yup, here's one: Bogie of Extacy-3 is one hell of
      a lazy git!!!
      Hmm. I've just read this over and found out what a load of bull
      I've wrote, but I  don't  really  care!  Anyway,  if you can be
      bothered, get your pen and  paper  out  and  write me a letter.
      Here's the address:

          ROBERT PURCHASE
          47 MILL STREET
          DRUMMORE
          STRANRAER
          DG9 9PS.

      Or E-mail: [e-mail]

      @2MAT BEAL:@4 ONE: Don't have anything to do with Mark Sturdy, he's
      a tosser. TWO: Buy  Z2.  Issue  One  only  ú1.50 from 3 STATION
      ROAD,  BIRCH  VALE,  STOCKPORT,   CHESHIRE,  SK12  5BP.  THREE:
      Stereolab have got a new single out called Cybele's Reverie and
      it's dead good, so buy  it  and  get  them to Number One. FOUR:
      Mark Sturdy's a girl.

      @2JOHN GARNER:@4 Finally.  Keep  supporting  the  ZX  Files and all
      other Spectrummy groups/magazines. They need you!

      @2MARK STURDY:@4 Yes. However  great  the  temptation may be, don't
      get involved in the  Prism/Alchemist  row. Tactfully ignore the
      snide comments, chuck the press  releases  on  the fire. At the
      very most, say "Please stop  telling  me about this stuff, it's
      really nothing to do with me and I don't really want to know".


                    @7








                                 WIMP CLAUSE
      _______________________________________________________________
#8
      The  views expressed above  are not necessarily those of The ZX
      Files and  therefore we do not want to be seen as taking  sides
      in any disputes between various parties.                         @7
      _______________________________________________________________