Archive Magazine CD 1995/Archive Magazine CD 1995.iso/text/products/volume_06/issue_06

Text File | 1995-02-16 | 16KB | 289 lines

•   2067BC − This arcade adventure game from Oregan Developments’ which
was reviewed in Archive 6.4 p31 is now available through Archive for
£18.
6.6
•   16 bit per pixel upgrade for G8 Plus − With the introduction of the 16
bpp Replay de-compressor from Acorn, State Machine have released an
upgrade for their G8 colour card that allows full animation
compatibility in the new 32768 true colour modes.
6.6
As well as offering a variety of animation-compatible true colour modes,
24 bpp clear files can be loaded which are converted and displayed
automatically by a new !TrueView application. !TrueView allows panning
and scaling of images larger than the screen and will cope with all
formats of clear files.
6.6
Along with !TrueView, the new !ARMovie application licensed from Acorn
Computers Ltd is included along with some sample clear files.
6.6
This upgrade allows 25 frames per second animation in true colour at
medium resolutions. The new modes available are 576×424, 800×300 and a
50 frames per second update, 384×288, which can be double buffered for
flicker free animation. With this upgrade, 16 bpp digitisers will be
able to offer high quality real time preview modes without dithering.
6.6
The upgrade is available when purchasing the G8 card for an extra £30
+VAT. As a special offer to existing G8 users, the 16 bpp upgrade is
available for £20 +VAT including p&p and new software.
6.6
A further enhancement to the G8 allows all TV broadcast modes (modes 12,
13, etc) to be displayed at full-size on any monitor. All G8 cards now
include this feature as standard and any existing users of the G8 that
require full screen TV broadcast modes (e.g. to play Interdictor on VGA
monitors) can be upgraded for £10 +VAT including return postage. Note
that this upgrade is included with the 16 bpp upgrade.
6.6
•   Amateur radio software − Steve Hunt (G3TXQ) has a selection of amateur
radio software available for the Archimedes. A morse tutor, an antenna
designer, frequency prediction and filter design programs are available
on a compilation disc priced £9.95 (inc VAT and p&p). For details, send
an S.A.E. to Steve Hunt, 21 Green Street, Milton Malsor, Northampton NN7
3AT.
6.6
•   Archivist − Oregan Developments’ data management system is now up to
version 4.7. Extra features include store/display sprites, drawfiles and
text, play Symphony/Maestro/Tracker files, Impression Impulse link,
Specific label printer and enhanced reports generator. Anyone with
version 4.00 or later can upgrade free of charge from Oregan by
returning their registration cards. Anyone with an earlier version can
upgrade for £5 direct from Oregan. Archivist is now available through
Archive for £32.
6.6
•   ArtWorks Viewer − This software allows ArtWorks files to be viewed on
Archimedes computers that don’t have ArtWorks installed. Since it can be
distributed without charge, it is an ideal way of passing on ArtWorks
files. The images can be loaded using the ArtWorks Viewer and,
furthermore, they can be examined in more or less detail by zooming in
and out. The Viewer is now included in the ArtWorks package and a free
copy can be obtained on request by calling Computer Concepts.
6.6
•   Balloons + The Zoo is Freddy Teddy’s latest adventure encouraging
children with counting and addition. It costs £30 +VAT from Topologika
or £33 through Archive.
6.6
•   Broadcast Loader − This product is no longer available as its
facilities are contained as standard in the new operating system, RISC-
OS 3.1.
6.6
•   CASA update − There is now a RISC-OS 3.1 version of CASA (Computer
Assisted Structural Analysis). Because of the different way that RISC-OS
3 handles integers, it needed a re-write of the software, the result
being that the program now needs a minimum of 2Mb to run it. Please note
also that CASA is available only from W. C. Smith & Associates and NOT
from Vision Six Ltd. (Only the name has changed − the address remains
the same.)
6.6
•   Christmas Adventure − (Slightly unseasonal, sorry!) Help Father
Christmas to find his map and ensure that the children get their
presents. This adventure game from Storm Educational Software is aimed
at children aged 5 to 8 and should help them in reading, mapping, memory
work and decision-making. The price is £25.99 from Storm or £24 through
Archive.
6.6
•   ColourCard updates − In my comparisons of the Colourcard and the
G8Plus (Archive 6.4 p27), I said that I preferred the 25Hz screen update
speed which the G8 offered despite the fact that this slightly reduced
the processor speed. Well, CC have now released a free software update
for the ColourCard which gives users the option to configure the screen
update speed to 25Hz, rather than the default 12Hz. This software-only
upgrade is available free on request from both Computer Concepts and
Wild Vision (but not from Norwich Computer Services).
6.6
Another development of the ColourCard is a new (external) A3000 version
of the board. This is now available as an option at the time of purchase
or as an upgrade kit for existing owners. Wild Vision say that it can be
fitted by the individual but that a number of people may prefer to have
a local dealer do the fitting. If you have an existing card and want to
fit it onto an A3000, the fitting kit can be obtained from Wild Vision
for a handling charge of £8.50 +VAT. This applies to boards that say
“Issue 2” on them but if you have one of the very early Issue 1 boards,
you will have to return it to Wild Vision for updating and the handling
charge will be £10 +VAT.
6.6
•   Concept keyboard − Northwest SEMERC have now produced an A4 version of
the Oldham Overlay Keyboard (a concept keyboard by any other name). This
A4 board is an exact scaled down version of the A3 board so that
overlays can be reduced or enlarged on a photocopier for use on either
keyboard. The educational price of the A4 keyboard is £115 +VAT from NW
SEMERC.
6.6
•   Curves software pack − This is a set of eleven programs from
Topologika aimed at junior and middle school children but it also
enables GCSE students to explore complex curves and loci. The pack
includes the programs and a 90-page book entitled Curves. It contains an
audio tape with stories and other educational material and a 48-page
activities book. The complete pack costs £40 +VAT from Topologika or £43
through Archive.
6.6
•   Digital Symphony − This is a Soundtrack Editor from Oregan
Developments which is said to be fully Amiga compatible. Its features
include built-in sample editing, standard musical notation display, 40
special effects, importing of Maestro and OctaMED files, fully Midi
compatible, CD quality sample playback rate, track size only limited by
memory size, flexible cut/paste options and global search/replace/
exchange. Digital Symphony costs £49.95 all inclusive from Oregan
Developments or £48 through Archive.
6.6
•   Eizo 340iW − Eizo have just launched an excellent new monitor which
can be used on the Archimedes computers. It is a flat screen, 15“
monitor with electronic control − just like the more expensive 17” Eizos
(F550i and T560iT). This means you can program it to get the best size,
position, shape, etc for each of the different modes you use. It has the
same dot pitch as the 9060 − 0.28mm − which means that the screen in
made up of more dots and therefore gives a better resolution. I have
tried it with a G8Plus graphics card and I can display (in the 1600 ×
600 dot mode) a double page A4 spread, such as the Archive magazine and
read and edit the text perfectly well!
6.6
There are two other improvements of this monitor over its predecessors
(apart from its more ‘modern’ styling). Firstly, the power cable and the
video cable are in a recess under the back of the monitor so they don’t
stick out and add that extra 2 or 3 inconvenient inches to the depth of
the monitor. Secondly, Eizo have introduced a power-saving feature
(that’s the ‘W’ in the model name). If you use a normal software screen-
blanker, this will reduce consumption to about 80% but then if, after 3
minutes, the monitor sees that there is still no (blue) signal coming
from the computer, it shuts down to a standby mode which reduces power
to about 10%. Then after a user-selectable time (5 to 60 mins) it drops
further to a 7% power consumption level. Then as soon as you touch the
mouse or keyboard and restore the video output, the monitor comes back
to its normal display.
6.6
The price? Oh yes, I nearly forgot. For the extra 1“ in screen size,
plus electronic control, plus power saving, you only have to pay £120
more than the 9060, i.e. its Archive price is £670 inc VAT and carriage.
6.6
•   Fanfold paper for inkjets − Following a request for any company that
supplied fanfold paper for use on inkjet printers, Mike King of Guernsey
came up with Inmac Ltd of Runcorn, Cheshire. (Phone 0928−579000, Fax
0800 611116) Apparently they supply fanfold paper in the following
sizes: 280 × 210 (£16.90), 305 × 210 (£17.90), A4 (£19.95). The prices
are per 1,000 sheets but do not include carriage.
6.6
•   Faxpack − CC have finally implemented the long-awaited FaxPack file
transfer and answering machine features. The new software also includes
an option to transmit faxes through the Mercury Network, for users who
already subscribe to Mercury. The software and EPROM upgrade is
available free on request. (Computer Concepts will do the upgrade if
customers feel nervous about changing the EPROM themselves.)
6.6
(I’ve just had a thought! How many Archive contributors have got
FaxPacks? If I set one up out-of-hours, you could file-transfer articles
to me. If you are an Archive contributor and would be interested in
doing that, perhaps you would let me know. Thanks. Ed.)
6.6
•   Look and Listen − This is a series of five educational programs from
Brilliant Computing aimed at encouraging children to be more aware when
crossing the road. It appears that a fundamental requirement of safe
road use is an awareness of sound, which direction it is coming from and
if it is an incoming or an outgoing source. These games use the high
quality stereo sound output of the Archimedes to develop sound
discrimination and awareness. The price is £25 +VAT from Brilliant
Computing.
6.6
•   Numerator Workcards − This is a FREE 54-page A4 workbook for use with
Numerator. It provides a set of activity sheets providing ideas for
using Numerator in the classroom from beginners to more advanced users.
Registered Numerator users may obtain a free copy by ringing the Longman
Logotron sales desk on 0223−425558.
6.6
•   Masterfile 3 − Risc Developments’ database is now available through
Archive for £54.
6.6
•   Myth of Moby Dick − This is an adventure game with maths, geography
and language elements. It is suitable for special needs as well as
mainstream pupils. The cost is £30 +VAT from Topologika or £33 through
Archive.
6.6
•   PipeDream price drop − PipeDream3 is now £79 +VAT (£85 through
Archive) and PipeDream4 is £129+VAT (£140 through Archive).
6.6
•   Round the World Yacht Race − This is an extensive project package from
Storm Educational Software based around a computer program but with
program guide, study notes, flow chart and a map of the prevailing winds
and currents. It is aimed at 9+ year olds and develops skills in
science, maths, geography, science & technology and encourages role
play. The price is £34.99 from Storm or £32 through Archive.
6.6
•   Smart Alex − Brilliant Computing have produced an interesting
educational program in which children can ‘talk’, via the keyboard, to
Alex (who can be male, female, caucasian or coloured), encouraging them
to talk about feelings, emotions and expressions. The price is £25 +VAT
from Brilliant Computing.
6.6
•   Smudge the Spaniel − This consists of three educational programs from
Storm Educational Software aimed at Maths and English for children aged
4 to 8 years. This involves early learners in counting, reading, writing
and ordering. One of the programs reinforces addition and subtraction
and should encourage language development. The programs have options to
suit a range of ages and abilities. The price is £25.99 inclusive from
Storm or £24 through Archive.
6.6
•   Squish − This is a transparent sprite compactor designed for use with
existing applications. It is aimed at publishers who are running out of
disc space or want to speed up sprite loading. This is designed for use
by software developers or “technically aware” users. For more details,
contact Ian Sowden of Honeypot.
6.6
•   Stock Pack − Topologika have produced a content-free stock control and
simple accounting pack aimed at education − secondary or F.E. levels.
Handle 450 products and 250 customers − and make sure you get the VAT
correct. This costs £40 +VAT from Topologika or £43 through Archive.
6.6
•   Teletext on AUN networks − XOB have produced a version of their
Teletext serving software which is AUN compatible. It runs from a Morley
Teletext adaptor and provides Teletext access to all machines on the
network, Ethernet or Econet, across bridges and through gateways. The
cost of the site licence is £154 +VAT from XOB.
6.6
•   TextAid − Rheingold Enterprises’ utilities for manipulating text which
can be used alongside other RISC-OS packages has grown in scope and
(slightly) in price. It is now £12.95 inclusive from Rheingold
Enterprises or £12 through Archive. (We have a long and favourable
review which we hope to fit in next month’s magazine. It does seem to
offer a wide range of facilities − which is why we have added it to the
Archive Price List. Ed)
6.6
•   The Spoken Word − This is a new educational package from Wyddfa
Software aimed at National Curriculum AT 1 and 21 at level 1. It aims to
encourage an understanding of the spoken word and to stimulate an
interest in reading. The child can produce bright pictures, the colours
being shown with their written names and different objects can be
selected from their written names and/or from an outline drawing. The
computer responds aloud by naming both the chosen colour and the object.
The software costs £20 inclusive from Wyddfa Software.
6.6
•   Ultimate Expansion Confusion − HCCS’s Ultimate Expansion System is
very impressive but a little confusing to work out what’s what. We
didn’t help by introducing a couple of mistakes into the information we
gave. (Our excuse is that the article was produced at very high speed
after the BETT Show.) First of all, we got the pricing of the Starter
Packs wrong on the Price List − that wasn’t too difficult to spot
because the prices of the micropodules were quoted as being identical to
the Starter Packs. The Archive prices were correct in the article, viz:
HiVision Starter Pack £166, Laser Express Starter Pack £300 and SCSI
Starter Pack £133.
6.6
However, what the article did get wrong was the description of what you
actually get in a Starter Pack. i.e. you get the micropodule plus a
power supply and fan, as stated, but you also get the multipodule to put
it onto − so it really is very good value for money (although HCCS say
these are introductory prices). If you take the SCSI podule, for
example, and add up the micropodule plus multipodule plus p.s.u., it
comes to an Archive price of £110 + £43 + £33 = £186. Compare that to
the Pack price of £133 and you see that you get a £53 saving!
6.6
Please note too that you MUST tell us which model of computer you are
putting the podules into as the Starter Packs are different for A3000,
A3010, A3020, A4000 and ‘the rest’. Also, because there are so many
different permutations and combinations, we cannot guarantee to hold
them all in stock, so the turn-around for orders may not be up to our
usual (hopefully high) standard. If you are in a rush, you will have to
forego the Archive discount and go direct to HCCS.
6.6
•   Used floppy discs − We have a large number of used floppy discs, some
of which have hardly ever been used, e.g. PD discs that had the wrong
label on. We have reformatted them and are making them available for
charity at £20 for 50 discs.
6.6