{S:X;X;0;3;In the days of the BBC micro and later with an Acorn Master I used to be a Wordwise Plus and Viewsheet user. I bought one of the earliest Archimedes 440s in 1987 and looked around for a better wordprocessor and spreadsheet in vain. I subscribed to Paul Beverley's Archive magazine from its first issue in 1987 and wrote quite a few technical articles for him such as BASIC programs, a screendump module, a series on the use of the debugger, and another on using SYStem calls. For those of you who are not Archive readers (but want to be) Archive is published by Norwich Computer Services, 96a Vauxhall Street, Norwich NR2 2SD. It was through Archive that I first heard of PipeDream and in June 1988 Paul Beverley asked me to write a review of it. From the first day I used PipeDream 2 (which ran under the old Arthur operating system) I knew this was the integrated package I had been looking for. There was a PipeDreamá1 which is used on the Beeb (where it is called View Professional) and a version of PipeDream also runs on the Z88 (Cambridge Computers). However, it was on the 21stáJulyá1989 at the Acorn User show that Colton Software launched the multi-tasking (RISC OS) version, PipeDream 3\\\; I upgraded and haven\æt looked back!}
{S:X;X;0;4;In June 1989 I offered to write a monthly column for PipeDream users in Paul\æs Archive magazine. I called the column PipeLine and it first appeared in the October 1989 issue. As a result of writing that monthly column I established a good working relationship with all the staff at Colton Software. Readers write to me with their problems. If I can give an answer I do, but, if neither I nor other readers can help then I pass the problem onto Colton Software. From the very start I found them most helpful and now I send many technical questions (that I can\æt answer) to them directly. Often when I send them a question by fax I receive a reply in time to send out my rely the same day.}
{S:X;X;0;5;As most readers of Archive know, all contributors to the magazine give their services free. I enjoy writing the articles and I enjoy the letters, problems, solutions, hints and tips that I receive in return but, over the first year of doing this, expenses mounted up. These expenses were not only postage but often I decided that the easiest way of helping someone solve a problem was for me to send them one of my discs with an example on it. Nearly everybody returned these discs but inevitably some got lost along the way.}
{S:X;X;0;6;The PipeLine Discs}
{S:X;X;0;7;In May 1990 one of the directors of Colton Software suggested that many other users of PipeDream who didn't take the Archive magazine might benefit from receiving PipeLine (ie the information in the magazine). He suggested that I could make it available on disc to a wider readership. Paul Beverley agreed and I knew I could rely on Colton Software for Technical support so, after thinking about the options I decided to produce a quarterly disc and charge for it. This income would balance the books, allow me to continue writing the articles for Archive (which I enjoy) and provide for the inevitable expenses of answering reader's questions. Also I hoped to make some profit to pay for my time!}
{S:X;X;0;8;The first disc was issued in July 1990. The July disc relied heavily on the series of PipeLine articles that appeared in Archive, the later ones less so. The column in the magazine was getting embarrassingly long and it wasn't possible to get all the disc files I received on Paul's monthly disc. The magazine articles still have their place for (short) hints and tips, news, problems and their solutions. The PipeLine discs contain more substantial applications, particularly those that benefit by the inclusion of disc files as examples. The PipeLine disc makes it easier to include (in much more detail than a magazine column) worked examples for experts as well as tutorials such as the various series on using PipeDream as a spreadsheet, database and as a word processor which are intended for beginners.}
{S:X;X;0;9;Originally PipeLine was not intended to be a PipeDream user group but it quickly became one. It is the contributions and comments of PipeDream users which have helped PipeLine to become so successful. It was never intended (and never the case) that the PipeLine discs should contain only those articles which relate to the use of PipeDream. From 1992 we deliberately increased the proportion of articles about the general use of the Archimedes and the packages we all have in common (such as RiscOs, !Paint, !Edit, etc) and problems of general interest (such as booting, printing, fonts, etc). This aspect of PipeLine is growing and is well supported.}
{S:X;X;0;10;ZLine}
{S:X;X;0;11;At the BETT Show on the 20tháJanuaryá1993 Colton Software launched the first of a new series of packages which, originally, I called \ÉThe Z Set\æ but which later became Fireworkz. This first package is called Wordz. We were given advance warning of the launch of Wordz and the philosophy of Fireworkz. Mark Colton encouraged us to provide the same sort of support for Fireworkz as we were doing for PipeDream. We were only too pleased to be offered the opportunity.}
{S:X;X;0;12;Hence ZLine was born!}
{S:X;X;0;13;Although there is more than one Fireworkz package we believe that most of the purchasers of the first few have already decided that they will buy the full set. We believe that, amongst the subscribers to ZLine the proportion of our subscribers who are interested in the complete set will be much higher than for those who do not subscribe to ZLine. Hence, we have no intention of \Ésplitting\æ ZLine into a WordzLine, ResultzLine, etc, etc. However, even if you buy only one of the packages, such as Resultz, then you\æll be able to read all the files and I\æm sure that you\æll find enough on the ZLine discs to make your annual subscription worth while.}
{S:X;X;0;14;At any time you may \Éconvert\æ forward orders for PipeLine discs to an extension of your subscription to ZLine provided that the extension does not run beyond Decemberá1996. If the conversion would cause your subscription to ZLine to run beyond Decemberá1996 then we will offer you a refund of your second subscription at a rate corresponding to the difference between a subscription to ZLine on its own and your joint subscription. We will continue to make this offer into the foreseeable future.}
